***Official HTIB Alternatives Thread*** - Page 2

like Tulpa said, the receiver is not the problem, its finding a matching center speaker. if you're insistent on using the bose, finding a tonally matched center speaker might be difficult, if not impossible. you might want to consider starting over, or using the bose as your surrounds.

i won't quote the whole thing, but thanks...i think.

while pretty much all of my knowledge about them comes from the thread you referenced, they seem to be a good bargain. they are not as time-tested as some of the other ID brands like SVS and HSU, but there seem to be some happy owners out there.

a 12" sub that has a -3dB point at 18Hz for $350 sounds almost too good to be true. i would love to hear one myself to see how the SQ stacks up against the giants of the sub world. nonetheless, these two guys should be included for the budget HT people:

A2-250: http://www.edesignaudio.com/edv2/pro...roducts_id=406
A2-300: http://www.edesignaudio.com/edv2/pro...roducts_id=407

the velo's seem to be a popular option around here, there's a long thread on them in the speaker forum. they seem to be a tough deal to beat.

the best sub to pair with them would depend on your budget. again the Bic H-100 seems to be a popular choice for about $230, but there are several options. internet-direct brands usually offer the most bang for the buck.

HDMI switching is a luxury on receivers right now, and you'll pay a premium for it. IMO, its better to buy a less expensive receiver and run your HDMI cables from the source directly to the display. use digital audio cables from your sources to the receiver for all the surround processing.

LOL, ron always speaks the truth. his advice was helpful back then and it is now. i guess you could say we both became converts after "seeing the light".

the purpose of this thread was not to sh*t on anybody with an HTIB, rather, to try and create a central place for those in the separates boat. with so much useful info scattered around these forums in different places, i think it makes good sense.

i found this in the subwoofer forum, an experienced member helped his buddy set up an unnamed HTIB, and tested the subs performance with the Avia calibration disc. from the description, it is pretty clear that it was an Onkyo sub from the 790 system:


upgrading my onkyo sub to something better (SVS PB10-ISD) was what opened my eyes to what real HT was. the sub is so important to an impactful HT experience, and it is often the weak point of so many HTIB's, and i think the onkyo 790 sub is one of the better HTIB subs out there!

so i strongly recommend investing in a good sub, even if it is at the $200 price point...it will make a BIG difference. objective data as outlined above clearly indicates just what you're missing by not going with a capable sub.

both good budget speakers, though different sounding. many (if not all...i'm not sure) klipsch speakers use horn tweeters, which produce a different sound than conventional dome type tweeters. i used to own a pair of JBL's from circa 1992, and they served me well for over 10 years. try and listen to both and see what you like better.

your receiver is fine for now, and would probably be the last thing to replace. for the sub, i would recommend internet-direct brands starting around $200+ for a taste of real bass. IIRC, the yamaha HTIB sub is passive, so a good powered ID sub will really open your eyes.

good luck on your quest and keep us updated.

good find! that's a good price for those polks...one could build a 5.0 system here for $200. excellent deal.

i kicked around this idea at first, but didn't go that route b/c speakers are subjective, and good deals come and go all the time. so a good $500 solution might not be around two weeks from now. and there are just too many good options once you go north of $500, i wouldn't want to inadvertently box people in to a few solutions.

but i hear what you're saying...you need a jumping off point. that starts with a solid receiver. the 7.1 onkyo 504 for $169 refurbished is probably the best deal going in receivers.

the velodyne front row 5.0 system will get you to 5.0 with quality satellite speakers for another $200. some might opt to go for a pair of quality bookshelf speakers for about the same amount of $$, if he/she has the patience to build their system slowly. this is what i would do if starting over, as there are excellent budget speakers available from polk, athena, AV123, SVS, etc.

for the sub, there are a couple of decent performers for < $200, like the AV123 x-sub, and the athena P-4000. if you just want a sub that is a step above HTIB quality but not much else, the dayton 10" from partsexpress will do the job for $125. the king of the ~ $200 subs though, is the Bic H-100, which is significantly better than any comparable HTIB sub for about $230 from the authorized ebay seller.

a good sub is the heart of a budget HT. the taste for bass is quite addictive, once you've heard what an exceptional sub can do. these subs though, are more for the $500+ crowd.

as for the DVD players, they are basically a dime a dozen. you can even get a brand name upconverting player for ~ $70, so i'll leave those discussions to the experts in the DVD forum.

take time, learn, ask questions. you'll be glad you did in the end.