With all of the home theater toys out there, our inner child can’t help but continually drool. But when it comes to being an adult and figuring which ones you can actually buy with the cash (or credit card) at hand, it can get to be pretty daunting. Well, your hard-working Gear Guy has done the legwork and helped out three people by assembling systems that range from affordable to high-end. And since these components are culled from test reports in past issues of Sound & Vision, you can go back and read the full reviews (many of them are on our Web site — check the Archives listings or use the Search function). Chances are the actual prices will be lower than the ones here — I’ve quoted list prices, but street prices can be much less. Feel free to treat the difference as my finder’s fee. Ready to start spending? Let’s go.
Dear Gear Guy,
Everybody used to envy the stereo in my frat-house room, until a pledge poured Coors into it. I want to replace it with something decent, but I can’t spend more than $2,000. Of course I want a DVD player, but the house has a vast library of educational videotapes, so I need a VCR too. Don’t worry about the TV, though — my current set is pretty good.
Frat Boy
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SAMSUNG |
PANASONIC |
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BOSTON ACOUSTICS |
Alternate: |
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BDI Vector 9523 A/V stand ($485)
www.bdiusa.com, 800-428-2881 |
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Dear Frat Boy,
I’ll bet those tapes are highly “educational.” In fact, I have a pretty nice library of my own. Well, in less time than it takes to solve a second-order differential equation, I can lay out a very spiffy system for you.
Let’s start with the player — the Samsung DVD-V2500 ($250, reviewed in April 2003), to be specific. This little beauty is a DVD player and a VHS Hi-Fi VCR, plus it handles recordable discs in the DVD-R/RW, DVD+RW, and CD-R/RW formats and even Memory Sticks with JPEG and MP3 files. Along with VHS tapes, it can play (but not record) S-VHS. While all tape signals emerge from a composite-video output, which limits picture quality, DVDs can take advantage of its clean progressive-scan component-video output. (If your current TV doesn’t have a progressive-scan component-video input, make it a priority when you’re ready to upgrade.) And in case you’re wondering, you can’t copy from DVD to tape. Reviewer David Ranada liked the Samsung player’s slide-show capability and called its progressive-scan output “superior,” declaring it a “winner.” Not too shabby for $250.
For your receiver, go with the Panasonic SA-HE100 ($300, reviewed July/August 2002). This inexpensive, feature-packed powerhouse boasts a six-channel amplifier delivering 100 watts per channel; Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, plus Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS Neo:6 processing to extract 5.1-channel playback from two- or four-channel sources; and a respectable number of inputs and outputs, including a six-channel input for upgrading to DVD-Audio or Super Audio CD (the Samsung can’t play either of those formats, though). It doesn’t have any onscreen displays and has only one coaxial digital input, but it does have three optical inputs. Reviewer Daniel Kumin praised the Panasonic’s audio quality as “outstanding” and said this receiver would “rock your world.” In fact, it was so good that we gave it a Reviewer’s Choice Award last year.
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| Boston Acoustics CR55 surround speakers and PV500 subwoofer. |
Just don’t forget to open your window so the sorority across the street can enjoy your new system, too. For $1,800, this rig will make you Big Man on Campus.
If you’re really pressed for space (and bucks), check out the Cambridge Soundworks all-in-one MegaTheater 510 system ($850, reviewed December 2002). These guys practically invented big-bang-for-the-buck audio, and the 510 is a splendid example of good econo-technology. You get five speakers, a subwoofer, and a main unit that packs a progressive-scan DVD player and surround sound receiver. This system plays loud and sounds good, and the money you save can be wisely spent on DVDs. You know — the educational kind.
Dear Gear Guy,
My family and I watch lots of movies, but my current system just can’t deliver the goods in our decent-size family room. I want a full-size, full-power home theater system, and I’ve put aside 10 to 12 grand to pay for it. My room’s big enough for a video projector — and I want to impress the neighbors anyway — but I don’t want anything complicated. I also need to time-shift programs so the kids don’t fight over the big screen. Do you have anything that will take my home theater from a megaplex to The Majestic?
