Advice on first home theater system

[pthoresen]

Originally Posted by jinjuku

Ya, I read the post too. What is your point? Once he gets his speaker choices lined up then he will know how much he has left over for a receiver.

ah, i was just checking to see if you had a recommendation for him.
no agenda beyond that

[DJ in TX]

Originally Posted by lsiberian

Wireless on that budget just isn't feasible IMO. Plus you still have to plug in the speakers somehow. Running the wire is your best bet either via the carpet, baseboards or attic.

Surrounds are best put more toward the side than the rear so maybe that opens up more options. The angle of preference on surrounds is from 90 to 120 degrees from the seating area.

Putting speakers in a cabinet gets you a lot of resonances so you will want to line the cabinet interior. I'm thinking peel-n-seal would work fine for that on a budget.

You don't need a center unless your speakers are at a wide enough angle to warrant one.

For fronts use a pair of Behringer 2030p's. Unless you don't want a sub. In which case I'd suggest the 2031p's.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHB2030P

For a receiver get an Onkyo 606.
http://www.accessories4less.com/make...r-Black/1.html
300

To the OP...if you like Pioneer, 3 of their entry level receivers have iPod/iPhone connectivity, including a connecting cable and on screen display for song info and album artwork. The VSX-819, VSX-919, and VSX-1019 all have this, but may or may not fit your eventual budget. Although I can't speak for how they compare to the Onkyo that Isiberian recommended. Maybe he prefers the Onkyo, hence his recommendation.

[Soundman]

Originally Posted by DJ in TX

To the OP...if you like Pioneer, 3 of their entry level receivers have iPod/iPhone connectivity, including a connecting cable and on screen display for song info and album artwork. The VSX-819, VSX-919, and VSX-1019 all have this, but may or may not fit your eventual budget. Although I can't speak for how they compare to the Onkyo that Isiberian recommended. Maybe he prefers the Onkyo, hence his recommendation.

Considering the OP's budget, the VSX-819 might be the way to go since he is interested in iPod support. It's on Amazon for $268 right now.

[cds231]

Thanks for everyone's responses. Looks like I have some thinking/research to do.

Based on your responses, I think I will just start with the 2 fronts, a middle, and a sub. I can always add the other speakers later if I feel the surround sound experience is lacking.

Thanks,
Clay