Home system help

[Maxwell Smart]

Hi everyone, this is my first post and would like some ideas on what i should buy for a home stereo system. I have been looking on the net and racking my brain because there is soo much equipment out there im not sure where to start.
Anyhow, i saw this site and it had some interesting feedback for peeps so thought i would give it a shot.
To start off i just want to say i dont own a fancy tv or anything i just own a hd 21inch monitor that i watch most everything on. Im looking to add some nice surround sound to my machine and in the future to a very nice tv. My price range would be around $2500 so im not sure where that will get me..
I just want something that will last me and perhaphs something i can add too as cash comes in. I definally want to be able to hook my pc up to it and have plenty of clear power. anyhow in the meantime i will keep looking for receivers but i still need to do some research on what im getting into.. all of your inputs would be greatly helpfull and hope someone could point me in a direction where i can be buying soon.. thanks for any help

 

[Inno]

Well.....as the first reply I can start by saying that in the 2500 price range there are a wide variety of ways you could go.
If it were me starting from scratch, I'd probably invest in a solid mid to high end receiver. Brands? Well lets see, Pioneer Premier, Onkyo, Denon, Yamaha are all very reputable and I'm sure other people will have many more to add. Can't go wrong with getting some decent power, anywhere in the 80-100watts per channel can be quite pleasing. I run a Yamaha RX-V795 which is a solid performer but the only thing it lacks is component video switching, that would be a must in a serious HT system.
You haven't mentioned what your main watching source is, Cable, Satellite (although this is a satellite related site so I'll guess it is satellite) so I won't comment on that part of it.
Speakers once again there is a huge variety out there. With that budget I'd probably look at some decent bookshelf or slightly larger speakers on stands( I use Paradigm Mini Monitors) (depending on your space available) or wall hangers and decent 12" subwoofer. My subwoofer is a homemade 10" consisting of a rockford fosgate car sub (it's beefy!!!) and an old Luxman amplifier for power. I'd look at maybe a paradigm, velodyne, energy subwoofer and again there are many more excellent products out there. My choice of homemade subwoofer is a combination of a tight budget, a desire for ultra low bass (I know a 12" would be better) and I belief that I can build something better than I can buy. For a 10" it's pretty impressive!
With that said, I'd probably break it down this way..........budget $800-$1000 for the reciever, something you can build on with enough inputs and more than enough power for your present use. Probably another $800-$900 for speakers, even if you have to start with just 2 channel, you can add another set and a center later. What you've got left over could probably buy a pretty decent subwoofer and whatever cords and cables you need to get it all hooked up correctly.
Hope that helps, if you want more specifics I'm sure me or any of the other members here will have more advice.

Good luck.......wish that $2500 were in my home theatre budget!

 

[scooby2]

See if you have Paradigm dealer near you. System 2 would be a very nice starting setup and leave you a grand or so for a receiver. Titans are great front speakers. Paradigm offers various finishes as well as magnishield if you plan on putting the fronts/center near or on your tv.

http://www.paradigm.com/Website/SiteParadigmProduct/ParadigmModels/SystemChoice/systems.html

No, I'm not employed or affiliated in any way with Paradigm. Just a very happy customer. Paradigm hand makes just about everything in Canada. They are well known as the company that gives you the biggest bang for your buck!


Receiver wise it really depends what you are looking for. Brand wise Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer, etc. are all good.

Best advice is go listen and bring some tunes along on cd that you want to hear. Don't go to a super store (BestBuy, Circuit City, etc)!!!