Movie Maven
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YAMAHA LPX-500 |
TOSHIBA SD-4800 DVD-Audio/Video player ($280) www.toshiba.com/tacp 800-631-3811 |
| HARMAN KARDON AVR 8000 receiver ($2,800) www.harmankardon.com 800-422-8027 |
DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY StudioCinema speaker system ($2,246) 410-363-7148 www.definitivetech.com |
| SONICBLUE REPLAYTV Model 5000 hard-disk video recorder ($300) 877-737-5298 www.sonicblue.com |
Alternate: PLUS Piano Avanti HE-3200 front projector ($3,300) www.plushometheater.com 800-289-7587 |
| BDI Axis 8024 A/V stand ($895) and Atlantis 1209 coffee table ($410) www.bdiusa.com, 800-428-2881 |
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Dear Maven,
I can package you a first-rate system that includes both a front projector and a hard-disk recorder for about $11,000. Let’s start with the big-ticket item, Yamaha’s LPX-500 LCD projector ($5,500, reviewed May 2003). This high-definition-TV-ready model has Faroudja DCDi processing for an extra-clean picture and a 1.35x zoom lens so you can place it 10 to 14 feet from a 100-inch (diagonal) screen. You can mount it on the ceiling or place it on a tabletop, and its cooling fan is quiet. Its native resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels matches the HDTV 720p (progressive-scan) format, and it can also display the 1080i (interlaced), 480p, and 480i formats as well as a computer’s output. Reviewer Al Griffin said the picture was impressively bright and had great color rendition.
If you’re willing to forsake full HDTV resolution, you might want to consider instead the Plus Piano Avanti HE-3200 projector ($3,300, reviewed December 2002). It displays standard-definition sources and can accept high-def signals but can’t display them at full resolution. However, it has excellent scaling, line-doubling, and black-level performance and will do a great job lighting up an 84-inch screen. Use the $2,200 you save to pay the orthodontist.
For your source, I’d recommend the Toshiba SD-4800 DVD-Audio/Video player ($280, reviewed January 2003). Surprised by the low price? Me, too. Even more surprising, it plays not only DVD-Audio discs, but DVD-R/RW and +RW recordable discs as well as CD-R/RWs, including those loaded with MP3 and JPEG files. Plus it features progressive-scan component-video output and has a built-in Dolby Digital decoder. The only drawbacks are that the bass management doesn’t let you switch the front left/right speakers to “small” — most receivers handle that anyway — and it lacks bass management for DVD-Audio. But it more than makes up for those minor inconveniences with rock-solid audio/video performance.
Your receiver? The Harman Kardon AVR 8000 ($2,800, reviewed October 2002). This flagship THX Ultra-certified model is as big, black, heavy, and expensive as a gangster’s Mercedes — but that money’s well spent. The AVR 8000 provides all the Dolby and DTS decoding and processing you’ll need. And it cranks out 100 watts into each of five channels. There’s an eight-channel analog input for DVD-Audio or SACD playback, and it has beefy banana-plug-compatible binding posts. It also provides Harman’s Logic 7 as an alternative to Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS Neo:6 for extracting multichannel playback from stereo sources. It delivered “stellar” performance on the test bench and “sonic excellence and imposing power” in the listening room, according to reviewer Daniel Kumin.
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| The Definitive Technology BP1.2X surrounds and SuperCube II subwoofer. |
Big rooms don’t necessarily need big speakers, and you can’t go wrong with the deceptively small Definitive Technology StudioCinema speaker system ($2,246, reviewed November 2002), one of last year’s Reviewer’s Choice Award winners. Covering the front left and right positions is the StudioMonitor 350, which augments its 1-inch tweeter and 5 1/4-inch woofer with a side-firing 8-inch passive radiator. Tiny, but packed with 1,250 watts of power, the SuperCube II subwoofer uses the same trick, fortifying its long-throw 8-inch cone with two 8-inch passive radiators to move more air. The C/L/R center speaker is about twice as big as the StudioMonitor 350 to accommodate 5 1/4-inch woofers on either side of its 1-inch tweeter. The BP1.2X surrounds are bipoles, with two angled faces to spread the sound around — great for movie soundtracks. Daniel Kumin said the system was “warm and full,” providing “very high-quality sound for music and movies.” And lab tests revealed that the sub rumbles all the way down to 25 Hz.
