July 2005 - page 2
The $10,000 System
When stepping up to a $10,000 system, the performance and quality of the components that you’ll be able to add to your system will increase significantly. You may be able to find a receiver or AV preamp with HDMI switching and you’ll be able to put better speakers in your theater with a better-performing subwoofer. Oftentimes, the subs that come with pre-packaged 5.1 speaker systems are decent, but they aren’t the highest of performers and the difference a good sub can make to your system is immediately noticeable.
$10,000 Plasma Display-Based System
|
50-Inch Plasma Display
|
$4,500 to $6,000 |
| Five Channel Speaker System |
$1,500 to $2,500 |
| AV Receiver |
$1,000 to $2,000 |
| 10 to 13-Inch powered Subwoofer |
$500 to $1,000 |
| Two Video Game Systems |
$300 to $500 |
| DVD or Universal Player |
$1,000 |
| HDMI, Speaker and Other AV Cables |
$600 |
| Universal Remote |
$100 to $400 |
| System Range |
$9,500 to $14,000 |
Moving up to a bigger plasma like a 50-inch with a $10,000 budget will still require you to make some compromises to keep the budget in check. If you do your homework, you can find a 50-inch plasma for under $5,000, but even at $4,500, that is nearly half of the budget for the remainder of the system. A higher-end receiver will still probably be in order rather than separates to keep the budget in line. More money can be dedicated to speakers and cables, as well to get a big lift in performance from the $5,000 system.
$10,000 Rear-Projection-Based System
|
50- to 60-Inch rear Projection Display
|
$2,500 to $3,500 |
| Five Channel Speaker System |
$1,500 to $2,500 |
| AV Preamp |
$2,000 to $3,000 |
| 10 to 13-Inch powered Subwoofer |
$500 to $1,000 |
| 5 Channel Amplifier |
$2,000 to $3,000 |
| DVD or Universal Player |
$1,000 |
| HDMI, Speaker and Other AV Cables |
$600 |
| Universal Remote |
$100 to $400 |
| Next Generation Video Game System |
$400 |
| Satellite Radio Tuner |
$200 |
| System Range |
$10,800 to $15,600 |
Even with $5,000 tacked on to the budget, you are still looking at the same model TVs as in the previous budget. You might spend a little more to get a 70-inch rear-projection TV, but unless you wear glasses so thick you can see the future or have a living room that resembles an auditorium, a 51- or 60-inch projection TV is likely going to do you just fine. With the financial room to play, you can start looking at having an outboard video scaler in the loop, a next generation video game system when they finally hit the streets, better speakers and maybe a satellite radio tuner or an Internet music server.
$10,000 Projector-Based System
|
Three-Chip LCD or DLP Projector
|
$3,500 to $5,000 |
| Projection Screen |
$1,000 |
| Video Scaler |
$1,000 to $2,000 |
| 5.1 Channel Speaker System |
$1,000 to $1,500 |
| High-end AV Receiver |
$2,500 to $3,500 |
| DVD or Universal Player |
$1,000 |
| HDMI, Speaker and Other AV Cables |
$600 |
| System Range |
$10,600 to $14,600 |
To get a pop in performance over the entry-level video projectors and still keep things in the $10,000 range, compromises in speakers need to be made and extra toys such as a video game system or satellite radio tuner need to be skipped. An outboard video scaler will help the level of performance and will get you closer to the high-end video experience without having to back a truck up to the local savings and loan.
The $25,000 system
All of us would love to have a $25,000 shopping spree down at the local electronics store and at first it may seem like this is plenty of money to buy an absolutely amazing system with cash to spare. However, when you get into the upper echelon of audio and video performance, you’d be surprised how quickly you can burn through the money. For any size theater, regardless of budget, I recommend looking at your own tastes and figuring out what the primary use of your theater will be. Some people want to have the ability to watch movies in surround sound and occasionally listen to surround sound music, but ultimately their hearts are set on two-channel stereo music, so they will want to put an emphasis on their main speakers. Others may be so new school they don’t have much desire to listen to stereo music and want to have the latest video display technology.
