How Much Did You Spend on Your 5.1 Speaker System?

[Alex2507]

Thanks for the thread. It gives me something to strive for. Seeing what members have spent is an indication of what they can afford. I would like to be able to afford more so that means I need to get busy.

Later Gents,
Alex

 

[krzywica]

And if that doesn't work, does she have any expensive hobbies? Blackmail can be fun!

Yes if she is like most women I have ever met she will be a shoe junkie.....so just extrapolate the cost of her shoe collection and compare it to the new H/T system that you would like to build. Problem solved.

Oh yes the price.

PSB Image Series: B15's, and C60. $400 (yeah I know I found a lot of deals)
H/K AVR 147. $200
Outlaw LFM-1 EX. $600
LG 50" 720P Plasma. $2K
HTPC. $1K
The look on my friends faces when we watch Transformers in HD. Priceless

 

[Davemcc]

I've got about $1,100 into the mains, $900 center and $500 surround. Then about $1,300 into the sub. I have to note that I previously kept two subs in the main system, but the addition of the SMS-1 allowed me to reduce to one sub, so to be fair, add another $600 to the subwoofer account, the value of the SMS-1 or the other sub. All in inflated Canadian dollars. U.S. residents can buy for less, much less.

In regards to the wife, it all depends on whether she cares about music or movies at all. If she loves her music, she will see the value of the system as she uses it. If she couldn't care less about music, then you have to explain that this is your hobby, it's important to you and you need to be happy even if she never turns it on once.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

The price I paid for my 5.0 is $1200. I'm using an X-sub but I won it through contests (two $100 coupons) on this site.(Thanks AH) So that's $1400 but the sub isn't powerful enough or go low enough for movies so...we'll see...

Just bought Ascend Acoustics speakers and am going through the 30 day evaluation period. My wife commented that she was sure that the speakers wouldn't sound any better to her ears and that she is impressed and happy with the way they sound...So I agree with the others...Get her around some quality speakers!

SBF1

 

[Gimpy Ric]

The best way to get your speakers: Take her to the best restaurant in town, buy her roses, massage her feet, and tell her she's the best wife in the world, 9 out of 10 you'll get your speakers.

Stratman, can you help me find a better half?

 

[AUtiger]

$2,000+ for mains, center, surround speakers & sub

 

[hyghwayman]

Thanks for the thread. It gives me something to strive for.

Later Gents,
Alex

Welcome, was not sure how it would be received but from the replies it seems I hit a nerve. I'm putting together the best of the best responses to show my wife how little I'm wanting to spend to get a lot better sound from our (MY) HT system.

Thanks to all who have replied,
hyghwayman

 

[bigdaddyfajita]

At a going out of business sale at the local Tweeter.
$700 for my mains (Towers)
$200 for the center
$200 for the sub (huge mistake, should have gotten a better sub)
$100 for surround speakers
$500 for the receiver
--------------------
$1700 for the entire package

I always think it is a mistake to buy a HTiB. Most women simply don't care enough to invest more once that is set up and running. I bet she also complains that the movie is too loud as it is and does not want to get speakers that will be louder. That was one thing that suprised my wife. After getting the nice speakers, the sound of the movie no longer bothered her, even when turned up enough to hear all the nuances. The quality of the sound was so much better that listening to movies at a relatively high volume was enjoyable. She never realised just how much the poor speakers were bothering her. I firmly believe that the distortion in the sound caused by HTiB speakers is what leads to headaches when watching action movies. That distortion actually makes people resistant to spend more money on speakers, since they believe that bigger speakers just means bigger headaches.

Now we both agree, that going out for a nice dinner then coming home to watch a movie is so much better than going to the theater. We tend to eat at nicer restuarants since we don't have to arrange our dinner around the movie. No more rushing through a nice meal so that we can still get a decent seat at the theater. It is also nice not spending an additional $20-$25 for the movie.

My suggestion to you is to find speakers that sound good but also look good. Spend a little extra if you have to. Limit yourself to a 3.1 system in the beginning if you must. What ever you do, do not let any wires show. Either hide them or make them blend in. Spend a little extra on speaker stands if you need to. Just make it look neat. Most women have a nesting instinct and if you have wires showing, it will be a constant irritant to them and they will give you grief any time you want to spend more money on your AV equipment.

 

[bandphan]

retail mains 2000
center 700
sr 700
sub 1&2 2600
total 6000

paid 4100

 

[rumonkey2]

Always on a restriced budget...

