New to the World of Home Theatre NEED HELP!

[Giuseppe]

Hey, I am new to the home theatre world and have some questions for you experts. I have some speakers that I have selected from Polk but want to ask you guys if it is a good combination. My room is about 14' by 16', so around 224 sq ft, or 1570 cubic ft. My budget is $3000 Canadian. My goal for my setup is a system that is good for watching movies and playing games mostly. Here are the speakers I am thinking of going with:
Floorstanding: RTi10
Center: CSi3
Surrounds: RTi4 (4 of these for 7.1)
I am going with the Pioneer Mosfet THX Dolby Digital Receiver (VSX-1015TX-S)
So what do you guys think? Do these speakers complement eachother?
Thanks for your help.

[gregure]

First of all, it's only a couple hundred bucks more, for one of the most important speakers in the setup: get the CSi5. A bigger center is always a good idea. The rest sounds like a good setup, however I would recommend auditioning the Polks on the Pioneer. While their MOSFET amps have a lot of power, and would help detail and depth of sound, they also tend to sound rather bright, and the RTi series is on the bright side as well. I would make sure you're happy with music peformance on this combination before setting it up and finding that it's too bright for your taste. If you have a lot of absorbent material in your room, you may be ok.

[limashaynut]

I second the idea of going for the CSi5, well worth the money. If as you say you will use it mostly for movies, I would also think hard about getting a good sub, although this can always be added later. To keep cost down, think about going with the RTi8, and using some of that difference in price to go towards a sub.

[Holydoc]

Giuseppe,

I totally agree with the above posts. Get the CSi5 instead of the CSi3. Do not skimp on the center channel.

Also I would dump at least 2 of the RTi4's for the FXi series, either the FXi3's or more expensive Fxi5's. The FXi series were designed for the 5.1 or 7.1 systems to give you more of a diffused sound from your surrounds. This will give you a more encompassing effect by making the surround sounds less localized.

Finally, I would really consider why you want to purchase the RTi10's. If you are going for the HT effect, then I agree with Jerry in the fact that you should save money by purchasing the RTi8 and investing in a SVS subwoofer. IMHO, the subwoofer is one of the more important components in a HT setup. However, if you are getting into 2 speaker stereo sound, the RTi10 is a good choice since it has the capability to give you fair bass in that environment.

Hope this advice helps you a bit. Either way you go, it appears you are getting a good start to a nice system.

[Giuseppe]

Thanks, that is good advice. I forgot to mention that I was planning on going with the Athena 10" sub. I think I will go with the CSi5 instead. How much can I expect to pay for wallmounts and cables? I don't even know where to start with cables. Are the cables for all the speakers, center, and floorstanding the same kind? And a different kind for the sub? Thanks for your help guys.

[McLoki]

Wall mounts plan on about $60. Many of us use BT-77's and love them. I purchased mine from Crutchfield.

For cables you will get a number of opinions back and forth - I would say for your system get decent (better than comes with your equipment, but not SUPER expensive) cables to start with and modify from there if neccesary.

I would get 12guage cable from lowes, home depot, or parts express to run to all your speakers (except your sub). If you get it on a bulk roll you should be able to get 60 - 75 meters (or so) for around $50. That should do all your speakers (the cable has to reach from each of your speakers to your reciever.

For most of the rest of the cables, I would recommend Signal Cable or Blue Jeans Cable as a source. Neither are super high end, but both a good cables (better than standard best buy (future shop) type cable) Also note you get a minor (like %10 or so?) discount with Signal Cable for being a Club Polk member so be sure and mention it. You could also get your speaker cable from these companies if you choose to.

This is what else (besides speaker cable) that you will need:

Sub Cable - Different from standard RCA cables due to additional shielding to stop the sub from picking up a hum. Length needs to be long enough to reach from your sub to your receiver. Best to add a few feet to the length so you have room to move the sub around a little for possible better bass.

Optical or Coxial digital cable: Either one will work. It goes from your DVD to your reciever. It is what allows you to get 5.1 or 7.1 sound.

Video wire. (in decreasing quality order - Get the best one that both your DVD player and TV supports.)

HDMI or DVI cable (1 wire - digital (can adapt from one to the other)
Component Video Cable (3 wires - one for each RGB color)
S-Video (1 wire - end looks similar to the end of a PS2 keyboard or mouse)
Composite (single RCA cable)

You will need to get standard RCA cables to connect any other sources to your AVR. (CD Player, VCR, ETC)

You may need to get an additional optical or digital cable to connect your TV (or satalight or cable box) to your AVR if you watch high definition TV and want to get the surround sound with it.

That should get you started - good luck. If you have any questions or something is not clear, feel free to ask.

Michael

[Willow]

I would agree with getting the 8's , saving money. Buying the 5. My parents recently bought the athena 10" sub. Not bad, I did not have time to give it a good listen, but for their room is does the trick, without breaking the bank.

[Ferres]

The powercord of the VSX-1015TX-S is not upgradable. You may want one with that upgrade option for later.

[MrNightly]

Here's a dumb question for ya, McLoki. I just picked up a pair of RTi4's for my rear's (Don't have surrounds yet) in my 7.1 soon to be system... My couch is up against the wall about 14 feet from my tv, so should I hang these about 7 feet up the wall directly over the couch, or what? (It seems like they would be conflicting with my 8's upfront, so i don't know)

I am going to be remodeling my basement and building in a HT only room in the next year, but in the meantime, am trying to get the best setup to hold me over. What do you think?

Thanks!
David

[Giuseppe]

[QUOTE= My couch is up against the wall about 14 feet from my tv, so should I hang these about 7 feet up the wall directly over the couch, or what? (It seems like they would be conflicting with my 8's upfront, so i don't know)

Thanks!
David[/QUOTE]

I have the exact same problem. I think I am going to mount them as close to the ceiling as I can and put the speakers facing down towards to the ground, maybe with a slight angle towards the front.