I need some help putting a system together. Mainly what receiver and speakers should I get?
I'm looking to get a cheap entertainment system for my room. I want something with quality obviously, but it doesn't need to be great. The reciever doesn't have to be terrific. My $5 PC speakers sound beautiful to me so I'm sure just about any surround set will sound nice.
I have a 10.5'x10.5' room. I'm looking for: 26/27" LCD HDTV, A/V Receiver, 5.1 Surround speaker set.
So far for a TV I'm looking at a Syntax Olevia 26" LCD (LT26HVX). Receiver I'm looking at is a Yamaha HTR-5830. I don't have any speakers picked out as of yet.
The TV is pretty much set in stone. It's cheap plus everyone says it has a pretty good picture. And I like the flat black which is hard to find. Either they're silver or have a really glossy black front which I don't want.
The receiver is flexible. I looked at the HTR-5830 and it's $199 MSRP. It fits all my needs so I'm fine with it. Is it good/bad? Also, can I find it in gold? I saw they make gold-colored ones but I can't find one anywhere.
The speakers I really don't have a clue on. I'm looking for a cheaper set under $150 preferrably. Like I said, I don't need anything great. Decent will do.
I'm skimping on quality because I'll most likely get a whole new, quailty system within the next few years. This is more or less temporary.
I'd not recommend an LCD television, especially from a brand that is not well known. LCD sets still have some refresh lag which manifests itself as an image that can have some level of motion blur. Also, LCDs still don't quite have the contrast performance and color fidelity of something like an old fashioned tube set. For the performance/price ratio, LCD doesn't seem to be worth it.
I'd recommend an HDTV tube set, preferrably from Sony. If you are on a REALLY tight budget, you can consider a Sanyo 16x9 HDTV as they seem to be good performers with decent reliability (but I still would recommend Sony). Of course, the only problem here is that either television will be silver instead of black.
Yamaha typically makes a good receiver. Other brands you may want to consider, however, may include Harman/Kardon, Pioneer, and Onkyo.
For Pioneer, try to find the VSX-912K. This is a very good performing model and was pretty high end when it was new (below the ELITE line, anyways) and is on closeout at very good prices.
Or, to solve both the receiver and speaker problem, check out an Onkyo HTIB solution for sale at places like Circuit City, which may retail at or around $499. - Reinhart