HT Equipment - What to Buy (1 Viewer)

[NiMa]

Hi Guys


I am new to this fourm. I have read most of the threads regarding HT in here and confused what to select. I am after superior sound quality and picture quality and must support 3D technology.


If you know a brand or has any experience for better product, please let me know the details. I want to decide equipment based on your experience as I do not have a chance to visit more showrooms.

1. In wall Speakers (front)
2. Ceiling mounted speakers (middle & back)
3. Subwoofer
4. Projector
5. Screen (Fixed)
6. AMP (should have few HDMI inputs and 2 or 3 zones)
7. Setup box (to watch TV)

If you think on-wall or floor stand are much better, please let me know, I would like to consider them as well.


Thanks guys.

 

[CB750]

Welcome to the forum


If one of your stated goals is "Superior Sound Quality" I would scrap the In-walls and in-ceiling speaker's in favor of stand alone choices, Since speaker selection in the most individual selection you will have to make your selection should be based on your budget and what system sounds best to your ear. Before we can be much help you need to zero in on the following items.

1. Basic layout of your home theater room, things like room size and furniture placement, and if it will be a dedicated room or a multi purpose family time room are important as it will determine your size screen size and placement of equipment.
2. Layout how you are going to locate all of your equipment wiring and cable runs.
3. Establish your budget
4. Shop for equipment
5. Install
6. Enjoy.

 

[NiMa]

Thanks for your prompt reply Bill.


Let me know few brands which you think the best so that I will visit few showrooms.


Also, how could I attached a picture in to this forum - I would like to attach the floor plan of the HT.


Thanks

 

[CB750]

I don't like to recommend brands of speakers for two reasons because speaker selection is very individual choice.

1. I am in my 60's and during my life I played with fire crackers, served in Vietnam, rode motorcycles, and listened to loud music. I did just about everything a person can do to destroy ones natural hearing which resulted in me getting hearing aids this summer. What I found out is I have a rather significant hearing loss in the mid range frequencies (woman's voice) and pretty normal bass and treble hearing. Therefore, before I knew this I was naturally attracted to speakers that were either flat sounding or tended to be strong in the upper mid range. I didn't like systems with a strong or dominate bass or those with strong high range, for example those with horn tweeters, because when I played them loud enough to fill my mid range loss their strong bass and treble would annoy me. Given that we all have a different hearing profile what might sound good to me many not sound good to your ears.
2. Before I renovated my family room to my present 5.1 HT I had a combination of 1970's vintage equipment, six large speakers , two receivers, and lots of other audio equipment littering the room. My goal was to add a 52" LCD, a modern 7.1 receiver and a 5.1 speaker system, and change the whole furniture arrangement so that it would best fit the Dolby labs guidelines, and reduce clutter. To effectively do this I determined that a satellite type 5.1 system would best meet those goals. Therefore, I narrowed my search to those type of systems and didn't even look at large tower or large bookshelf systems. Given my hearing loss, goals and budget after much listening I purchased the B&W M-1 system, and after having it for two years I am very happy with it.

About the only speakers I would not recommend are any of the Bose Cube system and those that are sold out of white vans. Their are so many brands, styles, and price ranges within each brand its hard to make a specific recommendation. I tended to look at speakers who had good reviews and were made by the major players and could listen to at stores. In addition to the B&W's I also liked the Definitive Technology line, I also looked at Kilpsch, Energy, Polks, Marge, to name a few. I found the better listening rooms were found in the smaller Mom an Pop stores as opposed to the big chains like Best Buy. One thing I was not aware of at the time was the number of quality Internet direct sellers like SVS and Axiom who have pretty liberal return polices. SVS has $1,000 a system that would have worked for me and I would defiantly give them a look if I were in the market today.

My advise to you is design your room layout and then determine what kind and size of speakers will work best for you, If size does not matter then set your budget and start listening to as many brands as you can. You will also find almost as much difference in sound as you go up in price in a particular brand as you do in difference in brands. I started with a $600 speaker budget but had to double it to find something I was happy with.

 

[NcgOsh]

Hi Bill


Thanks for your reply.


Have you got any expericen using Boston Speakers. What do you think about them?


Thanks

 

[NcgOsh]

Hi Bill


Thanks for reply on Speakers. Any recommendation for below equipment:

1. Ceiling mounted speakers (middle & back)
2. Subwoofer
3. Projector
4. Screen (Fixed)
5. AMP (should have few HDMI inputs and 2 or 3 zones)
6. Setup box (to watch TV)

Thanks