first setup, need some help (budget minded)

[Drisco Z71]

Well I've decided to get into the whole home theater thing some more and this site is full of great info and I've learned a lot already, but i really need some help picking out some speakers for my surround sound setup (5.1) . The room itself is a basement with brick walls on 3 sides, and its about 12x12. With this being my first system i would like to keep the price as low as possible. I really don't care what they look like just as long as they sound good for the price.

for a reciever i was planning on a Sony STR-DG510 and using my xbox 360 for the dvd player.

I had a 10" kenwood car audio sub laying around so i made a box for it and got a dayton 240 watt plate amp for it so the sub is taken care of too.

the only thing left are the speakers, i have been looking at The Speaker Company but I've read mixed reviews and was wondering if there is any other brands worth considering?

thanks for the help, i really need it

 

[calnbs]

How low are you wanting to go? Here my two favorite budget speakers:

Frys.com: When their Polks are at half off.

Fluance:

http://www.fluance.com/fluan5speaks.html


Can't get any cheaper than these two. Polks, great budget speakers. Can be easily found online or store. Fluance, decent reviews from the few owners who owns them. Their weakness is their center but decent built overall.

 

[Drisco Z71]

How low are you wanting to go? Here my two favorite budget speakers:

Frys.com: When their Polks are at half off.

Fluance:

ww w.fluance.com/fluan5speaks.html


Can't get any cheaper than these two. Polks, great budget speakers. Can be easily found online or store. Fluance, decent reviews from the few owners who owns them. Their weakness is their center but decent built overall.

thank you for your help, i was looking to spend around 200$ for speakers, but if that isn't going to get me anything decent i could wait a while to work up the money for the fluance 5 set, they look like a great option.

 

[Alex at SVS]

thank you for your help, i was looking to spend around 200$ for speakers, but if that isn't going to get me anything decent i could wait a while to work up the money for the fluance 5 set, they look like a great option.

What's decent is completely relative. Personally I defended my first sub ($150 KLH) to the teeth as the greatest and coolest thing I'd ever heard. After going to a real audio store and hearing bass on a high-end sub... well, lets just say multiple pay checks vanished quickly after that.

I'd be a wealthier person today had I never known what great sound was. But if you want to make an informed decision about what quality of speakers will be best for you, there's nothing better than auditioning stuff at a store.

Some people are happy with TV speakers, others laugh at the just the idea of watching a movie without Krell LAT-1 mains ($37,000/pair). If you don't notice the difference between $200 and $500 speakers, then it's wasting your money.

 

[Matt34]

I'd give the BIC America DV62si Bookshelves a try for around $100/pr.

http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-DV62si-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B00006JPDI

You can pick up the matching center for another $120.

 

[Drisco Z71]

What's decent is completely relative. Personally I defended my first sub ($150 KLH) to the teeth as the greatest and coolest thing I'd ever heard. After going to a real audio store and hearing bass on a high-end sub... well, lets just say multiple pay checks vanished quickly after that.

I'd be a wealthier person today had I never known what great sound was. But if you want to make an informed decision about what quality of speakers will be best for you, there's nothing better than auditioning stuff at a store.

Some people are happy with TV speakers, others laugh at the just the idea of watching a movie without Krell LAT-1 mains ($37,000/pair). If you don't notice the difference between $200 and $500 speakers, then it's wasting your money.

i will be going to a local audio/video store to look for a new tv pretty soon and i can listen to what they have there, but i'm guessing they will probably be out of my price range.

ill have to look into those LAT-1's

what about the fluance AV-HTB+?(sorry, cant post links yet) Anyone have any experience with these?

 

[calnbs]

i will be going to a local audio/video store to look for a new tv pretty soon and i can listen to what they have there, but i'm guessing they will probably be out of my price range.

ill have to look into those LAT-1's

what about the fluance AV-HTB+?(sorry, cant post links yet) Anyone have any experience with these?

Fluance is not going to beat down any Aperions, Rockets, B&W, Paradigm and so on. Heck, it won't even be in competition to BIC America and Elemental Design. But it is what it is....A great set of speakers for $300. Based on the reviews I have read from owners and other forums. The build quality is very decent (considering they are only $300). As far as sound quality goes, it will outshine most if not all Home Theater in A Box system you'll find at Best Buy or Circuit City. The only compliant I ever read about Fluance was that their center speaker falls a little short. Hell, I can understand why....My center speaker alone cost more than the "WHOLE" Fluance system combine. With that said, the center will still sound better than any HTiB and TV speaker. Others will say that Fluance is border line "white van speakers" such as Kirsch or Di Vinci but I disagree because Fluance does not go around putting up fake MRSP of $3,000 when in reality, it is worth under $100 (IMO). Look at Fluance MRSP of the set I linked you ($450) and selling price is $300. They are pretty straight forward with their speakers. Someone at avsforum stated best about Fluance speakers....They are caught in the middle as far as pricing goes. To really have a decent HT, it must have a sub. By adding a decent sub, it will push the Fluance up to where you can have better options if you just add a few more dollars. So it is caught in between others such as BIC America, SVS, Elemental Design, and so forth.

