Hi,

I am new to this site, and a bit overwhelmed by the knowledge available now to me. So I am second guessing everything I was going to to.

I was going to go w/ a PS3, Sony Bravia KDL-40 V2500, and a Bose Lifestyle.

I Consider myself to be somewhat of an audiophile, just uneducated.

What would be your ideal PS3 setup maximizing your best "bang for your buck".

I live in a condo too, and have a fair sized room (I am about 7-10 feet from the tv)

I was thinking of changing to a Mitsubishi LT-37132 LCD, and Polk RM20 Satellite speaker package, and Harmon Karden AVS 245 reciever.

Any thought? I don't want to have to upgrade for atleast 5 years (would like atleast a 1080p)

Thank you, and I appreciate any input.


Corey

Well it wouldnt include anything from Bose for one :)

I reckon your 2nd suggestion is pretty good though

An audiophile who'd buy Bose, oxymoron if i've ever heard it. Thankfully you said you were uneducated on the subject so it's forgivable.

Take the budget for whatever Bose crap you were going to buy and pick out individual components. I can guarantee you'll get 5x the sound for whatever you were going to pay. Conversely you could spend half as much as the Bose setup and still have a better sounding system.

Personally i'm running a very meager entry level

Velodyne Front Row 5.1 setup ($199)
BIC Acoustech H-100 ($229)
Denon AVR-887 ($599)

and it blows the doors off of any Bose setup and all but specially tailored HTIB (home theater in a box).

60XBR2 SXRD
Denon 4306
PS3 (either)

could fit under that budget, but you'd have to get bargain speakers. You could get the 3806 and give yourself a bit more room to maneuver...

Well it wouldnt include anything from Bose for one :)


I agree. Bose products are all about marketing, not audio quality.

The Mitsubishi LT-37132 is a very nice display. However, 1080p on a 37" display is overkill. In my opinion, you can't really appreciate 1080p on a display that small, especially since you will be sitting 7-10 feet away. You might consider a 42" or larger display if you really want to enjoy 1080p. The HK receiver looks like it's a nice one with HDMI switching (although I'm partial to Denon myself). I've had good experiences with Polk Audio's surround packages. They aren't audiophile quality, but they offer really good sound for the price.

Personally, if I had to redo my setup today with a $6K budget, I'd go with the following:

Sony PS3 $600
Sony KDS-55A2000 SXRD $2500
Denon AVR-2307CI $799
Polk Audio RM-20 $699
Polk Audio PSW-505 Sub $499
--------------
Total $5097

That leaves $900 for games, movies, cables and wiring.

You could do pretty well with something similar to what post #5 suggested.

But, I would spend less on the receiver and more on the speakers. And maybe a little bit less on the sub. If you are spending that much on a sub you could get an SVS sub. go to svsound.com

Polk has an entry level line that I like if you are on a budget. But, if you really do appreciate good sound then Paradigm and PSB are both excellent bang for the buck. This would probably be seconded in the audio section of avsforums.

And if you are going with 1080p then try to get a 60" set so you can really take advantage of the extra resolution if it does not put you over your budget. My 50" seems small now. Next set in a few years will be minimum 70".

My personal preference for visual quality is for plasma, then lcd, then rp. Everyone has their own opinion of course. have fun

for $6000 you can get a pretty nice setup...id go with the Sony KDS60A2000 rear projection set...you get 1080p and it looks great.

with speakers you have a ton of options...i own a polk system but its not within the $6K budget...if i were you id look at Axiom Audio, Paradigm, and Polk...Axioms speakers sound great and are definately within your budget...go to Axiomaudio.com and go to Audioholics.com to get some reviews on their speakers...if you dont want to go with Axiom or Paradigm i would recomend getting a polk system...you can easily get 5 speakers from polk for under $2k...for gods sake dont get a polk subwoofer...SVS makes great subs along with Hsu. you probubly wouldnt need a huge sub since your in a condo...i to am partial to denon receivers...the one in post 5 is more than sufficient.


Sony KDS60A2000 $2500
PS3 $600
Polk System $1100
SVS/Hsu Subwoofer $600
Denon AVR2307CI $800

that right there comes to $5600...granted thats a little high because it doesnt leave you much room for cables but there is a lot of wiggle room with the speaker packages you can put together...an $1100 Polk system will get you a good bang for the buck but there are also many polk systems you can put together for a little less $$$

I'd definitely agree with the Sony SXRD's (provided you don't get the green blob) that have been recommended.

