engagement ring budget for newbie audiophile

[craayzie]

Thanks for clicking Long story short, I have roughly $7-$8k to build a home theater system with. Here's what I'm working with:

* looking for the highest quality audio/music experience I can achieve at a relatively low/chill volume (the place is small w/ no carpet and downstair neighbors)
* 5.1 system is what I’m shooting for (but open to other options)
* my main music source is Pandora through a PS3
* I watch BD and Netflix (streaming) movies from the PS3 as well
* "modern"-shaped 500sqft. living room w/ 10ft ceilings and lots of places for sound to travel

Can you guys point me in the right direction?
What % of my budget should go where?
What’s important to consider and what isn’t?

Thanks for helping out a noob. I promise to update the thread with my progress

 

[craayzie]

So looks like 5.1 is meant for movies and 2.1 for music? Since 90% of the use is going to be music I'm going to lean towards a building the perfect 2.1 setup.

 

[Mike Ronesia]

So looks like 5.1 is meant for movies and 2.1 for music? Since 90% of the use is going to be music I'm going to lean towards a building the perfect 2.1 setup.

Put these with speakers that you like and you should be very happy. The USP-1 and 2 UPA-1's would be a great 2.1 system and add the rest and you have a 2.1 and 5.1 system with lots of money left for speaker shopping. For speakers I suggest doing some serious listening as they all have their own signature. IMO the Emotiva gear is the best bang for the buck you can find in the industry.

http://emotiva.com/umc1.shtm

http://emotiva.com/usp1.shtm

http://emotiva.com/upa1.shtm

http://emotiva.com/upa5.shtm

http://emotiva.com/xda1.shtm

 

[craayzie]

Thanks for the post! Emotiva looks slick! Although I'm a bit overwhelmed w/ all the product links - was that just to show the wide range of products they make?

What are your thoughts on what % of my budget should go where?
Are there speakers you recommend as well?

Thanks for the help!!

 

[AVRat]

http://www.electronics-expo.com/make-a-store/item/DENAVR4311CI /Denon/AVR4311CI/1.html (Call for $1500)
http://emotiva.com/xpa3.shtm

http://www.svsound.com/products-sub-box-pb13ultra.cfm
http://www.epiksubwoofers.com/dualempire.html

http://www.salksound.com/songtower home.htm
http://www.salksound.com/songtcenter home.htm
http://www.salksound.com/songsurround overview - pricing.htm

 

[craayzie]

9.2? Huge Subs? I'm confused

I will take a look at salksound speakers but I'm guessing you didn't see my description of what I was planning to use the system for .. or am I missing something? Thanks in advance.

 

[Mike Ronesia]

Thanks for the post! Emotiva looks slick! Although I'm a bit overwhelmed w/ all the product links - was that just to show the wide range of products they make?

What are your thoughts on what % of my budget should go where?
Are there speakers you recommend as well?

Thanks for the help!!

The different links are to the products that would get you a great music and HT setup for a couple of grand. Most people will suggest what they own/know and all quality components should sound almost the same so it comes down to price, aesthetics and service in your decision. For me Emotiva is a leader in all of these categories.

Speakers on the other hand don't all sound the same. I know 2 channel is your priority but it is important that in a HT 5.1 or larger system that your speakers timber match. This means they all come from the same company and same series. The center and surrounds don't need to be as big as the FL and FR though. The best thing you can do is find a few shops that you can listen to different setups. Take a couple of your favorite CD's to a store and listen to different brands. Everyones ears are different and aesthetics also come into play for some more then others. I have JBL Performance series (PT800) speakers that are not very attractive but I was so pleased with the sound I got them and love them. If you can't or don't want to try out speakers in store then find some on line that have good reviews and appeal to you eyes and as long as you can return them place an order and give them a try.

As far as subs go I hear a lot of good things about SVS http://www.svsound.com/products-sub-box-pb12plus.cfm and don't think you could go wrong there. Subs get spendy and can eat up a budget fast so read all you can.

I have never heard Emotiva speakers or subs but these guys are serious about audio quality at a good price so you might even try them. All the reviews I've read have been very good.

Best advice I can give for speakers is listen, to as many brands as you can in store or make sure you can return what you order after an in home trial.

