Home Theater - Breaking Into the Scene - Inquiry Thread

[Durentis]

Originally Posted by Trean

Speakers
[...] I plan on purchasing the front left and right as well as the center first, then the subwoofer, then the rear two speakers. I haven’t done any research into speakers. I know I will be getting 14 AVG wire from monoprice, and probably some banana plugs.

If you are staggering your speaker purchases, I'd suggest increasing your budget and getting really good quality ones. And a better order (I assume you're sitting in the middle) would be fronts, surrounds, center, subwoofer, and then perhaps the rear(s) for 6-7.1 surround. Rears aside, I put the sub last because if you get good quality speakers you will get good (albeit not house-shaking) bass.

I started off with a $1-2000 budget for speakers, but ended up caving and spending a great deal more. Bought the fronts, surrounds, and center Paradigms first (~$5000) and will be ordering the sub (and possibly rears) in a few days (~$3600?). When my uncle first heard them he asked where my sub was and what I had for an amp; I have no sub and currently just have a cheap non-elite Pioneer receiver for an amp. I don't regret spending so much on the speakers because they sound incredible and will last a long time without needing to be upgraded. Just something for you to consider. (Oh, and I find that lots of Kraft Dinner makes it easier to pay off the LoC.. doh!)

If you're running 25'+ lengths of wire or are getting reference quality speakers you would be better off with 12 gauge wire. (And don't cheap out on your subwoofer cable.)

Don't bother with banana plugs. They're convenient but you're unlikely to be messing with the connections very often and will get a better connection with bare wire. Just be careful inserting them into back of the receiver so you don't bunch up the wire and short it out on another one.