What home theatre setup will sound better? Best Bang for the buck

[scheibler4]

Onkyo HT-S590
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-2rWuH8...&display=XL#Tab

Or my own which I could upgrade the speakers down the road....but how owuld it compare with the z-5500 speakers now?

$160 sub- http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/show...tnumber=300-635
$65-speakers- z-5500 speakers without the sub or encoder(jsut the 5 speakers)
$185 reciever- http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Onky...roductDetail.do

The Onkyo HTIB is onsale for $260 shipped at crutchfield, but I have just been offered 5 z-5500 speakers for $65 on anandtech which I could add to the dayton sub and onkyo reciever. is spending the extra money on the home made theatre system worth it or should I just get the onkyo for that super cheap price? I have a feeling the sub might drown out the z-5500 speakers, but thats all I can afford right now

 

[PurdueRy]

I would say at that price range go with the Onkyo HTiB. The speakers will be better than the Logitechs and you will still be able to upgrade them down the road.

 

[emoxley]

Computer speakers are built to be pretty close to you, while in front of your monitor.
While the 5500's are very good computer speakers, I doubt seriously they can handle a real Home Theater receiver's power output, and/or sound good and clear, at the distance you sit for movies. That's not what they're built for. I believe trying to use them for that purpose, would destroy them.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

If your DIY option there is $410 + shipping, I think the Onkyo 790 would be the more fair comparison.

http://www.6ave.com/product.jsp?zipz=11001&x=HTS790B&w=1

Your speakers are going to be the limiting factor in most cases about your final sound quality.

The speakers in the 790 set are going to be more capable than the logitech ones. The subs are probably same ballpark. The receiver in the 790 set I think is the sister receiver to the 504 (rather than the 304 you were considering getting).

 

[scheibler4]

I have read some bad seller reviews from 6ave

 

[Hyperlite]

you will read bad seller reviews about any online retailer. it depends on how many there are, and when they were posted.

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: scheibler4
I have read some bad seller reviews from 6ave

What difference would that make? They sell the Onkyo HT-S790 system at nearly everywhere they sell the HT-S590 systems. If your only two choices are the S590, or the Z-5500's, definitely get the Onkyo system.

But, for not much more money at all, you could have 3 times the system. For instance, Circuit City or Best Buy sells a 12" MTX home theater sub for $199, regular price. I've heard it, and it sounded awesome, for that price. With an Onkyo receiver for $185 (none of your links work, BTW), you'd only need 4 small, but decent (think Polk Audio or Infinity) speakers, plus a center channel speaker.

Assuming this is something you could buy over time, when things were on sale, instead of impulse buying a HTiB, then you seriously could have a nice little system. For instance, Fry's: link is always selling the Polk Audio R15's for $39.99 per pair. They're normally $39 each, I think, though they may be on sale this week. If they are, grab some, you definitely won't be disappointed.

I bought a pair of those same R15's myself, until I could get a better pair, for the extra two surrounds for my new 7.1 channel system. Only problem was, they sounded better than my larger surrounds that I had planned on using them with. After testing them, I immediately went back, and got a second pair, and they sound really good. Anyway, 4 of those, plus the matching center channel speaker that Fry's is always selling for $79.99, and you'd definitely be hooked up.

Haha, now that I think about it, you probably want this for your bedroom or dorm room, huh? If so, the HT-S 590 is enough. You would get better sound from my suggestion, but it might very well be overkill for a bedroom, and would cost roughly twice as much $$.

 

[scheibler4]

no this is going in my family room, 15ft on all walls paired with a 52" dlp hdtv and my xbox 360.

I have considered getting a dayton 10" or 12" subwoofer, onkyo 5.1 reciever, and the speakers you suggested or the dayton 5.1 speaker set. I really like the price tag of the onkyo HTIB though

 

[sdy284]

I'd definately get the onkyo HTIB over the Logitechs.

whats your MAX budget for this?

 

[scheibler4]

I want to keep the price as low as possible. THe main reason I want surround sound is for my xbox 360 games and occassional movies/tv. My budget is around $450 max!

I guess I am either going to go with the onkyo $260 HTIB or:

$185 Onkyo TX-SR304S reciever
$130 10" dayton subwoofer
$40 Polk Audio R15's
$100 fronts and center

or
$185 Onkyo TX-SR304S reciever
$130 10" dayton subwoofer
$115 5 piece dayton speaker set

 

[sdy284]

Originally posted by: scheibler4

$185 Onkyo TX-SR304S reciever
$130 10" dayton subwoofer
$40 Polk Audio R15's
$100 fronts and center

I'd definately go with this setup

2 questions:

1) Where are you getting the R15's for $40?
2) What are you going to use for FR/C/FL ?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: sdy284

Originally posted by: scheibler4

$185 Onkyo TX-SR304S reciever
$130 10" dayton subwoofer
$40 Polk Audio R15's
$100 fronts and center

I'd definately go with this setup

2 questions:

1) Where are you getting the R15's for $40?
2) What are you going to use for FR/C/FL ?

1) outpost
2) no idea. You're not going to have a lot of options for three speakers on a $100 budget though. If it's $100 each, then you're talking about getting some decent stuff, but that's bumping the budget up a couple hundred dollars.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

scheibler4, one suggestion is you might want to consider used if you havne't thought about it. Just checking Craigslist, I found a nice little 3.1 system I'm going to be picking up this weekend for my parents for Christmas ( don't tell them )

Pair Axiom M22s
Axiom VP150
Stands for the M22s
Onkyo 602
Onix Rocket ULW-10

= $750

 

[scheibler4]

I ended up getting the onkyo s590 5.1 HTIB b/c it was only $260 shipped and I tested it at circuit city and liked it

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: scheibler4
I ended up getting the onkyo s590 5.1 HTIB b/c it was only $260 shipped and I tested it at circuit city and liked it

Although not as good as you could have had for ~twice the price, it's at least 1,000 times better than your tv's speakers.

 

[scheibler4]

yea, I can still always get the dayton sub and pold or infinity speakers later. Where do you guys recommend I get some 16awg speaker wire from? brands really matter?

 

[slpaulson]

Originally posted by: scheibler4
yea, I can still always get the dayton sub and pold or infinity speakers later. Where do you guys recommend I get some 16awg speaker wire from? brands really matter?

Brand doesn't really matter much for wire.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Yeah, just get something cheap. Partsexpress / cablesforless / monoprice / etc.

 

[Thuban]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: sdy284

Originally posted by: scheibler4

$185 Onkyo TX-SR304S reciever
$130 10" dayton subwoofer
$40 Polk Audio R15's
$100 fronts and center

I'd definately go with this setup

2 questions:

1) Where are you getting the R15's for $40?
2) What are you going to use for FR/C/FL ?

1) outpost

The link you provided has it at $ 129.98

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Thuban

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: sdy284

Originally posted by: scheibler4

$185 Onkyo TX-SR304S reciever
$130 10" dayton subwoofer
$40 Polk Audio R15's
$100 fronts and center

I'd definately go with this setup

2 questions:

1) Where are you getting the R15's for $40?
2) What are you going to use for FR/C/FL ?

1) outpost

The link you provided has it at $ 129.98

Price changed today. They were $39.99/pair yesterday.

Now the R50s are on sale, but not as much as they usually are when they go on sale.