Decent +-500 Euro sound system?

[Gabber359]

Greetings

Well I have to admit, I know jack **** when it comes to sound. I was originally planning on buying a Logitech Z-680 system for my upcoming new PC, but after reading a lot on them on this Forum I'm not so sure it's a clever choice (I'm guessing the sound buffs will agree with that).

The thing is, a few yrs ago my dad bought a complete HK (Harmon Kardon) stereo system for 1.000 Euro. It actually cost about 2k, but he managed to get it cheaper. Luckily for me, my dad works abroad a lot, so I had the house to myself for about 6months. I lugged the whole system upstairs into my computer room, hooked it up and the only words that can describe the effect are "HELL YEAH!!!!!!" (and that was with a SB Live! card for output, playing StarCraft, Lionel Ritchie and the like)

So that got me thinking, why not invest a bit more for a decent, entry-level/mid-range sound system ? Like PC's, is it best to get the parts (speakers, subwoofer, amp, etc) seperate, or would a complete, ready-made system suffice? As long as the build and sound quality are good, that's what counts, right? Is it even possible for around 500 euro? I *could* always think in the long-run, save up a bit longer and get it a few months after the PC (in Dec-Jan, so March for the sound system I'd guess) with a budget of around 1.000 Euro.

I'd also like this system not to be dependant on the PC for audio input, ie, have it's own seperate CD player. Too geeky to tell ur gf "Hold on a sec, let me boot up the PC and put some music on" ...............No. No no no.

Anyhow, any recommendations/suggestions? That would be a major help, thanks !

 

[Ryan T]

I'm not sure how much $500 euro would be in US but I think you will be able to make a very respectable 2 channel system for that price. You could start with a multi channel receiver and 2 speakers then build it larger when you get more money. It all really depends on what type of sound quality your going for. And how much your willing to spend in the long run. Have you done any research into what types brands of speakers you can get locally?

Main thing is stay away from Bose. A lot of people think they are the best money can buy. In reality they are far from it. In general they arent bad but they are highly over priced for their performance. There are a couple of good brands from over in the UK. Mordaunt short, B&W, Mission, and KEF I beleive are all made in the UK so you might be able to snag a good deal on some. In my opinion for a really good system I would get a mid fi receiver and a solid set of main speakers then build out. I dont think having matching surrounds is required. Unless your playing multi channel music pretty much any decent speaker will work as surrounds.

If you use a center channel It would be ideal to get one that is the exact same as your main speakers. Even if it isnt a "center channel" speaker. I dont think a center speaker is called for unless you have a bunch of people in the room watching movies. The reason the center channel speaker exists is to anchor the dialog to the screen for people stting to the sides of the screen. If your in the "sweet spot" of the left and right speakers they should have no problem projecting the dialog clearly in the center.

So I would do a little research and see what brands of speakers are availble. Check out some local home theater stores and listen to the speakers they offer.


Ryan