Noo budget home theater ideas (1 Viewer)

[mikem91]

Hello everyone

new to all this stuff but i'm excited to start working on my home theater. Well pretty much i want people opinions on what equipment i should get. there is no budget involved so that is not a worry. the dimensions are attached. I am planning to go with a 120" screen and projector. So right now I am open to what speakers i should use, projector, receiver, blu-ray player, dvd player, universal remote, d-box?, direct TV?, tivo?, sub woofers, and anything else to make a kicka$$ home theater.

Thanks,
Michael

 

[Alon Goldberg]

You haven't mentionned budget, so I'll throw together an amazing home theater for $25,000. Here goes:

Fronts: Paradigm Studio 100
Center: Paradigm Studio CC-690
Surrounds: Paradigm Studio ADP-590
Rear Surrounds: Paradigm Studio ADP-590
Subwoofer: Paradigm Servo-15, or two SVS subs

Total: $8,000

Preamp/Processor: Anthem AVM 30
Poweramp: Anthem PVA 7

Total: $4,500

Projector: JVC DLA-RS1U
Video Processor: DVDO iScan VP50
Screen: Stewart Firehawk or Da-Lite 120"

Total: $11,000

HD Players: Toshiba HD-XA2 and Sony PlayStation 3
Universal Remote: Logitech Harmony or Universal Remote Control
Cabling: HDMI cables, balanced interconnects, speaker cabling, subwoofer cable
Surge Protector: Belkin SurgeMaster

Total: $1,500

GRAND TOTAL: $25,000

I haven't included seating, lighting, a/v rack, calibration or installation in this budget. Of course you can build a capable home theater for $10,000, it all really depends on what you are looking for. Also, don't take my advice on the speakers above, I recommend auditioning as many speakers as possible before making your purchase. Your ears won't lie to you.

 

[Brian Osborne]

I'd agree with most of what Alon said except for the screen. mostly because I don't know enough about high end components to speak for them...
I like screens, but for a true custom look, paint the screen yourself. I did this and couldn't be happier. I've done the comparison, half my wall, half da-lite screen and they both performed very well, both have great color, depth, everything, but the paint was $300 and a day and a half of painting, it really looks nice, and it'll never tear, wrinkle and wipes clean with a damp cloth...

One more thing I'd add too...
risers and a bass shaker.
I am amazed at the difference that having a shaker will make into the experience. I built my riser to be suspended with a shaker and dedicated remote control sub amp. With REALLY good subs you will fill a room with very good bass, but you don't feel it tactile, it's a presure sensation. Tactile is when you feel a big tractor drive by rattle your knees, presure is when you feel the noise of a loud car drive by in your chest. Them working hand in hand adds much to the experience.

and yes, you can do a very nice HT for under $10K. I did.

 

[mikem91]

Thank you very much for your suggestions. Like i said before, right now there is no budget. Me and my dad are looking around for suggestions for the best high end equipment. Thanks for your suggestions and I am still open to anyone else's

 

[hodedofome]

Alon had a great recommendation for a $25K budget. I've been playing with a $50K+ theater idea for a while and this is what I have that's different:

Speakers: Klipsch THX Ultra 2 System (without subs) http://klipsch.com/products/details/thx-ultra2.aspx

Sub: Danley DTS-20 (you don't really need bass shakers with one of these) http://thesoundbroker.com/Danley.htm

Amp for sub: Crown XTi 2000 http://thesoundbroker.com/Crown.htm

You could go with Crown amps for the Klipsch speakers as well or with a Bryston 9B SST THX amp http://thesoundbroker.com/Bryston.htm

For the pre-amp the Bryston SP2 is a great choice, or the Anthem Statement D2 is excellent as well, and includes top-notch video processing along with HDMI inputs for HD formats. You won't need the DVDO with a D2 pre-amp.

I'd also seriously budget for acoustic treatments and building the room properly to keep sound in and outside sounds out. Remember that the most important thing to sound is not your equipment but your room.

