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So I have $2100 for a Home Theater... (1 Viewer)

awcamaro

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Basically, I'm doing my basement, and I've reserved about $2100 for the home theater section.
First, I need a projector. I'm probably going to get the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8350. Maybe the Optoma HD33 if I really want 3D.
Next, I'm getting a cheap fixed frame screen. Probably a 100 inch Elite Screens Sable Series. I probably need a better screen, but I feel like I can live with it. So that gives me about 600-700 for the audio. HTiB seems really enticing and I'm thinking about going for it. I have no clue what to pick. Any suggestions?
I made a top 3 list, and in it are:
Yamaha YHT-697 $650
Onkyo HT-S6500 $700
Yamaha YHT-797 $700
Are those any good? Or am I looking completely in the wrong place?
 

Jim Mcc

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I would not buy a HTIB. The quality and future versatility aren't there. If you must, just buy a receiver and front speakers and sub for now. Then add center channel speaker and surrounds later. OR do a DIY screen and save a lot of money, and buy all your speakers right away.
 

schan1269

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Much better option...
Pick a receiver that fits your wants/needs...
Then...
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-B1000-4-Inch-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B000OG88KY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1346350306&sr=1-1&keywords=Sony+ssb
or for a bit more money...
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-B3000-Bookshelf-Speakers-Black/dp/B000OG6I6A/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1346350345&sr=1-2&keywords=Sony+ssb
And "unfortunately" the only way, at the moment, to get a Sony center is with this...
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-CR3000-Channel-Speaker-Package/dp/B000OG88NQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1346350392&sr=1-5&keywords=Sony+ssb
You "could" make do with either the 1000 or 3000 and the center/surround package...which that is still "at least as good" as any HTiB speaker package...for less money. Or you could get two pairs of 1000 or 3000 and use those surrounds "somewhere else"...like Zone 2...(or let them collect dust in a closet)
As for subwoofer. The only subs to look at $225 and under are BIC. Pick one: V1020, V1220, F12 or any one of the others.
 

schan1269

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I come up with $820 you are devoting to audio. Assuming under $1200 for the Epson and $100 in a DIY screen(if you are paying more than $100 for your screen...you are doing it wrong, with your budget).
The speakers I chose are either...
$140 or "as much as" $260
The sub is $200-ish. That puts you at "most" $460 in speakers.
That leaves $360...
http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-NR515-7-2-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B0077V88VI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1346352352&sr=1-1&keywords=onkyo+515 (or you "could" squeeze the 616)
http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AVR-1613-Channel-Networking-Receiver/dp/B007R8U5QW/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1346352398&sr=1-2&keywords=avr+1913%27 (I'd sacrifice budget by a few, or sacrifice the speakers to make this fit over the 1513)
http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-V571BL-7-1-Channel-Receiver-VERSION/dp/B004QQZKP4/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1346352466&sr=1-2&keywords=rx-v573 (no reason to buy the newer 473 or 573...unless there is "some feature" the X73 has you can't live without)
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-VSX-1022-K-7-Channel-Receiver-Network/dp/B007O5ATC8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1346352557&sr=1-1&keywords=vsx1022
There are others...even buying a "used" receiver if you don't end up with 3D...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OPEN-BOX-Onkyo-HT-RC180-7-2-Channel-770-Watt-Same-manual-as-TX-NR807-see-pics-/271044861201?pt=Receivers_Tuners&hash=item3f1b885d11 (this is a good deal)
 

Type A

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Im with Jim on this one, Id stick to a quality two channel sound system for now.
I like aperion towers in your price range. Normally I would recommend ED but they dont seem to be making speakers anymore. Later I would add the center and surrounds, and I would even skip the sub for now.
 

Number1AVdork

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I agree a nice two channel would be better. Your blowing the budget on your screen and not putting any quality into audio. It just doesn't make sense. The best home theater in a box system for the money going right now is the ParadigmCinema 90...640$ on Amazon. It's the best budget speaker package going. Nothing can beat it. I don't think any home theater in a box speaker package can beat the offerings of Paradigm.
 

schan1269

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The Cinema 90 has a low cutoff of the satellites over 100hz.
For $640...
Two pairs of BIC DV62(depending on day, $220-$250)
BIC DV62CLRS(depending on day, $120-$130)
That is, at most, $380. That leaves money for a killer sub from Lava, ED, HSU...
Perks of the BIC...
1. More efficient.
2. Allows a better crossover to take advantage of a better subwoofer.
Do I think the tweeter in the BIC is better than the one in Paradigm? Heck no. It is the "rest of speaker" I have a problem with.
 

awcamaro

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My screen's only $230. That was actually the cheapest non-DIY I could find. If you have any other suggestions, I'm all open ears...
I checked out the Paradigm Cinema 90's and they don't have an A/V. So it really isn't a "home theater in a box". That means I need to get one, and that would put me over budget.
And I'm not really an audiophile. The HTiB have pretty good receivers which means I can upgrade my speakers down the line. Wouldn't that be a better choice than to go all out on speakers, but get a low end receiver?
 

