First Time setting up a HT system (1 Viewer)

[FLASH1970]

Skip below to get to the meat and potatoes and avoid my mindless dribble if you want... . My TV's speakers started buzzing a bit at certain frequencies so I figured I'd get a HT setup. I've spent the last few days reading, reading, reading, and reading and learning about all this stuff and my head is still spinning but not as fast as it was a few days ago. I knew nothing, but now know next to nothing. Thanks to all the experienced guys giving out advice and suggestions. It's helped me learn. on to the important things. Looking for a 5.1 for now with all satellites or bookshelves being wall mounted. I'll make shelves to put the bookshelves on if needed. Maybe in a year or two going to 7.1 with towers and moving the 2 fronts to the back or sides. I'm open to suggestions. Here's what I'm working with.


PS3 for blu-ray

LG 55" LED 3D tv (55LB7200 if I remember right)

budget, im trying to keep around 600.

room- 8x10 bedroom, 8ft ceiling.



Looking at this receiver. seems to be the one with the options I'm interested in. Might go the atmos route when I go 7.1 and this supports it, works with 3d TV's, AccuEQ Room Calibration...

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/onktxnr636/onkyo-tx-nr636-7.2-atmos-a/v-receiver-hdmi-2.0-wi-fi/bt/1.html#!specifications


Sub

http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=109&cp_id=10906&cs_id=1090602&p_id=9723&seq=1&format=2

or

http://www.neworldit.com/BIC_America_F12_Bic_12IN_450W_Sub_FRONT_Front_Sub_p/30920002301.htm

or

http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-Audio-SUB-1200-12-Inch-Subwoofer/dp/B00669L3HS



speakers is where I'm scratching my head... I could buy these and skip the sub purchase

http://www.amazon.com/Energy-Classic-Theater-System-Black/dp/B001202C44/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1453158408&sr=1-1&keywords=energy+take+classic+5+1



I really like the AJ Pioneer speakers but unless there's a half off sale (which seems to happen once a year) they're out of reach.


Thanks for any help and suggestions.

 

[schan1269]

You are on the right track. I would buy the AVR. Before you buy a sub...or any speakers.

Peruse Craigslist and ebay(via distance) first. Even if you only land a 2.1 system at your budget...you will end up ahead.

You could also get the HTS 5700(I think that is the model) around there. I am not a fan of "satellite" speakers like the Energy Take.

 

[FLASH1970]

Thanks for the suggestion Sam. I did some looking up on that system and in doing so, I came across a refurb'd Onkyo HT-S7700 for 600... so maybe now the question is to get a refurb'd system or not.

 

[ArmSC]

I would skip the Atmos/4k stuff right now and just focus on getting a 5.1 up and running. You mentioned going to a 7.1/atmos setup in 2 years or so at that point I would get look at a new AVR instead of putting more money into it now. I would put more of your current budget into speakers as those will stay around.


I would look at the following gear.


AVR - Denon AVR-S500BT refurb $160


Speaker set - If you like the AJ Pioneers look into these sets.

• AJ Pio 5.1 package $430 - the sub is not the best but could be upgraded later
• AJ Pio 5.0 package $450 - same link as above gets you towers but no sub.

 

[FLASH1970]

I just like the AJ Pio as a good starting point for speakers. Eventually I'd like to get towers that will alone exceed my current budget. Then throw in a center and sub that will also exceed my current budget. I figured with the HT-S7700 I'd at least have a receiver that I wouldn't need to upgrade seeing that it's atmos 7.1 already, works with 3d... yadda yadda yadda and a full set of atmos ready speakers. The receiver in the HT-S7700 (HT-R693) appears to be pretty much identical to the TX-NR636 that I was planning on using as my foundation. Am I going about this wrong?


On a side note, I can't find any difference between the HT-S5800 and the HT-S7700... Anyone have any ideas? I'm guessing the HT-S5800 is the 2015 model and the HT-S7700 is the 2014 one, but yet the HT-S7700 is almost 100 dollars more expensive on Amazon.

 

[Jason Charlton]

I'd at least have a receiver that I wouldn't need to upgrade seeing that it's atmos 7.1 already...

If you're serious about Atmos, I'd read up on the technology a bit more before biting on this (I'll admit that I still have a few things to learn about it, and I'm not overly concerned with Atmos for myself).


That receiver has 7 amplifier channels and no pre-outs other than subwoofer. If you choose to add the two atmos/height speakers, you no longer have 7.1, you're down to 5.1 plus the two Atmos speakers (so technically not "7.1 Atmos", it's "5.1.2 Atmos"). Secondly, this receiver appears to be configured to use "Atmos-enabled" front speakers, which essentially uses front "height" channels as the added pair for Atmos, as opposed to dedicated overhead speakers.


