Recommendations, please.

[jpollone]

I've read a lot of recommendations in the forums, but I'd like to ask for your help too.

I am thinking about the Harmon Kardon AV 635 receiver, and I enjoyed the Bose 901s, based on a good friend's recommendation. My buddy was a sound engineer and used the industrial version of the 901s ten years ago.

Your thoughts, please. In the mean time, I'll keep on reading threads.

Room Size: enclosed 12' x 28'
Budget: $1500
Usage: 90% audio, 9% theater, 1% show off
Aesthetics: it doesn't matter

[zumbo]

Keep your girfriend or wife away from your buddy!

[zumbo]

Why do you want an AVR if this system is for 90% audio?

I would go with this:http://www.harmankardon.com/product_detail.aspx?Region=USA&Country=US&Language=ENG&cat=REC&prod=HK%203480&sType=C

And a pair of these: http://www.vandersteen.com/pages/2Celit2.html

[sjdgpt]

Bose 901's are good for entertainment value and to impress the neighbors. For the same amount of money that you will spend of the 901's you could do a lot better with another brand of speakers. A lot better.

(Just a hint, Bose is a weeeeeeeeeee bit overpriced versus the competition).

[jpollone]

Why do you want an AVR if this system is for 90% audio?
Well, I thought the AVR would be a good idea so I could use it to switch my DirecTV, Xbox, DVD via the remote. But, yes, it is really all about the audio for me.... I think...

And a pair of these: http://www.vandersteen.com/pages/2Celit2.html

Sweet... but I forgot to mention that I'm hoping to use my award dollars to pay for these items. You see, I have a Sony Wega Plasma TV as my award. The award center said I could go with something else and that's why I'm trying to piece together a nice audio system instead. I should guess that whatever I choose would have to be something they can get from their distributor.

So, any other mainstream speaker recommendations?

[jpollone]

(Just a hint, Bose is a weeeeeeeeeee bit overpriced versus the competition).

So I've heard in the forums! :)

But I may need to get a mainstream choice since this will be part of my award package. Something that (gulp) Best Buy would be able to get.

[nm2285]

How mainstream is mainstream? I'd tell you to check out Polk LSi's (tweeter carries them), but if not, try Polk Rti, Infinity Beta, and Athena. All are MUCH better values than the BOSE.

[RipperHoss]

Best Buy currently carries several speaker packages that are much, much better than Bose. They currently do carry the Klipsch Synergy series speakers (alas, no Reference) & the Athena line (although they seem to have dropped part of the line recently). I would take either speaker package before getting a Bose system.

[jpollone]

Thanks for the responses. I'll give the award center a call today and see what they will allow me to do.

[zumbo]

Athena! If you can still get your hands on some. Toss-up BTW Polk & Infinity. No Klipsch for me! But thats just me!

[jpollone]

Athena! If you can still get your hands on some. Toss-up BTW Polk & Infinity. No Klipsch for me! But thats just me!

Just spoke with the award center (not to be too personal :o) and my total award is around $4000 and he said that I should use bestbuy.com as a reference.

How would you spend $4000 at Best Buy?

I'm thinking a receiver (what? no Harmon Kardon at best buy?), floor speakers, some outdoor speakers, and a small LCD display to fill in the rest.

[zumbo]

2-channel or surround?

[zumbo]

tv (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1089890510241&skuId=6784517&type=product&cmp=++)

receiver (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1077626340063&skuId=6304723&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03031&cmp=++)

dvd player (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1087341116425&skuId=6738257&productCategoryId=cat03013&type=product)

front x 2 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806301800&skuId=5335924&productCategoryId=cat03044&type=product)

rear (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806301325&skuId=5335693&productCategoryId=cat03043&type=product)

center (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806304282&skuId=5336754&productCategoryId=cat03046&type=product)

sub (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806302736&skuId=5336139&productCategoryId=cat03045&type=product)

outdoor (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1083715894822&skuId=6726297&productCategoryId=cat03051&type=product)

$3479.90 plus shipping. Free shipping on tv

or LCD for 200 less (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1083713670689&skuId=6709644&productCategoryId=pcmcat31800050028&type=product)

[jpollone]

2-channel or surround?
I'm still undecided as my friend tells me he fell in love listening to a Fleetwood Mac DVD-A. My gut would be to go with 2-channel though.

