5k System...Advice Please!!

[Meta]

Hi my name is Patrick and I am an Audioholic, actually more like an AudioVisualoholic. I just got my first real job out of college. Pay is pretty good, more than twice what I was getting working full time a starbucks, haha. I am saving half my pay while living at home till the end of this year. Hopefully I will have about $5,000 to spend on my new system. I don't have a TV so need some input there, the speaker selection is what I need the advice and guidance of you experienced audioholics on.

How much do you think prices will drop between now and January 2008?

TV
I want a plasma/lcd with 1920x1080 native res. I like Samsung, Panasonic, Pioneer the best. $2500 is my limit on tv. I will be using a PS3 and I always sit close when I play videogames so I think the 1080p res will make a difference. I have never seen a blu ray or hd dvd hooked up to a nice plasma with 1355x768 res how do you think it would compare to a tv with 1920x1080 with the same source?

AV RECIEVER
I think this is the one area where I have my mind set. Onkyo TX-SR805. I think this has all anyone needs for a few years. But I am open to suggestions...try and sway me.

DVD
Oppo DV-981HD nuff said.

SPEAKERS
This is where I get overwhelmed and frustrated. There are so many options: PSB, Paradigm, RBH, Axiom, Athena, Mordaunt, Jamo. IDK WHAT TO DO!! I would really like to stay with the THX certified theme and get the Crystal Acoustics TX-D10 system. What do you guys think?

If I dont do that I would like to get a set of 5 speakers and then get a Hsu sub or an SVS sub. Again what do you think?

BUDGET
This is a rough estimate but lets break it down visually:

TV..................2500
AVR..................800
DVD..................200
SPEAKERS........1500
CABLES.............150
STAND..............200
TOTAL.............5250

Please let me know if you think my money can be spent better or if I am wasting or forgetting anything.

Thanks a lot people. Just another sufferring Audioholic.

-Patrick D.

 

[Haoleb]

The only thing I really care to comment on is the THX thing, Its really more of a marketing gimmick than anything else. Most of the best products on the market arent THX certified, Dont limit yourself just to products with it or you'll miss out on alot.

 

[gus6464]

What size TV do you want? If you are looking for something in the 42-46in range then you can do pretty well with $2000. Also at the end of the year prices on LCD's will plummet because of christmas season so you will get a way better deal. I have seen the new Samsung 1080p LCD models and they are not all that imo. They have a glossy film on them which although it makes the picture pretty vivid it also makes the screen very reflective. I would take a Sharp or Sony Bravia 1080p LCD over them anyday. The TV I am almost set on getting this december is the new Toshiba Cinema Series 42LX177. It is a 120hz tv so it has a 4ms refresh rate compared to 8ms from samsung, sony and some sharps. The black levels on the tv beat anything in it's price range ($1999 retail) and the only LCD that I saw that surpassed it was the new sharp 4ms LCDs which start at $2999 for the 42in.

 

[MDS]

I disagree that THX is a marketing gimmick, it is a lot more than that. However, the Onkyo 805 is far more than you need - take it from a long time Onkyo owner. I'd drop down to the 705 and add the difference to speakers which will have a FAR greater effect on sound quality than anything else. Actually you could even go down further to the 605 - despite the lovefest for $1k-ish receivers you will NOT use more than 50% of the features of any of those receivers.

$2500 or so for an LCD is easily doable but you neglected to mention what SIZE. A 46" LCD for under $2500 is easily doable, but a 65" is definitely not. I would expect LCD prices to fall a further 15-20% by end of year.

$200 for a stand? Maybe at Target. The TV stand alone, if you buy the one that is made by the manufacturer of the TV, will be more than that.

 

[Adam]

Patrick, welcome to the forum.

My comment on speakers is one that you'll see over and over again...audition, audition, audition! Most everyone here will have opinions about speakers, and most of those will tell you that their opinions don't mean squat when it comes to how you'll like something. Speaker preference is very personal. My suggestion is to listen to as many as you can. Check out local audio/video stores (including the box stores), and look at the internet direct companies. Some of the internet companies offer a no risk 30-day trial on their speakers, so they'll even pay shipping both ways if you don't like them. I think that Aperion Audio offers that on all of their speakers, and AV123.com offers it on at least their x-ls speakers.

You don't need to spend a lot on cables. Before you drop cash on those, read the threads here in the cables section and/or start asking about them. You can get good quality cables for pretty cheap.

