Recommendation/Help with On Campus Apartment

[dolfan058]

So here's the story, I just got accepted into my master's program, and I got an apartment on campus (not a dorm, an apartment with a living room, dining room, etc). I got a scholarship which I'm using for some necessities then spending the rest on a home theatre system.

I'm totally new to home audio, although I have extensive car audio experience (competed in comps back in high school), so I'm hoping the learning curve isn't too extreme.

Due to business school being a blood-sucking devil, I'm running on a limited budget here of about $500 (I could maybe push that up some if it's that worth it).

Due to my budget being so low, quality isn't my most primary concern. I just need the living room to get lourder than normal when watching TV/Videos, and have a receiver with an FM transmitter and an Ipod dock (for those collegiate social gatherings that rely on "DJ Ipod" to supply the mixes).

I'm particularly interested in this home theatre system here: "Onkyo HT-S5200" (can't post links yet), especially since there's about a billion inputs/outputs on the receiver, perfect for later add-ons. But with that having been said, here are my questions....

1) How do I run wiring to the rear speakers without having access to an attic?
2) Will I have to just bite the bullet and run the wiring across the ceiling for the rear speakers?
3) Are there any good wireless options out there that I could use?
4) In regards to mounting, what other ways are there to mount the speakers without having to drill into the wall (apartment doesn't allow that).
5) Should I just give up on the 7.1 and get a 3.1 or 2.1 home theatre system? If so, any recommendations?

I have absolutely no problems mixing and matching and putting a system together, as I've done that plenty of times with car audio. I just need to be led in the right direction here. So feel free to direct me to separate speakers, receivers, amplifiers, etc

Oh, I also will be living in an upstairs apartment, so if you're going to recommend separate pieces for me to purchase, please try to stay away from downward firing subs if possible (yes I realize the onkyo set I like has a downward firing sub, but that's also one of the best, most affordable home theatre systems I could find so I figured it was a worthy sacrifice).

So once again, my particulars are:
- $500 budget
- FM Transmitter
- Ipod Dock
- prefer to stay away from downward firing subs
- can't drill into walls
- can't run wiring through attic

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. If you need more info from me, let me know and I'll do my best to give it. Thanks for the help, and sorry for being such a noob

 

[Serj22]

If you're apartment doesn't allow mounting anything to the wall, I'd stop there, at any kind of wall speaker, because your apartment landlord is obviously of an evil nature, and odds are if the apartment shares a wall with a neighbor, you will have that irritating knock on your wall all the time. I am right now in a fight with my neighbor in my apartment building because he thinks that I'm not allows to watch terminator salvation at "normal" volume at 1 am. What a jerk If I was in your spot, I'd save up some money to get a nice system when you move into a bigger spot later. Or if you really really really want it now, you can do so, but obviously at too many limitations. I can't believe they won't let you drill holes in the wall. I wouldn't care as long as you filled them when you moved out and repainted the wall.

If you can't do that, your next best option would have been to pry up the base-board and run the wire in the groove next to the carpet, but you obviously can't do that if they want you not to do anything to the walls. If you get a thin enough gauge I've had mediocre success in just stuffing it under the baseboard, but it takes a very long time to do that. Odds are though, you have some kind of attic, otherwise there probably wouldn't be any airflow for a heater or A/C, unless you have neither. The only option I see if you want speakers behind you is to have floor speakers, or bookshelf speakers on a bookshelf, and you would have to buy some kind of area rug to cover the wires. Usually good wireless speakers are a little pricey, so you'd use all your money on that and have nothing for anything else.

I too came from car audio, I'm an installer. Let me tell you it's very different. There is really no way to change the acoustical setup in a car, nor does it seem to matter, but you have some ways of tweaking it. Home audio seems to have infinite possibilities, and you don't have to cover things in carpet to make them look good.

 

[dolfan058]

Thanks for the reply. It's university-owned housing so yeah, they're strict lol.

I'm guessing it would just sound horrible to have all the speakers standing on top of my entertainment center (having them all act like one big center channel), right? lol

I just want to pick up something now so that way when I do finish growing up and getting my own place, I already have this. Plus it'd be nice to have any kind of home theatre system in college (bragging rights among the fellow poor)

I saw the wireless options were either sub-standard sony or ridiculously expensive bose. I have no problems staying away from that.

Would maybe creating a 3.1 or 2.1 system be better? I would just want to make sure the receiver I get is one I can use and add-on to later, similar to the onkyo receiver I listed in my previous post, as many of these HTIBs only have one or two sets of audio/video inputs, etc.

Once again, thanks for the help!

 

[adwilk]

Stick to 2.1 honestly, at your budget.. you'll get more bang for the buck in terms of SQ.

