[jfarnsworth1020]

So i have this room above my garage Ive been working on to make into dedicated home theater. 12 x 24 with 9ft ceiling. Ive run 12 gauge wire from monoprice in the room for a 7.1 system. I went by best buy and looked at some stuff and a guy in there said i should go to the Magnolia store. So the next day i walk into the Magnolia store and go into the home theater room. I start talking to the guy in there and he turns on everything and i ask him what speakers were playing and he said Definitive Technology. As i was looking around i seen that those speakers were on sale. The sound wasnt what i was expecting at all. Not impressed. So i do some more checking around and i go to a store in Dallas called Starpower. Now this seems like the place i should have been in all along. They have 4 or 5 rooms and i walk in one and they have Avatar playing and the sounds in that room was just beautifull. It filled the whole room with every sound you could imagine. I think it was better than the big movie theaters! I ask the guy about the speakers and he says they cost like 24k for the whole room! gulp. So how can i reproduce the sound of that room or can you even do that for a 1k to 2k budget? Do i get floor standing speakers? I dont know anything about speakers but i want me and my friends and family to come up to my room and be astonished like i was in that room. Id like to spend 1000 just for speakers but if someone told me for 2000 it would sound real close to that room then i would do it. I would appreciate any advice given guys and thanks for reading.

 

[crazyrob425]

No it largely depends on your tastes.

It also depends on where you shop. When you go to stores like Best Buy they have to include their middle man profit for them to make money. There are many amazing internet direct companies that sell to your directly so you don't have to pay the middle man cost. This relates in you getting a far superior set-up for your money

So lets assume your budget is $2,000 for speakers and AV receiver. There are plenty of options than will do amazing in your 2600 cu. ft room.
-HSU Research Hybrid 3HP 5.1 (this will certainly blow you away largely thanks to its subwoofer) the Hybrid 2 package would even work in your room.
-SVS Prime Bookshelf 5.0 Surround System with a SVS PB-2000 subwoofer would be reach able.

For $1000 if you are including a receiver into the budget it will be hard to reach something astonishing. But playing in that budget I might suggest the Pioneer Andrew Jones speakers at their sale price with maybe an SVS PB-1000 or Rythmik LV12r subwoofer.

Those are just 3 set-ups off the top of my head but there are many different set-ups in a $2k budget that will likely you waiting for the BluRay instead of going to the theater. You could looked at HTD, Ascend Acoustics, Polk, JBL, Klipsch. I am a believer that towers are not necessary if you have a quality subwoofer. A decent subwoofer can truly make your theater amazing.

The biggest thing you can do is to listen to many different speakers so you can get a feel for what you do and do not like the sound of. Also keep in mind that while brands like Polk and Klipsch are popular it does not require you to use their subwoofers and infact with subwoofers internet direct companies like SVS, HSU, Outlaw Audio, and/or Rythmik, etc. are no brainers and their performance per dollar far exceeds what is available from other companies.

 

[They_call_me_Roto]

Do you have to spend 10K for a "good" home theater. No you don't. But placing a dollar figure on "good" is entirely subjective. I think I have a reasonably good home theater and I've spent north of 10K myself, approximately 5K on just speakers and subwoofers. I certainly could have spent a lot more, but I'm not sure I could have done better if I had spent less.

 

[zieglj01]

So i have this room above my garage Ive been working on to make into dedicated home theater. 12 x 24 with 9ft ceiling. Ive run 12 gauge wire from monoprice in the room for a 7.1 system.

No need to spend 10K

You can get this Focal speaker system (new) and a Yamaha 1040 (refurbish) receiver for $2200
http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...s-5-pc-speaker-package-yamaha-rx-a1040/1.html

All you need is a sub - add some surrounds for 7.1 later

 

[tsaville]

I've spent about $3500 on my speakers/subs, and (to my ears at least) I've achieved theater-quality sound. My main advice would be to listen to multiple different types of speakers (horn vs ribbon vs dome tweeter, for example) to find which suits your personal tastes. Also, don't skimp on the subs. I would avoid any sort of "package" deal that comes with a name-brand sub and look to the ID companies (HSU, SVS, PSA, etc).

 

[jphorst]

Short answer no, long answer yes. What I mean by that is the whole time over the last 16 years I have always enjoyed my theater and it started out way less than 10 grand. Never once in that whole time did I go man this sucks I need an upgrade I always really enjoyed it, but the flip side is when ever I did make an upgrade and seen the improvement you realize there was room for improvement but it wasn't necessary to the enjoyment just made it better. There is no reason that you couldn't spend half that budget or less and have a great system. So I started with a "good" theater that cost well under 10 Grand and now I still have a "good" theater but over 10 grand

For the record the two biggest difference makers in my theater over the years was acoustic treatments, and proper set up (not just plugging and playing) with going dual subs a close contender. The first two if your handy are mostly research and DIY so they don't even hurt the pocket book much at all.

