Advice on HT combination

[redrasys]

Guys,

Receiver - Yamaha HTR-5840 ($285)
Front speakers - Yamaha NS-125F ($180)
Center speaker - tv speaker
Surround speakers - Yamaha NS-M125P ($101)
Subwoofer - Athena AS-P4000 ($200)

How good of a system does this combination make? i am not an audiophile i just want to get the best out of budget.

if you were to change any of this and keep the price tag under $700 what would you do? (except for the tv, i cant change it since i already have it)

thanks in advance.

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

The only suggestion I have is to add a center speaker. It's an EXTREMELY important part of any home theater, and it carries a heavy load during movies. The front 3 speakers are vital, and in no way to you ever want TV speakers taking center stage.

The center speaker is critical for movies. If you dont have one, it will complete screw up your YPAO configuration and ruin the surround effects, and in no way will the TV speakers do their job like a real center speaker. You need a center speaker that blends together seamlessly with your fronts. As for your budget, I see nothing wrong with your choices. Whatever you do, get the matching center that goes with your fronts. It's a must!!!

I cant stress this enough..... The Center speaker is a REALLY IMPORTANT part of any HT.

my 2 cents

 

[redrasys]

Thanks Buckeye - will definitely consider adding Center to the design.

One more thing i am wondering is - i see HT-in-a-box products that have good wattage (even 900W) selling for less than $500 while if you bought hte pieces seperately, it costs much more to equate that. One thing i see is that hte receiver in the HT-in-a-box has limited options as far as inputs/outputs go, but is that just the difference?

One more - how much does it matter when components of different brands are assembled vs from the same brand?

thanks

 

[deftech]

htib systems are good for budget minded consumers. Be cautious, some "900 watt" systems are not truly 900 watts. How the system sounds to you is much more important than specs that manufactorers often exadurate. It is not important to brand match conponents, only speakers.

 

[Hi Ho]

You shouldn't go by the wattage of a system. Watts alone do not make a system good. If you want a very decent HTiB system, take a look at the Denon DHT-486DV. It is the only HTiB system I have heard that actually impressed me.

It may be possible to put together a seperate system that will sound better, however.

 

[Duffman-OOHYEAH]

Since your thinking about spending around 200$ on a pair of fronts and sub head over to www.av123.com and pick up the x-ls and x-sub then run a phantom center with the 5840 then grab whatever surrounds you want. Here's a peek at what you could have sitting in front of U soon. And trust me they sound better than they look.

JR

 

[jcPanny]

Yamaha receiver options

The Yamaha HTR-5840 is a good option for an entry level recever. Look for it for about $200 from authorized dealers online. For about $300, you should be able to get the HTR-5860 with more power and features.

I second the recommendation for the av123.com X-LS speakers and X-sub. Also check out the speaker sub combo from SVS. If these are out of your price range, consider starting with a 2.1 system and adding center and surrounds later.
OR
Check out the speakers in the Athena audition series or BIC venturi line. They run around $100/pair. Companies like Yamaha, Sony, Pioneer, etc. specialize in the manufacturing of electronics and are not known for their speakers.