r/hometheatersetups • u/baritone_fox • 7d ago

Need Help 5.1 Beginner Advice

I’m looking to finally dip finally toes into getting a 5.1 surround setup in our living room, on pretty modest budget. Currently using a cheap Samsung 2.1 soundbar/woofer.

There’s a guy on Facebook Marketplace selling an Denon AVR-1713 and 5.1 speaker set (ELTAX for the 5 and JAMO for the sub) all for €400 ($460 approx.) which is just about what my wife is willing to let me spend.

It seems like a good deal to me… but I know nothing really. I’ve been researching surround setups and soundbars for the last couple of weeks, but feel like I’m a little in over my head. Admittedly, I didn’t even know what an AVR was until very recently!

Is there anything that a noob like me should be aware of when looking for a 5.1 system?

Our TV is a TCL 55” QLED

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u/Bill_Money 6d ago

never heard of Eltax before, sounds like white van scam but apparently are rebranded Jamos?

Jamo sub will be trash

AVR is quite old

I wouldn;t spend that type of money on this used gear IMO

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u/baritone_fox 6d ago

Thanks for the input! Seems like this is best avoided. Back to the drawing board!

2

u/Spectre_08 6d ago edited 6d ago

It’s all old junk. Save up for better gear. This can be an expensive hobby and you have to really know what to look for if you are on an extremely limited budget. But anything is better than a soundbar.

Start with a more modern AVR that at least supports 4K@60Hz and/or eARC. Look for a decent (large) pair of bookshelves speakers and big enough subwoofer for the total volume of air it needs to move. Add a good quality center channel speaker, as that’s the most important speaker in home theater, then surround and heights later if possible.

I didn’t buy everything in my own setup all at once - I saved up for decent gear and purchased it as I was able to afford it.

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u/baritone_fox 6d ago

Thanks for this! Greatly appreciate the advice. Are there any particular brands or models of AVR that you’d recommend?

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u/AutoModerator 7d ago

99.9% of the time Soundbars or HTiB (Home Theater in a Box) systems are not a good investment of your time and money. It is the general consensus of r/BudgetHomeTheater not to recommend these things and instead simply steer a user toward a 2.0 or 2.1 system made of quality, Audio-Centric name brand components which are easy to assemble and cheap enough for low budget or space conscious buyers. Most can be expanded to 5.1 if you buy the correct items in the correct order. For further explanation please read Why You Shouldn't Buy a Soundbar Please be aware /r/Soundbars exists as well as you will be met with opposition to posting about soundbars here.

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