kidcrumb
CLASSIFIED Member
- Total Posts : 4541
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2008/10/16 12:53:47
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Hey Everyone!
I'm starting to look at some speakers for a home theater setup and was wondering if anyone could give me some info on what to look for. I need an HDMI Receiver to plug in all my other devices (PC, PS4, TV, etc.) and at least a 5.1 surround setup.
After looking for a few days I seem lost. I don't know what exactly I should be looking for. Any suggestions?
Max budget is $1,000. Really looking for something in the $600 range though. But if quality at that range isn't good, I can go up. Hoping this system lasts a few years.
Intel i7 11700k l ASUS PRIME Z590-A l ASUS TUF RTX3080Ti l 32GB Corsair Vengeance Pro l Evga 1000w Gold l 512GB Samsung EVO l 2x5 TB Storage Drives l Corsair Crystal 570X White l Audio Engine A5+
|
Dukman
FTW Member
- Total Posts : 1478
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2009/08/15 09:47:59
- Location: They keep telling me Zion
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 08:20:15
(permalink)
If you just want to get things rolling but yet still get some decent noises out of your system, I would look at some systems that are called "Home theater in a box" which is essentially a box that contains everything you need to set up a surround system. That way you can stay at your preferred budget, but still get some decent equipment. I started with an Onkyo 7.1 set-up. Onkyo.com Don't pay attention to those prices, they'll be cheaper at a retailer. My system is the older equivalent of the HTS-7700 and it was much less that what was listed on the site at the time. Not sure where you are located geograpically, but retailers like Fry's and yes, even Best Buy can offer decent deals on HTAB systems. If you're not a fan of Onkyo, Yamaha and the others offer similar set ups. This way you should be able to establish a system and then you can keep your eyes open for sales and grow that system with better speaker. You'll be able to get years out of a good receiver. Best Buy
post edited by Dukman - 2016/07/11 09:07:54
|
agent8
Omnipotent Enthusiast
- Total Posts : 8248
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2007/03/03 20:28:24
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 20
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 08:43:26
(permalink)
I agree, a good start is a home theater in a box set up. None of those options are going to be "great" but they will do the job. If you want to get into good audio, I would save up and do a little at a time. Just be careful that you don't mix and match speakers because mixing speakers with different timbres can sound horrible. Receivers are always on craigslist and I swear, those are outdated almost as fast as computer parts so I would save that for last. Head over to the AVS forums and they will guide you pretty well too. Just be careful because once you get going, it gets addictive and you will be upgrading like pc parts. 
|
Dukman
FTW Member
- Total Posts : 1478
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2009/08/15 09:47:59
- Location: They keep telling me Zion
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 09:09:36
(permalink)
And it can get very, very expensive.
Thankfully I have a cheap ear and most speakers sound the same to me. So my Polks are more than enough to keep me satisfied. Do need to upgrade my reciever though.
|
the_Scarlet_one
formerly Scarlet-tech
- Total Posts : 24581
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2013/11/13 02:48:57
- Location: East Coast
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 79
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 09:26:00
(permalink)
I have a 499.00 Yamaha home theater in a box that I purchased from best buy, and I just routed the wires through the walls. Once I installed the speakers in the corners of the room, I had to significantly turn the volume down because the sound projection is extremely loud compared to the speakers on stands.
I also run all of my HDMI connections through the receiver, so there is only one cable going to the tv.
|
kidcrumb
CLASSIFIED Member
- Total Posts : 4541
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2008/10/16 12:53:47
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 09:52:45
(permalink)
Why would the Home Theater in a Box be bad? They don't do good combos? I don't have a problem with getting a receiver and speakers separately. I want to get the home theater speakers set up this year and grab a 75in 4K TV next year. I'm just doing baby steps. Does $1,000 still not get you good speakers? Edit: If I wanted to get a good receiver, soundbar, and subwoofer right now, with plans to upgrade the soundbar later, would that be a good idea?
