keggerz Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 (edited) Very true. It's also hard to recommend a home theater system for under $500. for an audiophile, correct but $500 or less AC can find a surround sound in a box from Onkyo that will suit him very well...I talked to KidCid about a year ago when I wanted a system and was on a budget...he steered me to Onkyo and I have been more then pleased with it since then....yeah many HTIBs are crap and they are never gonna touch a system you piece together but at his budget he can get something that he will be happy with. Edited August 5, 2008 by keggerz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keggerz Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 oh and before I forget if you need cables(HDMI, etc) make sure you check out Monoprice.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cunning Runt Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 You can definitely get something you'll be more than happy with for less than $500. I've been looking myself and have done a bunch of pricing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big F'n Dave Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 I went through this same question here a few months ago. Lots of A/V snobs in The Tailgate. I spent about $500 for a Sony HTAB and I'm plenty satisfied with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double Agent Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 oh and before I forget if you need cables(HDMI, etc) make sure you check out Monoprice.com +1 on Monoprice. I get all my stuff through there and you can't beat the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keggerz Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 The Onkyo HT-S4100 comes with the TX-SR304 Receiver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egret Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 (edited) HTIB is a great place to start. You can either keep it that way or improve parts one at a time. I started many moons ago with an analog Sony 5.1 system. Then I went with a digital 5.1 receiver. Then my in-laws gave me their old Bose system. It was great for awhile, but I wanted a fuller sound. Then we finished off the basement. I realized I had more room for speakers. I bought tower speakers for my mains then. My wife then told me I couldn't spend any more money. I sold my Bose speakers and receiver and bought a new Harmon/Kardon one. I love the way it sounds. This spring I replaced my rear speakers with in-ceiling Polk speakers. Now I don't have to worry about them getting knocked over. Then I thought, hmmm, I've been without a woofer since I sold the Bose system. I did a lot of research on AVS and ended up buying this one. If I wanted better performance I would need to spend a lot more. In my smallish area, it provides a lot of boom. I guess my long, rambling point is that once you start it is easy to keep going. My next replacement will be a new center channel. I'm currently using two bookshelf speakers that I spliced together. It sounds fine, but not up to the level of the rest of the speakers. Go with a Home Theater In a Box for now. You can always upgrade at your own pace. Don't ever think that you need to overspend just on a name. The AVS forums are a great resource. Monoprice is the only place I buy cables and other nerdy gear. Amazon has pretty good deals if you watch for them. Edited August 5, 2008 by Egret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebellab Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 Ok, this thread does me no good. What if I have $1500 - $2000 to spend? Is Bose worth the money? What should I look for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Ok, this thread does me no good. What if I have $1500 - $2000 to spend? Is Bose worth the money? What should I look for? Bose is overrated as anything out on the market...they have a nice fancy presentation and packaging, but the sound is fit for someone with not much space and their 3-2-1 systems pale in comparison to a component system.... 1st off...do you own a HDTV and does it offer an HDMI input?... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebellab Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Bose is overrated as anything out on the market...they have a nice fancy presentation and packaging, but the sound is fit for someone with not much space and their 3-2-1 systems pale in comparison to a component system.... 1st off...do you own a HDTV and does it offer an HDMI input?... I am eyeing a 52" Sony Bravia 120 hz. I have some friends that I do some work for on the side, and they pay me in cash. I have pegged that money to these two things (surround sound and flat panel) this year I should have around $5000 at the end of the month for these purchases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I am eyeing a 52" Sony Bravia 120 hz. I have some friends that I do some work for on the side, and they pay me in cash. I have pegged that money to these two things (surround sound and flat panel) this year I should have around $5000 at the end of the month for these purchases. alright, then make sure your receiver has at least 2 HDMI in puts...7.1 surround isn't so important unless you personally want that and purchase maybe a Boston Acoustics surround system.... I'm a little out of touch with current deals and what is a top notch purchase right now andI don't have any deals to link you to off-hand...but I'm sure someone will....but the things mentioned above are things you should look for.