 

[willx45x]

I just upgraded my speakers and receiver upon purchasing a new Sony HDTV. I went with the Pioneer VSX-816-K receiver and got it for less than $300 from Circuit City. I challenge you to find a better receiver for the money. The sound is incredible and it has all the functionality you could want. CNET has a good review of it. I also went with some Infinity Primus bookshelves, an Infinity Primus center channel and an Infinity 8" sub. These aren't top-end speakers by any means, but they are very, very good speakers for the money and are very well reviewed on audioreview.com among others. My system sounds SWEET and I spent less than $1,000 for all four speakers and receiver. I don't think it would sound a bit better if I spent another grand. Just my .02.

w

 

[deathfromabove]

As for rcvr, I would recommend a Yamaha in your $ range, some Primus 150's for rears and Primus 250's for left/right, Infinity also makes a center that matches the Primus series. For a sub, I would go with a Polk PSW-12, it will give PLENTY of low-end.

 

[Nevada_MO_Guy]

My price range would be around $2500 so im not sure where that will get me..

Receiver = Onkyo TX-SR703 $600

Speaker = Mirage NANOSAT $600

TV = Toshiba 42HM66 $1300

With a 21" tv your room must be on the small side, the Nanosat's should be fine for you.

 

[loves2watch]

I just purchased a new Onkyo TX-SR 805 with HDMI 1.3 and wow is this AV receiver awesome. It does everything I want, need and could possible need in the future. With the price point well below what others are selling theirs for makes it an exceptional bargain. Check it out. I purchased it from OneCall on line. The specs are a plus and in the real world it performs at least as good as if not better than any of the others even the ones costing much more. 130 clean watts per channel and more inputs/outputs than you can shake a stick at. What's more, it up-converts all video signals to either HDMI or Component, whichever you decide to use. Add to that a surround sound microphone for setting the proper surround levels and bi amping if you so desire and you have a Rolls Royce for the price of a Toyota.

This with a set of Paradigm speakers would have you in awe now and in years to come.

 

[raoul5788]

Holy sh*t! Six replies and I can't disagree with any of them! I started getting into stereo in the early 70's (yes, I am that old!) and have had numerous setups over the years. The best advice I can give is listen, listen, listen!, especially to the speakers. Do you have any friends with nice systems from whom you can get some idea of what sounds good to you? Read Tech product reviews for cell phones, computers, MP3 players - CNET for reviews and Crutchfield: Car Audio, LCD TV, Plasma TV, Speakers, Home Theater for equipment specifics. I STRONGLY advice buying from a b & m store so that you can not only listen to the equipment, but play with it, too. Also, many stores have generous return and upgrade policies. Good luck and let us know what you get!

 

[dpeterson1]

I would check into Marantz.i have had their receivers since the 70's and will put them up agaist any others.Just my two cents worth.Good luck

 

[jayn_j]

One of the problems is that the classic upscale audio/video shop is a dying breed. When I got involved with audio back in the early '70s, the norm was to narrow things down in the listening rooms and then take loaners home to do the final evaluations. These days, most of these stores have been killed off by Best Buy and Circuit City, and those that still exist only handle the absolute high end.

That leaves you with evaluating components at a store set up for volume. Even the Magnolia rooms (if you can find one) are unsatisfactory because of the high traffic going through them and the fact that the stuff is simply pulled out of the box and plopped into the first empty spot available.

All I can suggest at this point, is to read reviews, then go listen as best you can, and finally go purchase at a store with a reasonable return policy.

The guideline used to be that you should spend half your budget on speakers 1/4 on the amplifier/receiver, and the rest on sources. I am not sure how the addition of the TV affects this, but in my setup, the TV costs about the same as the speakers and the receiver about half that much.

Note, everyone will likely agree that you don't go spend these ratios blindly. For example yiou can go with Bose and pay $1k for $200 worth of speakers. You also need to be careful about how you listen at the stores. We have all heard about how most mass retailers set up their TVs "hot" so that they have punch in the line. Audio rooms are much the same, with loudness controls, equalizers and room placement set up to give extra "punch" to whatever brand is being pushed that week. You need to look carefully at the setup, try to get the response curves as flat as possible and make sure that the speakers are being driven by the same amp, preferably the one you have or are looking to buy.

Go during off peak hours. The sales staff is more likely to be accomodating in changing setups, moving equipment and working with you.