Need input-Only $1000 to spend (1 Viewer)

[upslogger19]

I am on a budget and I need to get a receiver and a surround sound set for around $1000. I figured I would spend ~ $300-350 on the receiver and $650-700 on the speakers. Now I know I might get flamed for this but hear me out. I am considering the Bose Acoustimass 6 speaker set ($620) and getting a $300+ receiver. The thing is that my room I will be using these in is only 13'x16' so I don't need anything huge.

Pros:
Small - big deal to me because I do NOT have the floor space for floor speakers or shelf space for shelf speakers

Easy - All in one set and no mixing and matching is required.

Cons:
Value/Price - could get better sound for same price but at what cost (time, research)?


Now i have read tons of reviews for this set and they are either 5 star or 1 star (average of 4 stars) so it is a bit confusing. I was also thinking about buying the satellites without the Bose woofer and getting a separate sub.

Now I know nobody here will recommend getting these speakers, but maybe you could steer me in the right direction for a better value. Remember, I must be able to hang the speakers on the wall or from the ceiling. I am somewhat of a home audio noob so help me out.

 

[SethH]

The Hsu Ventriloquist setup would be less expensive and beat the crap out of the bose setup -- especially in the low-end.

 

[Arthur S]

Hi Mark

You need to spend about $1100 and get a tremendous system. BIC makes a fantastic 5.1 speaker package with a highly regarded subwoofer designed by Dr. HSU of HSU subwoofer fame. The other speakers are very much like Klipsch. The 5.1 system is $799 plus shipping. I also recommend the Pioneer 816 for about $260 delivered.

Send me a private message for details and a hot link.

Happy Holidays

Art

PPS For an extra $100 you can get a somewhat similar set-up, except in real cherry from Premier Acoustic. The co-owner of this Forum uses the Premier Acoustic set-up himself.

Have a Prosperous New Year

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Hi Marc.

I just bought one of my daughters this HTIB from Best Buy for $700:



This package has many advantages:

- seperate receiver, dvd player, sub, speakers. You can upgrade any piece.
- Small size speakers, but tone-matched for a great HT experience
- Denon is a well respected name in the electronics world

True story: several years ago a moderator here was invited to hook up his in-laws new Home Theater in a Box (~$550, Kenwood, similar to the system above). They watched 2 movies that evening and the system sounded so good that the moderator had to run home that evening and fire up one of the same movies in his much more expensive system to compare.

Yes, his system did sound better, but not 18-20 times better that the cost of the 2 systems would imply.

Here is the trick: a set of inexpensive, less-accurate speakers properly setup can give a great home-theater experience.

That same system was tested by "Stereophile Guide to Home Theater" and it held it's own against a 'budget' set of NHT speakers that retails for over $1,100.

A few years later, the editor of "Home Theater" magazine admitted that a secret that a set of budget-but-tone-matched speakers can rival the experience of much more expensive speakers for HT.

Hope this helps.