 

[joseph westcott]

Velodyne Signature 1812 Subwoofer or the Genelec HTS6 subwoofer.

As for speakers, (5) Wilson Alexandria X-2's

McIntosh Amplifier MC27
McIntosh PreAmp MX136

Laurier Carino AV Credenza

Sony VPL-VW100 front projector

Stewart Firehawk tensioned roller screen

Logitech Harmony 1000 and the accompaning RF transmitter

Denon 5910CI DVDSACDDVD Audio player

BD P1200 player or HD XA2 player

DishNetwork HD621PVR

Blue Jean CablesBroadcast Quality

 

[mikem91]

Hello All,

This is a quote i got from sound advice. Where do you think i can set back a few dollars? Ive heard these speakers before i like them very much. Thanks


THEATER ROOM

ONE SONY VPLVW100 1080P SXRD VIDEO PROJECTOR
TWO FOCAL 1027BESIG 3-WAY FLOOR STANDING SPEAKERS
ONE FOCAL CC1000BESIG CHERRY CENTER CHANNEL
FOUR FOCAL SR1000BESIG SIGNATURE CHERRY SURROUND SPEAKERS
TWO FOCAL SW1000BESIG SIGNATURE CHERRY SUBWOOFER
ONE KRELL SHOWCASE SCP7.1B BLACK PREAMP/PROCESSOR
ONE KRELL SCA7B BLACK SHOWCASE AMPLIFIER
ONE STEWART SNDQ120HFHG3WX FIREHAWK SCREEN
ONE PIONEER BDP94HD BLU RAY DISC PLAYER
ONE CRESTRON MC2E CONTROL SYSTEM
ONE OMNIMOUNT PROJECTOR MOUNT
ONE KEY DIGITAL HDMI4X1 HDMI SWITCHER

Subtotal for THEATER ROOM ............ 54824.95

SYSTEM CONTROL

ONE UNIVERSAL MX300 TOUCH SCREEN REMOTE
ONE UNIVERSAL MRF350 BASE STATION FOR RF CONTROL

Subtotal for SYSTEM CONTROL ............ 1249.98

SYSTEM INTERCONNECTS

THREE AUDIOQUEST HDMI-X HDMI VID CABLES
THREE AUDIOQUEST OPTILINK-1 DIGITAT OPTICAL AUDIO CABLES
ONE AUDIOQUEST HDMI-X 15-METER HDMI WIRE
THREE AUDIOQUEST DIAMONDBACK XLR AUD INTERCONNECTS
TWO SUBWOOFER CABLES
SIX CRESTRON IRP2 PROBE WITH O DIODE PRO2 AV2
TYPE 8 FULL RANGE SPEAKER WIRE FOR SPEAKERS
ONE PANAMAX M5500EX POWER CONDTIONER & AC REGENERATOR
ONE PANAMAX MIWPOWERKITMOB POWER OUTLET ADAPTOR

Subtotal for SYSTEM INTERCONNECTS ............ 5559.57

INSTALLATION

1 INSTALL ENTIRE ROOM...................................

Subtotal for INSTALLATION ............ 4992.00

SEATS

THREE DOUGLAS FURNITURE RCBT301P POWRED RECLINERS
INSTALL 8 CHAIRS
TWO DBOX TECHNOLOGY 340C SERIES 3 CONTRLER
FIVE D-BOX TECHNOLOGY 121LMB BLACK AXIS CHAIRS MOTORIZED

Subtotal for SEATS ............ 45799.90

5 YEAR NO WORRIES

SERVICE NET FIVE YEAR IN HOME PRODUCT WARRANTY

Subtotal for 5 YEAR NO WORRIES ............ 12500.00

Total System Price.......................................... 124926.40


Sales Tax............................................... .... 8199.84


GRAND TOTAL............................................. ....133126.24

 

[hodedofome]

Those seats seem pricey, but only you can decide how nice you want them. I'm also not a fan of overpriced cables, but whatever.