 

[Mike Ronesia]

What are your thoughts on what % of my budget should go where?

Thanks for the help!!

Sorry missed this question. If it were me I'd put 60-70% of my money to speakers. Nothing can help bad speakers. Maybe 2+k to components and 5k to speakers/subs.

 

[GranteedEV]

Don't spend all that money!

Buy a new house with no downstairs neighbors, then you can really enjoy the experience nice loud and dynamic

 

[AVRat]

Yes, I understand your situation just fine, unless your description is off. (no sarcasm intended, just comes across that way) You have a very nice budget to build a system that can be configured many different ways. A well setup 5-11.2 system will take the HT experience to a whole new level without compromising the 2-channel music audio.

A 5000 cu. ft. living room is not small! You'll want a decent sub to fill the space and dual subs will help even out the bass response. New upper level receivers/pre-pros are now featuring 9/11.2 setup options but can be configured for only 5.1 if that's all you want.

Audyssey Dynamic Eq can help maintain audio dynamics at lower volumes.
http://www.audyssey.com/technology/dynamiceq.html
http://www.audyssey.com/technology/multeq.html
http://www.audyssey.com/technology/dsx.html

 

[Mike Ronesia]

5000 cu. ft. living room is not small! Dual subs will help even out the bass response.

I agree on the dual subs. It's easy to over work a sub and 2 12" subs will give you very smooth and dynamic bass for both music and HT. The only caveat might be if you get exceptional full range towers for your FL/R.

 

[Boerd]

Thanks for clicking Long story short, I have roughly $7-$8k to build a home theater system with. Here's what I'm working with:

* looking for the highest quality audio/music experience I can achieve at a relatively low/chill volume (the place is small w/ no carpet and downstair neighbors)
* 5.1 system is what I’m shooting for (but open to other options)
* my main music source is Pandora through a PS3
* I watch BD and Netflix (streaming) movies from the PS3 as well
* "modern"-shaped 500sqft. living room w/ 10ft ceilings and lots of places for sound to travel

Can you guys point me in the right direction?
What % of my budget should go where?
What’s important to consider and what isn’t?

Thanks for helping out a noob. I promise to update the thread with my progress

Oh man - nice problem to have.
The most important - speakers.
At this figure you can get DEQX active crossover and a 2.1 or 2.2 system.
Personally I don't care about 5.1 - plus in my case music is 90%
You have the money to build an active crossover system - that's what I'd get.
Salk build speakers with no crossover - buy a behringer or deqx active crossover and you're done. There are other companies that build crosooverless speakers just look around.
BTW - when I talked to DEQX they offered steep discounts (they don't advertise the discounts); behringer is already cheap enough for your budget.

 

[KEW]

Boerd has a very intriguing idea. I think active crossovers and a separate amplifier channel dedicated to each driver has a definite edge over passive crossovers after amplification.

For the sub(s), with your budget, I would wait until the evaluation discussed in the link below is complete (hopefully by the end of the year) and see if the result for any of the candidates resonates with you.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67724

 

[craayzie]

Fellas, I'm excited Next step is going to be to pay a visit to a few a/v stores nearby to see what's available to audition. There's one in the middle of Silicon Valley that looks solid:
www.yelp.com/biz/audio-high-mountain-view

I was at Costco today and picked up a 5.1 Vizio Surround Sound Home Theater.
www.vizio.com/home-theater-1/vht510.html

Install was easy as plugging it in and hitting power.

Aside from PS3/Pandora occasional skipping (still need to figure out wtf is up with that), the system sounds good.

Looking forward to hearing what a "real" one sounds like it.

 

[Mike Ronesia]

Have fun, take your time and plan around your budget. It's easy to get sucked in. Enjoy the Vizio until you get your new system. If it sounds good you'll be blown away with whatever you end up with.

And don't forget the room.

 

[craayzie]

So I paid Magnolia A/V a visit yesterday and compared several B&W speakers ranging from bookshelfs @ $4k/pair, towers @ $6k and $10k (per pair). I also listened to MartinLogans (Ethos) @ $6.5k/pair. The MLs stood out - I heard much crisper highs and better sound separation.

Have you guys had experience with either MatinLogans or B&W? Are there other speaker manufacturers I should look at?

