Please help - limited buget (1 Viewer)

[Rob Brown III]

Hi all!

I'm just getting into HT so I don't have a HUGE budget to buy all my stuff. I trying to stay under $2000 for everything.. I can get a dalite 8 foot screen and X1 for $1100 which leave me with $900 for receiver, DVD player and speakers.. I know its a tight budget but I was wondering if anyone had any input as to some good priced items? I can go a little over but not by much.. maybe $2500 max.

My main goal is to watch DVDs and play X-box..

My house will be built in June and I have a 20X14 foot basement fot my HT..

Thanks in advance!
Rob

 

[luke_ha]

i like the Hk230 reciever you can get that for 325
are you gonna be listening to much music. what are you looking at in speakers.

honestly i would first pick out the speakers. figure out how much you are gonna spend on them. Just got the fluance SX-HTB. havent gotten to listen to em yet but my wife says they sound great. Are you looking at a SUB. After those questions are answered we will be able to move on.

 

[Rob Brown III]

It will be just for watching DVD and playing my X-box..

So I'll need a receiver, 5.1 speaker setup and a DVD player.. I know I can get a decent Sony DVD player for like $120 so thats no big deal.. I'm more worried about the receiver and speakers (and powered sub)... The receiver has to be able to switch the 2 HDTV signals.. doesn't have to be SUPER loud..

 

[Anthony*B]

any prog. scan DVD player around 100$ (or use your XBOX, better yet)
Fluance SX-HTB - 300$
Dayton Sub - 125$
that would leave you $375 for a nice low-middle end receiver if you shop around enogh (i bought a Pioneer VSX-D511 (?) for 169$ Brand new about 6 months back (it was the previous years model)...

if you could find a deal like that on the receiver, you'd come in under budget & pretty happy I think (though i would use up every last $ you had to get a better/more powerful receiver to fill up that room!

 

[Rob Brown III]

Thanks Anthony... quick question, where did you buy your stuff?

 

[Rob Brown III]

By the way Anthony, those speakers are just what I was looking for! AWESOME!

I also found a Sony 600W 6.1 receiver for $299 at Bestbuy.. it has 2 component input.. seems like a good deal. what do you think?

 

[Anthony*B]

the speakers are from fluance.com of course, & the dayton sub is from parts express, a popular site around here...as for the receiver, do a Google search for "Sony 600W review" (using your correct model # of course...that's what I always do, just to see what the general feeling is about the product im looking to buy...also do research here, Home Theater Forum is an absolute gold mine for information/learned opinions...
BTW, the setup I listed above is the one i have at home, so im just not throwing these items out ....I have said MANY times before that it is, in my opinion, the ultimate bang for the buck when your budget is TRULY low (like ours hehe)...this setup does a great job filling up my 15x15 room (it's not even calibrated :frowning: -sigh, one day)...I rarely listen above 35-37 volume ever, so it suits my needs well...i think you will love the system as long as you keep it below brain-to-butter levels

 

[Rich Wenzel]

i assume you have sat and watched the x1? just make sure you do....most people love it, some get headaches or cant wathc ofr extended periods of a time (like a LOTR movie)...

as for your budget...

you can get an onkyo 301 dvd player for under $100, very serviceable player...i recommend that...

as for your receiver and speakers, i would suggest buying only fronts now and not getting 5.1...add on to them later...if you absolutely need to go 5.1

look at

hsuresearch.com for some deals on their ventriloquist could do a whole setup for $500ish, leaving $300-800 for the receiver, I would say go lower.

also in the $500-$600 price range, look at athena and energy (some people just love the enegery take speakers)

there maybe some klipsch speakers in that range as well.

as for receivers, in the sub $300, look at some of the onkyo, h&k, and panasonic offerings. Above that look at the pioneer 912 (can get that for under $400 and has great auto setup features)...and above that, more H&K, Onkyo, Denon, and Yamaha stuff...like H&K330 and the Yamaha 1400...if you want a slightly higher end brand cambridge audio and nad have some pieces you can buy at places like www.spearitsound.com NAD can also be bought at good prices at www.dmc-electronics.com and www.saturdayaudio.com

if you can hold off getting on getting a full set and only get fronts, you can get a pair of psb image 5t under $500 which will gave you some great bass to make up for the lack of a subwoofer...i would also look at triangle's titus $500 bookshelves...

could also look at these:

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.p...oni&1083641492

if you go this route, the H&K with VMAx or a receiver with Dolby Virtual will make sense

Rich

 

[Rob Brown III]

Thanks for the great info guys! I wasn't sure if it was even doable to get a HT for under $2k.. but looks like my dream of owning one is now a reality.. I might have to bump up the spending a little because I'll probably get the Infocus 4805 when it comes out.. But other than that, I'm probably looking at octber/november time frame to purchase all my stuff.

As much as I would like to finish the basement and my HT as soon as I move in, my wife has other plans.. I have to landscape the yard, paint the baby's room, hang curtains, build a deck, install a/c... blah blah blah! But after that, look out!

 

[Anthony*B]

gack, Rob if your house is anything like ours was when we moved in, you'll be doing well to get time to work on your home theater around the year 2009 or so....pity the poor people that try to do their own home renovation (we had little choice 'cuz of low$, hehe)....good luck my friend! sadly, you may need it ...hang in there, though...it's worth it (i keep telling myself that at times like the other day when i almost severed my finger w/ a circular saw :frowning: )

 

[Rich Wenzel]

Rob,

after all that, she will find more for you do...a woman is never happy when her husband is at rest.

Anthony, I hope your finger is okay.

Rich

 

[Anthony*B]

Rich-the finger is ok now, & you spoke absolute gospel truth whenyou said women arent happy when we are at rest....that is so unbeleivably true...my wife for some reason cant stand it when im just sitting relaxing...i tell you it is absolutley baffling & intensely annoying...hehe...hope she's not watching

 

[Rob Brown III]

haha! You know, that's why I spent $25,000 in upgrades! Hopefully that will reduce my workload later on! I want her to be happy so she can leave me alone!

I want to get to my HT construction ASAP! If it wasn't for the upgrades, I probably wouldn't have one for 2-3 years!

When I'm ready, I'll probably have more questions.. although this site has answerd 75% of the questions I had before coming here! What an awesome site! TONS AND TONS of good information!

 

[Todd^B]

I agree with Anthony & Rich.

We moved into our house in Oct. 2001. We are just getting started on our basement now.

We spent about $2000 on window coverings, and another $3000 on the backyard landscaping...doing everything myself.

A new house is a never ending "battle" of upkeep and upgrading. You will be surprised how much work a brand new house is...guaranteed!!

I am busy every weekend and most weekdays doing something.

Good luck on the home theater and the $$$ situation. BTW, I live in the Denver area too Rob.

 

[Rob Brown III]

Where do you live Todd? I'm moving to Thornton in June (112th and Holly). I already own a house so yeah, I know the honey-do list just grows longer.. I'll take time off from work if I have to so that I can get my HT done by the end of the year! But all the advise about A/V products has helped me greatly here.. I found a 6.1 Onyko receiver for $269 at Circuit City and the Fluance speakers is right for my budget. If I get the Infocus 4805, I'm looking at $2500 and if I get the X-1, I'm looking at $2000..