budget home theater

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infieldfly32

Enthusiast
Hello everyone. I need a little advice. My wife recently agreed to let me put together a home theater system. However,she also placed several restrictions on it. The worst was the budget. $1000. Next was speaker size. No bigger than 10 inches for moitors and surrounds with a little more allowed for the center. Sub can be no wider than 14 inches. My room is pretty large so I think I'm in trouble. The couch is fairly close to the TV(about 8 feet) so maybe this helps. I picked up an onkyo tx-nr690 for $233 open box at BB,so I only have a little over $750 for speakers. My room is 20x20 with a ceiling that goes from 8 feet to 16 feet at about half the room. The TV is on the side with the high ceiling. Also I have two openings to the room with no doors. I was thinking maybe the Take 5 (5 pack no sub) and an Outlaw audio +1 sub but I'm not sure how they would blend. Any advice? I am around 50/50 music movies. Thanks.
 
ImcLoud

ImcLoud

Audioholic Ninja
Hello everyone. I need a little advice. My wife recently agreed to let me put together a home theater system. However,she also placed several restrictions on it. The worst was the budget. $1000. Next was speaker size. No bigger than 10 inches for moitors and surrounds with a little more allowed for the center. Sub can be no wider than 14 inches. My room is pretty large so I think I'm in trouble. The couch is fairly close to the TV(about 8 feet) so maybe this helps. I picked up an onkyo tx-nr690 for $233 open box at BB,so I only have a little over $750 for speakers. My room is 20x20 with a ceiling that goes from 8 feet to 16 feet at about half the room. The TV is on the side with the high ceiling. Also I have two openings to the room with no doors. I was thinking maybe the Take 5 (5 pack no sub) and an Outlaw audio +1 sub but I'm not sure how they would blend. Any advice? I am around 50/50 music movies. Thanks.
Welcome to the forum, Thats a tight budget but with the quality id stuff, you can get a real nice system..

If it were my money
Acend htm200se's for the front 3 will cost $468 shipped. HTM-200 SE Home Theater Monitor

then $30 sale b652 for surrounds Dayton Audio B652 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker Pair 300-652

that will leave you around $250 for your sub, which the size is something you will have to deal with...
I would go with this one, but its 14x17x17, anything else is going to be a downgrade for the price...

BIC Formula F-12 12" Subwoofer 475 Watts 303-436

that will all keep you in budget and be an impressive system...

The subwoofer and front 3 I wouldn't bend on the surrounds don't do much and you honestly probably wouldnt ever know the difference between a 1000$ set and them daytons.... The Ascend 200's are awesome speakers made with quality parts and put together very nice, I have some and have used them for everything from 2.1 to front 3, and surround duty... good sounding flat warm speakers... {although your room is kind of large, I think with the perimeters she set forth, you will need to make some compromises....
 
zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
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infieldfly32

Enthusiast
I'm wondering how much better the acends would be over the rbh's. The rbh's would still allow the outlaw budget wise. Also, what about 2 sets of rbh's and maybe the ac center channel or 3 sets and use one for the center. Thanks.
 
zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
The rbh's would still allow the outlaw budget wise. Also, what about 2 sets of rbh's and maybe the ac center channel or 3 sets and use one for the center. Thanks.
Good thinking, and a good idea - I would go with 3 sets.
 
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infieldfly32

Enthusiast
Wife just woke up and I showed her the rbh's......."silver!, you're joking right?" So I guess that's a big fat no. She did like the acends as long as you can cover the fronts. Geeeesh. See what I'm up against. What about the cambridge s30's. Jim you have those? $200 for the LR and what......$150 for the center? Not sure on the price for the center. Those work for my room with the outlaw? Or maybe that BIC? I did want to get the best sub I could afford. Thanks
 
ParadigmDawg

ParadigmDawg

Audioholic Overlord
The good news is the size constraints won't hold true. I mean; we've spent years teaching women that 5" is really 8"...
 
zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
Jim you have those? $200 for the LR and what......$150 for the center? Not sure on the price for the center. Those work for my room with the outlaw? Or maybe that BIC? I did want to get the best sub I could afford. Thanks
Hands down - the Cambridge is my favorite budget speaker, and is a solid option - again buy 2 pairs, use one as a center
and have a spare - small difference in the center price. If you need to, then buy the regular center. > The Cambridge will
work with the Outlaw sub. This can make one serious system.

If a few dollars is going to make or break you - then look at this SVS sub.
http://www.svsound.com/subwoofers/ported-box/pb-1000

Your sub options/requirements make it a somewhat tough one. Not my preference - however, for a tight budget
I would take the Klipsch over the Bic
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882780078

If you can win a round of compromise - then Cadence would be my budget sub option
http://www.cadencesound.com/products/CSX12-Mark-II.html
 
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infieldfly32

Enthusiast
Ok. Speakers will be here by thursday. After quite a bit of research and some debate with my wife, I chose the cambridge audio s30's and a s50. I really liked what I read about the acends also but it came down to what she liked the "look" of better. I was all set to pay $219 fo the Ss30's and I think $199 for the s50 when I decided to look at autherized dealers from the cambridge web site. What do ya know. A dealer 5 miles from my house! I called him at 11am this morning and after talking with him for 5 minutes, had agreed to a price of $320 for new s30's and a floor model s50(been on the floor for about a week) I think this was a good price. Thanks for everyone's help. Now, on to the sub.
 
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infieldfly32

Enthusiast
Because of where I am in my budget( essentially under budget), I think I want to spend more on the sub. $233+ 320(receiver and LRC) leaves me around $ 500for a sub. I spoke to someone at outlaw and they said the +1 b stock is $499 shipped when they are available. That was my reason for my interest in that one. Everywhere I read, people write not to skimp on the sub. And with the size of my room, I don't think I can. However, if these $200 to $400 subs will work, let me know.
 
zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
Because of where I am in my budget( essentially under budget), I think I want to spend more on the sub. $233+ 320(receiver and LRC) leaves me around $ 500for a sub. I spoke to someone at outlaw and they said the +1 b stock is $499 shipped when they are available. That was my reason for my interest in that one. Everywhere I read, people write not to skimp on the sub. And with the size of my room, I don't think I can. However, if these $200 to $400 subs will work, let me know.
While the Cadence 12 inch can hit hard with mid bass - I would look at Outlaw or
The HSU
VTF-2 MK4 Subwoofer
 
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