My System Plan

I'm building a component system and here is what I have picked out,
give me your opinions/suggestions

Receiver:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1138083770470

R/L:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1051806317065

Center:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Audio...oductDetail.do

Rear Surrounds:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Pione...oductDetail.do

Sub:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-...oductDetail.do

If there are changes I could make to keep the price in the same
ballpark, im all ears.

Thanks,
Nick

On 10 Dec 2006 14:40:15 -0800, wrote:

I'm building a component system and here is what I have picked out,
give me your opinions/suggestions

Receiver:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1138083770470

R/L:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1051806317065

Center:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Audio...oductDetail.do

Rear Surrounds:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Pione...oductDetail.do

Sub:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-...oductDetail.do

If there are changes I could make to keep the price in the same
ballpark, im all ears.

Well, none of the speakers match. You should use speakers from the
same line of the same manufacturer for L/C/R and, if possible, the
rear channels. That sub is barely minimal and you would be better off
waiting until you could get something better.

None of the speakers is up to the quality of the AVR.

Kal

wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm building a component system and here is what I have picked out,
give me your opinions/suggestions

Receiver:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1138083770470

That's a fine receiver, but your speakers are all different.

It's VERY important to have matched speakers all from the same
manufacturer, and ideally all from the same line or series. When you
mix brands, you often get a poor timbre match, and sounds will not pan
smoothly around the room. The fun of surround sound is that the
soundfield is supposed to be a 360' circle that envelopes the
listener, not just point sources.

Also, stay away from the electronics brands of speakers, like Sony,
Pioneer, etc. They make very mediocre speakers - you get what you pay
for and there's no way a pair of tower speakers that cost $170 will
sound good, it's a waste of money. You would be much better off buying
small bookshelf speakers for the same price, and let the sub fill in
the deep bass.

If there are changes I could make to keep the price in the same
ballpark, im all ears.

Look at some speaker packages at a place that knows good sound, like
an audio/video shop, not chain stores. You can find matched systems
from manufacturers like PSB, Energy, NHT, B&W, Klipsch, KEF, Paradigm,
etc., that will sound much better than anything you can find in a
chainstore.

Sure you can spend thousands on a speaker system, but you don't have
to, and an audio store carries the full range and lots of variety. A
good shop will help you with the decision, and if your budget is a
little tight right now, you can always buy the front speakers now and
get the rears later when funds permit.

You can buy the receiver at Bestbuy, but if you want good sound, get
your speakers at a store that specializes in sound. Give a listen to
some good speakers to learn the difference, and then you know what to
buy. Your ears will thank you.

:-)

--
Happy Holidays!

"Kalman Rubinson" wrote in message
...
On 10 Dec 2006 14:40:15 -0800, wrote:

If there are changes I could make to keep the price in the same
ballpark, im all ears.

Well, none of the speakers match. You should use speakers from the
same line of the same manufacturer for L/C/R and, if possible, the
rear channels. That sub is barely minimal and you would be better
off
waiting until you could get something better.

None of the speakers is up to the quality of the AVR.

I agree.

And if you insist on buying speakers at Bestbuy for some reason, avoid
the over-priced and over-hyped Bose brand - the price is for
marketing, not quality components and sound. Perhaps look at the
Athena, Klipsch, and Polk lines, if they carry them in your store.

--
Happy Holidays!

wrote:
I'm building a component system and here is what I have picked out,
give me your opinions/suggestions

Receiver:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1138083770470

R/L:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1051806317065

Center:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Audio...oductDetail.do

Rear Surrounds:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Pione...oductDetail.do

Sub:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-...oductDetail.do

If there are changes I could make to keep the price in the same
ballpark, im all ears.

Thanks,
Nick


This is a VERY tight budget. You are spending roughly what a HTIB
system would cost, but getting LOTS more flexibility in the receiver
chosen than a HTIB provides.

As for the sub, it won't do much good with this system. Wait until you
can afford to spend $500 and up on the sub, so that you get good
quality. My suggestion is to take the roughly $100 that you were going
to spend on the sub and use that to get a matched set of eft, center,
right speakers.

And yes, I agree, make your way to an AV specialist shop, not BestBuy,
CircuitCity, not even Tweeter, to listen to various combinations of
speakers. give them your budget for the 5 speakers and they will guide
you to the speakers that sound really fine, and meet your budget too.

Nick, I admire your creativity in going for bang for the buck without
resorting to HTIB; however, please heed the advice to stick with the
same speakers (not only brand, but model line) for all five full-range
speakers. Surround sound is all about improving the "suspension of
disbelief" which gets you into a movie; different speakers models have
different voices, which will break the surround sound illusion as sound
pans from one speaker to another.

Opinions of speakers are VERY subjective, so everyone should judge for
themselves rather than rely solely on reviews and recommendations;
however with your budget, it would be very hard to beat Polk R's. If
you get lucky, grab the --suddenly hard to find-- Polk R50's for your
fronts ( http://www.consumerdepot.com/products.asp?id=R50D ) & R15's
for center and surrounds (
http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.proc...tafeed.POK+R15
). These are a tremendous value at $40 each.

