New here...lots of help needed with 5.1 setup

[Will1780]

I'm going from a modest 2.1 setup and want to really step it up to a 5.1 setup. My max budget is 5000. I would appreciate some advice on what I should get and which direction I should go in. System would be in my basement with about 65/35 movie watching and music listening. Thanks in advance !!

 

[jonnythan]

$5000 gives you a lot of flexibility. At that sort of budget you should do some auditioning. How big is the room? Be sure to spend a lot on bass; it's worth it. I think a pair of SVS PB12-NSDs wouldn't be out of the question assuming a sizable basement.

Do you have a receiver? What kind of music do you listen to?

 

[jonnythan]

Off the top of my head:

Q500 plus Q200c center and Q800ds surrounds, plus 2x PB12-NSD is about $3900.

Ascend Sierra-1s all around plus the same subs is around $3800.

You can save some money by getting a single PB12-Plus or VTF-15H too. That would give you enough room to get either of the above packages with a good receiver.

 

[Will1780]

Thanks for the reply, Jon. I will need a receiver and the options are dizzying. I'm trying to research on this forum but it seems as though its very subjective as to what's the best receiver for 1000-1500. As far as music, I listen to mostly rap and jazz

 

[ImcLoud]

What are the room dimensions,
In your price range I would like to see either 1 real nice sub or a pair of real nice subs, and a separate amp/receiver set up.
If it was my budget I would get...
Speakers Focal towers and center on clearance, I recently had a chance to hear these, very nice especiall for under $1000 a pair!!!
Total is $1579

FOCAL Chorus 814V 716v Dual 6½ Floorstanding Speakers Gloss Black Pair | Accessories4less

FOCAL Chorus CC814V 800V Dual 6½" Center Speaker Gloss Black Each | Accessories4less

WHARFEDALE DIAMOND DFS BI-POLE SURROUND SPEAKER (PR) at Music Direct

This receiver $450 Onkyo TX-NR709 7.2-Channel 3-D Ready Network A/V Receiver | Accessories4less

This amplifier- $900 or $800 bstock XPA-5 | 200W x 5 | Emotiva Audio | High-end audio components for audiophiles and videophiles, spanning 2-channel music systems, as well as 5.1 and 7.1 home theaters. Products include multichannel amplifiers, stereo amplifiers, and monoblock amplifier

Then this set of subs $1987 shipped VTF-15H DualDrive Package

then that leaves you a little under $100 for the cables, you get me the lengths of cables you need I can figure it out for you, ussually $100 will be enough for speaker cable, rca's {you need one for each sub and 5 short ones to go to the amp} and thats about it...

That system will be very nice...

PS Im not crazy about spending a ton of money on a receiver, they are the only component that is going to be outdated next year, my max is $500, the 709 has a lot of features, and when using a separate amp they tend to last a lot longer {I know the avr amp sections are weak point}, plus with a separate amp, you can always upgrade your avr at any time, with either a preamp or another newer avr... I noticed when I made the switch Pa lot of people said no difference between separates, but I heard a difference, I AB tested it out and there is a difference, nothing is working as hard it seems to open the sound up a lot...}... You can also go with the xpa3 amp and use the avr to power the 2 surround speakers that will save you a few hundred...
avr's are rated at around 130watts with 2 channels driven the xpa5 is 200watts per channel all 5 driven!!! Some people say "you dont need that much power" but I like it Plus you are 35% music, I like how my emo amp opens up the sound with music vs the avrs internal amp section..
That is exactly what I would buy if I was spending $5000 tomorrow...
But I heard all the components already, for that kind of money you really should here them, although with A4l you can return the items within a certain time period, the same for the amp and surrounds, but you will be out shipping costs... I honestly dont see you returning any of it though, I own a handfull of emotiva amps and they are hands down the best value around, the Focals were warm and defined with really good bass {but you will cross the bass out with your avr}, the 709 avr has all the features I would want, audy, preouts, and a remote, and the dual hsu 15's are insane for any price, I have the vtf2 12" and it rocks my 4000 sq ft house without trying...
PS I heard the focal towers in a 2.0 setup playing uncrossed music, I played with them for about 20 minutes, they were impressive they sounded like $2000 speakers...

