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New to Home Theater Stuff. Pls help!

6K views 58 replies 6 participants last post by  Jungle Jack 
#1 ·
Hi,

I live in New York City in an apartment. I recently purchased a 52" Samsung (LN52B630). I do not feel its complete without a home theater. I am completely lost on what to do. I know nothing about this stuff. My apartment is not huge. Its comfortable ;) I was looking to get a 5.1 system. I didn't want to do a 2.1 and i was told that a 7.1 really inst necessary especially because my space is limited. I fell in love with Yamaha, Onkyo and Sansung HTIB Systems but im afraid :huh: . My husband and i are gamers and we also have two children who play games as well. I want to use the system for movies, music and games. I really don't plan on using it if im just watching TV. Below are the ones i am currently looking at but still unsure, scared and confused.

Samsung HT-BD3252T

Yamaha YHT-591

Onkyo HT-SR750

If anyone can steer me in the right direction i would gladly appreciate it! Thanks!! :bigsmile:
 
#2 ·
Welcome to the Shack,
Do you have a budget that can be made a bit larger if needed? Also what sized room are you using this in?
Have a look at this post here as it will help you understand a few key things that are important to building a good system.
 
#3 ·
Hello,
HTIB's are certainly convenient. However, what is truly lacking is speaker quality compared to purchasing a AV Receiver and a speaker package.

If your budget is fairly tight and high playback levels are not that important, any one of these packages will do nicely. I do like that the Yamaha decodes the newest surround codecs from Blu Ray Players True-HD and DTS-MA.

Hopefully there is a store which carries all three in your area. Getting a chance to listen to them will help in making the best informed decision.
Cheers,
JJ
 
#5 ·
its always better to go a bit over budget as this guarantees that you get something that will last.
What is your preferred budget?
 
#6 ·
I didn't want to spend more than $1200. I also read the other post. Here are my confusions...if i were to go with any of the ones i have in mind (as previously mentioned)...the AV receiver what exactly is that used for, radio reception? I'm sorry if i sound lost but its because i am! and...are any of the ones i mentioned any good? I would need to buy a DVD player or Blue ray right? and if so...which one?

(AHHHH, I'm such an amateur!)
 
#7 ·
Hello,
A speaker package like this:http://www.svsound.com/products-spks-sbs01.cfm would provide a much higher level of sonic fidelity. Look at the 5.0 package on that page. Most HTIB's use speakers that are pretty lacking in realism and rely on a subpar "subwoofer" to provide most of the sound. Often the subwoofers in HTIB packages are not able to reproduce the lowest octave and mostly give much boom around 80 Hz.

If you went with the SVS package, all you would need is a subwoofer and a receiver. Given you are in a apartment, a huge subwoofer is not a priority so you can find a quality smaller one for well under 400 Dollars.

There are a number of receivers available for under 400 Dollars as well that will trounce the HTIB receiver as well.

So, all in all, for around 1200 Dollars you could have a truly high quality system that will give you years of service. I am not sure how important music is to you, but the difference in quality between the SVS package and a HTIB is vast. And this difference can really be appreciated in music.

If you get a chance, look at the speakers in a HTIB. One the whole, they weigh nothing and are these plastic towers of mediocrity. Compared to a dedicated speaker, the difference is vast.
Cheers,
JJ
 
#14 ·
Okay so, i checked out the website. I think i can do something with this! Now, What would you guys recommend for a receiver and subwoofer? and whats the receiver for? :ponder:

Also, i don't want nor do i need a huge subwoofer but i would like a decent one. I do want to listen to my music and play my xbox and enjoy it!! I LOVE music so sound and quality is very important to me.

then comes the wiring, do i have to buy that separate and if so...what do i buy? and of course what do i do as far as watching movies? Obviously i have to buy a separate DVD or blue ray player but what type and does it have to be blue ray?

am i driving you nuts yet? So sorry!
 
#8 ·
Hello,
Funny. While you were writing that you did not want to spend more than 1200 Dollars, I was proposing a system for under 1200 Dollars. Go figure.
Cheers,
JJ
 
#9 ·
The Onkyo is a good choice but for 1200 your almost into getting some good speakers and a receiver.
Onkyo has several things going for it one being that they make there HTIB systems fully upgradeable and use standard connections. They also have alot of options compared to the competition.
Jack is one the road to where i was going with this he and I think alike and wont steer you wrong The SVS package is a very good start.
 
#11 ·
Hello,
Ladycruz, an AV Receiver does indeed have an AM/FM Tuner. But, it is primarily the heart of a system.
The newer ones offer HDMI Switching, amplification, decoding of all codecs (Dolby Digital, DTS, True-HD, DTS-MA, etc) In America, we primarily use them as Integrated Amplifiers and few use the FM/AM portion of the receiver. In Europe, where there are many more Radio choices, many purchase Radio Tuners and Integrated Amplifiers. Integrated Amplifiers incorporate a power amplifier and preamplifier. A preamplifier is what provides volume control, inputs to hook up TV, Xbox, PS3, etc...

Integrated Amplifiers and receivers handle all of this with the difference between the two being the radio tuner in a receiver. Again, here almost everyone uses receivers.
Cheers,
JJ
 
#12 ·
I think this Onkyo 607 receiver for $400 paired with the above speakers would do you really well.
A subwoofer like this SVS sub would work really well and keep you just a few $$ over budget.
 
