Speakers for HT

what is your total budget for avr and speakers and sub?

I suggest that you get the Martin-Logan MLT--2 system, which I have seen for as low as $300 (NEWEGG right now for $279...very good; may only last a day or two though...).

That is a remarkably good 5.1 system for a very good price; it is quite a bit better than any other system I know of for under $500.

Do not get the Pioneer speakers; their low sensitivity is not going to be compatible with most inexpensive receivers, because their low sensitivity demands too much power.

The smaller Polk Subwoofers are useless crap; the PSW505 is the cheapest one that is of any use.
Edited by commsysman - 11/22/12 at 9:16am

fwiw, pair of pioneer sp-bs41 for fronts $84 the pioner sp-c21 center$50 and a pair of sp-bs21 $40 for surrounds $174
sherwood r-772 avr $180+free ship. at accessories4less (has alot of nice features for the price including room eq. for better sound for your speakers)
as for a sub imo neither of those polk subs are worth it. save up for a better sub. but if you really,really, really want a low budget sub i would look at the dayton sub 1200 $98 at parts express
Edited by smasher50 - 11/22/12 at 10:33am

Do not pay serious attention to the Pioneer bashing - they are good speakers
for the price, and the B41 can take some power, and can get loud.

Sorry to say, but $400 simply isn't enough, even for an inexpensive HT setup. The AVR alone will cost you around $300 on the low end unless you go ultra-cheap, which I do not suggest with your AVR. You want your AVR to produce enough power for 5 speakers. What if in the near future, you want to upgrade to 7.1. If you buy an ultra-cheap AVR now, you'll have to upgrade if you want to add speakers, or risk being starved of power.

Also, for a halfway decent sub, you are going to have to drop $200 on just that.

So for 5 speakers you are going to need at least $300. For the sub, at least $200 and for the AVR at least $300. So I think the cheapest you can go is $800. This is ballpark and not exact. If you find some really good deals, go used or refurb etc, you might be able to drop $100 to $200 from the total, but don't hold your breath.

Thus far, I have spent $600 on my HT sound setup and I don't even have the sub yet. I plan on buying a BIC PL-200, so that's going to be another $300. And my setup is super cheap (Sony speakers) except for the AVR (Middle of the line DENON) so don't expect to be able to spend much less than I did.

I would skip the MLt-2 system. The sub included is only 10" and only goes down to 32hz (according to the specs. This will vary depending on room acoustics). Such a system will probably sound just fine for Home Theater use, but I would go for a better subwoofer. What you could do is buy the MLt-2 now, then upgrade the subwoofer later if you feel it is not sufficient. For inexpensive, stand-alone subwoofers, the BIC F-12 is probably the most popular, followed by the Polk SW505 then the Klipsch 12HG. I plan to get this one http://www.amazon.com/BIC-PL-200-Acoustech-Platinum-Subwoofer/dp/B001W3FXAQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1353607679&sr=1-1&keywords=BIC+PL-200
Edited by NuSoardGraphite - 11/22/12 at 10:09am

sorry it is the r772 i must be getting dyslexic in my old age. the denon avr3300 was good in its day but is out dated in todays electronics. no hdmi for example.and imo for your budget the pioneer set up and the low budget sub will sound way way better than any htib out there near its price.the denon avr 1612 $189 is another good choice for avr
Edited by smasher50 - 11/22/12 at 11:14am

fwiw, the denon avr1612 is a denon factory refurb. which means its pretty much new and accessories4less is a authorized dealer. with your budget i was looking for good reciever with plenty of power and with audyssey which is great for setting up best sound in your room. it does make a big difference. i own a denon avr791 refurb. from accessories4less i purchaced about 2 years ago and it still works great, i also own a harman kardon avr refurb. for 4 years and have not had any problems