Buy Cheap for TODAY or Save up Big for TOMORROW? Spend money on speakers/subs and buy cheap electronics?

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Buy cheap for today or save up big for tomorrow?

Balance your purchase - speakers, subs, electronics? Or spend mostly on speakers/subs and buy cheap on electronics?

I've seen guys spend most of their money on speakers and then go CHEAP A$$ on amps and electronics or vice-versa.

Mostly, I've seen guys go cheap for something immediate like today, instead of saving up for something nicer. For example, buying refurbished AVR or AVP, instead of brand new to save money. Buying cheap amps for today, instead of saving up a little more for something nicer.

Of course, I also see guys like @Movie2099 who talk about spending ridiculous money on EVERYTHING and 16-24 speaker-system.

And then there are more sensible people who will BALANCE their purchase for EVERYTHING, even if it means planning over TIME, for that LAST SYSTEM YOU WILL EVER NEED TO BUY like @flyboylr45 with his SVTRS/ATI system.

Which type of person are YOU?

This should open up a can of worms or start some fights or something, right @Replicant 7 ?

 

[Replicant 7]

Or, buy a AVR that has the same amp board and pay 500 more. Then gotta add Droid fan.

 

[Movie2099]

Hahahaha!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Or, buy a AVR that has the same amp board and pay 500 more. Then gotta add Droid fan.

Oh dear, looks like Mike just landed the first jab. Better get ready for some opposite and equal reactions.

 

[Trebdp83]

Save big now for that Yamaha tomorrow. Then, wait FOREVER for full functionality via firmware update. Those things should have come with a can of Raid for all of those f#%kin’ bugs. Sorry D/M, you are not off the hook. HEOS is s#%t. Oh, no universal remote control until you spend two grand? F#%k you and your little black box, too. I kid, of course. Pay me no mind, I bought a cheap Onkyo… with functioning HDMI 2.1 feature set!

 

[j_garcia]

We all have problems. Pick your poison.

 

[snakeeyes]

Think if you buy gear for a 10 year cycle, that’s good financial sense. What messes that up as far as HDMI, is buying TVs every 5 years or gaming consoles every 3 years. LOL

Buy the TV and AVR at the same time and return them if issues arise. That’s the recipe.

 

[Replicant 7]

We all have problems. Pick your poison.

For sure, if I could afford my 1st choice of AVP, it would be Rotels 1580 $5,500. Love the front display, plus 100 X 7 @ 8 Ohm's continuously.

 

[Replicant 7]

Save big now for that Yamaha tomorrow. Then, wait FOREVER for full functionality via firmware update. Those things should have come with a can of Raid for all of those f#%kin’ bugs. Sorry D/M, you are not off the hook. HEOS is s#%t. Oh, no universal remote control until you spend two grand? F#%k you and your little black box, too. I kid, of course. Pay me no mind, I bought a cheap Onkyo… with functioning HDMI 2.1 feature set!

Lol, your good brother! Pretty much all manufacturers of AVR's been letting us down. Did I like paying for my RX-A4A that's not able to perform as listed out the box, hell no! As soon as Yamaha unlocks the HDMI ports I'm gonna get my Son over here with his PS5 and see what all the fuss is about this 2.1 b$llsh$t.

 

[Pogre]

 

[Movie2099]

View attachment 55414

I will take 6 UberSub Infrasonic Subwoofers please!

 

[WookieGR]

I bought the Epson 5050UB because it was $3000 and the JVC Projector I wanted was close to $9000. That was me buying cheap now with plans to upgrade later while I had to buy and build an entire part of a house from scratch. I doubt there will be a later though since it's a freaking awesome projector.

I bought a Vizio P Series Quantum X85" 4K/120 panel for my gaming and media room because it also was $3000 and the OLED I wanted was closer to $6000. I doubt I'll upgrade anytime soon since it's not a half bad TV and all i do is game on it and author Youtube videos with occasional CAD/3D/Graphics stuff.

For the home theater I bought the Klipsch RF7III Towers and center because they were cheaper than the SVS Ultra Towers and center and because the Denon AVRX6400 could drive an 11 channel Klipsch system easier than an SVS Ultra system.

I bought the Denon AVR 6400 because I needed to also buy a 9 channel AVR for the media room I was building at the same time and had to save money since I was buying two AVR's that served different purposes. I was going to get separates but in reality, didn't need them for a smallish 20'x14' room.

I don't know what category I fall under since in the past three years I've had to very cleverly build from the ground up a complete 11 channel Atmos home theater with 158" 4K cinemawide screen, a multimedia gaming room with a 9 channel Atmos audio system with 85" 4K display and now a 2 channel audiophile listening room going straight to the best I can possibly afford.

