Home Theater In a Box ?
- Thread starter Chanur
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Pemulis
Not Woke
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2 years ago I bought an onkyo receiver and a set of 5.1 definitive technology speakers for under $1000. Anyone who listens to music or watches a movie at my house leaves impressed. Best prices I found were at vanns.com
People can try to justify spending 3-4x that, but I am thrilled with what I have and what I paid for it
People can try to justify spending 3-4x that, but I am thrilled with what I have and what I paid for it
ya don't sweat the number of hdmi ports
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2
25 bucks ...
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2
25 bucks ...
If you are looking for some quality stuff you may want to check out Bose products as well.
http://www.bose.com/
http://www.bose.com/
HSU has been making some of the best subs in the industry for a while now. I have an SVS currently, but will be getting a HSU VTF3 after the first of the year. A good sub is what makes movies and games really come to life. You can actually feel it in your chest even at moderate volumes. Their speaker line is fairly new but is getting glowing reviews from ppl that really know their stuff.
http://hometheaterreview.com/hsu-res...viewed/?page=1
http://www.hsuresearch.com/reviews/vtf3mk4WSR.pdf
You will be hard pressed to find a setup that sounds better than this for under 5k. It is where my money is going.
http://hometheaterreview.com/hsu-res...viewed/?page=1
http://www.hsuresearch.com/reviews/vtf3mk4WSR.pdf
You will be hard pressed to find a setup that sounds better than this for under 5k. It is where my money is going.
Zodiac
Lord Nagafen Raider
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I love the fact that my receiver has a ton of hdmi ports. All I have to do is press a button on the remote and it switches. No need for an extra box taking up space.
Synj
Dystopian Dreamer
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No matter what you do, always call for pricing and be willing to ask for discounts. You can typically get 20-40% off the internet price as long as you call and ask for it.
If you are interested in a Denon receiver, this is a must read thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1334369/th...-owners-thread
My suggestions:
Denon AVR-1912 $300-350
Audyssey MultEQ XT - 7 channels x90 watts
6 HDMI inputs
Ethernet, Airplay, Pandora, USB iPod dock
Energy CB-5 x4 Fronts/Rears $200 (call for this price)
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/it..._c=site_search
Energy CC-5 $100 Center $100
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/it..._c=site_search
BIC America F12 12" Sub $200
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F1.../dp/B0015A8Y5M
This will blow the doors off any HTIB and comes in at approx. $800
Go to Monoprice for speaker wire and HDMI cables and you have a very respectable home theater system.
http://www.monoprice.com
As someone here mentioned, Polks from newegg.com are a popular option, just make sure to wait for their sales because they are always discounting them.
PS. You can demo the Energy speakers at any Best Buy/Magnolia. I've never heard the sub but it often gets endorsed by avs for those looking for a sub on a budget and again it will be far better than anything you get in an HTIB.
If you are interested in a Denon receiver, this is a must read thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1334369/th...-owners-thread
My suggestions:
Denon AVR-1912 $300-350
Audyssey MultEQ XT - 7 channels x90 watts
6 HDMI inputs
Ethernet, Airplay, Pandora, USB iPod dock
Energy CB-5 x4 Fronts/Rears $200 (call for this price)
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/it..._c=site_search
Energy CC-5 $100 Center $100
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/it..._c=site_search
BIC America F12 12" Sub $200
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F1.../dp/B0015A8Y5M
This will blow the doors off any HTIB and comes in at approx. $800
Go to Monoprice for speaker wire and HDMI cables and you have a very respectable home theater system.
http://www.monoprice.com
As someone here mentioned, Polks from newegg.com are a popular option, just make sure to wait for their sales because they are always discounting them.
PS. You can demo the Energy speakers at any Best Buy/Magnolia. I've never heard the sub but it often gets endorsed by avs for those looking for a sub on a budget and again it will be far better than anything you get in an HTIB.
Sound Bars are complete garbage. I absolutely love my Onkyo 7.1 HTiB, but I'm not a huge speaker audiophile and not hugely into music. It's great for movies and gaming and seems adequate for music to me. I have my X360, PS3, and PC hooked up to it with my HDTV as a second monitor and could not be happier with it.
I had a "good" Sound Bar before my Onkyo system and anyone who tells you that a Sound Bar is comparable to a 5.1 or 7.1 HTiB system is a complete moron. There's a night and day difference for surround sound movies and games.
I bought the HT-S5300 model a few years ago for $400 and it was well worth it. You can get the newer models for less than that on Amazon now.
If you really give a shit about music buy a good pair of headphones for it, it'll cost you way less than any comparable quality speaker set would. HTiBs are fantastic for gaming and movies and you don't need to spend a ton on speakers for them.
I had a "good" Sound Bar before my Onkyo system and anyone who tells you that a Sound Bar is comparable to a 5.1 or 7.1 HTiB system is a complete moron. There's a night and day difference for surround sound movies and games.
I bought the HT-S5300 model a few years ago for $400 and it was well worth it. You can get the newer models for less than that on Amazon now.
