New Here - Which Home Theater System?

[XxrkylexX]

I am desperate to get some answers and found this forum thinking I may get some. I recently sold my Logitech Z-5500 system to upgrade to an actual home theater system with maybe double the power perhaps, but am trying to stay around $1,000.

I have been eyeballing the Samsung HT-D67W30 and a few Denon and Onkyo systems like the HT-S9400THX, and am a little confused as to what direction I wanna go. I know I want a quality system with a thunderous roar!

I watch a lot of movies with my family and listen to a lot of music in my free time, and would like something that I know for sure roars a hell of a lot more than the Logitech Z-5500.

Also, I would really like a system that I can configure with the remote, so that I am not tied to a certain input on my TV trying to adjust the sound for another input on my TV that doesn't have the configuration screen on it. I hope I explained this well enough, lol.

Anyways, please help!

 

[Pyrrho]

Here are some specific suggestions made by reviewers at this site:

http://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides/system-buying-guides/2011-1k-recommended-5.1-system


Now, with speakers, the best way to go to all the local audio stores and listen to all of the speakers you can find in your price range, with music with which you are familiar, and of all of the types of music you listen to. Thus, taking a CDR with you that you create for this purpose is a good idea. It is a very good idea to audition speakers of different types (e.g., ribbons, domes, horns, whatever) as well as different brands.


If you want the money to make an audible difference, put it into your speakers (subwoofers are speakers, too), and pay as little as you need to for an adequate receiver. I was using a $600 receiver with speakers that retailed for more than $6000, and it sounded great. I replaced the receiver with one that retails for $1700, and unless I engage a feature that affects the sound, it sounds the same as the $600 receiver. Now, if my speakers were difficult to drive, it would make more of a difference, as the new receiver can put out about twice the power of the old one, but the old one could cleanly drive my speakers louder than I ever wanted to hear them, so the extra power is completely useless and irrelevant to my sound.

Also, don't spend a bunch of money on wires. Read both of the following:

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

http://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/long-hdmi-cable-bench-tests


One more thing: Do not be in a hurry to buy anything; take your time and research as much as you can stand to do before you buy. Impulse buying usually results in mistakes.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

4x Infinity P163 - currently on sale on amazon for $85/ea
1x Infinity PC251BK Center - $150/ea

It's a bit hard to suggest a sub, since I don't know how big you room is, but I think at the least you should go is BIC PL-200 sub

For avr: http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/ONKTXSR707/Onkyo-TX-SR707-Thx-Select2-Plus-100-watts-channel-7.2-Receiver/1.html

 

[GranteedEV]

I recently sold my Logitech Z-5500 system

Good move

to upgrade to an actual home theater system with maybe double the power perhaps,

Let's begin, by dropping the concept of "power" for now. It's possible to have a 50w high efficiency system, that gets louder, cleaner than a 300w system low efficiency system.

With that said, I understand now that your goal is to get louder than what the wimpy logitechs can do, and we'll help you out, with superior fidelity.

but am trying to stay around $1,000.

$1000 is not a friendly budget to start with, if you want surround sound. I strongly recommend going with two speakers for now, plus a receiver. Surrounds and subs(and you will want two or three quality subs) will get really pricey.

I have been eyeballing the Samsung HT-D67W30

Don't bother

and a few Denon and Onkyo systems like the HT-S9400THX, and am a little confused as to what direction I wanna go. I know I want a quality system with a thunderous roar!

What you want, then, is not these wimpy home theater in a box setups!!

Also, I would really like a system that I can configure with the remote, so that I am not tied to a certain input on my TV trying to adjust the sound for another input on my TV that doesn't have the configuration screen on it. I hope I explained this well enough, lol.

I officially have no idea what you just said.

Anyways here is what I recommend

2X KEF Q700 = $900
+
1x Marantz SR6001 = $280

Total = $1180 (+shipping)

It's not ::quite:: under $1000 but this should outperform, like tenfold, the tiny little things you're looking at, in output, sound quality, and depth of bass. You really need to pay for performance, and make some sacrifices IE surrounds/sub. A 2.0 with the above parts, will really impress you.