Another way I may go but probably not is ascend Sierra towers and center $3000 http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/SRT/srt.html same $300 surrounds as above with the xpa3 bstock $600, 709 avr $450, and just one $700 HSU VTF3. This would probably be an insane system ,but I only heard the towers not the center and they had the ribbons...
I think the first system I said is best bang for your buck, as long as you have a large space, if its a small space maybe 1 sub is good..

 

[jonnythan]

Hard to go wrong with most of the receivers in that price range, but I don't think you even need to spend that much. A Denon 2113 or 2313 is all you really need. Those will provide plenty of power and all the features you could really want unless you want to do crazy multi-zone setups. The $500-$600 you save on the receiver is better spent on speakers.

At your budget, don't buy speakers you haven't heard unless you have a good return policy that allows for auditioning.

 

[shadyJ]

How large is your basement? How loud do you typically listen to movies and music? How much do you care about having strong bass? The answers to those will help us make even better recommendations for you.

 

[zieglj01]

I'm going from a modest 2.1 setup and want to really step it up to a 5.1 setup. My max budget is 5000. I would appreciate some advice on what I should get and which direction I should go in. System would be in my basement with about 65/35 movie watching and music listening. Thanks in advance !!

Still need to know your room size > however since it is 35% music,
plus some of the good musical tracks in movies > I would put the
Focal in post #5, on a short list.

I would also put the Denon 3312 on a short list.
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/DENAVR3312CI/DENON-AVR-3312CI-7.2-Integrated-Network-A/V-Surround-Receiver-w/AirPlay/1.html

 

[Will1780]

Sorry for the delay guys. the dimensions of the basement is 18x10x8. Please keep in mind that my max budget is 5000 but would love to spend a little less if possible. I am thinking of a PB 12 plus to handle my bottom end or would 2 PB 12-NSD

 

[zieglj01]

Sorry for the delay guys. the dimensions of the basement is 18x10x8. Please keep in mind that my max budget is 5000 but would love to spend a little less if possible. I am thinking of a PB 12 plus to handle my bottom end or would 2 PB 12-NSD

One sub can handle that room, and even some good bookshelf
speakers can work. > However - if you need stands, towers can
still be a nice option, if seating distance permits.

 

[shadyJ]

A single Plus will likely have more output than two NSDs.

Here is a system that ought to sound great and come in a bit under budget:
2 x EMP Tek E55Ti towers for front left/right: $795
1 EMP Tek E56Ci center: $450
2 x EMP Tek E5Bi bookshelf speakers for surrounds: $250
2 x Hsu VTF3 mk4 subwoofers: $1224
Denon AVR 4311CI: $1600

total: $4319
I picked that receiver for Audyssey MultiEQ XT32, it is a great room correction equalizer and also makes setting up multiple subs a piece of cake. You can find that feature on lower priced Onkyo receivers, but their reliability and reputation for less than perfect customer service makes me hesitant to recommend them. The EMP speakers are well regarded, and have been positively reviewed here at audioholics. One thing I like about them is the performance of those towers focus on high output rather than bass extension, and this makes good sense for anyone using decent subwoofers. This will give you better dynamic range overall. The VTF2s are a great bang-for-the-buck, I think they will each give you output roughly on par with the PB12 NSD with greater configurability and equally good customer service. The VTF3s and VTF15hs are worth looking at too, depending on how much bass you want. If you want huge bass output without paying a fortune, check out the Power Sound Audio subs, they look like they could be a tremendous value. Dual subs will give you some very tangible advantages over a single sub, but if you are intent on just having one sub, on your budget you out to consider the Rythmik FV15HP. That thing has been measured to be a beast.

 

[zieglj01]

I like the Focal in post #5
http://www.accessories4less.com/index.php?page=brand&id=FOCAL

Focal 705 bookshelf for surrounds
FOCAL CHORUS 705V BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS (PR) at Music Direct

And for your size room, I would start with one good sub.

Several receiver options have been given in this thread,
I would keep the receiver under $1000 - there are some
good ones on the market.

 

[jonnythan]

A single Plus will likely have more output than two NSDs.

More decibels, but less even throughout the room.

 

[Will1780]

Is a Denon 2313 strong enough to push a sub or will I need an amp?

