New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

HTiB vs. "budget" HT? Questions inside.

post #1 of 7
5/14/07 at 1:37pm
Thread Starter 
Hi all.

I currently have a Sony DAV-S300. I am starting to get the itch to upgrade . I don't want to spend a ton of money but would like to make a nice investment, so I'm trying to decide what my best option is.

Option a) Purchase HTiB similar to the Onkyo 790 system and upgrade speakers/subwoofer later down the road ~500 + 500.

Option b) Purchase SVS speaker setup (799 on sale) and find a budget receiver to do the job for a while ~1100.

This seems like an apples to oranges comparison, but I'm trying to figure out if the SVS setup would really be that much better.

My biggest complaint about my current setup is that it definitely doesn't have enough ka-boom from the subwoofer. Obviously, its an entry level HTiB. From the reviews, it sounds like the Onkyo 790 system would be a significant improvement. However, I had read about a couple of different people that went to upgrade the subwoofer. I'd rather pay now than pay more later.

So, the simple question is: Is the SVS speaker setup going to be done justice if I don't put a $6-800 receiver behind it? Will a cheap receiver get the job done for a few years?

TIA,
Ryan
Reply
post #2 of 7
5/14/07 at 3:02pm

Re: HTiB vs. "budget" HT? Questions inside.

The SVS satellites are inefficient. You could get an SVS subwoofer, and opt for another brand for your sats, though the package deal will probably save you a bundle.

Good speakers will probably have more of an effect on your sound than spending it on a pricey receiver.
Reply
post #3 of 7
5/14/07 at 3:31pm

Re: HTiB vs. "budget" HT? Questions inside.

It will depend somewhat on how big the room is and how absolutely loud you want to go. If a bit less absolute max volume, but considerably more "ka-boom" is desirable, the SVS system, particularly on sale, is absolutely the way to go. The fact is, a capable sub will have a lot more to do with how loud the system feels than max decibels. Plus, the speakers won't tennd to start falling apart when they are pushed, which the HTiB speakers will tend to do. I would go for the SVS. The fact is, you don't tent to gain much pure power as you go higher in price with receivers, unless you go to an external amp for the front 3 channels.
Reply
post #4 of 7
5/14/07 at 7:41pm

Re: HTiB vs. "budget" HT? Questions inside.

The SBS-1's are 4 ohm speakers, so perhaps you can factor that into your calculations when buying a receiver.
Reply
post #5 of 7
5/16/07 at 10:58am
Thread Starter 

Re: HTiB vs. "budget" HT? Questions inside.

Thanks for the input, guys. I will measure the room and post the results.

Fwiw, a friend of mine has a system that I would love to have. It consists of a <$300 Sony receiver, Infiniti 12" Subwoofer, Infiniti center channel speaker, and 2 inifiniti tower speaks (3 6.5" woofers and a tweeter). Sorry, I don't have any model numbers.

I said that to say this: I would love to have a HT that sounds as good as my friend's setup.

Jeremy: What do you mean when you say that the SVS speakers are inefficient? Does that mean they take a lot of power to sound good?

Ryan
Reply
post #6 of 7
5/16/07 at 12:04pm

Re: HTiB vs. "budget" HT? Questions inside.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 96speed
Jeremy: What do you mean when you say that the SVS speakers are inefficient? Does that mean they take a lot of power to sound good?

Ryan

It means they take more power to get the same volume as you would with more efficient speakers. If I recall correctly, a 3 dB difference in SPL requires twice the power. So, to get the same volume from speakers rated at 85 dB/W as you do from 88 dB/W speakers, you would need twice as much power.
Reply
post #7 of 7
5/16/07 at 2:03pm

Re: HTiB vs. "budget" HT? Questions inside.

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home