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Need help choosing receiver and speakers - Small budget

post #1 of 15
2/3/10 at 8:13am
Thread Starter 
Hello everyone. I've been lurking for a week or so, trying to learn some basics before I pull the trigger on a new HT system. I've found a wealth of knowledge here, but I'm brand new to all of this and need some advice.

Like a lot of other folks, I'm looking for a descent receiver and speaker set that will give me the most bang for my buck. Before I started researching alternatives, I almost ordered the Onkyo 7200 HTIB. After reading the negative stuff about the speakers, I'm glad I didn't. This is what I have.

Budget: $1000 - $1250

Room Size: 15' X 20' with vaulted ceiling that tops out in the center of the room at about 15'.

Content: Mostly movies and satellite/OTA HD programming, some gaming, little music.

Current equipment: Panny 58 S1, Sony PS3, Dish Network VIP 722 HD receiver, old LG 5.1 HTIB that will hopefully go in the dumpster soon.

I really like the Onkyo RC-160 and 607 receivers, but am not opposed to Denon, Yamaha or Pioneer.

Where I'm really struggling is picking the right speaker and sub setup. My intention is to start with a 5.1 system, and maybe expand to 7.1 later. Or, do I need to go with a 7.1 system from the get go? The Energy Take 5.1 system gets solid recommendations, but I'm not sure it's the best option with my large room size? What about Boston or Klipsch? The backs would need to be on stands behind a couch.

As you can tell, I'm not a hardcore HT enthusiast. I have too many other hobbies that keep my wallet thin. I'm just looking for a good system that my family and I can enjoy watching movies, sports, and do a little gaming on the side. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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post #2 of 15
2/3/10 at 8:20am
onkyo 606/607 or rc 160/180. that should leave $500-750 for speakers. 7.1 is overrated in my opinion. not that it sucks. it really pisses me off that we have blu ray and most don't take advantage of the extra bandwidth for 7.1. i see more movies with action and stuff that use 5.1 and all the slow boring movies use 7.1. i would just get the best 5.1 speaker setup your budget will allow after you get receiver, and possibly upgrade in the future. don't forget to buy some speaker wire from monoprice. i recommend minimum 14 gauge for that class of receiver.
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post #3 of 15
2/3/10 at 8:25am
Newegg seems to sell Onkyo for good prices lately. You can find refurbished Onkyo at shoponkyo and accessories4less. Check deals at dealsofamerica, bensbargains, fatwallet, and slickdeals for the latest price on electronics.

Just go 5.1 for now. Having a good subwoofer is half the battle in home theater. For me, I wouldn't even bother with Energy Take 5. Bookshelf would be the smallest I would go. There are plenty of deals to be find. Saturdayaudio been having good deals on Monitor Audio and PSB lately. Energy bookshelf can be found floating online as well.
The easiest system to buy are the SVSound package or the HSUResearch package but might stretch your budget a little. Boston and Klipsch are well known brand but you'll have to do your research on them, depending on the model you have in mind. Polk Monitor are selling really cheap at Newegg as well. They aren't the best but definately a good bang for the buck system.
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post #4 of 15
2/3/10 at 10:45am
With receiver technology progressing at its current rate, nearly everything gets obsolete fairly quickly. So I'd go with a cheaper receiver and spend more money on the speakers, whose technology really hasn't changed much.

I'd go with a Denon 590 or 1610, which is a 5.1 receiver, but about $100 less than the Onkyo 607. Moreover, it has Audyssey MultEQ, which is Audyssey's "standard" room correction product.

In contrast, the 607 has Audyssey 2EQ, which is much more basic (inferior to MultEQ) and cannot equalize the sub, which is often critical for proper system setup.

By the time you are ready for 7.1 setup, you probably will need a new receiver.

So with $350 for the receiver, that leaves $650 to $900 for speakers. You have gotten some good recs on speakers so far, the Hsu and SVS systems will do the trick, and they both sell high quality subs, which are critical for filling a large room with enough bass to do justice to your movies.

Another company to consider is Elemental Designs http://www.edesignaudio.com/index.php
They have some very good subs at great prices, the A2-300 for $350 is a value leader. They also have some good budget speakers, the A6-6T6 looks pretty good for the front three, and you could use the A3 5TC for the surrounds. Throw in the A2-300 sub, and if they give you the 15 percent package discount, that's $901.

I'd call them to see if they'd recommend that kind of system for your application, and if thse speakers will match up well, but it looks like a good one. I'd also search for reviews here on the ED speakers, since I have not heard these myself.
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post #5 of 15
2/4/10 at 5:06pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all of the suggestions so far. What do you guys think of this.

Denon 1610
Energy RC-10 fronts
Energy mini center and surrounds
BIC F-12 sub

Through Vanns, Newegg and Shpblt, I will land right around my budget of $1250. The Svsound setups look awesome, but even the lowest end stuff puts me around 1500 with a receiver. How does Energy compare with Svsound?
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post #6 of 15
2/4/10 at 5:31pm
The Energy RC-10s will be better than the SVS speakers (I assume you mean the SBS-01 bookshelf?), although SVS makes a great subwoofer.

I assume the Energy RC-10 and other speakers will be in black? I don't think they have the RC-10 in cherry any more. You should able to negotiate a lower price for the black RC minis if you haven't already. Then again, they probably wont be cheaper than the RC-10s so just get two pair of those and add the mini center.
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post #7 of 15
2/4/10 at 5:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by boxarocks View Post

Thanks for all of the suggestions so far. What do you guys think of this.

