$6,500 Home Theater System - Great Looks & Performance

[admin]

Putting together a complete home theater system from soup to nuts can be a daunting task. Just how much should one budget? What are the best products for the price? And what is right for your needs? These are common questions you may have or should have when assembling a home theater system. We can't always give you the right answer, but we can throw in and at least give some decent recommendations based on our knowledge of what's got excellent "bang for the buck" qualities as well as what we've determined simply performs in accordance with what we want our readers to expect. We set forth to put together a complete system on a budget of around $6k (including the Display) with the following goals in mind: 1) Have the ability to play cleanly at high output levels, 2) Make sure the system was reasonably priced, and 3) Incorporate "classy" looking products for high WAF.


Discuss "$6000 Home Theater System - Great Looks & Performance" here. Read the article.

[shadyJ]

Not too bad, but some curious items in there: why have bipole speakers and in-ceiling? The inclusion of the in-ceiling will sound like nothing on top of bipoles. I would just go with bookshelf speakers for surrounds anyway, they will be cheaper and better. The Oppo blu ray player is nice, of course, but you can get something that will playback blu rays just as well with a few less features for a lot less money. Also, for a real home theater, a projector system will be much better than a 55" TV. I say go for a OPtoma HD33 and a DIY screen, that will cost less than the TV and be worlds better. The sub is unimpressive, its alternatives are not bad but I would rather have something that can get loud. Sign me up for a Rythmik FV15, Hsu VTF3 or VTF15h, SVS PB12+, or Outlaw LFM-1 EX. Or maybe also an Epik Empire. The power conditioner is unnecessary, I would just place a UPS on a projector, or also HTPC if you have one. With a few alterations of some choices, I think a much better system can be had for the same price.

[BoredSysAdmin]

I think title ought to be updated to 7000 recommended system

[gene]

Not too bad, but some curious items in there: why have bipole speakers and in-ceiling? The inclusion of the in-ceiling will sound like nothing on top of bipoles. I would just go with bookshelf speakers for surrounds anyway, they will be cheaper and better. The Oppo blu ray player is nice, of course, but you can get something that will playback blu rays just as well with a few less features for a lot less money. Also, for a real home theater, a projector system will be much better than a 55" TV. I say go for a OPtoma HD33 and a DIY screen, that will cost less than the TV and be worlds better. The sub is unimpressive, its alternatives are not bad but I would rather have something that can get loud. Sign me up for a Rythmik FV15, Hsu VTF3 or VTF15h, SVS PB12+, or Outlaw LFM-1 EX. Or maybe also an Epik Empire. The power conditioner is unnecessary, I would just place a UPS on a projector, or also HTPC if you have one. With a few alterations of some choices, I think a much better system can be had for the same price.

This system was designed to integrate into a family room. I actually installed this exact system for my sister-in-law so I turned it into a series of articles. When putting together a system for such an application, matching the look of components is very important to some people. I was thrilled I convinced my sister-in-law to NOT go the inwall or cubed speaker route and instead she got some real speakers.

Most people cannot accommodate a front projector if their room isn't light controlled so a fixed panel display makes sense.

As for bipoles and in-ceiling speaker combo, I've had great success installing a # of systems like this, including my Family room system that uses RBH BI-pole/Dipole side surrounds and in-ceiling back channels. Many people (especially in Florida) have family rooms open to a kitchen or another room. When no back wall exists, its either you install an in-ceiling surround back channel or no surround back channel at all. I chose to go 7.1 in such cases and they always work out better than just a 5.1 setup.

Not everyone wants a large subwoofer in their room which is why I stuck with 2 EMP 1010 subs which produced usable bass in her room down to 20Hz at meaningful output levels as you can see in my formal review.

The SVS and Rythmik alternatives are some of the best for the price. The Rythmik is actually very inexpensive and its nicely finished and reasonably compact. Outlaw is a good option too if one can accommodate the size.

I won't blindly recommend products I have no experience with like the Epiks for example. When we get to review one and see how it performs, then we can surely add them as an alternative too.

[shadyJ]

Yeah, the EMP speakers look like pretty high value speakers to me, I wouldn't mind having some. And I don't mean to sound too critical- as it is, the recommended system is better than what most just by virtue of having real speakers.

[serrada]

Absolutely love these recommended systems and wish you'd update them more often!!!

I've not heard EMP speakers but personally think there might be some better offering for the wife approval factor in the living room. Perfectly acceptable for a home theater room. For the living room/wife factor maybe some definitive tech, monitor audio, etc.

Agreed no SVS in my living room. Great subs one of my first. And one of my all time favorate upgrades that gave the biggest wow effect to my system. But for ashetics and might break the budget. Velodyne optimum for a sub. Or towers with subs built in.

Love Yamaha, marantz/denon, onkyo, pioneer. Can't disagree with your Recomendation. Nice offerings from Anthem though.

Love all my generations of oppo player can't disagree there either.

I,m might be tainted but still cannot find better displays then plasmas. Unless its an extremely bright sunroom.

It's nice to have surge protectors with battery backup especially when satellite or cable spend so much time rebooting these days. Or of course with a projector. I'd personally go cheaper and spend the money on speakers and or better sub.

Can't say how much I love my blue jean cables!!

Again love these "recommended systems" and refer to them a lot to ppl that ask my advise. ppl hear my systems then they find out how much I've spent, from my wife, and I tell them they can have something similar for not much money. Then I refer them to your recommended systems. My only grip would be to update them more and am worried they are turning more into sales for audioholics then they used to be.

Thank you again for the new system.

[agarwalro]

At what budget does one start recommending room treatments? With a $5000+ budget, at the very least an Auralex Gramma or Subdude should be included.

What about an SPL Meter and some time with REW? Or is that asking for too much?

[fuzz092888]

Well I've read through one or two huge threads on room treatments, but from what I've gathered (with my small bit of knowledge), suggesting room treatments right off the bat as part of the system isn't necessarily useful. Some rooms could definitely benefit from some sort of treatment, but others will not.

Also if the person who is installing the system into their house gets everything in and loves how it sounds, why push them towards a seemingly unnecessary expenditure if they are already happy with what they have?

What I personally take away from the article, is the impression that anyone who has $6-7 grand to burn and wants to get just about everything mentioned in the article, and who goes looking for an article like this to tell them what they should get probably isn't interested in an SPL meter or anything beyond what comes right inside the AVR for their calibration needs. OR they would probably spend the extra $$ and get someone else to calibrate it for them.

Just my personal thoughts.

[GranteedEV]

I've not heard EMP speakers but personally think there might be some better offering for the wife approval factor in the living room. Perfectly acceptable for a home theater room. For the living room/wife factor maybe some definitive tech, monitor audio, etc.

In my experience, everyone, male or female, that has seen the EMP e55ti speakers in person, has only made positive remarks about their aesthetics.

I mean, i've had initial shocked "they're soo biggg" remarks but nothing beyond that.

So I have to disagree with you.

[shadyJ]

In my experience, everyone, male or female, that has seen the EMP e55ti speakers in person, has only made positive remarks about their aesthetics.

I mean, i've had initial shocked "they're soo biggg" remarks but nothing beyond that.

So I have to disagree with you.

I think the only Significant Others who would have a problem with the appearance of the EMPs would only allow very small satellite speakers, hidden in-walls, or no speakers at all.