What's the best home theater system to purchase at a reasonable price?

Question

Getting ready to purchase a complete home theater system and have been looking at Bose but wondering if there's a system that is just as good but cheaper. Looking for extremely high sound quality for movies AND music. Price range is $2500 total.

Answer 1

check out audioholics they have lots of information and guides. here is there recommended $3500.00 systems but it includes a $1300.00 tv. it should give you some ideas where to start.

http://www.audioholics.com/buying-guides...

Answer 2

I also agree that Bose is overrated and overpriced. With their stuff, you are paying for the styling and the name, and not for engineering thats worth the price. Plus, they do a lot of costly PR.

If you are fine with more conventional audio equipment, then with the budget that you have mentioned, you have a lot of room to pick and choose. There are some great on line sellers who can offer a wide range of great equipment and some very good price deals. If you can, do some on line searches, and then see if a store by you can demo some of the gear.

Not lots of people know that amazon.com sells home theater audio gear. They're worth looking at. Also, a couple of good on line sellers are Vanns and BPAV.

On receivers, great brands include Harmon Kardon, Onkyo, Yamaha and Denon. In speakers, there are such as Polk Audio, JBL, and Infinity, the last of which I am a big fan of.

I have a system with five Infinity Beta speakers run from a Carver pre amp, so I can say that that Beta line is really great sounding, and, since Infinity is discontinuing it, in favour of a newer product line up (Whose appearance doesn't do it for me), there are really great discounts available on the Betas.

At BPAV, you can get the floorstanding Beta 40s for $230

each (List price $400 ea), th bookshelf Beta 20s for $110

each (List price $200), and a Beta C250 center speaker for

$110 (List price $250). If you want a 7.1 system, that'd run you

about $1010 for 2 Beta 40s, 4 Beta 20s, and 1 Beta C250.

Add in an Infinity sub from Vanns, model SW 12 for $400

(List price $800), that brings you up to $1410, leaving you a grand for the receiver. All the models I've mentioned are in cherry colour. No tax and free US shipping.

On receivers, theres a huge range to choose from. Amazon can get you into an Onkyo TX-SR805 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) for $712.59, free US shipping.

(I think that amazon now has to charge NY State sales tax for any shipments going to NYS) List price is $1000. Its also available in silver colour, for $704.47.

$2120 would be your paid price, and that'd be for some very very nice gear. If you want the Infinitys, you have to hurry, they won't last that long.

Answer 3

Here is what I'd do.  Get these speakers, the Epos ELS 5.1 system  Might eat up all of your budget.  Then, get a used receiver / preamp processor for about 500 total.  B&K, Outlaw, Integra, etc.  Processors change so quickly and people upgrade so quickly that you can get a deal, maybe .30 on the retail dollar sometimes for awesome equipment.  Plus, room EQ is coming soon so go cheap on this and hold out a couple of years for a huge upgrade later.

Basically, get speakers from a mainline speaker manufacturer, Totem, Paradigm, KEF, ACI,  Gallo, Epos.  Get the best speakers you can afford, and go with a dealer demo to save big $$.  FOR LEFT /CENTER / RIGHT SPEAKERS THEY MUST BE MATCHING SPEAKERS! Then go the "used but I can get it serviced route" on the reciever / prepro-amp end.  

This way with a little work and some research you can get a 6000 system on your budget .

Also, that guy is right about Bose.  Not so hot.  That's why they are sold in their own stores, no A/B comparisons.

Audiogon.com and videogon.com are awesome resources, check them out.

Answer 4

try Onkyo HT-SP908 Home Theater System.

Cheap and best for you

Answer 5

Why are Americans so obsessed with Bose?

Spend $2500 on any home theatre system and you will get an infinitely better set-up than Bose.

Go to any Hi-Fi forum and you will see that they're not rated, Bose won't even allow their products to be reviewed by Hi-Fi publications, that should sound alarm bells! They rely on a client base that are more interested in a name than quality sound.

They're not High-end, they're high priced.