post edited by kidcrumb - 2016/07/11 09:58:33
Intel i7 11700k l ASUS PRIME Z590-A l ASUS TUF RTX3080Ti l 32GB Corsair Vengeance Pro l Evga 1000w Gold l 512GB Samsung EVO l 2x5 TB Storage Drives l Corsair Crystal 570X White l Audio Engine A5+
|
kidcrumb
CLASSIFIED Member
- Total Posts : 4541
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2008/10/16 12:53:47
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 10:09:38
(permalink)
Intel i7 11700k l ASUS PRIME Z590-A l ASUS TUF RTX3080Ti l 32GB Corsair Vengeance Pro l Evga 1000w Gold l 512GB Samsung EVO l 2x5 TB Storage Drives l Corsair Crystal 570X White l Audio Engine A5+
|
the_Scarlet_one
formerly Scarlet-tech
- Total Posts : 24581
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2013/11/13 02:48:57
- Location: East Coast
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 79
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 10:17:08
(permalink)
The stands typically come in boxes of two, since typically they are mounted with the two front and two rear speakers on stands and the center set on the tv stand. Amazon has individual stands as well.
|
Cool GTX
EVGA Forum Moderator
- Total Posts : 31005
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2010/12/12 14:22:25
- Location: Folding for the Greater Good
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 122
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 10:22:47
(permalink)
kidcrumb
Why would the Home Theater in a Box be bad? They don't do good combos?
I don't have a problem with getting a receiver and speakers separately. I want to get the home theater speakers set up this year and grab a 75in 4K TV next year. I'm just doing baby steps.
Does $1,000 still not get you good speakers?
Edit: If I wanted to get a good receiver, soundbar, and subwoofer right now, with plans to upgrade the soundbar later, would that be a good idea?
1) Why would the Home Theater in a Box be bad? They don't do good combos? --- price point product usually -- think compromise 2) Does $1,000 still not get you good speakers? --- personal listening preference to what good or good enough is 3) If I wanted to get a good receiver, soundbar, and subwoofer right now, with plans to upgrade the soundbar later, would that be a good idea? - could work if you like, remember you also have to think about how you are going to wire the speakers I like speakers with no discernible distortion at a typical listening db. (loud for movies) Sound quality is personal -- never buy a better system than you can hear the difference in. Spend time listening in the store if possible; but, know it will sound different at home - acoustics are unique in every room. Speaker size and where or how they are mounted all play into your choices. I'm currently running a Yamaha RX-A820 receiver, very nice set up even if a couple of years old now. Definitive speakers, had the sound quality I like. Look at some of these: entry $600 to $1K 5.1 LINK spend some time on crutchfield.com
post edited by Cool GTX - 2016/07/11 19:46:20
|
WackyWRZ
SSC Member
- Total Posts : 603
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2011/11/03 07:52:46
- Location: Raleigh, NC
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 7
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 10:40:26
(permalink)
CASE: Anidees AI Crystal XL | MOBO: ASUS X470 Crosshair VII | CPU: AMD Ryzen 3600 | RAM: G.Skill Trident Z DDR4-3200 2x8GB B-Die | SSD: Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVME 1TB | PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 650 P2 | GPU: AMD RX5700 XT | MON: AOC CU34G2X 1440p/144hz 34" Ultrawide + Dell S2716DG 1440p/144Hz | Cooling: Full custom loop, Heatkiller D5 150, Aquacomputer D5 Next + Quadro, EK Supremacy Evo, EK Coolstream PE 480, Bykski 5700XT | HEAT: 20-0-0 - http://www.heatware.com/u/104452
|
Dukman
FTW Member
- Total Posts : 1478
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2009/08/15 09:47:59
- Location: They keep telling me Zion
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 10:55:26
(permalink)
kidcrumb
Why would the Home Theater in a Box be bad? They don't do good combos?
I don't have a problem with getting a receiver and speakers separately. I want to get the home theater speakers set up this year and grab a 75in 4K TV next year. I'm just doing baby steps.
Does $1,000 still not get you good speakers?
Edit: If I wanted to get a good receiver, soundbar, and subwoofer right now, with plans to upgrade the soundbar later, would that be a good idea?
