Best Home Theatre Setup ~$10k

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  imc123 on 09/03/2016 - 19:52

  Regarding the HDMI cable, I'm not personally sold on the expensive ones too, however do be sure you have taken the right measurements for plugging in the projector. Unless you plan on going inside the wall, which is another story. For now, make sure you have carefully determined what size will be sufficient from your receiver location to the projector.

  I also am not too sure about projectors (never owned one), but from what googling I did in the last few minutes, it seems to be a bulky unit, probably because of all the features on it. My personal preferences (going by your intended use of PS4, sport and Netflix) would be to wait for a good 4K projector (in the near future), when they are around $2000 or so. Try and window shop as many as you can to get a good idea of what is available.

  Dolby Atmos is a theatre-level sound setup, with overheads, height speakers, and even something known as a VOG; Voice of God, (I love that name!) It's a fairly recent sound technology where the sound is played back in such a way that whatever configuration your speakers are, the receiver will take the source sound and distribute it to make it sound like the original directions they were supposed to come from (as opposed to traditional 5.1, 7.1 surround, where each speaker has a distinct sound mapped to it for playback). The two ceiling speakers you have been quoted are very likely to be the VOG. It definitely is better sound, if you have some DTS-HD MA, Dolby DTS:X source files, and the appropriate speaker configuration to go with it. If you are happy with 5.1 (or 7.1 incl. height speakers), you can stick to the receiver you picked without any extras (Netflix and PS4 titles have max 7.1 from what I've seen, no need for extra speakers to fill in). Atmos is part of the receiver, DTS:X will need a firmware update (I think).
  And also, please make sure your speakers are the right impedance and wattage. You don't want any under/over-powered speakers.
  EDIT: can't find anything about "energy premium 5.1", are you sure you have the right brand, model etc.? this is what I assume is the right one:
  http://www.cnet.com/au/products/energy-take-classic-5-1/

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  Lancerx on 09/03/2016 - 20:21

  Thanks for your reply mate. Not sure I could wait till 4k projector to come down half its price now, probably still years away. Plus 99% of the content now are not 4k anyway, and 1080p is already bloody impressive. This Sony one seem to get pretty good review online too, so fairly happy with it.

  As for speakers, I found it http://www.energy-speakers.com/products/connoisseur-series/?…

  What do you make of it?

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    imc123 on 09/03/2016 - 21:20

    No worries; also bear in mind, for optimal viewing, a properly treated room does wonders for projector setups. i.e. dark walls, maybe hang up fabric if you don't want to paint the walls. The vibrancy of the colors is really brought out in a properly set up room. Have a look at the BenQ W1070 if you want another comparison:
    http://www.cnet.com/au/products/benq-w1070/
    Not as feature-full as the Sony, but still quite nice.

    The speakers seem decent; generally good reviews, however the picture in the website makes them look tiny, not sure what the drivers sizes are, perhaps 3" or so which is average. See if you are able to hear/demo them if you can, and other setups too in Hi-Fi stores, that is the best way to gauge what your tastes are and customise what you are after. See those little tweeter-looking things on the bookshelf surrounds?
    http://www.energy-speakers.com/search/?sku=CF-50-5-1
    They are also another idea thrown out by Atmos-enabled setups, they are the "height" speakers, only they save you space by not having an entirely new box to set up near your ceiling. They "throw" the sound up and so you hear it as coming from above.
    I also realised about your in-ceiling speakers; if you are deadset on them, then you are going to route wires inside your walls; which means you might want to take a look at this for your AVR to the projector:
    http://www.jaycar.com.au/Sight-%26-Sound---Home/Home-Theatre…
    Just a suggestion if you don't feel like having the cable running through the room.
    Take your time with planning your setups, sketch them out if you have to, and do the research. Choose equipment that will cater to YOUR tastes, so you get the perfect experience no matter if it's on the PS4 or chilling back watching Netflix.

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      Lancerx on 10/03/2016 - 02:31

      Thanks but can't say I like the BenQ design. Pretty stoked about the Sony model, but unsure if I should spend more to get better feature?

      I'm just little puzzled if I should spend more on projector and cut down on sound system maybe? I don't think sound will make a big difference to my ears in small room like mine, but picture sure will do. What you reckon?

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        imc123 on 10/03/2016 - 05:44

        If you are after picture quality then by all means you can cut down on the sound system. The Sony seems like a good choice, and it looks like they have it on sale too :) It's up there in terms of price, so if you take a look at other projectors and do a comparison (write down the features you definitely want, and see if other options have the same) and you find that it's worth the money, then you can make an informed decision.
        If you are set on Atmos, you can try the slightly cheaper Marantz NR1606
        https://www.westcoasthifi.com.au/product/marantz-nr1606-slim…
        or if you are not overly bothered with it, perhaps this one:
        https://www.westcoasthifi.com.au/product/yamaha-rxa-550-5-1-…
        It's only a 5.1 but Yamaha's have excellent sound quality in my experiences. Even the X2100 from Denon would be a suitable 7.1 receiver, and a bit cheaper.
        As for the speakers, try and find a good deal on a package; I saw on West Coast's catalogue on the front page that there is a fully-installed package deal. Perhaps have a listen at the Polk speakers in that deal, and see if you like it. It's a 5.1 setup, so its OK for a small room like yours. And you can cut down on the receiver too if you end up picking those speakers.
        One thing I should have mentioned before is to also keep to your budget. You should definitely pick the right projector firstly because its what you are keen on the most, but try not to get overwhelmed by attempting to match everything with the most expensive equipment. Careful selection of each component goes a long way to a good experience.

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  Ryanek on 09/03/2016 - 21:34

  +1

  I was in your shoes a couple of years ago and I researched projector screens to death. I came to the decision that the Elite Screens proved to be the best value for quality and money http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Screens-Sable-Frame-120-inch/dp/….

  This is a company well known for their screens and they have a range of different styles that increase in quality.

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    Lancerx on 10/03/2016 - 00:00

    Actually screen is one thing I'm least knowledgeable of. What's the difference between something like the one you suggested compared to the one quoted. Im not sure if they're comfortable if I buy too many things outside, as I definitely not diy on installation, so definitely projector,screen and speaker will come from a hifi shop.

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      Ryanek on 10/03/2016 - 09:18

      Ordering from Amazon was surprisingly quick and it was also packaged really well. I'm not much of a DIY either but i found it easy to install and mount.

      I can't find many reviews on your screen but with these setups I guess it's about how much you're willing to pay. I suspect yours is a professional screen at that price point. I will say though, unless you're the kind of person who likes to sit up close at a movie theater, a 100" screen for a 4x4 room is the perfect size.

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  pointless martyr on 09/03/2016 - 22:08

  -3

  This is ozbargain.com.au

  Not ozbraggin.com.au

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    Lancerx on 10/03/2016 - 02:39

    Brag about?

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  Lancerx on 27/07/2016 - 18:26

  Hi guys, made redundant a while back, so didn't proceed to buy one. Now that I'm back on my feet, I'm ready to look at it again. My HT room look so sad without anything in it. Anyone could recommend any bargain? As before I'm big on picture quality, but not so picky on sound. 5.1 probably more than enough, but don't mind atmos if price is not too much more. Thanks!