If you really give a shit about music buy a good pair of headphones for it, it'll cost you way less than any comparable quality speaker set would. HTiBs are fantastic for gaming and movies and you don't need to spend a ton on speakers for them.
meStevo
I think your wife's a bigfoot gus.
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I got a Denon a couple years ago, AVR3310CI, the entire line has a network card problem which means I'd have to ship it to a service facility (if it was still in warranty) for a few weeks/months for repair or buy a $175 network card and repair it myself. Due to the problem whenever we switch inputs you have to power cycle it, or it usually can't handshake w/ the HDMI or something.
Probably won't be buying another Denon.
Probably won't be buying another Denon.
Synj
Dystopian Dreamer
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Denon Remote App for iPhone:
2012 Models:
Network AV Receiver : AVR-1613, AVR-1713, AVR-1913, AVR-2113CI, AVR-2313CI, AVR-3313CI, AVR-4520CI
Pre-2012 Models:
Network AV Receiver : AVR-A100, AVR-4311CI, AVR-3312CI/3311CI, AVR-2312CI, AVR-2112CI, AVR-1912, AVR-991
2012 Models:
Network AV Receiver : AVR-1613, AVR-1713, AVR-1913, AVR-2113CI, AVR-2313CI, AVR-3313CI, AVR-4520CI
Pre-2012 Models:
Network AV Receiver : AVR-A100, AVR-4311CI, AVR-3312CI/3311CI, AVR-2312CI, AVR-2112CI, AVR-1912, AVR-991
BrutulTM
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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Smartphones make shitty remotes IMO. You don't want a remote that constantly turns itself off and then takes several steps to turn back on and can't be used without being looked at. Also, my phone tends to die around 8 or 9 PM which is prime TV time. It's nice for programming your DVR but it's not an upgrade for a real remote.
Leadsalad
Cis-XYite-Nationalist
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I'd stick with a universal remote with physical buttons as well. Finding a button on a glass screen can be a pain in the ass, especially if it's volume or channel, which you hit often enough.
And really, how often are you actually changing settings on the receiver vs the cable box/dvd/media device? Receiver pretty much gets set to an input and then you fiddle with volume.
And really, how often are you actually changing settings on the receiver vs the cable box/dvd/media device? Receiver pretty much gets set to an input and then you fiddle with volume.
Synj
Dystopian Dreamer
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I agree that I like a more tactile feel when watching TV and I have a universal remote for that reason. That being said, having the option to switch between my home share iTunes library, Pandora or Spotify using my iPhone while in my backyard or in my bedroom is pretty nice too.
I have to agree with those that are telling you to piece together components rather than going the HTiB route. I have the newer Onkyo 616 receiver and two of the Polk Audio monitor 60's up front with the CS10 center. It will smoke any HTiB option you will find, I will warn you, the receiver had plenty of bad reviews when it first came out mid summer, after the firmware updates it runs like a champ. The only thing I dislike about the 616 is the lack of Apple Air Play, minor complaint but something to consider if you're an avid Itunes/Apple user.
The monitor 60's have great sound and surprisingly good mid level response for the 5.25 speakers and fill my 16' x 24' living room. Currently waiting for the PSW505 12in sub to go back on sale and add a set of surrounds.
As a foot note, when getting into any level of home theater you can always do better, spend more, research whats good for months.. Best thing to do is get your feet wet and move on from there. Any route you choose will be a huge improvement over nothing.
The monitor 60's have great sound and surprisingly good mid level response for the 5.25 speakers and fill my 16' x 24' living room. Currently waiting for the PSW505 12in sub to go back on sale and add a set of surrounds.
As a foot note, when getting into any level of home theater you can always do better, spend more, research whats good for months.. Best thing to do is get your feet wet and move on from there. Any route you choose will be a huge improvement over nothing.
Wish I would have seen this thread sooner. Picked this up the other nighthttp://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-YHT-597...dp/B007PU2X6C/and I'm pretty meh about it. Hopefully the sound softens a bit as the speakers break in, but overall I'm not 100% happy with it.
So now that I have it, can I keep the rears/center and upgrade the front components for a sound upgrade? Should I even mess with it, or buy a more researched system next year?
So now that I have it, can I keep the rears/center and upgrade the front components for a sound upgrade? Should I even mess with it, or buy a more researched system next year?
Void
Experiencer
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If you just bought it, can you still return it without a hefty restock fee? Depending upon the size of speaker you are looking for, you could probably easily buy a separate receiver and a couple of fronts and a center for around that price, but it should all be significantly better quality. You'll need to spend more at some point to get the rears and sub, but overall if your goal is to get something that is going to last you a long time, I wouldn't stick with that. If you're just looking for something to stick in your garage and pump tunes out while you work, then it will be great.
So up to you and what you intend to use it for. Home theater, I might try to return it and start over. Peripheral sound out back or in the garage, around the pool, etc. that will work just fine.
So up to you and what you intend to use it for. Home theater, I might try to return it and start over. Peripheral sound out back or in the garage, around the pool, etc. that will work just fine.