 

[Davemcc]

I'm curious about the Oppo/Onkyo combo. The Onkyo's big feature is HDMI 1.3a with TrueHD/DTS-HD support. The Oppo doesn't provide that, AFAIK. So if you go with the Oppo, why not get an older and much cheaper HDMI receiver. Or if you get the Onkyo, why not step up and get a player that will support its signature features?

Unless it's a gaming connection issue. I'm not hip to that so I wouldn't know.

 

[emorphien]

The only thing I really care to comment on is the THX thing, Its really more of a marketing gimmick than anything else. Most of the best products on the market arent THX certified, Dont limit yourself just to products with it or you'll miss out on alot.

I somewhat agree with this as well. Worry about a receiver that has the specs you need, THX or not. It is more powerful marketing now than something required to have on your equipment.

I'd personally sway more of the budget towards the speakers.

 

[Meta]

My comment on speakers is one that you'll see over and over again...audition, audition, audition!

Thanks for the welcome Adam. I truly appreciate all the feedback. You like the x-ls line from av123? Is it a brand new line of products or are they releasing newer models? It says not available until 8/15.

I'm curious about the Oppo/Onkyo combo. The Onkyo's big feature is HDMI 1.3a with TrueHD/DTS-HD support. The Oppo doesn't provide that, AFAIK. So if you go with the Oppo, why not get an older and much cheaper HDMI receiver. Or if you get the Onkyo, why not step up and get a player that will support its signature features?

Unless it's a gaming connection issue. I'm not hip to that so I wouldn't know.

I want the HDMI 1.3 so that I CAN take adavantage of the TrueHD/DTS-HD which is probably going to be available on most blu-ray and hd dvd of the future. I do have a PS3 which has HDMI 1.3.

Does anyone know what TV brands have HDMI 1.3 or 1.3a?

I disagree that THX is a marketing gimmick, it is a lot more than that. However, the Onkyo 805 is far more than you need - take it from a long time Onkyo owner. I'd drop down to the 705.

I suppose the capabilities are not that different between the 705 and the 805. But for the extra $100 I just thought it would be worth it to get the 805.

 

[Adam]

Thanks for the welcome Adam. I truly appreciate all the feedback. You like the x-ls line from av123? Is it a brand new line of products or are they releasing newer models? It says not available until 8/15.

I've never heard the x-ls line, but I've read several good reviews of them. What I like about them is that you can try them out for 30 days with no risk. AV123 will pay the shipping both ways if you decide to return them. They aren't a brand new line, but the company recently switched their production location and added some new wood finishes for the x series. I think that they are having difficulty keeping up with demand, so the availability date is out there a bit. They did recently add grills to the front (which I like - I believe that the grills are rectangular now and not what's shown on their website), but other than that, I think that they haven't changed since their introduction.

 

[Meta]

But I guess I need some more specific suggestions for auditioning in the $1000-$2000 price range. I have heard some Paradigm but they were right next to B&W so they didn't sound as good. But maybe you have some experience with proven reliable speaker systems for home theatre.

 

[Daz3d&Confus3d]

Welcome!

As big of a fan I am of Plasma over LCD (I'm a movies guy)....if you're a gamer and will be playing alot of PS3...I would go LCD and Sharp STILL makes the best LCD's!

If you do spend as many hours on tv/movies and are thinking plasma then Pany is the way to go...Pioneer buys their screens from Panasonic. I bought mine for $2200 at Ultimate Electronics.

High Def on Blue Ray and HD DVD is really nice (provided it was done right....some look better than others).

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

If I dont do that I would like to get a set of 5 speakers and then get a Hsu sub or an SVS sub. Again what do you think?

BUDGET
This is a rough estimate but lets break it down visually:

TV..................2500
AVR..................800
DVD..................200
SPEAKERS........1500
CABLES.............150
STAND..............200
TOTAL.............5250

Please let me know if you think my money can be spent better or if I am wasting or forgetting anything.

Thanks a lot people. Just another sufferring Audioholic.

-Patrick D.

Firstly.... get as big of a screen as possible.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11222444&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-US&s=1
As an example..... this is a 61" 1080p DLP/w stand for only $1,999. I've seen a 67" Mitsubishi 1080p w/stand on sale for about $2300!! There is no substitute for screen size.

As far as speakers go, I recommend finding a local dealer that carries the Klipsch reference line, and giving them a listen.
http://www.klipsch.com/default.aspx
Expect to pay roughly 80% of suggested retail price to help you budget what you can afford.