A pair of Behringer 2030p
Dayton Sub 120
Cheap AVR...
Whatever accessories you need...

 

[dolfan058]

I've looked around for 3.1 and 2.1 systems and there aren't many. I tried building my own and it actually came out more expensive than the onkyo set I had picked out. Any recommendations?

 

[Serj22]

Yeah, in such a small spot, a 2.1 is not bad to have, it's not even bad to have in a big spot. I did the college thing and had to live with a bookshelf stereo, and that's about it. I'm having troubles with my 7.1 in my apartment, but I'm moving at the end of the month and my nearest neighbor will be about 2,000 feet away, so it will not be an issue. Stereo systems are way easier to hide wires for and take up less space (sometimes) than a 5.1 or anything like that.

 

[corey]

If what you're looking to do is watch movies, the Onkyo system could work at your budget, and you can upgrade the parts down the line, unlike some other HTiB's. On the other hand, if you're looking for some quality music a 2.1 system might be a better choice. Start with your local Craigs List.

Edit: Oops, forgot to mention: If you want to cover rear speaker wires, computer supply stores carry 8 foot lengths of 1"x1" square plastic tubes that you can put in the corner of your wall and ceiling.

 

[Ares]

I only have 2 pieces of advice for you:
1) since your choices are limited by what you can do in that apartment go with a 2.1 system.
2) Save some more cash so you could buy some better speakers and sub, because if I read your post right you like to have collegiate social gatherings(great speakers= jealous neighbors).

 

[dolfan058]

Thanks so far everyone. Do you all have any recommendations on receivers and speakers? So far when I've tried mixing and matching, I end up exceeding the price of the original Onkyo HT-S5200 home theatre system I was looking at. Any help here would go a long way. Thanks!

 

[skers_54]

Thanks so far everyone. Do you all have any recommendations on receivers and speakers? So far when I've tried mixing and matching, I end up exceeding the price of the original Onkyo HT-S5200 home theatre system I was looking at. Any help here would go a long way. Thanks!

I recently graduated from college, so I've had to wrestle with some of your issues recently. I'd forget about the Onkyo HTiB right now. I had one (forget the model) and sounds ok, but will leave you wanting to upgrade soon. Midbass and upper bass are noticably weak, meaning it will lack impact for parties (it did for mine).

Adwilk's suggestion is spot on and will allow you to grow into a full 5.1 system without having to throw away equipment (saving you money in the long run). It will also sound MUCH better and be more enjoyable even though it lacks center/surround speakers. Craigslist is great for cheap, older AVR that will serve you just fine.

You might want to forgo the sub, depending on how thin the walls of your apartment are. We had some apartment-style dorms and it didn't take much noise for some of my friends to get reported. Bass will pass through walls more easily than the other regions of the audio spectrum, so it could be very reasonable in your apartment but still be clearly audible to neighbors.

If you don't learn anything else from this thread, just don't get an HTiB. You're serious enough to join this forum to ask for advice, so you won't be happy with one.

 

[dolfan058]

need one more post to post links, sorry gotta cheat here

 

[dolfan058]

OK so after reading all your replies, I did some searching based on all your advice. I came up with the following, so HONEST advice on whether I should go with this set up would be really appreciated.

I took a page out of my car audio book and went for the more expensive receiver and cheaper speakers. Receiver/Amplifier always made the speakers in that world so I figured the same applied here.

I'm just going with a receiver and two tower speakers. I don't need anything fancy, but I'd like a receiver I can build on in the future and the tower speakers to serve the purpose of louder television and music for those collegiate social gatherings lol.

Here's what I found:

Receiver -
Sony STR-DG910

or the

Sony STR-DN1000


Speakers -
Sony SS-F5000


Ipod Dock
Sony TDM-iP50


Does everyone think this is a good setup? Which receiver should I go with? Should I maybe look at other products instead? I'm really going over budget with this. I was originally trying to stay under 500 but I don't mind going over some if it's worth it. I don't want to spend more than $700, that's for sure.

Thanks all

 

[adwilk]

If you're dropping that kind of cash on a receiver, please for the love of all that is holy, don't get the Sony.

Check out accessories4less on some great receiver deals.

I should also say the same thing about the sony speakers, I'm just not a fan.

Newegg has some Polk Monitor 60's and 70's on a great deal right now. They will destroy any of the entry level stuff I've ever heard from sony. They also have the monitor 50 in cherry for 90 bucks a piece.

I've heard the Monitor 50, and while it might have a little more bass than the behringer, it aint much.

You might look at the BR1 kit from Dayton if you're gonna skip the sub, want a pretty good sounding speaker with some bass extension. Its surprising for its size. I would really really recommend going one of the recommended bookshelfs and then adding a sub if you need it.

