Help needed with home theater selection.

[bigkrazy15]

Let me start by saying that I am not an audiophile, but am seeking the advice of the experts. I am looking to purchase a home theater system and realized that I have very little knowledge on the subject.

I currently have a beautiful setup with my Panasonic 50" plasma on a low profile wall mount. All the wires and components are fed through the wall to the laundry. There is really no room in front of or beside the TV for speakers to sit on the floor. Furthermore, this room has FIVE doors and entry ways, so running wires would be quite painful.

That having been said, I need a surround sound system with fairly small satellite speakers and preferably, some sort of rear receiver so that I don't have to run wire to the back of the room. I would also like to be able to put the woofer in the back of the room (behind the couch). I realize that these restrictions are a lot and will inevitably compromise the quality of the system; but as I said, I'm not an audiophile

Warning: total noob alert!
What I do know: I am impressed with the flashy demos of the Bose HTiaB. However, after reading some audiophile input on these systems, I'm looking for an alternative. I hear that I can get better results from a much cheaper system. Could someone please point me to one such system that meets my desired criteria?

Thanks in advance for taking the time!

 

[mudrummer99]

Welcome to the forum (woot I beat Adam)! There are definitely much better bang for your buck systems out there. If you are looking for small, unobtrusive speakers, check out www.orbaudio.com and the Mirage Nanosat line. Great speakers, small package, and at a fraction of the cost of a Bose system. There are also some decent wireless transmitter systems out there ranging from $100-$700. I personally have used the Rocketfish transmitter ($100US) carried by Best Buy stores and have had pretty good luck with it, but there are much more sophisticated and expensive units out there. As for the sub behind the couch, youre probably going to have to run a hard line if you want this to happen. Other than that, some other info you may want to throw out for more specific recommendations would be the dimensions of your room and whether or not your main use will be music or HT or both. Hope this helps a bit.

Mike

 

[Halon451]

I've never really been a fan of the wireless speaker route. Do you have the option of running wires through your attic and down a rear wall? It's a bit of a challenge to some, but it's what I ended up doing for my surrounds, and I can listen to movies without fear of interference or the signal dropping out, etc.

As for the Bose system - yes, they look fancy and elegant, but you can definitely get more for your money. What's your budget for a new system? Depending on that, I think the suggestions would flood in, on much better alternatives.

 

[bigkrazy15]

Thanks for the replies. My main use will end up being TV/movies, but I definitely don't want to rule out music.

My room is approximately 23 X 14 ft. But it is functionally split in two. So about 11.5 x 14 ft for the television area and an equal amount alongside it as a fireplace area. This brings up the question of speaker placement also. Should the speakers be in the corners of the TV area only, or the whole room?

As far as running wires, I may be able to figure something out, but it will be difficult. I would estimate that the far rear right speaker would probably need 35-45 ft of wire. Is this an acceptable length for signal strength?

As for the budget, had worse come to worst, I was prepared to cough up the $2000 for the Bose v20 system. But lets say closer to $1500.

Thanks a bunch!

 

[Gimpy Ric]

Hello bigkrazy15! I had wires run for my rear surround, and as long as you use the proper guage, 50-60 feet is nothing. What I did was when I had my video survellance system installed I had my speaker cable already and nicely asked the guy to Fish the wire for me, and I gave him $50.00. Just look for an ADT truck, or Brinks in your area and ask them.

Shop for speaker wire at Blue Jeans Cables, my favorite interconnect store

 

[Halon451]

Thanks for the replies. My main use will end up being TV/movies, but I definitely don't want to rule out music.

My room is approximately 23 X 14 ft. But it is functionally split in two. So about 11.5 x 14 ft for the television area and an equal amount alongside it as a fireplace area. This brings up the question of speaker placement also. Should the speakers be in the corners of the TV area only, or the whole room?

As far as running wires, I may be able to figure something out, but it will be difficult. I would estimate that the far rear right speaker would probably need 35-45 ft of wire. Is this an acceptable length for signal strength?

As for the budget, had worse come to worst, I was prepared to cough up the $2000 for the Bose v20 system. But lets say closer to $1500.

