Home Theater Virgins- The official thread

[callas01]

try this,

Marantz 5003 $350 Now you have the same quality and receiver, its not HDMI 1.4 but I don't think your going to fun 3D thru the receiver anyways, so lets make the most of your budget. If you do want 3D, then get a BDP with dual HDMI Outputs.

Speakers... $650 left to spend.
OK, go here.(Link) Scroll down till you find the Monitor Audio Bronze series sale, I would say look at getting a Pair of BR2s, and a BRLCR and a pair of BR1s for surrounds. $677

For the fronts get a pair of VTI or Sanus stands, prices range from $40-100 @ racksandstands.com, This system would be much better then the Monitor 60s from polk.

IF you are going to invest more slowly, then I suggest that you get the R/L speakers first, and NOT the center channel. Movies can be down mixed to 2-channel very easily.

Look at my gallery and you can see that I am doing the same thing. My speakers are much more high end then these, but its the way I am building my system also. And you will get much more this way then getting a center channel first.

[Msi.Dev]

Hello everybody...new to this thread. About two years ago our house was partially destroyed by a big flood. Of course the old home theater (Denon reciver, polk audio speakers all around, and a paradigm subwoofer) were destroyed. It was so painful to just throw everything out to the trash as if it were real garbage. Anyway, I would like to start building a new home theater but am not sure where to start. I have a small seating area, about 11' x 11' with 7' ceiling in the lower level of the house, with the back open to another area. I don't have a lot of money but would like to get quality equipment, even if it takes some time. Could you enthusiasts who are smarter and more home theater experienced than myself suggest some place to start, especially if I should go with a HTiB or full size speakers considering the size of the room? I'd prefer full size speakers in case we move and the next house would have a bigger area (future-proofing the system).

Thanks all...

[DVan8504]

Originally Posted by Msi.Dev

Hello everybody...new to this thread. About two years ago our house was partially destroyed by a big flood. Of course the old home theater (Denon reciver, polk audio speakers all around, and a paradigm subwoofer) were destroyed. It was so painful to just throw everything out to the trash as if it were real garbage. Anyway, I would like to start building a new home theater but am not sure where to start. I have a small seating area, about 11' x 11' with 7' ceiling in the lower level of the house, with the back open to another area. I don't have a lot of money but would like to get quality equipment, even if it takes some time. Could you enthusiasts who are smarter and more home theater experienced than myself suggest some place to start, especially if I should go with a HTiB or full size speakers considering the size of the room? I'd prefer full size speakers in case we move and the next house would have a bigger area (future-proofing the system).

Thanks all...

I don't think you'll find anyone on this forum that would say HTiB is a better way to go than piecing together a system yourself. Do you want a 5.1 system or a 7.1? Do you have a budget in mind? That will help people recommend a setup for you.

[callas01]

Originally Posted by Msi.Dev

Hello everybody...new to this thread. About two years ago our house was partially destroyed by a big flood. Of course the old home theater (Denon reciver, polk audio speakers all around, and a paradigm subwoofer) were destroyed. It was so painful to just throw everything out to the trash as if it were real garbage. Anyway, I would like to start building a new home theater but am not sure where to start. I have a small seating area, about 11' x 11' with 7' ceiling in the lower level of the house, with the back open to another area. I don't have a lot of money but would like to get quality equipment, even if it takes some time. Could you enthusiasts who are smarter and more home theater experienced than myself suggest some place to start, especially if I should go with a HTiB or full size speakers considering the size of the room? I'd prefer full size speakers in case we move and the next house would have a bigger area (future-proofing the system).

Thanks all...

Budget would be a great place to start. Budget?

I will also add that since you have a smaller room, perhaps a nice bookshelf system would be a better way to go. It will be better then a HTiB, will be flexible to budgets, and give you options later to move the bookshelfs to surround duty if you choose to add towers later down the road. My room is 16 wide x 13 deep, I use bookshelfs now and its plenty of output for me.

[Msi.Dev]

When we had the house reconstructed after the flood, I had speaker wires run in the walls for 7 channels, but considering the size of the area, I don't know that I would need all 7 channels.

