$2,000 to spend on receiver & speakers...

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throbb

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#68995 1-Oct-2010 11:35

Hi,

I have $2k to spend on a receiver and some speakers. Can anyone recommend a best bang for my buck option?

It'll be used mainly for watch blu-rays/dvds from my HTPC.

Thanks

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BitSignal

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#386689 1-Oct-2010 11:59

At that price, I'd go with an all-in-one system from Panasonic or Sony that has an additional input for your HTPC and/or games console.

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Jaxson

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#386690 1-Oct-2010 12:00

Typically this has always been the Wharfedale speaker pack, coupled with a receiver (typically this comes with a Pioneer unit in a package). They were fairly well reviewed speakers and generally accepted as the best quality for the price.

I'd recommend one of the Wharfedale speaker packs with an Onkyo receiver capable of HD audio. However, I haven't purchased this type of kit in a while, so there may be a new king on the block now.

Satch

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#386694 1-Oct-2010 12:09

Noooo.... Stay away from an all in one system if you can. For $2,000 you should be able to get an entry level setup going using "real" equipment.

Check out some of the Cambridge Audio gear. Very good for the price. Also second hand speakers might be a good option. More bang for your buck. This equipment will serve you well for longer than an all in one solution.

Jaxson

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#386696 1-Oct-2010 12:21

Satch: Check out some of the Cambridge Audio gear.

Can this decode the HD audio tracks on Bluray?

Satch

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#386698 1-Oct-2010 12:28

Jaxson:
Satch: Check out some of the Cambridge Audio gear.
Can this decode the HD audio tracks on Bluray?

Dunno. You'd have to look. The OP didn't really go into much detail about the specs they were after.

semigeek

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#386705 1-Oct-2010 12:38

Do you want 5.1 speakers or 7.1? HN have a Denon 5.1 True HD receiver for $1199 and a 5.1 Yamaha speaker pack for $541

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k14

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#386714 1-Oct-2010 13:07

I've found the JB Hi Fi online site has a good range of recievers that you can get a feeling for price on. I am currently going through the same process and have a similar budget. Seeing as I live in Alexandra I have no way of locally buying anything like that so will have to wait till I go to Dunedin or Christchurch for a look at some stuff first hand.

The reciever that seems to be good value for money at the moment is the Onkyo TX-SR508B which is online here for $798 http://shop.jbhifi.co.nz/hi-fi-home-audio/amps-receivers/onkyo-tx-sr508b-7-1-channel-3d-ready-surrou...

It gets good reviews and seems to have all the features that you need. But as I said I am a HT n00b so don't know if it is missing some elaborate feature that you would die without. When it comes to speakers it seems a lot harder to look at pricing etc online, the range is very narrow.

vexxxboy

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#386744 1-Oct-2010 13:51

check out Harvey Norman, they have a big sale on all there home theatre, 50% on some really good brands , my wife removed me pretty quickly , she said i was beginning to think i needed a new system

Common sense is not as common as you think.

huckster

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#386804 1-Oct-2010 15:54

vexxxboy: check out Harvey Norman, they have a big sale on all there home theatre, 50% on some really good brands , my wife removed me pretty quickly , she said i was beginning to think i needed a new system

Well there's your first mistake - going to a shop like that with the Mrs.

Am in the same boat and I have permission to spend the money so am watching with interest.

krome

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#386810 1-Oct-2010 16:09

check out this deal here with these guys
http://acousticaudio.co.nz/products-we-stock/home-theatre-packages/86-marantz-av3053-51-theatre-system

geekiegeek

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#386820 1-Oct-2010 16:27

I second the Wharfedale pack idea. I think they usually come with a Pioneer reciever and you get 5.1 "real" speakers which punch well above thier cost.

Def stay clear of all in one systems - they are only any good for movies and even then they are not that great.

You could also start with a good $1000 receiver and just stereo speakers and add the serounds later when funds allow.

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throbb

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#386868 1-Oct-2010 18:14

geekiegeek: I second the Wharfedale pack idea. I think they usually come with a Pioneer reciever and you get 5.1 "real" speakers which punch well above thier cost.

Def stay clear of all in one systems - they are only any good for movies and even then they are not that great.

You could also start with a good $1000 receiver and just stereo speakers and add the serounds later when funds allow.

Yeah I figured a all in one would be no good, was hoping I could get a something semi decent for around 2k.
Who sells these Warfedale packs?

dclegg

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#386890 1-Oct-2010 19:28

throbb:

Yeah I figured a all in one would be no good, was hoping I could get a something semi decent for around 2k.
Who sells these Warfedale packs?

Harvey Norman or JB Hi Fi would be a good starting point. I have a Pioneer 5.1 receiver with Wharfedale speakers which I purchased from HN a couple of years ago for $1200, and its an awesome setup! In addition to servicing my home theatre needs, I also wanted a setup that handled the music I like to throw at it (mainly metal and alternative stuff).

My prior setup was a Sony reciever (which was pretty good) and Sony satellite speakers (not so good). The problem with that setup was that the speakers were so underpowered that the subwoofer was an absolute requirement unless you wanted really tinny sound. As a result music always sounded suboptimal. With my Wharfedale speakers, the sub provides the gravy, but music sounds pretty good without it.

(Please excuse all the "technical" jargon. I'm far from an audiophile. I just know what I like, and I like what I have :-))

Dunnersfella

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#386900 1-Oct-2010 19:48

Steer clear of the Marantz / Accusound pack.
The amp sounds quite nice... yet it's missing some features that you may well want in the future.
For instance, it doesn't provide lossless audio, as the HDMI's are pass through only... meaning you'll need to plug a co-ax cable in to send sound from your HTPC. While it has an optical port, it's not lossless, and it also doesn't appear to be assignable (CD input only).
2 x HDMI's is limiting too.

The Accusound speakers certainly aren't Wharfdale quality IMHO...

Any good store will mix and match a Wharfdale Vardus speaker pack with the amplifier of your choice (be it Denon, Yamaha or Pioneer). Or if you want, get a sub woofer / satellite speaker pack (Yamaha seem to hit a good price point) as do Klipsch.

Also, factor in things like speaker cables, HDMI's, speaker stands / wall mounting brackets and maybe an optical cable... depending on exactly what you're trying to achieve.
But you should certainly be able to achieve your goal easily enough :-)

ilovemusic

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#387151 2-Oct-2010 16:13

Jaxson:
Satch: Check out some of the Cambridge Audio gear.
Can this decode the HD audio tracks on Bluray?

The Cambridge 650BD Bluray player (~$1200) and 650R AVR (~$3000) can BUT they will blow the OP's budget.

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