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HTiB Suggestions

post #1 of 43
10/10/11 at 9:36pm
Thread Starter 
Hello everyone! I am in quite a conundrum... I've recently been interested in purchasing a home entertainment system but not sure what to choose. I've looked at Onkyo's and Yamaha's so far and they all seem too much. I've looked at high end a/v receivers and thought about purchasing speakers separately... All I want to do is hook my computer up, possibly through a HT OMEGA Claro Halo XT or Auzen X-Fi HD soundcard, hook my guitar up through my RP500 with a headphone splitter or the XLR connectors and get an adapter(which I don't know will work or not or if it is a good idea) and an older model xbox 360 with RGB/Optical. While Yamaha's RX-A2010BL is appealing(which one seller on ebay is asking $1200), I think the YHT-895BL ($650) would suffice. Reading on Amazon I see Yamaha really hypes their YPAO and the more expensive the receivers are, the YPAO starts to come with multi-angle, studio grade calibration what-not that I don't know what to make of... I'm definitely not an audiophile and I have been using a 7 year old Dell 5.1 system that is missing 2 speakers. A/V receivers are like an enigma to me, but I just want to make things simple and be able to switch between devices quickly while using a large HDTV I hope to buy or PC monitor if I choose... Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
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post #2 of 43
10/11/11 at 5:28am
$650 on a receiver alone is too much for me.

Do you have subwoofer and speakers already?
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post #3 of 43
10/11/11 at 5:32am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the reply, I haven't purchased anything yet. After a couple more hours consideration I'm leaning towards a high end Yamaha receiver and just getting a 7.1 Onkyo speaker system... Also, the RX-A2010BL I'm considering has ELEVEN speaker outputs... is that even possible lol
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post #4 of 43
10/11/11 at 5:48am
Onkyo is a receiver company and not know for great speakers. I would recommend that you get your speakers from Polk, Jamo, Energy, etc...companies know for making speakers. And small drivers in speaker = smaller sound!
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post #5 of 43
10/11/11 at 6:05am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elihawk View Post

Onkyo is a receiver company and not know for great speakers. I would recommend that you get your speakers from Polk, Jamo, Energy, etc...companies know for making speakers. And small drivers in speaker = smaller sound!

Hah I've never heard anything bad about Onkyos speakers besides they look cheap. I guess it wouldn't make sense to buy a 1500 dollar receiver and buy crappy speakers lol. I've looked at speaker systems (speaker bundles) that are either too cheap or too expensive; I have yet to find a happy median. Those Onkyos are probably the lowest I'm willing to go (I definitely want decent 7.1). On the other hand everything I've found that would be considered better are extremely expensive(Klipsch). I just can't find them; I will look at those you mentioned. I would purchase speakers individually if I have to but I'm unsure of what a proper set up consists of... Do you buy whatever speakers you want and hook them up any way you want?

On a side note, how would one hook up extra speakers for the RX-A2010? I read a review for a different receiver and to hook up you would need to buy an amp, which I don't know is accurate or not. If you had a 9.2 setup are those channels utilized or are just copies of different channels?

Perhaps I should pay for professional help I think this may read like I'm begging or lazy... I should probably read a FAQ or guide.
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post #6 of 43
10/11/11 at 7:08am
Would you all say my Onkyo S8400 border on the tittering of OK/Fair value at $590 new price?
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post #7 of 43
10/11/11 at 7:17am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by chong67 View Post

Would you all say my Onkyo S8400 border on the tittering of OK/Fair value at $590 new price?

Yeah from my limited knowledge and from the dozen of systems I've looked at its good for 590.

One more question to add... I've been reading about hooking up my PC for the past couple of hours and have decided to get an ASUS XONAR. The Hanns G monitor I use is hooked up to a GTX 470 (DVI to HDMI) If I use the second port on the video card to hook it up to the line in HDMI on the ASUS and then take the HDMI out to the receiver will it send both audio and video? This is getting ridiculous lol I think I'm just going to buy all this crap and force it to work.

Adding to the mess of a question above, I looked up DVI to HDMI carrying sound(which doesn't actually matter in this case; all I need to know is if the ASUS carries both audio and video), everything I found says DVI cannot carry audio, but why has my GTX 470 DVI to HDMI hooked to my Hanns G work? Weird
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post #8 of 43
10/11/11 at 7:46am
I owned 2 Onkyo HT-SR800 HTiBs I bought an extra center to go with it and used the front 3 from each system and the extra center as my 7 speakers. I have the front 3 in "normal" orientation Front L&R vertical and center horizontal. My surrounds are the 2 other centers so they are horizontal my rears are the two other fronts so they are vertical. I also use both subs. Now I have the Onkyo 808 receiver with the 7 identical speakers and 2 identical subs all Onkyo. The speakers and subs are by far the WEAK link in my system which is why after tax returns I am buying "real" speakers.

