Help me choose a home theater system

July 3, 2006 6:12 PM

Home theater plus patio speakers?

Ok, here's the scoop. I have a really nice TV in my family room, which is immediately adjacent to my backyard patio.

Wife has been begging me to put some speakers on the patio so that we can play iPod, FM, and CD music. She also wants a home theater audio system.

I've browsed what seems like a hundred different home theater systems at Amazon and other places, and none of the low-end systems offer an A/B switch so that I can use a separate set of speakers outside. I would prefer not to use an external switch box if possible. Further, the home theater systems all use 2 or 4 ohm speakers and most of the patio speakers are 8 ohms.

Would like to get a home theater and the extra speakers for less than $500 if possible.

The more I click and the more I read the less certain I am that I want to buy anything. Too many options and nothing that really seems to do what I want.

I would appreciate any and all specific (brand and model number) recommendations for equipment that would fit the bill.

posted by jeffbarr to home & garden (3 comments total)

saw this system yesterday - the Arkham Solo - looks like it may meet all your needs.
posted by ab3 at 6:57 PM on July 3, 2006

I used to work in the Home Theater department of a popular electronics store, so I'm pretty familiar with the options here.

It sounds like you've been looking at the "home theater in a box" (HTIB) systems. Don't bother. The features and sound quality don't match up to what you can get with seperate components, and the physical quality generally isn't as good either. Plus, as you've seen, it's nearly impossible to upgrade to better speakers or other components down the road, because they don't use standard Home Theater parts.

Get yourself a receiver. Most of them in the $100-200 range have a sort of A/B switch built in. Add a 5-disc CD changer or DVD player, 2-4 speakers for indoors, and a patio set. You'll spend a little bit more than you will on the cheapest HTIB system, but you'll be much happier with the results.
posted by CrayDrygu at 10:35 PM on July 3, 2006

I buy all of this type of junk at the Good Will for a few bucks, if it breaks or is stolen I just get another one. I got a sony receiver, sony cd change, and two kenwood speaks for a total of about forty dollars.
posted by zackdog at 12:56 AM on July 5, 2006