If you don't mind spending a bit more, you can get the more recent SR6004 or even more recent SR6005 receivers, from the same website but the older SR6001 should work very well as long as your source outputs Linear PCM (like a Playstation3). It's still a 7.1 receiver so you can add more channels slowly whenever you feel like it, and true badass subwoofers like two or three Rythmik FV15s instead of brutal 6.5" drivers expected to reproduce movie LFE content

Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if a good stereo, gives more immersion too. And when you do feel like adding surroundsm it won't be a sacrifice of anything else.

More importantly, the amps in the marantz, are probably a ::LOT:: better than what you'll get out of the Onkyo amps. It's a receiver that retailed for around $1200.

 

[XxrkylexX]

I have been researching this quite a bit over the last few weeks. Gone to Best Buy and Fry's Electronics and Ovation, and have talked with many sales people. I have read many reviews as well online for different systems. I honestly cannot pin-point which one would be the best for me. Demonstrations are usually limited, due to not having the remote or something while showing me the system, as well as the price is outrageous at times, and just simply can't afford what the sales guy is trying to show me.

Would you consider the Onkyo HT-S9400THX a great system? I can't find this system in a store in my area, and would love to hear this thing in person before I purchased it.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

You could good deal on S9300 system here:
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/ONKHTS9300THX/Onkyo-HT-S9300THX-THX-7.1-Ch-Home-Theater-Package/1.html

but system I recommended above would so much better.
KEF Q700 speakers are great too, but unfortunately out of your budget if you're looking for to build 5.1 on total $1000

 

[XxrkylexX]

So accessories4less.com is a legit website? I ran accross their website last night and thought, "Yeah Right!". I thought they were a joke site selling things as cheap as they are. You guys can confirm that they are for real?

 

[GranteedEV]

So accessories4less.com is a legit website? I ran accross their website last night and thought, "Yeah Right!". I thought they were a joke site selling things as cheap as they are. You guys can confirm that they are for real?

Accessories4less is 100% authorized to sell what it sells. Most of the stuff that is heavily discounted, is usually a B-stock/open box/discontinued product. Even the stuff that isn't, is sold on a very small margin.

The customer service is nice too, and they offer extended warranties.

I don't think the "cheap 5.1" is going to satisfy you, as much as a more expensive (well selected) 2.0 will. Audio ain't cheap... you have to pay if you want quality, and it sounds to me, like you want quality and powerful output.

 

[cpp]

Accessories4less is 100%

100% legit. I've been to their store/warehouse, actually it's not to far from where I used to live.

 

[XxrkylexX]

Ok then. Let me ask you guys this. If I went ahead and purchased the S9300 or S9400 systems off that site, would that system be good enough for me now until I was able to upgrade the speakers and sub later on that same receiver?

By the way, you guys are really helping me out, and I appreciate it.

 

[Pyrrho]

So accessories4less.com is a legit website? I ran accross their website last night and thought, "Yeah Right!". I thought they were a joke site selling things as cheap as they are. You guys can confirm that they are for real?

Not only is GranteedEV correct, you can verify such things by visiting the manufacturers' web sites and find their authorized dealers. That is always a smart thing to do before buying from an unknown site, so you will know whether the manufacturer will honor the warranty or not.

 

[GranteedEV]

Ok then. Let me ask you guys this. If I went ahead and purchased the S9300 or S9400 systems off that site, would that system be good enough for me now until I was able to upgrade the speakers and sub later on that same receiver?

I bet you anything, that the cheap receiver is optimized for a low current and high voltage and the speakers are an easy load.

90% of speakers will demand more current than the receiver can dish out.

 

[Pyrrho]

Ok then. Let me ask you guys this. If I went ahead and purchased the S9300 or S9400 systems off that site, would that system be good enough for me now until I was able to upgrade the speakers and sub later on that same receiver?

By the way, you guys are really helping me out, and I appreciate it.

No one can say what will satisfy you, as we do not know how good is good enough for you, and we do not know the particular qualities you value in an audio system.

If it were me, I would go with two channel sound until I could afford a good surround system, and I would build it around these speakers:

http://www.magnepan.com/model_MMG

But your tastes and requirements may be quite different from mine, and so whether that would be a good approach for you or not is difficult to say.

 

[XxrkylexX]

So GranteedEV, I am assuming that those 2 systems I mentioned would be a no go?