Denon 1610
Energy RC-10 fronts
Energy mini center and surrounds
BIC F-12 sub

Through Vanns, Newegg and Shpblt, I will land right around my budget of $1250. The Svsound setups look awesome, but even the lowest end stuff puts me around 1500 with a receiver. How does Energy compare with Svsound?

How about speaker stands? Or do you have unused pedal stands/lamp stands around? If you need to buy them you will have to factor them into your purchase.
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post #8 of 15
2/4/10 at 6:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by astrallite View Post

How about speaker stands? Or do you have unused pedal stands/lamp stands around? If you need to buy them you will have to factor them into your purchase.

Good point. I have shelf space for the RCs, but need something for the minis in the back. Any suggestions?
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post #9 of 15
2/4/10 at 6:47pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by afrogt View Post

The Energy RC-10s will be better than the SVS speakers (I assume you mean the SBS-01 bookshelf?), although SVS makes a great subwoofer.

I assume the Energy RC-10 and other speakers will be in black? I don't think they have the RC-10 in cherry any more. You should able to negotiate a lower price for the black RC minis if you haven't already. Then again, they probably wont be cheaper than the RC-10s so just get two pair of those and add the mini center.

The mini surrounds are out of stock anyway. RC 10s all the way around with a mini center sounds good. What about the BIC? Good choice or no?
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post #10 of 15
2/6/10 at 8:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by boxarocks View Post

What about the BIC? Good choice or no?

I am curious to hear the answer to this. I m considering an Elemental Design A2 300 sub or F12 as well.

Barring the difference in Price, I would think that the A2 will perform better than the BIC. But is it worth the difference in price?
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post #11 of 15
2/8/10 at 8:49pm
Thread Starter 
Well, I started out looking for a $300 HTIB. I'm still not sure exactly what happened, but this is what I ended up with.

-Energy RC10 Fronts
-Energy Mini CC
-Energy RC10 Surrounds
-Denon 1610 Receiver
-Sanus stands for the RCs
-Elemental Designs A2-300 Sub

The Energy's and Denon will be delivered Wednesday, from Vanns. What's killing me is the 3-4 week wait for the sub. I actually ordered a Bic F-12, and then changed my mind and spent the extra money for the ED sub.

I can't wait to get everything here and fire it up. Being a complete greenhorn, I'm going to need some help. Should I go ahead and unbox the RCs and Denon, or wait till my sub arrives?

I haven't even twisted the volume knob yet and I'm addicted to this stuff. I can already see some upgrades in the near future. Thanks to everyone that responded with advice. I will direct my wifes questions to you when the cc bill shows up.
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post #12 of 15
2/8/10 at 8:52pm
That is a GREAT first system, good job, have fun!

Oh, you don't need to wait for the sub.

Ron
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post #13 of 15
2/9/10 at 8:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RonaldoCombs View Post

That is a GREAT first system, good job, have fun!

Oh, you don't need to wait for the sub.

Ron

+1

That's a "beginner" system that dreams are made of. Congrats!

Find friend who has a $300 HTIB and see if you think you made the right purchase. That setup should rock pretty hard.

After you get it set up, put in the New Star Trek or Dark Knight and let 'er rip!
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post #14 of 15
2/9/10 at 10:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by boxarocks View Post

Well, I started out looking for a $300 HTIB. I'm still not sure exactly what happened, but this is what I ended up with.

-Energy RC10 Fronts
-Energy Mini CC
-Energy RC10 Surrounds
-Denon 1610 Receiver
-Sanus stands for the RCs
-Elemental Designs A2-300 Sub

The Energy's and Denon will be delivered Wednesday, from Vanns. What's killing me is the 3-4 week wait for the sub. I actually ordered a Bic F-12, and then changed my mind and spent the extra money for the ED sub.

I can't wait to get everything here and fire it up. Being a complete greenhorn, I'm going to need some help. Should I go ahead and unbox the RCs and Denon, or wait till my sub arrives?

I haven't even twisted the volume knob yet and I'm addicted to this stuff. I can already see some upgrades in the near future. Thanks to everyone that responded with advice. I will direct my wifes questions to you when the cc bill shows up.

which sanus stands did you pick up?
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post #15 of 15
2/10/10 at 7:41am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1200mk View Post

which sanus stands did you pick up?

I got the cheap ones from Vanns. http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/it..._c=site_search

Not sure how they'll work out, but figured for $39 I would give them a go.

Quote:


Originally Posted by RonaldoCombs
That is a GREAT first system, good job, have fun!

Oh, you don't need to wait for the sub.

Ron

Thanks Ron. I'm like a kid at Christmas waiting on this stuff. FedEx backed my Vanns shipment up a day, so it looks like tomorrow before it all arrives.

I've checked my order status on the ED A2-300 about a thousand times since Monday, hoping by some miracle they found an extra laying around the shop with my name on it. Right now it says "Awaiting Production". By the way, thanks to M3 Pete for the recommendation. Even though I spent a little extra on the ED, I feel good about the choice. And, I'll be sure to have a copy of Star Trek ready to go when that monster shows up on my porch.

So far I've been impressed with a couple of things. 1.) The willingness of the folks on the forum to steer newbies in the right direction. 2.) Customer service from the folks at Vann's, Elemental Designs and ShopBlt. (Even though I won't be getting any equipment from ShopBlt at the moment, they canceled my order for the BIC F-12 without hesitation and no questions asked. Very professional outfit.)

I'll try to get some pictures along the way, as I get everything setup. I'm replacing an old LG 42" plasma with a Panasonic 58" S1 tomorrow too. Might just have to call in sick Friday.
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