Need Guidance on Setting Up a New Home Theater (1 Viewer)

[impanda]

Sounds like I could save a lot by investing in much less powerful speakers and still have great sound... didn't people say you should spend as much on audio as you do on video for a balanced system?

 

[schan1269]

Speakers don't have power. Amps do.

Speakers have...
Efficiency
frequency response

They provide an ohm load...which is one piece of the equation of power(which every other piece of the equation is provided by the amp).

The old adage for speaker buying...

Add in your TV, AVR, sources(VHS/DVD/PS3/Wii/phone/tablet...anything you are ever going to use with the AVR)...whatever that total is...

Is your minimum speaker budget.

 

[schan1269]

Why spend that much on speakers?

Here is why...

My BIC V830. My longest tenured(theatre use) speaker in my house. In the time I have had them...they have been connected to....

13 AVR.
8 TV/projectors
5 VHS
4 DVD
2 BD
2 CED
8 gaming systems
3 computers
1 LD
1 HD DVD

(Basically. If you buy your speakers right. You only have to do it every 25-75 years).

 

[impanda]

I understand good speakers last much longer than all the electronics, but isn't the total price of everything you've connected to the BIC V830 much higher than the speakers themselves?

Given what I have and will have as sources, would I be spending at least $5000 on speakers?

 

[schan1269]

My BIC V830, in 1989, were $1000/ pair.

$1000 in today's money is $3000(possibly more, cause they don't make speakers like these anymore).

And, that is 2 of the 9.

$5000 on speaker?

You barely scratch the surface.

Here is a speaker at $3250 each.
http://www.ohmspeaker.com/speakers/mains/walsh-tall/#wt-5000

And one of their 5.2 "small" systems...
http://www.ohmspeaker.com/home-theater/walsh-ht-1000-5.2/

 

[impanda]

Well, I don't have such a budget for my first theater...A Triton Three or BP 8060ST system is probably best I can do. But good to know!

 

[schan1269]

We all start somewhere.

My first AVR with those V830 was a Technics surround receiver. Front and rear channel.
Then when center came along I bought a Technics SAGX 650.
Then the next upgrade was S-Video.
Then came toslink.
Then came component video.

So yea, I started with 4(cause that was the technology at the time).

 

[impanda]

I remember the first time I watched a DVD and thought that was heaven.

Now 4K is here...

 

[schan1269]

If the new Def Tech 80X0 are busting the budget...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Definitive-Technology-BP7004-Floor-Standing-Speakers-BIPOLAR-SUPER-TOWERS-/121204168424?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item1c3854d6e8

 

[impanda]

I have another question if you don't mind:

Just now I found out my speaker wires buried in the wall don't have loose ends long enough to reach where I want to place my right main speaker, about 2 feet short. While the ends for my surrounds are long enough to spare a couple of feet. Would it be bad for the sound if I extend the wire? How would you recommend I do it, twist&tape, wire nuts, or soldering?

Thanks a lot.

 

[schan1269]

I would just use wire crimp butts. And if you want fancy, get heat wrap butts.

 

[impanda]

I see. Thanks a lot!

 

[schan1269]

Oh yeah.If you want to clean up the walls, install binding post plates. Then, in the future, you just connect the wire you need(makes home resale value differences as well).

 

[impanda]

Good idea.

However in that case, I would need to buy new wires (matching gauge?) and maybe dozens more banana plugs?

 

[schan1269]

Skip the banana plugs. Waste of money.If you lop off all the extra wire...Do you need any more? (Meaning...the extra rear wire, is there enough there to just swap out from the front?)Besides. If ran from the wall itself...no longer needs to be CL rated. So you could go with standard clear. If your carpet is beige...find beige, red...find red.

Wire is wire. I use standard 12awg lamp cord. CL rating is a must if it is in the wall regardless.

 

[impanda]

I guess I can try to cut & attach with what I have to make it work.

So just bare copper? not even ring or spade connectors?

 

[schan1269]

Those things are(in my opinion) nothing more than "take it apart once a month and put it back together" aids.

That is what I'd do...put in some wall binding posts and then see if you have all the wire you need after.

20ft of lamp cord at your local hardware store should cost very little. And you can get whatever color you want.