Go with this receiver if the budget allows... its way overkill for your needs probably and will be very future proof

 

[adwilk]

throw in one of these guys and you're good to go....

 

[avaserfi]

I just sent you a PM about the receiver I have for sale. I doubt you could do better for the price I am selling it. They sell for about $100 more shipped on ebay... I always just plugged my Ipod into the front panel using a 3.5mm to RCA cord. Works just fine that way and it saves you money since you are on a tight budget.

Along with that I sent some speaker recommendationsrimus 362 for $100/each if frys has a sale again or Berhinger 2030P monitors and a dayton sub 120 or 2x dayton sub 100s (the latter is a better option).

I would prefer the 362's over the 2030ps personally.

 

[adwilk]

I just sent you a PM about the receiver I have for sale. I doubt you could do better for the price I am selling it. They sell for about $100 more shipped on ebay... I always just plugged my Ipod into the front panel using a 3.5mm to RCA cord. Works just fine that way and it saves you money since you are on a tight budget.

Along with that I sent some speaker recommendationsrimus 362 for $100/each if frys has a sale again or Berhinger 2030P monitors and a dayton sub 120 or 2x dayton sub 100s (the latter is a better option).

I would prefer the 362's over the 2030ps personally.

Just so he thinks you're not just trying to "sell" him a receiver, I'll gladly endorse that option. He can't touch that performance for the price. Great receiver at an extremely fair price. Go with it OP.

 

[Serj22]

I'm actually using those particular Sony speakers, along with the matching center. It really surprises me. Sony has obviously gotten better at making speakers. I went out on a limb after being burned by a lot of their audio products in the past, but it really surprised me. They are huge speakers though, and the center is also huge.

I got all three speakers for $200 even with free shipping off amazon. That's what drew me to them to start out. I just wanted floor speakers, and lo and behold, they work great.

But like I said, they're huge, but cheap, and reproduce good bass. IT's hard to notice if my subwoofer is on at lower volumes. The center leaves much to be desired, but as matched with the other two it works seamlessly. When I move into a larger spot, it'll probably sound much better anyway, and I'm going to amplify the center eventually. I'd never spend more than $100 on any kind of sony audio device.

 

[dolfan058]

Wow you guys have come alive. Thanks for all the recommendations.

I would've loved to get that denon receiver, and thanks for the endorsements, but I'm not getting that scholarship money (and thus all the equipment) till the second week of january, and I'm sure it'll be sold by then. But thanks for the offer =)

I probably shouldn't have posted the direct manufacturer's websites. I found them all on amazon or other places for cheaper. I was getting the sonys for 150 (shipping included) and the receiver for about 400. But seeing as how apparently sony isn't too hot in the home audio world either, i've revised my list.

how does this sound?

Receiver: Onkyo TS-SR606

Speakers: Polk Audio Monitor 60s (cherry is 20 bucks cheaper than black, and only 10 bucks more than the monitor 50)

Ipod Dock: Onkyo Ipod Dock DS-A3 (seems like their newest model, hoping it's backwards compatible?)

I was wondering about the ipod docks. Will the Tx-SR606 run the DS-A3, or can I only get the DS-A2x? Seems like the DS-A3 is more of an upgrade, but beggars can't be choosers.

Also, what's the difference between the Tx-SR606 and the Tx-SR607, besides the ability to handle a second subwoofer?

Thanks again for all the help everyone. I'm real glad I decided to do some research on this subject.

 

[ratso]

so i'm also a noob when it comes to HT, so others more knowledgeable can chime in on this suggestion if needed. but couldn't you just do 5.1 with the speakers on stands? i realize this isn't ideal but you could run the wires along the floor tucked in the corners. you could easily get a used AVR and 5.1 speaker setup cheap on audiogon or videogon.

 

[avaserfi]

Check out my last post one of these wires will get you away from the need for an Ipod dock. That can save you some money you need for the system. With your budget, it makes no sense to spend even $20 on a Ipod dock. Just get the wire and press the buttons on the Ipod.

Speakers - if you want no sub and cheap solution get the Infinity Primus 362 speakers for $150 a piece at Crutchfield or Frys.com. Seriously, you will be hard pressed to find a better speaker for 2-3x the price, plus they have great midbass so you can get away without a sub in an apartment.

Lastly, receiver - if you want to get away cheap, most anything decent will do. You don't need the Denon I am selling (I push what I sell hard ).. It is nice, it will power most any speaker (or seven if you upgrade), but it isn't a necessity. The speakers are your most important piece of equipment - spend your money on them.

Also, as far as going 7 speakers on your budget, don't. I did when I first started - it was a waste of money. In the space and with my budget I was basically throwing away money to say I had 7.1. Soon after, I sold my set up and "down graded" to a more simple system that sounded far better because of room acoustics. You can't fool physics.