We got the big ol tv, but let's make it sound nice

December 15, 2006 9:21 AM

What is the best home theatre system for us?

Last year we bought the big ass tv, but we never got speakers to go with it. We live in a bungalow, so the living room is not huge, nor the ceilings high. It should be good for hooking up an Ipod or used with the Xbox 360. We already have a niceish DVD player. (I am assuming, I don't know anything about this stuff) I have heard that wireless is no good, so I am prepared to hire an electrician to come out and run the wires.

I would like to hear your experiences and recommendations, I would like to keep it under $500.

posted by stormygrey to technology (12 comments total)

$500 is a tight budget for an entire home theater sound system. You would do well to get a good receiver and a decent pair of speakers, and then add to the basic system later when you can afford it.

I would get a reputable brand of receiver, Sony, Kenwood, etc. and some speakers that sound good to you. Don't obsess about it too much at this price point- you're right in the middle of the mass-market, and many speakers will sound about the same. I like JBL, Polk, Definitive, etc.
posted by wzcx at 9:30 AM on December 15, 2006

How important is surround sound to you? In my opinion I would go for a nice receiver (any of the brand names would do, Onkyo/Harmon Kardon). Make sure it is 5.1 and has at least two optical outs. Buy two nice stereo speakers and a subwoofer. Buy a nice center and cheap surround speakers if you want. I bought a nice surround setup and I wish I spent more on the two front speakers and not gone for the full surround mode. Also I bought a lowish-end Onkyo receiver.

If all this is foreign to you, Nebraska Furniture Mart has some nice bundles in your price range. You can get snobby fast in this. See if you really would like the surround sound capabilities though. Unless you're really into action movies and the whole experience you won't need it. I watch nerdy Bergman and Kubrick films. Even on HD channels it is not like anyone is really taking advantage of surround sound.
posted by geoff. at 9:32 AM on December 15, 2006

Oh and if you're using your iPod for music like I do, your limiting factor will be the quality of MP3s.
posted by geoff. at 9:34 AM on December 15, 2006

I agree that $500 is pretty tight. New, I would probably just buy one of those home theater in a box type things. Just make sure that the parts aren't wedded to each other such that you can not replace the speakers with better speakers later etc. Then you can upgrade gradually. If you want a higher quality system I would buy some used gear on eBay or Audiogon.
posted by caddis at 9:36 AM on December 15, 2006

Well, there is always the credit card. I hate to buy stuff only to replace it in a year or so. So lets, pretend I have a better budget and that surrond is important because he is drooling at the thought of all the loud XBOX games in surrond.
posted by stormygrey at 9:39 AM on December 15, 2006

I did the same thing a couple years ago with a nice 36" inch flat screen. I've been through two different cheap "home theater" systems since then -- you know, those all in one systems with five speakers, a built in DVD player and all the little gee-whiz bits?

They vary in quality, but I think the key words here are "don't do it." After the DVD player in the second one died, I went back to my roots and bought a nice $200ish (low to mid range) Sony AV receiver that had good reviews, a couple nice tower speakers, and a powered sub woofer -- total out lay was about $450. It sounds fabulous and just rocks the house. Works great with the Tivo and the DVD player.

Okay, there's no surround sound or center channel -- the receiver supports it, and if I ever notice the lack, I can just go out and buy some good speakers and hook them in. Right now, the space ships rumble and music soars like it never did with the cheap little all in one home theater stuff.
posted by MarcieAlana at 10:56 AM on December 15, 2006

You really should consider the Logitech Z-5500s. They come with a receiver capable of decoding Dolby Digital and DTS and they're THX certified if you're into that sort of thing. I have a set at home for my small apartment and they truely can't be beat for the price (I bought mine for $300 Canadian).
posted by reformedjerk at 12:19 PM on December 15, 2006

I bought a bundled Samsung surround theater system about four years back and it's fantastic, way better than I thought it would be. I think it cost around $200.

I just went to a big box store and carried it home. I thought I'd only use it for a couple years, but I can't see upgrading it anytime soon. Of course, I'm not a big audio snob, and the way I hear it, the room and position things are in is just as important as the components themselves.

Also, it was really easy to set up. Unless you plan on hiding every single wire, you could do it yourself.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 12:29 PM on December 15, 2006

Rebecca,

Being the resident tech expert among my friends and family I get asked this question a lot! In the last month we've solved this dilema for two different families using the same system and both have been delighted.

I realize that you have a DVD player, but given that you have a new large screen TV it is likely high definition, and also probably has HDMI connections. This being the case you can benefit radically from an up-converting DVD player which will increase the picture quality by about 75%.

The system I have in mind is the Sony HT-7000DH, which you can find at Best Buy. Right now they have it on sale for $425 and I happen to have a 12% off coupon in PDF format that expires on the 17th which I'd be happy to e-mail anyone that needs it. It's actually good on anything at Best Buy. (Just use the contact form on my web site to shoot me an e-mail as I don't want to post mine publicly.) With the coupon we're talking
$361 and that is a STEAL!

The system includes the following:

• 5.1 channel Surround Receiver with HDMI switching. This means that you can plug your DVD player and also an HD cable/HD sattelite box into the receiver and it will switch the video on screen for you.
• Upconverting 5 disc DVD/CD player.
• 5 speakers plus subwoofer
• Auto-configuration microphone system which allows the stereo to optimize the sound for your particular listening environment.

I'm not telling you this is the best system on earth, but it is the best you can buy for $500 today. I believe this enough to have named it to my Top 15 Gadgets List. The only problem is that both Best Buy and Costco sell out of these quickly, so if you find one in stock you better pick it up.

Also, everything comes in one box, so it's pretty big. You would need an SUV or truck to bring it home from the store so plan accordingly.

You will need to run the two rear surround speaker wires to the back of your room, but this should not require an electrician.

Finally, you'll need to buy at least one HDMI cable to connect it to your TV, but don't get it at Best Buy! They have HUGE markup on them. Instead, pick one up at WalMart.

Hope this helps, and good luck.

John
posted by jpozadzides at 1:22 PM on December 15, 2006

That sounds about right John. For clarification we have a 50 inch plasma and I know at least the cable box uses the HDMI cables, I will check the DVD when I get home. I am generally useless when it comes to keeping big presents a surprise, but I might pull this one off.
posted by stormygrey at 1:40 PM on December 15, 2006

If your cable box is using the HDMI cable then this would be a perfect setup. Basically you would route that cable into the receiver as well as the DVD player, and then there would be one HDMI cable coming into the TV (that's the extra one you would need to get a WalMart).

This setup would allow the stereo receiver to do all of the video switching so you don't have to constantaly change inputs on the TV. You just leave the TV where it is, and when you switch back and forth with the receiver the picture changes on the screen. :-)

Let me know if you need the coupon.

John
posted by jpozadzides at 4:46 PM on December 15, 2006

We have a cheapo $250 Phillips boxed home theater system, in our bungalow, running music from our iPod, and we think we're in the lap of luxury.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 5:20 PM on December 15, 2006