home theatre setup on a budget

[DAMAC]

I have been doing some reading on here and am wondering if the budget speaker system listed by audioholics, Athena Micra 6, will be adequate. I have a basement that is about 12' x 24'. The home theatre setup will cover about 12' x 16' with a pool table or workout area in the back part. I plan to wall mount the surround speakers and maybe the front as well. I have a front projector and am about to purchase a nice 100" screen for it. I already have a Pioneer VSX-815K receiver, and I need speakers and a sub. I already have 3 Bose acoustimass cube speakers that I bought off of ebay. I read that I shouldn't have these attached directly to the receiver or that I could damage them. I also have since read that bose isn't a good value (I know...I know, I'm new. I know alot more about computers and video). I can get about $40-50 for each of the bose speakers on ebay, and I still have the receipt and box for the receiver if you guys thinks I should get something different. One thing I liked about the 815k was the fact that it has 3 input component switching, which I use for HDTV, DVD, and XBOX. This system will be used for DVD, TV, and XBOX. I am trying to keep my cost down. I already spent $300 on the receiver and $140 on the bose speakers. I can get this all back and go another route, or I can add to what I already have.

I liked the Athena .5 speakers according to price and what people have said. If someone can agree with that, I will sell the bose cubes on ebay to help toward the Athenas and a nice sub. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!!!

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

What's the absolute most with tax you want to spend on speakers? Also, how large can they be? Are they being mounted on walls, or can you have two floorstanders? Are you set on a 5.1 or more interested in a 6.1/7.1 setup? Finally, how much bass do you like with your movies/games? 12x24 is a lot of area to fill with sound. A weak subwoofer on a concrete floor won't do much for movies. Lets start with a budget.

 

[DAMAC]

If I unload the bose speakers, I can spend a total of no more than $400-500 total on a set of speakers and sub. I would really like to be able to wall-mount the speakers, but I am not totally opposed to floorstands. The flooring is hardwood, not concrete. I like a fair amount of bass with my movies. The smaller the better on the speakers, but I am willing to have a little more size if it improves sound quality and helps with price. I started with the idea of bose because of the small size, but I would rather have a good set of speakers for a fair price than have tiny speakers. I am starting to even consider in-wall speakers. I would love a 6.1/7.1 setup if it was in my price range. I would be able to ceiling mount a speaker or two to finish off the rear sound. I am not picky, but I would like quality, clean, full sound that will really compliment the nice video setup I am creating. Thanks for the help. I hope these details can give you more direction for my situation.

 

[SilverMK3]

The Point 5 MKII system sounds like a perfect fit for you then. They ship with very nice, adjustable wall-mounting brackets and will easily outperform the Bose cubes. The only weak link in the Point 5 MKII SE package is the AS-P300 subwoofer, i'd get the system without the subwoofer, and use the money you save on a different one. Check out this post to see what I'm talking about.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

If I unload the bose speakers, I can spend a total of no more than $400-500 total on a set of speakers and sub. I would really like to be able to wall-mount the speakers, but I am not totally opposed to floorstands. The flooring is hardwood, not concrete. I like a fair amount of bass with my movies. The smaller the better on the speakers, but I am willing to have a little more size if it improves sound quality and helps with price. I started with the idea of bose because of the small size, but I would rather have a good set of speakers for a fair price than have tiny speakers. I am starting to even consider in-wall speakers. I would love a 6.1/7.1 setup if it was in my price range. I would be able to ceiling mount a speaker or two to finish off the rear sound. I am not picky, but I would like quality, clean, full sound that will really compliment the nice video setup I am creating. Thanks for the help. I hope these details can give you more direction for my situation.

If you were going Athena, then I'd recommend the Audition Series. Anything smaller, and I don't think you would be satisfied with the size of your room. The subwoofer will really make or break that system. Have you heard of Venturi?
http://www.shopzilla.com/7S--Stereo_Speakers_Headphones_-_cat_id--11560000__keyword--bic america__sfsk--3
With shipping, you could have a very nice 5.1 setup with a 12" subwoofer for $550 - taxes/shipped. A 6.1 setup would run $660. It would include 1 DV62CLR-S center; 4 DV62 SI-B bookshelves; and 1 V-1220 subwoofer. For a 6.1, add a DV62 CLR-S for $110, for a total of $660. A 7.1 setup with two DV62 SI-B's in the rear would run $675. That setup would toast the Micra setup, but it's a much larger package. BIC also offers in-walls that come with up to 8" woofers and directional tweeters. I don't think in-walls sound nearly as good as cabinets, unless you spend ungodly amounts of money on them. MacManNM did a full review of the Venturi's a few weeks ago. Check it out if you get some time.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10652

 

[hopjohn]

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10557&highlight=link

 

[DAMAC]

Because of cost and the fact that I have decided to wall mount my speakers, I am going with the Athenas....

http://www.bestpriceaudiovideo.com/products/product_detail.asp?Inventory=2843&Show=P

And I think I will go with the BIC V-1220 sub. I've seen it new and shipped for under $200.

Thanks for the advice, fellas I appreciate the help.