Not getting Bose, so what should I get?

[orientblue330]

I was initially thinking of getting a Bose Acoustimass 16 system. After reading reviews here, I now know it is not the best use of my money.

So what can you recommend for me to look at around the same price range? Around $1000-$1500.

I need two systems. One for the living room and one for our bedroom. Both places we'll use it to hook the TV/DVD player into this system, play regular CDs, radio, and I may get a music streaming system later from my computer.

Please let me know what you guys recommend.

Thanks!!!

(Also, do I really need rear speakers? It will involve doing some major wiring coverup in my place)

 

[marky]

BOSE Blows u know? my recomendation is a yamaha 2600, 2 outlaw monoblock amps, svs sub, and some axiom speakers.

 

[t3031999]

marky, that stuff would put him way over budget.

The equipment you would need would depend on the room and on your ears.
Denon and Onkyo make very good HTiB's that would be easy to set up and still outperform the bose.
If you don't want rear speakers you could get some really nice fronts for that budget. For your budget I would recommend Axiom speakers if you just get fronts. The M22ti is a great speaker.
If you go for surround sound, BIC Acoustech speakers would fit the bill
The smaller Hsu subs would fit in your budget and perform great. You could even go with their ventriloquist system and get all your speakers and a great sub from the same place.
Ascend acoustics also makes some great speakers for the money.
For receivers, I would recommend the HTR line of yamaha receivers, or some of the lower end denons. I hear onkyo, pioneer, and HK make some great budget receivers, but i've never heard them, so I can't comment.

 

[pinnace0]

I would use a Yamaha 2500 receiver combined with Orb Speakers
The Yamaha 2500 is an excellent home theater receiver for about $600.
I would select ORB audio speakers. They cost bout a grand. They are small like the 4800 bose but sound infinitely better.
This setup will cost you about $1500. I have it BTW, I was considering Bose also...

Good stuf. Don't take my word for it Look it up on this site (audioholics).

 

[markw]

why were you attracted to Bose in the first place? Size?

I was initially thinking of getting a Bose Acoustimass 16 system. After reading reviews here, I now know it is not the best use of my money.

So what can you recommend for me to look at around the same price range? Around $1000-$1500.

I need two systems. One for the living room and one for our bedroom. Both places we'll use it to hook the TV/DVD player into this system, play regular CDs, radio, and I may get a music streaming system later from my computer.

Please let me know what you guys recommend.

Thanks!!!

(Also, do I really need rear speakers? It will involve doing some major wiring coverup in my place)

Important issue here. The size requirement will limit any valid suggestions if you insist on teeny tiny speakers but if you're somewhat flexible your options expand greatly.

and, if you really want surround sound, yes, you'll need rear speakers.

 

[jcPanny]

Options

Check the outlet section of the Axiom audio site. You should be able to get a nice 5.0 sepaker setup with M22ti's, VP100, and M2i's for less than 1k. Get an extra pair of bookshelf later for the bedroom. Add a decent receiver in the 300+ price range like the Yamaha HTR-5860. Finish off the system with a small sub like the HSU STF-1 or the Rocket ULW-10 for $300-400.

Concerning the rears, consider a temporary setup in the main room. If you like the effect, keep them and install perminant wiring. If not, move them to the bedroom.

 

[Reorx]

How large are the rooms you will be putting these into?
Your budget...$1000-$1500 per room? or for both rooms total?
Also, subtract 10% of your budget for cabling and interconnects. So now your budget is $900-$1350.

receivers:
Yamaha HTR-5860 - $305.
Yamaha RXV2500 - $565*

*might be worth waiting for 1600/2600 and see what they cost. There are alot of new features with them.

Athena and BIC also make good budget speakers.
BIC: Venturi DV62 series speakers
Athena: I dont remember which models...micro 6 possibly.

