Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater New to HT, need advice or confirmation

I close on a house in two weeks with a 16x14 dedicated media room (9' ceilings) that is prewired for 7.1 i have a budget of roughly $5,000 for everything. I am thinking half for speakers and the rest on projector, screen and receiver.

So I am thinking of doing 5.1 for now:
m22s in/on wall for left/right front
Vp160 Box for center
QS8s for surrounds
EP350 for a sub

Probably go with denon avr-1913 for a receiver, epson 3010 for projector, and a $500 100" screen.

Anything you would do different and will I be pleased with this setup? Also in the future if I go full 7.1, what would you use for the rears? I have heard qs8s and read m2s. Even read just get any cheap old speakers since they are rarely used.

Thanks for any help

It sounds like you have a good handle on what to get. The only thing I'd personally spend more consideration on is the mains. Granted, I don't have any first-hand experience with any of the in-wall/on-wall speakers, so take my skepticism with a grain of salt. I think I'd personally like to have normal M22s out in the room where I can play around with placement, but I understand the appeal of wall-mounted speakers that don't waste floor space and may be more aesthetically pleasing. VP160, QS8s, and EP350 sound like a killer combo for the rest of the system.

Now I'll let the people with greater knowledge roll over me.

I think 5.1 will be really great in a room that size.

I agree with CV about the mains.

Man, it adds up fast.

Fletch.
the 1913 as seen here cost 579$
http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AVR-1913-Networking-Receiver-Capability/dp/B007R8U5R6

you could get the 3312ci for 599$ shipped.. i would think the 3312 would be worth another 20$?

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-s...Receiver/1.html


My room is 17X18, i used M60's for the last 3 years and was quite happy with them. Depending on if there is room in the budget, i would also try to get a VP-180, or 160 if possible.

Are you planning on using HDMI? There is a HDMI cable on amazon that is quite inexpensive (4$ i think) and bested more expensive cables, maybe someone has that link? i tried to search, but was unsuccessful...

One thing to note, by the time you buy the projector/screen, your at 2000$. So, for receiver/speakers/cables realistically you have 3k$... If you are staying with the projector/screen, i think you will have to sacrifice a decent amount on the audio end.
Have you thought about a DIY screen? you could save the majority of your 500$ budget if you went the DIY rute..


Would you be open to a less expensive projector?

I have a 2004 Benq 702p projector and i really like it...

you could get the one below for 649$
http://www.amazon.com/BenQ-W710ST-Short-...rds=BenQ+W710ST

If you would be open to the Benq+DIY screen, you could probably save almost 1300$...

However, if you have decided that you want the Epson+ 500$ screen, that's ok too. But, with your given budget i think you will have to give up on the audio side..

Good luck, i am sure others will have input as well.

M22 box speakers if possible. Will cost a little extra for mounting brackets though, but I've had both on-wall and box speakers and I'm in the process of replacing my on-wall with the box type, because I just like the way they sound. But, if you can't or won't, I understand. It all comes down to a matter of personal taste.

Yeah, I've finally gotten around to working on mounting my upper 3 M22's.

Another option for an inexpensive screen, if you don't mind some DIY work, is to buy a roll of Wilsonart, Designer White, laminate from a kitchen or cabinetry supplier. Fashion Grey is an alternative color if you do not have a very dark room.

When I was researching screens, I found several articles where the screen help up in color testing to $1000 plus manufactured screens. Here is one article with some useful information on the pros and cons of both.

Some users reported a rolling effect in the screen after time. Personally, I think this may have been in how they mounted it. I built a frame that used a lot of pocket hole jointed, cross bracing. This made for a very rigid frame with a lot of perfectly flat surface area for the adhesive. Use a strong, but non-clumping, spray adhesive to retain flatness. 2 years plus and the screen is holding true. Cost was about $200 for the laminate and another 150 in wood and hardware for the frame. It was also a great excuse to buy a pocket hole jig, that I use regularly now for other projects.

On the audio side this would be an excellent way to go. In your room the VP-160, and the QS8's would be long term keepers. I also agree go with the full box speaker on the M22's. Use them now for your L/R speakers, later on if you wish to upgrade, and are able to try them possibly as L/R wide speakers, or simply move them to another room. The EP-350 is a good start for sure, maybe later on you might think about swapping it out for something a little bit bigger with lower extension. The AVR seem more than adequate for starters, later on you could always look for a unit with more bells & whistles if you had a mind too.

On the video side for the money in your budget these are fine options.But be aware of a couple of things though. One the Epson 3010 is a LCD projector. Their technology has come a long ways in the past few years, but is still somewhat susceptible to motion blur. This is most notable in watching sports programming NASCAR, Tennis, Golf, etc.

On the projection screen I know most people would believe that $500 is a lot of money and that they would be purchasing a good quality screen. That's just not the case. This would be an entry level screen made of a mat white material producing a great deal of light scatter throughout the room. Unless one would have a great deal of light control during the day time hours, the picture on the screen will appear washed-out making viewing not very appealing. At a 100" a very good quality screen would go for 4-5 times what you're budgeting for now.

I would say you might want to consider a higher contrast screen which will enhance the blacks and shadow effects of the projected picture. This is sometimes known as a grey screen. It will cost a little more than $500 but won't approach the 4-5 times higher for the top notch screens.

I am going in/on wall for aesthetic reasons and because I have a young child with potentially more on the way. I would love to go with the m60s but that probably isn't the best idea at this time. I was just more curious about the vp160 going well with the m22s. I assume they go together just fine.

As far as screens go I was looking at this one:

http://www.projectorpeople.com/screens/s...ed+Frame+Screen

It looks like it comes in cinegray and cine white. My room will have no windows and has a solid core double door so light shouldn't be an issue. Would you still recommend the gray over the white?

Thanks for the feedback so far.

I use VP160 in-cabinet design with Boxy M22's and they sound excellent together. Not a perfect match, but I prefer this match-up over the M22 vp150, and the M22 VP100, which I've also experienced. The best timbrel match, to my ears, is the M22 VP150. But the VP160 adds additional depth and dimension that the VP150 can't provide.

Fletch, I would still go with the cinegray screen. It will enhance the over all picture quality, by having a larger separation between light, and dark images being viewed.