| Cinema Cynergy October 2002
A Budget Standout System
Last month we looked at some
of the options available to the home-theater enthusiast on a budget when assembling a
system. It was easy to see that there are a variety of choices in every price range. One
of the keys to obtaining good sound on a budget, or at any price for that matter, is to
match components of similar price and quality so that you do not overspend on any one
component, which would necessitate compromising on another. Even a modestly priced system
that is well matched should give you remarkably good sound in both stereo and surround
applications.
Some of my preferred components in the budget price ranges
are listed below, but this listing should not be considered complete or definitive by any
means. These are simply my current favorites drawn from the products with which I have had
experience; there are many components not listed here that are still worthy of your
consideration.
Receivers
My favorite budget receiver is still the Outlaw Model 1050
($499 USD), which may be getting a bit long in the tooth, but it is still a massively
built unit with exceptionally robust internal amplification. Not only is this a very
powerful budget receiver, but it also sounds great. Although it cannot match the
refined sound quality of the more-than-twice-the-price Arcam DiVA AVR200
($1199), which is my reference receiver, it comes in at a close second and subjectively
sounds as powerful, or even more powerful, than the Arcam.
The Outlaw does not incorporate Dolby Digital EX or DTS-ES
processing, but it does have its own proprietary form of 6.1. While most budget
home-theater systems will probably consist of a 5.1 speaker array, having the option to
add a center surround speaker if so desired is a definite plus. The biggest drawback to
the 1050 is its lack of Dolby Pro Logic II (DPL II) processing -- now available on almost
every current surround receiver. While DPL II does an excellent job of decoding matrixed
two-channel surround sources such as VHS tapes, television programs, and even stereo CDs
(although this is somewhat program dependent), it may be a feature that you can do
without.
If you are looking for a high-quality budget receiver with
all the bells and whistles, then look no further than the Onkyo TX-SR600. While I have not
heard this particular model, I have been impressed with the performance of past Onkyo
receivers for both stereo and surround sound. The TX-SR600 has just about everything you
could want including six-channel Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES decoding, DPL II, and even a
"CinemaFilter" mode for taming bright movie soundtracks. It also has switching
for component video, an adjustable crossover frequency for the subwoofer output, a
learning remote, and front-panel inputs that even include an optical digital and S-video
input jack. It is a sizable unit (larger than most budget receivers) that is rated at
80Wpc and costs only $530.
Speakers
For small rooms and budgets, it’s hard to beat the
excellent subwoofer/satellite systems that are available at extremely reasonable prices
from many manufacturers. Although the maximum playback levels of these systems can be
limiting, they are ideal for apartments or other locations where space is at a premium and
extremely high volume levels are not required.
The Paradigm
Cinema 70 system is a great example of what can be achieved with this type of system.
At a cost of only $716 you get four satellites, a center-channel, and subwoofer that
combine to provide an exceptionally smooth and refined sound for home theater as well as
excellent performance on stereo recordings. The soundstage is expansive and the imaging is
very precise. These little speakers (including the relatively small subwoofer) can be
placed nearly anywhere and are very unobtrusive. But don’t let the size of this or
similar systems fool you, they can provide a surprisingly big and full sound.
If you are feeling a little richer, you can step up in
price to another alternative, which is to use small bookshelf speakers for the mains,
surrounds, and possibly even for the center-channel. There are some excellent high-value
speakers priced under $200 per pair, such as the Paradigm Atoms
($189) and the Athena Audition AS-B1s ($180). I currently use five of the exceptional
Axiom
M3Ti SEs ($275/pair) in my system, they're closer to $300, but could be just as happy
with any of the aforementioned speakers. With a system based on good bookshelf speakers
such as these, you might not feel the need to use a subwoofer, especially if the system is
situated in a small room.
With a system based on good bookshelf speakers such as
these, you might not feel the need to use a subwoofer, especially if the system is
situated in a small room. However, a subwoofer is required if you want that deep, rumbling
bass that is often associated with good home-theater sound. Fortunately, each of the
manufacturers of these speakers offers budget-priced subwoofers that will match these
systems.
I recently reviewed an Athena
Audition home-theater speaker system that consisted of the sizable AS-F1 floorstanders
and the equally substantial AS-C1 center-channel and the AS-B1 bookshelf speakers used as
surrounds. These very solidly built and fine-sounding speakers were priced at an amazingly
low $760. I cannot think of another home-theater speaker system in this price range that
is as accomplished as the Athena Audition system. In fact, the AS-F1 mains had enough bass
on their own for this system to be considered nearly full range without the use of
a subwoofer. Adding the $400 AS-P400 subwoofer turned this into a truly awesome
home-theater speaker system and the total price was still a very reasonable $1160. If you
can fit the Athena Audition system into your budget (or even if you were planning on
spending more), I cannot recommend it highly enough because of the incredible value that
it represents.
DVD players
While most budget DVD players these days offer stunning
picture and sound for $200 or less, a couple of favorites amongst the Home Theater
& Sound staff are the entry-level Pioneer and Panasonic units. Panasonic has upped
the ante for picture quality by including the Faroudja DCDi video-processing chip in
several of their basic models. This video-processing chip is most useful when utilizing
the progressive-scan inputs found mostly on expensive "HDTV ready" television
sets, but it is still regarded by many as the best video-processing chip currently
available. Many other manufacturers utilize the DCDi video chip in more expensive players,
but only Panasonic seems to offer it in entry-level players such as the DVD-RP62 ($180).
Televisions
Most manufacturers have abandoned producing
"conventional" premium-quality tubes in favor of concentrating on the more
expensive flat-screen tubes that are becoming so popular. However, JVC still offers their
D-Series televisions with conventional high-quality tubes as small as 27" and
starting at a suggested retail price of $379. These tubes are relatively flat and offer
excellent picture quality at a price that is competitive with other 27" televisions
from competing manufacturers. You could move up to a 32" model, but would have to pay
a substantial premium with the least-expensive 32" D-Series television priced at
$599. If you don’t already have a good television set, a 27" JVC D-Series is an
excellent buy.
VCRs
If you are in the market for a VCR to go along with your
new home theater, consider one of the S-VHS-ET machines available from JVC. They will
allow you to record at a higher resolution for superior picture quality over standard VHS
machines and they start in price at $179. If you already have a VCR, it should suffice for
playing back pre-recorded tapes as long as it has hi-fi sound, which will provide
high-quality audio when played back through your receiver.
Cables?
You might think that you can’t afford quality,
brand-name cables if you are on a budget, but TARA Labs offers the full line of Prism
cables at prices that are barely more than what you might expect to pay for no-name
cables. These cables offer some of TARA’s proprietary materials and construction
techniques at an unbelievably low price point. They have interconnects which start at $10
for a one-meter pair and speaker cable for less than $1 per foot. I wouldn’t
typically recommend purchasing brand-name cables for a budget system, but at these prices,
TARA makes well-constructed cables available to all but the most price-conscious consumer.
The sum of the parts
Based on these recommendations, a basic -- but very good --
home-theater system consisting of a television, receiver, DVD player, speaker system, and
even a VCR could be assembled for under $2000. You could also spend a little bit more or a
little bit less depending on your preferences, but remember not to spend too much (or too
little) on any one component so that the performance quality of all of your equipment is
roughly equivalent. A good home-theater system may not be inexpensive, but you might be
surprised by what is possible within your budget.
...Roger Kanno
roger@hometheatersound.com |