I think you might have misunderstood us. I don't think any of us said the HTB was bad. It's an affordable and easy way to get get your home theatre up and running. I was looking to keep you at or near the 600.00 mark. But if you opted to push up the 1000.00 then you would have wider options to work with and could potentially put together a seperate system as Cool and Wacky demonstrated. I actually have all the Polk speakers that Wacky listed. Awesome sound (to me) for their price point. Only thing, I have them hooked up my computer 5.1 rather than my 7.1 home theatre downstairs.  A way to get good prices on Polk equipment is to head over to their eBay store. They have good deals on speakers there and always have free shipping. And I agree about the soundbar. Get a dedicated center channel
post edited by Dukman - 2016/07/11 11:53:08
|
WackyWRZ
SSC Member
- Total Posts : 603
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2011/11/03 07:52:46
- Location: Raleigh, NC
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 7
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 11:12:56
(permalink)
Duckman is right on. HTIB isn't bad at all BUT for a similar price point if you put in the legwork to find sales on the individual pieces you'll come up with a much better sounding system for the money. You're almost paying a premium for the convenience of everything being in one box - because home theater can be as daunting as buying PC components!  I've got an almost identical Polk setup (mine are TSX) except my front speakers are towers and they sound really good - especially compared to my old HTIB. One word of advice - the Polk subwoofers are no where near as good as their main speakers but I have been very impressed with Klipsch which is what I ended up with. I've also read rave reviews on the Monoprice 5.1 speaker system ( http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=109&cp_id=10906&cs_id=1090601&p_id=13773&seq=1&format=2) which looks to be pretty decent for the $100 they are charging... And the speakers they include look like much better quality than the typical HTIB speakers. Pair that with a good receiver and you've got an great start on a system you can expand in the future. If you want to do "baby steps" what I would suggest is just purchase a receiver, 2 fronts (towers), and a center channel. Then as time goes on add the sub next and last add the rears. The key here is to match the series of speakers not only the brand. So for example (since I am familiar with Polk) - if you got Polk TSX series fronts, you would want to get TSX series center and rears. If you instead got RTi series center and a "T" series rear it might sound really unbalanced. You really don't want to mix brands either with the exception of the sub. The subwoofer brand is irrelevant as far as matching to the other speakers because it's not directional and the sound is only low frequency.
post edited by WackyWRZ - 2016/07/11 11:19:39
CASE: Anidees AI Crystal XL | MOBO: ASUS X470 Crosshair VII | CPU: AMD Ryzen 3600 | RAM: G.Skill Trident Z DDR4-3200 2x8GB B-Die | SSD: Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVME 1TB | PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 650 P2 | GPU: AMD RX5700 XT | MON: AOC CU34G2X 1440p/144hz 34" Ultrawide + Dell S2716DG 1440p/144Hz | Cooling: Full custom loop, Heatkiller D5 150, Aquacomputer D5 Next + Quadro, EK Supremacy Evo, EK Coolstream PE 480, Bykski 5700XT | HEAT: 20-0-0 - http://www.heatware.com/u/104452
|
agent8
Omnipotent Enthusiast
- Total Posts : 8248
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2007/03/03 20:28:24
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 20
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 11:18:13
(permalink)
Also depends on your room. If you are trying to cram 2 extra speakers somewhere when you don't have the room just so you can do 7.1, you may be better off sticking with 5.1. That Onkyo 5.1 system isn't bad, just don't expect room shaking bass or crazy vibrant sounds. In my opinion, judge an "all-in-a-box" set up by the center channel. It is an important workhorse. Polk makes some great speakers. If it was me, I would get a nice Polk or Klipsch center channel and a left and right to match. Get a receiver that fits your space and your needs and then when you can afford it, get matching rears and a good subwoofer. The sub doesn't need to be the same brand either. I did a thread about a DIY subwoofer a while back and for well under $1000 I have 2 subs that actually shake my house and put velodyne, svs and others to shame. EDIT: LOL WackyWRZ beat me to it with the same advise...
|
Dukman
FTW Member
- Total Posts : 1478
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2009/08/15 09:47:59
- Location: They keep telling me Zion
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 12:01:43
(permalink)
I wouldn't worry as much about a 7.1 system. While I can hear it at work at times, I find that my 5.1 can do the job just as well as the 7.1.
Get or build a 5.1 system. Later, as both Wacky and Agent have suggested, add the bigger pieces you want later on. If you want the 7.1 set up, satellites are relatively cheap to buy later on down the road.
|
kidcrumb
CLASSIFIED Member
- Total Posts : 4541
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2008/10/16 12:53:47
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 12:27:45
(permalink)
My room doesn't need 7 speakers. Only has space for 5.
When I get off of work, Ill put together a newegg wishlist and share it to get opinions.
