Newbie Home Sound System

S

Sawdog

Audiophyte
Hello, I have been reading posts on this site for a few months regarding sound systems. My niece finally moved out and I am setting up a home theater - mostly for me because the room is small 13 x 10 with 8 foot ceilings - it is also kind of “echoey” but I plan to hang up some paintings and wall decorations to try to mitigate that. Right now it is two theater seats, a small entertainment center with my gaming consoles, and a television set. I am trying to create a 5.1 sound system which will be used for television/gaming 80% music 20%. The television will likely be a 75 inch Samsung QLED (separate budget).

From what I have been reading and what I have seen recommended in my price range, I plan on trying out the Pioneer SP-PK52FS speakers. As for the subwoofer, I wasn’t sure if a ten inch subwoofer would be enough or if ai should get a twelve inch. I have a pretty small house and the room is obviously small. I was thinking maybe a RSL 10S which seems to have gotten good reviews.

As for the receiver, I have seen a couple recommended. I am not really sure what features I need. I dont want to overspend on features I do not need, but at the same time I don’t want to have buyer’s remorse after saving $100. I was looking at the Denon AVRS740H it has 7.2 capability in the event we move and I get a bigger space.

Anyhow, just looking for some input since I am very ignorant regarding sound equipment. I have a low end Bose sound bar, so I think I have a pretty low bar to shoot for to get better sound. Appreciate any feedback on the components.
 
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lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
You say the tv has a separate budget, but what is the budget for receiver & speakers/sub?
 
S

Sawdog

Audiophyte
You say the tv has a separate budget, but what is the budget for receiver & speakers/sub?
I swore I wrote it in there $1,000 to maybe $1,800 top end. Sorry about that left off the most critical factor.
 
William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
Hey sawdog, welcome to AH!

I intend to give your setup some consideration shortly, but wanted to offer an avr for sale before I list it.
It is an Onkyo txnr-808. It has been repaired by Onkyo to replace the hdmi board which you may or may not know was a “thing”. It has worked flawlessly ever since, and is used almost every single day. 135x7 and bench tested to be pretty close to spec, which many of today’s receivers inflate, and do not measure close to. It is a total beast and will be able to power you out of your new, smallish listening space.
I have done just a little bit of digging to find its value and was going to ask 400 dollars. If any of the guys want to chime in about that, I’m listening. And listing...lol
Also not sure about shipping cost. Where are you located(generally) I’m in central Mn.
 
S

Sawdog

Audiophyte
Hey sawdog, welcome to AH!

I intend to give your setup some consideration shortly, but wanted to offer an avr for sale before I list it.
It is an Onkyo txnr-808. It has been repaired by Onkyo to replace the hdmi board which you may or may not know was a “thing”. It has worked flawlessly ever since, and is used almost every single day. 135x7 and bench tested to be pretty close to spec, which many of today’s receivers inflate, and do not measure close to. It is a total beast and will be able to power you out of your new, smallish listening space.
I have done just a little bit of digging to find its value and was going to ask 400 dollars. If any of the guys want to chime in about that, I’m listening. And listing...lol
Also not sure about shipping cost. Where are you located(generally) I’m in central Mn.
Near Seattle here.
 
tmurnin

tmurnin

Full Audioholic
Are you committed to 5.1 right away? That isn’t a huge budget, and I think you’d get more for your $$ by starting out with a good 2.1 or 3.1 system and then adding the surrounds later as you can afford them.

If you’re willing to do that, I’d look at the HSU subs (should run around $600 w/shipping), then the deals at Accessories4Less for receivers and speakers. There are some good Black Friday deals on Focal Chorus speakers right now and those are nice speakers for the price.
 
S

Sawdog

Audiophyte
Are you committed to 5.1 right away? That isn’t a huge budget, and I think you’d get more for your $$ by starting out with a good 2.1 or 3.1 system and then adding the surrounds later as you can afford them.

If you’re willing to do that, I’d look at the HSU subs (should run around $600 w/shipping), then the deals at Accessories4Less for receivers and speakers. There are some good Black Friday deals on Focal Chorus speakers right now and those are nice speakers for the price.
That is definitely an option to start with a 2.1 or 3.1. I dont have any timeline I am still trying to figure the best way to run speaker wires in that room.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Well, 2.1 or 3.1 would be easier to figure out wiring than a 5.1 :) With your budget you'll do better speaker-wise by going with 2.1/3.1. My preference is to have the same speaker across the front if possible and I do prefer having a center rather than not, particularly for movies. William's avr being a good value might depend more on your plans as far as your tv plans for 4k or not (or in the future Atmos type speaker setup). A4L is a good way to go as well as used to start. I'd think in the Seattle area some of the used gear possibilities quite good....there's a guy who posts in another group of some fantastic stuff he finds for cheap in the Bellevue area thrifts. A package speaker/sub deal from RSL or Hsu to start is also a consideration....
 
S

Sawdog

Audiophyte
Do you have any recommendations for front speakers such as brands or specifications as a starting point?
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
I offered two in my previous post. Another from personal experience would be Ascend/Rythmik combo deal.
 
S

Sawdog

Audiophyte
Thanks, I am going to do some more research and check the A4L site.
 
tmurnin

tmurnin

Full Audioholic
If you're doing A4L, Focal or KEF are excellent choices. A lot of people like Canton as well, although they have a very wide range and I'm not an expert on their models. If you can stretch your budget a bit, Aperion Audio's Verus Grand bookshelves and center are great for the price point, and they have a good in-home trial policy. I'm assuming you're talking about bookshelves for the fronts rather than towers.
 
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