What's the cheapest home theater system that would be acceptable to you?

[goldark]

I'm about to build a system for a friend who is trying to spend as little as possible but still wants the system to sound "good." He doesn't have a budget in mind, but wanted to get an idea of what an acceptable system would cost. I wanted to get other people's thoughts on the cheapest system that they would find acceptable/decent for home theater. For now, let's not consider used prices, only new components for a 5.1 system. What components would you pick for your cheap/decent system?

 

[kemmler3D]

If I were going to do a basic system that was "actually decent" in my mind, I'd probably go with 3x JBL LSR 305s and 2x LSR308s for the fronts, with 1 or 2 Dayton Sub 1200s to fill in the bass, and then whatever AVR or processor fits the budget and does room correction built-in.

I tried to think of a passive speaker I'd rather use instead... oddly nothing came to mind that's cheaper but the Elac DBR 62 will get you really far for a bit more money.

So for speakers you'd be around $1300 for a 5.2 system that will probably sound 90% as good as something you'd spend 5-10x on. Maybe another $500-1K for the AVR but I don't know much about that category.

I know you said not to consider used, but It is worth mentioning that you see the JBLs on sale secondhand pretty often so if you're motivated you could probably shave 40-50% off that.

 

[Chrispy]

Greatly depends on my spl goals and the room it goes in. Budget goes from there. A basic avr and decent speakers/sub is fairly easy to do.

 

[Chrispy]

If I were going to do a basic system that was "actually decent" in my mind, I'd probably go with 3x JBL LSR 305s and 2x LSR308s for the fronts, with 1 or 2 Dayton Sub 1200s to fill in the bass, and then whatever AVR or processor fits the budget and does room correction built-in.

So for speakers you'd be around $1300 for a 5.2 system that will probably sound 90% as good as something you'd spend 5-10x on. Maybe another $500-1K for the AVR but I don't know much about that category.

I know you said not to consider used, but It is worth mentioning that you see the JBLs on sale secondhand pretty often so if you're motivated you could probably shave 40-50% off that.

AVRs with full sets of preouts unfortunately come more with a premium than not these days....but for a basic setup an older avr will do just fine (used) in any case....

 

[kemmler3D]

AVRs with full sets of preouts unfortunately come more with a premium than not these days....but for a basic setup an older avr will do just fine (used) in any case....

Agree, for 5.1-only I would not be buying new, you're going to be paying for 37 codecs that aren't in use... I'd still highly prioritize room correction though.

 

[Chrispy]

Agree, for 5.1-only I would not be buying new, you're going to be paying for 37 codecs that aren't in use... I'd still highly prioritize room correction though.

I'd probably at least go for the units with Audyssey XT32. I have not gone Atmos yet nor 4k....

 

[raif71]

10 years ago I decided building a home theater from scratch

1) 120" screen
2) Optoma 1080p 3D projector
3) Pioneer AVR
4) 2 floor standing front speakers, 4 surround speakers and 1 center channel (all PSB brand)
5) SVS Sub

I spent altogether around 3.5K usd

 

[GXAlan]

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I run Trinnov/Meyer Sound

But if I was on a budget for 5.1 *and* I was advising someone else (so simple = good), I would go with a Yamaha AVR and simple sub sat, with a plan to upgrade the subwoofer at a future point in time. CinemaDSP will help the 5.1 sound bigger.

 

[kemmler3D]

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I run Trinnov/Meyer Sound

But if I was on a budget for 5.1 *and* I was advising someone else (so simple = good), I would go with a Yamaha AVR and simple sub sat, with a plan to upgrade the subwoofer at a future point in time. CinemaDSP will help the 5.1 sound bigger.

He said "acceptable", not "technically a speaker system"

 

[TonyJZX]

if its for someone else who is asking for this kind of thing a Yamaha HTIB 5.1 is a perfect solution

for this kind of person its all about the 'bing bong bangs' but also you should be getting great dialog intelligibility

also ok music and streaming

 

[kemmler3D]

It all depends on what you consider "cheap" and what you consider "decent"...

Most regular posters here are inured to both prices and quality that are beyond what most people think is reasonable or worthwhile. I remember when I first ran across ASR, I was pretty appalled by what passed as "affordable" here.

"Cheap" here would make most people reflexively grab their wallets in fear, and our idea of "decent" tends to be a little beyond what it takes to put together a low-end professional recording studio.

I assume OP is asking here for that reason, maybe to get an idea of what the minimum "serious" system is - but I guess a random HTIB works if you don't really care about sound quality that much.

 

[GXAlan]

He said "acceptable", not "technically a speaker system"

Definitive Technology ProMonitor 1000 Speaker Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Definitive Technology ProMonitor 1000 two-way speaker. It was kindly sent to me by a member. It costs about US $250 for a single which is quite high for such a small speaker (owner says he paid a lot less though). But this is from a name brand...

www.audiosciencereview.com

If you look at something like this, factor in the fact that stereo masks frequency response irregularities, and you have 5.1 AND CinemaDSP also does a decent job.

It’ll beat any soundbar that doesn’t have a sub or rears.

I would not have invested in Trinnov/Meyer Sound if I wasn’t committed to the very best sound.

But sometimes we get too hung up on “minimum” needed for enjoyment and it actually is counter productive.