#13 ·
#15 ·
Hello,
As always. Tony, you and I are on the same page.
JJ
 
#17 ·
Hello,
You can watch DVD's through your Xbox 360. Adding a Blu Ray Player would be nice and some are available for 100 Dollars now.
And you would need to purchase cables. Depending on how new and the model of your 360, it might have an HDMI out. In which case, you would need a HDMI cable. If you have an older 360, you would need an optical digital cable for the 360, HDMI for the cable/sat box, and another HDMI from the receiver to the TV. In addition, you will need speaker cable, and a RCA cable to connect the subwoofer to your receiver.
Cheers,
JJ
 
#19 ·
Dont know why but i don't like playing movies through my xbox and since i play lots of bootleg movies...i need a good DVD player that wont have a problem recognizing them. The one i have now is cheap, its a Phillips but i don't want it. I want to upgrade everything.
 
#18 ·
Jack linked to a great receiver for just a few $$ more than the 607 you cant go wrong.
 
#20 ·
Hello,
Makes sense to me. And given the abyssmal reliability of the Xbox 360, I would say it is a good thing to not play DVD's on it. Now that Blu Ray Players have plummeted in price, well worth getting one instead as they can play DVD's as well.

Here is a great link for cheap quality cables as well:http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/hdmi-cables/index.htm
Cheers,
JJ
 
#22 ·
Hello,
Good luck. At least listen to some of the HTIB's you are interested in before purchasing. I can completely understand getting one box which includes everything you need is mighty tempting, but the price paid for that convenience is mediocrity.
JJ
 
#24 ·
The SVS speakers are very high quality The reason you dont see them in a store is because you would then have to pay more for them as internet direct companies dont pay sales staff, rent many large store fronts and have low overhead and they pass the savings on to you.
I have a sub from them, The best that they make and can assure you that they make a top quality product.
 
#25 ·
Hello,
I have listened to SVS Speakers and they offer amazing value. They use very high quality speaker components (tweeter, woofers, cabinets) and have been reviewed extensively by many Professional Reviewers and have received excellent reviews.

I do not currently use SVS Speakers, I am running Martin Logans currently. In truth, they are fairly expensive. My speaker system retails for around 15 thousand Dollars.
Cheers,
JJ
 
#27 ·
Hello,
Your link is the correct one. The 5.1 Package will be excellent for you and miles better than the speakers bundled in a HTIB. I was looking for the page you provided when I posted that link.

The Onkyo I linked originally retailed for 900 Dollars and really is a great buy for 400 Dollars.
Blue Jeans Cable sells quality cable on the cheap and will save you hundreds over going with something like Monster Cable.

Altogether, this would really be an excellent package that will provide your family with years of quality performance. At a price comparable to upper range HTIB's. This really is a system comparable to 2-3 thousand dollar systems.
Cheers,
JJ
 
#30 ·
Hello,
Tony, you are probably right about HTIB prices, before I started moderating here, I never really looked into HTIB's. Certainly have seen them setup though. Something about injected plastic molded floorstanding loudspeakers makes me ill.
JJ
 
#31 ·
It actually impressed me that a few of the Onkyo HTIB systems used wood cabinets (although thin) none the less wood and sounded fairly good for the price. But the above package is a great starter system.
I actually think we should start a thread with suggestions of a good system like we did here and sticky it as it seems we always have people looking for this sort of thing.
What do you think?
 
#34 ·
I think that's a great idea!! I came here knowing absolutely nothing about speakers, HTIB, Receivers, ETC...and now after your suggestions and explanations of things...i feel like i know what im actually looking for and one thing is for sure...i am completely convinced that its better and worth putting together your own system rather than buying one out the box!! You guys rock!!

Everyone has different things that they want and need but im pretty sure you guys can come up with suggestions for every necessity. I will be going over what i wanted to spend but i think its well worth it and im sure my husband is going to be not only proud but amazed at what im going to put together! I cant wait to see his reaction. :clap:
 
#32 ·
Hello,
I have been thinking about that exact same thing. Not kidding. It is a great idea.
Cheers,
JJ
 
#33 ·
Ok, lets do it:T
You can start if you wish.
 
#37 ·
Hello,

Thanks to the great folks here I was able to recently purchase a system that I'm happy with for about $1200 as well.

I know that it was mentioned that ladycruz should get cables, but I didn't see a complete listing of what she and her family might need. Some were mentioned previously, but I'll try to make a short list of things that I needed - as an example. Personal note, I purchased my cables through Monoprice.com because I've had good experience using them.

In my experience I'm using my receiver as a central hub of sorts (video as well as audio going through the receiver and receiver outputting video/audio to the TV).

1) 2 HDMI cables - One from the PS3 to the receiver, one from the receiver to the TV

2) 2 Optical (toslink) cables - One from my older model Xbox 360 to the receiver, one from my old PS2 - which doubles as a DVD player

3) 10 pairs of banana plugs - 1 pair for each speaker and another pair going to the corresponding place in receiver. Here's instructions that I found. The plugs are definitely optional, I hear it makes things easier. http://www.monoprice.com/manual/INSTALLING SOLDER TYPE BANANA PLUGS.pdf

4) 1 roll of 14 gauge speaker wire - it was suggested to get wires that are between 12-14 gauge. The lower gauge (thicker wire) the better quality sound you'll get as well as the ability to run the rear speakers longer distances. You may need only 50ft pending on the room size and where you want your speakers.

5) 1 coaxial (coax) audio/video rca cable - "for S/PDIF, Digital Coax, Subwoofer & Composite Video", this one goes from my subwoofer to my receiver.

I hope nothing was left out in your order that you need. It would be like giving a child a battery operated toy without batteries.

I did notice that the SVS set did not come with speaker stands. Be sure to get some of those if you need them.

It looks like a great system!
H
 
#38 ·
Great points H :T
 
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