$25,000 Video Projector-Based System
|
HD-ILA or DLP Video Projector
|
$6,000 to $10,000 |
| Screen (pull down or motorized) |
$800 to $2,500 |
| Outboard Video Scaler |
$1,000 to $2,000 |
| Five Channel Speaker System |
$4,000 |
| Subwoofer |
$1,000 |
| AV Preamp |
$4,500 |
| Five-Channel Amplifier |
$3,500 |
| DVD or Universal Player |
$1,000 |
| Cables |
$1,000 to $2,000 |
| AC Power Conditioner |
$2,000 |
| System Range |
$24,800 to $32,500 |
At this price point, you get to the point where you don’t really have to make any excuses about anything in your system. A top DLP or D-ILA projector on one of the best new screen materials will make a picture that will have you transfixed when watching sports, movies or even Skin-a-max. This system has a heavy investment in electronics and speakers, which is good for the audiophile who wants to keep that level of sound reproduction in his system. One element I might make a sacrifice for is to add $500 for a basic acoustical plan from one of a handful of acoustic gurus around the country. I might also pop for a $1,000 set-up by William Phelps on a D-ILA projector, which results in even better contrast.
$25,000 Plasma Display-Based System
|
60-Inch Plasma Set
|
$8,000 |
| HDMI switching video scaler |
$2,000 |
| Five Channel Speaker System |
$4,000 to $6,000 |
| Subwoofer |
$1,000 to $1,500 |
| AV Preamp |
$3,000 to $5,000 |
| Five-Channel Amplifier |
$2,500 |
| DVD or Universal Player |
$1,000 |
| Cables |
$2,000 |
| AC Power Conditioner |
$2,000 |
| Xbox or Playstation |
$300 |
| 45-inch HDMI cable from HD PVR to Plasma |
$1,000 |
| ISF Trained Calibration |
$500 |
| System Range |
$26,800 to $29,300 |
This permutation of the $25,000 theater has a specific focus on video and should come with a professional calibration. These new, longer HDMI connections also are a really cool add-on that allows you to make your video playback system really sing, even if your gear is across the room.
$35,000 Technology-Lover System
|
HD-ILA or DLP Rear Projection Set
|
$3,500 |
| Home Theater PC/DVR |
$2,000 |
| Multiroom Music Server |
$1,300 |
| Touch Screen Remote |
$5,000 |
| HD-TiVo |
$700 |
| 5 Channel Speaker System |
$3,000 |
| Subwoofer |
$700 |
| Active Seating System (like D-Box) |
$5,500 |
| DVD or Universal Player |
$1,000 |
| Cables |
$2,000 |
| AC Power Conditioner |
$2,000 |
| High End Home Theater Receiver |
$3,000 |
| Xbox or Playstation |
$300 |
| Programmable Lighting Control |
$1,200 |
| ISF Trained Calibration |
$500 |
| Acoustical Design and treatments |
$3,000 |
| Middle Atlantic Rack with custom cabinet |
$4,000 |
| System Range |
$36,700 |
 This system is for the client who wants to do the most trick, computer-based feats, paired with full RS232 control like the systems you see featured in RHT – many of which cost more than 10 times what this one does. I have seen HD recorder cards installed into home theater PCs that can really perform some feats. In this system, there is room for a music server that can be expanded to up to 32 zones around your home. We left $5,000 for an entry level touch screen and basic programming. There is nothing nicer than having a killer remote that does everything you want with your system every time without EVER complaining. We added lighting control, which is really nice to have in a great theater room. There is even a Dbox chair that allows you to download pre-programmed, tactile information, so that when you are in the “hot seat,” you really are in for an E-ticket ride. Lastly, with all of this high-end gear and seating, as we are blowing the $25,000 budget (would you respect any salesman that didn’t try to sell you up?), we have a custom cabinet with a metal rack and some custom shelves. This makes organizing your gear so much easier and cleaner-looking.
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