I almost forgot — you said you needed to do some heavy-duty time-shifting. Welcome to the brave new world of hard-disk recording. The SonicBlue ReplayTV 5000 recorder ($300, reviewed February/March 2003) will blow your TV-viewing mind. Its 40-gigabyte (GB) hard drive (drives up to 320 GB are available) stores video programs and lets you play, pause, and slo-mo them — and skip commercials. Use the program guide to see what’s on TV and select programs to record by series, title, lead actor, and so on. (The guide service costs $9.95 a month, or you can pay $250 for the life of the recorder.) The ReplayTV 5000 has both dial-up and Ethernet ports, plus a 480p component-video output — but be aware that the data compression used to crunch the video can limit picture quality.
There you have it! A movie lover’s dream system that adds up to just over $11,000 — or just under $9,000 with the Plus projector. That leaves plenty of money for Milk Duds and popcorn.
Dear Mr. Guy,
A $30,000 windfall profit came my way (frankly, this is lunch money for me), and I thought I’d spend it on some entertainment toys. Needless to say, I’m looking for a really topnotch home theater setup. But I also need a system that can keep up with the demands of my globe-trotting lifestyle — which means portable gear that doesn’t skimp on quality. When I entertain I like to play DJ, so I need something that will let me generate custom music playlists. And, I not only want to watch DVDs but to edit and burn them, too. Please advise.
Financial Wiz
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PIONEER PDP-5030HD plasma display ($15,500) |
DENON DVD-9000 DVD-Audio/Video player ($3,500) www.usa.denon.com 973-396-0810 |
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ESCIENT FireBall |
ANTHEM AVM-20 preamplifier/processor/tuner ($3,400) www.anthemav.com 905-826-4575 |
| SHERBOURN 7/2100 power amplifier ($2,850) www.sherbourn.com 978-663-7385 |
NHT Evolution M5 speaker system ($3,850) www.nhthifi.com 800-648-9993 |
| APPLE G4 17-inch iMac computer ($1,999) APPLE iPod 20-GB portable music player ($499) www.apple.com 800-692-7753 |
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Alternates: |
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MITSUBISHI WS-65711 |
DENON AVR-5803 receiver ($4,000) www.usa.denon.com 973-396-0810 |
| Salamander Designs Synergy System triple-wide modular wall unit with two Towers and optional Plasma Mount in walnut/aluminum finish ($4,900 as shown) www.salamanderdesigns.com 860-313-0525 |
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Dear Mr. Wiz,
Okay, big shot. You’re probably not a billionaire like Bill Gates or Oprah. But $30,000 will suffice to realize your home theater dreams, getting you topnotch components for serious movie and music enjoyment. The system I’m about to recommend is so good, in fact, that every one of the primary choices won a 2002 Reviewer’s Choice Award (except the Sherbourn amplifier, which was reviewed in 2003).
Let’s start with the Pioneer PDP-5030HD plasma display (reviewed October 2002 — it has a list price of $15,500, but it can be bought off the Web from authorized dealers for less than $10,000). Plasma has come a long way since its early blotchy days, and this 50-inch (diagonal), 1,280 x 768-pixel plasma panel “looked stunning when displaying HDTV,” said reviewer Al Griffin. The Pioneer’s Media Receiver has dual NTSC tuners and handles A/V switching, and its front panel lets you jack in a laptop, videogame console, or camcorder.
For $4,500 less you can get Mitsubishi’s WS-65711 rear-projection TV ($6,500, reviewed November 2002) with its massive 65-inch (diagonal) screen and a built-in HDTV tuner for receiving over-the-air high-def broadcasts. Its NetCommand system will let you control your entire home entertainment system from onscreen, and it interfaces with FireWire devices such as camcorders. Picture quality? “Revelatory” said Al Griffin.
Sure, you can buy a DVD player at the grocery-store checkout lane. But you want something special, something heavy, something expensive — like the Denon DVD-9000 ($3,500, reviewed October 2002). This 41-pound THX-certified DVD-Audio/Video player can handle all the usual suspects, except SACD, and sports digital audio inputs to feed its high-tech 24-bit digital-to-analog converters. And you can apply its bass management to everything it plays, including DVD-Audio discs (a rarity in players — or receivers, for that matter). David Ranada said the Denon’s video output was “extraordinarily filmlike” and called its audio reproduction “state of the art.”