 

[kemmler3D]

Definitive Technology ProMonitor 1000 Speaker Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Definitive Technology ProMonitor 1000 two-way speaker. It was kindly sent to me by a member. It costs about US $250 for a single which is quite high for such a small speaker (owner says he paid a lot less though). But this is from a name brand...

www.audiosciencereview.com

If you look at something like this, factor in the fact that stereo masks frequency response irregularities, and you have 5.1 AND CinemaDSP also does a decent job.

It’ll beat any soundbar that doesn’t have a sub or rears.

I would not have invested in Trinnov/Meyer Sound if I wasn’t committed to the very best sound.

But sometimes we get too hung up on “minimum” needed for enjoyment and it actually is counter productive.

I mean, it will probably beat the putative soundbar, sure... but one of these deftech speakers (from the review) costs as much as an LSR 305, seems like a poor value in comparison.

The bundle you linked to before looks like... okay but not something I'd want in my own house. I guess we need to clarify is whether we're talking "acceptable in MY house" or "acceptable in somebody else's house".

I don't actually have space for an actual surround system, but if I did and I was trying to minimize cost I'd go with something along the lines of my first recommendation. I do recognize that's overkill for a lot of people.

 

[GXAlan]

I mean, it will probably beat the putative soundbar, sure... but one of these deftech speakers (from the review) costs as much as an LSR 305, seems like a poor value in comparison.

The bundle you linked to before looks like... okay but not something I'd want in my own house. I guess we need to clarify is whether we're talking "acceptable in MY house" or "acceptable in somebody else's house".

I don't actually have space for an actual surround system, but if I did and I was trying to minimize cost I'd go with something along the lines of my first recommendation. I do recognize that's overkill for a lot of people.

Oh, I agree that the JBL 3 series is the best bang for the buck when it comes to sound quality. For a 5.1 setup, it gets a lot trickier if you need a processor with pre-out, or a high to low converter, and a way to trigger the power on for all of the speakers.

The PowerCon20 cables for my Meyer Sound gear are neat for daisy chaining but that really gets you the front speakers only.

I wouldn’t buy that setup myself, as I point out, I would spend more — but someone on the fence would actually be very happy with a HTiB.

 

[kemmler3D]

Oh, I agree that the JBL 3 series is the best bang for the buck when it comes to sound quality. For a 5.1 setup, it gets a lot trickier if you need a processor with pre-out, or a high to low converter, and a way to trigger the power on for all of the speakers.

The PowerCon20 cables for my Meyer Sound gear are neat for daisy chaining but that really gets you the front speakers only.

I wouldn’t buy that setup myself, as I point out, I would spend more — but someone on the fence would actually be very happy with a HTiB.

I would say if the choice is HTIB or whatever soundbar happens to be on sale at Best Buy, get the HTIB, sure.

If the question is how to get to a 5.1 system that you don't need to make excuses for then I think you go a step or two beyond the HTIB.

The pre-outs thing is a good point, the convenience factor is potentially DOA, so maybe KEF Q150s? Just not sure off the top of my head what the best cheap passive recommendation is.

e: Apparently these are pretty respectable for the money, but maybe discontinued? https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...er-sp-bs22-lr-bookshelf-speaker-review.11303/

 

[ryanosaur]

If not trying to account for future upgrades...
Yamaha or Denon AVR... find the sweet spot for your friend's needs.
Basic Speakers, I'd look at the ones offered by Monolith (Monoprice). They review decently and are affordable.
Subs: look at the RSL Speedwoofers. Probably best bang for the buck.

I would argue this is an excellent starter position that a person not inclined to being on the bleeding edge could enjoy for many years without any issue.

Upgrade-itis on the other hand... you would want a better AVR that you can grow with... Still Yamaha or Denon most likely, but upgrade the Subs to something more meaty and capable.
Speaker? You can rabbit hole that for months and still not find an answer.

 

[voodooless]

I tried to think of a passive speaker I'd rather use instead... oddly nothing came to mind that's cheaper but the Elac DBR 62 will get you really far for a bit more money.

Possibly the KEF Q series speakers would fit for the budget, especially second hand. But it’s hard to beat the actives.

As for an AVR without pre-outs, yes they are cheaper, but usually also don’t have proper room correction. Note that the older Audyssey is less customizable, and has that strange midrange dip. So a bit more recent model is probably better. Something like Denon x3600h and up would deliver good features that are even modern enough and not cost an arm and a leg.

 

[goldark]

I assume OP is asking here for that reason, maybe to get an idea of what the minimum "serious" system is - but I guess a random HTIB works if you don't really care about sound quality that much.

Thank you, this is exactly it. My buddy, who admittedly isn't an audiophile (but perhaps can develop into one), wants to spend as little as possible while still maintaining a respectable system, that is, a system that enthusiasts like us would still find acceptable/decent. To that end, sound bars and HTIB systems are probably out. I'll look into used speakers in my area, but I just wanted to get a baseline of recommendations and present to him some options. Thanks for all the responses so far!

 

[voodooless]

So, it's probably best to set a budget, that would make it a lot more tangible where the compromises could be found.

 

[popej]

As for AVR, IMO the cheapest usable is Yamaha RX-V6A, which offers nice room correction, YPAO RSC in this case. I have used older equivalent and not only it sounded good, but I feel it was more user friendly and clever design, then Pioneer that I currently use or Denon, which I sent back after short testing.
Yamaha can be bought under other name, I think it is TSR-700. And there exist luxury version RX-A2A.