 

[XxrkylexX]

Or would this be a better bet for me until I can upgrade the speakers at a later time?

I am into all kinds of music, mainly hip hop, but it expands to back in the day. Just a good system with a nice thump that I can upgrade in the future if I chose to. But surely better than the Logitech's I had hooked up to my TV.

 

[GranteedEV]

So GranteedEV, I am assuming that those 2 systems I mentioned would be a no go?

That's your decision. I would not advise you in that direction, though.

Or would this be a better bet for me until I can upgrade the speakers at a later time?

The problem is, you want it loud and clear but you seem stuck on "small and many"

That marantz slim line, is a weak entry level receiver. - MSRP is $399, current going price 349.99 - The SR6001 in its day was closer to a mid-upper end receiver - MSRP was $1199.99, current going price 279.99 - there's meaning behind that. Both have virtually the same features, but the SR6001 is a REAL receiver and the other is a cheap compromise.

Pyrrho is right, in that we can't truly decide for you what will satisfy you, but based on your criteria for clarity at high levels, you really don't want what you're looking at, it appears to me.

It's easier to simply "add more speakers" than it is to "start from scratch, AGAIN".

I think after you live with decent 2.0 for a month or so, you'll understand what i'm saying, in that a center, and surrounds, are nice, but the stereo mains are the anchor of your system. Music is 2.0. TV is usually 2.0. Even 80% of movies, mostly only use the front speakers meaningfully. Stereo mains can simulate a center, too, often better than most real, crappy center speakers.

And if you want subs, then you want real big, powerful, multiple subs. Not a single, tiny sub, probably playing too high and too low for itself to be clean.

For example, those KEFs you mentioned, require a crossover point of 120hz. When I cross at 120hz, male voices start to leak into my subwoofer. It just doesn't sound right. I'd much rather do a 100hz or 80hz or 60hz crossover to subs. KEF is a good company, but those mains are only 3" playing down to 120hz. Most 3" drivers, don't really want to play lower than 400-500hz - at least not loudly in a living room. I'd get those, maybe for a nearfield, computer room setup, not a living room. The sub uses an 8" driver that only extends down to 38hz. Most movies have content down to 20hz at very high SPLs. I do not even consider most 10" drivers, to qualify as "subwoofers".

 

[Pyrrho]

So GranteedEV, I am assuming that those 2 systems I mentioned would be a no go?

They are likely good for surround systems at their price points, so if you are determined to have surround within budget, they may not be a bad buy, particularly the discounted one that was suggested by BoredSysAdmin above. But if you value quality of sound more than you value sound coming at you from all directions, you would be better served by a good 2 channel system.

 

[zieglj01]

Yamaha A700 receiver
http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-A700-7-1-Channel-Audio-Receiver/dp/B003XDU49S
Bic Subwoofer PL-200
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-PL-200-Acoustech-Platinum-Subwoofer/dp/B001W3FXAQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1315191936&sr=1-1
And 3 each, Infinity Classia speakers for the front 3 channels
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Infinity+-+Classia+5-1/4"+2-Way+Bookshelf+Speaker+(Each)/2116068.p?id=1218310007792&skuId=2116068&st=infinity classia&cp=1&lp=1

This can hold you for now - and can bring you some enjoyment.

 

[Pyrrho]

Yamaha A700 receiver
http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-A700-7-1-Channel-Audio-Receiver/dp/B003XDU49S
Bic Subwoofer PL-200
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-PL-200-Acoustech-Platinum-Subwoofer/dp/B001W3FXAQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1315191936&sr=1-1
And 3 each, Infinity Classia speakers for the front 3 channels
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Infinity+-+Classia+5-1/4"+2-Way+Bookshelf+Speaker+(Each)/2116068.p?id=1218310007792&skuId=2116068&st=infinity classia&cp=1&lp=1

This can hold you for now - and can bring you some enjoyment.

Do you know of any proper measurements of that subwoofer? I was looking at some of the reviews on Amazon, and some of the claims are quite extravagant.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

And 3 each, Infinity Classia speakers for the front 3 channels
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Infinity+-+Classia+5-1/4"+2-Way+Bookshelf+Speaker+(Each)/2116068.p?id=1218310007792&skuId=2116068&st=infinity classia&cp=1&lp=1

Damn, that's a good deal !