With that being said, Onkyo makes very good receivers, my favorite company for receivers. However, they make "crappy" speakers and subs. IMO the only complete HTiB from any company that I would buy is the Onkyo HT-S9400THX. Those are the best speakers and subs Onkyo makes, but still not very good. The 9400THX can be had for around $750.
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post #9 of 43
10/11/11 at 7:48am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by flickhtguru View Post

I owned 2 Onkyo HT-SR800 HTiBs I bought an extra center to go with it and used the front 3 from each system and the extra center as my 7 speakers. I have the front 3 in "normal" orientation Front L&R vertical and center horizontal. My surrounds are the 2 other centers so they are horizontal my rears are the two other fronts so they are vertical. I also use both subs. Now I have the Onkyo 808 receiver with the 7 identical speakers and 2 identical subs all Onkyo. The speakers and subs are by far the WEAK link in my system which is why after tax returns I am buying "real" speakers.

With that being said, Onkyo makes very good receivers, my favorite company for receivers. However, they make "crappy" speakers and subs. IMO the only complete HTiB from any company that I would buy is the Onkyo HT-S9400THX. Those are the best speakers and subs Onkyo makes, but still not very good. The 9400THX can be had for around $750.

I was considering the 9400 for months, but right when I get serious they are really hard to find. Newegg has it deactivated and Amazon says "Usually ships in 1-3 months" lol.
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post #10 of 43
10/11/11 at 7:58am
Vanns.com and bhphotovideo.com handle the 9400 they are out of stock right now but on vanns.com you can pre-order the system.

Also you may want to check out buying an Onkyo receiver and speakers from a different company. Tell us your budget and maybe post on the speaker forum and you will be suprised what you can get.
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post #11 of 43
10/11/11 at 8:00am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by flickhtguru View Post

Vanns.com and bhphotovideo.com handle the 9400 they are out of stock right now but on vanns.com you can pre-order the system.

Also you may want to check out buying an Onkyo receiver and speakers from a different company. Tell us your budget and maybe post on the speaker forum and you will be suprised what you can get.

I'm not sure what my budget is. It really would be nice to get my moneys worth though. After my 2500$ TV purchase I'm thinking maybe 2000 max for the sound system.
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post #12 of 43
10/11/11 at 8:37am
I had look at the 9400 but it has no legs on the front speaker.

Funny I find the 9400 speakers are small.

I saw em at Frys.

My side speaker is hanging of this stand that I bought off monoprice and it is not going a good job. A earthquake will probably drop it.
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post #13 of 43
10/11/11 at 8:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by subtlearts View Post

I'm not sure what my budget is. It really would be nice to get my moneys worth though. After my 2500$ TV purchase I'm thinking maybe 2000 max for the sound system.

$2000 can get you way better than what you will ever find in an HTiB. Thats a pretty good split of your costs. Most ppl say whatever your willing to spend on your tv and blu-ray be willing to spend that on audio as well. Video is 50% of home theater and audio is the other 50% so spend accordingly.

I would suggest you look at the Onkyo 609 for a receiver at http://www.accessories4less.com/make...eceiver/1.html

For speakers check out BIC America and BIC Acoustech at http://www.acousticsounddesign.com/b...dex.cfm?bid=67 and http://www.acousticsounddesign.com/b...dex.cfm?bid=46

For subwoofers look at internet direct companies like Outlaw Audio, Hsu Research, SVS, Elemental Designs, Rythmic, and Epik.
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post #14 of 43
10/11/11 at 9:33am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by flickhtguru View Post

$2000 can get you way better than what you will ever find in an HTiB. Thats a pretty good split of your costs. Most ppl say whatever your willing to spend on your tv and blu-ray be willing to spend that on audio as well. Video is 50% of home theater and audio is the other 50% so spend accordingly.

I would suggest you look at the Onkyo 609 for a receiver at http://www.accessories4less.com/make...eceiver/1.html

For speakers check out BIC America and BIC Acoustech at http://www.acousticsounddesign.com/b...dex.cfm?bid=67 and http://www.acousticsounddesign.com/b...dex.cfm?bid=46

For subwoofers look at internet direct companies like Outlaw Audio, Hsu Research, SVS, Elemental Designs, Rythmic, and Epik.

Thank you very much for your time that is great info.
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post #15 of 43
10/11/11 at 9:34am
As pointed out above, for 2000 dollars, stay away from Htibs and piece together a good system...
From what I understand (and I am by no means an expert)...unless you have a really unique and large room, 7.1 systems won't sound much different than a 5.1 system and many DVDs aren't encoded for 7.1 anyway. I think I would focus on a good AVR and then spend most of the rest of my budget on a sub and L-C-R. The experts can (and have) suggest some brands!
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post #16 of 43
10/11/11 at 10:48am
And the reason I suggested the BICs is because they are highly regarded and are cheap compared to Klipsch and Polk and other such brands. I will be purchasing speakers from the BIC Acoustech Platinum Line. 2 - PL89s, 1 - PL28, and 4 PL66s. I will also be buying 2 Outlaw Audio LFM-1 Pluses. These are by no means the best out there but they fit my budget and sound quality needs and I think they would fit yours too. Another place you could look is on newegg.com at the Polk Monitor II series speakers. They were discontinued by Polk and renamed the TSi series but the Monitor II speakers can be had for a very good price too.
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post #17 of 43
10/11/11 at 2:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by subtlearts View Post

I'm not sure what my budget is. It really would be nice to get my moneys worth though. After my 2500$ TV purchase I'm thinking maybe 2000 max for the sound system.