For the receiver and speakers, I think it depends on the size of the room you have. 7.1 is only worth it if you can position the rear surround speakers a fair distance behind your main seating area. Can your room handle that? If it can't, you don't need a receiver that can accept 7.1 PCM (uncompressed audio--better than Dolby Digital and DTS). 5.1 would be sufficient.

If 5.1 is all you're gonna get, I'd say go for something like the Onkyo 604, which can be had for $400.

If 7.1 is important to you, that Denon 2307 is a good bet. The Denon 887 is functionally almost identical to the 2307 and can be had for less than the 2307.

I wouldn't get a Polk sub. I've just heard that their subs aren't that great. Is disturbing neighbors a problem for you? If so, I wouldn't spend $600 on a sub. Maybe the Hsu STF-2 or SVS PBS-10 (I think that's their $400 model) at most. I live in an apartment and I settled on an Onix X-Sub because I didn't want to bother the neighbors too much.

You should spend more on speakers also. Of course, don't buy Bose. Please. Don't. $700 over 5 speakers is a bit thin. I'd spend closer to $1300-1500 than $700. Again, this depends on if you want to go with 7.1 or 5.1.

I am happy for my setup, for a student I think it was the best bang for the bucks!

37" 1080p Westy

60GB PS3

THX Certified Logitech Z5500 System

SONY DVD player

Gateway Laptop 2.8GHz P4 800mhz, 1GB, 64MB Video w/ DVD-RW drive, and other goodies. IMO the PS3 + TV combo = great gaming...

F1, Resistance, Marvel, RR, and MOTORSTORM look great! :D

The Westy's screen sure is one of the nice ones. Real nice color/back light balance.

If you have the wall space and you have some light control (aka shades). Get a 720p projector like the InFocus IN76 or Panasonic PT-AX100U. Then you can do your gaming on a space measured in feet instead of inches.

Oppo DVD player, Denon Receiver, Axiom speakers, PS3, OTA HDTV receiver and you're done... for now... ;)

Mike

Just some info - pretty much a good display is a good display and good multichannel audio is good multichannel audio. It doesn't matter if your source is a PS3, or HDTV or HD-DVD or whatever. I'd take some of the suggestions above, do some research online and some browsing/searches in the appropriate forums here which would be in the display devices and audio. It's not like there is some magical combination for the PS3 specifically any good setup will do it justice, you just need to determine what defines good and how to allocate your dollars.

60" Sony SXRD FTW!
And my Onkyo 790 system shakes my 24' x 15' living room easy.

B&W 603 (http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.models/label/Model%20DM603%20S3) = $1000
B&W LCR600 (http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.models/label/Model%20LCR600%20S3) = $500
B&W DM601 (http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.models/label/Model%20DM601%20S3) = $400
SVS 20-39PC-Plus (http://www.svsound.com/products-sub-cyl-plpow2.cfm) = $900

Denon 4306 (http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/2243.asp) = $2000
Parasound 5125 (http://www.parasound.com/nc/5125.php) = $1500
TV (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2601193) = $100
---------
$6400

These are all great suggestions. I am not a bose fan either.

TV: LCD Sony KDL40XBR2 $2500
AV: Denon 2307CI: $700 (maybe cheaper)
7.1 surround speakers: Ascends acoustic: $1500
Subwoofer (a must!): SVS PB plus+2 or HSU $900
PS3 60 gig: $600
Total: $6200.00.

You will still need money for cabinets, wires. DO NOT USE MONSTER CABLE!!!! GO TO MONOPRICE.COM!!!!!! example, 14 foot cat5 fast (350hz) ethernet cable via Compusa $30. Monoprice: $2.
BB HDMI 6 foot cable: $119, Monoprice $7. you get the idea.

TV (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2601193) = $100


ROFL :D

I have a Samsung 56 inch 1080p set ($1620 delivered)
an Onkyo receiver ($500 delivered)
Orb Audio MOD1 and MOD2 speakers and stands (orbaudio com $1500)
PS3 ($500)

$4120 plus cabling, furnture, etc...

I love my setup. I also have Xbox 360, Wii, a nice power center, XM radio, and a HD DVD player by Toshiba.

All of which can be had for a total of $5800 plus cabling and furniture...