 

[zieglj01]

Is a Denon 2313 strong enough to push a sub or will I need an amp?

The sub will have its own built-in amp - you use the sub pre-out
from the receiver, to send the signal to the amp.

 

[ahblaza]

Is a Denon 2313 strong enough to push a sub or will I need an amp?

The amp is built into the sub, just connect a RCA cable from the 2313 sub's preout into the subwoofer LFE input. The sub powers itself. The receiver just sends the LFE information to the subwoofer.

 

[ahblaza]

The sub will have its own built-in amp - you use the sub pre-out
from the receiver, to send the signal to the amp.

Should have known you would get there before me....

 

[Cobratron]

What are the room dimensions,
In your price range I would like to see either 1 real nice sub or a pair of real nice subs, and a separate amp/receiver set up.
If it was my budget I would get...
Speakers Focal towers and center on clearance, I recently had a chance to hear these, very nice especiall for under $1000 a pair!!!
Total is $1579

FOCAL Chorus 814V 716v Dual 6½ Floorstanding Speakers Gloss Black Pair | Accessories4less

FOCAL Chorus CC814V 800V Dual 6½" Center Speaker Gloss Black Each | Accessories4less

WHARFEDALE DIAMOND DFS BI-POLE SURROUND SPEAKER (PR) at Music Direct

This receiver $450 Onkyo TX-NR709 7.2-Channel 3-D Ready Network A/V Receiver | Accessories4less

This amplifier- $900 or $800 bstock XPA-5 | 200W x 5 | Emotiva Audio | High-end audio components for audiophiles and videophiles, spanning 2-channel music systems, as well as 5.1 and 7.1 home theaters. Products include multichannel amplifiers, stereo amplifiers, and monoblock amplifier

Then this set of subs $1987 shipped VTF-15H DualDrive Package

then that leaves you a little under $100 for the cables, you get me the lengths of cables you need I can figure it out for you, ussually $100 will be enough for speaker cable, rca's {you need one for each sub and 5 short ones to go to the amp} and thats about it...

That system will be very nice...

PS Im not crazy about spending a ton of money on a receiver, they are the only component that is going to be outdated next year, my max is $500, the 709 has a lot of features, and when using a separate amp they tend to last a lot longer {I know the avr amp sections are weak point}, plus with a separate amp, you can always upgrade your avr at any time, with either a preamp or another newer avr... I noticed when I made the switch Pa lot of people said no difference between separates, but I heard a difference, I AB tested it out and there is a difference, nothing is working as hard it seems to open the sound up a lot...}... You can also go with the xpa3 amp and use the avr to power the 2 surround speakers that will save you a few hundred...
avr's are rated at around 130watts with 2 channels driven the xpa5 is 200watts per channel all 5 driven!!! Some people say "you dont need that much power" but I like it Plus you are 35% music, I like how my emo amp opens up the sound with music vs the avrs internal amp section..
That is exactly what I would buy if I was spending $5000 tomorrow...
But I heard all the components already, for that kind of money you really should here them, although with A4l you can return the items within a certain time period, the same for the amp and surrounds, but you will be out shipping costs... I honestly dont see you returning any of it though, I own a handfull of emotiva amps and they are hands down the best value around, the Focals were warm and defined with really good bass {but you will cross the bass out with your avr}, the 709 avr has all the features I would want, audy, preouts, and a remote, and the dual hsu 15's are insane for any price, I have the vtf2 12" and it rocks my 4000 sq ft house without trying...
PS I heard the focal towers in a 2.0 setup playing uncrossed music, I played with them for about 20 minutes, they were impressive they sounded like $2000 speakers...

Another way I may go but probably not is ascend Sierra towers and center $3000 Sierra Tower Bamboo Loudspeaker same $300 surrounds as above with the xpa3 bstock $600, 709 avr $450, and just one $700 HSU VTF3. This would probably be an insane system ,but I only heard the towers not the center and they had the ribbons...
I think the first system I said is best bang for your buck, as long as you have a large space, if its a small space maybe 1 sub is good..

This is a great system. I bought the Onkyo 709 receiver from the site ImCloud mentioned above and it's a great AVR. Although it's refurbished it looks brand new and works great. They provide a warranty as well.