Hi guys I might possibly be shopping for a Home Theater System soon but dont want to spend too much money. I want to try to avoid running wires all over the room where the tv is as its annoying and looks ugly. So that brings us to the home theater showdown , I have compiled a list of wireless speakers, sound bars, and wired home theater sets. Its a pretty interesting read for those who want to spend some of their tax return on upgrading their tv's sound system too Sound Bars: Sound Bars emulate 5.1 sound with the use of one big bar and 1-2 extra speakers that are usually wireless. While they do emulate 5.1 sound none of them come close to the quality of a real 5.1 sound system. Good option if you dont want to run wires all over a room. The two that are best reviewed under $500 are: VIZIO VSB210WS which has a $300 value, sold for $270 on Amazon Sony HTCT100 $247 Sony Sound Bar on Amazon Wireless Home Theater Sets: Good Wireless Home Theater sets are virtually non existent so far because if they are completely wireless they would have to use batterys which I havent come across yet. Most of the "Wireless" Home Theater sets are in reality only "Partially Wireless" meaning that you will have to run down the power cable to a power source. Some of the best reviewed "Partially Wireless" systems that I have come across for under $500 are: Sony BRAVIA DAV-HDX589W 5.1-Channel Theater System with 5 Disc DVD changer $328 Sony BRAVIA DAVHDX576WF <-- doesnt specify but it looks like a 7.1 system with 5 Disc DVD Changer for $398 Wired Home Theater Systems: Ah good old fashion wired speakers, nothing is more reliable if you dont mind running wires and wires all over the room, hiding wires under rugs, or trying to put them into the walls. Here are some of the highest rated home theater systems under $500 that are wired. Onkyo HT-S5200 7.1-Channel Home Entertainment Receiver/Speaker Package with iPod Dock (My Personal Favorite) $391, Valued at $475 Yamaha YHT-391BL 5.1 System $349, Valued at $330
My first Onkyo system lasted 8 years, it still works just doesn't do HDMI, so I upgraded to the S5200, it may have been 5100, the day it came out (July/Aug 08) and love it. The 7.1 is fantastic and auto tuning option is so nice so you don't have to set the levels of each speaker separately. My brother-in-law also purchased this HTiaB and has been using it in his mini-theater. You can't beat the system for the price, not to mention the piano black looks amazing.
what do you guys think of the Sony BRAVIA DAVHDX576WF vs Onkyo HT-S5200 7.1-Channel Home Entertainment Receiver/Speaker Package with iPod Dock ?? both are around the same price range
I'd swing over to avsforums and check out their Home Theater in a Box forum, that's where I got all my info and helped me to decide on my Onkyo system. I love this place as several thousand early adopters flock here and offer their advice/reviews on pretty much every piece of electronic equipment out there. I didn't even know about HTPC's, RF remotes, infrared lightswitches, home automation, etc... before I found this forum.
Wiremold FTW When you can't drill Wiremold is a fantastic alternative. I'll snap some pictures of it when I get home tonight. It blends in very well and absorbs paint quite nicely so you only need to apply 1 coat.
My HT system is Onkyo, like Van's no HDMI, but it has lasted 6 years now without even a sign of being tired. One thing I loved about it over the competitors at the time was the classic, understated look. No silver (I hate that, others like it I guess), no funky shaped 'gimmicky' speakers, just good old fashioned squared corners and removable cloth speaker grills. I just played a DVD of David Gilmour and David Bowie doing 'Comfortably Numb' at house rattling levels and it is still as clear as can be. Another thing, while you aren't going to get any solid hardwood speakers, I would still have you go and pick up the front speakers (the most important ones) and feel them for weight. Solidly designed WOODEN speakers, even if made of MDF, will still give a better depth of sound than anything that uses plastic as a major design component. Lastly, listen to them. Use your favorite song, zone out and listen. Whichever sounds the best to you is what you want.
Don't know why everyone makes such an issue over running wires. It's not hard. I guess it might be more of an issue if you live in an apartment or something.
so what is the ".1" exactly? a really really small speaker for those higher ranges? Spoiler before someone assumes i'm really asking like is common around here, i know its the sub channel... i use a headset on my pc and ive used 5.1's with tv/dvd before and honestly, it just seems a little much a lot of the time. maybe when i have a house without people living above or below me, ill be ready to have some stronger sound setups
Im still trying to decide between the Sony BRAVIA DAVHDX576WF vs Onkyo HT-S5200 7.1-Channel Home Entertainment Receiver/Speaker Package with iPod Dock I havent been able to look over the page you gave me yet but a couple of people have told me that its probably better to go with a company that does their own R&D (Polk Audio, Klipsch, JVC, Pioneer) but all of those brands that I have seen online dont seem nearly as good as the Sony and Onkyo set for this price range ($500 or less). I will probably do a little more research on it and look over that page you gave me before deciding. I also noticed that the price of the Onkyo set has gone up since I posted it it was $391 shipped before, now it jumped to $422.
Those companies all make amazing audio equipment but for the <$500 you want to spend you'll be lucky to get a speaker at that price
Reiner, I was looking up some info today, and decided to take a peek at your system. Be sure to keep in mind the 5*** series doesn't do HDMI pass thru audio, unlike the 6k and 7k series. This would be a deal breaker to me.
You really that worked up over HDMI Van?? In reality it gives no more bandwidth or clarity of signal than traditional cabling and only allows for the mega companies (i.e Sony) to put DRM right into your system without you even realizing. I will respectfully pass on HDMI until all barriers to the freedom of MY system are removed.
Yes, just for the simple sake of cable management, running 4 cables for 4 components as opposed to 15 to 20 is a big difference. As for the DRM issue, I have no idea what you're referring too.
doh, that sucks, thanks for the heads up I would much rather run an HDMI cable or a few cables instead of all the red & black speaker wires.
HDMI includes "digital copy protection" that may or may not violate set conventions of authorized home use. Let's say you buy a bitchin' collectors edition blu-ray box set of Fifth Element. You decide you'd like to have that in your bedroom as well as your entertainment room. You use your trusty computer to copy the disc. HDMI will not allow the unauthorized disc to be played on any machine it is hooked to. THe major companies lost this battle years ago with cassettes and then with VCRs, so they've decided to try another approach to forcing you to buy multiple copies of their product. I absolutely hate DRM, this is the single reason I own NO Apple products any more. I was a devoted Macfan for years, but Itunes and the Ipod killed all that for me. Second, HDMI has a built in technology to limit even authorized use of your own disc. Let's say your cool-ass 55inch 1080P LED dies in a tragic Wiifit controller accident. So you hook up your older 42 inch 780i until you work up enough funds to replace the other. Now, you sit down and pop in that 1080p Fifth Element to get your Leeloo on, and wham, nothing but snow. WTF?? YOu have done nothing wrong and yet you still cannot watch your own movie. Why? The HDMI consortium wants you only to watch 1080p enabled Blu-ray moivies on a 1080p set. They are not going to allow you to watch it anywhere else (your computer, your little 780 set you have in the garage to provide background noise while working on the car, you get the picture). This technology is there, but is not enabled yet, although the HDMI consortium has said they expect to enable it within the next few years. DRM sux. It is tantamount to reverse piracy. Fight it. Demand DRM free cabling solutions.
Wow that sucks, that's why I snagged AnyDVD so I can rip all my movies and watch them anywhere and everywhere.