Originally posted by: andrei3333
do not get HTIB and do not buy any computer speakers
this is what you need: a good receiver which will have plenty of inputs and output that you desire, the pioneer you have looked at is a very good unit, i have the pioneer VSX - 1015TX its an older bigger model with a 5.0 JBL Northridge E System i compiled myself...speakers are what make the biggest difference,, i would look for used JBL e50 speakers or basically anything in the Northridge line can me mixed and matched
on your budget, buying anything new like HTIB or stupid computer speakers is a waste of your money, either increase the budget (yeah right hehe) or look locally on your craigslist and get some older speakers that will rock your house
I can agree with this, particularly regarding the speakers. There have been no real improvements in speaker SOUND quality in the last 20 years.
Different styles have become popular, such as main speakers with built-in powered subs...but actual SOUND quality hasn't changed much, if at all.
So you can actually get a much nicer system for the money if you go with a higher-quality, used set of speakers.
The real advancements have been in the receivers, and even then it's just about the gadgets.....the latest surround sound encodings, connections (HDMI, component), and just more bells and whistles in general.
But as far as sound quality/clarity....again, despite manufacturers' claims to the contrary, no real advancements in receivers, either.
A good receiver from 10 years ago, that's still in good working order, will sound as good that manufacturer's current equivalent receiver today....it just won't have all the latest and greatest stuff that I mentioned before.
In general, your system is only as good as its weakest/cheapest component. Personally, my advice has always been to get really good speakers first, get the receiver to get you by for now, until you can get one that's up to par with your speakers. Your speakers will never be obsolete, but your receiver will. This didn't use to be the case, but since the advent of surround sound, it unfortunately is now.
There'll always be the next "Dolby Super-Duper Pro Logic Force-Enhanced" surround encoding, and that'll me that there will be new receivers with that feature....but they'll be powering the same speakers for the most part.
So while a good HTIB will smoke any set of computer speakers, the whole system will be a compromise.....and a well-thought-out system with a nicer set of used speakers, with maybe a lesser-expensive receiver would very likely be a superior system.
Just depends on how picky you are about it.