Help with choosing a setup as a gift

[iceshooter16]

I'm in the market for purchasing a beginners system for my parents as a gift and would love some input. Normally I would stay clear of a HTiB but I feel for my price range ($400) it would be the best option. I want to stick with a system that would allow them to upgrade in the future if they possibly wanted to (don't see it happening anytime soon though...). It will be used primarily for Tv, movies, and music. Either 5.1 or 7.1 would be fine.

I'm currently going between three different systems.

Onkyo HT-S5400
Onkyo HT-S5500
Yamaha YHT-595BL

All seem pretty comparable in specs and would be plenty for their needs. The S5500 is only slightly more expensive than the year old S5400 (with almost exactly the same specs) but it seems that a ton of people have been having subwoofer issues. Would the risk be worth it? I prefer them to not have to go through the whole return process if the subwoofer would stop working like it has for so many others.

On the other side of things, would the Yamaha be a better setup than the Onkyos? Again it's comparable in specs and price.

I would not be opposed to piecing a system together as long as the total price is in no more than $400. I know that's a lot to ask for in that price range but figured if anyone could help it would be you all!

 

[ImcLoud]

Normally I would say for that price htiab is the best bet but, I think you can get a pieced system done for that price and end up with something decent...

Amazon.com: Jamo S 426 HCS 3 WENGE 5-Piece Home Theater System (Wenge): Electronics

Dayton Audio SUB-1200 12" 120 Watt Powered Subwoofer 300-629

DENON AVR-1312 5.1 Channel A/V Home Theater Receiver | Accessories4less

I actually bought my sister a similar system not long ago, but spent a little more, most items are now on sale now for black friday... The Jamo 426 sounds so far ahead of its price range, and you get so much more than the HTIB systems offer you with this... Believe me , this is way ahead of the systems you listed...

good luck... If you want smaller speakers the Energy classic 5.0 sounds good, and there are other $100 subs out there, but I have experience with this one, and it surprised me with performance, for sure, and you can order you speaker wire from PE and save on shipping...

Also as far as 7.1 vs 5.1 I prefer 5.1 it fits more rooms {with 7.1 the rear speakers need to be a few feet behind the listener and in most rooms the couch is against the rear wall making this impossible, and also 7.1 is only supported in like 80 movies to date!! this is hardly worth the effort, I find it clutters up surround sound and complicates something that can be really easy, also it takes my attention away from the material where 5.1 appears to be seamless, most high end systems are 5.1, which is obviously my preference, and 6.1 {rear center} IMO sounds better than 7.1 but not as good as 5.1..... Long story longer stay with 5.1 if you want to spend more get dual subs and go 5.2 you will have a noticeable difference at that point..

 

[FirstReflection]

For a beginner setup for about $400, the Onkyo HTiB units certainly aren't a bad choice. They're quite decent, and easy to purchase.

But you can actually do a bit better for about the same price.

I'd highly recommend going for the Onkyo SKS-HT540 speaker package . Even though it's the same brand, the SKS-HT540 package includes better speakers than what Onkyo is putting in their current HTiB packages. The speakers are larger and more capable all around. And the included SKW204 subwoofer is actually pretty decent. In fact, I often recommend getting the SKW204 to people who can't afford a $350+ subwoofer. While it's obviously an inexpensive sub, it always manages to bring a smile to my face whenever I hear it. And the Amazon price on the full SKS-HT540 speaker package is just crazy low right now. So I'd highly recommend picking it up! I can pretty much promise you and your parents won't be disappointed. In fact, I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised, and rather shocked at what you get for so little money!

To power those speakers, my top pick would certainly be the Denon AVR-1712 , but it would put you over your $400 budget by $50. I thought I'd mention it anyway, in case you're ok with going over.

If not, no big worries. Just step down to something a bit more affordable from Denon or Onkyo, or Pioneer or Yamaha. Personally, I'd try really hard to get something with Audyssey MultEQ or another room correction program that EQs the bass. Bass is definitely where you need EQ the most. Many of the less expensive Denon and Onkyo units only include Audyssey 2EQ, which does not EQ the bass, and is not really worth much because of that. So try to avoid 2EQ if you can. That's another area where you can really improve on the Onkyo HTiB units. They all include 2EQ only.

The Denon AVR-1612 is probably your best choice if you can't afford the 1712. The 1612 will certainly fit within budget along with the Onkyo SKS-HT540 speaker package, and should leave you enough money to maybe get a few cables, speaker wire and banana plugs from monoprice to really complete the setup nicely!

So, better speakers, better subwoofer, better AV Receiver with better room correction. Not bad, eh?

Hope that helps!

 

[iceshooter16]

Thanks for all of the input!

I've read great things about all of the Denon receivers but don't think I can swing the price at the moment. I have to hold firm at the $400 max budget unfortunately. Also, I personally would not mind owning a refub unit for myself but I don't think I want to purchase one for my parents.

I'm seeing a bunch of good deals pop up today so hopefully i'll be able to find something good. The more I think about it the more i'm wanting to stay with a 5.1 system. The layout of their room will not accommodate 7.x well at all. The only other requirements that I have are that there must be a USB port for ipod connection and component video inputs. We are working on getting them to upgrade their TV so at the moment they are stuck with component i/o.

With all of that being said... the Yamaha YHT-497BL is looking like the nicest setup so far. I know the speakers aren't the greatest but i've seen good things about the included receiver, RX-V373. I know audyssey is probably better than the YPAO offered by Yamaha but I'm not sure if they will be able to notice much of a difference.

Any thoughts on if this is the best bang for my buck?

 

[peep5170]

If you're looking to get the best bang for your buck, I would recommend purchasing the Yamaha set-up over the Onkyo. I don't have personal experience with what products you're looking at; but I've owned many Yamaha products and not once have I been disappointed with a purchase. From their $400 entry level receiver to their flagship receivers, they've always delivered a strong product for their price.

I should also note that I own Yamaha's Soavo 1 loudspeakers, which have delivered great sound with excellent build quality. Yamaha takes equal care with the speakers they produce and the receivers I've already mentioned

 

[agarwalro]

Remember that you are helping your folks through the learning curve and doing tech support. So, it will be easier with a receiver brand you own or are familiar with. This is especially important if you are not in the same city as your folks .

 

[theJman]

Normally I would say for that price htiab is the best bet but, I think you can get a pieced system done for that price and end up with something decent...

Amazon.com: Jamo S 426 HCS 3 WENGE 5-Piece Home Theater System (Wenge): Electronics

Dayton Audio SUB-1200 12" 120 Watt Powered Subwoofer 300-629

DENON AVR-1312 5.1 Channel A/V Home Theater Receiver | Accessories4less

That's a darn nice system you put together for $400. I'd take that over a HTiB setup any day.