...so what did I spend???

$150 for the following:
3 XLS across the front
JBL Balcony rears
Sony SA-WM40 Sub


OK, it cost & is worth more than that -
XLS I "worked" for (helped a friend w/ an install) & they are Bstock
JBLs I "won" refurbs on EBay for $52
Sony SUB I paid $89 for (approx) 7 years ago + just recently polyfilled.

Soon to upgrade to (likely) XPlossive sub & hope AV123 comes out w/ XS or other suitable small wall mount rears....

Remember, you're more likely to be forgiven than get permisson
Especially once she hears & enjoys your purchase. Sure, it may mean watching a chick flick or two at first, use those to "break in" your new set-up

 

[Soundman]

OK, Well my system is still in process, but spent about $2,000 including shipping for LCR + Surrounds. I have not purchased my sub yet, but the one I am considering is around $1,500. Personally, I think this is the sweet spot to buy in, IMO. But what you really need to do, is find the speakers you really like and just get them, so you won't regret it later by settling, even if it means waiting untill the budget allows for it.

 

[Exit]

7.1 speaker costs

Mains (2): $600 Cambridge Soundworks Ensamble I (early 90's)
Center: $200 matching Cambridge Soundworks Center
Center subwoofer: $250 (bass module)
Surrounds (2): $250 Klipsch wall mounts
(Yamaha) Front Presence Channels (2): $250 Klipsch wall mounts
Subwoofer: $1200 shipped SVS PB12+2
Total: $2750

I think you are on the right track with the SVS 5.1 system but I went for the PB12+2 subwoofer because I have a large open floor plan with 8500 cu ft to fill. If you are in a small to average size living room you can probably get by nicely with a PB-10. Its hard to beat that deal for the price because it has a good low extension subwoofer, which is hard to find in a $1000 or less system.

 

[Alamar]

The plan for my next upgrade [occurring "soon"] is along the lines of:

1. 7 speakers for roughly 3K.
2. 1 sub for roughly 1.7K
3. Receiver for ~.8K
4. Some BD / HD-DVD player ~.4K

So I'm roughly at a 6K budget for my next round of upgrades .... [with only equipment!!]

********************************

Honestly I think that 1K is a perfectly reasonable budget for a basic 5.1 system. You'd likely be cheating yourself if you went much lower.

YMMV

********************************

You don't want to know about my current system because you might be able to cobble together a better system at Radio Shack

 

[mazersteven]

The question is

"Now What?"

Did you order the SVS system yet?

 

[hyghwayman]

The question is

"Now What?"

Did you order the SVS system yet?

Just waiting for the Tax Man to give me back my money, which sould be in less than two weeks now.
I'm also finding it harder and harder to get to sleep and I know the night before the big day I'll get no sleep at all!

hyghwayman

 

[mazersteven]

Just waiting for the Tax Man to give me back my money, which sould be in less than two weeks now.
I'm also finding it harder and harder to get to sleep and I know the night before the big day I'll get no sleep at all!

hyghwayman

Dude I just noticed your in Ohio. Have you gone to SVS yet in person?

 

[hondajake]

HK AVR 445 500
Klipsch RF 25 450pr---New on sale
Klipsch Reference Center ---RC52 250
Old Bose 141s rear---soon to replaced once settle into new place
SVS 20-39PCi Sub----500
Jolida JD100 CDP---600 Used Audiogon
Sony DVDP---80 dollars Changing out...
BJC cables around---150 dollars?

2030 dollars?

 

[Warpdrv]

Dude I just noticed your in Ohio. Have you gone to SVS yet in person?

No kidding, I am in milwaukee, and plan on driving there myself, might have to be this summer for a long haul motorcycle ride...

Paradigm Studio system $5500.00 6.0
Dual SVS Plus/2's $2500

SVS MTS-5.0 $2400.00
SVS PB12-Plus $1000.00

Thats just the speakers, not any of the adjoining equipment, with all that stuff for both systems, I believe I probably hit the $20K mark...

 

[kicknsupra]

retail 12000
paid 5000

 

[tlqualman]

retail prices

mains $5500 http://www.pbnaudio.com/loludspeakers/spx.html

center $3500 http://www.pbnaudio.com/loludspeakers/spc.html

rear $1500 Definitive BP20's

sub $2800 jl audio f113