You have 5k for your couch plus living room media setup

[TwiceOver]

Depends on how much of an audio/video/ phile you are. I could do a TON with $5k for a room. But an audio junky would barely get a speaker for that much.

For my room:
Benq 1075
elite screen
7.2ish receiver
monoprice Premium (not select) speakers + 2 extra for the 7 + extra sub for the .2
PS4 decked out
blu ray player

still probably have around $3000 for furniture, cables, mounts, etc.

 

[BurnItDwn]

800 for a decent entry level 1080p projector (I recently replaced my mitsu 3800 with a BenQ HT2050, while contrast and black levels are not perfect, they are not usually beaten until you go up to the 2K+ bracket)

1700 for a pair of comfy couches, or couch and a pair of recliners

500 for black paint, blackout blinds/curtains if there are windows
500 for hardware for building the riser for the 2nd row

The rest for reciever, sub, speakers, cables, etc ...

Would pretty much match my current setup.

 

[CZroe]

Slowly setting up the gaming/theater room in the place I'm moving into now. I'm not upgrading my equipment anytime soon (most is for retro gaming) but I spent a few thousand in furniture and organization products (1,200 Universal Game Case cases, media shelves, display cases, etc).

The Atlantic Oskar 1080 media tower bookcase is huge and awesome for shelving games, CDs, DVDs, etc, but the newer version is not nearly as well-made as they used to be. Out of the three I bought, at least two had serious defects (haven't really checked out the third on yet). One part does not have the bottom two holes for the shelf-mounting pegs, forcing you to mount that shelf higher and reduce capacity (can't hold 1080 CDs or every loose NES game when spaced for DVDs).

Another set has a split back board...

...no "E" part, and two "G" parts (should only be one).

Yeah, these guys have got to do something. I was considering buying 3 more but now I'm not so sure.

 

[Anubis]

im curious so I added this up

http://rootminus1.com/admin/AVS/rand/4373742.jpg

Fronts + rears - 1100 mats
2 18s - 800 -
Center - 125

TV Stand - built ~500 mats

AVR - 800
AMPS - 300+200+300+700

TV - 2200

24" sub you don't see - 1400

couch - at most 500 ive had it for years and its fine

 

[dullard]

Never understood Couches. Never thought they were all that comfortable, and they are 99% of the hassle associated with moving.

Couches are best when shared by two people (laying down). Oh, and put them at an angle so the TV is in your direct line of site when your head is at a comfortable angle (not perpendicular to the couch like most people do so that you have to angle your head in a crazy way to see the TV).

 

[dullard]

Me, I'd spend $1000 on the couch, $500 getting the room configured properly for TV, and the rest on electronics.

I don't find sitting in someone else's filth very pleasurable. A cat-vomit-stained chair just so I can get an infinitesimally better speaker doesn't seem like a good tradeoff. Nor does it make for a great date with your significant other.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'd put the $5k toward an addition to the house for a theater room and add the AV equipment later.

 

[CZroe]

Never understood Couches. Never thought they were all that comfortable, and they are 99% of the hassle associated with moving.

Love my 11-year-old dual-recliner Laz-E Boy couch. In addition to reclining on both ends, it also holds popcorn bowls and drinks on the fold-down center console.

My friends just bought a new couch a few days ago and I remarked that it was strange because I recall that they bought a couch less than a year ago. They explained that it was intolerably worn. I asked how that was possible so fast, considering I've had mine for 11 years and probably slept on it a thousand times (not exaggerating) and it still looks brand new. "Dude! That's because yours is a Laz-E Boy!"

Is the quality difference vs. other common brands that great? I know they bought theirs from a reputable furniture store.

 

[jlee]

This. But if it was just me then $4950 on electronics and $50 on a craigslist\garage sale couch

Haha yup.

 

[herm0016]

Slowly setting up the gaming/theater room in the place I'm moving into now. I'm not upgrading my equipment anytime soon (most is for retro gaming) but I spent a few thousand in furniture and organization products (1,200 Universal Game Case cases, media shelves, display cases, etc).

The Atlantic Oskar 1080 media tower bookcase is huge and awesome for shelving games, CDs, DVDs, etc, but the newer version is not nearly as well-made as they used to be. Out of the three I bought, at least two had serious defects (haven't really checked out the third on yet). One part does not have the bottom two holes for the shelf-mounting pegs, forcing you to mount that shelf higher and reduce capacity (can't hold 1080 CDs or every loose NES game when spaced for DVDs)
....
Yeah, these guys have got to do something. I was considering buying 3 more but now I'm not so sure.

looks like you should have went to ikea.

 

[soulcougher73]

800 for a decent entry level 1080p projector (I recently replaced my mitsu 3800 with a BenQ HT2050, while contrast and black levels are not perfect, they are not usually beaten until you go up to the 2K+ bracket)

1700 for a pair of comfy couches, or couch and a pair of recliners

500 for black paint, blackout blinds/curtains if there are windows
500 for hardware for building the riser for the 2nd row

The rest for reciever, sub, speakers, cables, etc ...

Would pretty much match my current setup.

Ive been thinking about buying that same BenQ refurbished. You like it?

 

[CZroe]

looks like you should have went to ikea.

Their Billy Bookcases are nice but over-built for this purpose and extremely expensive if you need to shelve as much media as I need. They also occupy about twice as much space.

My existing bookshelves are so deep that there is as much empty shelf remaining in front of my games/movies as they occupy, but you can't just block a whole row to fill all that area. Putting something in the back to space everything forward seems incredibly wasteful. Billy Bookcase has the same issue.