And last my humble $.02 advice is go internet direct. I have owned good brands before (paradigm, warfedale, def tech) and to be honest they offer good product but the value at the price just can't be touched. ex: my new PSA speakers smoke my Paradigms that they replaced in every way yet they came in at the same price when the smoke cleared. It was a real weird feeling getting an upgrade like that and not having to spend more money. With free shipping in the states from most companies and some offering free trials and free return shipping you are out nothing.

All just my opinion on what I have learned over the years.

Also if your room is for mostly movies concentrate on getting a speaker with high efficiency and a compression driver. What an eye opener that was for clarity and dynamics in movies. A dome tweeter in a similar price range just can't touch it in my opinion especially when you crank it up.


Ok one last tidbit.
Just remember that skimping out now costs more later, I have lost a ton buying and upgrading over the years and selling old stuff at a loss if you can even sell it at all, especially if you get addicted like most. I would recommend buying the cheapest receiver that has the features you want. They are going through big changes right now and is the most likely item you will want to upgrade in the next few years. Spend what you have on just a few speakers for now and add as budget allows. Maybe you want to start with a 2.1 system with great speakers and a really good sub then when you get a bit of extra cash add the center, then a second really good sub. For your surrounds, Good surrounds do make a difference but they are not a place to spend a lot of cash when starting out. watch local classifieds for good deals on bookshelf's or surround speakers or even websites like A4L and others for blow out sale items. It will give you surround sound and let you focus your money on the meat and potatoes of your system the front LCR and subs. The reason I am suggesting this route is if you are chasing the sound you heard in that room with a $2000 budget your going to be disappointed having to buy all the components at once, But if you make some compromises at the start and spend your $2000 budget wisely and build off it you can come very close withough reaching the 10grand plus budget.

If you could swing 2500 I would (I am no expert)
500 receiver (go factory reconditioned to get a better model for your money)
1100 front L/R something from reaction audio or PSA
700 Sub woofer Reaction, PSA, HSU, Rythmic, I didn't like the SVS PB2000 but YMMV.
200 rear surrounds (used or blowout sale) Start with 5.1 for now and when you upgrade your side surrounds move these to the back for 7.1

Build some DIY acoustic panels for first reflection points and run a phantom center to start. It's a big room so you won't have amazing pressure and bass to start but trust me buying one good subwoofer now and adding a second down the road is way better than buying two cheaper subs now and replacing both down the road, Ask me how I know If you save any money on the above budget funnel it into the subwoofer, It makes movies better and is what draws you in like a theater. It's weird but adding two quality subs even made my mains sound better (probably all in my head)

I would add a matching center as soon as I got some extra money (birthday, overtime, ect) Then a second sub, then finally matching surrounds.

 

[Elihawk]

So how can i reproduce the sound of that room or can you even do that for a 1k to 2k budget? QUOTE]

The answer to this question is you cannot! however, that doesn't mean you cannot get a very good system for 2K (1k, well, maybe not...). A friend of mine just had all Legacy Audio equipment installed and he spend more on one speaker than my entire system (and a couple $8,000.00 Goliath subwoofers- whoof!). Does my EMP system sound as good as his? Absolutely not, but I didn't have to shell out 40 grand either...my system fits nicely in the$ 2,000.00, so I would argue that whiel i don't have his quality, I have damn good and 38,000 dollars left over.

 

[jfarnsworth1020]

Thanks for the replies and I didnt have the reciever figured into the budget, the budget was just for speakers. By what im reading on the website i think im gonna go with a Denon for reciever. Which Denon should i be looking at? X3000?

 

[zieglj01]

i think im gonna go with a Denon for reciever. Which Denon should i be looking at? X3000?

Which-ever (Denon) one, that has the frills you want.
Denon is just one of the good receivers, that are around today.

 

[AVSF458]

All I can add is that if your room acoustics are not good 10K won't even buy your a "Good" System.
Ask me how I know ...... ;-) ;-). I own one and each piece I have comes highly recommended and other people rave over this same equipment in their setup but it is barely Passe in mine.

As one knowledgeable guy put it proper placement, equipment matching and good room acoustics can make a 2K system rival a 10K system placed in a bad setting.

 

[jfarnsworth1020]

what are room acoustics?