I had a nearly $50K budget just for the theater room and components but juggling finances around to make everything happen in my lifetime was a challenge in itself. I'm not one to just buy a single thing after 10 years of dormancy expecting to get the cheapest thing possible. I usually have to build a room, furnish it, decorate it, get all new components and balance the quality level vs the budget for large to medium sized projects.

Maybe one day I can drop $20K on an item when I don't have to spend $21K on an entire experience that didn't exist before or already have something that neither my wife or myself have any complaints about.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I bought the Epson 5050UB because it was $3000 and the JVC Projector I wanted was close to $9000. That was me buying cheap now with plans to upgrade later while I had to buy and build an entire part of a house from scratch. I doubt there will be a later though since it's a freaking awesome projector.

I bought a Vizio P Series Quantum X85" 4K/120 panel for my gaming and media room because it also was $3000 and the OLED I wanted was closer to $6000. I doubt I'll upgrade anytime soon since it's not a half bad TV and all i do is game on it and author Youtube videos with occasional CAD/3D/Graphics stuff.

For the home theater I bought the Klipsch RF7III Towers and center because they were cheaper than the SVS Ultra Towers and center and because the Denon AVRX6400 could drive an 11 channel Klipsch system easier than an SVS Ultra system.

I bought the Denon AVR 6400 because I needed to also buy a 9 channel AVR for the media room I was building at the same time and had to save money since I was buying two AVR's that served different purposes. I was going to get separates but in reality, didn't need them for a smallish 20'x14' room.

I don't know what category I fall under since in the past three years I've had to very cleverly build from the ground up a complete 11 channel Atmos home theater with 158" 4K cinemawide screen, a multimedia gaming room with a 9 channel Atmos audio system with 85" 4K display and now a 2 channel audiophile listening room going straight to the best I can possibly afford.

I had a nearly $50K budget just for the theater room and components but juggling finances around to make everything happen in my lifetime was a challenge in itself. I'm not one to just buy a single thing after 10 years of dormancy expecting to get the cheapest thing possible. I usually have to build a room, furnish it, decorate it, get all new components and balance the quality level vs the budget for large to medium sized projects.

Maybe one day I can drop $20K on an item when I don't have to spend $21K on an entire experience that didn't exist before or already have something that neither my wife or myself have any complaints about.

Yeah, I don't think many people will call your equipment cheap, not at $3K+ each.

 

[Pogre]

I think most of us say to spend 2/3 to 3/4 of your budget on the speakers and subs. Hard to do on a tight budget sometimes tho. You can only cheap out on amplification to a point. if you have like $150 budget speakers I'd say spending another $100 - $150 on a decent entry level receiver is still reasonable. Then you just keep using that receiver while you save and scheme for some endgame speakers and subs.

 

[Movie2099]

For me I'm just going to go all out for my next theater build. Not sure if I'll call it "end game" theater because i'm sure I'll upgrade things over time, but I want to have certain pieces of my theater right away.

So current list of things I would like at the beginning.

Processor: Trinnov Alt 32-24 channel or StormAudio 24 CH.

Speakers: This one's tough because I like so many different brands. Right now, I have RBH, Perlisten, Focal, JTR/RTJ and I think I'm going to throw in JBL. I'm liking those M2's mixed with Synthesis for sides/surrounds and ATMOS.

AMP: I'm really sold on ATI amps. Class D or A/B is fine with me. If budget allowed, I'd throw McIntosh or Bryston amps in the mix.

Projector: Right now, I have the JVC NZ9 at the top of my list. Maybe by the time I'm ready to build they will have a projector that has 4-5k lumens available. I love JVC projectors. Will be interesting to see what Sony brings to the table later this year, but I'm sure I will stick with JVC. End game projector if someone gifted me $150k would be the Christie Griffyn AS projector. Haha

Screen: Stewart Filmscreen or Seymour Screens. 170"-200" Not sure yet. If I get the dimensions that I think I want, I will go with the biggest scope screen I can get. Hopefully that's the 200".

Accoustics: Have no idea. So many acoustic companies out there. GIK seems to be a popular company. So might check them out.

Other: MadEnvy Extreme, Kaleidescape, Zappiti and NAS system, Panamorph lens. These are future adds. Don't think they'll be something I can get right away.

I hope to save quite a bit of funds by building the theater myself. Well, with the help of some family members. But using the right channels and working with dealers, that should allow me to be somewhat "end game" right away for my next theater build.

As the saying goes "buy once, cry once." haha

 

[BMXTRIX]

Which type of person are YOU?

I am all over the place on things. My theater has a $50 set (complete set for $50!) of surround speakers, with a Velodyne 18" subwoofer, JVC projector, and DaLite 161" screen. Paired with a brand new Yamaha 6A receiver. So, the speakers are clearly a mismatch. But, that's just because kids destroy things and I didn't want nice speakers out in the theater. They will stay there until I finish my basement and figure out proper speakers for the final product.

