Home Theater Comparison

[Fungui]

I am in the process of building a house with a den that will act as a home theater. The room will not be very large, roughly 10'x12' (not finalized yet). I'd like to keep the surround setup less than $1500, and I already have a receiver. The setup will be used roughly 60/40 movies/music. I've come up with two options, one on the lower end of my budget and one on the higher end, but am open to other suggestions as well. It seems to me that the space is really only big enough for a 5 channel setup, but I could be off.

Top end - Hybrid 3 HP - 5.1 Package
http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/hybrid3hppkg.html

Low end - Pioneer SP-PK52FS Andrew Jones 5.0 Home Theater Speaker Package +
SVS PB1000 10-inch 300 Watt Powered Subwoofer
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-PK52FS-5-0-Theater-Speaker/dp/B00IRH0QMA/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1429121838&sr=1-2&keywords=pioneer+andrew+jones+home+theater+system+5.1
http://www.amazon.com/SVS-10-inch-300-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B00AF88BRG

Going with the lower end would throw about $500 into my projector fund, but I am wondering if the Hybrid 3 HP package is superior enough to warrant the cost. Or, perhaps I am way off and there is an even better option in the price range!

 

[zieglj01]

I would go with the HSU - and try to find another way to add to the projector fund

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

With 12x12 (hope it's approximation and not square room) you might not need vtf3 mk5 sub. I have heard hsu bookshelves with music - i think they sounded good, but probably best for movies.
If you are willing to wait, few great budget systems should be available soon. Most notably Elac debut by above mentioned A. J.
As for sub: hard to estimate how good elac new sub going to be, but smaller hsu vtf2 should give you plenty of bass

 

[Fungui]

Zieglj01, that is where I was leaning.

BoredSysAdmin, that should have read 10X12, but yes just an approximation as we are in the initial planning stages. I can definitely wait a bit, the house will not be finished until sometime in December. I'll do some research on the ELAC Debut, I am finding that I am a huge fan of A.J.

Also, I thought it might help to give a little background on my sound preferences, I am new to the game. I recently purchased a pair of Sennheiser Momentums (over ear) and they provide the highest quality sound I have heard since my father's old Grados (No idea what models, he had several while I was growing up that were spectacular.)

When it comes to music I will mainly be playing LPs on a Sony PS-T33 with an upgraded Shure M97xE needle, going through a TCC TC-750 Phono Preamp. My receiver is a Sony STR-DG720.

On a side note I have also entertained the idea of running speaker wire to the living room and the backyard, allowing me to switch between the desired area. I would still want everything housed in the den, but could put music focused speakers in the living room and backyard with movie focused speakers in the den. I am still researching the logistics of this, but my point is that this first setup might not need to be great for music as long as it is great for movies.

 

[XEagleDriver]

Fungui,
FWIW a few thoughts on your project:

1) Calculate the rooms volume (10' x 12' x ?') then contact both HSU and SVS for their advice on sub size/model necessary to fill that sized volume/room.
a) Also be ready to let them know if the room is closed off or open to other rooms.

2) With a $1500 budget, I would strongly consider starting with a 2.1 or 3.1 system and thus be able to afford better front stage (LCR) speakers. With a planned sub, bookshelves will provide better value than towers in most cases.
a) Plan to build to your target 5.1 surround system down the road, after a few more paychecks/birthdays/Xmas etc.
b) I agree with you that in a 10' x 12' room, a 5.1 system is the right surround capability needed.
c) Speakers can be a long-term purchase (if done right the first time); receivers, media/cd/dvd/br players, and displays change much more rapidly as formats and capabilities evolve. Spending up front on quality LCR speakers will save you money in the long run.

3) In a 10' x 12' room, I would lean more towards a display panel over a projection/screen system, since you probably do not need the extra screen width the projection system brings. One rule-of-thumb is to divide your seating to display distance in half and that is a good gouge on the minimum diagonal screen size needed.
a) For example, if you are sitting 8' from the display/screen an appropriate diagonal screen/display size is ~4' (or 48") (I would round this up to at least a 50-55 inch screen).
b) My point being, even if you up size to a larger 60" or 70" display; these are common and more affordable than a projector/screen combination in most cases.
c) However, if you are a serious videophile, there are other benefits to a projection system which may influence your decision in that direction.

4) In your build out of the room, I would consider wiring the room for more than you intend to install; i.e. wire for 2 sub locations (fore and aft), 7.1 surround, and even Atmos. It is much cheaper, easier, and less messy at this stage than after the fact--plus wire is relatively cheap.

Cheers,
XEagleDriver

 

[XEagleDriver]

. . .

On a side note I have also entertained the idea of running speaker wire to the living room and the backyard, allowing me to switch between the desired area. I would still want everything housed in the den, but could put music focused speakers in the living room and backyard with movie focused speakers in the den. I am still researching the logistics of this, but my point is that this first setup might not need to be great for music as long as it is great for movies.

Fungui,
A few words of caution:
1) Having the music system controls (source, volume, mode, etc.) in a different room from the listening area (living room) may not be enjoyable to use in practice (i.e. going back and forth to swap LPs, needing a RF remote, etc.).
2) Outdoor speaker environments generally do not rise above background listening quality due to many factors (unless you have an insanely high budget for this part of the system).
3) In my experience, speakers great at music are great at movies (sound is sound), but the reverse is generally neither found, nor true.

Cheers,
XEagleDriver

 

[Fungui]

XEagleDriver,

Thank you for the great feedback. I had considered going with a 3.1 of higher quality, I will definitely look into this further. On that note, any recommendations? I like the idea of slowly building towards the "dream system." Also, I am very economical and that seems to be the most cost-effective way to get an outstanding system.

Wiring was going to be my next post, as we get closer in the building process. Makes perfect sense to do it all while everything is open. I had not considered the extra wiring for the future.

My main draw for the projector is being able to throw multiple NFL games at a time using NFL Sunday Ticket. That being said it will be rare that more than 4 people are in the room at a time, so we should be able to keep the seating far enough back to be mostly comfortable.

I may end up just using a decent sound bar in the living room, and something portable outside. I envisioned being able to control everything with a tablet, but I am not sure if such a highly integrated system exists.

Again, thank you for your response, I have a lot to research!

 

[shadyJ]

If you like the bass loud, deep, and punchy, a VTF3 mk5 will fit the bill nicely. In that room it should sound amazing. Yeah, a VTF2 would probably do the trick, but a VTF3 own that room. I would go for the VTF3. The Hsu speakers are very good too. I like the Pioneer SP speakers but I wouldn't trade the Hsus for them. The SVS sub is meh. The SVS subs don't really get interesting until the 2000s, but even then a VTF3 will majorly outperform the 2000 series, and probably the Plus sub too.

If you DON'T intend to listen at loud volumes then the VTF3 is overkill. You could step down to a VTF2, which is a very good sub for the price. The VTF3 is amazing though.