Dan Keliikoa
Stunt Coordinator
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2003
- Messages
- 199
In my previous marriage, I had a big HT system, made up of a B&K AVR 507, M&K S125 mains, S100B center, MX150 THX sub, and four SS150THX surrounds. That system slammed. If not for discounts where I worked, I wouldn’t have even been able to afford it all…then, or especially now.
So, after my divorce, relocation to TN, and re-married, I went from 7.1 THX Dolby and DTS everything to stereo speakers and a 26” tv. After two years, I finally upgraded the TV to a 52” JVC Dila (which I love). That made life much better and felt good to get back into my HT hobby…but was still lacking on sound. But what to do in such a small, cramped bedroom when you like BIG sound and have little funds?
Answer: Onkyo HT-S780 HTIB
My top original solution for the bedroom was a HSU Ventriloquist system w/STF1 and a Sony receiver…total about 800 bucks for gear. But I could never quite cotton to the idea of the Ventriloquist system and the tiny cube satellites with single drivers, so I started looking for cheaper alternatives in HTIB. I was a little underwhelmed with what I was finding, until I came across the Onkyo system in my research. After reading awesome reviews of the system, I drove to Circuit City to test one.
What a shocker this system has turned out to be!
I could only demo it in stereo, so I popped one of my cds in and listened to the mains and sub. I was quite impressed…no tinniness, no wimpy demeanor…this system has some cajones! Priced at $479 on their website (they give you that price in the store if you mention it), and with ROTS coming out Tuesday, I took the plunge :^)
Setup went smoothly for the fronts, sub and center. For my JVC Dila (no ‘top’ to speak of, steep back) I had bought some months ago a center channel steel shelf that sits up there very nicely (also avail. at Circuit City…CC1B I think?). The receiver weighs in around 20 pounds or so, and this guy runs hot, so put nothing on top of it and give it room to breathe! I eschewed the included crap speaker wire in favor of 14 gauge wire. Time to wire the rears up.
Ok, so why did I use 14 gauge again??? Oh yeah, cuz it’s thicker and heavier and harder to work with. But it’s gonna sound GOOD, and make life easier for the receiver!
This is a newer home that we are leasing, so I wanted to do a ‘minimal impact’ mounting of the four surrounds on the walls. I had two doorways to deal with, so simply running the (trip)wires on the ground was not a good option. I wanted a wire management system that would be simple to work with, relatively inexpensive, and easy to install and uninstall for when we move out in a year or two. I found this management system at Lowe’s that looked promising.
So, after my divorce, relocation to TN, and re-married, I went from 7.1 THX Dolby and DTS everything to stereo speakers and a 26” tv. After two years, I finally upgraded the TV to a 52” JVC Dila (which I love). That made life much better and felt good to get back into my HT hobby…but was still lacking on sound. But what to do in such a small, cramped bedroom when you like BIG sound and have little funds?
Answer: Onkyo HT-S780 HTIB
My top original solution for the bedroom was a HSU Ventriloquist system w/STF1 and a Sony receiver…total about 800 bucks for gear. But I could never quite cotton to the idea of the Ventriloquist system and the tiny cube satellites with single drivers, so I started looking for cheaper alternatives in HTIB. I was a little underwhelmed with what I was finding, until I came across the Onkyo system in my research. After reading awesome reviews of the system, I drove to Circuit City to test one.
What a shocker this system has turned out to be!
I could only demo it in stereo, so I popped one of my cds in and listened to the mains and sub. I was quite impressed…no tinniness, no wimpy demeanor…this system has some cajones! Priced at $479 on their website (they give you that price in the store if you mention it), and with ROTS coming out Tuesday, I took the plunge :^)
Setup went smoothly for the fronts, sub and center. For my JVC Dila (no ‘top’ to speak of, steep back) I had bought some months ago a center channel steel shelf that sits up there very nicely (also avail. at Circuit City…CC1B I think?). The receiver weighs in around 20 pounds or so, and this guy runs hot, so put nothing on top of it and give it room to breathe! I eschewed the included crap speaker wire in favor of 14 gauge wire. Time to wire the rears up.
Ok, so why did I use 14 gauge again??? Oh yeah, cuz it’s thicker and heavier and harder to work with. But it’s gonna sound GOOD, and make life easier for the receiver!
This is a newer home that we are leasing, so I wanted to do a ‘minimal impact’ mounting of the four surrounds on the walls. I had two doorways to deal with, so simply running the (trip)wires on the ground was not a good option. I wanted a wire management system that would be simple to work with, relatively inexpensive, and easy to install and uninstall for when we move out in a year or two. I found this management system at Lowe’s that looked promising.
