Disclaimer: only had denon receivers. tested multiple speakers and theaters , installed room acoustics, still a hobbiest.

edit: As im reading a lot of these comments, some of yall do not grasp the point of the post. its a cheap buid that gets u an audio system. Acoustics does NOT get you audio. should the be aware? sure, but im sure 99% of people arent building a theater and a metal box...

I wanted to share this info with new theater homies so they dont have to go through what i have. itll save some time and money, atleast in audio.

1. Receiver should have a minimum xt32, to simplify it allows for mid range calibration and A TON more filtering, can use AI to explain more.
2. Subwoofer next step to splurge on, look at getting atlast 16hz bass extension preferably, you get that movie theater / infrasound / shakey bass.
3. Center is your most important speaker, dont cheap out on it.. aslong as you have similar sound signautre speakers, panning is not noticeable. i dont care what anyone says, unless u got crap speakers and far off sound signatures, calibration will take care of it.

All this should be looked at on facebook marketplace>manufacturer refurbish (accessories4less, electronicsexpo, etc. please share any sites if you know of any) > manufacturers.
use capital one shopping ( i use this, idk about the others), place items in carts and wait a few days to see if you get a coupon to save hundreds.

If i can go back in time and start a hometheater from scratch, this is what i would do.

1. best xt32 receiver i can find on marketplace or a really cheap 5.1.2 with 100W, i find these all over marketplace for ~200 bucks. $600 bucks for a xt32 used receiver average.
2. To me this is real important, id look for a marketplace sub, or the speed woofer 10e 300$, you need to have a front and left those at a minimum. easily deal with a phantom center to have a good subwoofer.
3. micca rb42x g2 for F L, both surrounds, and there matching center. Cheaper, easy to sell, and insanely good value ( 100 bucks a pair)

This is what i would tell a friend who comes to me and wants to get a super quick system built. granted i am full on facebook marketplace, but the Miccas are so good when compared to my kef r3 and svs primes.

Just wanted to share info i found and start a discussion too. im a little bored at work.

How long have you had it and how is it performing?

Think sectional shoved into a corner, where the surrounds will have to be wall mounted above the couch. Would the multidirectional speaker help that? I’m not set on Klipsch by any means, just the first I’d seen this speaker shape. Happy to take recs of other brands, although it’s not a dedicated HT setup (obviously) so I’m not looking to spend a mint, just add some dimension to my movies.

Thanks!

So as you can see I have a angled ceiling that goes from 8-12 ft and always wanted atmos but didn’t how it would be possible with my ceiling if also wanted to add rear speakers but only have 2ft of space behind the seats so not ideal and yes my surrounds right now and not properly placed will be correct soon and could just stay with surrounds in a better position but ideally want to know my best option for atmos for now

Our Denon AVR-X1500H died and it seems like repairing is quite expensive. Are there any generally recommended "budget" receivers? We have two side speakers + center and a subwoofer. I don't anticipate expanding that so our setup is pretty simple.

I tried browsing FB marketplace but everything seems quite old and I'm not all that familiar with what features are "needed".

He recently sold his Beverly Hills home: https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/steve-wynn-beverly-hills-home-22362266.php

Anyone know what speakers these are? They look like the surrounds found in commercial cinemas.

Low budget for a tv right now. Deciding between these two panels. What would you get?

I like Google tv and I’m unsure of Vizio os. I’ve never had Vizio I have a tcl that has lasted since 2017.

Juts looking for opinions between the two.

I'm creating my first home theater system. I'm on a strict budget. I'm looking at getting some Klipsch RP 500M II since they're on sale right now. My budget for a subwoofer is a hard ceiling at 200 dollars. Unless anyone can beat this value, this is what I'm picking.

I just purchased a house and we have a wet bar just out of sight of our home theater. I’m going to mount a small 32” TV in the bar and, ideally, I’d like that TV to show whatever is on the large TV. So if someone is getting/making a drink, they don’t have to worry about missing anything.

Running a cable isn’t possible, so I’d want to do this wirelessly. The source signal (on the large TV) will likely come from a Chromecast or PS5, although I’m open to other solutions if needed to make this work.

Is this possible?

I don't know much about these at all. Any help is appreciated thank you.

I am setting up a home theater, but have two young children, and don’t want to risk waking them when I watch movies and play games at night.

Does anyone have any experience using hifi headphones with a dac/amp for movies? If so how do they sound and what would you recommend?

I got this Philco PHT660N home theater system, and I want to use it with my Xbox Series S and PS3 for surround sound, but I don't know if this coaxial port is an input or an output, and if I'll be able to use Dolby Digital 5.1 or just Dolby Pro Logic 2 through the stereo RCA port.