 

[lovinthehd]

As to the Denon receiver I'd go for one with Audyssey XT32 over just XT, I did so recently and with the deals going on now its the best pricing I've ever seen and have been eyeing XT32 units for a while now; altho likely will cost a bit more than $500. The X4000 perhaps at accessories4less.com or ask @jdsmoothie here at AVS what he might be able to do for you. Others have got some good suggestions for you for speakers and subs. You might want to post of pics of your space for people to comment on placement options and ideas on acoustic treatment. Good luck...patience and some research and understanding go a long ways in putting together a higher value system.

 

[Gooddoc]

what are room acoustics?

The other 50% of your system.

 

[lovinthehd]

what are room acoustics?

The gorilla in your system. Huge influence on sound. Might want to look around here a bit http://www.avsforum.com/forum/19-de...5432-acoustical-treatments-master-thread.html

 

[jfarnsworth1020]

ok pictures of room

 

[jfarnsworth1020]

ok picture on left there will be a door on the left then hallway in the middle to bathroom and on right I haven't sheetrocked yet but will waiting on mini split system to get here and run lines into wall. picture on right is were I will be hanging 110" screen over window.

 

[Mike Garrett]

So i have this room above my garage Ive been working on to make into dedicated home theater. 12 x 24 with 9ft ceiling. Ive run 12 gauge wire from monoprice in the room for a 7.1 system. I went by best buy and looked at some stuff and a guy in there said i should go to the Magnolia store. So the next day i walk into the Magnolia store and go into the home theater room. I start talking to the guy in there and he turns on everything and i ask him what speakers were playing and he said Definitive Technology. As i was looking around i seen that those speakers were on sale. The sound wasnt what i was expecting at all. Not impressed. So i do some more checking around and i go to a store in Dallas called Starpower. Now this seems like the place i should have been in all along. They have 4 or 5 rooms and i walk in one and they have Avatar playing and the sounds in that room was just beautifull. It filled the whole room with every sound you could imagine. I think it was better than the big movie theaters! I ask the guy about the speakers and he says they cost like 24k for the whole room! gulp. So how can i reproduce the sound of that room or can you even do that for a 1k to 2k budget? Do i get floor standing speakers? I dont know anything about speakers but i want me and my friends and family to come up to my room and be astonished like i was in that room. Id like to spend 1000 just for speakers but if someone told me for 2000 it would sound real close to that room then i would do it. I would appreciate any advice given guys and thanks for reading.

With speakers, you can get good sound without spending a lot of money, but what really separates top performing speakers from lower cost speakers is the ability to sound good at higher volume levels and good dynamics.

 

[toddman36]

Im at 9500.00! I agree with others whove said spending slightly more now, will save you $ down the road!

Am I saying you should spend 10k for your setup... Noway... Just dont be afraid to try out dufferent avr's, as well as speakers or even displays in your own enviornment. To be sure that youll be happy with your purchase day in/day out!

This way you dont sit and regret not getting the better sounding or display with the better picture, and wind uo disliking your purchase. Or worse, selling what you just bought at a loss... Then buying the upgraded model for 500.00 more than what you origonally paid for the one you should have bought in the 1st place.

I can remember listening to my 1st pair of Sony tower speakers and center channel and surround speakers I had bought, when I bought my 1st Dolby Pro Logic Surround Sound avr! They sounded great, till you cranked them! I think I spent around 275.00 for all 5 speakers.

I now have Infinity Beta 50s f&l and a Beta 360c center ch, along with infinity side surrounds and back surr.! Its nice how clear they are with good bass response and sound at low volume! The best is being able to crank em up listening to music or movies with no distortion or crackeling...

 

[turnne1]

Thanks for the replies and I didnt have the reciever figured into the budget, the budget was just for speakers. By what im reading on the website i think im gonna go with a Denon for reciever. Which Denon should i be looking at? X3000?

I would pass on that and get at least the X4000...or the 4520..if you are going Denon
There are also some Yamaha's you should consider...2030 and 3030
If you have the patience and time and of course depending on where you live

Magnolia Home Theater( inside some Best Buy's) can be the best thing since sliced bread when they do a clearance
For instance I bought a brand new in box 4520 for about the same price A4L is selling refurbs for....actually less if you consider the reward zone points I received for the purchase
Look for end of season/end of line
They just blew out their series 1 of the B&W CM series
I bought 5 speakers for about 65% off MSRP....something a local independent dealer could not touch

Warren

 

[dchalfont]

Room size an listening volume is the biggest factor.

Even with bloated AUS pricing I worked out that work a setup with 2 SVS SB 13 Ultras, Paradigm Monitor 11x2, Paradigm Mini Monitorx4, Centre 3 it would cost me $9144....which is probably about $6k U.S. you could probably get a good AVR like the Yamaha RX-V1077/A-1040 for $1000 more.


That would be a great home theatre system for way less than 10k.

You should demo something like that or the series 2 600 B&W speakers.