Hello, experts.
I'm setting up a 3.1 system from scratch and I'm hoping some of you can relay some of your expertise to help. The wife and I just had our first kid and just bought a new place, so the budget is pretty tight. I'm coming from a Samsung HTIB (HT-BD1250), so I'm pretty sure anything I throw together will be a step up from what I've been using.
The quick and dirty (based on reading some other posts and doing a bit of research on my own, these seem like the pertinent details):
- I'm leaning towards the VSX-1131 because it's new and I've never dealt with A4L before, though they have a pretty solid reputation around these parts from what I can gather.
- I know a lot of people recommend going to listen to the speakers someplace, but I can't find anywhere near me to try out the Micca or Dayton sets. The Andrew Jones Pioneers sounded pretty excellent to my relatively untrained ears. The reviews I've read on both of the others are pretty universally positive.
- The one thing that really turns me off of the Daytons is the spring clips.
- If I go with the Dayton bookshelves, does anyone have experience with the two Dayton centers? Is the CCS-33B a huge step up from the B452?
- Are the Andrew Jones Pioneers that big of a step up from the Daytons or the Miccas? How unhappy will I be if I just get the Andrew Jones Pioneers without a sub for the time being and wait a bit on picking up a sub later? It looks like the Andrew Jones have dipped to as low as like $150 for the bookshelves and center before; how often does that happen? I'm willing to wait a month or so before making a purchase, if that's what it comes to.
- How significant is the difference between the Dayton and the Sony subs? If they're reasonably close, I'll kind of feel like an idiot to spend more than twice as much on the Dayton...
Any other tips or suggestions are most appreciated! Thanks in advance for your help and expertise!
I'm setting up a 3.1 system from scratch and I'm hoping some of you can relay some of your expertise to help. The wife and I just had our first kid and just bought a new place, so the budget is pretty tight. I'm coming from a Samsung HTIB (HT-BD1250), so I'm pretty sure anything I throw together will be a step up from what I've been using.
The quick and dirty (based on reading some other posts and doing a bit of research on my own, these seem like the pertinent details):
- What I want to get: 3.1 speaker/sub setup and a new receiver. I want to at least have the option to expand to a 5.1 in the future, if the 3.1 feels inadequate and I can put away some extra cash for it.
- What I want to spend: $600-$700, all in, including a receiver.
- Where I want to put it: The living room is 15x11, with one open wall and a stairwell to the right of the couch. While I will usually be watching from the couch on the far wall opposite the TV, I will want to be able to listen from as far as the kitchen (see attached floor plan).
- What I want to use it for: 70% TV/movies, 25% music, 5% podcasts.
- What I'd like it to have:
And some notes/questions:- Where I want to put it: The living room is 15x11, with one open wall and a stairwell to the right of the couch. While I will usually be watching from the couch on the far wall opposite the TV, I will want to be able to listen from as far as the kitchen (see attached floor plan).
- What I want to use it for: 70% TV/movies, 25% music, 5% podcasts.
- What I'd like it to have:
- Receiver: WiFi, BT, 4K upscaling, Atmos, DTS:X, HDR (I'll be buying a 4K TV and I'd like to make the receiver as future proof as possible, in case I want to upgrade the speakers later). I don't care about dual zone or expanding up to 7.1.
- Speakers: The best sound I can afford with the rest of my budget.
- What I'm considering: - Speakers: The best sound I can afford with the rest of my budget.
- Receiver: Pioneer VSX-1131 (presently $399 new), Denon AVR-X1200W ($299 refurb at A4L), Denon AVR-S720W (also $299 refurb at A4L)
- Speakers: Micca MB42x (bookshelves and center $169), Dayton B652-AIR bookshelves ($60) and either Dayton C452 ($30) or Dayton CCS-33B ($58) Center, Pioneer SP-BS22-LR bookshelves ($130) and Pioneer SP-C22 Center ($97)
- Sub: Dayton SUB-1200 ($150) or Sony SA-W2500 ($60)
- Speakers: Micca MB42x (bookshelves and center $169), Dayton B652-AIR bookshelves ($60) and either Dayton C452 ($30) or Dayton CCS-33B ($58) Center, Pioneer SP-BS22-LR bookshelves ($130) and Pioneer SP-C22 Center ($97)
- Sub: Dayton SUB-1200 ($150) or Sony SA-W2500 ($60)
- I'm leaning towards the VSX-1131 because it's new and I've never dealt with A4L before, though they have a pretty solid reputation around these parts from what I can gather.
- I know a lot of people recommend going to listen to the speakers someplace, but I can't find anywhere near me to try out the Micca or Dayton sets. The Andrew Jones Pioneers sounded pretty excellent to my relatively untrained ears. The reviews I've read on both of the others are pretty universally positive.
- The one thing that really turns me off of the Daytons is the spring clips.
- If I go with the Dayton bookshelves, does anyone have experience with the two Dayton centers? Is the CCS-33B a huge step up from the B452?
- Are the Andrew Jones Pioneers that big of a step up from the Daytons or the Miccas? How unhappy will I be if I just get the Andrew Jones Pioneers without a sub for the time being and wait a bit on picking up a sub later? It looks like the Andrew Jones have dipped to as low as like $150 for the bookshelves and center before; how often does that happen? I'm willing to wait a month or so before making a purchase, if that's what it comes to.
- How significant is the difference between the Dayton and the Sony subs? If they're reasonably close, I'll kind of feel like an idiot to spend more than twice as much on the Dayton...
Any other tips or suggestions are most appreciated! Thanks in advance for your help and expertise!