Noobie Home Theater questions

[ttrentt89]

Hey I'm new to home theater audio so please bear with me. My first question is about receivers. The ones I've been looking at are:
Denon AVR790 for $350
Yamaha RX-V665BL for $270
Yamaha RX-V765BL for $300
Yamaha RX-V863 for $420

I'd really like to stick to the first three models unless there is a big advantage of the V863. I'm a college student and budget is a big concern. I've had a hard time finding reviews for the Yamaha's so any info or opinions on them would be awesome. I've read that the Denon is especially good at video upconverting which is very appealing to me, but I would like to know how the Yamah's might compare.

Since my budget is limited I am planning on buying my speaker 1 at a time, and was wondering what order I should purchase them. I'm aiming for a 5.1 system in the end. I was thinking of starting with the front left/right speakers and a matching center channel any thoughts on this?

Although I'm not planning on getting a sub right away (unless told otherwise) I would like some thoughts on the following subs for when I do decide to purchase one.

All are Klipsch Subs since I can get a deal on them

XW-500d for 400
XW-300d for 280
RW10d for 200
RW12d for 280

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I really dont know anything when it comes to this so please help a noobie pick out his first home theater setup

 

[bandphan]

Pick your speakers first, to ensure the avr can drive them. As for the subs , no matter the deal, there are better units for the money.

 

[zhimbo]

The prices are really low...make sure you're getting from an authorized dealer, or accept the fact that you may not have a warranty.

For a 5.1 system, you'll want to make sure the front speakers match each other sonically, so buying the front 3 at once makes a certain amount of sense.

I can't speak from experience, but I do know that Klipsch subs aren't well-regarded around these parts at all. For the sub-$400 price range, a Hsu STF-2, or even cheaper, one of the Dayton subs, are probably good places to start. Others may think of other options.

 

[ttrentt89]

The prices are really low...make sure you're getting from an authorized dealer, or accept the fact that you may not have a warranty.QUOTE]

I work at an electronics store and I get a discount on a lot of different items. Also I know that klipsch subs arent the best, but i figured at 60% off they might be a good option? Are they THAT bad, that a klipsch sub that usually sells for 1000 dollars is gonna be worse than a 400 dollar sub? As far as the front speakers go i was looking at Klipsch wf-35 floor speakers and the wc-24 center. Once again about 60% off retail, I know I can get a similar discount on polk audios, would those be a better buy?

 

[bandphan]

Hey I'm new to home theater audio so please bear with me.

I work at an electronics store ?

Thats priceless

 

[zhimbo]

I work at an electronics store and I get a discount on a lot of different items.

Ah, well, good.

Also I know that klipsch subs arent the best, but i figured at 60% off they might be a good option? Are they THAT bad, that a klipsch sub that usually sells for 1000 dollars is gonna be worse than a 400 dollar sub?

The specs as stated by Klipsch for the XW-500d sub look pretty good, but I'd rather see some independent testing. Manufacturer specs are usually exercises in creative writing. It's a quite compact sub (13.25" x 14" x 17.5"), which might be a good feature, but typically limits performance considerably at this price range. I couldn't find any truly substantive reviews.