[Cuteman]

Bestbuy is integrating Magnolia HiFi into some of its stores, starting with 9 in California.

If you aren't in california, the only real way to spend 4,000 is to buy the Lifestyle 48, they'll make that 4k disappear easily.

If they have a Magnolia by you its simple, Denon 3805, some Def Tech Floor speakers, 7001's I believe (self powered with multiple woofers in it)
Boston or Speaker craft speakers, high quality optical, and component cabling, DVD player, all that cool high end stuff, and for around the same cost or less than the Bose.

Get this, BOSE SUCKS!
Its like buying a KIA for a BMW price.
BOSE IS NOT NOT NOT THE best bang for your buck.

-----

I work for best buy, and whenever someone wants to buy bose, I take them back to magnolia and let them see what they could get if they spent their money on quality products rather than overhyped BS.

[jpollone]

tv (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1089890510241&skuId=6784517&type=product&cmp=++)

receiver (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1077626340063&skuId=6304723&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03031&cmp=++)

dvd player (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1087341116425&skuId=6738257&productCategoryId=cat03013&type=product)

front x 2 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806301800&skuId=5335924&productCategoryId=cat03044&type=product)

rear (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806301325&skuId=5335693&productCategoryId=cat03043&type=product)

center (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806304282&skuId=5336754&productCategoryId=cat03046&type=product)

sub (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806302736&skuId=5336139&productCategoryId=cat03045&type=product)

outdoor (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1083715894822&skuId=6726297&productCategoryId=cat03051&type=product)

$3479.90 plus shipping. Free shipping on tv

or LCD for 200 less (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1083713670689&skuId=6709644&productCategoryId=pcmcat31800050028&type=product)

Wow! Thanks for the shopping spree! I'll swing by BB this week to listen to the items on the showroom floor. Unfortunately, I won't be able to swap anything once I receive it, but I'm sure I'll be happy with anything more than my 15-watt Onkyo.

[jpollone]

Get this, BOSE SUCKS!
Its like buying a KIA for a BMW price.
BOSE IS NOT NOT NOT THE best bang for your buck.

Yeah, I hear what everyone is saying. But the 901s sounded pretty good from the Fry's listening room. Okay, I grew up in the seventies so I'm a bit nostalgic with the 901s. I had always wanted them when I was a kid.

I work for best buy, and whenever someone wants to buy bose, I take them back to magnolia and let them see what they could get if they spent their money on quality products rather than overhyped BS.
I went to Fry's and the guy working there did the same thing: "So, do you really like Bose? I had the 901s two years ago and now I own XXX." Yeah, I don't see Magnolias on the web site.

[jpollone]

receiver (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1077626340063&skuId=6304723&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03031&cmp=++)
dvd player (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1087341116425&skuId=6738257&productCategoryId=cat03013&type=product)
front x 2 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806301800&skuId=5335924&productCategoryId=cat03044&type=product)
rear (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806301325&skuId=5335693&productCategoryId=cat03043&type=product)
center (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806304282&skuId=5336754&productCategoryId=cat03046&type=product)
sub (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806302736&skuId=5336139&productCategoryId=cat03045&type=product)
outdoor (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1083715894822&skuId=6726297&productCategoryId=cat03051&type=product)


Zumbo, thanks again. I went with your suggestions quoted above. I took a trip to the local Best Buy and listened to the speakers. Klipsch sounded pretty good but the Athenas sounded really good and they were such a good value. The award center was not able to get my Harmon Kardon receiver so I went Yamaha. Instead of the 51" monster TV, I went with a Philips 30" LCD. And, I had enough money to add a Philips 20" TV/DVD player for my son's room.

I have an unused DCM subwoofer (floor sample from Circuit City 3 years ago) but I went ahead with the Athena subwoofer.

Thanks again! I can't wait to start listening to my iTunes library on my new system. I'm sure I'll quickly realize that I'll need to reencode everything to lossless compression!

Oh, by the way, some dingbat at Best Buy was trying to tell me that I needed to go with the Panasonic all-in-one home theater system and the Sony 400-disc CD/DVD player. This was his recommendation after I told him I would be listening to music 90% of the time, and that I only have 20 DVDs, and that all of my CDs have been ripped into iTunes.