Now you don't have to be concerned with matching manufacturers with the
subwoofer (as it is dedicated for low frequency effects only, and does
NOT need to match the timbre or tone of the full-range speakers).
However, know that all speakers are essentially air pumps--the cones
move in & out to vibrate air, creating sound waves that propagate
throughout your room. Low frequency (LOOOONNNNGG wavelength) sound
requires lots of energy and lots of air movement (hence built-in amps,
large cones, long throw driver design, etc.); thus an 8", 100 watt sub
is simply not well-suited for typical home theater rooms. You would do
far better to push the budget to get a 12", 150+W sub, like the $150
Dayton model at Parts Express. This is another tremendous value.

BTW, the Pioneer 816 is an excellent bargain (and the only sub-$300
receiver I recommend to my budget-conscious friends). Again kudos for
not being sucked into the HTIB trap. The 816 / Polk R50 & R15 / Dayton
SUB-120 combo will simply blow away any HTIB around, not to mention
most anything near its price. Good luck!

--Jeff


wrote:
I'm building a component system and here is what I have picked out,
give me your opinions/suggestions

Receiver:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1138083770470

R/L:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1051806317065

Center:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Audio...oductDetail.do

Rear Surrounds:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Pione...oductDetail.do

Sub:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-...oductDetail.do

If there are changes I could make to keep the price in the same
ballpark, im all ears.

Thanks,
Nick

http://www.aperionaudio.com/

try this these are in your budget range , do a yahoo search for
aperion and read reviews , you will be much happier with this quality
of speakers







On 10 Dec 2006 14:40:15 -0800, wrote:

I'm building a component system and here is what I have picked out,
give me your opinions/suggestions

Receiver:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1138083770470

R/L:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1051806317065

Center:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Audio...oductDetail.do

Rear Surrounds:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Pione...oductDetail.do

Sub:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-...oductDetail.do

If there are changes I could make to keep the price in the same
ballpark, im all ears.

Thanks,
Nick

It have not heard Aperion, but I like their mission statement. Their
website is excellent and very informative, so I get a little added
confidence from the many positive reviews on Aperion. However they are
a bit out of Nick's original stated budget (about $400 for 5 speakers &
a sub). Aperion starts at $799 for 5 satellites with 4" woofers & a 8",
100W sub. Aperion correctly recommends this system for small rooms,
less than 15' x 15' because those itty-bitty 4" woofers simply cannot
physically move much air (no matter how well constructed they are.)

The Polk R15 have 5.25" woofers like the $180 Aperion 532's & the R50
has dual 6.5" drivers like the $500 Aperion 633. Granted the quality of
Aperion is no doubt better, but don't discount the Polk as typical $40
speakers. Much of the savings is due to the R15 being a mature,
mass-produced item made in Mexico. It sounds shockingly good for a $40
speaker. I have no doubt the $200 R50 / R15 setup will thrill any
reasonable home theater newcomer, and shock more than a few who had
spent two or three times as much on their HTIB's or Bose systems.

On the other hand, if Nick could push his speaker budget to $1500, I
would certainly consider Aperion 533's for the fronts, a 533 center,
and 422's for surround. This would cost $1230, then I'd add the $150
Dayton 12" sub from Parts Expess (audiophile quality isn't nearly as
important for a sub as it is for speakers). One of the great aspects of
Aperion is the trade up policy (full trade-in credit to upgrade within
one year). As Nick becomes more infected with the home theater bug, he
can gradually upgrade speakers until he has the pinnacle of the Aperion
line, which no doubt would satisfy any reasonable home theater owner.

I'd recommend the SVS system for the $1,000 budget. But I know
that more than he has budgeted. Isn't that always the way. (if I only
had XYZ) LOL

With the SVS system you have the high quality crossovers, transparent
silk dome tweeter,
the most solid cabinets and bracing I've seen at this price point. And
the kicker.... a legendary
SVE sub. A monster sub!!!

Jeff wrote:

It have not heard Aperion, but I like their mission statement. Their
website is excellent and very informative, so I get a little added
confidence from the many positive reviews on Aperion. However they are
a bit out of Nick's original stated budget (about $400 for 5 speakers &
a sub). Aperion starts at $799 for 5 satellites with 4" woofers & a 8",
100W sub. Aperion correctly recommends this system for small rooms,
less than 15' x 15' because those itty-bitty 4" woofers simply cannot
physically move much air (no matter how well constructed they are.)

The Polk R15 have 5.25" woofers like the $180 Aperion 532's & the R50
has dual 6.5" drivers like the $500 Aperion 633. Granted the quality of
Aperion is no doubt better, but don't discount the Polk as typical $40
speakers. Much of the savings is due to the R15 being a mature,
mass-produced item made in Mexico. It sounds shockingly good for a $40
speaker. I have no doubt the $200 R50 / R15 setup will thrill any
reasonable home theater newcomer, and shock more than a few who had
spent two or three times as much on their HTIB's or Bose systems.

On the other hand, if Nick could push his speaker budget to $1500, I
would certainly consider Aperion 533's for the fronts, a 533 center,
and 422's for surround. This would cost $1230, then I'd add the $150
Dayton 12" sub from Parts Expess (audiophile quality isn't nearly as
important for a sub as it is for speakers). One of the great aspects of
Aperion is the trade up policy (full trade-in credit to upgrade within
one year). As Nick becomes more infected with the home theater bug, he
can gradually upgrade speakers until he has the pinnacle of the Aperion
line, which no doubt would satisfy any reasonable home theater owner.




--
Ric Seyler
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