Home Cinema Cost

[Calculator]

I am looking to put in home cinema into my basement. I am town between a decent TV (as a low 'hassle' solution) and a projector.

I would use this only occasionally and as such don't want to spend a fortune. Am I crazy to think I could get a half decent projector and receiver for £1-1.5k then spend another £500 on speakers and screen?

Or would be be better off spending the cash on a 65" TV?

[camelot1971]

If you want a large screen you can't do better than a projector to be honest, especially if you have black out conditions.

The size of the room will dictate what kind of speaker/amp you should go for. Get the best subwoofer you can afford too as that has a massive impact (heh) on the cinema experience.

I don't know how much a projector would be but I would budget around £500 for an AV amp (Yamaha, Denon, Pioneer etc), £500 for the 5 speakers and £500 for the subwoofer. The better speakers you get the longer they will last you - AV amps change like the wind but a good set of speakers could last you at least 10 years.

I would also focus on a good 5.1 system rather than Atmos/DTS:X etc as your budget will be spread too thin. You can always add in more speakers later if you want.

[VEX]

Agree with the 5.1 comment and the kit combo's, visit Richer Sounds for prices and combo's that us independent dealers can't touch.

But at your budget I would spend what your had in mind for a projector and screen on a large-ish quality screen.

With projectors and screens you'll end up at the lower end of the market. I fact I would also suggest spend it on a projector only and painting the wall white. Whilst not the ideal solution you can alway add a screen later with sacrificing he projector now.

V.

[anonymous-user]

Calculator said:

I am looking to put in home cinema into my basement. I am town between a decent TV (as a low 'hassle' solution) and a projector.

I would use this only occasionally and as such don't want to spend a fortune. Am I crazy to think I could get a half decent projector and receiver for £1-1.5k then spend another £500 on speakers and screen?

Or would be be better off spending the cash on a 65" TV?

Depending if you're going new or used route regarding the projector, something North of £1k opens up a few more doors. Early HD JVC's are going for low money now. In the new market, Epson would be the best bet - LCD, so no rainbows, and better black levels than DLP's.

It's worth getting a demo of any DLP models (mostly BenQ / Optoma) as these can create a rainbow effect for the viewer, which can unpleasant for some.

As the other guys mentioned, Richer Sounds are quite good on price. It's worth bearing in mind that the AVR manufacturer's are putting Atmos is receivers throughout their range now so it's always an option to have it there and install overhead speakers later down the line.

With one eye on future proofing - we're on the cusp of UHD being an actual thing (players and discs launching in March this year), so whilst the budget doesn't stretch at this point - it might be worth looking at a higher spec AVR that can handle HDMI 2.0a and HDCP 2.2, so it can handle 4K / UHD in the future if you chose to upgrade the display (TV / Projector).

An example build based on a max £2k budget, might go something like this:
Epson EHTW5350 £600
Sapphire SFSC22 fixed screen (121" diagonal) - £450
Onkyo TXSR444 AVR - £250 (can output 5.1.2 Atmos)
Q Acoustics 2000i 5.1 speaker kit - £399
Misc cables: £100
Total £1800

This excludes any room treatment, paint, carpets, furniture etc - but covers the bulk of the hardware.

[W12GT]

I would say to always buy the best you can afford.

Personally if it's a dedicated room you can go for a fixed screen. Also have a look at projectors before you buy because you may be DLP sensitive - you can see a rainbow effect with DLP projectors - preferably go for an LCD one. Don't worry about 5.1 at the moment. Go for 2.1 and then add to it. There are some very good AV receivers on the market at the moment if you want new but TBH I would always consider buying secondhand through a good forum.

I've just had the upgrade itch and spent a fortune but to give you an idea I have sold some of my old kit and it was in immaculate condition:-

B&W AS608 sub - £175
Yamaha 675 receiver - £125
Dali Ikon 5 left and right speakers - £275

When I bought them new I paid over £1500 for that lot - a cracking saving and superb for a first cinema. Then when you get the funds you can add a centre channel and surrounds for the rear.

Dont be put off by second hand - the majority of people interested in AV really take pride in looking after their equipment!

A point also worth considering is how big the room is and how watertight -does it even get cold and/or damp?

[rex]

Try AV forums classified for speakers. Often very well looked after speakers for a fraction of the price of new. Same goes for receivers. Can get some excellent equipment that has been well looked after.

I got my screen and speakers for a custom install this way. Got a screen research motorised screen for about £3000 less than new price and speakers at about £350 each instead of £1000 each if purchased new.

