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[H3xum]

I am finishing up my basement and I don't know much about theater systems so I'm looking for some help.

The room will be a windowless 20x13x8 with either this TV or this one

I would like to spend 500-800ish max on surround sound setup. I'm not afraid to set up my own receiver and everything, but, I am also open to the "all in one" systems if you guys can recommend some good ones

Thanks in advance!

 

[Cmerrill]

Never go theatre in a box..

I know you don't want to hear this, but, buy a great receiver, and then buy your speakers as you can afford to get them.

Get a couple great floor standing L/R speakers, then a great centre, etc.

It's the better way to go for much better sound. Imo.

 

[Th3BranMan92]

My wife and I recently moved into our new home, and I picked up this 5.1 kit on Amazon. Not too shabby for the price, but I feel what's more important is the receiver you choose.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001202C44/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I paired these with a Sony STRDH750 7.2 Channel 4K Receiver and I get some great sound!

Of course, I'm no expert, but that's just my experience.

 

[nullref]

I'd check out this Wirecutter article:

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-gear-for-your-home-theater/

Has a number of speaker recommendations in different price ranges, all of which seem to be well-regarded in general. I'd avoid all-in-one or "home theater in a box" systems – you can get good full 5.1 sets, but buy your receiver separately.

 

[HawkeyeIC]

First two posts nailed it. Either get the Energy with a good receiver, or spend more money on fewer speakers and build up over the years.

Pioneer Andrew Jones series is a good middle ground.

 

[otapnam]

I recently got a Yamaha vx379 5.1ch 4k receiver and 3.1 pioneer andrew jones sb22lr setup.

Spent about 450$ and am pretty happy. I bought based on reviews and thewirecutter.com 's articles

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-gear-for-your-home-theater/

I want to note that based on my living room and setup i did not want speakers that were too large. These pioneer bookshelves already measure 12x7x8 which were my max.

 

[zma1013]

The Pioneer Andrew Jones Surround Sound speakers are supposed to be the best bang for your buck around the $400-500 price range. I have them and they are great, but beware of their size, these speakers are huge. If you don't have a lot of room to work with, I wouldn't recommend them.

 

[pedrothelion]

You can't go wrong with these speakers and this subwoofer. You can sometimes find the Jamo speakers for cheaper then what they're listed on Amazon right now. I got mine for around $150.00 a couple years ago from Fry's.

 

[StriKeVillain]

In that price range definitely buy a receiver (I usually go for the best Denon I can afford) and two L/R speakers to start with. Go with either 2 floor-standing ones if you have the room or 2 larger bookshelf speakers on stands. I like Bowers and Wilkins for premium speaker quality, but that might be outside your price range.

If you live in USA visit your local Best Buy Magnolia store and listen to the setups they have to get a sense of what you like and to look at prices. Research some home audio stores in your area as well and go for a visit. They'll be able to answer a lot of your questions and you can bring your own music/blurays to test out on their setups.

 

[Joe]

My only suggestion are these bookshelf speakers for your front L+R's

Fluance SX6

They need stands and are greatly helped by getting their low's compensated by a sub but they are amazing for the price. Really, really, really, really nice quality. They are probably the best cheap speakers you can buy.

Read the reviews. Great construction, made in Canada, and a lifetime warranty.

I had these 2 speakers, a low-end powered sub, and a cheap dac and consistently wow'ed people from the audio quality.

They sell a 5.1 speaker setup but I'm not sure of its quality but I wouldn't be surprised if it is also amazing for the price.

Biggest negative is the need for speaker stands but to me it was worth it. They also sell floorstanding speakers, but not sure of their quality.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Echoing what others have said: get a great receiver then do the speakers as you can afford them.

The receiver is going to be the heart that drives everything. You can upgrade and swap out the speakers as time goes on, but the receiver will be the most important part that you buy.

 

[mre]

If you wait, you can catch these speakers on sale: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008NCD2LG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

The Andrew Jones Pioneer speakers are great value. Not top of the line, but great speakers for their price.

For a 5.1 system you might want the bookshelves ($99.99 for the pair), center channel ($96.99), 2 floor standing speakers ($126.99 each) and the subwoofer ($159.00).

I'd definitely look into getting an affordable receiver for your set up. I would suggest spending the most you can on your receiver and then adding the speakers piecemeal as you go. If you go with the Pioneers I suggested, you can stay in budget if you spend ~$500 on a receiver and then start with the 2 floor standing speakers ($~$250). They put out a nice sound by themselves. Then add the rest of your speakers as your budget allows.

