Help with accessories for HT setup (1 Viewer)

Hey guys, I'm new to this stuff. I have never setup a speakers with a receiver or subwoofer. I read through many of the receiver and speaker threads to decide what to get(very much appreciated the help), but now I need to know what else I need to get and from where. Here is what I will have next week:

Onkyo TX-SR501
JBL PB10
Fluance AV-HTB

That's what I came up with after looking for the right price and performance. I looked at some entry level refurb HK receivers, some entry level Yamaha receivers which some people complained had power issues. So I finally decided on the new entry level model from Onkyo. I debated between the AR subwoofer which was less then $200, the JBL I got and the Velodyne VX-10 and finally decided on the JBL since it was priced between the AR and Velodyne. As for the speakers, many people on this forum thought it was a good set for entry level HT. It was either the setup above or get the Onkyo HTIB set up for $500. It was a hard choice since it came with the same receiver and was $200 cheaper but I thought I'd give it a try and hope for the best.

Now what all do I need to hook these things up?

Speaker wires, Banana Plugs(um, what are these for?), and what else ?

Like I said I have never done this before. I was planning on getting that 12AWG wire from Home Depot unless someone knows of a cheaper place to get 12G wire. Banana Plugs, I have no clue about. How do I use them? Do I need to solder anything? I will also need some speaker stands for the rear speakers. Any ideas on where I can find some black stands that are decent but cheap?

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks

First of all, congrats on your new system. Now as to your questions. The 12G wire from Home Depot will work fine with your system. Oh sure, you can go out and spend alot more $ for Monster Cable speaker wire, but I doubt you'll notice any appreciable difference in sound transmission to your speakers given the increase in cost. IMHO you can forget about the bananna plugs. They're great if you swap out your speakers alot, but if you're going to hook them up and leave them there you don't really need them. Besides, why put another link, connection, between the Onkyo and the speakers. Go to Radio Shack and get a SPL (sound pressure level meter). In is a very necessary tool to correctly set up your speakers for optimum sound balance in your room. Some people like a set-up dics like Avia or Video Essentials too so you can calibrate the TV and sound. As for speaker stands look for something sturdy! Sanus and Wood Technology offer good stands for a fair price. Lastly, treat yourself to a good all in one remote. The worst thing is fumbling around from one remote to another. The Home Theater Master MX500 is an excellent choice. It replaced 5 remotes in my system and was very easy to program. You can find out more about remotes by visiting www.remotecentral.com . Good luck and enjoy!

Welcome to the Forum! I see you've done some research and made purchases that match your taste and wallet. Good job!

I'll second Tyler on the Home Depot 12G speaker wire, great stuff at a good price. I also agree that Banana Plugs aren't really needed. Just twist the end of each copper wire and insert in the connection. Copper does oxidize so you'll want to clip off the exposed cooper on the wires and strip new leads every three to five years, sooner if it bothers you.

Make sure you keep the polarity straight; white to white and red to red, (or black to black, etc.) Each 12G cable has two wires, one with lettering, one without. Use the lettering as a guide. As an example I use the wire with lettering for my "red" leads.

One thing you didn't mention is connecting your input devices: dvd player, cd player, television, etc. You'll need decent cables for this. I recommend the "Gold Series" cables at Radio Shack. They're a little more expensive then they used to be, but still a good value. Radio Shack's "Gold Series" cables have gold-plated connectors and are shielded, (no need to buy special "Shielded Cable" for digital connections!). Stay away from their "Infusion Series," like Monster Cable and other cables with magical properties, they aren't worth it, especially for a first system. Do get gold though, it doesn't corrode and therefore make a good worry free connection.

Perhaps another forum member knows of a better value in cables, or you might try a search.

Good Luck and enjoy your gear!

Hey guys, thanks for all the input. I really do appreciate the help. Good to know that I really don't need Banana plugs, and also I didn't know about clipping the wires every 3 to 5 years but makes sense now. As for the input devices, I am going to have the following:

DVD Player
-Coax or Optical ? I think mine has both
-S-video cable

DirecTV
-Only has RCA out for audio
-S-video cable

VCR
-RCA outs for both audio and video

TV
-S-video cable

Dang, those cables are expensive, I just checked radioshack.com. Anyone have any suggestions on where to find more economical cables ?

Thanks again for everyones help