I'd substitute SVS for the subwoofer. Maybe the PB12plus box subwoofer or one of their plus cylinders.

 

[Daz3d&Confus3d]

Firstly.... get as big of a screen as possible.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11222444&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-US&s=1
As an example..... this is a 61" 1080p DLP/w stand for only $1,999. I've seen a 67" Mitsubishi 1080p w/stand on sale for about $2300!! There is no substitute for screen size.QUOTE]

I disagree with Buckeye here.....esp if you're going to be right on top of it. You can go 'too big'! 50-55" is perfect for the average size living room in my opinion. With your budget of $2500 for the visuals...I think 50"-55" will give you the best bang-for-buck for LCD/Plasma!

 

[zumbo]

I wouldn't go for the Crystal's. I would look at Polk Audio RTi and Boston Acoustic VR series. You should be able to get one of those brands within your budget. Probably HSU for the sub.

I don't care for Klipsch, at all. And, an SV sub might eat-up too much of your budget. Sorry about that Buckeye Nut.

 

[zumbo]

Onecall has a ridiculous deal on the VR2's and VR3's.

http://www.onecall.com/ProductSearch.aspx?N=0&Ntt=vr2&D=vr2

http://www.onecall.com/ProductSearch.aspx?N=0&Ntt=boston+vr3&D=boston+vr3

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

I disagree with Buckeye here.....esp if you're going to be right on top of it. You can go 'too big'! 50-55" is perfect for the average size living room in my opinion. With your budget of $2500 for the visuals...I think 50"-55" will give you the best bang-for-buck for LCD/Plasma!

I guess a smallish 50-55" would be ok if you're seated right on top of your screen.(or if 50-55" is all your budget will allow) If you're back 8'-10 feet or more like most typical seating distances...... you'll want 60"-65" or larger if your budget will allow. In mesa's case........ he has no reason to settle for a small HDTV providing his viewing room is more spacious than a prison cell.

To be honest, if you're eyes are 12-14' from the screen as they are from my primary seating position.......65" is way too small. One of my biggest regrets was not shopping PJs when I was HDTV shopping because my 65" screen is too little. From 12'-14' away....... a 96" screen would be ideal.
(a 50-55" would seem like a microdot by comparison)

Meta.... dont make the mistake I made and buy something too small. Unless you can fog your TV screen from your primary seating position....... spend your $2k+ on something 60+ as a minimum because there are quality built 60-65" HDTVs within your price range. Why settle for something small when you don't have to?

When it comes to HDTVs............................SIZE MATTERS

 

[no. 5]

I want the HDMI 1.3 so that I CAN take adavantage of the TrueHD/DTS-HD which is probably going to be available on most blu-ray and hd dvd of the future. I do have a PS3 which has HDMI 1.3.

For what it's worth, you don't need HDMI v1.3 to take advantage of TrueHD or DTS-HD.

 

[mazersteven]

Firstly.... get as big of a screen as possible.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11222444&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-US&s=1
As an example..... this is a 61" 1080p DLP/w stand for only $1,999. I've seen a 67" Mitsubishi 1080p w/stand on sale for about $2300!! There is no substitute for screen size.QUOTE]

I disagree with Buckeye here.....esp if you're going to be right on top of it. You can go 'too big'! 50-55" is perfect for the average size living room in my opinion. With your budget of $2500 for the visuals...I think 50"-55" will give you the best bang-for-buck for LCD/Plasma!

I disagree with Daz3d&Confus3d, and agree with Buckeye_Nut.

Get the largest screen your room can handle IMO. Nothing better then watching something on a big screen.

 

[mazersteven]

SPEAKERS
This is where I get overwhelmed and frustrated. There are so many options: PSB, Paradigm, RBH, Axiom, Athena, Mordaunt, Jamo. IDK WHAT TO DO!!

Take a look at this system. IMO this is a very hard system to beat with sound quality and looks.

AV123 Rocket HT Package

http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=speakers&product=12.1

 

[darien87]

Take a look at this system. IMO this is a very hard system to beat with sound quality and looks.

AV123 Rocket HT Package

http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=speakers&product=12.1

Those are some nice looking speakers. But the fronts are only rated down to 200Hz. How are you supposed to integrate a sub in with that high of a crossover point? The center is rated down to 50Hz. Am I missing something?