The Pioneer Andrew Jones Surround Sound speakers are supposed to be the best bang for your buck around the $400-500 price range. I have them and they are great, but beware of their size, these speakers are huge. If you don't have a lot of room to work with, I wouldn't recommend them.

This is very true. I have them as well and there's nothing "bookshelf sized" about their bookshelf speakers. Great sound for the price, though.

 

[belvedere]

I recently got a Yamaha vx379 5.1ch 4k receiver and 3.1 pioneer andrew jones sb22lr setup.

Spent about 450$ and am pretty happy. I bought based on reviews and thewirecutter.com 's articles

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-gear-for-your-home-theater/

I want to note that based on my living room and setup i did not want speakers that were too large. These pioneer bookshelves already measure 12x7x8 which were my max.

I also paired the Yamaha RX-V379 with a 5.1 the Andrew Jones system. My setup is in a decent sized theater room and the Pioneer system is more than capable.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IK8I9K2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Thermal detonators in Battlefront sound fucking amazing.

 

[diffusionx]

They need stands and are greatly helped by getting their low's compensated by a sub but they are amazing for the price. Really, really, really, really nice quality. They are probably the best cheap speakers you can buy.

Speaking of stands...

I just bought KEF Q100 speakers and need stands. However, doing the research online I can't seem to find any that people really like. I also am wary of cheaping out and getting some Best Buy Sanus or whatever that will rattle or break. Any recommendations?

 

[mm04]

Don't overspend on your receiver. It really shouldn't ever be more than 15 to 20% of your budget. By far, the best performance to dollar ratio will be the speakers themselves. Refurb AVRs are totally fine and I'd probably shoot for that with your budget.

 

[H3xum]

I don't object at all to going in on a quality receiver and slowly building up the speakers, thanks for the input

With that in mind, what are some of the recommended receivers?

I am reading up on the Yamaha RX-V379 that was mentioned and would like a few other models to look at and compare

Thanks!

 

[NealMcCauley]

Think about what kind of system you want/need: 5.1/7.1/Atmos/second subwoofer. Start thinking about how you'd wire the rear speakers. Some stores like Best Buy do an Audio Festival month around March so you can find some decent deals on receivers and speakers then.

 

[Joe]

Speaking of stands...

I just bought KEF Q100 speakers and need stands. However, doing the research online I can't seem to find any that people really like. I also am wary of cheaping out and getting some Best Buy Sanus or whatever that will rattle or break. Any recommendations?

Unfortunately I do not, I had the same issue as you. I figured I would just buy some widely praised speaker stands and be done with it but those stands literally don't exist.

I used some satellite speaker stands that I already had and they barely fit the bookshelf speakers and it wasn't secure at all. It was definitely not a long term solution.

Judging by online reviews you either have to buy something at best buy or a local audio shop just in case you have to return them or get some really strong wall mounts.

 

[AstroNut325]

Op, mid-range sound systems cost as much as the tv you're planning to buy. Plan about $500 for a receiver, and $1000 for speakers. Especially for the room size you indicated.

 

[shiftplusone]

Speaking of stands...

I just bought KEF Q100 speakers and need stands. However, doing the research online I can't seem to find any that people really like. I also am wary of cheaping out and getting some Best Buy Sanus or whatever that will rattle or break. Any recommendations?

I bought the monoprice speaker stands and they work well enough except the speakers I have (also the monoprice, since they're really close to the good energy set) are like 2 ounces from being too heavy

any slight bump sends them tumbling

 

[mm04]

Speaking of stands...

I just bought KEF Q100 speakers and need stands. However, doing the research online I can't seem to find any that people really like. I also am wary of cheaping out and getting some Best Buy Sanus or whatever that will rattle or break. Any recommendations?

VTI speaker stands, but they're not cheap. There's a model you can fill with sand at the base to help stabilize them. Also, use Blu-Tack to help secure them on the top plate. Works like a charm. I had 25lb surrounds on them and live in California and they never fell over during an earthquake.

 

[Denali]

Put together a system last year that I couldn't be more happy with. It'll be at the high-end of your budget, but you could make a couple cuts to get the price down lower. I bought speakers as I could find them on sale, so it wasn't all at once.

Receiver: Onkyo TX-NR626 7.2 Network Audio/Video Receiver ($299)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BLGUKDE
Looks like this is actually discontinued, but I'm sure they've just updated the model. I've never had an issue with Onkyo, and having the Bluetooth built-in is awesome. Come home, Spotify syncs up from my phone, and we're good to go. My father did have an Onkyo HDMI board go bad. They replaced it for him, but it took a while.