Thanks a bunch!

Well, as far as placement, as a function of a typical HT setup, you'll want to locate the speakers in a manner consistent with your display setup. In other words, you want the sound from your HT to accurately reflect the action that is taking place on your display as you're watching it, so you will need to use the display as your centering point and locate the speakers from there.

Secondly, for your price point - say between $1500 and $2000, I would suggest taking a look at the Yamaha RX-V663 for the receiver, which can be found for $300-$400 at some places online and perhaps in stores (last check at Best Buy had them listed for $500 each).

Also check out the line of speakers and subs at these two highly championed companies. I own the SVS line myself, and it will literally knock the socks off of any Bose system ever created, and all told, probably paid less than half of what I would have with a Bose system.

http://www.av123.com/

http://www.svsound.com/

You should be able to get the Yammy receiver, a good sub from SVS, and a set of speakers from either company and still remain within your budget constraints. And you will have an honest, real-deal HT system, vs. some crappy HTIB setup.

 

[bigkrazy15]

So far, the Orbs recommended by mudrummer99 seem to fit my needs best. The smallest products I could find at AV123 and SVS are too big to wall mount along side the TV (or in along the ceiling). Did I miss something?

Also, could you tell me what I should be looking for in a receiver? I'm guessing it's more than watts, right?

 

[jostenmeat]

So far, the Orbs recommended by mudrummer99 seem to fit my needs best. The smallest products I could find at AV123 and SVS are too big to wall mount along side the TV (or in along the ceiling). Did I miss something?

Wow. How small must they be exactly? gosh.

Also, could you tell me what I should be looking for in a receiver? I'm guessing it's more than watts, right?

Yep. Features.

 

[bigkrazy15]

Well, on the sides of the TV (which is placed between doorways), there's about 4-5 in. of wall not taken by the TV. I could mount over the doorways which are 6'10" with an 8' ceiling. But I wouldn't want a speaker projecting more than a few inches out from the wall. Perhaps I could set them in the wall though.


Alright, so I'll get a receiver with lots of features. Are there any that double as an air purifier? That'd be a great feature!

 

[jostenmeat]

Well, on the sides of the TV (which is placed between doorways), there's about 4-5 in. of wall not taken by the TV. I could mount over the doorways which are 6'10" with an 8' ceiling. But I wouldn't want a speaker projecting more than a few inches out from the wall. Perhaps I could set them in the wall though.

Ok, so as long as its 5" skinny? If I find something, are you going to tell me that its too deep or too long? Please provide as much info as possible.

Alright, so I'll get a receiver with lots of features.

Its not about getting the most features. Its about getting the particular feature set that coincides best with your personal needs.

 

[bigkrazy15]

The only measure not given would be that if I were to mount on the side of the TV, I would like the depth to be somewhere close to the depth of the TV (+ mount), which is also about 5". The only way it could be too long is if I were to mount it over the doorways (and under the 8' ceiling). I want something unobtrusive.


In summary, speakers must be either: (<5" deep && <5" wide) or (<12" tall && shallow enough to hang over a doorway). Okay, so that last part wasn't that specific. I'm doubting the wife could give me an aceptable range in this one). The point is, I have no problem digging through reputable manufacturer's sites, I just need to know who makes the quality products. I do appreciate the help, but I certainly wouldn't ask you to be a personal shopper


And I'm not sure what features are even available in a receiver, let alone my needs.

 

[jostenmeat]

Ok, wow, that's tough. I can't think of anything at all. Orbs I suppose, which I've never heard. Even most inwalls will exceed the width.

This could be one of the very rare cases where in-ceiling could be the better route. Not sure on the details laid out in this thread, however.

Its hard to cheat speaker size. 3.5" drivers don't really cut it for HT. I know, I know, you said you are not an audiophile, but you posted in this forum for a reason.

 

[bigkrazy15]

I did post here for a reason I was afraid that that may be the answer though. Thanks for the input. I'll look into in-ceilings.

I'm leaving work for the day, will check back tomorrow.