# First time buying a system....any ideas?



## Apollyon (Sep 13, 2008)

Ello first time posting and building a system.....a day of firsts.

First off I'm thinking a 5.1 system. I need a receiver, speakers, and a sub. My budget is $1000 or less (line can be fudged a little). I like the Onkyo 805 receiver a lot. Oddly enough I'm a lil worried about the height of it. The only place in my entertainment stand where I can put a receiver is under the ps3, which is a little less than 5 inches of space. (unless you can put the receiver on top of the sub???)

I have digital cable, a ps3, and a wii. I want something that can keep up with times for a bit. The room is 11x17. As I mentioned earlier the entertainment stand isn't that large so the front 2 speakers need to be able to fit onto it next to the tv. (about a width of 5-6 inches for each). I'll use stands for the rear ones. Right now I'm using hdmi for the ps3 and digital cable and component for the wii. 

Oh, in case it matters the tv is a sharp aquos 46 inch.


Well, hope the info is enough.....thanks for the impending help, lol.

Apollyon


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

First off, welcome to the Shack.

With a budget of $1000 for 6 speakers, a sub, and a receiver,... that's going to be really tough to do. MSRP was $1099 on the Onkyo 805. Now that it is discontinued you'll likely be able to find it for ~700 I'd guess. That still does not leave you much for speakers.

Your requirement for speaker size is really going to hamper you also, you will definitely need a good sub to go with those small speakers. Just a guess but I'd imagine any speaker that small will not have a driver over 4".

I know that sounds a bit negative,...:bigsmile:,...but to be honest with you, this hobby is a bit expensive. My general rule of thumb is the budget for the audio side of a home theater should be about 4 X the budget of the display. All that aside, I do have some suggestions for you.

Consider dropping the 805 and go with an Onkyo TX-SR606 for ~350 or so, I know you'll lose the video up conversion, Burr-Brown DACs and THX, but ya gotta work within your budget.

Speakers,... start off with two good ones instead of five mediocre ones, some that will fit your size requirements are Aperion Intimus 4B at $130 ea. Or SVS SBS-01 you could also get either of these in a package deal for around about $600.

Sub,... this will leave you roughly $400 for a sub, something like the SVS PB10-NSD

So, if you can fudge your budget up to about $1400 and get a 5 speaker set from Aperion or SVS, the Onkyo 606 and a sub. Also be on the look out for "B" stock or clearance items. 

Another way you could go is HTiB, the Onkyo HT-S9100THX may be just the thing for your situation. I don't know how good it is but I'm sure someone will chime in about it.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

I agree 100% with the previous suggestion :yes:

You can start little by little (Front, Center and Sub, or at least Fronts and Sub) and later add the surrounds :bigsmile:

Do you have anything right now, besides the TV??? ... if you have some speakers, use them as surrounds until you save some money and upgrade them :yes:.

You can check on ebay ... there's a lot of good deals (new and used), but because of the size you need, it will be hard to find speakers :yes:

Can you at least get bookshelves??? ... that will give you more options :yes:


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## Apollyon (Sep 13, 2008)

Thanks for the quick response. I was hoing to get this done and out the way in the upcoming weeks.

Well, I'm trying to stay away from bookshelf. I know this isn't the case, but they just seem a lil old-fashioned and bulky. They also take up a bit of room and space is an issue.

I thought about it and figured out my budget, and I can prolly go as high as $1500 or $2000. I was browsing around and doing a lil digging and I found a Onkyo 906 for about $800. It seems like a steal to me, but not completely sure.

I also realized that I could stand my ps3 vertically instead of horizontally behind the TV....so the height requirement in the stands is no longer an issue. I did hear though that there might be a heat issue with the Onkyo receivers....anyone have any problem with this?? The shelf the receiver would sit on is rather enclosed without much airflow.

Anyway, thanks for the advice so far. Please let me know if any of these new developments sway things.

Thank you for your time, 

- Apollyon


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## TRiSS (Aug 29, 2008)

nova said:


> Another way you could go is HTiB, the Onkyo HT-S9100THX may be just the thing for your situation. I don't know how good it is but I'm sure someone will chime in about it.


I read a review of it's predecessor (HT-S990THX) in FWD magazine (a belgian/dutch publication), and they awarded it both the best choice (best performing when compared to others in that test in the same class, regardless of price)and the best buy (price/performance) in the comparison with some other htib's. According to the magazine, the SG9100 uses the same speakers, but a different (added features like trueHD and stuff)) receiver, but wasn't available for testing at the time of publication.

Some translated quotes from the review of the S990:



> soundquality is great: deep, powerfull bass, like you would expect only in a much more expensive system





> nice and balanced mids and highs


In general, they say the price/performance ratio on that set is excellent... The only drawback is that (in that test) the speakers are bigger then those of competing sets, so you might have to look up some dimensions to see fit it will "fit".


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

Ok,... with bookshelf speakers on the outs, and a revised budget, I have a second suggestion.
Onkyo TX-SR706 
RBH Sound CT-5.1
MSRP for these items will definitely push your max $2000 budget, but street prices should get you well below.


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## Apollyon (Sep 13, 2008)

Thanks for all the advice. I haven't really heard anyone say much about the RBH Sound CT-5.1. I like the looks of them, and they should fit. Anyone have any opinion on them? They are a bit more than I wanted to pay....but still might be doable.


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

Don't ask me about the RBH systems, I am biased :bigsmile:. I have a set of Signatures (Mains 1266-SE, Center 661-SE, 66-SE Surrounds and a 1212-SE Sub) and a set of MC's (Mains MC-4C, Center MC-414C, Surrounds MC-4C, and TS-10AP Sub). I was very, very close to getting the CT, but the MC's fell into my lap for the right price. About the only difference between the MC and CT, aside from the cabinet, is the tweeter,.... the MC use an aluminum tweeter and the CT a fabric dome. If you can, get out and listen to them,.... there are a few reviews on the CT Series on the net, give them a read but let your own ears decide.

CNET
RBH
Audioholics
Audio/Video Revolution 
on home theater
etc. etc.


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## Apollyon (Sep 13, 2008)

So, i'm having the roughest time finding the RBH Sound CT-5.1 speakers to buy. Seems the only place i can find them is from the manufacturer themselves.......dosn't leave much room for negotiations...

Any ideas??


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

if you can get the Onkyo 906 for $800 then go for it as thats a steal:T
I wouldn't go for anything less than the Onkyo 705 or 706 as you want to future proof your purchase as much as possible and pre outs are a must as if you ever want to ad external amps you need them.
You can easily get the Onkyo 805 for under $700 now as the new models are out now.


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

Have you tried their "Find a Dealer" on the RBH website? Or tried to call them? On the down side, when you find a dealer, I really doubt they will negotiate. You could also try the EMPTek online store, they are on sale right now. These are the same speakers as the RBH, they are just re-branded for internet sales so as not to compete with their dealers.


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## Apollyon (Sep 13, 2008)

Sounds like a good deal. Those EMP speakers do appear to be RBH in disguise. 5.1 system for $729.00 seems to be right at the price i'm looking at. Se4em to have decent reviews as well. Those paired with an Onkyo 805 or better should work nicely. Anyone else have any thoughts on that setup?


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

EMP is RBH,... RBH does not allow for it's RBH branded products to be sold on the internet. EMP is a new division of RBH that does sell online. The only difference (other than the name) is the sub that comes with the EMP. The MS series subs, I would think are a bit better (at least the specs are). I have not heard the E series so I really can't say.


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