How Much Did You Spend on Your 5.1 Speaker Sysyem? (1 Viewer)

[JeremyErwin]

Wouldn't it be nice to actually hear the drums, and the bass guitars? A lot of 60s music is surprisingly well recorded, and good front speakers are not wasted on them. Modern Pop music is another story...

 

[nolesrule]

I've had my receiver and 5.1 for about 6 years now, and while I don't remember the breakdown, I spent about $1200. I think the receiver was around $500, but I'm not positive.

 

[hyghwayman]

I like country, would you be willing to trade

All the best,
hyghwayman

 

[chuckg]

My own setup was "collected" over a few years, and nothing in it was full price. I started with a pair of JBL S38 speakers, and then added two more pair from an online auction site. My sub is a JBL 12-inch, and it will be the next thing to go. (I replaced the dead amp with an outboard one) The "free" HT amp that came with my original speaker purchase was replace with a much more capable one at half price on closeout.

So, just for amp and speakers, I have $2700 worth of stuff for $1600.

This year, on Jan 1, I pried open my piggy bank and grabbed a 65" RP DLP for $1800. My wife got new countertops for $2k. Life is sweeeeeeet!

I think I might spend my federal bribe money on a new sub...buy American? Oh yeah!

 

[Marty M]

About nine years ago I spent a little over $2,000 on Paradigm Monitors all around and a Paradigm subwoofer. I am sure this setup would be over $3,000 today.

 

[Alan M]

In the last 2 years,I've bought and sold so many sets of speakers,I've lost count of the cash spent.
Current speaker setup,about $4k.Cost of the wife thinking I'm nuts,priceless

 

[Garrett Lundy]

My first system? a $499 Kenwood HTiB.

Currently PSB Platinum speakers & SVS Subwoofer.

 

[hyghwayman]

realized she'll never understand!

Now I'm not getting any younger and at 42 my number could come up any time. I did show her some of the replies to my ? and she had the nerve to say the wimpy HTiB speakers were fine , I just need to get my hearing checked . I tried to argue the point that the wimpy HTiB speakers were mono (1 speaker per box) and that they could never reproduce sound effectively. Her reply was yeah but there's 5 of them plus the sub. Then went on to say that when our youngest son (14) moves out I could get any speaker system I wanted, I told her by then I could be pushing daisies!

I will get my speakers now not later no matter what the cost, I will sell the wife and buy my speakers and she knows this too! I use to have other hobbies (fishing, camping/hiking, bowling, tennis and billiards) but had to cut back or stop them all together after being rear-ended (Auto Accident) in 2004, that's when I got hooked on HT. So, with that said I want to thank everyone again for all of your support, replies and wisdom.

hyghwayman

 

[JeremyErwin]

They aren't mono. It's just that they'll never be able to reproduce sound as loudly and clearly as a two-way or thee-way speaker.

And, I don't care how good your wife's hearing is. She won't be able to hear the pounding of an Oliphant charge on a wimpy subwoofer.

 

[Treker-1701]

I personally have about $775 or so invested in the speakers in my 5.1 surround system. I have been into stereo and HiFi since high school, so my equipment is a mixture of old school stereo speakers with the rest of the 5.1 surround kind of filled in with a mixture of stuff, but mostly from Cambridge Soundworks.

Here is what I have currently:

Mains: Polk Monitor 10A's (Early 80's vintage stereo speakers bought off e-bay. I think I paid about $250 for the pair, but it's been a while.)
Center: B&W Center Channel 600ifs (Local pawn shop find. About $125.)
Surrounds: Cambridge Soundworks MovieWorks 5.1 Surround (About $200 for the pair about 10 years ago if memory serves.)
Sub: Cambridge Soundworks 10" Powered Sub (About $200 or so again about 10 years ago if memory serves.)
Total: $775

Of course you will need to add a receiver to this package to power everything up.

This system is very adequate for my needs and I think shows what can be put together on a budget. I plan on doing some upgrading of the system when I upgrade to an HDTV sometime within the next year, but I won't do a lot. I will probably just try to find (or build) a center channel speaker that better matches my Polk 10 mains. The 10" sub will not make you feel like you are in an earthquake either, but it fit my goal of filling in the bottom end and giving you a bit of the rumble.

Later,

Treker

 

[Robert_J]

Like Jeremy stated, they aren't mono. A single driver is working in what we call "full range". Your HTiB speakers will never effectively reproduce the entire spectrum of sound but that doesn't mean it is not possible. A Fostex 8" driver in a proper enclosure would probably sound great. There are dozens of web sites devoted to single driver speakers (link to one of many).

-Robert

 

[JeremyErwin]

Robert, I think the WAF is a bit low for most of those.

 

[Robert_J]

I browsed the gallery and there are a lot of traditional looking speakers. At least the designer/builder isn't try to a 3" into a tiny, plastic enclosure and tell everyone how good it sounds. (I had to get a Bose jab in somewhere) The physics just don't stand up any scrutiny.

-Robert

 

[WRXBOX]

Front speakers: $1000
Centre channel: $400
Surrounds: $800
Rear Surrounds $600
Receiver: $1200
Subwoofer: $650

 

[JeremyErwin]

They remind me of bose, in a way, with their waveguides. However, they are big (out of necessity), which means that the style of the cabinetry is open to criticism. Thus, potentially low WAF.

 

[Larry Fabbri]

With the receiver and the sub about $6000, but thats CDN dollars. When I bought the stuff the dollar was about 75 cents so doing some quick math about $4500 USD.

 

[Amano Ai]

Current 5.1 w/ receiver, $2300, but it's much more because of the constant upgrades. It's hard but remember this, buy the best you can now, stretch your budget because if you go low end, you end up paying more as you end up selling at lost to buy the next level up.

 

[chuckg]

Some people are not intterested or can't tell the difference in quality for audio. Some people can't tell the difference between a good pair of boots and a roll of duct tape. You'll never sell the idea that way.

So...only 4 years before you get permission to waste as much money as you want? not bad. I'm 47, so I'm just five years down the road from you. fortunately, my wife doesn't mind my little hobbies.

Here is a thought...figure out how much money you've saved by not bowling and fishing, and see if she'll let you spend that amount on something you can do. Point out how therapeutic it will be to have a subwoofer massage every evening. If you need to, drag out a chick flick and...no, never mind.

If you can, find something she wants and see if you can give each other those things as a present. A completely remodelled kitchen with stainless steel appliances in trade for a killer HT worked for me! (btw, the kitchen cost a LOT more)

 

[mike_frontier]

People can kill w/ lawn mowers

 

[DaveF]

Don't let your wife see my post... I spent $220 in grad school, about 10 years ago. I got 3 pairs of KLH satellites on sale from BestBuy for $20 per speaker, and the KLH subwoofer for $100.

Then I got a job, and bought a car, then a house, then got married. New speakers just can't make the "buy" list, alas. And now, my wife tells me we need furniture! And, to my surprise, speakers don't count as "furniture".