Atmos-enabled speakers employ upward-firing drivers that bounce sound off of the ceiling to the listening position. The Pioneer AJs do not include these added drivers, and I'm not certain whether or not you can get "add on" units to place on top of non-atmos-enabled speakers, but that's something you'll need to look into.


I agree with Tony that you should not be too quick to jump into the deep end just yet. Also, keep in mind that it's very easy to overspend on a receiver thinking that you're going to "future-proof" yourself (meanwhile short-changing yourself on speakers), but by the time you get around to implementing those features, there's something else that's come along that requires a new AVR anyway. To make matters worse, you compromised on speakers early when your system was more modest, and their shortcomings will only become amplified (pun!) as you improve the other system components.


Buy speakers wisely and they will far outlast every other component in your system.


Edit: Silly me, I forgot you were looking at the entire 7700 system which includes the upward-firing drivers on the speakers (I was looking through the manual for the receiver and lost track of the rest of the system).

 

[FLASH1970]

Thanks for the post. I am aware that the receiver is either 7.1 or 5.1.2 so I'd have to choose. But, I'd have the flexibility to do either one (if I were to purchase 2 more speakers for the sides because the HT-S7700 fronts have 2 channels integrated into each speaker for the Atmos). I read through this article among a couple others on the HT-S7700 and the Atmos seems like a cool feature just like 3d. Every movie wont have it, but it's a neat thing to have on some of the movies.


http://hometheaterreview.com/onkyo-ht-s7700-home-theater-system-reviewed/


You can get Atmos add ons. I've seen a few different ones and there's even a set for the AJ Pio speakers.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-T22A-LR-Speaker-designed-Andrew/dp/B0148NPHO8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1453232038&sr=1-1&keywords=pioneer+atmos


But they're 200 bucks. At that point I'd get a different set of speakers and mount them up high.



But maybe I am getting ahead of myself and should just get a couple decent towers for around 400 and get a receiver for a couple hundred. Any tower recommendations?


I'm not a huge fan of the sound bars. I think their effect has a lot to do with the room layout. If you're in a smaller rectangular room I think the sound will bounce off the walls too much and lose it's effect by the time it reaches you. I went to Best Buy yesterday and sure, standing right in front of a sound bar in an open store gives it a cool surround effect but I'm guessing it's different at home. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Salacious Ackbar]

You could get a LCR setup and go with BIC DV64 towers and a DV-62CLRS center for under $400. If you can stretch it a bit more, I would look into getting something more than an entry level receiver. This is where refurb's come in handy. A4L is awesome in this regard. I would go for Denon or Yamaha personally. I wouldn't worry about Atmos at all right now. Just focus on getting a solid 3.1 going. Honestly, I ran a 3.2 system for awhile with the BIC speakers and two F12's and really did not miss the surround speakers much at all and got quite a bit of phantom surround activity without any trouble.

 

[schan1269]

The Atmos AVR in the Onkyo HTS can wired up both...

5.1/2

And

7.1

Meaning, you can choose "on the fly" between them. Just requires you to have 9 speakers in the room. Using 7 at a time.

Amendment to what I said...

Appears the 8/9 speaker terminal is instead...Zone 2.

Would have made more sense to have had that set of posts be height or Zone 2(which I think is how the 646 is set up).

So...you could still do 5.1/2 and 7.1...

But it would require the addition of...

1. Speaker switch(a/b)
2. Taking 30 seconds in the set up menu to change from "height" to "rear surround".

 

[FLASH1970]

Well, a little update from my end. Good news, Uncle Sam doesn't need as much of my money as my tax estimates suggested (I was a 1099 employee for 10 months of last year). So, my budget has increased. From what I've read is the Onkyo HT-S7700 and the 5800 have Atmos, but not the DTS:X capabilities. I see the two sound formats going at it the way HD DVD and Blu ray did a few years ago. I want a receiver with atmos & dts:x so I'll be set either way. So, I'm looking into the Denon AVR-X2200, Onkyo TN-NR646, and maybe the Denon 3200. What I've found so far is the Onkyo is a bit more powerful but the Denon is clearer and has a better calibration setup.

I'll be checking 'slick deals" and the deals from fry's for speakers. Also, forgot I had a couple Infinity SL 40 towers in my storage room. Probably waaaaay outdated but maybe they'd do ok for a bit so I can focus more of the budget on the center, sub, surrounds.

 

[schan1269]

No such thing as "outdated speakers".

 

[FLASH1970]

Good point. I won't know if they're 'good to go' until I get the rest of the system purchased and set up.