Otherwise, I tend to try to balance value and performance as best I can and I do have a ridiculous house setup, so I have to keep that in check. 5 Rotel amplifiers drive the speakers throughout the house and outside. But, Monoprice in-wall/ceiling models everywhere because they sound perfectly fine for listening to Spotify or Pandora or XM while we are cleaning or have friends over.

I am a big fan of having a nice display in main viewing areas. So a Samsung 85" and the JVC projector are nice. Paradigm speakers in the family room seem like a nice match as well.

Just the theater speakers which are the real mismatch to the entire setup.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I am all over the place on things. My theater has a $50 set (complete set for $50!) of surround speakers, with a Velodyne 18" subwoofer, JVC projector, and DaLite 161" screen. Paired with a brand new Yamaha 6A receiver. So, the speakers are clearly a mismatch. But, that's just because kids destroy things and I didn't want nice speakers out in the theater. They will stay there until I finish my basement and figure out proper speakers for the final product.

Otherwise, I tend to try to balance value and performance as best I can and I do have a ridiculous house setup, so I have to keep that in check. 5 Rotel amplifiers drive the speakers throughout the house and outside. But, Monoprice in-wall/ceiling models everywhere because they sound perfectly fine for listening to Spotify or Pandora or XM while we are cleaning or have friends over.

I am a big fan of having a nice display in main viewing areas. So a Samsung 85" and the JVC projector are nice. Paradigm speakers in the family room seem like a nice match as well.

Just the theater speakers which are the real mismatch to the entire setup.

That means you're not showing signs and symptoms of OCD yet.

Yeah, looks like the speakers are the only ones that aren't "big brand names".

But everything else is = Velodyne, JVC, Yamaha, Rotel, Samsung, Paradigm.

Is your Yamaha RX-A6A showing any signs of glitches? Over on the new Yamaha AVR thread, some guys are complaining of that HDMI 2.1 bug and maybe some other bugs.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

For me I'm just going to go all out for my next theater build. Not sure if I'll call it "end game" theater because i'm sure I'll upgrade things over time, but I want to have certain pieces of my theater right away.

So current list of things I would like at the beginning.

Processor: Trinnov Alt 32-24 channel or StormAudio 24 CH.

Speakers: This one's tough because I like so many different brands. Right now, I have RBH, Perlisten, Focal, JTR/RTJ and I think I'm going to throw in JBL. I'm liking those M2's mixed with Synthesis for sides/surrounds and ATMOS.

AMP: I'm really sold on ATI amps. Class D or A/B is fine with me. If budget allowed, I'd throw McIntosh or Bryston amps in the mix.

Projector: Right now, I have the JVC NZ9 at the top of my list. Maybe by the time I'm ready to build they will have a projector that has 4-5k lumens available. I love JVC projectors. Will be interesting to see what Sony brings to the table later this year, but I'm sure I will stick with JVC. End game projector if someone gifted me $150k would be the Christie Griffyn AS projector. Haha

Screen: Stewart Filmscreen or Seymour Screens. 170"-200" Not sure yet. If I get the dimensions that I think I want, I will go with the biggest scope screen I can get. Hopefully that's the 200".

Accoustics: Have no idea. So many acoustic companies out there. GIK seems to be a popular company. So might check them out.

Other: MadEnvy Extreme, Kaleidescape, Zappiti and NAS system, Panamorph lens. These are future adds. Don't think they'll be something I can get right away.

I hope to save quite a bit of funds by building the theater myself. Well, with the help of some family members. But using the right channels and working with dealers, that should allow me to be somewhat "end game" right away for my next theater build.

As the saying goes "buy once, cry once." haha

Yeah, there are many great possible systems when you have the big budget.

But what are your main 3 PERSONAL GOALS for the system?

1. Bragging Rights
2. Aesthetics
3. Spend as much money as the wife will allow

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I eventually went with the Last system I'll ever need to own regarding my espresso brewing, and I have no regrets.
It wasn't the first setup bought as I did buy a few cheaper options first, but looking back, I would've saved money if I went with the end-goal system first, skipping the more affordable options.
Unfortunately, that requires a significant amount of homework which no one except yourself can do.

 

[Movie2099]

Yeah, there are many great possible systems when you have the big budget.

But what are your main 3 PERSONAL GOALS for the system?

1. Bragging Rights
2. Aesthetics
3. Spend as much money as the wife will allow

Haha, naw no bragging rights. If it comes off that way, it's not intentional.

I look for high quality, aesthetics and return on investment. And yes, I will spend as much as the wife allows. Hahaha

Also, I want my next theater to compete with the Hahn Theater at a quarter of the budget!

If you don't know what the Hahn theater is, go to AVS forums and search for it. It was labeled "home theater of the decade" after it was built. Easily $1million+ for that theater. Very nice though.