You can find reviews on these speakers on www.cnet.com, www.avsforum.com, and even may be here. You just gotta do a search on these speakers. You are not going to find a lot of people in these forums owning Fluance because many people in these type of forums are quite serious with their speakers and sometimes in my opinion...TOO Serious...Reviews are far and few but from my research and what I have read, you are not going to get much better in that price range. Just my 2 cents.

The next step up from Fluance will be BIC America's Venturi and the Acoustech which run around $800ish. Elemental Design, SVS, HSU, will be also be good options as well in the $1K+ range.

 

[jcPanny]

Athena closeouts

Also look for the Athena LS series speakers on sale for about $100/pair. Great entry level speakers.
http://www.audioadvisor.com/products.asp?dept=144

 

[Drisco Z71]

Thanks for all your input, it is very usefull to a new guy like myself. The closest thing I've ever had to a home theater system is a 50$ logitech HTiB, so I'm guessing that the fluance speakers would be a nice upgrade.

 

[zony]

Look into this great speaker:

I suggest you look into this amazing speaker. I doubt you would ever find a better speaker than this

Sony SS-B3000

In fact I compared this speaker side to side with a Polk Monitor 40 and the polk sounded downright horrible next to this.

Notice the price: 100 per pair.- This speaker is probably the best kept secret in budget speakers.

For purpose of rock/metal /industrial this speaker would probably even outperform some speakers in the $800 + category. (Just a little bait hoping someone would do a comparison!)



My system:
Sony STRDE 197
Pair of Bookshelf SS-D555 (older version of pair above)

For the comparison I used Onkyo 8522 amp, pair above and polk monitor 40.
I cant believe people scoff at Sony speakers and advise to buy Polk. The polk has piercing highs no midrange and is fatiguing to listen to.

The sony is a 3 way, very deep sounding bass, natural midrange, relaxed highs. If you like piercing exaggerated highs go with Polk.

Dont just take my word for it, look at the reviews, give it a listen.

Please check amazon.com and best buy for tons of great reviews on this speaker. I am not allowed to post links.



I strongly recommend these speakers.

 

[Drisco Z71]

I found a pretty good deal on a refurbished Onkyo receiver, but im not sure if I should go with the Onkyo or the Sony receiver. The Onkyo is 7.1 if I ever decide to upgrade, but its slightly less power and it doesn't have a coax input for satellite tv.

Sony STR-DG510 (5.1) 160$ shipped
http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?g=10420&i=158STDG510&tp=179

Onkyo TX-SR505 Refurbished (7.1) 160$ shipped with club discount
http://www.shoponkyo.com/detail.cfm?productid=TX-SR505&modelid=57&group_id=1&detail=2

thanks again for your help

 

[calnbs]

I found a pretty good deal on a refurbished Onkyo receiver, but im not sure if I should go with the Onkyo or the Sony receiver. The Onkyo is 7.1 if I ever decide to upgrade, but its slightly less power and it doesn't have a coax input for satellite tv.

Sony STR-DG510 (5.1) 160$ shipped
http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?g=10420&i=158STDG510&tp=179

Onkyo TX-SR505 Refurbished (7.1) 160$ shipped with club discount
http://www.shoponkyo.com/detail.cfm?productid=TX-SR505&modelid=57&group_id=1&detail=2

thanks again for your help

I haven't research the onkyo 505 but I do own a 805 one. Onkyo is a very solid brand overall for receiver. Some might not consider them "high end" but again, those are the one who have money to burn.

If it was my money, I go will the Onkyo.

 

[Drisco Z71]

I haven't research the onkyo 505 but I do own a 805 one. Onkyo is a very solid brand overall for receiver. Some might not consider them "high end" but again, those are the one who have money to burn.

If it was my money, I go will the Onkyo.

yea, it seems like a better deal considering its 7.1, even i though i will only have 5.1, i could always upgrade later down the road to 7.1. the only thing im worried about is that its refurbished, but its got a 1 year warranty so i should be ok if i get a bad one.

 

[Drisco Z71]

well i just orderded the onkyo TX-SR505, not a bad deal for 133$ shipped.
http://shoponkyo.com/detail.cfm?productid=TX-SR505&modelid=57&group_id=1&detail=1&ext_war=1

i am still planning on going with these speakers from fluance
http://www.fluance.com/fluanceavhtb.html
unless someone know of a better set in the ~200$ range.

 

[WmAx]

well i just orderded the onkyo TX-SR505, not a bad deal for 133$ shipped.
http://shoponkyo.com/detail.cfm?productid=TX-SR505&modelid=57&group_id=1&detail=1&ext_war=1

i am still planning on going with these speakers from fluance
http://www.fluance.com/fluanceavhtb.html
unless someone know of a better set in the ~200$ range.