L/R Front Speakers: Polk Audio Monitor60 Series II Floorstanding Loudspeaker (~$125 each, on sale)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290206
These things are great. I didn't have a sub for a while, but these provided a pretty full range of sound in the meantime. You can bi-amp them if you have a capable receiver (which the 7.2 receiver above is) and really get things rocking.

Center Speaker: Polk Audio CS10 Center Channel Speaker ($105)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018QROM
Again, I bought this about a month after having the Polk towers. Reading online said that you should try to stick with the same manufacturer for a smoother sounding sound across the front. That could be bullshit, but this speaker is great either way. This is where your dialogue is going to come out of, and it's crystal clear.

Subwoofer: Kilpsch Sub-12HG 12-Inch 300W Subwoofer ($199)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VIWK0G
I think I went overboard here. I can't crank the gain on this thing more than 20% of the way without things rattling. It's awesome. Trying to decide on a subwoofer was the hardest decision for me. This isn't a "quick" subwoofer, and songs with a lot of bass can sound a little muddy in faster tempo, bass-heavy songs. Still sounds really good, don't get me wrong. For movies, I've never heard anything better. It's impressive

L/R Rear Speakers: Cheapo RCA Hand-me-downs (~$40 each)
These get the job done, and I think these are probably the least important part of the setup. I have no plans to upgrade really.

Couldn't be happier with this setup. I listen to a lot of music, so I put this thing to work. I've also started a nice little Blu-ray collection now, and I'll pick up movies like Cloverfield just to see just what that subwoofer is capable of. I went with a 7.2 receiver because I plan on setting up a Zone 2 outside once I purchase a home (so 5.1 inside, 2 speakers outside). You can go cheaper depending on what features you want.

Again, the prices I listed above were sale prices found by stalking SlickDeals daily.

 

[demosthenes]

Put together a system last year that I couldn't be more happy with. It'll be at the high-end of your budget, but you could make a couple cuts to get the price down lower. I bought speakers as I could find them on sale, so it wasn't all at once.

Receiver: Onkyo TX-NR626 7.2 Network Audio/Video Receiver ($299)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BLGUKDE
Looks like this is actually discontinued, but I'm sure they've just updated the model. I've never had an issue with Onkyo, and having the Bluetooth built-in is awesome. Come home, Spotify syncs up from my phone, and we're good to go. My father did have an Onkyo HDMI board go bad. They replaced it for him, but it took a while.

L/R Front Speakers: Polk Audio Monitor60 Series II Floorstanding Loudspeaker (~$125 each, on sale)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290206
These things are great. I didn't have a sub for a while, but these provided a pretty full range of sound in the meantime. You can bi-amp them if you have a capable receiver (which the 7.2 receiver above is) and really get things rocking.

Center Speaker: Polk Audio CS10 Center Channel Speaker ($105)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018QROM
Again, I bought this about a month after having the Polk towers. Reading online said that you should try to stick with the same manufacturer for a smoother sounding sound across the front. That could be bullshit, but this speaker is great either way. This is where your dialogue is going to come out of, and it's crystal clear.

Subwoofer: Kilpsch Sub-12HG 12-Inch 300W Subwoofer ($199)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VIWK0G
I think I went overboard here. I can't crank the gain on this thing more than 20% of the way without things rattling. It's awesome. Trying to decide on a subwoofer was the hardest decision for me. This isn't a "quick" subwoofer, and songs with a lot of bass can sound a little muddy in faster tempo, bass-heavy songs. Still sounds really good, don't get me wrong. For movies, I've never heard anything better. It's impressive

L/R Rear Speakers: Cheapo RCA Hand-me-downs (~$40 each)
These get the job done, and I think these are probably the least important part of the setup. I have no plans to upgrade really.

Couldn't be happier with this setup. I listen to a lot of music, so I put this thing to work. I've also started a nice little Blu-ray collection now, and I'll pick up movies like Cloverfield just to see just what that subwoofer is capable of. I went with a 7.2 receiver because I plan on setting up a Zone 2 outside once I purchase a home (so 5.1 inside, 2 speakers outside). You can go cheaper depending on what features you want.

Again, the prices I listed above were sale prices found by stalking SlickDeals daily.

This is a great post and pretty close to what I did for my first setup in 2008. I upgraded my fronts/center 3 years later when I had a job and making good money. This year or next year depending on when I buy a house I plan to upgrade my receiver/sub and rears.

 

[SillyEskimo]

Always get 2 subs if you can and place them correctly for the space.

