Al Infinitum

I already have a TV, VCR and DVD player, but I am thinking of adding on an audio end to my home theater setup. Unfortunately, I have zero audio hardware knowledge and was hoping to receive advice from forum members.

It is my understanding that I will need a receiver, speakers and a subwoofer. My constraints are as follows:

1) I have just moved after graduating college and am still buying furniture for my apartment. Money is definitely an issue. I'm not pegging myself to a specific budget, but "value" is the key word.

2) I do not listen to music at all. My only concern for this system is that it enhances my DVD experience.

3) I live in an apartment in Brooklyn, my living room is 11 X 17 and there is a family living on the other side of the wall. My interest in an audio system comes from a desire for quality, not volume. I'd prefer a smaller system that was a bit quieter to a big system that could shake the walls, assuming the quality and price were the same.

If anyone can offer advice on the matter, it would be greatly appreciated.

Xanager

As far as bang for the buck, I would have to recommend the Energy Take 5 system and the Onkyo 575X receiver. There are other receivers that are comparable, but I think that the Take 5 can't be beat. This is just my opinion though...for what it's worth.

svadas

who needs furniture? Been 5 years now and I've gotten everything for free 2nd hand. The advice above is solid, although I bet the Energy will even get to your neighbors. I'd almost forget about a sub altogether and put the cash into better satellite speakers. I'd also start hitting the local audio stores, tell them your budget (you've got to establish one in this game...figure out your max and set it at about 60% of it), and listen to what they show you. This stuff is really subjective. I'd spend more on the speakers and less on a receiver to get the most payoff. There are a lot of good brands out there. One to stay clear of like a plague is the evil sound of BOSE.

niggenz

Depends on your budget. The best value for anyone's money is the $500 dollar Kenwood HTB-503 Home Theater In a Box. You can get it for less if you find an online retailer and go to Sears to have them price match it, but $500 is the retail price. You get a 100 watt per channel reciever that is very versatile (2 digital coax inputs, 2 optical inputs) and can handle both DD 5.1 and DTS. The speakers are good for the price, nothing overbearing, and from the sound of your post, I don't think that you will be too picky with its sound performance. Only the truly finicky audiophile will complain about this setup. But for $500, you can't go wrong. Do a search for the system on www.audioreview.com. and read the reviews.

If you have a little more cash, then I would have to go with the earlier suggestion and go with the Energy Take 5 speaker system with the Onkyo 575x. The Energy's are widely regarded as the best sounding speakers under $1000. You can pick them up with an 8" sub from www.audioshop.on.ca for ~$500. The Onkyo is a 70 watt per channel reciever, but that is a conservative rating and is more then enough to power the Take 5's. You get a great learning remote that comes with that reciever as well. I think you can pick that up at www.jandr.com for aroudn $325. This setup will outperform the Kenwood in sound clarity and crispness of audio for only $325 more. Do a search at www.audioreview.com for these components as well.

Good luck.

SoSpacey

Al,
In response to the guy above me, just jo to J & R in the city. Dont use their on-line store. If you go there look for a guy named Armond and bargain the sh!t out of him.

I would spend the extra cash for the Onkyo/Energy package. I used to say the same thing as you. I started with a Sony package and have already upgraded to a Yamaha receiver and am upgrading my speakers right now. J&R knocked down the price of my receiver from $525 to $450 at the beginning of last year.

There is a Yamaha package out now that is almost the same price as the Kenwood package and the receiver is much better. I never had much luck with Kenwood products in the past and Yamaha receivers seem to have a cult following. I love mine and think it sounds better then a lot of stuff that is more expensive.

You can probably get the Yamaha HT in a box for around $600. You'll be extrememly pleased.

Whatever you do, sont buy a Sony HT in a box.

chess

yeah, i hear so many good things about kenwood speakers...

ahem.

for JUST MOVIES, the best deal going right now in speakers is the Energy Take 5 system paired with the Sony SA-WM40 sub. you WILL NOT beat that set up for $450. get a $250 receiver (take your pick; kenwood, pioneer, yamaha, onkyo...) and you have a really really solid $750 surround setup.

for music, i would upgrade to a set of bookshelves (Energy e:XL-16s or Paradigm Minimonitors), but as long as it's just movies, that is your best bet.

not your cheapest bet, your best bet.

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chess' DVDs chess' Web Site
chess' modest home theater:
TV: 61" Sony KP-61S75, DVD: Panasonic A-120U, Rec: Pioneer VSX-D509S, Front & Rear: Energy e:XL-16 (birch), Center: Energy e:XL-C, Sub: Sony SA-WM40, Total: $2696

m7md

You reminded me of myself 3 weeks ago...

Take a look at the AV system DAV-S300 from sony... I Just bought one and i strongly recomend it for those who are looking for what exactly you are looking for...

Regards..

Al Infinitum

Wanted to thank everyone for the advice! I haven't made a decision yet, but this thread has certainly helped me get a better feel for a large and confusing field of systems. I think the next step is to actually get into a store and check out pricing and listen to some of the systems.

Much appreciated!