Entry Level Setup

[Damienwood85]

Hello everyone, Me and the wife have decided to finally get serious with our home theater system. I currently am using a RCA HTiB from Walmart that is around 5 years old. It's never wowed me but I really did not have high expectations at its price range. I have a budget of $1000.00 and will need the whole setup minus TV and Blu Ray player. Our dining room is located at one end of our livin room. Together they measure 14x24 it's an open floor plan. Ok I am a total noob when it comes to quality sounds stuff so here goes.

I am looking at Polk Audio Blackstone TL-150 to start with speakers. Also Polk Audio PSW110 for the Sub. There's a Polk kit that comes with a smaller sub but reviewers seem to think it is a bit underpowered and with my room size I'd rather have to much bass and adjust it down than not enough. Last component that looks good is Yamaha RX-V373 for the reciever.

Will these components work well together? I have read that satellite speakers aren't as good as the bigger ones. Also does the 3D receivers really mean anything? I'd like to eventually make the switch. Any help is greatly appreciated and welcomed. Thanks in advance.

 

[markw]

First off, welcome.

Now, that's a big room with a little budget. You'll have to make some compromises, but you can do better than those items you've mentioned.

Working within that $1000, we have to start somewhere.

One of these BIC F12 subwoofers for about $200 is a great place to start. Trust me, it'll far, far surpass a Polk sub and leaves you wit about $800 to play with.

As for a receiver, Accessories4less sells factory authorized refurbished units and you can get a lot of value for not a lot of money. And,it's very reputable. Many of us,including myself, have purchased from them. Here's a listing of their current receiver offerings. As you can see, they have everything from about $120 on up. For $300 or so you can get a heckuva lot of receiver.

So, for about $500, you've got a decent sub and a good receiver. That leaves you with about $500 for five speakers. I KNOW you can do better than that Polk set you mentioned but I'll leave it to the others take it from here.

 

[Damienwood85]

Thank you very much for the fast response I now have somewhere to start . I know the budget will end up holding me back and the size of the room is going to hurt me but hey it has to be an upgrade over what I have now hehe. So I'll look over what you recommended and see what is offered up for the rest of the speaker set. What do you all feel about the speaker wire? What brands or specs should I follow to maximize my experience? Thanks!

 

[Steve81]

FWIW, I'd highly recommend starting with a good 2.1 setup and going from there. IMO, 2 good speakers will beat 5 so-so speakers every time. Something like the Ascend CBM-170 will give you a fantastic start without breaking the bank, and maybe let you allocate a little more cash to the subwoofer.

 

[Damienwood85]

FWIW, I'd highly recommend starting with a good 2.1 setup and going from there. IMO, 2 good speakers will beat 5 so-so speakers every time. Something like the Ascend CBM-170 will give you a fantastic start without breaking the bank, and maybe let you allocate a little more cash to the subwoofer.

Ok I'm at work on my small phone but that subwoofer you linked looks great my wife will hate me lol. I'm not totally against a 2.1, will the reciever do any simulated surround with two speakers?Sorry, alot of questions, not much knowledge here.

 

[Adam]

As Mark said, welcome!

I agree - these days, you can get a nice receiver for $300 or less that will come with most of the bells and whistles of the higher priced models. I'm a huge fan of auto calibration systems (I use MCAAC), and those are available on several models in that range. Watch for sales (I use dealnews.com, as well as checking the deals posted by folks here), as you can get some good buys.

Speaker-wise, it pays to go listen. I know it's more time, but it can pay off. You probably won't be able to go out and hear very many speakers, but you can certainly go listen to enough to know if there are some that you prefer out of what you heard - which might not agree with what other people like. For example, when I was shopping back in 1997-1998, I had heard great things about Polk, Paradigm, Definitive Technology, Bose, and (to a lesser degree) NHT...as well as some other brands. When I went to audition them, though, the Paradigms were like nails on a chalkboard to me, the Def Techs sounded like the singer was in another room, and Bose was unimpressive. Before hearing the NHTs (that I ultimately bought), I really liked Polk. In fact, I almost bought the Polks. After hearing the NHTs, the Polks sounded muddy to me and I'm glad that I didn't buy them. Btw, this was 14+ years ago - speaker models change, companies change, and what I like isn't necessarily what you like. My point is just this - auditioning led me to buy different speakers than I would have if I'd just heard one or two kinds, and it led me to buy different speakers than I would have if I'd just read other people's opinions. You can also audition at no risk from places like Aperion Audio (who will pay shipping both ways with no restocking fee if you decide not to keep them).

You can also check out used speakers. Being a fan of the late-90s era NHT speakers (like the 1.5s, 2.5s, and 2.9s), I see them on eBay from time to time. There's a pair of 2.5 towers and a center channel for $400 right now, but it's local pick up only. That's a really good price, IMO.

 

[markw]

What do you all feel about the speaker wire? What brands or specs should I follow to maximize my experience? Thanks!

Don't believe all the hype about cables and wires. Solid,well constructed generics are all you need.

If "good" speaker wires/interconnects were all that, there would be no argument about their effectiveness. You don't see people arguing about differences in speakers, do you? Preferences, yes, but not differences.

IF you don't mind bare wires, Home Depot or Lowes offer decent (not fancy) 14 - 16 gauge copper wires for speakers in rolls at low prices.

If you want it with ends (bannana plugs) already on it, Blure Jeans or Monoprice are good alternatives.

For interconnects, sturdy is the word. The two placed named above will do you well there as well.

 

[afterlife2]

If I were in the market and on a budget I'd get these:
Onkyo TX-NR609 7.2-Channel 3-D Ready Network A/V Receiver | Accessories4less
Phono option for turntable if needed. (If not the 609 is more than enough):
Onkyo TX-NR709 7.2-Channel 3-D Ready Network A/V Receiver | Accessories4less
5.1 speakers:
Amazon.com: Jamo S 426 HCS 3 WENGE 5-Piece Home Theater System (Wenge): Electronics
Review of 5.1: Jamo S426 HCS 3 & SUB 260 review - Surround Sound System - Trusted Reviews
Sub:
Amazon.com: Jamo SUB650 650W Closed Subwoofer (Black Ash): Electronics
All under $1,000.

 

[Steve81]

I'm not totally against a 2.1, will the reciever do any simulated surround with two speakers?Sorry, alot of questions, not much knowledge here.

Some receivers have simulated surround modes, but I found in my setup at least that 2.1 without any special processing could be quite enveloping on its own. Obviously it'll never be the exact same as having five physical speakers, but if its just you and the wife sitting in the sweet spot, it'll be pretty good all the same.

 

[Damienwood85]

You guys have all been very helpful here, one of the nicer forums I might add. There are SO many choices in today's market it is very overwhelming. I didn't know you could test speakers that is awesome. We live in a rural area and it's almost 4 hours to a major city, so our trial options are very limited to say the least. It just goes to show that components I thought were decent we're not the best value available. You guys are lifesavers . Thanks again for the informative responses.

 

[slipperybidness]

FWIW, I'd highly recommend starting with a good 2.1 setup and going from there. IMO, 2 good speakers will beat 5 so-so speakers every time. Something like the Ascend CBM-170 will give you a fantastic start without breaking the bank, and maybe let you allocate a little more cash to the subwoofer.

+1 on this rec. Good 2 or 2.1 beats mediocre 5.1 every time. Then add center and / or surrounds as $ permits