5.1 Set Up For New Apartment ~$1000

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kingdavid216

Audiophyte
Hey, I'm new to the forums and was looking through some of the posts and saw some budget posts about apartments but I noticed that to get the best sound, the room is one of the most important things. I am looking to buy a 5.1 speaker set up with receiver for around $1000, it can be a tad over but nothing $1500+. I have to order it all through Amazon which is another thing.

My new apartment is 750sq total, and the living room is connected to the kitchen so it's one big open space. The living room is 12'0'' x 15'10'' which connects to the kitchen which is 10'4'' x 8'0''. There are no walls between the two, it is just open space. Is it possible for anyone to help me out with a speaker set up? I am looking to play about 80% music, 10% games (and by games I mean SNES and NES) and 10% movies. I'm more so looking to get the best music quality out of everything.

I have looked at the Onkyo HT-S9400THX HTIB, but thought I could do better with building it myself. Any help would be great, thanks!
 
sholling

sholling

Audioholic Ninja
In an apartment a pair of Infinity Primus P163 bookshelves ($85ea) plus a PC251 center ($150) and a pair of P153 bookshelves ($75ea) for surrounds. Add an Emotiva Ultra 12 for $429 shipped and a SubDude ($50). Finally a factory re-certified Onkyo TX-NR708 and you'll have a heck of a system for $1350 shipped. If you must get the receiver from Amazon then a Denon AVR-1911 is a good choice.

The little Emotiva subwoofer is ideal for an apartment because although it doesn't play drive the neighbors nuts deep (~30hz) but it has an ultra clean sound. A second (borderline budget busting) option is the Hsu Research VTF-2 which will go deeper and play louder but be sure and use an Auralux Gramma with it. Unfortunately you can't get anything close to these subs through Amazon however you can get the Infinities from Amazon.
 
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jonnythan

jonnythan

Audioholic Ninja
That's a good setup. I'd probably drop down to the Onkyo 608 (which I actually just ordered) and save about $150 if you don't need any of the extra features on the 708 (networking, 7 vs 6 HDMI inputs, iPod direct play, 7.1 inputs and preouts). It does have the higher end Audyssey EQ though, which is nice.
 
B

bikemig

Audioholic Chief
Well I doubt you can get emotiva products from Amazon. Check out the specials on HT; they run them on a regular basis and some of them are pretty good. You could pick up the Energy 5.1 Take Classic Home Theater System for $400 which will give you all the speakers you will need and then match them up with either of the receivers that johnny and sholling recommended. That should keep you within your $1k budget. If you want to spend closer to $1500, then put the extra money to work in the speakers
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
I have to order it all through Amazon which is another thing.
I think Amazon is my middle name.:D

I even subscribe to their Prime membership.:D

I buy just about everything from Amazon.:eek:

I definitely like the Infinity P163 x 5 speakers setup. Unfortunately, right now on Amazon, the price just went up a few days ago from $85ea to $139ea.:eek:

The Harmon direct website still has them for $85ea, free shipping.

So if you can wait and see if Amazon will reduce the price back to $85ea, then I would grab five of the P163s + 1 of the BIC PL-200 subwoofer (this is essentially a HSU Subwoofer clone designed by HSU).

But if you have to buy right now, I would grab 2 pairs of the JBL ES20 for $190/pr = $380 for 4 speakers (comes out to $95ea).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00167340E/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=A3LJ5WMKNRFKQS

Plus the matching center JBL ES25 for $150:

http://www.amazon.com/JBL-ES25CBK-Center-Channel-Speaker/dp/B00166VDKS/ref=pd_bxgy__text_b

The BIC PL-200 is $329 on Amazon, but on Sound Distributors (coupon TV15) the price is $279 shipped.

Total all on Amazon = $859 for 5.1 speakers/sub. The rest for a receiver.

Amazon has the Denon 2311 for $459 LIKE-NEW condition:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B003MQLSMI/ref=olp_prime_used?ie=UTF8&shipPromoFilter=1&sort=sip&me=&seller=&condition=used

That brings your total = $1,318 shipped.
 
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B

bikdav

Senior Audioholic
You Might Be On To Something Here

I can't comment on the Denon AVR 1911, because I haven't tried it out.

Those NHT SuperZeros look mighty attractive price wise. I've heard them and they work beautifully in a surround system.

That Klipsch RW-10d is no slouch either. I've heard this subwoofer and I think that it would be a mighty fine candidate for subwoofer duty.

5 SuperZero satellites and the RW-10d subwoofer could put some larger systems to shame.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
I think the NHT SuperZero would work great also.

Some people say they lack the bass compared to something like the Infinity P163 and because you have to crossover @ 100Hz or 120Hz, the subwoofer bass may become localized.

But I think they sound great.

I used to own 5 identical SuperZero as well.
 
GranteedEV

GranteedEV

Audioholic Ninja
Hey, I'm new to the forums and was looking through some of the posts and saw some budget posts about apartments but I noticed that to get the best sound, the room is one of the most important things. I am looking to buy a 5.1 speaker set up with receiver for around $1000, it can be a tad over but nothing $1500+. I have to order it all through Amazon which is another thing.
My advice is to focus on 2.0 in that budget. Center/surrounds/decent sub add up VERY quickly. You can always add surrounds and subwoofers in the future if you make a smart choice on the receiver, and I don't recommend overpaying nor do I recommend getting a trash budget receiver.

My new apartment is 750sq total, and the living room is connected to the kitchen so it's one big open space.
IMO Space is better than no space for acoustics, although pressurizing it with deep bass can get difficult. Playing around with speaker placement and couch placement can make a difference in midbass.

The living room is 12'0'' x 15'10'' which connects to the kitchen which is 10'4'' x 8'0''. There are no walls between the two, it is just open space. Is it possible for anyone to help me out with a speaker set up? I am looking to play about 80% music, 10% games (and by games I mean SNES and NES) and 10% movies. I'm more so looking to get the best music quality out of everything.
for 80% music; I would want high fidelity, not lots of speakers that i don't use for stereo recordings ;P

I think two main speakers for now, and eventually two surrounds and three subwoofers should be your final goal.

I have looked at the Onkyo HT-S9400THX HTIB, but thought I could do better with building it myself. Any help would be great, thanks!
Definitely. For speakers amazon should have EMP Tek e55ti mains and e5Bi surrounds!! For receivers search for Yamaha RX-A800 or RX-A1000, though if you want my honest opinion on dollar for dollar value, I would forego amazon for one of these or something. I would absolutely definitely NOT get a subwoofer from amazon though :D

Another speaker I would have high on my priority list would be two JBL LSR 2328 and for surrounds, their little brothers the LSR 2325s

Maybe two epik legends would be what I would get. Two subs regardless of what you choose, I realize apartments aren't bass friendly so I would probably want decoupling plain and simple. Custom latex foam from a website such as www.foamonline.com is what I would recommend. Use this to decouple your main speakers and subwoofer from the floor and greatley reduce transmission of bass to neighbors.
 
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jonnythan

jonnythan

Audioholic Ninja
One of the hifi shops I used to go to sometimes had an NHT room. Every now and then I'd bring a couple of CDs and listen to the 2.5i and SuperZero. Freaking loved those things. I hear they really require some decent amplification, but they were just so enjoyable. That was 10-15 years ago and the lasting impression I had from them was that they were absolutely razor sharp and incredibly clear. I've had a huge soft spot for NHT gear ever since, but I've never had the combination of opportunity and reason to buy them. At this price and budget, they'd be must-listens for me. Not really sure how they'd turn out in a typical living room HT, but I'd want to find out.
 
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