AV Build help? Budget around 10k..

[guessswh0]

Hi there,

I've been trying to do some research on building a pretty sweet home theater setup. I'll give what I was thinking of going, and you guys give me your thoughts. I am not an expert at all so could use some good advice. I tried looking through some of the builds available, and just wanted to post what I thought I might do here.

I initially was thinking about getting a 3d projector. I saw this one because it can do everything at all the different framerates.

However, I'm not necessarily sold on the 3d part. I would kind of be getting it to have it, but not necessarily because I would be a heavy 3d user. So I'm not sure if it would be worth it. Any thoughts on possibly a good high quality projector that does HD (if I don't go 3D)?

On to the audio:

I'm looking for a 7.1 setup. I was originally looking at this receiver, however a friend who knows a lot more than I is pushing this receiver with two amps (here and here).

I'm not sure what to do for speakers. I was looking at Klipsch, and my friend said they were good, but I just don't know what else to look at. Suggestions?

Anyone have any suggestions on a build? That was my start, but I just don't know if it is any good. Also, do I go with the two amps as suggested?

Or do you have any good ideas? I'm looking to hopefully get it all around 10k, but if for some reason there is something AMAZING that would bump it up to 11 or 12, I'd be open to it.

Thanks for any help, I tried to do my research and put some work into this before asking you guys, and I appreciate any feedback you can offer.

 

[sholling]

I can't help with the projector but on the audio side I think your friend is putting the cart before the horse. Choose your speakers before the receiver and plan on trying to keep your receiver (and amps if needed) down to 1/4-1/3 of the audio side of your budget and dedicate 2/3 or more of the audio budget to speakers and the subwoofer(s). The idea is to choose a set of speakers that sound really good to you and then pick a receiver based on the needs of the speakers. Also keep in mind that should you decide that you need an external amplifier to drive the front three you can still drive the surrounds from the receiver's built in amplifiers.

On to the speakers... Speakers are the one really subjective piece of an audio system and you need to get out and listen and decide what you like. Klipsch are a definite candidate especially for a video-centric system but keep in mind that they are a love'em or not speaker. I find them fatiguing after extended listening and don't care for them but some people swear by Klipsch.

Depending on the size of the room you'll probably wind up spending as much as half of your speaker budget on the subwoofer(s). Subwoofer selection is driven by the total volume of the room - including any attached spaces that are open to that room. I would start my research by measuring the room and any spaces open to that room (including ceiling heights) and contact Rythmik, SVSounds, Elemental Designs and Hsu Research and have them size a solution to your room. None of them will try to oversell you. Only then will we know how much money you have left for speakers.

You can also save money by buying your cables and interconnects from monoprice.com. They work just as well as the over-hyped high-buck name brand stuff.

You'll find a lot of free educational material on the main page under AV University and Tips & Tricks and the Pro Reviews section is excellent.

 

[zieglj01]

Hi there,

I've been trying to do some research on building a pretty sweet home theater setup.
On to the audio:
I'm looking for a 7.1 setup. I was originally looking at this receiver,
Or do you have any good ideas? I'm looking to hopefully get it all around 10k, but if for some reason there is something AMAZING that would bump it up to 11 or 12, I'd be open to it.

It would be nice to know the room size - The Marantz is one option,
that can work for you.

 

[BMXTRIX]

If you want a really nice 2D projector, look at the Panasonic AE7000.

Yes, I'm aware that is what you linked to.

Panasonic makes solid projectors in general.

Another option is the JVC RS45. JVC has a long standing record of making very high quality projectors, and the RS45 should be no different.

Unfortunately, there is a lot that you haven't touched on which you may want to consider before even getting to the audio video.

Do you want to hide speakers, or have them out in the open?
Is this a dedicated home theater space?
Is there any windows in the room?
If yes, then how do you plan to deal with light coming into your theater?
Have you put in proper direction lighting on multiple zones?
Have you properly treated your room like a theater, or is it just another room of the house?
Dark wall, dark paint, dark carpet... Right?
Have you considered your screen?
What is your viewing distance?
Where is your equipment going in the room? (or preferably OUTSIDE the room?)
What will be the different uses for this theater space?
Can we use a fixed screen? If so, that cuts screen pricing significantly for a quality product, or leaves some acoustically transparent options available.

Do you plan to do the install yourself???
(this is a big question, because installation labor can be $3,000+ of your budget easily)

All of these questions come into play ahead of the projector purchases.

You will get plenty of similar help with the audio questions, but a lot more detail is necessary beyond your current budget so that you can make an informed choice.