Beginner's home theater - advice? (1 Viewer)

[blazesofhell]

Hello everyone-

 

For a long time, I've put up with the 10W speakers built into my TV and I've decided that it's time to invest in some quality speakers to obtain a much higher sound quality and in general a better listening experience. I read some of the "beginner" threads, and I thought about posting my questions in them, but didn't want to hijack anything either. So here we are.

 

I live in an apartment and my living room composes about a third of the space. We're talking a relatively small space, about 280 square feet. Currently, I have a 42" plasma sitting on a stand in the corner of this room. Connected to this are my "rabbit ears" antenna (free OTA HDTV!), a Pioneer upconverting DVD player (which unfortunately barely gets used), and an Xbox 360 (for games and media streaming).

 

I'm leaning towards getting a 3.1 system, if only because I live in an apartment and don't have much space (and I can't really make any hard modifications to the walls/floors to route cables, etc).

 

My questions are:

 

- what is a good budget for a decent 3.1 setup? I assume this includes left, right, and center channels; the subwoofer; and the receiver.

- Should I purchase a home theater in a box? Or buy the components individually? I read a post earlier where someone said buying a la carte will ensure high quality components at a slightly higher price - honestly, I don't have a problem with this. Is it even possible to get a 3.1 HTIB?

- Now that I think about it, does the center channel in a 3.1 system make a big difference over a simpler 2.1 setup? I have Logitech Z-2300s on my PC now and they're great. For TV/movie watching in a living room, will having that third speaker make a big difference?

 

Thanks in advance for the help. I appreciate any input and feedback provided!

 

[Jim Mcc]

YOU need to tell us your budget, otherwise you're going to get some outrageously high priced systems recommended. Also, what type of speakers do you want? (Tower speakers, bookshelf speakers, etc). I definitely would not buy a HTIB system, for quality and future upgrading reasons. Using a center channel speaker is best, and then dialogue can be fine tuned. Will you have a problem using a sub in your apartment?

 

[blazesofhell]

Thanks for the prompt reply, Jim Mcc.

 

- I'm willing to spend between $600 and $800 for the system. I get the sense that this is a good target for a quality system - but then again, being new to this, I could be wrong.

- Type of speakers? What is the difference between bookshelf and tower speaker types? My TV stand won't accomodate much more equipment (without looking cluttered), so I think placing speakers there is out. That said, putting speakers on stands/mounts flanking the TV might work.
- If I have enough control over the gain on the sub, I don't believe having a sub in my apartment will be a problem.

 

Thanks again.

 

[gene c]

A two channel system can work fine if you're the only one using it, but having a center channel really helps those sitting to the sides of the screen by anchoring the vocals to the screen.

 

The biggest problem with all-in-one-systems is they don't play well with other equipment. Quite often it's not possible to hook some components to them and the speaker outputs are designed for the speakers they came with which means your stuck with what you got. No chance of up-grading the speakers later on. With separate speakers, sub woofer and receiver you can choose the items independently and replace them piece by piece if needed.

 

When it comes to speakers you really need to listen to as many different brands as you can. What sounds good to us may not sound good to you.

 

The differences between bookshelves and towers is mostly price and personal preference. For an apartment setup I'd say bookshelves are the way to go. Much of the cost of speakers is in the cabinet so towers are always more expensive than their bookshelf little brothers. You can get higher quality bookshelves for the same price as towers, but then you might need stands ($) and the matching center will also be more expensive.

 

Is a BluRay player in your future? Since this is the Home Theater Forum I would be thrown off the board if I didn't at least suggest you consider it. If so then look at the Denon 1611, Onkyo 508, pioneer 820 and Yamaha 567 receivers. Those decode the new audio formats found on BR discs.

 

You can sometimes get great deals on last years models or factory refurbished ones (this usually means a customer return, repackaged and sold again. Usually.) Check Ac4l.com for refurbished Onkyo and Marantz models. I've bough from them before, a solid e-tailer. The Onkyo SKS-HT540 ($169+sh)is a decent speaker/sub package that would be nice for a small space and the sound quality is adequate. The Onkyo 9100-THX ($629+sh) would be much better and includes an actual receiver. And the Onkyo HT-S6200 would also be adequate but the speakers are kinda cheap. They have a few others as well.

 

The Onkyo-508 would be a nice little receiver to start your system with.

 

Dakmart.com is Denon's refurbished dealer. Their website is cluttered and un-organized to me so you'll have to wander around yourself. Don't get lost. I've never heard Denon's brand of speakers so I can't really coment on them.

 

Other places to look for good deals are Newegg.com (Polk), Vanns.com (Jamo), Fluance.com (Fluance), TheNerds.com (Boston, BIC, etc.), PartsExpress.com (just about everything), Monoprice.com (cables/wires) and BlueJeanscables.com (more cables/wires).

 

I've also picked up some amazing deals off craigslist/ebay/etc. but it can be risky. You have to know what you're looking for and what you're looking at.

 

 

 

[blazesofhell]

Thanks for the thorough reply, gene c. Your and Jim's comments have solidified that I should avoid the "boxed" HTs AND that I should aim for a "customized" 3.1 system.

 

To answer your question about Blu-ray...I've been hesitant about the format ever since it came out. Even after the HD-DVD dust settled, digital downloads and media streaming have always seemed like very capable, flexible solutions without the need to buy a dedicated BR player. Honestly, my ideal setup would be to have a dedicated media streaming box (ie, a Roku or a WDTV) to stream movie (DVD or BR) rips and music from my computer. This way, I can toss the DVD player and won't need the BR player at all. It also eliminates a bunch of extra remotes lying around (although I'm also intrigued by the Logitech Harmony remotes too).

 

RE: towers vs bookshelves...thanks for the recommendation, but I'm still having trouble understanding the difference between the two. Are towers simply "taller" versions of bookshelves? If the point is to get the speakers at the ear level of the listener (most likely seated on my couch), I think I would just buy decent bookshelves and mount them on stands. With a 3.1 set and the limited space I've got, I think that would at least have the right look. Something along the lines of this: http://www.axiomaudio.com/images/redbedroom.jpg

 

Finally...how much of my budget should be spent towards the receiver versus the sub versus the left/right/center? Is there a rule of thumb?

 

[gene c]

In many cases a tower is just a bookshelf in a larger cabinet. But it may have a slightly different crossover and the larger cabinet may improve it's upper bass/lower mid-range performance. But in most cases the tower will have multiple drivers or an added mid-range speaker which can really up the performance level, and the price.

 

Bookshelves do give you better placement flexibility and either a much lower price, or a similar price with much higher quality components like drivers, tweeters and crossovers as well as better cabinets. As with most things, it's a mixture of personal choice and compromise.

 

About BluRay.....there seems to be two schools of thought. Those who like to have something to hold in their hand (like a disc), and those who prefer streaming. I like to have something to hold, but I think those days are numbered. But for right now I think BR offers the best picture and sound available. That's why I haven't converted yet.

 

As for the budget. It's hard to say. I'd say get the least expensive (I didn't say cheapest .