[philmunch]

I will be purchasing some "SOUND" for my new basement and entertainment center ... I already have a DVD and the new 50" GWII will be arriving soon


I have NO idea on what to buy and I don't need earth-shattering sound or anything high quality to brag over, I just want a resonable setup for movies and sports, occasional music.


Any real-life experience with reasonable "theater in a box?"


Thanks for your help ... Phil

 

[Pii]

You're starting on what I just finished. (Well, maybe finished is a strong word. I'm at a satisfactory plateau, for the moment.)


I didn't go with the HTiaB (Home Theater in a Box) route, exactly. I got the Polk Audio RM7200 surround speakers. It consists of 4 identical surround speakers, a center, and a powered subwoofer. They sound great, and are comparable to some of the other popular surround setups (Such as the Bose 5.1 systems) from a price perspective. I got mine off eBay for about $950. List is around $1200.


Polk offers the same speakers in a box with an A/V Receiver, and a Progressive DVD player, called the DS7200.


If you have a "Big Screen Store" near you, you should be able to go listen for yourself. My local store had the DS7200 on display there.


I opted to go with a Pioneer A/V Receiver, and a Pioneer DVD player to round it out (It offerred a great deal more A/V Inputs, including some Component Video).


The viewing is done on a Mits WS-65611 (Which was delivered this very day! Joy!).


With the exception of the Television, I bought all of the other items on eBay, and I've had great luck. Everyone I bought from had a good reputation (which I checked ahead of time, naturally), and everything was delivered quickly, and in perfect condition.

 

[ted08721]

Not including a receiver just speakers subwoofer/center channel/2 front and to rear surround speakers mid range figure on spending $500. to $1000. more closer to $1000. I know there r alot of systems under $500. they will do, better then nothing. And I am sure alot of people spend in $1000. to $2000. range. Depends on size of room. You also said you wanted system for music so your front surround speakers have to be high enough quality for good stereo music. Center channel has to be decent most of your sound/diolog while viewing movies will be coming from it. Subwoofer is important for base you want a mid size unit should give u plenty of base no need to get to big there if u r looking to keep price reasonable but u don't want a real small one. best thing to do just like widescreen u got go to a few places and listen to speakers in different price ranges.

 

[ted08721]

BTW I went with Boston Acoustics micro (mini )speakers for WAF she did not want big ugly speakers. Cost $700. was plenty for room but typical of me after listening to system one step up from what I had $1000. system I bought it and gave daughter my other system needless to say everybody at daughter's college goes to her dorm unit to watch dvds

 

[philmunch]

Check this out: Highly rated 300$ speaker system

http://electronics.cnet.com/electron...?tag=pdtl-list


Onkyo SKS-HT500 system: While most entry-level packages are built around tiny sats and laughably small subwoofers, the HT500 sports rather formidable components. The speakers have a simple if bulky look, with an attractive, black-oak, vinyl-veneer finish and contoured grilles that add a touch of class. The main left/right speakers stand 16.5 inches tall and have dual 5.25-inch woofers and a 1-inch dome tweeter. The more average-sized center speaker comes in at 15.25 inches wide and features a woofer/tweeter/woofer array (two 4-inch woofers and a 1-inch tweeter). The surround speakers, which use a pair of the same drivers found in the center speaker, are the smallest of the bunch at just 8.5 inches high.


Though the center and surround speakers have keyhole mounts, wall-mounting them will restrict airflow from the rear ports; these speakers will sound best with a little breathing room behind them. Rated at an easy-to-drive, 8-ohm impedance, the mighty HT500 ensemble won't tax low-powered receivers.


The subwoofer weighs an impressive 29 pounds and incorporates a downward-firing, 8-inch woofer and a 150-watt amplifier. Connectivity options are limited to just one line-level input. Therefore, this Onkyo must be coupled with a receiver that has a line-level subwoofer output (most A/V receivers are so equipped).

 

[ted08721]

They may be ok subwoofer looks a little on the lite side but like I said u have to go listen to different ones in different price ranges and figure what sounds good to u for your budget. By the way Klipsch makes a nice Micro system they were highly rated if my memory is correct. Alot of systems out there just go and listen. Take movie with good sound effects u know. Also u said u want them to double for music take a cd or two of your favorite music. ps would recommend taking 'SAVING PRIVATE RYAN" the chapter where they defend town with tank coming would be good to use to check out sub woofer and all the machine gun fire for the surround speakers

 

[philmunch]

Good movie clip, thanks .. Will do

 

[ted08721]

But one thing I must warn u about. When u sit down to enjoy your new wide screen tv and sound system your wife will come into the room and say "TURN IT DOWN WHY DO U HAVE TO HAVE IT SO LOUD"

 

[ninthdragon]

It's my experience that women have this objection when the quality of the volume is low. Dirty and distorted high frequencies drive them nuts! If we put as much thought into our sound system as we did the video display, our wives might give us a little more peace.