For your music-server needs, go with the Escient FireBall ($2,000, reviewed November 2002). Its 40-GB hard drive stores almost 900 hours of stereo MP3 music at 96 kilobits per second (kbps) — but for better sound I’d recommend going with 192 kbps, which stores 435 hours. The FireBall has a CD-R/RW burner for transferring compilations from the hard drive to removable discs, and vice versa, and its analog inputs let you copy LPs and tapes to the drive. You can use the Escient to control your CD megachangers, and it comes with access to the Gracenote service so you can download album information and cover art from the Web. A program guide shows the content on the hard drive or in your changers, and you can also use the FireBall to access Internet radio stations. There’s even a built-in Jacuzzi. (Sorry, I made up that last one.)
Your megasystem demands separates — separate pre- and power amplifiers, that is. For the former, I’d recommend Anthem’s AVM-20 preamp/processor/tuner ($3,400, reviewed November 2002), which provides full Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES for 6.1-channel playback as well as Dolby Pro Logic II and THX modes. Rather unusually, it also provides two outputs for supplying both audio and video to other rooms. To take full advantage of those outputs, it has XLR jacks for balanced cables that resist noise over long runs. You can also feed it multichannel analog signals — from a DVD-Audio player, for instance — and convert them to 24-bit/96-kHz digital so you can use the Anthem’s digital-domain bass management. This sophisticated preamp comes with a steep learning curve, but your study time will be richly rewarded.
A man like you wants power — lots of it. And the Sherbourn 7/2100 power amplifier ($2,850, reviewed April 2003) will deliver it, specifically, 200 watts into each of seven channels. To handle the current, it employs not one but two AC cords. For even more power per channel, you can bridge Channels 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and 5 and 6. The amplifier also has both RCA and balanced XLR inputs. And don’t forget — when you pick up this 115-pound beast, lift with your legs, not your back. Better yet, have the servants do it for you.
If you decide to conserve space, you can consolidate the preamp and power amps into one high-end receiver — like the awesome Denon AVR-5803 ($4,000, reviewed July/August 2002). It performs Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES decoding plus Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS Neo:6 processing. And at 170 watts per seven channels, it’s not power shy. Along with standard THX processing, it provides THX Ultra2 enhancements and also includes the Dolby Headphone mode, full bass management, and a backlit LCD touchscreen remote. David Ranada deemed its power at clipping “exceptional” and called the Denon a “masterpiece.” One more perk — you can use the Denon Link to send multichannel audio digitally from the DVD-9000 player to the Denon receiver.
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| When used as surrounds, the NHT M5 satellite speakers can be placed on P5 pedestals that match the B5 subwoofer pdestals used for the left/right speakers. |
You’re going to want great speakers, of course — so get the NHT Evolution M5 speaker system ($3,850, reviewed September 2002). Unlike your typical self-contained cabinets, the NHTs are modular and require their own electronics. Each of the five M5 satellites contains a 1-inch tweeter, a 5-inch midrange, and two 6 1/4-inch woofers. For the front left and right channels, mate two of those satellites with B5 subwoofer/pedestal modules, each of which has a 12-inch woofer, to form a pair of T5 towers. To complete the system, you’ll need an external X1 crossover and an A1 mono power amp, which delivers 100 watts to each of the B5s.
Once everything is set up, you (or your installer) will want to tweak the X1 to tailor the bass to your room’s acoustics. The result will be uncolored sound, an excellent blend between sats and sub, and smooth, deep bass response. Best of all, these speakers produce exceptionally clean sound even when you crank it way up.
Since you mentioned DVD editing and portable audio as big priorities, let’s add an Apple G4 iMac and a sexy Apple iPod (iMac, $1,999; iPod, $499, reviewed December 2002). The G4 has a 17-inch (diagonal) widescreen LCD monitor, which is supplied with gorgeous video from the NVidia GeForce4 MX graphics card. The iMac’s picture quality prompted Al Griffin to opine, “this is the kind of performance that any HDTV would be proud to deliver.”
Apple’s SuperDrive burns audio and video to CD or DVD, and the package includes first-rate iMovie2 and iDVD2 software for video editing and DVD authoring, iTunes3 for music management, and iPhoto for photo editing and management. “A multimedia wonder,” as Al put it. As for the iPod: palm-size hard-disk audio recorders are the coolest invention since the CD, and the iPod is among the best. With up to 20 GB of memory, you can take your whole music library with you.
There you have it. This dream system will set you back less than $30,000, once you take advantage of street prices — or a shade over $22,000 if you decide to go with the Mitsubishi TV instead of the Pioneer plasma display and the Denon receiver instead of the separate amp and preamp. Dreams hardly ever come cheap, but at least this one can come true.