B&W 603 (http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.models/label/Model%20DM603%20S3) = $1000
B&W LCR600 (http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.models/label/Model%20LCR600%20S3) = $500
B&W DM601 (http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.models/label/Model%20DM601%20S3) = $400
SVS 20-39PC-Plus (http://www.svsound.com/products-sub-cyl-plpow2.cfm) = $900

Denon 4306 (http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/2243.asp) = $2000
Parasound 5125 (http://www.parasound.com/nc/5125.php) = $1500
TV (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2601193) = $100
---------
$6400

Hilarious. A quick glance and I was wondering how you were going to pull that off. :)

B&W 603 (http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.models/label/Model%20DM603%20S3) = $1000
B&W LCR600 (http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.models/label/Model%20LCR600%20S3) = $500
B&W DM601 (http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.models/label/Model%20DM601%20S3) = $400
SVS 20-39PC-Plus (http://www.svsound.com/products-sub-cyl-plpow2.cfm) = $900

Denon 4306 (http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/2243.asp) = $2000
Parasound 5125 (http://www.parasound.com/nc/5125.php) = $1500
TV (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2601193) = $100
---------
$6400

The sound setup you just listed is a pretty big step up on the other suggestions IMO. I'd ditch the Parasound and get the Panasonic PH509UK 50" plasma (not 1080p) for $1800. And also check out Axiom and Paradigm for speaker alernatives.

The sound setup you just listed is a pretty big step up on the other suggestions IMO. I'd ditch the Parasound and get the Panasonic PH509UK 50" plasma (not 1080p) for $1800. And also check out Axiom and Paradigm for speaker alernatives.
hehe.. you're right about the Parasound. It would be ideal to have external amplification for speakers as nice as those but you can always upgrade to that later, especially since the 4806 has 7.1 pre-outs.

I would prefer a 50-55" SXRD in its place though.

The best bang for the buck IMO would be...

Sharp AQUOS® 52" LCD HDTV (LC-52D62U) = $3400
Onkyo ht-s907 = $800
Sony PS3 60 gig = $600

Total = $4800

You have $1200 for cables, tv cabinet, etc...

My life does not allow me to blow $6,000 on equipment, so I had to go with the most bang for the buck approach as well:

Display = Mistubishi HD1000U projector ($850)
Screen = Parkland Plastics DIY (from AVS forums and Lowe's - $20)

Receiver = Denon AVR-1906 ($250 off E-Bay)
Speakers = Klipsch Synergy System (5.1 with added rear channels for 7.1) ($700)
Subwoofer = 10" Sony Powered unit from 2001 (forgot model # - $250)

Sources =
Sony 60 GB PS3 (doubles as my Blu-Ray player) - $600
Sony PS2 (still on my original unit bought in 2001!) - $249
Microsoft XB360 ($399)
Microsoft HD-DVD add-on ($199)
Samsung HD-841 DVD ($30 off E-Bay - upconverts on component cables to leave HDMI free for Blu-Ray/PS3)
Motorolla VOOM box ($25 off E-Bay, plays OTA-HD signals flawlessly still)

Various Cables (Monoprice - HDMI, DVI-to-HDMI, Component Video, Dolby Digital Optical) = ($75)

Total Cost = $3,400

For that I have full HD-capabilities (OTA, BD, HD-DVD), a 100" 16:9 widescreen HD image and 7.1 surround sound capabilities. Is it audiophile or videophile quality? Of course not, but the 5% performance difference between my set-up and one that costs easily 3X what I paid does not bother me in the least! Right now I much prefer having the extra money available to buy more games and moveis than if I had sunk another $2,600 into my set-up...although I did drop another $1800 to pick up a clearance Mitsubishi 62628 1080p DLP RPTV for my family room set-up... :o ....home theater and electronics gear can get awfully expensive... :D

I wish I had even more disposal Jack to throw at stuff, but I am comfortable with the compromises and love having my screen that large for gaming and HT use.

If you do still go with Bose in the end, make sure you hook everything up with Monster Cable. And make sure you use those plastic risers that hold the speaker cables up off the carpet so that you don't get static noise. I think they cost about $30 each.

Seriously, though, go to a high end audio store (i.e. not Best Buy, Circuit City), and do some direct A-B speaker comparisons. Personally, I'm partial to Klipsch.

And get your cables from monoprice.

Unfortunately, you're in a condo. If you weren't, I'd recommend a Danley DTS-20 subwoofer. 120db at 20Hz. May cause structural damage.