Possible to assemble a decent budget home theatre for $600?

• 

  Aids on 29/06/2013 - 00:22

  +1

  I would look at second hand, budget $200 for the amp, the rest on speakers, look for high quality lesser known brands like Richter, Aaron, mission, energy, etc. If it has to be new, shop round for a entry level pioneer, denon, or onkyo, amp and a set of dream speakers. Either way, if this is your first setup, you'll be happy.

• 

  wako on 29/06/2013 - 01:25

  +1

  If u want good bang for buck and have enough room have a look at the Sony 7.2 or 7.4 Muteki

  I bought this and is awsome, But it is Big! so no good if in a unit/flat

  Often find locally on gumtree or ebay with pick up around $500 or I got mine from Goodguys For $740 new ($999 price tag)

  • 

    Johnny-Kun on 29/06/2013 - 13:57

    Just wondering if you changed the amp that came with it? I've wanted to swap the stock Sony one to a Yamaha 7.2 but no one has answered my question :(

    • 

      wako on 30/06/2013 - 07:32

      No I havent changed it, Might one day, still trying to work out all the features lol…

      It does what i need it for, Im not a audiophile so the minor things that they pick on for this system doesnt bother me.. .

• 

  mad__llama on 29/06/2013 - 02:44

  Thanks for the info. So I take it from what you've said that the HTiB is a no-go (apart from the Muteki)?

• 

  WrightAnvil on 29/06/2013 - 08:22

  +1

  Perhaps have a look at the Aldi deal ….. $299 for speakers, subwoofer & and AV receiver. Might be good enough for what you want and save you $300

• 

  mad__llama on 29/06/2013 - 12:38

  Was having a look at the ALDI setup - anyone have an opinion on that vs the LG-BH7520TW?

  • 

    Aids on 29/06/2013 - 17:56

    +1

    Yeah I forgot about that, go for it I say, it gives you the basics, so you can upgrade components when you want (and you will want to) which is something you can't do with htib. It will probably sound better too, but I'm just speculating.

    The muteki is big and boomy, and overkill.

• 

  kryptoz on 29/06/2013 - 19:53

  +1

  if you're renting or just don't want to do building work on your living room walls, you should seriously consider a soundbar system. Typical budget HTIB don't provide good quality sound, or convincing depth of field for movie watching. However better soundbars offer surround sound comparable to full systems costing many times more, without wires or multiple boxes around the room. Steer away from the basic setups as you are sure to be disappointed, but if you don't need wall-shaking bass and window shattering pitch, you can easily get a terrific experience with a decent soundbar system. I have tested quite a few and the Harmon Kardon and JBL systems provide excellent sound, in the $500 - 1200 price range. They work by using a series of drivers, varying up to 40-50 in a single soundbar, angled in different directions. That way you can get THX-quality surround in an average size living room (you would need a full multi-speaker setup if you have a voluminous living space). If you can afford to spend more, Klipsch and Sonos add a bit more volume $1300 - 2000. The features vary, and some allow connecting an extra sub-woofer, for some added bass, but most likely won't need it. Some include the Bluray player as part of the amp unit, or iPod/iPhone docks, that will depend on your individual needs.

• 

  Speckled Jim on 30/06/2013 - 13:54

  +2

  It's certainly possible to get decent performance for ~$600.

  In our smallish room, we're using these as front speakers (note L & R are intended to be rears):
  eBay Accusound front/bookshelf combo
  But teamed with a pair of 3" two-way metal cab rears (GenExxa brand) and a little 8" Earthquake Nova sub, they're more than adequate.

  Here's a similar alternative for $30 less, but I can't vouch for these as I've never heard them:
  Kenwood front/bookshelf combo

  A matched set of Accusound 5.1 speakers for $460:
  Accusound 5.1 speaker package

  Yes, there are MUCH better things out there, but IMO, not in this price range. The general consensus is Accusound are a good product, and the seller has 100% feedback which seems to reflect overall customer satisfaction. My honest opinion on the Accusounds: they're great value, decent quality speakers that deliver above average sound. They were delivered by courier, and despite the "carton damage" nature of these deals, my carton was not damaged at all!
  Not sock-puppeting guys, I researched these for a day before purchase, including topics here and Whirlpool.

  So (again, bearing in mind your 600-ish budget) if you can find one of those entry-level AVRs for around $200 in an EOFY sale (DSE, HN, JB etc) there's your step-up from a HTiB system.

  • 

    mad__llama on 02/07/2013 - 09:21

    Thanks for the effort, much appreciated! That front/bookshelf combo looks to be great value - don't know if I really need surround anyway, mostly looking to improve the crappy in-built TV sound.

    • 

      Speckled Jim on 02/07/2013 - 09:28

      No worries :)

      I suppose my point was, for roughly the same cost as a good soundbar, you could get a fuller, richer sound stage.

      Just a believer in better to have a fast car and choose to drive it slowly, than a slower car where you don't have a choice.