schan1269

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The receivers inside HTiB are low end receivers.
The "best" AVR in any HTiB is in this one...(the receiver here is, essentially, the HT-RC370...which EVERYBODY on this forum will call a "worthy purchase" on its own)
http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-S9400THX-7-1-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B004VK0IOS/ref=sr_1_8?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1346440031&sr=1-8&keywords=onkyo+hts
There are NO OTHER HTiB that use more than the bottom 1 and 2 receivers offered. Yamaha uses its bottom two. Denon uses its bottom two.
So, in HTiB you are getting the lowest receiver available with a CRAPPY set of speakers.
Those Sony I linked above are BETTER than ANYTHING included in ANY HTiB.
The number 1 problem with HTiB speakers(and I'll use the 9500 speakers...as they are "the best" HTiB speakers there are) is inefficiency. Why do you care about (in)efficiency???
Here's why...
The front speakers of the 9500 are 83db efficient.
Those Sony are 87(1000) and 88(3000).
That means...the Onkyo HTiB receiver...if connected to the 9500's speakers...has to produce more than TWICE the wattage to achieve the same volume as the Sony.
What does "more wattage for the same volume" mean for you?
More wattage equals more heat which means quicker eventual death of your AVR.
 

Jim Mcc

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awcamaro said:
My screen's only $230. That was actually the cheapest non-DIY I could find. If you have any other suggestions, I'm all open ears...
I checked out the Paradigm Cinema 90's and they don't have an A/V. So it really isn't a "home theater in a box". That means I need to get one, and that would put me over budget.
And I'm not really an audiophile. The HTiB have pretty good receivers which means I can upgrade my speakers down the line. Wouldn't that be a better choice than to go all out on speakers, but get a low end receiver?
$230 for the screen. That must be a manual pull down screen, correct? If not, what is it? Manual pull down screens develop wrinkles, unless they're tab tensioned.
 

awcamaro

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The screen is fixed, as I said before.
And Schan, thanks for the info. I'll consider the sony ones you said.
 

schan1269

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You need to visit a local paint store. It slips my mind at the moment, but...
Sherwin Williams has a wall paint that would cost you less than $40 for the paint. Of course "prepping a smooth wall" is the hard part. There is NO WAY with your budget you should be buying a screen. You should be painting your wall.
You can always go to a plastics distributor and get "the right size" piece of sign board.
Mount the sign board and paint that...if you can't smooth the wall enough.
Also, google...
MaxxMudd
Also, ProjectorCentral has an entire DIY area on how to do a screen for $100 and under.
 

awcamaro

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I'm buying a fixed screen. it's 100 inches, and $230 dollars. Not making my own.
http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Screens-ER100WH1-Projection-Screen/dp/B00366KE3I/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1346444823&sr=1-1&keywords=elite+screens+100
Can you tell me how good this HTiB is? It has the Yamaha RX-v571 that you recommended.
http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-YHT-895BL-Complete-7-1-Channel-Theater/dp/B004W6RLO6
It's a little more in my budget at $600.
 

schan1269

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Have no idea why you keeping bringing up HTiB...
I linked the 571, by itself...for for $337. For $263(the difference in buying JUST THE RECEIVER) you could buy the Sony SS-B1000 and SS-CR3000 and still have enough for a subwoofer that is better than the one in the HTiB. Or, you could "forgot the sub" in the meantime and buy two pairs of 1000(or a pair of 3000 and a pair of 1000) with the center package.
You could make your own frame and buy "projector fabric" from a fabric store and make that for $130. Or, paint your wall for $100.
But, go ahead, buy speakers that you'll replace in a year so you can put the screen up in 15 minutes...instead of 3-4 hours.
 

schan1269

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On the used market...cause you don't need HDMI 1.4
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-RX-V565-7-1-Channel-Home-Theater-Receiver-/251141148365?pt=Receivers_Tuners&hash=item3a792dcecd#ht_500wt_1180
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-RX-V665-with-iPod-Docking-Station-/251140272585?pt=Receivers_Tuners&hash=item3a792071c9#ht_500wt_1414
There are a couple of both of those. The 665 is MUCH better than the 565 or 571...
Or, if you want to go to even better...you only get 3 HDMI...how many do you need?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Discontinued-Yamaha-HTR-6180-7-2-Channel-735-Watt-Power-Output-Receiver-/271041803876?pt=Receivers_Tuners&hash=item3f1b59b664#ht_4785wt_1398
 

awcamaro

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Fine. How about:
2 pairs of the Sony SS B1000
The Bic DV-62CLRS
Bic V1020 Subwoofer.
And the Onkyo NR515.
Total cost: around 700.
Still don't feel like doing a DIY screen.
 

awcamaro

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Would you recommend the BIC FH6 LCR as the center channel instead of the BIC DV-62CLRS?
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-FH6-LCR-6-5-Inch-Frequency/dp/B0015A8Y3E/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_2
Also, instead of 2 Sony SS-B1000's, how about a pair of Sony SS-B3000 and a pair of the Dayton B652?
http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-B652-2-Way-Bookshelf-Speaker/dp/B002RMPHMU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1346511712&sr=1-1&keywords=dayton
Actually, should I get the Sony SS-B3000 or the Bic DV62si?
So that would mean:
1 pair of Sony SS-B3000
1 Pair of Dayton B652
1 BIC FH6 LCR
1 BIC V1020
Any better than before?
 

schan1269

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The Sony B3000 is a great speaker for just north of $100.
To me the 62CLRS makes more sense with the SB3000 than the FH6(meaning "go all horn, or no horn at all")
I forgot about the B652. You might try 2 pairs of those and forgo the B3000(for soundstage continuity) Heck you could even get 3 or 4 pairs, use one for center and have a spare...
 

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