I'm looking to build an audio system from the ground up to go with the great video I have. I have Blu-Ray (PS3) and a full HD Sony TV using HDMI and all that, but the built-in speakers on my TV are obviously nowhere near good enough. I wouldn't call myself an "audiophile" by any stretch of the imagination, but I think I have pretty good ears for more subtle differences in speakers and headphones. My main question is what exactly do I need to buy to have a good setup. Right now I'm tracking that I should pick up:
- Receiver
- Speakers
- Subwoofer
- Cables for it all
- Power protection
- Brackets/furniture, etc
- Universal remotes
- SPL meter
I don't really want to spend too much money on this, but it's looking to be significantly more expensive than I imagined. I've seen that in general a HTiB is not nearly as good as something custom built, but they seem to be much cheaper.
My first question is are there any HTiBs worthwhile that wouldn't sound completely terrible?
Second question is can someone please recommend some brands to look at for the components I'd need to custom build?
Third: do the brands of equipment need to match? For example, is using a Pioneer receiver with Paradigm speakers and a Yamaha woofer okay?
Fourth: Is it possible to build a good system for less than $3k?
I appreciate the help!