NewB Help - HT Speaker Package Recommendation.

[BaSiC Evil]

Hi peoples. New here and after readin around for a few days now I decided to join and see if anyone has a helping hand that they can lend to me.

I've been a car audio fanatic all my life and now that I am buying a condo, I am looking into seriously getting into HT. I currently have a decent setup for what I invested in:
JVC Receiver (Don't remember the model)
Sony DVD Carousel (Don't remember the model)
JBL SCS135 Surround System.

In the new place I am looking to go into a budget projection system starting with the Optoma H31 Projector.

I am now at the point where I have to build around that and need a little help on the Receiver and the Speakers. Since this is my first real HT setup, I am looking to stay in the "starter" price range. I was looking at the Pioneer Elite EX-500 System. Any recommendations on the pros and cons of this system would be well appreciated. If you can, please suggest a better Receiver and DVD offering along with some speakers that you think will fit my budget.

For the DVD Player, Receiver and Speakers I am looking to stay around $1000.

 

[jaxvon]

In that price range, I would go for:

Pioneer VSX-1015TX Receiver: $430 from J&R (you have to call the toll free number)

BIC Venturi Speaker System from X-10
V-1220 Subwoofer @ $190.99 shipped
DV-62CLR Center @ $104.49 shipped
2 pr. DV-62SI Bookshelves @ $124.49/pr shipped

Pioneer DV-578A-S from TigerDirect: $109.44 Shipped

In fact, that's a clone of what my system is going to look like, except I plan on grabbing a Cadence X-Sub (another great option). The only caveat is that the X-Sub is about $40 more than the BIC unit.

Obviously I'm biased here, as I've spent my money on these things, or plan on doing so, but at the same time, after all the looking I've done and considering, I ended up going with this stuff.

There are some other options on DVD players. If you can step up in price somewhat, you might want to check out NeuNeo or the Oppo that are talked about a lot here.

 

[Spiffyfast]

thats an awesome system for a 1k dollar budget and will be blow away a HTIB system

 

[wilkenboy]

thats an awesome system for a 1k dollar budget and will be blow away a HTIB system

Agreed. Hard to get a better bang/buck. You could spend months searching stores and trolling forums and I'd bet this system would still be at the top. See if you can get an audition of the speakers in your area, then get out the checkbook.

~Josh

 

[rikmeister]

I would look at the oppo dvd player best bang for the buck right now at

199.00 beat out 3000.oo ones.read the reviews.

 

[andre3k]

acoustech

I agree with the above responses, although I don't have them they have always received very good reviews. I just received my BIC Acoustechs, I'm driving them with a denon 3805. So far I have the mains and center. These speakers rock! They are very clear and have good midrange bass. I was gonna use these to hold me over until i got better ones, but I'm keeping them. With what I saved on buying these speakers I invested in an SVS sub (pb-12 isd/v). Good luck on your build up.

 

[jaxvon]

I would've mentioned the Acoustec system, but it wouldn't leave much room for a receiver and other stuff with a $1000 budget.

FWIW, I'm listening to a pair of my DV62s right now, and they sound great. A tad bright (really making that Frias mod sound good), and really surprising bass extension and slam.

 

[Spiffyfast]

Bic has become the ultimate entry level set from all the posts over the last 2 months, I really can't wait to get my acoustech center next week

 

[BaSiC Evil]

Thanks. Any other brands that I should possibly take a look at for speakers?

 

[andre3k]

Bic has become the ultimate entry level set from all the posts over the last 2 months, I really can't wait to get my acoustech center next week

You're gonna love the center, mine sounds great. But the HT-75 mains are really really good. I won't be upgrading for a while. I'm gonna purchase the acoustech in-walls for my surrounds.

 

[brian32672]

You're gonna love the center, mine sounds great. But the HT-75 mains are really really good. I won't be upgrading for a while. I'm gonna purchase the acoustech in-walls for my surrounds.

I agree, I have tried quite a few different set-ups. But the Acoustech is certainly a bargain for bang for buck. As I told you before Spiffy, the center is by far the best center I have heard.....
I still feel the mains lack bass. But Thats what a sub is for anyway. And the mains do have a great mid-range.

Glad you are another satisfied person Andre. They are quite easy to recommend.
However I had recommended the Oppo to another poster, and he bought it.
And he was not that enthusiased with its perfomance. Yes it was better than what he had. But I will have to start recommending my unit more often. NeuNeo 2081. But it is no longer made, and the new model is the 2085.

 

[BaSiC Evil]

Can anyone recommend anything a little smaller with the same sound quality?

I was looking over the dimensions on the DV62SI and they are a little larger than what I expected to mount to my walls.

 

[Spiffyfast]

Can anyone recommend anything a little smaller with the same sound quality?

I was looking over the dimensions on the DV62SI and they are a little larger than what I expected to mount to my walls.

I didn't know you planned on mounting these to the walls, is there a possibility of using speaker stands, or are those out of the question?

 

[jaxvon]

There are other speakers of smaller size and comparable quality, but nowhere in that price class. Also, these speakers have excellent bass response, and going with a smaller one simply wouldn't be able to match that aspect of the BICs. They are still wall mountable, but perhaps they're just too big looking for what you'd envisioned.

 

[BaSiC Evil]

I didn't know you planned on mounting these to the walls, is there a possibility of using speaker stands, or are those out of the question?

I guess stands are doable, I may just have to reinvent what I was thinking about because it sounds like these speakers will make me jizz all over myself upon first listen.

 

[Spiffyfast]

I guess stands are doable, I may just have to reinvent what I was thinking about because it sounds like these speakers will make me jizz all over myself upon first listen.

I wasn't sold on stands either, so I decided to build my own so I could make something the way I wanted it to look, turned out really stable, they are heavy without filling them with sand. I actually kind of like the look of them with big bookshelves sitting on top.

 

[BaSiC Evil]

I wasn't sold on stands either, so I decided to build my own so I could make something the way I wanted it to look, turned out really stable, they are heavy without filling them with sand. I actually kind of like the look of them with big bookshelves sitting on top.

You got any pics of your stands? I would like to have a visual of what you are talking about. What did you do for your rears to get them at the right level?

 

[Spiffyfast]

You got any pics of your stands? I would like to have a visual of what you are talking about. What did you do for your rears to get them at the right level?

my rears aren't on stands, they are on adjustable wall mounts, as soon as i can find my digital camera ill take some pics of the stands, they were cheap to make, just some 1" mdf, some PVC, and some spray paint. Think the total price was around 40 dollars. They are holding a set of large yamaha book shelves that I'm using for my mains until I get to college and order my Acoustech towers.