Intel i7 11700k l ASUS PRIME Z590-A l ASUS TUF RTX3080Ti l 32GB Corsair Vengeance Pro l Evga 1000w Gold l 512GB Samsung EVO l 2x5 TB Storage Drives l Corsair Crystal 570X White l Audio Engine A5+
|
kidcrumb
CLASSIFIED Member
- Total Posts : 4541
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2008/10/16 12:53:47
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 12:54:03
(permalink)
Intel i7 11700k l ASUS PRIME Z590-A l ASUS TUF RTX3080Ti l 32GB Corsair Vengeance Pro l Evga 1000w Gold l 512GB Samsung EVO l 2x5 TB Storage Drives l Corsair Crystal 570X White l Audio Engine A5+
|
the_Scarlet_one
formerly Scarlet-tech
- Total Posts : 24581
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2013/11/13 02:48:57
- Location: East Coast
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 79
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 13:29:43
(permalink)
|
kidcrumb
CLASSIFIED Member
- Total Posts : 4541
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2008/10/16 12:53:47
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 13:31:51
(permalink)
Scarlet-Tech
kidcrumb
What about:
Receiver: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0MJ-0023-00004&ignorebbr=1 three 1 star reviews, and two 5 star reviews on NewEgg. Only 3 stars on Amazon (ratings vary more than NE)
Why would you cheap out right away? Look at the bold I inserted above. Why are you willing to spend so much on nice speakers, and then get what is possibly one of the worst receivers available?
This item is no longer available.Original Price: $799.99 (Discounted to $249 for an obvious reason) Most review sites won't even list the pro's and cons on this thing. Multiple barely said anything more than the specification. You have may to smash the google search button on this receiver before spending money.
I just saw the sale. $800 receiver for $300? Sometimes the reviews on newegg aren't representative. Especially if there is less than 10 reviews. Ill keep looking.
Intel i7 11700k l ASUS PRIME Z590-A l ASUS TUF RTX3080Ti l 32GB Corsair Vengeance Pro l Evga 1000w Gold l 512GB Samsung EVO l 2x5 TB Storage Drives l Corsair Crystal 570X White l Audio Engine A5+
|
the_Scarlet_one
formerly Scarlet-tech
- Total Posts : 24581
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2013/11/13 02:48:57
- Location: East Coast
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 79
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 13:35:19
(permalink)
kidcrumb
Scarlet-Tech
kidcrumb
What about:
Receiver: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0MJ-0023-00004&ignorebbr=1 three 1 star reviews, and two 5 star reviews on NewEgg. Only 3 stars on Amazon (ratings vary more than NE)
Why would you cheap out right away? Look at the bold I inserted above. Why are you willing to spend so much on nice speakers, and then get what is possibly one of the worst receivers available?
This item is no longer available.Original Price: $799.99 (Discounted to $249 for an obvious reason) Most review sites won't even list the pro's and cons on this thing. Multiple barely said anything more than the specification. You have may to smash the google search button on this receiver before spending money.
I just saw the sale. $800 receiver for $300? Sometimes the reviews on newegg aren't representative. Especially if there is less than 10 reviews. Ill keep looking.
The reviews are consistent everywhere you can find them. I updated/edited more into my post above.
|
Dukman
FTW Member
- Total Posts : 1478
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2009/08/15 09:47:59
- Location: They keep telling me Zion
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 13:42:07
(permalink)
My only suggestion is to switch the sub out for this one and maybe look at the Monitor60 tower speakers. I have those downstairs and they can more than handle the job. That might free up a little to get you a pair of these for the rear. If you decide on Polk speakers, check here to compare pricing. I can say that I personally own Monitor30's, Monitor40's, Monitor60's and the CS2 center. And they make my ears very happy. But I'll also admit it doesn't take much to make my ears happy either. Im afraid I am of no help when it comes to recievers.