Reorx

 

[Takeereasy]

If you must have bose size with superior sound and bass that is so much better than anything Bose would ever dream of for half the cost, then go with the ventriloquist system with an STF-3 sub from hsuresearch.com. The center might be bigger than the Bose but there is a reason. As for whether or not you need rear speakers I'd say yes... unless you were willing to go with a one speaker solution. There are a few companies that use one speaker to create a surround sound enviroment and from the reviews I've read (including one here) the results can be really good. The only one I'm familiar with is the Yamaha YSP-1. It might bear some consideration. Also a psb alpha system, a monitor audio radius system, or an Athena .5 system (speakers are available for $200 but no sub) are all viable options for you at different price/quality points. Good luck with your purchases.

 

[korgoth]

there were a lot of recommendations on here, but some might be way over budget.

if you say 1500 is max for both rooms, and you do want the small speaker set up of the bose, then the ventriloquist systems seems like the best suggestion so far. http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_10_4/Hsu/htib-hsu-vt-12-stf-2.html
this is the ventriloquist with the hsu stf-2 sub, for $650 bucks.

the BIC acoustech system is also supposed to be really nice for the price point. It Is a full sized system and a 5.1 system would cost around $800-1000 for the speakers. http://cgi.ebay.com/BIC-Acoustech-Home-Theater-System-6-Speakers-NEW_W0QQitemZ5822193597QQcategoryZ32861QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

then you need a receiver, id probobly spend at least 500 on a receiver, and would definately stay away from kenwood, and sony. any receiver for over $500 other than those 2 would probobly be fine.

HK, Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer, Marantz, Yamaha... and many others.. they are all pretty good.

most of the receivers have 7.1 capabilities, that also allow you to switch the rear 2 speakers to another room. so you could buy 2 speakers with the left over money and stick them in the kitchen. You can listen to the movie with the living room, or you could switch and listen to the radio or anything else, while the living room speakers are listening to something else.

 

[orientblue330]

thank you for all your suggestions! They are great!

For the room sizes, the living room / dining room (one big area) is 15 ft x 25 ft. Our bedroom is 14 ft x 12 ft.

So you can see our bedroom is quite small.

For the bedroom I was thinking about the orbs speakers (minus the sub) you guys suggested, but then I need an amp and also a sub. Space is limited so wife is not too happy with a big amp or sub. Any other suggestions for a smaller amp?

Then, I looked at the Yamaha YSP-1 as someone suggested which sells for $1500. However, reading the reviews, it requires a sub? Do you think I need a sub for my small bedroom?

Also, I'm not too familiar with this type of system. Can I connect a DVD player and TV directly into this as it has an intergrated amp?

For the living room, after reading all your recommendations, I'm thinking about the ventriloquist vt-12 with stf-2 and pairing it with a yamaha 2500 amp. I like the size and shape of the speakers.

However, I still need to wire the rear speakers and it is not going to be easy without showing the wires running to the back. Any other suggestions without rear speakers but still get a surround sound? Or am I asking for something that is not really possible?

I was thinking about the YSP-1 for the living room too, however, based on our setup, there is a right wall (actually windows) about 6 feet away, back wall about 12 ft away, but the left wall is like 20 feet away! So I'm worried about whether the sound will be able to reflect properly.

Btw, I live out in Asia, so the prices here maybe a little more expensive. I found a shop in Singapore that sells HSU stuff so I should be okay for that. Orb said that it ships oversees so no problem if I go with that.

 

[jaxvon]

For the Bedroom, I would seriously consider the Hsu Ventriloquist system with an STF-1 subwoofer. The STF-1 isn't much bigger than a Bose Acoustimass module, but it's a GREAT little subwoofer and should provide plenty of bass in the bedroom. The price is $600 US for that system. As far a receiver goes, I think you could do well with an inexpensive Yamaha, Pioneer, Onkyo, Denon, or Marantz unit that has the inputs you want and supports at least 5.1 sound. And since the electronic companies are Asian based, you should be able to get a good price on your electronics.

 

[Hanse18]

you could always consider wireless speakers. Obviously any true audiophile will call it an HT massacre, but for the less-demanding, it can be much more convenient. I believe most wireless speakers use their own amp, so you are transmitting the signal usually carried by the rca cable. Meaning you would need a receiver with preouts for rear speakers. Comes standard in most receivers once you get past $400 - $500. I thought I remember seeing a thread on wireless speaker quality, and I would dig it up for you but I'm in a rush. Good luck with your decision!