# New home theater setup..need help



## tbkoyama (Aug 28, 2015)

I'm looking for a nice home theater setup for my living room. It's approx 18x20 room. My budget is roughly $3500-$4000 for the receiver, speakers and cables.
So far, friends have recommended the following:

NAD T758 receiver
PSB Imagine X2T fronts, XC center, XB surrounds and Sunfire SDS 12 sub.

Option 2:
Marantz NR1606 receiver
Golden Ear Triton 5 speakers
SVS Sub.

Is that overkill? Is one better than the other? I will be adding a 50" tv to this setup (outside of my home theater budget).

Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

Brian


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## chashint (Jan 12, 2011)

I don't like either AVR.
Just my opinion but the NAD is overpriced for the features you get and the 1606 is just not high enough up on the food chain for the speakers you are considering.
Sticking with Marantz I would go with this.
http://www.amazon.com/Marantz-SR700...d=1440809744&sr=1-3&keywords=marantz+receiver 
I am not familiar with the speakers you listed other than by reputation.
I am not a huge fan of buying speakers unheard, but plenty of people do it and are satisfied.
Just make sure you fully understand the return policy regarding shipping.
I have never had an extended listening opportunity for speakers with powered woofers, I am not opposed to that design, it might offer the opportunity to operate without a stand alone subwoofer.
As far as subwoofers go I would stick with Hsu or SVS for a subwoofer, they are well established and very well reviewed.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

I agree with Charlie's choice of avr in sticking with marantz. I would also choose SVS over sunfire, although which one would be determined by overall room volume. I'm a fan of golden ear as well however I don't believe the fives have powered woofers. I think they start with the three's on up. They also never seem to lend themselves to true sub duty due to placement requirements of the mains themselves,(but I would hold out for at least the twos for myself) How tall is the room and is it closed off? Movies or music?


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## tbkoyama (Aug 28, 2015)

Thanks for the input!!
The room's ceiling is about 10' high, 18' x 20' room with about 1/3 of it open.
I want to use it mainly for movies.
I've spoken with two local audio stores and they also like the SVS subs as well.


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

I don't think that is overkill at all. It is a reasonable budget for a good home theater.
Have you listened to any speakers yet?


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## tbkoyama (Aug 28, 2015)

Yes. I brought in some of my own music cd's to see how they sounded. Listened to a couple of the Golden Ear Triton series (3 different models), the SVS sub, and the PSB Imagine X series. I will be taking a road trip to Los Angeles to some bigger audio stores to hear more variety speakers/receivers this weekend. I don't want to rush in on this purchase. I want to get as much info from all of you forum members on what to check out and try from your experiences.

Brian


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

Based on the opinions of our review staff, I think you should give very careful consideration to the Arx speakers from Chane...take the extra coin and put it toward the best sub you can afford from SVS or PSA.

Maybe go with a combo of the center...the A3 towers...and A1 rears... that should land you at a few hundred over $1K. Buy a nice mid-range AVR...and then plow about $1.5K or so into the sub. You'll be all set ;-)


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## tbkoyama (Aug 28, 2015)

I'm trying to see if there are any dealers in the Los Angeles area that carry the Chane speakers....the Chane A5rx-c are in my budget for a pair, as well as the rears. I just emailed Chane customer support to see if they have local places where I can hear the speakers.
Thanks for the input!!


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## Philm63 (Jan 1, 2015)

Todd Anderson said:


> Based on the opinions of our review staff, I think you should give very careful consideration to the Arx speakers from Chane...take the extra coin and put it toward the best sub you can afford from SVS or PSA.
> 
> Maybe go with a combo of the center...the A3 towers...and A1 rears... that should land you at a few hundred over $1K. Buy a nice mid-range AVR...and then plow about $1.5K or so into the sub. You'll be all set ;-)


That is pretty much what I just did; looked at and listened to a bunch of speakers including Martin Logan's, Golden Ear's and PSB's (all very nice, BTW) and wound up with the Chane's based solely on reviews on this forum, and the $1000 speaker shoot-out (the A5's won and there were some very nice speakers in that comparison.) Capped it off with a PSA S3000i sub (there's that $1.5k Todd mentioned... well worth it!)


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## Lumen (May 17, 2014)

The PSA 3000i sub is a contender in the high-performance subwoofer arena. I was very impressed with its ability to provide that "punch in the chest," as well as its ability to navigate the bass scale with finesse. It should fill your needs (and space) for many trouble-free years to come!


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## tbkoyama (Aug 28, 2015)

I think I'm going with the suggestion of spending the extra $$$ on the subwoofer and going with the S3600i for $250 more than the S3000i (18" vs 15")


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

I think that's the right move. Subs are a piece of gear that are easy to under estimate... If you don't adress it properly now, you'll only find yourself upgrading later.


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## tbkoyama (Aug 28, 2015)

Ok. Bit the bullet.
Just purchased the Marantz SR7008 (it was on sale on Crutchfield), and the PowerSound S3600i sub. They should be here around 9/12. Now just waiting to purchase the Chane A5rx tower speakers (no stock yet).
Should I look into any other tower speakers like Ascend or EMT Tek's? I would like to get something while I'm waiting for the Chane. I can use the speakers for another setup once I get the Chane's in. Thanks in advance for all the help and suggestions so far!!!

Brian


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## Lumen (May 17, 2014)

tbkoyama said:


> Ok. Bit the bullet.
> Just purchased the Marantz SR7008 (it was on sale on Crutchfield), and the PowerSound S3600i sub. They should be here around 9/12.


Congrats! And kudos for the homework before purchase. Can't wait to hear your reaction to the sub; it's a brute!



tbkoyama said:


> Now just waiting to purchase the Chane A5rx tower speakers (no stock yet). I would like to get something while I'm waiting for the Chane. I can use the speakers for another setup once I get the Chane's in.


May your wait be short! As for substitutes: you've already auditioned a few sets of recommended speakers. Assuming none of those tickled your fancy, how about one of these Axiom models? Sorry if it's a repeat or over-budget. :R


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## tbkoyama (Aug 28, 2015)

The Axioms are nice, but I went with PSB Imagine X2T as my temporary speakers. I got an email from Chane stating they should be having pre-sales for the A5rx-c loudspeakers very soon. Took the day off on Friday since everything should be coming in on that day via UPS. 
I will post pics and updates once everything is setup. Now, off to buy a new tv!!


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