I also found out later that the wrong wire was used (standard Monster Cable 16 AWG instead of the correct UL listed in-wall speaker wire), so I am not sure if that will cause problems. I have a cheap system made up of an RCA pro-logic receiver, Bose 301 (front L and R), Sony center and sub, and Infinity surround speakers that we got from a garage sale ($170 for everything, inclusing speaker stands). I have not heard any interference from them, but didn't know if there were other issues with using regular speaker wire.

As far as budget, I haven't really thought it out, but I would guess (based on past experience) that I'd probably spend $2,000 - $3000 for receiver, speakers, and cables.

I figured I would do smaller speakers for the front but wasn't sure what to get. I see other members with B&W, KEF, etc. with smaller speakers and may be interested in something like that, as long as they aren't too expensive.

Thanks for all the help/advice...

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Msi.Dev

I also found out later that the wrong wire was used (standard Monster Cable 16 AWG instead of the correct UL listed in-wall speaker wire), so I am not sure if that will cause problems. .

It's against code.

We all know that speaker wires won't start a fire inside your wall, but if a fire happens, and your insurance company finds reasons to believe the speaker wire caused it..... they can deny your claim. With that I said, I just ran a whole bunch of "Illegal" wiring in my walls/crawlspace

For your budget, you'll have a decent amount of options.... you should go listen to as much as you can.

[Msi.Dev]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

It's against code.

We all know that speaker wires won't start a fire inside your wall, but if a fire happens, and your insurance company finds reasons to believe the speaker wire caused it..... they can deny your claim. With that I said, I just ran a whole bunch of "Illegal" wiring in my walls/crawlspace

For your budget, you'll have a decent amount of options.... you should go listen to as much as you can.

This may be a dumb question, but is there a way to replace the wiring in the walls with the correct wiring, such as tying the correct wire to the end of the bad wire and then slowly pull it through? The only problem I see with that is that the wiring was not run through any kind of conduit or track so it would be going directly through the holes cut in the studs and may get caught. I think I'm a little more upset at the contractor not telling me about the difference in the wiring...

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Msi.Dev

This may be a dumb question, but is there a way to replace the wiring in the walls with the correct wiring, such as tying the correct wire to the end of the bad wire and then slowly pull it through? The only problem I see with that is that the wiring was not run through any kind of conduit or track so it would be going directly through the holes cut in the studs and may get caught. I think I'm a little more upset at the contractor not telling me about the difference in the wiring...

Use duct tape to wrap around the end of the wire, and the new wire, then you can pull pretty hard (if it gets hung up on insulation, the holes they cut, etc) and just pull the old wire out as you pull the new wire in. Where does the wire go through? Basement? Ceiling? Either way it shouldn't matter.... You just want to make sure they didn't secure the wire to anything (Like stapling it to the rafters or floor joists)

[Msi.Dev]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

Use duct tape to wrap around the end of the wire, and the new wire, then you can pull pretty hard (if it gets hung up on insulation, the holes they cut, etc) and just pull the old wire out as you pull the new wire in. Where does the wire go through? Basement? Ceiling? Either way it shouldn't matter.... You just want to make sure they didn't secure the wire to anything (Like stapling it to the rafters or floor joists)

My only worries would be the center and the rear surrounds as they were run to higher locations and had to go up, which means they might have secured it to the studs to run it up. Without opening the walls I have no real way of knowing how the wire was run. The more I think about it the more frustrated I get. Oh well. I need to move on and plan what equipment to start buying.

I'm hoping to start purchasing pieces early next year. Any thoughts as to where I should start? I was thinking of starting with the receiver so I could at least get HD sound decoding. I don't know if I'd have enough money to get speakers at that time though.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Msi.Dev

My only worries would be the center and the rear surrounds as they were run to higher locations and had to go up, which means they might have secured it to the studs to run it up. Without opening the walls I have no real way of knowing how the wire was run. The more I think about it the more frustrated I get. Oh well. I need to move on and plan what equipment to start buying.

I'm hoping to start purchasing pieces early next year. Any thoughts as to where I should start? I was thinking of starting with the receiver so I could at least get HD sound decoding. I don't know if I'd have enough money to get speakers at that time though.