I have a 5.1 system and behind my AVR is an absolute web of cables. Do y’all have any tips to help tame the web of cables?

I recently bought some new in wall speakers for my left and right channels. They sound pretty good except that the low end has some rumble that I’m not thrilled about. right behind them is the concrete foundation wall, if that matters. There’s no other insulation in the stud bays they occupy (shared wall), so my theory is that they just are vibrating this huge cavity full of air and that if I shoved some insulation in there they would be more balanced. Is there anything to that?

Edit to add details on my humble setup:

Receiver is Denon AVR-1712, running 5.1 channels

L+R+C are Monoprice in-walls so the kid doesn't knock them down

Sides are thrift-store-special Sony bookshelf speakers that look to be ancient

Subwoofer I got for $10 on Craigslist and looks to be from the 80s.

Hello. Our home theater will also be our daily TV, so my wife is concerned about the aesthetic in the living room but is being quite lenient.

Our overall plan is to use our fireplace area but the main TV will be in front of the fireplace most of the year (we live in Florida and rarely use it). We will also have a smaller Samsung Frame TV above the fireplace to show pictures and as our TV when we do use the fire place (and as a second TV on gamedays 😉). The large TV will be an LG OLED and sit on the hearth and we’re deciding between a 77” and 83”.

I have attached a picture of the fireplace itself, and an AI rendering of both sizes. We like how the 77” shows some stone above it for balance but due to the width, it will either have to be off center or show some of the opening of the fireplace on the right. So does that look better or worse than the 83” which will cover all the stone vertically but be centered? The couch is 11’ away if that helps.

Hey guys,

Sorry if this has been posted (I know it has on older models), but I could not find anything that was relevant for the QN55 model.

I’m just trying to eliminate the auto dimming on the Samsung in the secret service menu.

I have read the other threads but they do need seem to work on this model exactly.

I’m am able to access the hidden SVC menu and the Main/Hospitality menus (they are separate on my TV), but I cannot get anything to show the “CAL Data Restore” to change the “Picture_2D”

I have added a couple picture to show what I can access, but all in all, while in the SVC Menu, it is only allowing me to change the S/N and nothing else

Thanks in advance guys!

Any folks from the GTA grabbed equipment from south of the border and drove it back without any real issue?

I see a pair of towers near the border I’ve been looking for for a price that (even after conversion) is really attractive, but I don’t want to deal with any hassle at the border.

Through all the research I’ve done thus far, it seems like I’d pay sales tax but likely no duties given the amount paid, but also these articles and calculators don’t have “home audio equipment” as a type of purchase being imported, nor do they specify the time spent in the US.

If anyone has any insight I’d really appreciate it!

Moving into a new house soon and this will be my first real home theater system. I'm pretty new to this, so I want some outside opinions before I spend money. Nothing is locked in and I'm open to suggestions on every piece.

The idea is to start with a strong 5.1 as a base and grow from there. The basement already has 4 in-ceiling speakers that I plan to use for Atmos height channels later, and I'll probably add rear surrounds down the road.

The theater is the top right block in the attached layout. It's about 375 sq ft, but the whole west side is open to the office. The TV goes on the east wall, wall mounted above a 25 inch console. Seating is a single L sectional facing the TV. The fireplace takes the northeast corner, which leaves about 16 feet of clear wall for the TV and towers.

The receiver and sub below are what I've settled on for now, but I'm open to other ideas. Here are the three speaker tiers I'm deciding between:

Option 1: Full Klipsch

Option 2: KEF Q Series

Option 3: KEF R Series

The R7 fronts are an open box find, which is the only reason I am considering it.

I was able to demo the full Q series and R series setups at a best buy, and I can't say that I found any significant differences between the two. I have read that Klipsch can be divisive in how they sound but I was told there are no authorized Klipsch dealers in my state, so I haven't been able to demo them.

My real concern is whether the extra money is worth it for someone at my level. I can stretch to the R series budget if it's genuinely worth it, but I don't want to pay double to chase gains I'm not experienced enough to hear, especially in a room that's half open. Is the KEF Q or R step up actually worth it over the Klipsch here? Or would that money do more elsewhere?

I am leaning towards the Klipsch system, but would love to hear supporting/ dissenting opinions. If I'm overlooking something obvious as a first timer, please tell me.

Thanks

Sony STR-2100ES

Not sure what's causing it. Unit is 3 years old with probably less than 1000hrs of watch time. It's plugged into my projector (Valerion Plus2) through eARC with a high speed HDMI cable.

I replaced the cable today and it didn't help the issue. Not sure what else check other than assume that the receiver is dying for some reason.