# Home theatre startup gear



## johnboy (Dec 10, 2013)

Hello fellow shacksters, after following many of the posts quietly from the sideline, I am now going to step up and ask for your help. I used to have a man cave setup before I sold off everything and decided to start fresh. At some point in the near future I'll be building a dedicated theatre (nothing really fancy though) but in the meantime I am seeking some advice on where to start. I've recently built an 8TB NAS running Plex and have been holding off on watching some movies like Godzilla and EOT until I have some sound that would do these movies justice.

I've more or less decided on the receiver (onkyo tx-nr636), and screen (smaller Samsung plasma or vizio P series) and now it's just for the speaker choice. I'll be listening to some music but 80% will be spent watching movies. After following the sub $1000 speaker shootout I was pretty much focused on the HTD L3's and the Chane A5rx-c's with the idea of expanding out on those later on. However, after reading the master bass list I'm hungry to add an svs sub right away and with a limited budget I'm tempted to look for some bookshelf speakers with a center channel so I can afford the sub right now. The HTD L3 bookshelf speakers are quite reasonably priced but I haven't seen any reviews on them. I'd even be willing to look at the bookshelf options from Chane but haven't heard much about those either.

So in summary, I am caught between a 2.0 and a 3.1 initial setup with the goal of expanding out in about 8mths time. I would very much like some input on the 2.0 vs 3.1 setup and reasonably priced options for both. The key Is to choose components that will allow me to expand on this same components later on.

Thanks in advance all.


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

Myself I would go for the best pair of speakers I could afford, and expand the setup down the road when I could afford it. To save money you could also look at buying your speakers used or even DIY them. :T


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## orion (Sep 18, 2009)

Plus one on the used speaker idea. You can pick up some great speakers at around half of new prices. Have you looked at accessories for less for a refurb onkyo receiver? You may,be able to save some,cash there also


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## johnboy (Dec 10, 2013)

Thanks guys! I appreciate the feedback. Where would you recommend for used speakers?

I have looked at a4less. That's one of my options.


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

johnboy said:


> Thanks guys! I appreciate the feedback. Where would you recommend for used speakers?
> 
> I have looked at a4less. That's one of my options.


Craigslist is where I look for used speakers. You can also look on eBay if you are comfortable with not seeing what you are getting.


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## johnboy (Dec 10, 2013)

Have you had good experiences from Craigslist? I am in the Miami area.


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## zieglj01 (Jun 20, 2011)

johnboy said:


> Thanks guys! I appreciate the feedback. Where would you recommend for used speakers?
> 
> I have looked at a4less. That's one of my options.


The Boston M25 would be a real nice option - and the dimple dome tweeter
is a good one. Sold each
http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...way-5-1/4-bookshelf-speaker-black-each/1.html


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

johnboy said:


> Have you had good experiences from Craigslist? I am in the Miami area.


One of the guys in the Klipsch Forums bought a complete Klipsch setup for a steal of a price on Craigslist (in Florida)... https://community.klipsch.com/index...-rf-7ii-system-purchase-best-deal-of-my-life/

As I recall he got everything for a little over the price of a pair of speakers! :T I purchased a pair of Klipsch La Scalas for $500. I also picked up a Paradigm Studio 100 vII 5.0 setup for around $3k on eBay (they were only 6 months old).


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## Liquid Paper (Nov 21, 2014)

hi, just passing on some infomation i got recently as i'm also in the market for a new system. You probably don't have to spend as much on your towers as you'll mostly be using them for movies. the higher priced speakers are more for music as there is a lot more background stuff that they need to pick up, i.e. guitars, drums and if there's other instruments playing at the same time. I was recommend a set of yamaha NS777 were great value for money if i mostly wanted to use them for movies. I will actually use my system 50-50 movies and music so i was recommended PBS Imagine X2T's or Monitor Audio bronze series, they're a little more expensive but again great value for money for what i'm after.

The SVS sub you mentioned is a good choice for movies based on what I've found out.

I hope this helps and if anyone has a different opinion or other infomation i'm keen to hear as i'm still learning myself. cheers guys


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## vidiot33 (Dec 12, 2013)

In the budget world of home theater speakers, 2 manufacturers stand out: Pioneer and Dayton. Both punch well above their almost impossibly low prices. Dayton also makes subs that are the only budget subs I'd consider buying. Definitely worth a look.


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

HTD & Chane both make good speakers. I'd give the nod to the Arx-c & talk to Craig about his subs. He has really up'd his game with his latest generation subs.


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## WLDock (Dec 19, 2009)

Those both seem like great cost to performance options. However, the price to performance of bookshelf speakers sucks if you don't have bookshelf's to sit them on. The added cost of stands to the tune of an extra $100-$300

If your budget is really tight, what about waiting until the floorstanding Pioneer Andrew Jones SP-FS52 goes on sale again for $80 each and the SP-C22 center for $60. Keep an eye/ alert on www.slickdeals.net

Next, grab a couple of the Dayton Audio SUB-1200 for ~ $108 each or BIC America V-1220 for ~ $150 each. 
For $450-$550 for a NEW setup I seriously doubt you can bet this 3.2 system for the money. Only, used can offer better value.

Then, grab this used Marantz SR-5003 for $169 posted on the Miami craigslist:
http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/ele/4763438419.html

And last look for a great deal on a TV during the upcoming holiday. There are good deals on the Vizio sets every year. The 50" smart looks to be listed for about $500...or other brands for $400

You might be able to get it all for about $1100-$1200. IMO, I would go this route instead of putting too much money into new midline components. Keep this system until you can get much better gear. As an example, the retail price of my Polk RT5000 surround speakers, Onkyo TX-NR3008 AVR, and Mitsubishi 73" WD-73734 TV was about $12K. I purchased all my gear off craigslist over time and I have only about $1500 invested!


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## johnboy (Dec 10, 2013)

Thanks for all the help guys. I ended up 'bending' the budget quite a bit and wound up with the Samsung F8500 which was on sale (51 inch), PSA XV15e sub, and the focal 807v bookshelf speakers. I am wayyy over budget and still waiting for all the gear to arrive. Will keep y'all posted on how it goes.


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

Congrads on the new toys, I'm sure you are gonna love them. And don't worry about the budget, good gear lasts a long time so it helps make up for it. Looking forward to hearing how you like them.


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## WLDock (Dec 19, 2009)

I say don't feel bad about the spending if you plan to keep the stuff for awhile. If you get caught up in the upgrade bug you can loose your butt in HT gear because the value decreases SO fast. Anyway, enjoy it!!!! And Power Sound Audio is starting to make some noise in the Sub game. Looks like a very nice value...if I were buying finished vs. DIY I would be looking at their products myself. Two of those would bring down the house and offer more than what the family could stand!

Congrats!


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