If you are looking for a custom installer to do all this, then you're going to spend more because they gotta make a profit. You usually have to go with the equipment they sell. If that's the route you are wanting to take (and there's nothing wrong with that) then most of the advice on this forum won't be worth much. Better to just talk to your installer about your needs and let them work with you.

I still don't see any mention of acoustic treatments, just making sure this is part of the budget.

 

[mikem91]

I am not a fan of anything over priced. I originally went to Sound Advice to get an idea for the most part and I ended up walking away with a quote. Now I agree with the seats being pretty expensive, but I have not been able to find a good deal on D-box equipment which is what i prefer to have.

Other then that there are some things that I believe i do not need to have in there such as the Krell Preamp/Processor, Krell Amp, Key Digital HDMI switcher, and the Creston MC2e Processor. Would it be a good idea to replace all that with a Yamaha RX-V2700? Considering it would be 1/10 the cost if i replace that equipment.

One question i have though that i have to ask Sound Advice still is what the heck is the Creston MC2e Processor for? Does anyone use that in this forum? if so what do you get out of it.

As for the sound treatment, I have not found someone to do this for me. What do you think something like this would cost if done by a professional?

Thank you very much, and please do not get offended just because i pasted a quote i received. I very much looking forward to your opinions.

 

[Gerry S]

Someone mentioned the importance of the room, and I second that.

With no budget, you should consider hiring a reputable theater designer that can address everything from room treatments to equipment.

If it were me, I would use Dennis Erksine from Design Cinema Privee.

 

[BruceSpielbauer]

I agree. A lot of money is being thrown away on things such as overpriced cables that could be better spent in other areas (room treatments, bass traps, room shape and design, sound isolation if you desire this, room aesthetics, or even upgrading to the NEXT level of speakers and equipment.

If the budget is truly not a concern at all (which is never the case, by the way -- even Bill Gates is NOT really willing to spend every last one of his billions on a home theater, if it leaves him with nothing at the end of the project), then I strongly suggest hiring an experienced designer with references coming out the wazoo. Otherwise, you may end up with an expensive room which has a mediocre image and lousy sound, no matter how much you have spent on "high end" stuff.

By the way, the name mentioned above is a safe choice, as he is one of the best. There are also others, though, who would do just as well. The problem is that there are literally hundreds who will talk a good game, but are actually most interested in taking your money.

Get references. Demand them.

-Bruce in Chi-Town

 

[hodedofome]

I too throw in a recommendation for Dennis Erskine, as I understand he will work with you on whatever level you decide to use his company for. If you want to do some stuff yourself, I hear they are OK with that, which is great for people like us that just want some expert help on a few areas we are inexperienced in.

I wasn't going to say anything about the Krell, Key Digital, Crestron and cables, but since you mentioned it yes, I believe you can do pretty good for much less.

The Yamaha would make a very good pre-amp, I'd still run a separate amp though. The Emotiva stuff is excellent for the price, I'd look there for an amp. Their pre-amps are good too, but so is that Yamaha. It's up to you which features and sound you like best.

You shouldn't need the Key Digital switcher if you used the RX-V2700 or a pre-amp with HDMI switching.

I am no fan of overpriced cables, and until somebody shows me a difference in sound or video quality of www.monoprice.com vs the pricey guys I'll stick with the cheap ones.

The Crestron processor is used for automating everything and so that Sound Advice can log in remotely for monitoring and diagnosing problems. I don't know the actual price but I'm sure it's expensive yet works well.

The Sound Advice quote is expensive for sure, however they have to make sure it's problem free and the products they are selling you are good. I don't think they are overcharging you for anything, and I'm sure their service is good. They have to stand behind the whole project as well as make a profit. They won't sell internet-direct components like the Emotiva. However, if you are willing to do some things yourself you can do cheaper, and it wouldn't hurt to give Dennis a call either.