Edit:
Found a number online, called it, and got forwarded to "customer service" but I got a named employee's voicemail rather than a dept (I guess she's solely responsible for CS?). I fired off an email while waiting for a call back.

to: customer_relations@atlantic-inc.com
subject: Missing/defective parts (Atlantic Oskar 1080 Espresso)
Hello. I purchased three Atlantic Oskar 1080 Espresso media tower shelf units last month with the expectation that I might need three more after I move. I'm finally moving so I only just began assembling them and I've already encountered several problems:
The first assembled without issue but I configured it for DVDs and will need to check it over again after seeing a problem with the CD configuration in the second set I assembled.
The second is missing the lowest mounting holes on part "C," forcing the shelf to mount in a higher position and preventing me from filling to the full 1080 CD capacity.
The third has at least FIVE issues including:
unlabeled backboards
a backboard with split tape
an extra "G" part
significant marring along the holes on one "G" part
a missing E part

Needless to say, I didn't even attempt to assemble that one. I assembled the others one at a time and did not mix parts. I see nothing in the instructions about who to contact for missing/damaged parts, which is another flaw to add to the list in my perspective. I was originally considering buying three more (six total) but everything about this has me questioning my choice to buy these in the first place. Please tell me what I need to do now.

I wonder if the unlabeled backboards should have counted as two issues. :hmm:

Edit 2: Received a call back. A FedEx parcel with the replacements should be on the way tomorrow. Seems odd that they are so willing when they didn't even include their phone number or email address on the documentation. The email came from their storefront site instead of their main site, so it might be reserved for online purchase issues (I bought mine from a major retailer instead).

 

[SSSnail]

So, my wife, for whatever reasons, thinks a nice reclining set of top grain leather sofas don't belong in our formal living room. Now, i have to return the whole thing and get something more "formal", whatever that means. Mind you, this is dark brown with nail heads trim, look pretty "formal" to me.

All things considered, I'd go all in on electronics, screw the couch. If she wants something she can get it herself. I'll have my recliners in my office instead... grumble grumble

 

[postmortemIA]

Built-in + couch + TV + audio equipment is easily over 5K.

 

[JimmiG]

Well I'd rather spend the money on computer+peripherals, but if that wasn't an option I would pick up a new couch and maybe a nicer coffee table.
Got a no-name 46" TV hooked up to a 20 years old small stereo system, which works fine for watching the news and some tv show for 2 -3 hours a week.

 

[MixMasterTang]

I actually upgraded furniture and my audio system, it was about a 50/50 split, $2000 for furniture, $1000 for a Receiver, $800 on speakers (already has a decent pair I reused) and $200 in misc stuff (cables, power filter, etc). But between my furnitire being on clearance at costco and some sweet internet deals I saved around 2k by being patient and not being overly picky.

 

[Herr Kutz]

I would build a TV and buy a couch.

 

[Xonim]

$1500 for a couch, $800 for a refurb projector and a screen, $800 for a sub, $400 for a receiver, $1200-1400 for speakers, and that leaves $100 or so for a cheap projector mount and some speaker wire.

 

[dud]

What do you build? Do you spend more on the couch or the electronics?

With all due respect, I suggest that you post your question here:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2374963

 

[BudAshes]

How big is the room you need to fill? And is this a standalone house or an apartment/condo/townhome? If it's not a standalone home I wouldn't waste the money.

It's a townhome I will be in for few years. It's 2k sq ft and only shares a garage and kitchen wall though so noise wont be a problem. The living room is huge, but I think i'm going to cut it down a bit by putting a built in library on one side. I'm thinking 65" TV, surround sound, media server and a couple reclining chairs and a couch. I thought about a projector but I don't like the idea of having to turn out all the lights and close the blinds to watch something. I'm not an audiophile so I wont spend that much on the speakers, I'm more visual so a good quality picture is more important to me.

 

[Bubblehappy]

The living room is huge, but I think i'm going to cut it down a bit by putting a built in library on one side. I'm thinking 65" TV, surround sound, media server and a couple reclining chairs and a couch.

Sounds like you have it figured out then. Given that TVs continue to drop in price as technology improves, I wouldn't recommend you get the *best* flat screen known to man. However, audio/speakers are not matching the current price drops that TVs are, so I *would* invest in good components. And cheap ass furniture. If you aren't going to be in that home long who knows what you will need when you move to a new place. What fits there may not work in your next home.

 

[kag]

Here's how I spent my canadian money over the last 5 years for my cinema room in the basement:

Marantz SR5005 (refurb): $714.30
Paradigm Monitor 11 V6 (new): $1,450.00
Paradigm CC-390 v5 & Atom Monitor v5 (used): $580.00
Outlaw LFM-1 Compact (subwoofer, new): $531.41

BenQ W1070 (refurb): $744.65
DIY 125" screen: ~$40.00
Blu-ray player (new): ~$75.00
Cables, etc: ~$75.00

Total: $4,210.36, which leaves around $800 for a couch (still using an old sofa bed). I didn't really have a set budget, but I'll probably end up right at the $5,000 mark!

 

[purbeast0]

sound quality >>> visual quality

to me of course.

my audio stuff was over 2.5x my projector + screen cost, and my projector wasn't cheap. neither of that includes the AVR either.

my seating area was 2/3 the cost of my projector. i have a row of 5 power recliners. they own.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Ive been thinking about buying that same BenQ refurbished. You like it?

Yes, though it's got a much shorter throw than my old projector, so I had to move my ceiling mount about 6 feet.. which was a bit of a PITA.

Also, it's one of the least bright projectors in it's price range these days, but it's a bit too bright for my fully light controlled room.

It's a solid upgrade from my HC3800 (which had a dying colorwheel, louder fans, and weak HDMI signal)

 

[Bubblehappy]

Do these projectors put off much fan noise? I am thinking about putting one in the finished portion of the basement in this condo I'm about to move into, but it would be right above our heads ceiling mounted.