Killer deal on the receiver. Wow.

$200 for a full set of surround speakers? That's not easy to beat. But the sound quality of those units, I will wager, is nothing at all special.

For $390, you can get a really unusually good set of speakers: Behringer 2030P. I will personally vouch for them, as I have inspected/measured a pair and found them to be the single most unique value speaker I know of currently on the market. But you need separate subs; these are 2 way bookshelf type speakers.

-Chris

 

[corysmith01]

Agreed, killer deal on that receiver...and that's one that you can stick with a while, so good score there.

As for the speakers, I have no doubt those probably sound pretty good for a $200 5 speaker set up, but as said above, I wouldn't expect anything special. If I were you, I'd look at this more long term. Are you buying all those right now just to have 5 immediately, vs buying based on sound quality? If that's the case, I'd consider perhaps building over time; starting off, initially at least, with fewer speakers. But you'll be starting off with fewer quality speakers...speakers you won't feel the need to swap out (sell) and replace with new ones once you're ready to upgrade. For instance, would be a complete drag just to devote your money to your front 2 for the immediate future, or perhaps even a front 3 L/C/R set up? Then, allow some time to save up for your 5/7 speakers? Doing it that way seems like you'd end up with a better quality set up in the end. Just something to think about. Either way, good luck as you get things underway.

 

[Seth=L]

well i just orderded the onkyo TX-SR505, not a bad deal for 133$ shipped.
http://shoponkyo.com/detail.cfm?productid=TX-SR505&modelid=57&group_id=1&detail=1&ext_war=1

i am still planning on going with these speakers from fluance
http://www.fluance.com/fluanceavhtb.html
unless someone know of a better set in the ~200$ range.

The Athena speakers at Audioadvisor are far superior to those Fluance in build quality. I would expect their sound quality to be much higher as well. Based on the very "white van" look (not that Fluance isn't legit, it is) of the Fluance speakers I just get a bad feeling looking at them.

Having owned Athena speakers in the past, not of the series listed at AudioAdvisor.com, I can attest to their build quality and competitive SQ.

 

[calnbs]

well i just orderded the onkyo TX-SR505, not a bad deal for 133$ shipped.
http://shoponkyo.com/detail.cfm?productid=TX-SR505&modelid=57&group_id=1&detail=1&ext_war=1

i am still planning on going with these speakers from fluance
http://www.fluance.com/fluanceavhtb.html
unless someone know of a better set in the ~200$ range.

For that price range. It's going to be hard to beat. Heck, there are HTiB that cost more than that. I suggested Fluance because they were in your price range and had decent review for its price. As others have stated, you are not going to find anything special with these speakers comparing to others that will be way out of your budget. Fluance is what it is...$200 or $300 set of speakers. It can't compete with any of the above speaker brands mentioned.

The next step up in price range will be $600-800. The BIC Venturi/Acoustech
http://bicamerica.com/

And what Seth recommended: Athena at AA, clearing out for $600

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ATKLS500

When buying speakers, you have to ask yourself...what is your goal/plan? Will you be upgrading anytime soon? Is it a long term investment? Will you be spending more money in the future or is it a one and done deal? How concern are you about sound quality? How much are you willing to pay for THAT quality?

Best way to build a good system with a tight budget is to slowly build by starting with two main fronts....next be sub, surrounds, and center.

I look at speakers as a long term investment of enjoyment. It is something that will last me around 10 or more years. And when I break that amount of money down into days out of the 10 years...it's just a dollar a day (based on my budget) for an amazing enjoyment.

Almost forgot....the best place to get your speaker wires, Sub connection, HDMI will be www.monoprice.com.

 

[jcPanny]

Bookshelf speakers

For $200 your other option is to buy a better quality pair of bookshelf speakers like the Athena's, BICs, or other options in the $1-200/pair price range. I listen to a lot of music which is better served with a quality 2.0 system than a cheap 5.1 system.

 

[Midcow2]

Actually you can get some good speakers for close to $200

thank you for your help, i was looking to spend around 200$ for speakers, but if that isn't going to get me anything decent i could wait a while to work up the money for the fluance 5 set, they look like a great option.

You can buy a pair of Cambridge Audio S30 speakers for $219 plus shipping. Granted it won't be 5.1 sound, but it will sound very good and I think you will be pleased. http://www.wildwestelectronics.net/cambridge-audio-s30-speaker.html

Later you can add a subwoofer, but you need to spend around $400 for a good one, either Hsu or SVS. A less expensive sub is cheap and sounds cheap.

Surrounds are for enhancement only and can be very inexpensive. If you add them at all, add them much later. An inexpensive surround that sounds pretty good it the Sonhy SB-3000 at around $75 per pair plus shipping from B & H Photo http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/493591-REG/Sony_SS_B3000_SS_B3000_3_Way_Bookshelf_Speakers.html (However, if you want to go very very inexpensive you could go with just these speakers as your fron speakers)