For the screen there are many threads on building your own fixed screen

[Oakey]

camelot1971 said:

If you want a large screen you can't do better than a projector to be honest, especially if you have black out conditions.

The size of the room will dictate what kind of speaker/amp you should go for. Get the best subwoofer you can afford too as that has a massive impact (heh) on the cinema experience.

I don't know how much a projector would be but I would budget around £500 for an AV amp (Yamaha, Denon, Pioneer etc), £500 for the 5 speakers and £500 for the subwoofer. The better speakers you get the longer they will last you - AV amps change like the wind but a good set of speakers could last you at least 10 years.

I would also focus on a good 5.1 system rather than Atmos/DTS:X etc as your budget will be spread too thin. You can always add in more speakers later if you want.

£1500 would get him a Yamaha A1050 and dali 5.1 setup from Creative Audio

[Grumpy old git]

For that budget you could easily get yourself a better than half decent home cinema.

I've wanted a projector for years, I already had the amp and speakers but as I was moving house I couldn't resist one of amazon's Black Friday deals and bought an Optoma HD141X for £379. I can't normally see the "rainbow effect" although I can see it on some of my photos.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00M2YDBXK/ref=sr_ph?ie...

I then got carried away and bought a 120" tab tensioned screen for £140 despite not knowing if it would fit ( it does but not where I wanted it), yes it's cheap and while I'm sure I'd notice a difference with a more expensive screen, it's more than good enough for me.

http://www.allcam.biz/catalog/product_info.php?pro...

With your budget that leaves you £1400 for an amp, speakers and sub which is more than achievable.

Edited by Grumpy old git on Friday 19th February 01:04

[PD1]

I've got a Yamaha RV 1065 that I have just de-installed in perfect condition you can have for £100 if you are interested.

[Too Late]

MY setup

Sapphire SFSC203 - £259.95
PIONEER - VSX930 - £349.95
2x Cambridge Audio MINX 12 - £139
3x Cambridge Audio MINX 22 - £359.85
OPTOMA HD28DSE - £684

TOTAL £1790.85

Outstanding - SUB

Looking at subs now. BK are top of my list. thats will push it just over 2k

Additional bits i have had to buy
CA MINX speaker mounds - £20
Cables - £25
Sockets - £20
Ceiling Mount for Projector - £50
BT YouView Freeview box - £29

Edited by Too Late on Friday 19th February 09:44

[Crackie]

Calculator said:

I am looking to put in home cinema into my basement. I am town between a decent TV (as a low 'hassle' solution) and a projector.

I would use this only occasionally and as such don't want to spend a fortune. Am I crazy to think I could get a half decent projector and receiver for £1-1.5k then spend another £500 on speakers and screen?

Or would be be better off spending the cash on a 65" TV?

Is second hand gear an option ? As has been suggested already S/H gear an option ?

If S/H is not an option, and assuming your basement has a suitably flat wall, then how about
BenQ 1080ST+ £750
Yamaha RXV679 AVR - £350
Q Acoustics 7000i package - £650
Wall painted with projector paint : £50
Misc speaker and HDMI cables: £75

£1875ish all in.

All the suggestions on here, although well intentioned, do little to help identify gear that suits your particular taste; what looks and sounds good to you personally. I'd always advocate trying to use audition if you can.

Spend as much time as you can getting the all speakers set up correctly in the room and also relative to your seating position in the room. In my experience a properly set up entry level system will easily outperform a high end setup that has been badly installed.

Edited by Crackie on Friday 19th February 17:57

[gizlaroc]

Spend the money on the amp imho.

You can get a good enough screen for £150. I have gone from a £150 screen before to a £1000 screen and the difference is there, but only spend £450 is you have a projector to justify it.

I have just installed the new Yamaha RXA-1050 in a friends system and it is very impressive, for an all in one unit. It was £1000, but so much better than the £600 Onkyo he tried first, and the Yamaha at £700, not sure what the modes were, think the Yamaha was a 750?

He was replacing a Meridian Processor and Classé CAV-150 Power amp, a £12k combo, so I must admit I was surprised how well the RXA1050 did. The other cheaper ones ones just sounded flat and shut in and simply didn't have the dynamics.

I would much rather have a £1000 amp with £500 speakers. Just buy some decent used ones, they loose so much money and just don't really date.

