Rick wrote:
Hi,
I have a $1500 budget (shhh.. don't tell me wife) to spare for my home
audio system, which will be used for both home theater and CD/MP3
listening. I already have my HDTV, DVD/CD/MP3 Player, Cable, all set
up. All I need is my speakers, and possibily a receiver to complete
the project.
$1500? Just need a reveiver and speakers? You've come to the right place.
First off, the receiver. Small and useable is the key here. Shop for
an after-the-hollidays bargain. Onkyo, Denon, Harmon Kardon, Sony,
and several others all make nice receivers for under $400. A receiver
like this is a receiver. I like Denon myself, for the features. Get
6.1 if you can, as well as Dolby Digital II. Denon is my favorite because
their lowly 1604 is 6 ohm capable and does 6.1 and all the processing modes.
The 1804 is nice, too. A staple of the industry. With MSRP of 399 and 499,
finding these on sale and within your budget should be a snap.
You will need $1100-$1200 for speakers, so $300-$400 for a receiver is
critical. No more than this. Note - $2000 will nearly double the quality
of your sound, so if you are thinking of long-term quality, spend a bit
more. Maybe $500 for a receiver and $1500 for speakers.
Okay - onto the black magic. Speakers. Let's assume you have a 6.1 setup.
This is a bit easier as it allows you to shop for 6 surround speakers and
potentially use a surround for the center channel if shielded, thereby
buying in pairs and saving a bit of money. Or - you can go 5.1 and upgrade
later - your choice.
You want real MDF construction, rubber surrounds, decent 2-way speakers
with 4 inch minimum drivers(6 inch preferred for the low-end), and good
binding posts. This gets rid of Bose and most of the home theatre in a box
solutions.
Let's work backwards. Subwoofer. This is the crown jewel of the system.
It doesn't need to be huge, either, or go super-low. A good 8 inch sub will
get the job done for about $400. That leaves you about $100 per speaker
for the rest of them, plus some leeway. You are optimally looking at
surrounds that go down to 50hz or lower to have realistic impact and
effects.
My favorites:
Ascend acoustics. $1100-$1200 for a full 5.6/6.1 system that will do
very good sound for not a lot of money. Their site seems to go up and
down, though - anyone got info on this?
Mirage also makes good speakers. Figure $250 a pair times 3 sets, plus
a subwoofer. Maybe $200 a pair plus larget front towers.
KEF makes a great line of small speakers. The Cresta line are good,
solid performers. They also make a 5.1 surround system that while
expensive, has a small visual footprint and is a snap to install due
to integrated mounts.
My favorite, though, are Tannoy. They sound clean and polished and
represent a good value for the money. There are a couple of places that
advertize on Audiogon.
http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.p...ull&1077471203
This seems to be an excellent deal. These are Tannoy's budget line,
and are all shielded, so place them as you'd like.
- 1 pair MXm3 towers for the fronts
- 2 pair MXm1 for the surrounds.
Roughly $900-$1000 for the system after discounts. This is a superb system
,though you'd need a sub to be added, likely bringing the budget up to
$1800 or so with the receiver. Note - this is a 6.1 system, so it's
worth a couple hundred more, IMO.
Swapping the surrounds for MXm1s is also good, and you could always go
smaller:
1 pair MXm2 - fronts - good for stereo sound.
2 pairs MXm1 - 6.1 setup. Roughly $700 plus a sub - doable on your budget.
I think the 1 and 2 make better center channels than their "center" speaker.
I am a fan of small towers for the front in any case. I'd listen to a pair
in person and make a decision. I find the MXm3s to be good speakers.