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$1000 For a Surround Speaker setup

post #1 of 14
12/22/07 at 3:51am
Thread Starter 
I looking for a solid surround sound speaker set up for movies and music listening for my aunt's living room for under $1000. She originally wanted to blow it all on a bose all in one setup (after she was "blown away" by her friend's system) but I told that she could probably get way more for her money elsewhere (based on what I know from the overpriced triports and other bose products). I don't really know anything about speakers (bose included) and was wondering if you guys could steer me in the right direction. $1000 is the absolute max, but, if there was a cheaper all in one system that sounded similar to/better than a mid priced bose system, it would be a viable option as I'm sure that level of sq would be satisfactory for her.
Thanks for any and all help!
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post #2 of 14
12/22/07 at 3:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 308med View Post
I looking for a solid surround sound speaker set up for movies and music listening for my aunt's living room for under $1000. She originally wanted to blow it all on a bose all in one setup (after she was "blown away" by her friend's system) but I told that she could probably get way more for her money elsewhere (based on what I know from the overpriced triports and other bose products). I don't really know anything about speakers (bose included) and was wondering if you guys could steer me in the right direction. $1000 is the absolute max, but, if there was a cheaper all in one system that sounded similar to/better than a mid priced bose system, it would be a viable option as I'm sure that level of sq would be satisfactory for her.
Thanks for any and all help!
hometheaterdirect.com, check their clearance section for speakers.

Then get whatever dvd player and 5.1 receiver are on sale at hte local big box store.
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post #3 of 14
12/22/07 at 5:17am
For a lady, I'd point her to the KEF KHT 2005.2, which should be available for less than $1000. I have the larger KHT 3005.2 (about $2000) but also have heard the 2005.2. While the difference in sound is quite apparent, I found the sound of the 2005.2 quite nice. I barely read bad comments about them. Check, if you can find a dealer over there.
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post #4 of 14
12/22/07 at 1:21pm
Get her an x-series setup from av123.com. Their x-ls bookshelves are priced way to low for how good they are. I auditioned offerings from PSB, Paradigm, B&W and the x-ls is competitive with all and cost much less.

call up and ask if they're still offering the deal, but they were offering a complete 5.1 setup including a denon receiver and denon dvd player for $1k.
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post #5 of 14
12/23/07 at 2:01am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the replies so far. I believe the x-ls is discontinued so I probably wont be able to get a full 5.1 setup. I'll also call around and try to find a local dealer for the 2005.2 to audition.
Any other suggestions or 5.1 setups?
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post #6 of 14
12/23/07 at 3:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 308med View Post
I believe the x-ls is discontinued so I probably wont be able to get a full 5.1 setup.
You're right, the whole basic X series is being discontinued and replaced with Encore speakers. So, at least for now, the AV123 X-LS Encore will be their cheapest speakers at ~$350/pair shipped. You could get a 5.1 system that would come in at roughly $1,000 plus shipping, but the shipping would likely push the price a few hundred dollars higher.
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post #7 of 14
12/23/07 at 12:56pm
I do believe they still have x-ls speakers, but you'll have to call to find out for sure. I just got a pair a few weeks ago and a friend ordered a pair just last week.
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post #8 of 14
12/26/07 at 2:49am
Thread Starter 
Other than the x-ls, which I might not be able to get, are there any other setups out there in my price range which you guys could recommend or is $1000 too much of a limiting budget?
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post #9 of 14
12/26/07 at 3:11am
I'll throw out a cheaper option for you.

I'm not a home theater buff, but when I lived in a studio apartment I used a Logitech Z-680 5.1 system (now discontinued for a newer version which I think is basically the same animal in a new skin) for movies and music.

It comes with a receiver and remote, decodes Dolby Digital and DTS, and has a full array of digital and anlog I/Os. The satellites are small and unobtrusive and come with stands that can be rotated for wall or ceiling mount, and the sub-woofer is a serious beast. 500W, so no shortage of power, and multiple options allow you to switch to stereo for music and surround for movies. THX certified (take that for what it's worth) and I thought it sounded great.

You will need to toss out the crappy speaker wires and buy some good guage copper ones, but I'm guessing the sq would more than satisfy your aunt. Throw in a modest DVD player and you can cut your allotted budget in half, if you really want to save some money.
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post #10 of 14
12/26/07 at 3:29am
If she likes the Bose, I say let her get it. Bose probably knows their target consumer isn't into looking things up and makes their products easy to use. I have never owned a Bose system though and would like to hear experinces of those who have.
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post #11 of 14
12/26/07 at 10:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by plaidplatypus View Post
If she likes the Bose, I say let her get it. Bose probably knows their target consumer isn't into looking things up and makes their products easy to use. I have never owned a Bose system though and would like to hear experinces of those who have.
About ten years ago, we owned what was then the largest "Lifestyle" system hooked to TV, VCR--DVD was still in its infancy--and totally enjoyed it. BUT we used it for movies only. I found it to be kinda bad just for playing music, but was totally enjoyable as a "theatre"-type setting. Was rather easy to install too.

Don't know how the new ones are, but that's your ten-year old impresssion
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post #12 of 14
12/26/07 at 2:28pm
I'm in almost exactly the same boat as the OP, so maybe we can help each other out. My sister is looking for a music/movies setup, with emphasis on music, wants to keep it relatively small because she still lives in Manhattan, is fine with a 2.1 setup but wouldn't oppose the ability to add satellites later on, has a budget cap of $1000, and is currently looking at a Bose system.

My first instinct was to recommend a "real" system involving individual speakers, receiver, and source. But then I realized this is my sister, not me -- she's not going to hook up anything remotely complicated, and doesn't want to fiddle with scores of obscure settings to arrive at decent sound.

So should she just go with the Bose, or are there better options for her dollar? I've looked at the Harman Kardon HS300, or an Onkyo receiver paired with some decent bookshelf speakers and a sub, but I'm kind of out of my depth here.
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post #13 of 14
12/27/07 at 4:30pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all the replies so far. I managed to locally find a set of 2005.2 speakers, 2 speaker stands, and an upgraded sub (PSW 2500 vs PSW2010) for around $765. It looks like an amazing deal as the stands retail for ~$150 and the upgraded sub is (according to amazon.com) ~$600!

My aunt and uncle already have a receiver (Yamaha HTR-5440), but I don't know how good it is. Does anyone have experience with this or could tell me if a new $200-300 receiver (suggestions?) would be a worthwhile upgrade with this speaker setup?

Thanks again for all the help so far!
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post #14 of 14
12/27/07 at 10:37pm
Marantz America | ES7001 SSX Front Surround Speaker System

I serously doubt it's Hi-Fi but it's probably good enough for movie watching.

Looks like the sort of thing people who drop a few grand on a big screen would get.
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