I suck at audio stuff, just a heads up. I need a nice surround sound system for 250 or less and if you guys want to be awesome and help me, then please do so, and you will be awesome.

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum.

See if you can find an Onkyo HT-in-a-box on clearance or something. Others in this price range are not "nice".

Well, I'm not looking to have the elite system or anything. I just want something with good bass and clear sound. Also something that won't distort if it gets kinda loud haha.

So Onkyo is a good brand? Any ideas where a clearance would be?

I just typed in Onkyo in google and these showed up http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_g...4117156/qlty=r
A customer said it was "better than my onko set that i purchased for $1200 a year before"

only downside is its refurbished... but honestly refurb stuff doesn't bother me if it actually works.

Lets see you want,

Good bass
Clear sound
lots of clean Power
Under $250

Basically not going to happen. That is just to much to ask out of that kind of money. I agree with Spiky, the only acceptable system I would look at for any where close to that kind of money is the Onkyo HTIB. Find it on sale, refurbished (note you can buy directly from Onkyo and I think you get "points" that can be used as cash to reduce the purchase price. You use to get some points just for signing up -which is free).

You can get this system at shoponkyo.com for like $160 (club price - which again is free). And when you sign up, you should get some points to reduce the price maybe another $10 or so.

I don't know anything about this system, so you might compare to eCost.com or some other on like sites.



Refurbished Club Price:
$159.00 ea.
New $299.00 ea.

Receiver Section
Power Output (8 ohm, 1 kHz, FTC) 100 W/Ch
Dynamic Power* (4 ohm) 110 W/Ch
Discrete Output Stage
Audio Input/Output Terminals 5/2
Subwoofer Pre Out
Acoustic Control -
Preset Station Naming
APR (Automatic Precision Reception) System -
Automatic/Manual Tuning
Sleep Timer
Headphone Jack
RI-Compatible Remote Control

DVD/CD Player Section
DTS/Dolby Digital/Digital Audio Output -
Progressive Video Output -
Playback DAC -
Video DAC -
Dynamic Range Control -
Video Black Level Control -
Digital Outputs -
Analog Audio Output -
S-Video Output -
Picture Magnification -
Programmed Memory Playback -
Random Playback -
Number of Repeat Modes -
Shuffle/Random Play -
Direct Track Access -

Speaker Section
Type -
Front Bass Reflex
Center Bass Reflex
Surround Bass Reflex
Surround Back -
Subwoofer Bass Reflex (Powered by receiver)
Nominal Impedance -
Front 8 ohm
Center 8 ohm
Surround 8 ohm
Surround Back -
Input Impedance(Subwoofer) 15 kohm/Line
Max. Power -
Front (Input) 100 W
Center (Input) 100 W
Surround (Input) 100 W
Surround Back -
Subwoofer (Output) 100 W
Frequency Response -
Front -
Center -
Surround -
Surround Back -
Subwoofer 30 Hz-150 Hz
Driver(s) -
Front 3-1/8" Cone, 3/4" Ceramic
Center 3-1/8" Cone x 2, 3/4" Ceramic
Surround 3-1/8" Cone, 3/4" Ceramic
Surround Back -
Subwoofer 8" Cone

Years ago, I bought a Yamaha HT-in-a-box and was pretty pleased with it. I'm not an audio guy, but this was a very nice improvement over what I had previously (TV speakers only).

Later on, I bought a new HK receiver and (thought) that some things sounded a little bit better.

If I were to swap anything now, it would be the FL, RL and center speakers.

Just make sure you buy something that hooks up like any other system so you can switch/swap/sell any components you don't need anymore.

If the price is there, the 600 series from Onkyo is a fair step up from the 500 series pictured above. I'm not sure Yamaha makes something like this in this price range. Although they do make great equipment.