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Cid Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 You can definitely get something you'll be more than happy with for less than $500. I've been looking myself and have done a bunch of pricing. But have you done a lot of listening? Shopping for price is not hte way to go about assembling a sound system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Cid Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Ok, this thread does me no good. What if I have $1500 - $2000 to spend? Is Bose worth the money? What should I look for? No no no no! You are wasting your money to go with Bose. For the same amount of money you can get much better sound. The first thing is understanding what it is you need to buy. A full 5.1 system including receiver? Just main speakers? How big is your room? Is this system just for movies? Music? a combination of both? Do you want bookshelf speakers? very small speakers? floor standers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egret Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 But have you done a lot of listening? Shopping for price is not hte way to go about assembling a sound system. Word Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebellab Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 No no no no! You are wasting your money to go with Bose. For the same amount of money you can get much better sound. The first thing is understanding what it is you need to buy. A full 5.1 system including receiver? Just main speakers? How big is your room? Is this system just for movies? Music? a combination of both? Do you want bookshelf speakers? very small speakers? floor standers? I need everything. Large family room 25 x 25. I would like it for both music and movies. Large entertaining area so it would be nice to play some music during cards, parties etc. I have no idea what I want as far as speakers. I would think smaller the better for aesthetics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I need everything. Large family room 25 x 25. I would like it for both music and movies. Large entertaining area so it would be nice to play some music during cards, parties etc. I have no idea what I want as far as speakers. I would think smaller the better for aesthetics. Definitely go do some listening at a couple stores to get a feel for things. For speakers, spending oodles of dollars is often not worth the investment IMO. But as the wife says, my hearing isn't so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egret Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Definitely go do some listening at a couple stores to get a feel for things. For speakers, spending oodles of dollars is often not worth the investment IMO. But as the wife says, my hearing isn't so good. Placement and room acoustics go a long way to making a nice sounding system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Cid Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 (edited) I need everything. Large family room 25 x 25. I would like it for both music and movies. Large entertaining area so it would be nice to play some music during cards, parties etc. I have no idea what I want as far as speakers. I would think smaller the better for aesthetics. Ok, so now you've got to break up your budget into the pieces you want. For a complete system, here's how I'd break it down on both sides of your budget: Receiver.....................$300 Main Speakers............$300 Center Channel...........$300 Surround Speakers......$150 Sub Woofer................$300 Cables.......................$150 __________________________ Total..........................$1500 Receiver.....................$500 Main Speakers............$300 Center Channel...........$300 Surround Speakers......$200 Sub Woofer................$500 Cables.......................$200 __________________________ Total..........................$2000 For those budgets, I believe that you can put together a dynamic system that will work well for both movies and music. If I remember right, you live up in the Dakotas so finding a store that carries all the brands I'm going to suggest may be difficult. If you can't, I would still recommend going to listen to the brands that they have in the store as you may find something that is agreeable to your ears and budget that I didn't mention. There are a lot of manufacturers out there and I haven't listened to them all. Not by a long shot. These recommendations are just from companies that I know produce good equipment in the price range above. Receivers: Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha Speakers: Axiom, Paradigm, Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics, Energy Sub Woofer: Acoustech, Cadence, SVS, HSU, eD, Energy Cables: Monoprice.com, Bettercables.com, Home Depot Ther reason I suggest Home Depot for cables is for speaker wire. You can get their 12 guage speaker wire for about 30 cents per foot or a 250' spool for about $75. Buy some gold plated banana plugs from Radio Shack if you're feeling really plucky and you've got great speaker wires. Otherwise, I do all my shopping for interconnects online. This includes HDMI cables. Edited October 13, 2008 by Kid Cid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebellab Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 (edited) Ok, so now you've got to break up your budget into the pieces you want. For a complete system, here's how I'd break it down on both sides of your budget: Receiver.....................$300 Main Speakers............$300 Center Channel...........$300 Surround Speakers......$150 Sub Woofer................$300 Cables.......................$150 __________________________ Total..........................$1500 Receiver.....................$500 Main Speakers............$300 Center Channel...........$300 Surround Speakers......$200 Sub Woofer................$500 Cables.......................$200 __________________________ Total..........................