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Looking to buy a new TV, receiver, and/or surround sound?

ImprovoloneImprovolone Registered User regular
ElectronicHouse.com just finished up a series of articles covering top picks for LCDs, plasmas, receviers, and 5.1 surround systems. They asked the AVS forums for input and parlayed (ie copy/pasteed) the info into an article. From what I've gleaned of it, they take bang for your buck into consideration.
All of their prices are MSRP, and as we all know, we can do better on Amazon/Froogle.

Not that this is an end all be all list of the bests, but it should at least be a good guideline for people looking for this stuff.

5.1 speaker systems
note: these sets will run about $1,500+ (which I don't think is the erm, average price one spends on speakers). However, a really good set of speakers should never need to be replaced and should last long enough to be passed into another generation.
Receivers under $1,000
LCDs 42-52 inches
Plasmas

Voice actor for hire. My time is free if your project is!
Improvolone on

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    variantvariant Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    That LCD slideshow is bogus and filled with overpriced not-worth-the-money panels, especially the first three.
    Checkout the Black Friday ads and pick up a nice Sharp LCD or Panasonic Plasma.

    Same with the surround sound.
    There's no need to put up so much money on a sound system unless you're an audiophile.
    AVS Forums has gone from being a top consumer website to complete trash with the invasion of the AVS Nazis and corporate shills.

    variant on
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    Rigor MortisRigor Mortis Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Just gonna toss out some rules of thumb regarding sound setups.


    Bigger speakers > smaller. 6 to 8 inch woofers are your friends. You also want tweeters, avoid HTiB setups that have either single-driver satellites or mini-woofers.

    Wattage is a pretty useless rating when comparing speaker systems.

    Look for good materials in the cones and enclosure e.g.Kevlar and wood are good. Cardboard and plastic is bad.

    Thick cheap wire > thin expensive wire

    Anything Bose can choke on a dick and die.

    Check out Buttkickers/Aura bass shakers for a seriously cool upgrade with huge bang for your buck.

    Rigor Mortis on
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    YodaTunaYodaTuna Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Box sets of speakers kind of freak me out. Especially expensive ones. I got some nice big Klipsch speakers earlier this year for 1500 bucks. I would also avoid buying speakers online, you really need to listen to them.

    YodaTuna on
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    RuddurBallRuddurBall Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    While most Audiophiles will dismiss a HTIB. Onkyo makes some nice systems. I recently got their new 7.1 system for ~$600 and I love it. Although if you want an in-depth discussion, check www.avsforum.com. They are to AV gear what PA is to video games.

    RuddurBall on
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    Iceman.USAFIceman.USAF Major East CoastRegistered User regular
    edited November 2008
    I'm looking at the Samsung LN40A500. $800 at Best Buy this week. Thoughts?

    I want to use it for PS3, possibly 360 in the near future and TV/Blu-ray viewing. Surround sound will be coming in the near future as well, so if the sound is a deal-breaker it's not a big deal.

    Iceman.USAF on
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    MalkorMalkor Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    I'm looking at the Samsung LN40A500. $800 at Best Buy this week. Thoughts?

    I want to use it for PS3, possibly 360 in the near future and TV/Blu-ray viewing. Surround sound will be coming in the near future as well, so if the sound is a deal-breaker it's not a big deal.

    I've heard nothing but good things about Samsung's 5 and 6-series panels in the AVS forums and from random reviews scattered over the net. I've also seen them in person, and they look as good as anything else in stores. I didn't know or think that some of it could be shilling from Samsung though...

    Malkor on
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