You could always leave the speaker wires that are in there, and pull new wire to the same place, if you're concerned about it being connected somewhere.....

But I'll tell you this.... I just pulled (tonight) my L/R surround wires and installed speaker-outlets, and I ran them 8' up the walls (10' ceilings) and they aren't connected anywhere....

If you get this ($10)

You'll be able to re-use the hole they ran the current wire through, and find out if there are any obstacles.....

Even if the walls were open when they ran the wire the first time, there is no reason they would secure it somewhere so you couldn't pull it out


As far as receivers, I'm a big fan of the New, as well as refurbished offerings at "Accessories4less"

Don't forget that you can save a ton of money on an older model of AVR if your BD player decodes the audio......

[sabarirjpm]

Hi. I have a room size of 13.75' x 12 ' with approx 10' ceiling. Can someone suggest me a good screen size for LCD and a Home theater for me. I was thinking of having a HTPC stream to a TV and settle with a HTIB, after reading the posts in the forum, I am now thinking of building the components. Will this be too much for my space. As I currently live in a rented apartment, I do not want to get into some HTiB and then spend again when I move to a larger home by upgrading. Kindly advice

[Talal86]

Hello
I know absolutely NOTHING about HT and I can't afford one now but I'd love to have one later, so until then, I want to have a decent surround sound system. I tried to search the net but reading about receivers, Amplifiers, etc.. I got confused to say the least..

infos:
HDTV: LG 42 LCD
BR Player: Panasonic DMP-BD85

thanks in advanced!

[Castaway]

Originally Posted by sabarirjpm

Hi. I have a room size of 13.75' x 12 ' with approx 10' ceiling. Can someone suggest me a good screen size for LCD and a Home theater for me. I was thinking of having a HTPC stream to a TV and settle with a HTIB, after reading the posts in the forum, I am now thinking of building the components. Will this be too much for my space. As I currently live in a rented apartment, I do not want to get into some HTiB and then spend again when I move to a larger home by upgrading. Kindly advice

Personally, I'd suggest a 52"-58" to fill some space and to be comfortable viewing. Depending on your room lighting, a plasma would definitely be the best option. Much better price for picture quality and size. If you wanna stick to the LCD's tho, Samsung is one of the best out there. As far as the sound, I have a tiny living room and have a large setup. Lol. It's never too much, just great movie quality sound.

Check these out:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Klipsch+...ntet&cp=1&lp=1
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Polk+Aud...w111&cp=1&lp=1
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Denon+-+...ract_desc=null

Might be able to find those products elsewhere on the web at a better price but you can get an idea of how they are with some of the review's on there. Plus in the future when you get a larger area for your audio I believe Klipsch still sells a pair of those same quintet speakers in a pair for $199 for 7.1 expansion. Those little speakers go a long way!

[kitfisto92]

Hey,

I recently bought a Samsung 58" Plasma 3DTV and I am looking to complement it with a new 7.1 surround sound system. I currently have a Yamaha 5.1 system. I am on a budget, and I found the "Onkyo HT-S7300 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver and Speaker Package with iPod Dock" and the "Onkyo HT-S9300THX 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver and Speaker Package," which are both in my range. Would you recommend either of these, and based on my pictures, do you think this is appropriate for the space where my home theater is? (the rear speakers are currently behind the loveseat)

[Castaway]

Originally Posted by kitfisto92

Hey,

I recently bought a Samsung 58" Plasma 3DTV and I am looking to complement it with a new 7.1 surround sound system. I currently have a Yamaha 5.1 system. I am on a budget, and I found the "Onkyo HT-S7300 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver and Speaker Package with iPod Dock" and the "Onkyo HT-S9300THX 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver and Speaker Package," which are both in my range. Would you recommend either of these, and based on my pictures, do you think this is appropriate for the space where my home theater is? (the rear speakers are currently behind the loveseat)

I'd recommend that HT-S9300. Reason is that receiver. Being THX certified, it has some great sound quality and is quite a noticable difference from the older receiver I used to have that didnt have those listening modes. I'd just get some bookshelf speaker stands, since I saw you had a place next to your tv, and your got a good looking and sounding home theater.