$2000 For those budgets, I believe that you can put together a dynamic system that will work well for both movies and music. If I remember right, you live up in the Dakotas so finding a store that carries all the brands I'm going to suggest may be difficult. If you can't, I would still recommend going to listen to the brands that they have in the store as you may find something that is agreeable to your ears and budget that I didn't mention. There are a lot of manufacturers out there and I haven't listened to them all. Not by a long shot. These recommendations are just from companies that I know produce good equipment in the price range above. Receivers: Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha Speakers: Axiom, Paradigm, Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics, Energy Sub Woofer: Acoustech, Cadence, SVS, HSU, eD, Energy Cables: Monoprice.com, Bettercables.com, Home Depot Ther reason I suggest Home Depot for cables is for speaker wire. You can get their 12 guage speaker wire for about 30 cents per foot or a 250' spool for about $75. Buy some gold plated banana plugs from Radio Shack if you're feeling really plucky and you've got great speaker wires. Otherwise, I do all my shopping for interconnects online. This includes HDMI cables. Thanks, the next time we get to Rapid City or Sioux Falls, I will do some digging. We also have a local guy that sells Onkyo. I may check with him. The brands and price ranges is what I was really looking for. Edited October 13, 2008 by Rebellab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cunning Runt Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 But have you done a lot of listening? Shopping for price is not hte way to go about assembling a sound system. Mos 'def. But I'm a simple man with simple tastes so anything better than what I have now (TV speaker only) sounds absolutely stellar to me. I did see a Sony system (HTIB) at Sears that sounded great and had the wireless rear speakers and ipod dock for a sale price of $325.00. For what I've been looking for (inexpensive, but decent) it's the best by far to date. Haven't pulled the tigger on anything yet though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Cid Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 (edited) Mos 'def. But I'm a simple man with simple tastes so anything better than what I have now (TV speaker only) sounds absolutely stellar to me. I did see a Sony system (HTIB) at Sears that sounded great and had the wireless rear speakers and ipod dock for a sale price of $325.00. For what I've been looking for (inexpensive, but decent) it's the best by far to date. Haven't pulled the tigger on anything yet though. Some of the HTiB systems are ok. Typically I find them to be lacking in some area. For instance is you get one from Sony or Kenwood, they receiver is usually good but the speaks are not quite up to snuff because those are the components that the company doesn't normally make. In spite of all that, it is what sounds good to you and fits your budget. If you think that the Sony HTiB sounds stellar, then that's what counts. It's the prefect system for you then. That's a mistake that a lot of people make when recommending one piece of home theater gear over another. I can tell you what I think sounds good in a given price range, but that's it. In the final analysis it's your ears that are listening, it's got a be your ears that tells you what sounds the best. This is why I always tell people to go listen for themselves. My ears hear things decidely different than yours do. Edited October 13, 2008 by Kid Cid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cunning Runt Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Some of the HTiB systems are ok. Typically I find them to be lacking in some area. For instance is you get one from Sony or Kenwood, they receiver is usually good but the speaks are not quite up to snuff because those are the components that the company doesn't normally make. In spite of all that, it is what sounds good to you and fits your budget. If you think that the Sony HTiB sounds stellar, then that's what counts. It's the prefect system for you then. That's a mistake that a lot of people make when recommending one piece of home theater gear over another. I can tell you what I think sounds good in a given price range, but that's it. In the final analysis it's your ears that are listening, it's got a be your ears that tells you what sounds the best. This is why I always tell people to go listen for themselves. My ears hear things decidely different than yours do. Truth. And while I'm still in the market, I wanna see what the "markets" do and how the economy looks in a couple months to see what, if any, fallout works its way back to the publicly traded company I work for and specifically our growth plans. I have no reason to be concerned as far as I know, but as soon as I go spending on bigger ticket "wants", not "needs", well... you now what I mean... Just being a little cautious and probably overly so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsmayes Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I'm going to have to side with the anti-HTIB crowd here. I think you'd be better off buying a nice set of $300 bookshelf speakers and a $200 amp. Check out avsforum.com for more than you'll ever want to know about A/V. They have threads on pretty much every type of speaker, even budget bookshelf (and $300/pair is budget). When I assembled by HT over a couple months I ended up with: 4 Infinity Primus 150 Bookshelf speakers: $160 @ Circuit City discount store 1 Inifnity Primus 250 Center Channel: $60 @ Circuit City open box 12" BIC Acoustech H-100 Subwoofer: $200 @ ebay Panasonic SA XR55S Receiver: $150 @ amazon special Total: $570 It will blow away any HTIB out there. Of course, it sucks for music (any HTIB will too), but I didn't get if for that. Someday I'll buy a nice stereo amp and pair of full range speakers for music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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