 

[H3xum]

I have read a lot of love for the "budget" Yamaha RX-V379 which would come in around 280, however, I have a friend who has a Yamaha RX-V575 that he said he'd give me for 250. I've gone over the stats but frankly don't know what the important bits are to focus on.

If more-knowledgeable-than-me gaf were to choose one of those two, what would you do? The condition is near immaculate on the 575 and it has been used for 2.5ish years now I believe he said. Are used receivers a big no-no?

 

[otapnam]

I also paired the Yamaha RX-V379 with a 5.1 the Andrew Jones system. My setup is in a decent sized theater room and the Pioneer system is more than capable.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IK8I9K2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Thermal detonators in Battlefront sound fucking amazing.

Dude. Once i heard those things go off i knew i made the right choice!

 

[mm04]

If you buy a TV with HDCP 2.2 support, then you don't want to buy your friend's used AVR since I don't believe it supports HDCP 2.2. For all of your devices to play nice and actually display content on your screen, for example when you buy an UHD Blu-ray player, they all need to be HDCP 2.2 capable.

 

[otapnam]

If you buy a TV with HDCP 2.2 support, then you don't want to buy your friend's used AVR since I don't believe it supports HDCP 2.2. For all of your devices to play nice and actually display content on your screen, for example when you buy an UHD Blu-ray player, they all need to be HDCP 2.2 capable.

Yeah his friends trying to rip him off

Just check slickdeals for receivers, deals on older models are pretty frequent especially if they dont have hdcp 2.2 and other newer features

 

[H3xum]

If you buy a TV with HDCP 2.2 support, then you don't want to buy your friend's used AVR since I don't believe it supports HDCP 2.2. For all of your devices to play nice and actually display content on your screen, for example when you buy an UHD Blu-ray player, they all need to be HDCP 2.2 capable.

Yeah his friends trying to rip him off

Just check slickdeals for receivers, deals on older models are pretty frequent especially if they dont have hdcp 2.2 and other newer features

Great, thanks. I'll stick with the 379...for now.

You can't search "home theater under 1k" and not find article after article about those Pioneer Andrew Jones. They are seemingly head and shoulders above the rest at that price point.

 

[Stinkles]

I have read a lot of love for the "budget" Yamaha RX-V379 which would come in around 280, however, I have a friend who has a Yamaha RX-V575 that he said he'd give me for 250. I've gone over the stats but frankly don't know what the important bits are to focus on.

If more-knowledgeable-than-me gaf were to choose one of those two, what would you do? The condition is near immaculate on the 575 and it has been used for 2.5ish years now I believe he said. Are used receivers a big no-no?

Used receivers are a non-no because of HDMI standards and dropping price/performance ratios, rather than reliability. You're almost always better off buying new, or clearance. At this juncture, as others have noted, you want HDMI 2.2


However, MINI RANT:

While the OP has actually taken it to heart, and I think is getting good advice, this thread on gaf always ends up the same way:

OP: "I want a good setup for $x00. I am not an audiophile."
Posters: "Don't do it OP spend your entire budget on one component and slowly build up to $x000 setup"


It's only good advice for audiophiles. The reality is that the OP could get a setup for that budget that would make him incredibly happy.


For instance:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001202C44/?tag=neogaf0e-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VIRG40O/?tag=neogaf0e-20


Would SOUND great to the vast majority of consumers.

 

[HyperCubed4]

My wife and I recently moved into our new home, and I picked up this 5.1 kit on Amazon. Not too shabby for the price, but I feel what's more important is the receiver you choose.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001202C44/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I paired these with a Sony STRDH750 7.2 Channel 4K Receiver and I get some great sound!

Of course, I'm no expert, but that's just my experience.

Yeeeah buddy. Cheap surround sound, great quality for the price.

I have a Denon receiver, though. Works fine, I guess? I'm not an expert on these things.

 

[Granadier]

Always go with a high quality receiver first and add in higher quality speakers later if you're on a budget.

 

[mm04]

Used receivers are a non-no because of HDMI standards and dropping price/performance ratios, rather than reliability. You're almost always better off buying new, or clearance. At this juncture, as others have noted, you want HDMI 2.2

However, MINI RANT:

While the OP has actually taken it to heart, and I think is getting good advice, this thread on gaf always ends up the same way:

OP: "I want a good setup for $x00. I am not an audiophile."
Posters: "Don't do it OP spend your entire budget on one component and slowly build up to $x000 setup"


It's only good advice for audiophiles. The reality is that the OP could get a setup for that budget that would make him incredibly happy.


