| How Much Does a Home Theater Cost? |
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| Typical costs: | - A very low-end home theater system in a box (HTIB) can cost less than $300. These are less powerful than more expensive systems, usually work best in small rooms and should offer at least 5.1 audio channels. Connectivity usually is limited and speakers are small; but many units at this level include an HDMI output with upscaling. Examples include the Panasonic SC-PT650 and the JVC TH-L1.
- A solid, brand-name, mid-range home theater system in a box can cost $300 -$600. Home theaters in this range usually produce good sound and produce 5.1 or 6.1 sound. Examples include the Onkyo HT-SR800 and the Sony BRAVIA DAV-HDX500.
- A high-end home theater system in a box can cost $600 -$1300. These systems sometimes have 7.1 sound and contain a high-end receiver, high-end speakers, and a high quality sub woofer. Examples include the Onkyo HT-SP908 and the Harman Kardon HS 300.
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| What should be included: | - A basic home theater system in a box should contain a receiver, a center channel speaker, two front speakers, a subwoofer, and two or four surround speakers, plus a remote. It may or may not include a DVD player.
- Receivers generally include basic, low-end speaker cables.
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| Additional costs: | - You may need a TV stand or stereo case and may want speaker stands or wall brackets to mount front and surround satellite speakers.
- High-quality cables can cost $100 or more, depending on the type and length of the cable.
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| Discounts: | - Sales and specials are common at electronics discount stores. One-generation-old models may be sold at a substantial discount to the latest line.
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| Shopping for a home theater: | - CNet.com has a home theater buying guide.
- Knowing ahead of time where you will place the speakers in a room to get the best sound can help you make a purchasing decision. Crutchfield Advisor has a primer on speaker placement.
- Find competitive prices online at sites such as Amazon.com. Then, look for comparable or discounted prices at local electronics retailers such as Best Buy or Circuit City.
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Article updated November 2007 |
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Recent Posts |
| Amount: $500.00 |
don't forget B&H Photo
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| Posted by: LouieL in San Jose, CA. | Purchased: April, 2007 |
| Brand: Onkyo/JBL | Model: SR504/SCS300.5 |
| Number of Speakers: 6 | Store: B&H Photo |
I put together my home theater sound system with the Onkyo TX-SR504 and JBL SCS300.5 speaker system. The receiver and speakers didn't come together as a package, but I did order all of the items through B&H Photo, after doing a bit of shopping around.
This is a basic HT setup. The room I have it set up in is on the smaller side, so I didn't need a large amplifier or speakers. I really only use the system to watch movies, so I wasn't concerned about neutral tones or warmth of sound or any other "audiophile"-type qualities. I really only wanted something with a good amount of "boom" for movie watching, and I think this system does the job nicely.
I liked the fact that the JBL system came with all of the cables and mounting brackets so that I didn't have to buy anything else to set up the system, though I did buy a subwoofer cable from monoprice.com
To the horror of some, I ended up using most of the speaker wires included with the JBL system -- only 18 gauge, if I remember correctly. I did have to get some more wire, but that was only because some of the included wire wasn't long enough for running from the speaker to the receiver. I actually went to OSH and got some 14 gauge braided copper cable (meant for outdoor low voltage lighting) to use as speaker wire...yeah, scary for true audio enthusiasts, but I'm happy. |
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