HT-Newbie needs help on making the right decision! (1 Viewer)

[KASR]

Thanks for poking your heads in here to help me. Alittle background of course.

OK, so I got the go ahead to make a home theater room (in my house, obviously) but I'm getting all turned around trying to decide on what unit to get - should I get a all-in-one in a box, piece it together, etc. So I'll let the "experts" help educate me! Here's the rundown:

Room: 16.9 feet x 17 feet.
Inputs needed: atleast 2 HDMI's, 2 Optical, 1 Component
Output: 1 HDMI (maybe component - depending on passthrough)
Existing Equipment: Xbox 360 (component/optical), Panasonic DVD player/DVD RAM recorder (up-converts to 1080p via HDMI)
Monitor: Sony 50inch DLP Wega (capable of 720p/1080i) - now I do have an Olevia 42inch that is capable of 1080p - but it's amazing how much difference 8 inches will make (that's what she said...) - so another question is which monitor to use for the home theater???

My budget is around the $600 mark...I know it's pretty low - but that's the budget for just the electronics....ok, it's still low. But I'm working with what I got. So with that said - here's what I've been able to dig up so far:

(PREFACE:::: I'm still figuring out which brand is better for what, so please comment on that as well...thanks everyone!)

• Option 1: Piece meal.
  This was my original idea. I am getting a fairly decent price on some equipment from where I work, so I pieced a system together and it consists of:
  a.) Harmon Kardon AVR154 5.1
  b.) Pinnacle MB5000 speaker set (1x MB3000 center channel, 4x MB2000 satellites)
  c.) BIC America 8" powered subwoofer (100W, down firing, 11" inch cabinet)

• Option 2: Best Buy
  The Yamaha YHT 590 5.1 600W.
  The one thing I like about this setup is the fact that the receiver up-converts, so there won't be a need to run component out to my monitor for the xbox - every video signal will come out through the HDMI.

• Option 3: Onecall.com
  Onkyo HT-S5100B
  OK, so I'll be the first to say that I know "JACK" about Onkyo other than what I've read on this forum and from what I can tell, they seem to be pretty damn good. So how does it compare with the H/K, Bose, Yahama, Sony, Pioneer, Kenwoods, etc.'s of the world? I need a reference point, I guess.

Ok, so there it is. Once I get this nailed down, I'll be hunting for the noise-deadening materials for the walls, wall paint to darken the room color (white walls right now) and of course, the damn seating (which is so freaking expensive!!!!)

Thanks in advance everyone - I'm happy to learn!

 

[KASR]

OK, I have an option 4:
Harmon Kardon CP55 Theater system
features: H/K AVR 146 receiver, H/K DVD38 (upscales 720p/1080i), H/K TS15 (5.1 speaker set 100W 10inch power sub)

 

[Robert_J]

If your budget is $600 for electronics, how much will it be for sound deadening? You can spend that much for a couple of cases of Green Glue.

How loud do you listen to music/movies? Reference levels or close to it? If you aren't sure what that means, reference levels are pretty loud. Do you want realistic explosions when watching action movies? Basically, I want to know your goals so that we can best steer you in the right direction. If you want realistic explosions to shake you then your $600 budget won't even cover the sub that is required to do this. Sometimes it is best to start with a couple of good pieces of equipment and add to it later.

-Robert

 

[KASR]

Well, 600 is the budget for the electronics...I don't need the biggest, baddest HT on the forum (obviously) and I'm not trying to make a new hobby....yet. But I do want something that will make my games sing and my movies really jar the viewer. When you say "good couple of pieces of equipment" - give me an example, so I'll know what you mean.

As far as sound deadening - I won't be making a recording studio - I see alot of designer-type solutions: thick, velvet drapes for the window will provide some sound deadening and reduce bounce; hanging a wall-rug on the opposite wall to lessen sound bouncing in the wrong areas while maintaining some room aesthetics....stuff like that.

The ceiling is a whole new story, which I am tackling. Does any of that info help?

 

[Robert_J]

Start with a used receiver like this. Then add a good 2.1 set of speakers. Check out Elemental Designs for a good 2.1 system. Choose the bookshelf speakers and a sub. Set the receiver up with a phantom center and use the cheapest surround speakers you can find.

Upgrade time - you will get matching speakers for the front 3 and move the two bookshelf speakers to the surrounds. Next upgrade I would do would be a better sub. Then receiver.

-Robert

 

[KASR]

Robert: Thanks for the advice - I'm continuing the research.
Anybody else have input on this?

 

[Chididdy123]

i recommened onkyo s5100 around 400 new