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Need help andadvice from informed Chewers

post #1 of 19
10/21/02 at 4:17pm
Thread Starter 
I want to build a home theatre system. My only goal is to actually have a sound system that seperates the channels accurately. I am not aiming the second coming of sound systems.
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post #2 of 19
10/22/02 at 3:30am
Well, you'll need to start with a good amp. Seperates are the way to go as opposed to combined systems. If you can go a step further and get a power amp and seperate decoder that would be best. It's all about the $.
Speakers vary hugely and the best thing to do would be to audition as many types as you can with your combination of amplifier/decoder.
Placement is also an important part of defining the channels, but that will all come later.
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post #3 of 19
10/22/02 at 11:52am
If you have the dough drop it on a BOSE system. They come ready to kick ass right out of the box.

Also, I hear some good things about Harmon Kardon(sp?).

Let us know what you decided to get then we can discuss speaker placement and proper level adjustment for optimum performance and quality.
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post #4 of 19
10/22/02 at 12:30pm
In the end if you have enough money build your own. Clear out a room tear down the walls and start from there. Get yourself a digital projector a nice 6.1 and your set. Good couch too.

My ultimate ambition for any house I live in.
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post #5 of 19
10/22/02 at 12:56pm
On the other hand you can get a capable system in the $300-$500 range.

My very first system was a Phillips HTIB and it sounded great. I now swear by Yamaha.
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post #6 of 19
10/22/02 at 3:32pm
Quote:
Cap'n Katanga:
On the other hand you can get a capable system in the $300-$500 range.

My very first system was a Phillips HTIB and it sounded great. I now swear by Yamaha.
Isnt the Sony dreamtheater the one to get though at this price range?

I remember looking this stuff up and the comments were favorable to that system.

Also there was a thread in the The Chewers forum about Home Theaters that had some great info.
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post #7 of 19
10/22/02 at 4:05pm
I read reviews on the Sony Dream system you are talking about.

Many said that the system was sub-par out of the box and required some tweaking to get it to sound great.

Of course most systems are like that. Go figure.

Check out cnet. This is where I read reviews on the Sony Dream system:

<a href="http://electronics.cnet.com/electronics/0-3219400.html?tag=quick" target="_blank">cnet home audio reviews</a>
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post #8 of 19
10/22/02 at 4:10pm
I dunno...I'm not the world's biggest Sony fan...but at that price they're all pretty serviceable.
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post #9 of 19
10/22/02 at 4:43pm
if I were to do it all over again, as I was last year...a home theatre in a box would be the better place to start without having to be confused by all the brands of receivers/speaker sets you have to sort through. The sony htb we got last year has served us pretty well in terms of surrounding us with dolby and dts sound. This year, I'd go with a JVC HTB set like the one sold by Good Guys <a href="http://www.goodguys.com/adtemplate.asp?invky=658168&catky=643993" target="_blank">here.</a> Not only because it puts out 100 watts of power to all 5 speakers and its subwoofer, but also because there's support now for Dolby Prologic 2 decoding on-board...a nifty feature if you're into gaming (like on the cube). At that price how can you say no?

As well, Good Guys price match some of the prices you'd find on yahoo...and you're bound to get a good deal on it, just as we were with our 32" tv we got from them last spring.
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post #10 of 19
10/22/02 at 4:47pm
and just in case you do go with good guys and want to price match, <a href="http://all.search.shopping.yahoo.com/search/all?p=JVC+DS-TP370&Y=0&mid=&did=59&pf=&pt=&X=2&r=&f=14489115&q= &rkeys=&is=&clink=" target="_blank">THIS</a> might be of some use to you.
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post #11 of 19
10/23/02 at 7:50pm
When I was working at Best Buy, I bought myself a nice Sony HTB with a 12" sub, 5.1 and a reciever with all the bells and whistles. I also bought my mom a Dream Theatre system, which she loves. I sold my stuff to a friend and bought a Yamaha reciever and some kickass speakers.

