Suggestions Home Theatre System (Budget < $1000)

Lclnsky on 02/09/2017 - 23:39
Last edited 03/09/2017 - 10:33 by 1 other user

Hey all,

Looking for some advice for a home theatre system to go with my new 65 inch TV.

2.1 with the possibility to add more in the future or a 5.1 system would be good.

I went into Eastwood HiFi looking for a sound bar, but was quickly convinced it wasn't the way to go.

I was pointed in the direction of package containing -

Package consists of :Yamaha RX-V383 AV Receiver x 1 unitAccent Acoustics Hide & Seek Pack x 1 Set

I am not familiar or confident in the brand of speakers that come with the package.

Would there be any recommendations on any systems pieced together that could fit my budget.

Lifestyle Store also offers some good packages.

The main use of the system will be for movies and not much else.

The space is about 3M wide and 4M to the tv. With only 3 walls, so left side is open.

Any help would be appreciated thanks!

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 03/09/2017 - 01:05
    +1

    That's a good AV receiver. I have the older model and very pleased with the audio quality and features. It's the budget model - there's always a better model if you have extra money to spend - but for the price it's hard to beat.

    I'm not familiar with Accent Acoustics either. I trust Eastwood won't sell rubbish, but those look similar to the Bose Lifestyle. Honestly I'm not a fan of those micro speaker configurations. They certainly fit with the minimalist look of a modern apartment. However I feel they're trading audio quality for style. The small enclosures create a strained sound, which means you never really get that "theatre experience".

    For my own taste, if forced to compromise due to budget, I'd suggest a quality pair of fronts and subwoofer (also called 2.1) and save your pennies to buy the centre and rear speakers at a later date. For my money I'd go with a pair of floorstanding fronts - perhaps the Yamaha NS-555 - and a single subwoofer - possible match is the Yamaha NS-SW200.

    The only downside is you won't get surround sound. My advice is that a good 2.1 system is better than a mediocre 5.1 system even for movies, but it's definitely a compromise. If you can stretch the budget get the centre too, and don't skimp on it. The centre is the most important speaker in surround setups. For another $500 you would have a decent 3.1 system and you can add the rears later.

  • garetz on 03/09/2017 - 08:32
    +2

    It's their job to convince you to spend more money.

  • Nugs on 03/09/2017 - 10:01

    if you have the space and are not overly picky, the Sony Mu-te-ki 7.2 is a good budget buy. we paid around $1000 for ours

    https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=NRb%2f…

    and it's OK for the money.

    it's different from the current
    http://www.sony.com.au/local/product/ht-m77
    model with twin amps and physically smaller surrounds.

    we did spend additional money on wire though.

  • sane on 03/09/2017 - 10:38

    In general I'd say aim at the Yamaha 4xx to 6xx level. The 3xx tends to be cut down a bit too far, and those above 6xx tend to have stuff you don't need. Don't be afraid of getting last year's model for a big discount - it doesn't change that fast.

    Look towards overseas suppliers, since local suppliers tend to overcharge greatly (eg Yamaha RX-V683, $1000 discount to $849 locally, vs V681 for $618 international). Same for speakers. I'd look to get them as a set. That may change when Amazon finally set up here. If they bring international prices to Oz, there would be a bloodbath.

    And I'd aim for 5.1 straight off.

  • Andym on 03/09/2017 - 11:01
    +1

    G'day just as an off shoot suggestion you might want to get a rebuilt amplifier or custom made one and pair it with some nice speakers.

    I collect older retro stereo gear for a number of years and have owned over 40 different amplifiers and room fulls of different speakers. The reason I choose the older gear as opposed to the new gear is it sounds incredibly better. Modern amps are usually full of integrated circuits as opposed to transistors and are fashioned by engineers on what should technically sound good on paper instead of what actually does sound good. I have a old Sansui AU-222 which was released in the late 60's so it is close to half a century old and it just wipes away most of the modern amps when it comes to sound warmth and quality. The Sansui I had done up by a guy name Richard McDonald who lives in Mt Gambier, he not only recaps them but mods them so they sound amazingly better. Some of the amps I've had done up by him are NAD 3020, NAD 310, Kenwood KA-4002, Sansui AU-222, Sansui AU-505, Sansui AU-555, Harman Kardon 330B, DSE a2760, Rotel 311, all of which after been done up by him sound beautiful. Richard has great technical experience combined with a great ear for doing up amplifiers. So you can hunt for a good old amp on eBay or Gumtree for around $50-150 have it done up for $100-150 and have something that surpasses gear that costs many hundreds more and as a bonus have that cool retro look. I have a clip of a NAD 3020 on youtube which I had done up here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4PdyuXzGLg&t=21s Of course you won't get an exact idea of the sound quality, but you can get some idea how good it sounds from the clip.

    I must emphasize that if you do buy old gear get it done up by someone who knows what they are doing as faulty old amps at best can blow a fuse and at worst burn your house down. Most gear after decades are full of dust, cat/dog hair, the capacitors require replacing as well as some resistors and transistors. A lot of old amps have glue that held the components in place which after time can run eating boards and circuits in the process, and even oxidize so carrying a current which can cause shorts across the circuit boards. With the big retro phase going on at the moment people are purchasing this type of gear and using it without getting it properly checked, which can be a major hazard. But after saying all that if you do find some old amplifier and have it properly serviced, you will be rewarded by magical warm old school sound that modern gear can't equal. Also not all old amps are going to sound good once done up, you have to talk to your repairer and other enthusiasts to see which one will shine with a bit of TLC.

