Any audiophiles out there?

BOT#00001

BOT#00001

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I need some help. I want to get myself a home theater system from the tv down to the surround sound. I have the TV picked out already.

The samsung 55 inch LED-LCD

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung...96179500&skuId=9383785&st=un55b8500&cp=1&lp=4

I think I'm gonna get this receiver...seems to be gettin some amazing reviews.

Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UADEPC...e=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B001UADEPC

Now what the hard part is, is I know fuck all about speakers. I wanna get 7.1 but i dunno if i should buy each set separately and mix and match or if i should buy an entire 7.1 package. I dont wanna go overboard and spend 2000 dollars on speakers but at the same time i dont wanna buy a piece of shit. Any thoughts?
 
I'd take a look at Paradigm speakers and buy separately or a 7.1 package if they have one.

I've heard really good things about Paradigm (lower price, good quality). They're still anything but cheap though, and you can easily spend $2000 on a 7.1. IMO $2000 is a very reasonable price for a quality set... especially considering you're spending $500 on the receiver alone. IDK if you can really buy quality for much less than $1000 or even ~$1500... but it's all a matter of what you want exactly.

The bottom line is, speakers are a personal preference and you should probably go to a store and figure out what you like by listening to some shit on their demo speakers. Then, you can try to find them cheaper online (if available) if you like a specific brand, etc...
 
Definitive Technology - ProCinema 600 5.1-Channel Home Theater Speaker System

Model: PC600 | SKU: 8206201

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Definit...stem/8206201.p?id=1177718655876&skuId=8206201


I am a level 3 tech/field services lead installer for best buy and i love the def tech. we finally got access to the Magnolia level product (silly IL market). Onkyo and Denon also make good 7.1 recievers if you need some alternatives. 7.1 still isnt standard, yet. you will probably end up with a 5.1 system now, then add two speakers in the future. all broadcast HD is in 5.1/dolby digital, and a limited number of bluray movies are 7.1 or true HD audio (think GI Joe).


Speakers can be bought in a nice clean package like that and they are designed to match each other. you can buy them individually but you will probably spend a lot more. a single klipsch subwoofer is $350-$450.


I agree with Heat completely that it is all personal preference. just dont buy a bluray HTiB with a receiver and speakers for $400. thats a fail. i try to not get caught up in brand wars since shit changes so fast. i pick a few "fall back" items when i build Proposals for clients. I use them as a starting point because they work and are cost effective.


if you have detailed questions about harmony remotes or hdmi cables (or whatever) let me know.
 
I went with Onkyo for my surround sound .......love it. It cost a pretty penny, but its worth it to blast Guitar Hero and piss off the neighbors :D
 
roth140 said:
if you have detailed questions about harmony remotes or hdmi cables (or whatever) let me know.
Click to expand...

The reason I wanna go with 7.1 is to future proof it. It'll be the standard at some point and id like all this shit to last me.

im actually getting a harmony one with the whole thing. I looked at the 900 but i dont need the RF and i heard theyre basically the same otherwise. As for all the other shit you guys said, verrrrrrrrrrrry interesting. I see ive got a lot of research to do in this. Thanks for all the info all of ya.

And yah i was lookin at the Onkyo for a receiver as well, it just seemed like this pioneer one was better.
 
Pioneer or Onkyo are great products for a reciever. I am more of a Onkyo fan than a Pioneer fan. has to do with the way they amplify the sound and my preference for a larger bandwidth.

Picking out speakers is something that needs to be done by your ear. I have sold and installed literally thousands of speakers in my life and the one thing I tell anyone is that they have to pick the ones they like. Take some of your favorite music and a video or two and go test some. If the salesman is worth his weight he will have his own discs for you to listen too as well.

My personal preference is Boston Acoustics, or Klipsch. I am not a big fan of Bose. Paradigm were once great speakers, but I have not heard a set in many years now. A couple of other brands I am familiar with are Kef, Cerwin Vega and a few others as well. Let us know what you get.
 
i use klipsch a lot but im glad to have access to more brands now. ive worked with soooo many Quintet systems :O

as far as harmony, save some money on the touch screen (harmony ONE). its knia a pain in the ass. if you go with the harmony 700 you get the color context buttons that bluray uses a lot (directv does too). the 900 and 700 have the context buttons but the ONE doesnt. the touch screen is OK but its a pain when you arent looking at it. the 700 has the LCD screen but its not touch, there are buttons around the side. i still use my old 676 from 2002/2003.

i can help you program the custom buttons if you go with the ONE, you can add red, green, yellow, blue to the LCD part, along with OnDemand and MyDVR.
 
MEAT said:
Bose v30 for the win I love mine
Click to expand...

Bose first attempt at hdmi upscaling...

i see a lot of v20's but not a lot of v30's. some people are better off with an acoustimass system and a Denon reciever. the lifestyle control unit can really bottleneck a good system *cough(bluray)*cough

dont forget and ISF calibration too :P . i tore into my samsung pdp50b650 asap as soon as i had the usage hours. it make a huge difference.
 
Ok so I was planning on doing my in person research phase today...but instead ended up buying. I wanted to check out the Paradigm Cinema 70 CT 5.1, Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K , and the pro cinema 600's. Well the place i went to was really nice. Before I even mentioned that I had prices I had found online they automatically matched the best online price they could find or even went lower. So i ended up getting speaker stands for 100 which were 170 online. I picked up the receiver for 499 and the paradigm speakers for 529 plus it had an upgraded subwoofer.

So I saved money AND supported my local stores:D
 
@roth

Ok the parts are trickling in. They gave me a pdr-8 sub rather than the default cinema 70 sub(its not sold by itself apparently). Messin around with the harmony one now and I can already tell im going to love it. Decided to buy a set of omni wall mounts as well as a pair of the paradigm cinema adp's

I got a couple questions though. First off, where is the best place to put the ADPs in the now 7.1 setup. I was planning on putting them as my side speakers, with the directionals to the rear and to the front. I also have an old set of Sony SS-U230 200 watt floor speakers im wondering if i should use as the front channels(not sure how old they are).
Also was wondering about your thoughts on the ISF calibration. The bestbuy guy tried to upsale it to me and i said i was gonna research it. After looking at it i wonder if bestbuy even has the equipment to do it properly. Is it worth it to go to a tech somewhere and have it done though? I was lookin at prices of 400-500 dollars online and my jaw dropped.
 
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