Need help setting up HT on a budget $1K in ~25x20 room

[maverick22]

First post! I have a budget of about $1,000. I will be using this for mainly movies (blu-rays watched on PS3). The setup will be in the living room. It is approximately 25x20, and it opens into the kitchen.

I like the idea of a soundbar + sub just because it's so simple. I have no "handyman" skills to put together a 5.1 system, and I am clueless when it comes to receivers & all of the other speakers. I like the idea of a 5.1 though because I believe I could get a much better HT sound system from what I have read.

Could you all please chime in and tell me what you think would be best for me?

Thanks in advance!

 

[shadyJ]

First, skip the soundbar. Soundbars are terrible. $1k isn't much, I would go for a 2.0 system. I would get a receiver and a couple of tower speakers, or maybe just a couple of active monitors. Two nice speakers are much better than 5 mediocre ones. I might be looking at a couple of EMP Tek R55Ti towers and a refurbished receiver. You could also just skip the receiver and get a couple of these guys, those would have phenomenally high sound quality for the dollar.

 

[maverick22]

Thanks for the reply. I guess the best thing to do is slowly build. Are the tower speakers and Alpha 80's you recommended geared more towards music? I noticed the reviews were more music-related.

I will hardly be listening to music--mainly blu-rays popped in my ps3.

 

[rojo]

-_-

shadyJ is on a crusade. Follow his advice only if you're OK compromising on the lowest rumbles of your movies. (Actually, that's a worthwhile thread for you to read, even if I don't agree that his recommendation in this thread is the best fit for you.)

I'd say start with three WaveCrest HVL-1 for LCR (left-center-right), a Dayton Sub-1500, and a decent receiver. That'll leave you some room within your budget for speaker wire (Monoprice 14awg, get 100' spool) and some stands for your speakers. This setup will play lower than the Focal monitors while still sounding good for music, whether you listen to it or not.

If you can wait a couple of months before you start, the ELAC Debut series promises excellent sound quality for a limited budget as well.

The thing about speakers being good for music is, if a speaker sounds good for music, it'll sound great for movies. The reverse is not always true, though.

And handyman skills aren't necessary for a 5.1 channel system. You'll probably have your front 3 channels + sub near the receiver, so just run the wire out in the open. You can hide it using cable management such as Wiremold, available at Home Depot or any other local home improvement store. To run wire to your surrounds, you can just cram the wire down between your walls' shoe molding and carpet, then run it up the wall to each speaker using Wiremold again. Here's an example of what it looks like:

 

[maverick22]

Thanks for the above reply! Very informative as well. Not sure my wife wants speaker wire everywhere. Hopefully we could hide it good enough.

Also, behind the seating in my living room there is no wall as in your picture. The living room opens into the kitchen.

Thankful for the 2 suggestions. More are welcome!

 

[rojo]

Additional thoughts: most sane people have their surrounds to the side, not in the rear as I have. Nevertheless, only around 5% of movies is surround content, so your system will still sound great for movies even without surround speakers if you wish.

Also, if the room opens to the kitchen, then I'm guessing it's not 25x20. This is highly relevant when choosing the appropriate subwoofer to pressurize your space. That Dayton sub is nice for the price, but you will probably need something a little more stout to be honest. What is the cubic footage of the living room and kitchen combined?

Last thing, my wife approves of the Wiremold, and she's pretty picky. (Of course she'd have to be. She ended up with me and not some worthless jerk, didn't she?) There are other tricks you can use to hide your wire without needing a contractor's skill -- running it inside the speaker stands, for example; and you can use a razor blade to cut a hole in the carpet to run the wire underneath if you want to be thorough. She never has to see a single wire if you take your time with it.

 

[shadyJ]

Thanks for the reply. I guess the best thing to do is slowly build. Are the tower speakers and Alpha 80's you recommended geared more towards music? I noticed the reviews were more music-related.

I will hardly be listening to music--mainly blu-rays popped in my ps3.

Remember that much of the sound in movies is music. I don't agree that there is a speaker could be good for movies but poor for music or vice versa. But still, two good speakers will give you the sense of a full, big sound that satellite speakers and soundbars can not. This will have an effect on everything you listen to. Its unconscionable to recommend a sub in your modest budget because they are all so poor. It's hard to recommend any sub under $600, as that is the price point where they become worth owning, in the Hsu, Rythmik, and Outlaw subs.

The powered monitor speakers do make setup very easy. If your TV has analogue output, simply connect them to that. That's it. Simple, and extremely high sound quality for the dollar since more of the money goes into raw components like drivers and cabinet that actually make a difference in the end instead of a bunch of electronic features you will never use.

 

[maverick22]

Behind the sofa there is about 15 feet until you reach the wall.

What is considered a decent receiver? I would either go brand new budget or go with a refurbished (not too old - want it to be a little futureproof).

That is what makes it hard-different suggestions from different experts. I don't know anything about audio so I don't know where to start. These give me some good ideas. Thanks, and more suggestions are welcome.