Onkyo makes some awesome component type "htib's". I have a friend that has one and it sounds excellent. For the price, they are hard to beat and takes the effort out of having to piece something together. Plus these system's always get great reviews on everything I've read so far.

[kitfisto92]

Originally Posted by Castaway

I'd recommend that HT-S9300. Reason is that receiver. Being THX certified, it has some great sound quality and is quite a noticable difference from the older receiver I used to have that didnt have those listening modes. I'd just get some bookshelf speaker stands, since I saw you had a place next to your tv, and your got a good looking and sounding home theater.

Onkyo makes some awesome component type "htib's". I have a friend that has one and it sounds excellent. For the price, they are hard to beat and takes the effort out of having to piece something together. Plus these system's always get great reviews on everything I've read so far.

Thanks for the advice! Now I just have to gather the money for the set and I'll be ready to buy. It looks like Amazon has plenty of options when it comes to the bookshelf speaker stands as well, so I'll look there first.

[AndyKoopa]

Hi All,

I am new to the board. I have a great knowledge of video but not so much on audio. I have my home theatre set up and I just ordered a Denon AV-591 Receiver. This receiver is 5.1. I see that is has pre amp so I can connect an external amp to the receiver. So I have some questions regarding this:

1. What will installing an amp to my receiver do for the audio? Just make it louder?

2. If I buy an amp, would I just connect the amp to the receiver via the pre amp? Do I connect the speakers to the amp or leave them in the receiver?

3.Does anyone have an amp they can reccomend for the AV-591?

Sorry for all of the questions, I think it is about time I have worked on getting my audio to be as good as my video

Thank you for taking the time to read and answer my questions!!

Thanks,
-Andy

[Kali157]

Originally Posted by AndyKoopa

Hi All,

I am new to the board. I have a great knowledge of video but not so much on audio. I have my home theatre set up and I just ordered a Denon AV-591 Receiver. This receiver is 5.1. I see that is has pre amp so I can connect an external amp to the receiver. So I have some questions regarding this:

1. What will installing an amp to my receiver do for the audio? Just make it louder?

2. If I buy an amp, would I just connect the amp to the receiver via the pre amp? Do I connect the speakers to the amp or leave them in the receiver?

3.Does anyone have an amp they can reccomend for the AV-591?

Sorry for all of the questions, I think it is about time I have worked on getting my audio to be as good as my video

Thank you for taking the time to read and answer my questions!!

Thanks,
-Andy

Andy,

Welcome to the forum. I am 98% sure that the L/R preouts on that specific Denon can only be used as Front Height or Surround Back (I don't know if it can even be used for Zone 2), not for your front L/R speakers. I would check the manual just to make sure.

[ejusted]

Originally Posted by AndyKoopa

Hi All,

I am new to the board. I have a great knowledge of video but not so much on audio. I have my home theatre set up and I just ordered a Denon AV-591 Receiver. This receiver is 5.1. I see that is has pre amp so I can connect an external amp to the receiver. So I have some questions regarding this:

1. What will installing an amp to my receiver do for the audio? Just make it louder?

2. If I buy an amp, would I just connect the amp to the receiver via the pre amp? Do I connect the speakers to the amp or leave them in the receiver?

3.Does anyone have an amp they can recommend for the AV-591?

Sorry for all of the questions, I think it is about time I have worked on getting my audio to be as good as my video

Thank you for taking the time to read and answer my questions!!

Thanks,
-Andy

1. Adding an external amp wont make it louder, it improves the quality of the sounds. If you want your music to be reproduced more accurately clearer highs and deeper lows, then a external amp is what you need.
2. With an external amp the speakers are connected to the amp. Then RCA cable or (XLR if you have the proper connections) will run from the external amp to receiver (preouts).
3. Depends on your price range, what kind of sound you are looking for. Many on here would recommend an Emotiva amp.

[rctoyguy]

Sorry if this isn't in the correct place - I am not able to post a new thread.

I am trying to find the best way to setup the audio from a Sony PS3 into an Onkyo HT-R540. I currently have it connected with an optical audio cable, but I have no idea which surround mode I should be using on the amp. I have trial and error'ed it with several different settings, and none of them sound like I thought it should sound. I do have 7.1 speakers setup.