9.2 Home Theater Set Up on a Budget

I don't really know anything about this sort of stuff but I am saving up for an Onky TX-NR3009 that I think does all of that but I also think that Yamaha and Denon do something similar too. Onkyo has a good website to tell you the tech-specs but I find the various online reviews best to actually explain what these beautiful beats can do.

Hope that helps you a bit.

You're on a budget, why would you want an 11 speaker solution? Go find the best 5.1 system that fits in your budget. You won't notice the difference. Also, I'm not really sure what "on a budget" means given that you're looking at a $1,400 receiver. If you have that much money just for a receiver, why not wait a bit until you're not on a budget and pay some professionals to do things for you.

Alternatively, unless you have a mammoth room, get yourself a reasonable low-mid range Denon and pair it with some nice used speakers from Craigslist.

FYI, people on a budget don't spend $5k for a surround sound setup. They buy $500 Home theatre in a box setups.

"don't get caught up in the number of speakers in a surround system to the detriment of the core 5.1 system, including speakers, processor amps and source components."

http://hometheaterreview.com/with-receivers-packing-92-performance---how-many-channels-of-surround-is-too-many/?page=2

For your oddly specific requirements, I believe only the Onkyo 3010/5010 qualify among current models. If you can still find last year's models (1009/3009/5009), they would also qualify. I personally can't recommend Onkyo, however, given their numerous quality issues (I have had two separate Onkyos with HDMI board failure and there are numerous Onkyo failure threads on this forum).

If you don't care about THX certification (it's little more than marketing), then I think your best bet is either the Denon 4311 (around $1500) or the Yamaha 3010 (also around $1500). I know Yamaha uses YPAO, but I have had positive results with both YPAO and the vaunted Audyssey XT32. Both EQ two subs, which is one of the features of XT32 that many tout.

I'd start with a Denon AVR-4311 ( $1150 refurbished + $150 for 5-year warranty from A4L ) or Onkyo TX-NR3009 ( $1250 refurb + $150 @ A4L ). NONE of these receivers are 11.x receivers but they are capable of it by adding an external amp. An Emotiva 5-channel amp will cost $900 and take about 70-80% of the power load off the receiver running in 11.x.

The BIC speakers you chose should be fine with any of these receivers but, like others have said, you can take the entire $2500 and invest in a better 7.2 setup and build up from there. Setting your room up with the goal of expanding it later is what most folks do. It is what I did. The 9.2 receiver can be your core and also plan your power outlets with the idea of adding an external amp. Plan out your speaker layout with the idea of getting a core 5.2 system now and then doing the front to surround speaker shuffle down the road. 90% of ALL content out there is STILL 5.1, so all you'd be doing with those is matrixing the additional speakers 90% of the time. There are only a couple of discs out there now that are matrixed in the studio for DTS Neo:X 11.x, so I won't be really using MY 11.2 setup until I receive Expendables 2 in a few days.

I started my REAL effort with an assortment of JBL speakers ( L7 plus matching center ) along with EoSone surrounds which was about $2500 for a 5.0 setup. I added the Definitive Technology BP7000SC and C/L/R 3000 a few years later at a cost of around $6500. The DefTech towers, with their built-in 1800 watt powered subs, give plenty of low end, so I don't have the desire to have a stand-alone sub. I moved the JBL to the back and sold off the JBL center and went to a 7.2 setup and upgraded the receiver to a Denon AVR-5308ci for $5000. I added two DefTech SM55 and two DefTech UIW BPZ/A for about $1100 to make up the current 11.2 setup. At the same time I added an Emotiva XPR-5 amplifier, 400 watts x 5, to power the core 5 speakers at a cost of $1532. So. All of the money I put into my current setup was over about 15 years and the only thing I really sold off was the JBL center channel. I still have my 4 original speakers from 1997 and 2001 but I'm not counting the POS Sony HTiB I had before that. My first real 5.1 setup was with a Sony STR-DE805, then Denon AVR-5600, AVR-5803, and current AVR-5308ci. So. I've upgraded receivers about every 5 years.

I'm also looking at 9.2 receivers, and think the Pioneer Elite SC-65 is what I want. I'm not sure what the difference is between the SC-65 and the non-Elite SCC-1522-K. Does anyone know the difference?

For a 9.2 set-up, I would start with the Denon AVR-4311, which has the features you mentioned (including latest version of Audyssey and support for 2 subs). With 9 built in amplifiers, no need to buy external amps to power the height speakers:

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/DENAVR4311CI/DENON-AVR-4311CI-9.2-Channel-Network-Home-Theater-Receiver/1.html

Since the low frequencies are going to be handled by subwoofers, I wouldn't get those Bic towers because there's no need for large front speakers to cover the bass range that's already covered by the subs. Instead I would get 9 of these Bic bookshelf speakers:

http://amzn.com/B002ISTP8K

That will give better consistency as sounds move around the room; certainly better than having a centre speaker that is different from the front speakers which are different than the surround speakers which are different from the height speakers.

Finally, for subs, would get a pair of these Bic models:

http://amzn.com/B0015A8Y5M

To re-cap:

$1150 (Denon 4311)
$150 (five year warranty)
$900 (nine Bic FH-65B)
$376 (two Bic F12 subs)
$2576 Total

Pretty close to your budget.