Friend just bought 2 pairs of Kef Q35 floorstanders for £50 and £60, and a Q95c for £35, he then bought a Rel Storm for £120 and hooked it up to an older Denon flagship amp that he paid £500, HD formats and 7.1 but on of the first ones with the HD etc. But the whole lot sounds stunning. He is using
He is sing a BenQ projector, 1070 I think the model is, it was only £600, but it is great, my last Projector was a JVC, but if not quite as film like I reckon it is a more fun picture, and certainly a lot brighter. He went with the used gear as he wanted a TV in there as well, so bought a Samsung 55" from Richer Sounds for £650 for everyday use, you don't always want to be sat in the dark.
But that lot was only just over £2k.




You need the best amp you can get, this gives you the power, control, open soundstage and clarity but also the dynamic range.

[Pommygranite]

I've got a 60'' TV in my lounge but nothing compares to my projector on 100'' screen in the theatre room along with surround.

If you're trying to achieve a theatre room go for the proper set up.

[rex]

Also consider the room acoustics If the walls are flat and hard then even an expensive system will sound terrible in comparison to a room with a cheap system in a well treated room. Some rugs on the floor and the walks will help as a low cost solution

[ooo000ooo]

My £200 set up

£124 el cheapo Chinese projector and £10 ceiling mount.



90" I think manual screen, under 50 quid delivered.

Just waiting for some long HDMI and phono leads to arrive to connect it back to sky box and my existing sound system.

Wife wasn't overly happy about me "wasting" money on stuff we didn't really need until the first time she watched a film on it, now she's converted

[Crackie]

gizlaroc said:

Spend the money on the amp imho.

You need the best amp you can get, this gives you the power, control, open soundstage and clarity but also the dynamic range.

Agreed that a good amp is vital but arbitrarily spending more of the budget on the amp isn't a guarantee of the best results. I've moved house recently and bought an entry level £200 Yamaha 377 as a temporary solution. Its driving a pair of £6000 Duntech Marquis front speakers, a 4 ohm centre channel and some KEF Coda 7s as rears. I'm stunned how well the Yamaha works. Processing/effects steering is superb, the 70W output stages are controlled and dynamic and have no issues driving the difficult 4ohm front channel and centre channel loads, even when running at 0dB. Current delivery into the Duntechs produces bass that has real impact and extension so I've not felt the need to hook up a spare B&W1000 Sub I have available.

Auditioning any amp(s) being considered, with the intended speakers, is the way to go imho.

Edited by Crackie on Monday 22 February 21:57

[Salesy]

ooo000ooo said:

My £200 set up

£124 el cheapo Chinese projector and £10 ceiling mount.



90" I think manual screen, under 50 quid delivered.

Just waiting for some long HDMI and phono leads to arrive to connect it back to sky box and my existing sound system.

Wife wasn't overly happy about me "wasting" money on stuff we didn't really need until the first time she watched a film on it, now she's converted

Any chance of posting a video up of the picture quality?, from the photos it looks impressive and for £120 thats good in my book. could be used in the games room as a backup. Links to the product appreciated too.

Edited by Salesy on Monday 22 February 06:42

[ooo000ooo]

Salesy said:

Any chance of posting a video up of the picture quality?, from the photos it looks impressive and for £120 thats good in my book. could be used in the games room as a backup. Links to the product appreciated too.

Edited by Salesy on Monday 22 February 06:42

will grab a video later, links
projector - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IKZDAP4
Screen - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0026RO1LY
Ceiling bracket - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00ANZXZMC

[Salesy]

Cheers

[gizlaroc]

Crackie said:

Agreed that a good amp is vital but arbitrarily spending more of the budget on the amp isn't a gurantee of the best results. I've moved house recently and bought an entry level £200 Yamaha 377 as a temporary solution. Its driving a pair of £6000 Duntech Marquis front speakers, a 4 ohm centre channel and some KEF Coda 7s as rears. I'm stunned how well the Yamaha works. Processing/effects steering is superb, the 70W output stages are controlled and dynamic and have no issues driving the difficult 4ohm front channel and centre channel loads, even when running at 0dB. Current delivery into the Duntechs produces bass that has real impact and extension so I've not felt the need to hook up a spare B&W1000 Sub I have available.

Auditioning any amp(s) being considered, with the intended speakers, is the way to go imho.

Well, the £600 Yamaha driving Dunlavy SC-IIIs sounded passable, but the the one at £1000 meant he has taken the Classé CAV-180 out of the system completely, the difference was there, but he was more than happy with the performance of the all in one amp, and have to admit I was pretty impressed with it.

One of the best demos I ever heard was Arcam pre with a pair of monoblocks driving some £99 Mission 731 speakers. That really did change everything for me in regard to where my money went when buying kit.