For instance:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001202C44/?tag=neogaf0e-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VIRG40O/?tag=neogaf0e-20


Would SOUND great to the vast majority of consumers.

Agree. Not everyone can afford to upgrade their home theaters like people upgrade their gaming PC.

Always go with a high quality receiver first and add in higher quality speakers later if you're on a budget.

Disagree. AVR technology changes all the time and it's typically the worst investment of the home theater hardware chain. Speaker technology doesn't change much and you'll get the best performance per dollar from your speaker choice. I've gone through 3 AVRs in 5 years trying to stay up to date with the latest tech/processing etc. A good set of speakers can last decades.

You should decide on what features you want first and foremost. Type of room correction. How many speakers and zone support do you want? Do you care about Atmos/DTS:X? Either way, if you're just starting, just buy something entry level that satisfies your requirements and stay within your budget. Home theater as a hobby is a slippery slope.

 

[minx]

At that price range and room size the only real option is the Andrew Jones collection. Get a yamaha receiver for reliability or a Denon receiver for better sound and features. I wouldn't buy an Onkyo receiver as their reliability has been tanking the past 5 years.

 

[Westonian]

Echoing what others have said: get a great receiver then do the speakers as you can afford them.

The receiver is going to be the heart that drives everything. You can upgrade and swap out the speakers as time goes on, but the receiver will be the most important part that you buy.

This is terrible advice.

Speakers can and should last your lifetime. Receiver tech comes and goes.

Get a decent receiver that has the features you need/want. Spend the rest on a good pair of full range speakers for your L/R. From there you can upgrade by adding a center speaker (same brand and line as you L/R speakers to keep tonal parity across your front sound stage). Then get a good sub, and lastly surround/rear speakers.

Seriously, speakers are where the bulk of your money should be spent.

 

[minx]

This is terrible advice.

Speakers can and should last your lifetime. Receiver tech comes and goes.

Get a decent receiver that has the features you need/want. Spend the rest on a good pair of full range speakers for your L/R. From there you can upgrade by adding a center speaker (same brand and line as you L/R speakers to keep tonal parity across your front sound stage). Then get a good sub, and lastly surround/rear speakers.

Seriously, speakers are where the bulk of your money should be spent.

Also this. People saying the receiver is the most important thing don't know what they are talking about.

 

[H3xum]

Thanks for the advice, gang.

Stinks is right in the sense that, I am blissfully ignorant to what amazing can sound like. Now that doesn't mean I don't want to know, it just means that right now the budget is the budget.

I am still undecided but I like this conversation so I want to ask a few more (probably painfully dumb) questions.

So, on the receiver side of things...(assuming I have a UHD TV, so the hdcp 2.2 standard is "important" to me, but things like atmos support and multi room is not)...

The Yamaha RX-V379 and V479.

There is a 10w output difference, I do not know how major of a thing that is? The only other difference is the WiFi which is not a deal breaker for me (considering the cost difference)

Denon AVR-S510BT

This guy seems to be brought up a lot and it's their "equivalent" model to the above is their 140w and 3 hdcp ports opposed to 1. The price is the same as the 379.

To me being just a guy looking at numbers, the Denon seems to be the better deal. Is that actually the case?

Then assuming I go piecemeal....

What is the general build up? A good sub and some bookshelves? Is the idea then that when I have the funds I turn the bookshelves into my rears and then buy new fronts? Is center next? Or should bookshelves/sub/center always be bought together?

As for just going 5.1 or 5.0 kit, nothing has changed on that front, either the Pioneer or Energy jams.

TLDR: there really isn't a tldr, I'm just a mumbling bumbling guy

 

[H3xum]

I think I'm going the piecemeal route...

So, I did my research but want to kind of feel out what others who might actually have face time with these speakers...

At a 200ish dollar point, are the EmpTek R5Bi's about as good as I'm going to get?

Would it be worth it to spend a few extra 40 bucks and get the HTD Level Two bookshelves? (

Or I was looking at the Philharmonic AA series as they seem to be highly touted. They would only be an additional 10 dollars over the EmpTek. My only concern with these are people say to pair brands with the front speakers and the center. I plan on going 3.1 out of the gate here. So what's the solution in that scenario, can I just buy an individual bookshelf and turn it on its side and hook it up to my center out from the receiver?

I am going to get the Denon AVR-S510BT 5.2 receiver and I was planning on a Dayton 1200. I know the sub isn't the best, but, its not bad (especially for music) and when I can afford to upgrade those bookshelves to nice towers and turn the bookshelves into surrounds, I will likely get a second Dayton 1200 for the extra oomph.