Receiver, DVD player and speakers for around 1k? Need help. (1 Viewer)

[MarcW]

A buddy of mine wants to get into HT and has asked me for help. Unfortunatly he isn't quite as crazy about HT as I am and wants a very basic entry level system. He doesn't want to spend much more than 1K on the whole thing. He almost pulled the trigger on the Bose Lifestyle 800 system the other day . I know a lot about gear on the more high-end side but almost nothing about this entry level stuff. After some research I came up with the following recommendation for him:

Denon 1803
Panasonic RP82
Energy Take 5.1

Does this sound like a good entry-level system or are there better components in the around 1k category ?

Thanks,
-MarcW

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

I would defiantly go with the Denon 1803 in that price range.

For speakers, i would recommend JBL N28 mains and the JBL NSP1 package for surrounds and center. This would give you the choice of having a 7.1 setup, 6.1 setup (sacrificing one N24), or a 5.1 setup and a second zone stereo setup.

For the sub, i would go with the Sony SA-WM40. It's about the best sub you can get for under $300, and after adding about $3 worth of polyfill, it sounds better than anything under $500.

So far, this would add up to about $950 if purchased online. Unless your friend plans on using the DVD-A capabilities of the RP82, i would recommend either the RP62 or RP56 (replaced by the RP62). The are essentially the same as the RP82, minus DVD-A. The both have the Faroujda chip set which eliminated the Chroma bug. I lucked out by buying the RP56 open box for $95 before i even knew anything about the chroma bug or Faroujda.

This would come out a little over $1000, but i think the speakers would be far superior to those particular Energy's, and unless your friend is into DVD-A, the RP82 would be overkill in my opinion.

Hope this helps.

 

[MarcW]

Hope this helps.

Yes this does help. Thanks for your input.

-MarcW

 

[Frank Carter]

I would suggest the same as above except the sub. You could get the Audiosource SW-15 from ubid.com under $200 shipped. Add polyfill to this and I feel it will allow for higher SPL and lower extension than the Sony. The only thing is it's large. If he can't deal with how big it is, then the Sony is probably the best deal. You can get that for $150 shipped from my.sony.com plus some amount of points which you get from clicking around the site,.

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

The Audiosource only goes down to 25hz, where the Sony doesn't drop off until 20hz. As for SPL, in any normal sized room almost any decent subwoofer can keep up volume wise, it's extension where they lack. For his setup, i think the Sony would be the best, especially for $150 shipped.

 

[Frank Carter]

I thought the Sony was stated by users here to go down to around 25Hz before dropping off. I also remember seeing the in room response of an Audiosource SW-15 of a user from some forum(can't remember which one) and it was -3db around 19hz. I've heard both subs, but not in the same room so take this FWIW. I thought the SW-15 was the superior sub because bass tended to be a little more visceral with HT. They probably would be comparable for music. The sony is a great deal at $150 shipped though.

You could also keep an eye out on ebay for a used sub. Deals really aren't as frequent as you'd expect but they do happen. I picked up an Infinity IL100S with a small corner ding for $165 for my fiancee's HT.

 

[ThomasL]

For $1K for everything, I'd put the emphasis on the speakers. You may want to look at the Pioneer 811S or the new Panasonic model that can both be had for $300-350 on-line. If your friend does not have a HDTV-ready tv, there is no need to get a progressive scan dvd player. The Toshiba SD2800 or other major brands players can be had for $500 for the speakers. The Energy 5.2 system gets good reviews and the JBLs mentioned by others are also well liked here.

good luck,


--tom

 

[MarcW]

Tom,
He wants the RP82 for it's DVD-A capability not so much for it being progressive scan. I do appreciate your input tho
-MarcW

 

[AaronArmstrong]

FYI,

Stephen talked me into the setup
he described. All I can say is
I am very impressed!
I am very satisfied and I haven't even begun tweaking
things yet. Out of the box it is excellent.

Thanks again Stephen!

Aaron Armstrong

 

[ThomasL]

Marc, ok then the RP82 (or Toshiba SD4800) are your cheapest decent options that I can think of. Since it sounds like your friend likes to listen to music (assuming since he wants dvd-audio) then I'd say definitely weight the budget toward speakers. While many of us will debate the merits of receivers, my opinion is that in the budget ~$400 range there is not a huge difference but that with speakers there is a bigger difference (and definitely subjective as to what sounds good or bad so I'd recommend your friend listen to a few models before buying).
cheers,
--tom

 

[MarcW]

I need to convince my buddy that he really needs a fullblown 7.1 Rocket setup:wink: So I could finally listen to them and find out of they are really all that.

Again thanks for all your help. You guys are great.

-MarcW