2. home-theater
  3. 1052501972

Is $18,000 enough for a high end HT?

This will be my first attempt at building a HT. My room size is: 19'L x 11'2"W x 8'H. This room is a library. I want high-end stuff. I want my windows to rattle when the Apollo 13 takes off. I want to be tempted to get up and dance when a good music score comes on. I want to build it myself as I think it would be a lot of fun. I have plenty of vacation time that I could use. The following is what I would expect:

1. A projector with Texas Instruments' Mustang/HD2 and 16:9 aspect ratio
2. Recessed screen
3. 5 on or in ceiling speakers (Thiel or Triad I’m thinking)
4. 1 Subwoofer
5. DVD player
6. Power Conditioner
7. Processor
8. A 5 channel Amplifier
9. Cables for the items on the list

When I priced every thing I wanted individually the price came to over 25K. Bare in mind $18,000 is a lot of money for me. However, I figured since we spend a ¼ of our lives watching TV it is well worth the investment. I invested some money a few years ago explicitly for my HT. Besides, I figured if my wife is not happy with all the money I will be spending, I could just say, that I am not taking the money from our cash flow, rather from a fund specifically set up for a HT. I am thinking maybe I should pull money out now. But is 18k enough? I am not willing to spend that kind of money if I will not have a great HT. Perhaps I should wait a couple of more years until I save up more money and the technologies go down in price. (I'm concerned that I will say that in two years again as I did two years ago. There are always newer technologies coming out.) I have no experience with any dealer and want to know if I could expect such a deal from a reputable authorized dealer. I read in Robert Harley’s book: “Home Theater For Everyone” that choosing the dealer is far more important then choosing the manufacturer of the components. In my experience for other purchases I find this to be very true. It seems there will always be tech support issues. Also, when I want to upgrade and add components, the dealer will know exactly what I have and all of my issues and I would be able to get his/her valuable input. I plan on adding within the next year or so, an AMX system for control, a video processor and an HDTV set top box.

The cables I would start off not so high end as I want to see for myself over time if they make a difference. However, the cables that would go in my ceiling I would want high end because it would be a big pain to replace those. I would also be flexible with the projector, I would settle for a refurbished or demo unit (with valid warranty). I would even settle for a good one that has an HD1 chip and an XGA resolution. I have seen some of those and they are definitely good enough.
captaincapitalism
cytocycle
1,043 posts
 
You don't have to spend 10k on a DLP system, buy a good XGA or WXGA LCD (Sanyo, Sony, etc) for ~$5,000 new.. see www.projectorcentral.com and www.avsforum.com. buy a Da-Lite screen instead of Stewart and save $$$$ with little difference (IMHO.. later upgrade as necessary). fixed screen is cheaper than motorized..
www.avsforum.com (Talk to Jason) can provide Bomb suggestions, service and $$$...

The recommendation on room treatment is critical.. If you find a decent in-wall let me know.. I'm looking to simplify but the all have sucked for me at dealers....... limited here in Colorado Springs.

Also don't forget power treatment
krelldog
323 posts
 
5000.00-Plasma TV(forget the projector) 4000.00 Martin Logan Ascents(fronts) 2800.00 Martin Logan Descent Sub 1700.00 Martin Logan Scripts(rear surrounds) 1700.00 Martin Logan Cinema(center channel) 3000.00 Classe SSP 30 Pre/Pro 4000.00 Classe CAV 180 5 Channel amp 1500.00 Marantz DV 8300 Grand Total-23,700+1300.00(power/surge)= 25000.00 I guess you can't have it for 17000.00(new/retail) So use this as a guide. Modify it to your needs/tastes Shop on Audiogon. Look for some 2nd hand bargains,and I'm sure you can put together a killer system. Alot of us could only dream of having 17K from jump street for H/T. Good Luck
ksales
228 posts
 
No offense, but this isn't a high end system. I guess its all a matter of what your used to, but 18k is a relatively small price to pay for a home theater obviously it is too much if you get bad equipment. In a high end system you can expect to pay anywhere from 15 to 80k for the projector. Retail from 3 to 40k for a scaler. 2k for the screen. Speakers anything from 15 to 80k. On and on. If you are buying from a dealer I would do a lot of research here and elsewhere to determine if you are truly getting a good value for your money and honestly assess your own capability of putting the system together.
tpigeonb280
21 posts
 
Personally, I would get a $1,500 - $2,000 projector. Like the Z-1 or the HS-10 or the new panasonic. This should hold you off for a few years until HD-DVD comes out. Spend the rest of the money on used equipment like everyone else said. I agree with the statement that ceiling speakers don't cut it as well. But with all the money saved on the video side, you should be able to get floorstanders for mains and on-wall or bookshelves for rears.
joew
61 posts
 
I hate when people throw around "this isn't high-end" and phrases like that.

High-end is what you make it. If it looks and sounds good to you then it's high-end. You could spend $18k on a pair of stereo speakers ferchrissakes.

What kind of system do you have now? What is your current HT equipment?

Da-Lite fixed screen...$1000
Sanyo PLV-70 projector $5000
B&K Ref30 pre/pro $1200 used.
Panasonic RP-91 DVD $400 used. (Best picture you could ever want)
Paradigm Servo-15 sub $1200
Odyssey Stratos stereo amp $1000
Odyssey Stratos HT3 3 channel amp $1400
Panamax M5510 power filter/condition/protector $1100
If this will be a HT ONLY setup then go for the similar-sized speakers all the way around...if you will play music as well then go for larger mains and smaller surrounds.
For music AND HT go with:
Revel F30 floorstanders (pr) $2500 used
Revel F20 rears (pr) $1200 used
Revel C30 center $1000 used
Go with Revel F20 front mains if this will be just a HT setup (although the F20's are AWESOME speakers no matter what the application...some people want more bass in their music for larger rooms and the F30's offer that).

Cables are also personal preference but I use all Bettercables stuff...all those cables for a whole system can get pricey...figure about $3k for decent cabling without breaking the bank.

Man I wish I had that kind of money for a HT shopping spree ;)
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