    Richard McDonald also creates an amplifier from scratch called the Quasimodo which sounds stunning, a basic version of this is around $600 for a single output model, to around $1000 for one with multiple outputs, high end case and custom wound transformer. As someone who has owned a lot of hi-fi gear I can't even begin to explain how good this sounds compared to everything else I have heard.

    As for speakers a good quality set of bookshelf ones would probably do you, a lot of people buy towers but often they are an overkill for smaller spaces. Some of the better sets I'd recommend would be the Klipsch B-20's, Pioneer SPBS22LR or Mission LX2. You can get some good second hand deals with speakers, but you have to be careful as people often sell because a tweeter, woofer or crossover has died or foam has degraded, so I'd say stick with new if you don't know what to look for.

    If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

    cheers
    Andy :)

  • altomic on 03/09/2017 - 15:41

    I picked up a working Yamaha HTR 5540 receiver from the roadside 3 nights ago.

    not a single mark on it.

    sweet 5.1 pre-amp. hooked it up to my blu-ray and TV = clarity.

    will be swapping out my sony amp once the new remote arrives (grabbed a remote from aliexpress for $5)

  • clnsky on 04/09/2017 - 17:00

    Thank you for all your feedback.

    Andym - this is my first setup and i don't have the expertise to delve into the old stuff yet! Something that might be interest later down the track but appreciate the ideas!

    The setup lifestyle quoted me up for was for Q Acoustics 3010 speakers x 2 + yamaha RXV383 with a paradigm PDR80 sub.

    Option 1 (2.1)
    Q Acoustics 3010 speakers x 2
    Yamaha RXV383
    Paradigm PDR80 Sub

    This is very close to $1000. I'm gonna try stretch the budget a little and get the center to make it 3.1, with the option to upgrade later with the 2 rear speakers.

    Option 2
    yamaha amp frmo above +
    https://www.lifestylestore.com.au/paradigm-cinema-100ct-5-1-…

    Option 3 -
    Yamaha 5.1 package
    http://www.harveynorman.com.au/yamaha-5-1-channel-speaker-sy…

    Open to new suggestions too! Be gentle i'm new with audio!

    Thanks!

    • [Deactivated] on 05/09/2017 - 09:14

      Some nice options there. I’d rate Option 1 as the best.

      Option 1 - Q Acoustics and Paradigm are both respectable brands and those models get decent reviews. Bookshelf speakers always lack bass - inevitable due to their small size - so the subwoofer is essential. I had bookshelf speakers for many years (Paradigm Titans) with a 10" sub (Paradigm PDR10). It sounded excellent and I was very happy with it. The pros are the small size and low cost. The cons are the lack of bass and low volume. I've since moved onto floor-standing front speakers (Paradigm Studio) because of a larger room, and the Titans couldn't fill the room anymore. But for a smaller room the bookshelf speakers + subwoofer is a good combo.

      Be aware 8" sub is appropriate for bookshelf speakers but it is on the small side. Do some listening in-store and compare against a 10". If you're a bass junkie you might want something larger.

      Option 2 - Paradigm is a good brand and I actually have the Paradigm Compact Theatre speakers (CT110) for my rears. The benefit is their tiny footprint - you can use them in even the smallest apartment - however I wouldn’t use Paradigm CT for the fronts. They’re on the small side and don’t push much volume. They’re fine for surround noises in movies, but they’re lightweight.

      The benefit of this option is you will get surround sound from day one. The downside is a lack of volume, even with the subwoofer. The majority of movie audio comes from the front and centre speakers, so I chose to overspend on fronts (Paradigm Studios) and underspend on the rears (CT). I did try larger rears (Paradigm Titans) but preferred the more subdued sound of the CTs.

      Option 3 - Yamaha makes some nice stuff and some budget stuff. This is clearly the budget end. I haven’t heard these speakers - so your ears will be the best judge - but I wouldn’t expect much. No real comment other than “there’s no such thing as a free lunch”.

  • Andym on 04/09/2017 - 20:47

    If you can get a chance have a listen to the Mission LX2 speakers as a lot of people recommend them over the Q Acoustics 3010 as they have more bass and you might get away without having the sub (a lot of people complain the Q Acoustics lack of bass), but like all things in life it is personal preference. You can buy a set of these for just over $300. Have a look on Google for Q Acoustics 3010 vs Mission LX2 reviews.

    A simple amplifier that can be done up is a DSE a2760, you see these come up on ebay between $50-110. Stock standard they sound very average but done up properly they can compete and even surpass high end expensive amps. They have a large Toroidal Transformer which gives them lots of grunt and they come in a nice silver slim line case. You wouldn't even call them vintage as I believe they were being sold still less than ten years ago.

    So for around $500-550 you could have a system (amp and speakers) that would sound amazing with TV/movies and music.

    I know you mentioned you were not looking for a soundbar but there is a really good one designed by Andrew Jones for Pioneer the SP-SB23w. On special sometimes you can see them around for $300. I once had a couple of these and they were really nice, they are not separate amp speakers level but still very good.

    you can read a review here https://www.cnet.com/au/products/pioneer-sp-sb23w/review/

  • clnsky on 06/09/2017 - 20:46

    Thanks for all the info guys

    I'll be trying to compare the Mission LX2 vs Q acoustics 3010 hopefully in a store.

    See how things go but much appreciate everyones feedback!

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