Beginner Stereo System?
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From: Baltimore
Beginner Stereo System?
I just bought my first HDTV, and now I'm trying to figure out the most cost effective system I can get that will run my OTA antenna, DVD, Xbox 360, and in the future PS3 and maybe Wii...but I don't want to spend thousands on this. I'm not an audiophile - can't tell the difference between a $5000 system vs. a $200 system at Fry's except the $5000 system can play things louder without the speaker buzzing. I have coworkers who spent TEN GRAND on a set of speakers and he said those weren't expensive...
suggestions?
suggestions?
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From: Denver CO
Rich,
How ya doin man? The first thing to keep in mind is that, like most things, there is a law of diminishing returns with audio/video. A $1000 pair of speakers may sound 10 times better than a $500 pair of speakers, but a $10,000 pair may only sound marginally better than the $1000 pair. People who spend 10k on a pair of speakers are either people who couldn't tell the difference or people who want that slight margin of performance. You don't need to spend a boatload to get a decent system.
You should really decide on at least a general budget you want to spend. It would be easier to decide where to place that money. Also, how big is the room? If the room is fairly large you'll want more power and/or larger speakers in order to fill it with sound. But quite honestly, you get a lot of bang for the buck nowadays in audio/video gear. Much like computers the quality/quantity of what you get keeps going up while the prices stay steady or decrease. Most receivers starting in the $300-400 range are pretty good from decent manufacturers and if you go with a matched set of speakers you can get a set pretty reasonably as well. It's harder to give you a price range on speakers because they do vary quite a bit and you really need to listen to what you're going to buy to make sure you like the sound.
How ya doin man? The first thing to keep in mind is that, like most things, there is a law of diminishing returns with audio/video. A $1000 pair of speakers may sound 10 times better than a $500 pair of speakers, but a $10,000 pair may only sound marginally better than the $1000 pair. People who spend 10k on a pair of speakers are either people who couldn't tell the difference or people who want that slight margin of performance. You don't need to spend a boatload to get a decent system.
You should really decide on at least a general budget you want to spend. It would be easier to decide where to place that money. Also, how big is the room? If the room is fairly large you'll want more power and/or larger speakers in order to fill it with sound. But quite honestly, you get a lot of bang for the buck nowadays in audio/video gear. Much like computers the quality/quantity of what you get keeps going up while the prices stay steady or decrease. Most receivers starting in the $300-400 range are pretty good from decent manufacturers and if you go with a matched set of speakers you can get a set pretty reasonably as well. It's harder to give you a price range on speakers because they do vary quite a bit and you really need to listen to what you're going to buy to make sure you like the sound.
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From: Denver
Originally Posted by Strike,Nov 25 2006, 11:11 PM
Rich,
How ya doin man? The first thing to keep in mind is that, like most things, there is a law of diminishing returns with audio/video. A $1000 pair of speakers may sound 10 times better than a $500 pair of speakers, but a $10,000 pair may only sound marginally better than the $1000 pair. People who spend 10k on a pair of speakers are either people who couldn't tell the difference or people who want that slight margin of performance. You don't need to spend a boatload to get a decent system.
You should really decide on at least a general budget you want to spend. It would be easier to decide where to place that money. Also, how big is the room? If the room is fairly large you'll want more power and/or larger speakers in order to fill it with sound. But quite honestly, you get a lot of bang for the buck nowadays in audio/video gear. Much like computers the quality/quantity of what you get keeps going up while the prices stay steady or decrease. Most receivers starting in the $300-400 range are pretty good from decent manufacturers and if you go with a matched set of speakers you can get a set pretty reasonably as well. It's harder to give you a price range on speakers because they do vary quite a bit and you really need to listen to what you're going to buy to make sure you like the sound.
How ya doin man? The first thing to keep in mind is that, like most things, there is a law of diminishing returns with audio/video. A $1000 pair of speakers may sound 10 times better than a $500 pair of speakers, but a $10,000 pair may only sound marginally better than the $1000 pair. People who spend 10k on a pair of speakers are either people who couldn't tell the difference or people who want that slight margin of performance. You don't need to spend a boatload to get a decent system.
