Budget home theater, Opinions?

[PSB_Paradigm_HSU]

I am helping out a friend with a 5.1 set up on a budget of $1000. After doing some thinking about different combinations I came up with this. I think it will sound AWESOME for a good price. Let me know what you think.

Receiver: Onkyo 606 ($400)
Fronts: PSB Alpha B1 ($199)
Center: PSB Alpha C1 ($179)
Surrounds: Insignia NS-B2111 ($87)
Sub: Sony SAW2500 ($100)

TOTAL: $965

$35 dollars left for BEER!

Let me know what you guys think, and feel free to make suggestions. (just no polk or klipsch please)

This way in the future they can always upgrade the surrounds and sub when they are able to.

Just for fun I pulled up what you could get for $1000 at best buy...Its almost a CRIME how much they charge for that stuff!!

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&id=pcat17080&type=page&lcn=Audio&sc=audioSP&st=p rocessingtime:>1900-01-01&usc=abcat0200000&cp=1&sp=%2Bcurrentprice+skuid& nrp=15&qp=crootcategoryid%23%23-1%23%23-1~~q70726f63657373696e6774696d653a3e313930302d3031 2d3031~~cabcat0200000%23%230%23%23p1~~cabcat020300 0%23%230%23%23w~~nf408||24373530202d20243939392e39 39&pagetype=listing

[Twitch9]

I would stay away from the sony sub, if you looking for a decent sub look at JBL, they have some ok subs in the $150 range and will sound much better than the sony.

I'm not a fan of polk but i must say i think your better off with polk over the PSB

[PSB_Paradigm_HSU]

Originally Posted by Twitch9

I would stay away from the sony sub, if you looking for a decent sub look at JBL, they have some ok subs in the $150 range and will sound much better than the sony.

I'm not a fan of polk but i must say i think your better off with polk over the PSB

Thanks for the sub suggestion

You sure youre looking at the right PSB?

[Twitch9]

They are good entry level speakers, but why not go with tower speaker or is size an issue.

[PSB_Paradigm_HSU]

Originally Posted by Twitch9

They are good entry level speakers, but why not go with tower speaker or is size an issue.

They are much more that that my friend....2007 stereophile budget product of the year.

" PSB's Alpha B1 at $279/pair is also a "2007 Loudspeaker of the Year Award" runner up. This category is dominated by cost-no-object high performance loudspeakers up to $74,995/pair. "

I would take one pair of B1's over 5 pairs of polk floor standers!

[Twitch9]

For the same money why not look at Paradigm. The Atom is around the same price for a pair.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Twitch9

They are good entry level speakers, but why not go with tower speaker or is size an issue.

Tower speakers can shine in certain areas..... but a better designed bookshelf can certainly out-perform a tower without the "attention" to detail (for lack of a better explanation)


I got rid of some towers to use a pair of bookshelfs because I had a good offer on the towers, and the bookshelfs performed so well, I didn't really feel I was sacrificing much....

And these speakers were from the same manufacturer, and same model line.......

[raw nerve]

I would look at the SVS SCS-01 package with there sub. I'm getting one and they have pretty good reviews so far.

www.svsound.com if not I would get there sub over any thing out there. pb10 will blow your mind.

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by PSB_Paradigm_HSU

Thanks for the sub suggestion

You sure youre looking at the right PSB?

I think the reason he's saying that is the budget constraints, and I tend to agree. You end up getting hosed in the surround and sub categories because of the amount put into the fronts and center. (And they're small bookshelf speakers).

You can probably find a cheaper 606 than $400 as well if you look around online.