# First home theater build, good sound for low price



## ivo03206 (May 16, 2012)

I'll be building my first home theater system later this year or next year, and am doing research now. The only source that I'll be using will be my PC, I don't need more than 5.1 channels, and it would have to handle music (FLAC 5.1 and MP3), movies / anime (FLAC 5.1, AAC 5.1, AC3 5.1, DTS 5.1), as well as PC gaming. I'm loaning a room and I'll probably change places at least a few times, so sorry, but I can't say exactly what room will it end up in, but I will probably use it in a normal-sized living room in the end.

This is what I have thought of so far:
Sound Card: Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater HD
Connection: Analog
Preamplifier: Emotiva UMC-1
Power amplifier: Emotiva UPA-500
Fronts and surrounds: Yamaha NS-777
Center channel: Yamaha NS-C444
Subwoofer: Klipsch SW-115
total cost: +/- 2500 euro

Is it okay like this? I'll be shipping the Emotivas from USA since I live in Europe, and the preamps/power amps that I saw around here were way more expensive than the Emotivas + shipping. I don't know if I can trust a A/V Receiver instead, I heard that they can't deliver their full power because of weak power supplies / capacitors, and that the other components in the box cause interferences. What do you think?

P.S. I forgot to mention, I listen to Trance, Drum and Bass, and some Metal.


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## TypeA (Aug 14, 2010)

Welcome to Home Theater Shack 

Very interesting speaker selection, Im not familiar with them but amazon reviews seem unusually positive and people seem thrilled. 

I think it greatly depends on how efficient your speakers are, and which receiver you are talking about, as to whether those A/V receiver issues you listed will affect you. Most around these parts happily use AVR power and find that it is all they need. However Ive found that those larger caps do provide better dynamics, separates can provide cleaner power, and lots of headroom opens me up to whatever speakers I may go with in the future. So it also greatly depends on who you ask, this is a hotly debated issue everywhere you go. If going with separates I really dont think anyone compares to Emotiva, most owners gush and theres a good reason for it:hsd:


Frequency response doesnt seem bad with that sub but Im wondering if a 15" sub will be the best choice with your music tastes. Will it be fast enough? Is there a better choice? A sub is a critical component, who did you consider before choosing the Klipsch?


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
With a 2500 Euro budget, you should be able to put together a quality HT. I would highly recommend auditioning as many Speakers as possible unless the Yamaha's are ones that really made a positive impression.
Cheers.
JJ


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## ivo03206 (May 16, 2012)

TypeA said:


> Frequency response doesnt seem bad with that sub but Im wondering if a 15" sub will be the best choice with your music tastes. Will it be fast enough? Is there a better choice? A sub is a critical component, who did you consider before choosing the Klipsch?


I was looking at Velodyne CHT 12Q, but it was the exact same price so I thought 15" better than 12" since it would allow for lower frequencies. Though I'm still looking for cheaper subs, since I don't think I'll need that much power, probably 150W-200W would be more than enough, I think. After all I don't intend to cause an earthquake  Besides, the speakers have 8" woofers, so I think if I go with 8" or 10" sub there will be no point.

*at JJ:* yes, there is still some time before I save enough money, so I do have time to go around the local dealers and listen to different speakers, I liked the Yamahas without listening to them, just because they were the cheapest 3-way speakers that looked like they had quality, I mean, for just 180 euro each, these are pretty big and heavy, no way I can go wrong with that  In one local forum, someone said he has had them for more than a year and he loves them. Also I looked at at least 20 user reviews on the net and everyone was rating them 5 out of 5. I don't want to spend too much on speakers, so if it turns out I don't like how they sound, I guess I'll listen to some bookshelf speakers and choose out of them.


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## TypeA (Aug 14, 2010)

ivo03206 said:


> I was looking at Velodyne CHT 12Q, but it was the exact same price so I thought 15" better than 12" since it would allow for lower frequencies. Though I'm still looking for cheaper subs, since I don't think I'll need that much power, probably 150W-200W would be more than enough, I think. After all I don't intend to cause an earthquake  Besides, the speakers have 8" woofers, so I think if I go with 8" or 10" sub there will be no point.
> 
> [


Remember that when it comes to subs its all about frequency response and speed, power is rarely an issue if your budget is $500+ and your room is of average size.


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## ivo03206 (May 16, 2012)

The thing is, I don't know where to look for speed, the stats of the subwoofers don't say it, and my ear is not trained so I can't pick up the difference by hearing it, yet


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
Things like Servo Control can actually make a noticeable difference with the perception of speed. Also, sometimes Subwoofers that use 15 Inch Woofers can be deemed relatively slow.
Cheers,
JJ


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