|
WackyWRZ
SSC Member
- Total Posts : 603
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2011/11/03 07:52:46
- Location: Raleigh, NC
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 7
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 15:44:18
(permalink)
Stay FAR away from that Polk sub and get a Klipsch all the Polk subs that I've heard are terrible for the money. I demoed them here locally and can tell you they are crap. I have the 12" version of what Duckman linked and it's awesome. You can often find the 12" Klipsch version on sale for $150 at Newegg or Frys. Also keep in mind that when you are looking at the Polk bookshelf speakers - that price is for a PAIR where towers are sold as each generally. For a receiver Harmon Kardon are not really that great anymore - they used to be top notch! You want to stick with Onkyo, Denon, or Yamaha - I linked two suggestions below. Accessories4less is also an authorized dealer for Onkyo factory refurbished equipment - and it still comes with the 1 year warranty even refurb. I actually own the 646 (2nd link below) and it is a BEAST - was $700 when new! Tons of power, 7.2 and Atmos capable, 4K ready, and is WiFi for Pandora, Spotify, etc... It also includes a microphone that you plug into it and set in the room. It then plays tones and auto adjusts your speakers and EQ to compensate for sound reflections and stuff in the room. http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/onktxnr636/onkyo-tx-nr636-7.2-ch-x-95-watts-networking-a/v-receiver/1.html - $249 http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/onktxnr646/onkyo-tx-nr646-7.2-ch-x-100-watts-networking-a/v-receiver/1.html - $299 - Good reviews
post edited by WackyWRZ - 2016/07/11 15:51:11
CASE: Anidees AI Crystal XL | MOBO: ASUS X470 Crosshair VII | CPU: AMD Ryzen 3600 | RAM: G.Skill Trident Z DDR4-3200 2x8GB B-Die | SSD: Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVME 1TB | PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 650 P2 | GPU: AMD RX5700 XT | MON: AOC CU34G2X 1440p/144hz 34" Ultrawide + Dell S2716DG 1440p/144Hz | Cooling: Full custom loop, Heatkiller D5 150, Aquacomputer D5 Next + Quadro, EK Supremacy Evo, EK Coolstream PE 480, Bykski 5700XT | HEAT: 20-0-0 - http://www.heatware.com/u/104452
|
agent8
Omnipotent Enthusiast
- Total Posts : 8248
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2007/03/03 20:28:24
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 20
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 15:44:53
(permalink)
That Harman Kardon is not too shabby. A lot of the receivers you will see coming down in price because the new trend is Dolby Atmos. Some questions you need to consider is: How important is networking, dual zones, 4k pass through, ect..
I have mine set up to play 2 zones which is pretty handy. I can have 7.2 sound in my living room and a separate stereo feed out to my patio with a different source at the same time. Streaming Pandora is pretty cool too but I suppose I could just as easily hook up a smart phone to an input too.
Some of the higher end models feature room correction which is nice if your room is less than ideal. I have some weird openings and some furniture that interferes with some of my mid range frequencies. The audyssey room correction on my receiver does a far better job than I can at evening out the peaks and sorting the nulls I have.
|
WackyWRZ
SSC Member
- Total Posts : 603
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2011/11/03 07:52:46
- Location: Raleigh, NC
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 7
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 15:47:01
(permalink)
agent8
That Harman Kardon is not too shabby. A lot of the receivers you will see coming down in price because the new trend is Dolby Atmos. Some questions you need to consider is: How important is networking, dual zones, 4k pass through, ect..
I have mine set up to play 2 zones which is pretty handy. I can have 7.2 sound in my living room and a separate stereo feed out to my patio with a different source at the same time. Streaming Pandora is pretty cool too but I suppose I could just as easily hook up a smart phone to an input too.
Some of the higher end models feature room correction which is nice if your room is less than ideal. I have some weird openings and some furniture that interferes with some of my mid range frequencies. The audyssey room correction on my receiver does a far better job than I can at evening out the peaks and sorting the nulls I have.
Beat you to it again!  I am assuming that you have a Denon (since they are the only ones that have Audyssey)?
post edited by WackyWRZ - 2016/07/11 15:49:07
CASE: Anidees AI Crystal XL | MOBO: ASUS X470 Crosshair VII | CPU: AMD Ryzen 3600 | RAM: G.Skill Trident Z DDR4-3200 2x8GB B-Die | SSD: Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVME 1TB | PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 650 P2 | GPU: AMD RX5700 XT | MON: AOC CU34G2X 1440p/144hz 34" Ultrawide + Dell S2716DG 1440p/144Hz | Cooling: Full custom loop, Heatkiller D5 150, Aquacomputer D5 Next + Quadro, EK Supremacy Evo, EK Coolstream PE 480, Bykski 5700XT | HEAT: 20-0-0 - http://www.heatware.com/u/104452
|
Dukman
FTW Member
- Total Posts : 1478
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2009/08/15 09:47:59
- Location: They keep telling me Zion
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 16:02:19
(permalink)
I'm still using my old Onkyo receiver that came with my HTIB set up. So Im sold on Onkyo stuff for that. I'll eventually replace it, but it's still going strong for being nearly a decade old.
|
agent8
Omnipotent Enthusiast
- Total Posts : 8248
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2007/03/03 20:28:24
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 20
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/11 18:44:30
(permalink)
WackyWRZ
agent8
That Harman Kardon is not too shabby. A lot of the receivers you will see coming down in price because the new trend is Dolby Atmos. Some questions you need to consider is: How important is networking, dual zones, 4k pass through, ect..