The Sony HTB that I bought )$499 or so retail) was great, and certainly served its purpose well.
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post #12 of 19
10/24/02 at 12:04am
The HTB systems are great if you don't know much or if you don't want to spend a lot of money (being defined as 500 or less, if you don't include the Bose system). I personally love Bose, but a lot of people complain that Bose can't put out good low-end bass. If you want to move up to the middle range, I'd get a separate receiver/amp and speakers. Unfortunately, I'm not as well versed in good mid-road manufacturers, because I went from a Kenwood HTB to a THX certified Onkyo receiver with Polk speakers (about 2000, probably a little high). Depending on what they make that is mid-road, Onkyo and Denon are excellent quality receivers, and Klipsch, Polk, and Infinity make excellent speakers.
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post #13 of 19
10/28/02 at 4:50pm
I just listed my set-up in the "Bitchin' Lists" post. I broke down all the components into prices. If you're not looking to spend a lot of money, this system is works out rather nicely...
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post #14 of 19
10/28/02 at 6:58pm
I already pimped them in the "Bitchin' Setup" thread, but if you can afford it, get some PSB Speakers. I'd probably go with one of their suggested home theater setups, as seen here:
<a href="http://www.psbspeakers.net/HomeTheaterST.html" target="_blank">http://www.psbspeakers.net/HomeTheaterST.html</a>
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post #15 of 19
11/3/02 at 4:30am
My advice is don't listen to any advice on speakers or receivers.(except me) Go to specialty stores and listen to as many brands as you can in your price range. Sound is very subjective. Some people like brightness and some people like warmth in a speaker. Decide for your self which you like best. For myself, I like Infinity, B&W, PSB and Paradigm but there are many more companys that make good speakers.
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post #16 of 19
11/4/02 at 3:04am
Quote:
davidtoy:
My advice is don't listen to any advice on speakers or receivers.(except me) Go to specialty stores and listen to as many brands as you can in your price range. Sound is very subjective. Some people like brightness and some people like warmth in a speaker. Decide for your self which you like best. For myself, I like Infinity, B&W, PSB and Paradigm but there are many more companys that make good speakers.
Listen to this man.
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post #17 of 19
11/4/02 at 6:14pm
I have a friend who has a nice setup that I got to experience last week.

He told me that he did all of his own research online and ended up ordering them online as well.

He had front left, right and center channel speakers and a subwoofer from a Brit company called Wharfedale.

His rear left and right channels were Klipsch (I think) and his processor was a very nice Harmon-Kardon. He originally had a Sherwood processor, but he luckily won the HK one in a bid online.

His TV wasn't anything spectacular...just a RCA (between 35' and 35'), but he stated that he was looking to buy a bigger, nicer one.

We watched Brotherhood of the Wolf: Canadian 3-disc in French DTS and it was sweet.

He told me that he would help me choose a good system when I get around to buying one.

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post #18 of 19
11/11/02 at 5:57pm
Quote:
davidtoy:
My advice is don't listen to any advice on speakers or receivers.(except me) Go to specialty stores and listen to as many brands as you can in your price range. Sound is very subjective. Some people like brightness and some people like warmth in a speaker. Decide for your self which you like best. For myself, I like Infinity, B&W, PSB and Paradigm but there are many more companys that make good speakers.
Actually, do listen to this man. In my unabashed love of my speakers, I often forget how subjective the sound quality can be. If you're ready to go full component and want specialty speakers, bring a few of your favorite discs to your local home theater specialty store and listen to everything in the store.
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post #19 of 19
11/15/02 at 11:07am
Great advice overall on this thread...

I've been looking to check out a home theater system for some time. Now you've pointed me in the right direction as far as research is concerned....

I've been a Sony person for some time, but a lot of their equipment is cost prohibative; outside of their
Dream systems.

Will definitely share my findings in a later post...
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