If your budget is $2000, don't go for an HTiB. Depending on your setup Axiom speakers offer great value for their price!
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post #18 of 43
10/11/11 at 2:58pm
$2000 - Don't start chasing for extra channels - you barely have budget for somewhat decent 5.1
4x Infinity Primus P163 - $85/ea
1 x Infinity Primus PC351 - 150-200/ea
Sub: http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-3mk4.html
and this AVR: http://www.accessories4less.com/make...eceiver/1.html

to add more channels you could use 2 more Infinity P143

if you wish to step up with sub to get really visceral response - checkout this sub:
http://www.edesignaudio.com/product_...roducts_id=618
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post #19 of 43
10/11/11 at 5:26pm
For $2000, I rather get a nice projector with deep blacks.

I spent $1000 on sound. Dont go for HTiB if you going to spent this much. Buy quality component at this price range.

Not my money. :-)
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post #20 of 43
10/11/11 at 6:07pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I really think I'm going to get the Yamaha RX-A2010BL. After reading the PDF manual it really seems to be good. I'm going to piece together a 9.2 +2 (wicked) system as some here suggested and blow all my money, life is short.
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post #21 of 43
10/11/11 at 6:42pm
Thread Starter 
Alright for my speakers I've picked out;

1 Polk Audio CS10 (center)
4 Polk Audio TSi100 (2 front surround, 2 rear surround)
2 Polk Audio PSW Series PSW505 (subs left/right)
4 Polk Audio Monitor40 Series II (2 front presence L/R, 2 rear presence L/R)
2 Polk Audio Monitor70 Series II (front left/right)

Thats a total of $1,781.87.
Including the A/V receiver thats a grand total of 2,976.86 including shipping.
Worth it?

Any more suggestions before I finalize this is surely welcomed and appreciated.
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post #22 of 43
10/12/11 at 5:41am
Ok if your going with the Monitor II Series then do that all the way around. So this is what you want:

2 - Monitor II 70s - front l&r
1 - CS2 II - center (note the CS20 is the TSi series, so stick with the CS2 II)
4 - Monitor II 30s - surrounds & surround backs (note the TSi 100 are a different series)

As far as the other speakers for your front & rear presence speakers, with your budget don't waiste your money on them. Stay with 7.1, or 7.2 and get a decent speaker setup. The suggestions I made will save you money over what you have listed. Use that money to buy "good" subwoofers 1 or 2 whatever you can afford. DO NOT BUY POLK SUBS. Look at internet direct companies such as SVS, Outlaw Audio, Hsu Research, Elemental Designs, Epik, and Rythmic. Subs from those companies will get you the best bang for your buck.
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post #23 of 43
10/12/11 at 10:29am
I'll join in again to +1 this "DO NOT BUY POLK SUBS" !!!!

In addition it is my firm believe that Polk, unless it's from LSi series - is CRAP !

Yamaha 2000 series is way overspending on you 2k budget, checkout Yamaha A1000 avr

I'd bet your budget that the config I listed above will sound better than all polk system you listed
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post #24 of 43
10/12/11 at 10:31am
Thread Starter 
Damn, speakers are expensive. I just didn't think I needed a 700 dollar sub. I'm sure you're right though. I'll look at the speakers you suggested again but maybe with a RX-A710.
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post #25 of 43
10/12/11 at 1:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by subtlearts View Post

Damn, speakers are expensive. I just didn't think I needed a 700 dollar sub. I'm sure you're right though. I'll look at the speakers you suggested again but maybe with a RX-A710.

There are budget subwoofers for around $300-400 like the Lava subs and BICs
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post #26 of 43
10/12/11 at 1:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pokekevin View Post

There are budget subwoofers for around $300-400 like the Lava subs and BICs

Friends don't let friends buy crappy one note subs like ones mentioned
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post #27 of 43
10/12/11 at 2:02pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by agisten View Post

Friends don't let friends buy crappy one note subs like ones mentioned

lol how are they bad? You really don't need a 800 dollar sub do you?
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post #28 of 43
10/12/11 at 2:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by subtlearts View Post

Damn, speakers are expensive. I just didn't think I needed a 700 dollar sub. I'm sure you're right though. I'll look at the speakers you suggested again but maybe with a RX-A710.

Just FYI if the quality of the sound reaching your ears is what's important to you then speakers are, by far, your most important component. Next on the importance list is the analog end of your amp (the amplifier output and it's distortion).

The rest of it (connector types, codecs etc) won't make much of an audible difference but can make things more convenient.

But you'll *hear* more of a difference between speakers than any other component.
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post #29 of 43
10/12/11 at 2:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by subtlearts View Post

lol how are they bad? You really don't need a 800 dollar sub do you?

decent subs start at 400-500 - trust me, unless you do DIY you can't get anything decent commercial below that mark
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post #30 of 43
10/12/11 at 2:16pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by agisten View Post

decent subs start at 400-500 - trust me, unless you do DIY you can't get anything decent commercial below that mark

Well you need to convince me
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