I have mine set up to play 2 zones which is pretty handy. I can have 7.2 sound in my living room and a separate stereo feed out to my patio with a different source at the same time. Streaming Pandora is pretty cool too but I suppose I could just as easily hook up a smart phone to an input too.
Some of the higher end models feature room correction which is nice if your room is less than ideal. I have some weird openings and some furniture that interferes with some of my mid range frequencies. The audyssey room correction on my receiver does a far better job than I can at evening out the peaks and sorting the nulls I have.
Beat you to it again! I am assuming that you have a Denon (since they are the only ones that have Audyssey)?
Yep.  Love my Denon but I have used Onkyo and a few others that I liked as well. I have even heard a Sony and a Yamaha or two that didn't sound too bad. For some reason, the volume knob on the HKs bug me though. Every once in a while, Newegg will have the Polk speakers and sometimes a good sub on their shell shocker deals. That or set up an alert on slickdeals and be patient. I am using some mid price range infinity speakers that went on clearance on Crutchfield over 10 years ago and they are still awesome and I love their aluminum/ceramic blend drivers.
|
kidcrumb
CLASSIFIED Member
- Total Posts : 4541
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2008/10/16 12:53:47
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/12 07:50:31
(permalink)
Thanks guys! I think im going to build the system that WackyWRZ provided a few posts above. If I wanted to jump to 5.1, do I just get 4 shelf speakers instead of the 2?
Intel i7 11700k l ASUS PRIME Z590-A l ASUS TUF RTX3080Ti l 32GB Corsair Vengeance Pro l Evga 1000w Gold l 512GB Samsung EVO l 2x5 TB Storage Drives l Corsair Crystal 570X White l Audio Engine A5+
|
Dukman
FTW Member
- Total Posts : 1478
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2009/08/15 09:47:59
- Location: They keep telling me Zion
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/12 08:47:05
(permalink)
kidcrumb
Thanks guys! I think im going to build the system that WackyWRZ provided a few posts above.
If I wanted to jump to 5.1, do I just get 4 shelf speakers instead of the 2?
Personally I would say no. Keep some towers up in front. Even with a 5.1 set-up, thats the direction that most of the "sound and fury" is going to be coming from, so keep some big speakers up there and then add some smaller speakers to the rear.
|
kidcrumb
CLASSIFIED Member
- Total Posts : 4541
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2008/10/16 12:53:47
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/12 10:15:08
(permalink)
Intel i7 11700k l ASUS PRIME Z590-A l ASUS TUF RTX3080Ti l 32GB Corsair Vengeance Pro l Evga 1000w Gold l 512GB Samsung EVO l 2x5 TB Storage Drives l Corsair Crystal 570X White l Audio Engine A5+
|
agent8
Omnipotent Enthusiast
- Total Posts : 8248
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2007/03/03 20:28:24
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 20
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/12 11:23:08
(permalink)
Yes, you can still do 5.1 with that. Looks like a winner. I would get that over any Yamaha. Speakers look pretty good too. If anything, your weak link will be the sub but it will still sound pretty good. Half of the sound you get is going to be your room and your speaker placement. Even moving a sub a few inches can make a world of difference.
|
kidcrumb
CLASSIFIED Member
- Total Posts : 4541
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2008/10/16 12:53:47
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 6
Re: Surround Sound Home Theater Suggestions?
2016/07/12 11:28:38
(permalink)
agent8
Yes, you can still do 5.1 with that. Looks like a winner. I would get that over any Yamaha. Speakers look pretty good too. If anything, your weak link will be the sub but it will still sound pretty good. Half of the sound you get is going to be your room and your speaker placement. Even moving a sub a few inches can make a world of difference.
That's kind of why I wanted the Tower speakers. They have some bass to them that the sub/sat system doesn't. I can always upgrade the sub later too. I am living in an apartment right now so these speakers are overkill but Im future proofing for 5-10 years. Hopefully.
Intel i7 11700k l ASUS PRIME Z590-A l ASUS TUF RTX3080Ti l 32GB Corsair Vengeance Pro l Evga 1000w Gold l 512GB Samsung EVO l 2x5 TB Storage Drives l Corsair Crystal 570X White l Audio Engine A5+
|