Building up a HT: Sub or Surround speakers first?

[dorth]

I'm migrating piece by piece into a home theater system and am planning on purchasing Yamaha HTR-5850 for Christmas. I can probably stretch my budget another $200 to purchase either a subwoofer OR a set of surround speakers (I plan to use my current stereo speakers for the front channels.)

In your learned opinions, which would you start with and why? Right now I'm leaning towards the sub because I won't have to worry about routing speaker cables to the back of the room (lazy sod!), but if the consensus is "go with surround" for the biggest bang for my measly buck, then I can suck it up and run some cable.

The room is a carpeted daylight basement on slab. The room is very long, but the viewing area is perpendicular - so probably 15 feet. Primarly we'll use the HT for viewing with a projector and probably not much with the TV. We listen to music often as it is our workout room as well (although that's outside the viewing area.)

Thanks very much for you comments and suggestions.

Dave O

 

[johsti]

Do you have a center channel? That's what I would get for $200.

Otherwise, I would save up a little more and get a good sub (you can get a nice sub around $500 from SVS or HSU). Maybe consider a less expensive receiver and put more money towards the sub (check the panasonic xr55). A good sub is very important for HT. You can get away with decent speakers if you have a great sub, but you won't get away with great speakers and a lousy sub for HT, IMHO. Unless your mains are nice full-range floorstanders or they're crossed at 50Hz or so. Or, unless you primarly watch subtitled, drama, love stories. Cheap subs are boomy and just make noise. A good sub will blend with the speakers and produce bass that doesn't sound like an 808 drum everytime under 40Hz.

The only sub I would consider for your price range would be the Dayton 10" or 12" because they are priced so well, but they are backordered till after the new year. I've also heard good things about the Acoustech sub, and some of the BIC subs. I believe there's a 10" mirage at vanns.com for $250 which looks like a great deal, and gets good reviews. Personally I would save up and check out the SVS or HSU. Or build yourself a sub.


Good luck

 

[dorth]

Do you have a center channel? That's what I would get for $200.

No, I do not. Is your comment based on the price range I gave, or around the best perceived order of aquisition? Either way, your comment is much appreciated.

I would save up a little more and get a good sub (you can get a nice sub around $500 from SVS or HSU).

Sounds like $200 for a sub won't really buy me much. It's no problem for me to hold out for a while. I was just looking for a crime of convenience.

Maybe consider a less expensive receiver and put more money towards the sub (check the panasonic xr55).

I got turned onto the Yamaha from Audioholics, but the Panasonic looks like a promising unit. They don't have online versions of the manuals however. I need the ability to upsample everything out a component cable - I'm pretty sure "Multi-Source Re-Master Processing" is that feature, but they don't explain it anywhere. I also need to alternately fire all my sources to the TV via an S-Video cable (sorry, no HDTV for me!)

Thanks for the quick reply.

Dave O

 

[Takeereasy]

I'd really suggest the sub as the next purchase, but you do need a good one and $200 is a tight budget. For $500 you can get a great sub by the two companies already suggested but the Cadence X-sub is $239 shipped and is supposed to be a category killer for the under $300 subs. Buckeyefan1 used to talk about this guy a lot, and it led to several members purchasing it and no one regretted the decision. It can play low, loud, and deep. Cadencesound.com is the website. Mostly a car audio company but like I said these things seem to be well liked. PM Buckeyefan1 and see if he has the pics from when he took this thing apart. Very impressive for the price.

 

[jcPanny]

Upgrade Path.

Good Mains.
Sub.
Center.
Surrounds.

 

[johsti]

No, I do not. Is your comment based on the price range I gave, or around the best perceived order of aquisition? Either way, your comment is much appreciated.

My comment was based on the price range. You could find a good center for $200. I would definitely get a sub first, but if you can only spend $200, I'd wait or get a center for the meantime.

What speakers are you using now? Can they play low frequencies?

 

[edwelly]

I have an idea that would get you more in the area that you are wanting.
Here is a good 12" sub for $120 - http://www.partexpress.com/pe/showde...number=300-635 - you would still have $80 left over for a center channel to use for right now.

 

[dorth]

My comment was based on the price range. You could find a good center for $200. I would definitely get a sub first, but if you can only spend $200, I'd wait or get a center for the meantime.

Thanks for the clarification. Sounds like from the feedback so far that a sub is a good choice for a next purchase.

What speakers are you using now? Can they play low frequencies?

Gulp! Didn't know you were going to "out" me and my outdated technology in public! I have a set of Infinity Efficiency Standard Series ES-83 from 1981. Little tiny Polycel tweeter, a larger tweeter (?) and then I think about a 6" speaker with a 10" passive radiator. I don't know how low they play - they've always sounded good to me.

Maybe my upgrade path has been foolish thinking all along and I should look at buying a "set" of speakers instead of upgrading one by one. That would obviously require a bigger initial bite of the budget, but perhaps it's a more cost efficient way to go in the long run. Audioholics $1K HT recommendations list the Athena Micra 6 Intuitively Designed 5.1 Channel speaker set, and it looks like that can be had for well under $400.

I just knew that by learning more I'd simply open up more questions...

Thanks again for your reply.

Dave O

 

[j_garcia]

Micra6 can be had at Best Buy in black for $300 (online).

 

[dorth]

Micra6 can be had at Best Buy in black for $300 (online).

Took me a bit to find them on Best Buy, so figured I'd post the link: BTW, this offer may be good only for 14th-15th.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6376628&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03049&id=1077624907950

From the audioholics web site, I also found them for $340 including shipping at BestPriceAudioVideo ($10 more than Best Buy after $30 for shipping) at

http://www.bestpriceaudiovideo.com/products/product_detail.asp?Inventory=3662&Show=P

While I know this falls well below the audiophile level of quality, it fits nicely into my near term budget and may just be a win. My wife probably would be happy to get rid of the huge Infinity speakers sitting on their sides as well!

Thanks,

Dave O