Inexperienced wife needs help with Husband's Xmas present!!

from the audio theory thread to this thread.....and your $1k budget given there

For $1.1 k a decent entry 5.1 set-up can be easily had.
2 years ago I did same for my brother, all via amazon:
A/V receiver: Onkyo TX-606 $350
Front Rh/Lh and rear surrounds: Polk TSi100’s $200/pair, $400 for 4
Center channel: Polk CS10 Center $138
Subwoofer: BIC America F12 $240

$1,140

I'm sure same or better deal is out there with updated A/V receiver and Polk speakers/BIC sub.

IMO, give up on the sound bar.

Good luck, hopefully others will chime in.

[edit]
I made a wish list "$1.1k 5.1 system" on amazon, look here, now you can easily see the gear:
(same as above, just the Onkyo TX-NR509 5.1 Channel Network A/V Receiver instead of the older model)
http://www.amazon.com/registry/wishl..._wl_rlist_go_o

Forget the SounBar - and a budget would help.

The current model on that Onkyo Receiver is actually the TX-NR609 (the 606 is discontinued), and you can get it right now on Amazon for $377 (the MSRP is $599); that is an excellent choice! I strongly recommend it.

If you want to keep it real simple and buy a complete matched speaker system, I would suggest the Martin-Logan MLT-2 speaker system which I have seen recently at newegg for $599 and Amazon for $499 (one only left). This is a very good system for the money (MSRP is $1195). You will like it.





[quote=Lockehillfarm;21369532]The background: We have a 400 sq foot room that is set up with 2 speaker wires in the back. We were thinking of doing a surround sound system, however, the room layout may change drastically multiple times throughout it's lifetime. My husband was told that getting 2 speakers for the hookup in the back of the room, with a sound bar and a subwoofer (sp?) would make the most sense.

I don't know about the Martin Logans, but there is a smokin' deal on these:
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/it...ustics-cs2310b

That would free up a lot of green for a receiver and more.

$200 IS a great deal; but the subwoofer in that Boston set is a piece of crap; the Martin-Logan speakers are a much higher quality set that will sound a lot better.

Soundbars are also crap!

Lockehillfarm, I am taking the liberty of re-posting your last post in the set-up forum to give everyone a little more info.

"Hey there,

I told you I was inexperienced :-) - We currently have a yamaha cinema DSP digitl rx-v661 box, no speakers currently (we hooked everything through the TV), and we are hoping to spend less than 1K. Yes, it is a living room and not dedicated AV... THANK YOU. I will also repost the original in "speakers"

Thanks!

Kim"

So in theory he room is 20 x 20 as that equals 400 sq ft.

None of the systems with the exception of the Polk tsi's (which I do not recommend as there are better choices for the price) would properly fill this room with sound

What's the ceiling height of this room?

My blind recommendation is:
-Polk rti4's 2 pairs for $300 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000E2XEB)
-Polk csi3 center for $130 (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-bojA3hC...ak-finish.html)

-Outlaw LFM-1 Plus subwoofer for $500 at current sale price which last till 12/20 midnight http://www.outlawaudio.com/promo_pages/ch2011.html

So what did you end up getting for your husband?

Did he like them?