You should really decide on at least a general budget you want to spend. It would be easier to decide where to place that money. Also, how big is the room? If the room is fairly large you'll want more power and/or larger speakers in order to fill it with sound. But quite honestly, you get a lot of bang for the buck nowadays in audio/video gear. Much like computers the quality/quantity of what you get keeps going up while the prices stay steady or decrease. Most receivers starting in the $300-400 range are pretty good from decent manufacturers and if you go with a matched set of speakers you can get a set pretty reasonably as well. It's harder to give you a price range on speakers because they do vary quite a bit and you really need to listen to what you're going to buy to make sure you like the sound.
Joined: May 2006
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From: Irvine, California
Agreed. Just choose a respectable brand and you're set. Anything between $500-$1000 will do fine unless you're going to listen to super audio CDs. My dad has a $20k 2 speaker system from B&W and Marantz amp just for those new uber audiophile CDs. He uses regular TV speakers to watch TV and movies because he doesn't care about the quality of sound from that type of medium.
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From: Oh kwa tan zen wan
Get yourself the Panny SA-XR55 all digital amp with TI Equibit amps. Check it HERE Get it when they deal on it at $150...it's a total steal.
An Athena set of speakers
found HERE
Get the HD-DVD add on for your Xbox.
All of the above and your set. All for under $800 with top quality sound. Make sure you use all digital connections with the SA-XR55.
An Athena set of speakers
found HERE
Get the HD-DVD add on for your Xbox.
All of the above and your set. All for under $800 with top quality sound. Make sure you use all digital connections with the SA-XR55.
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Originally Posted by mingster,Nov 25 2006, 08:19 PM
I'm not an audiophile - can't tell the difference between a $5000 system vs. a $200 system at Fry's
There is a HUGE difference in audio quality between a system costing a couple hundred bucks and one costing 10x as much. Personally, one doesn't need to spend $10,000 to enjoy an awesome system. My audio system costs a total of about $4000 (JBL speakers, Pioneer Elite receiver and regular Sony DVD player) and its audio sound is just awesome. You can also get a REALLY nice audio system for around $2000. For $200? It's better suited for the bathroom. 
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From: LA, CA - Durham, NC
Give us a budget and how much space youre willing to sacrifice. You could pick up something cool like this if you had a big budget 
Carbon fiber too..
Also if you have a > $1000 budget, you might want to wait a little while for a receiver compatible with the HDMI 1.3 specification.
Carbon fiber too..Also if you have a > $1000 budget, you might want to wait a little while for a receiver compatible with the HDMI 1.3 specification.
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From: Minneapolis, MN
Some more specifics would be nice, generalized price range and room size and speaker size.
Don't ignore used stereo gear. You can save a ton of money on used components especially with speakers. If you pick up a used piece of quality equipment it's very likely that the previous owner took good care of it and simply wanted to upgrade.
Don't ignore used stereo gear. You can save a ton of money on used components especially with speakers. If you pick up a used piece of quality equipment it's very likely that the previous owner took good care of it and simply wanted to upgrade.
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From: SJC
1. Listen Listen Listen : No two sets of ears are the same. Also, what sounds good at the dealer for a 5 minute test may make your ears ring after watching a whole movie or listening to a whole symphony. You can hear the difference after a while. . . and it's not subtle.
2. There are a lot of manufacturers out there, not just the ones at the chain stores. Shop around.
3. As hinted, there's a stereo for every budget. It's a good idea to set your budget, THEN go shopping. The sky is the limit.
4. Read Read Read. I like The Perfect Vision (but it's still not perfect) for home theatre, and The Abso!ute Sound for music (once again, still not absolute). Stereophile and Stereophile Guide To Home Theater are good too.
5. Talk to everybody. Listen to as many systems as you can. Even the high end ones will steer you to what sacrifices are being made in the lower end systems. (read: how diminshed is the law of diminishing returns)
2. There are a lot of manufacturers out there, not just the ones at the chain stores. Shop around.
3. As hinted, there's a stereo for every budget. It's a good idea to set your budget, THEN go shopping. The sky is the limit.
4. Read Read Read. I like The Perfect Vision (but it's still not perfect) for home theatre, and The Abso!ute Sound for music (once again, still not absolute). Stereophile and Stereophile Guide To Home Theater are good too.
5. Talk to everybody. Listen to as many systems as you can. Even the high end ones will steer you to what sacrifices are being made in the lower end systems. (read: how diminshed is the law of diminishing returns)