With speakers, as with many other things, you get what you (can) pay for. To get the most bang for your bucks, try something different. Spend a little more. If you check around, you'll notice that most of the sound packages offered at BB and CC et al, top out at about $1200. And they all sound the same -- adequate.


Try finding a smaller dealer. An owner operated shop. They are usually run by people who really love sound! Talk to them. Tell them your audio dreams. Then tell them you have just $2k to spend. What they'll show you will probably cost $2,500, but it will also sound (orders of magnitude) better than most OOTB HT sound systems. And for good reason - the specs. That's what you are paying for. Without all the distortion, your wife won't yell at you when you want to crank on some new tunes or a just released DVD.


You've got your video display together, now, do the same with your sound. Take your wife with you. Have her bring some of her favorite music. When she hears it on decent speakers, she won't even mind the extra bucks you're spending.

 

[philmunch]

Cool, thanks for the tips

 

[muncey]

go for the onkyo ht500, i have this setup with the onkyo 500 receiver connected to my 48" rptv, i just bought the ht500 (2nd set) for a front projector i'm ready to purchase, i got the speakers on sale for $199 black friday sale circuit city online with free shipping, also found a harman kardon avr320 at fry's for $299.

total cost $500 for speakers and receiver

 

[HDURFTV]

I too got up fri morn and went down to CC and got the system for $199. Just 2 days after getting the sony hd200 for $634 plus a $50 mail in rebate. Man do I love CC!

 

[Paul Hives]

I just bought my folks a Sony HT-6500D system that included a prog scan DVD player, reciever, speakers and powered sub - the whole thing for $600.


I am quite impressed. Although it does not compare to my Pioneer Elite and DefTech speakers, it does make for a very good entry level system


I found it on-line for that price (MSRP is $800)

 

[mrenadette]

Before you buy, you may want to check out Cambridge Soundwork's Ebay store "hifi.com". In many cases they sell factory refurbished speakers along with other items at well over 50% off list price. They have a number of different surround sound speaker options. Don't confuse this site with the hifi.com website, you'll only find the factory refurbished equipment on the Ebay store.

 

[M.Hat]

I love music but I'm not a true audiophile and, as a beginner in home theatre surround-sound (5 speaker + sub-woofer), I simply bought a complete system--a Kenwood Theatre-in-a-box for about eight hundred dollars (Canadian). I didn't like their manual which covers several systems together and is rather confusing, but the system works very well once it's set up properly.


The sound is perfectly fine to my ears. I even strung an 80 foot audio cable from my computer down to it so I can use it to listen to my library of 15,000 Cd's that I have available from my Rhapsody music service.


I think probably the best thing is for you to go down to some electronics superstore and look at what they've got and select one at your desired price from the various brand names: Sony, Panasonic, whatever.


My chief disappointment with home theatre sound is the lack of five point sound with the TV and movies received on my dish.


When I make a bunch of dough from my movie script, I'll upgrade my very basic sound system, for I know there are really great systems out there--far superior to my unit. But until then (and after having lived for many years without even an am radio) I'm entirely happy with my theatre in a box. Good luck.



Cheers.

 

[philmunch]

Thanks for your help guys ...


I have purchased the "best entry-mid level" speakers I could find


The aforementioned ONKYO HT 500 at CC for 200 bucks !!!!


Best deal around and picked up a Panasonic Surround Sound DTS, DD, 5.1 Receiver, 100 W per channel-for an entry level trial --- for 149 Bucks at CC


Total surround sound cost of 350 bucks,,, If I neeed more, I will upgrade


Circuit City has a policy of full price back if you upgade within a year ,,, NICE

 

[csxfan07]

I work at CC and the Onkyo 500 is the best sounding i've heard for under $500, I personally have been looking at the polk towers (I70black), but not too long ago we set up a DVD Audio set up w/ the polk rm7200, and they sound awsome, now I am seriously considering them (and it'll please the misses by putting them out of baby's reach) match that w/ a pioneer elite (one of the entry level ones) and that'll be a sharp sounding and looking set up, Joe.