I'm not thrilled with my inability to properly compare speakers. The B&Ws were in a different room run with a different amp/receiver/cd-player setup etc.

Can you guys offer any practical advice on how to chose the right speakers? I'm worried that they're going to sound different at home. Are there speaker review sites you recommend?

Thanks in advance.

 

[KEW]

I'm worried that they're going to sound different at home. Are there speaker review sites you recommend?

Thanks in advance.

Your concerns are very valid. You need to know what the speakers will sound like in your room. Since you are talking about a serious investment, I'm going to go an unconventional route and suggest you buy a pair of Behringer B2031p's as a reference speaker. These will run you about $180 shipped.

They represent outstanding sound quality for their price and you can use them to refine your ear and figure out what you do and do not like about their sound in your room - to assist you in defining what you like in your "final" speakers.

When I was auditioning speakers some places would let me take mine in for comparison (and the 2031P's are decently portable). Others would let me "buy" their demo's with the understanding that I would return them for a full refund in a day or two if I didn't like them (many times they didn't even charge my card - just got the imprint (dress nice so they won't think you are the audio bum you really are).

When you do a comparison, report back here with what you preferred about which speaker and between all of the guys here, we can usually point you in the right direction.

Once it is all done, you can either sell the 2031P's or use them as garage speakers!

Where are you located? We may know of some places in your area. IME, Best Buy is not the best place to do a competent audition because they have "wrote" policies, but I did talk my local BB into letting me bring in a pair of my own speakers on a Tuesday morning (low traffic time slot) so I could compare them.

Good Luck and enjoy the path.

 

[lsiberian]

For this would be my best non-custom setup probably

(4257)3 x (1419 each)http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/307457-REG/JBL_LSR6332L_LSR6332_Linear_Spatial_Reference.html
When Sean Olive was asked which speaker has all the research of Harman put in it it was the LSR. This speaker is used for research and is simply amazing. They cost a lot of change, but I know Harman does their homework in the lab.

(846)2 pairs (423 each) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/638082-REG/JBL_8320_8320_Compact_Cinema_Surround.html for surround duty
Why not use some surrounds for a cinema in the house? Serious overkill, but amazing.

2x (1600)http://svsound.com/products-sub-cyl-pc13ultra.cfm
The best commercial sub in the tests I've seen. Don't plug the ports. Put one at the front and one at the back.

(450)Onkyo 807 http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/ONKTXNR807/Onkyo/TX-NR807-THX-Select2-Plus-135-watts-Channel-7.2-Network-Receiver/1.html
Don't overspend here get a good enough receiver to run your surrounds and pre-amp some great amps.

2x (420)Yamaha P2500S http://www.zzounds.com/item--YAMP2500S
The amps provide more power than the consumer level stuff and don't have the fan noise of your typical pro-amp cooling systems.

I'm pretty sure it adds up to more than 8k.

Another option for fronts. Slap into the system above and save 1200 bucks.
http://jtrspeakers.com/home-audio/triple-8ht/
These things are absolutely amazing. Efficient, loud, and durable.
Their subs and surrounds are insanely expensive.

If you wise up and decide to go cheap.
just get a couple pairs of behringer 2030p monitors, Dayton Sub-120 subwoofers and an Onkyo 807 receiver and a few of those cheap onkyos accessories4less sells for surrounds.

 

[KEW]

(4257)3 x (1419 each)http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/307457-REG/JBL_LSR6332L_LSR6332_Linear_Spatial_Reference.html
When Sean Olive was asked which speaker has all the research of Harman put in it it was the LSR. This speaker is used for research and is simply amazing. They cost a lot of change, but I know Harman does their homework in the lab.

lsiberian,
Is there an active version of those available? Maybe a pro-audio equivalent?
Thanks,
Kurt

 

[craayzie]

buy a pair of Behringer B2031p's as a reference speaker [...] They represent outstanding sound quality for their price and you can use them to refine your ear and figure out what you do and do not like about their sound in your room - to assist you in defining what you like in your "final" speakers.

That's a pretty dope idea - will look into those.

Where are you located? We may know of some places in your area.

I'm in the SF Bay on the peninsula.

Good Luck and enjoy the path.

Thanks for the solid advice - will let you know where I go with this.