The $1000 Bare Bones System

We get asked this question quite often. How do you approach the budget system? Well, first of all you start by understanding that this system is meant to be a step above the HTIB approach, allowing for a greater flexibility, higher fidelity and a satisfying audio experience on a budget. One important thing to realize is that, at this price point, competition is fierce and there are a plethora of options. We'll outline one path that you might wish take to have a very satisfying system for a nominal $1k budget restriction that will meet the astringent criteria of the Wife Acceptance Factor while gratifying the audiophyte in any home theater enthusiast.

Please keep in mind that $1,000 is somewhat constrictive especially if you desire quality products with good performance and audio. For this reason, we have opted to leave out a TV since most budget minded entry level enthusiast will like have one already as part of their entertainment system. Another thing to realize is that this system can be "grown into". That is to say, you can purchase the recommended speakers in a 2.1 configuration and add the center channel and surrounds at a later date. This will allow you to begin a system that will ultimately be of much better quality than had you spent that money on an "all-in-one" system of dubious lineage.

System Goals

• This system offers the best bang for the minimum non-HTIB budget. It will look good and offer true high fidelity sound.
• We will focus on building a 5.1 surround sound system, though if the budget is limited, users may opt to start with a 2.1 setup and build from there.
• This system yields ultimate flexibility and supports most of the latest formats including: Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and more.
• This system is assembled with reliable components all offering good warranty policies.
• This system offers reasonably simple connectivity options and includes the cables required.

Following is our recommendation for a system for ~$1,000

Equipment & Product Recommendations

Loudspeakers: Pioneer SP-FS52 Towers, SP-C22, SP-BS22-LR

MSRP: $400 | Pioneer SP-PK52FS Review

Loudspeakers are generally regarded as the most important pieces of any A/V system. In short, speakers are the voice of the system as they convert an electrical signal into sound waves; more than any other component they determine the sound quality. Of course, if you’ve ever looked at the loudspeakers in a HTIB system, you’ll find that’s usually where the deepest cuts are made in order to make the budget. Pioneer’s loudspeakers designed by Andrew Jones are a totally different animal. Yes, they are budget speakers, and from an aesthetic standpoint, they’re not likely to wow your friends. On the other hand, you’d be hard pressed to find better sounding speakers for twice the price.

If you’ve read that last line and winced, we’d caution you not to underestimate what Pioneer has accomplished here. In our full review, we directly compared the SP-FS52 towers against the ~$800 EMPTek E55Ti’s seen in our $5,000 recommended theater system. Suffice it to say, it was far from a blowout. Yes, the EMPs are more accurate in the midrange, and with substantially more cone area to work with, there’s not much question that they can play louder with a bigger and more natural soundstage while maintaining their composure. However, the fact that a pair of speakers selling for less than $250/pair can sit at the same table with the high value EMPs is a testament in itself.

Subwoofer: Hsu STF-1: $347 (Shipped Price)

MSRP: $347 (Shipped) | Hsu STF-1 Review

The HSU STF-1 is one of the tried and true bargains in world of budget subwoofers. Similar to the Pioneer speakers above, the STF-1 has practically nothing in common with the “subwoofers” found in your run of the mill HTIB system. For starters, the Hsu can actually dig below the usual 40-50Hz cutoff seen in cheap bass modules, thanks to a potent 8” woofer and a generously sized enclosure. In fact, Hsu rates its entry level sub down to 32Hz (-2dB) with useful output all the way down to 25Hz (101.3dB at 1 meter, ground plane). Then there’s the matter of sound quality: defying what you might expect for its price, the STF-1 is a tight and tuneful subwoofer, unlike the typical one-note boom box you’d expect to see at this level.

A/V Receiver: Pioneer VSX-524-K

MSRP: $250

$250 is the entry level price point for A/V receivers from major brands like Pioneer and Denon. You’re not going to find preamplifier outputs, video upscaling, multiple HDMI outputs, etc. here. However, Pioneer’s VSX-524 does offer everything you need to get started with a basic surround system, including 5.2 channels of audio, with 80W of power per channel (20Hz-20kHz, 0.08% THD, 8 ohms). The VSX-524 includes 4 HDMI 2.0 inputs for compatibility with the latest displays and video formats, not to mention a USB input on the front panel with full support for iDevices.  And then there’s the pièce de résistance: Pioneer’s MCACC auto-setup and calibration system, which makes getting everything up and running a snap.

Alternative: Denon AVR-S500BT

Blu-ray Player: Sony BDP-S1200

MSRP: $70

We’re not going to blow smoke here: the Sony BDP-S1200 isn’t some super-special bargain of the century. It’s an inexpensive Sony Blu-ray player. In our experience, that means build quality and reliability are slightly better than what you’ll find on the el-cheapo no-name brands at Walmart. Beyond that, the BDP-S1200 has a pretty straightforward job: read a Blu-ray disc and deliver high definition audio and video to your receiver via HDMI. The BDP-S1200 also offers some streaming options including Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu Plus courtesy of a network jack (no wireless here)...and that’s about it.

Cables: Monoprice: ~$25.50

When you’re on an extra-tight budget, there’s one place to turn for cables: Monoprice. We’re not aware of anyone offering cables for less. More importantly, while the products they offer aren’t anything flashy, the quality is sufficient to get the job done. So what does $25.50 get you?

•          50' 14AWG Spool: $13.26
•          1 - 3' HDMI Cable: $2.57 + 1 - 10' HDMI Cable: $5.15
•          10' Subwoofer Cable: $4.49

Surge Protection: APC P7V

MSRP: $25

The APC P7V is a fairly basic device. It offers 840 joules of surge protection for 7 outlets, as well as a modicum of EMI/RFI noise rejection. In the event of a catastrophic surge, the P7V will disconnect your equipment from the line, keeping it safe from further surges. Considering the modest price tag, we consider it cheap insurance to keep your equipment reasonably safe. Take our word for it when we say it’s never fun to see your system fry.

Summary

Yes, technically we blew our $1,000 budget by $117.50.Of course we’d expect with a bit of shopping around, you can also find lower prices than what we’ve listed for some of the components. The Pioneer speakers are often on sale significantly below retail on Amazon.com.   One other way to trim the budget would be to substitute a second pair of Pioneer SP-BS22-LR bookshelf speakers for the SP-FS52 towers, and end up slightly under budget. In either case, you’ll end up with a system that punches well above its weight. The only things you need now are a movie and some popcorn. Enjoy!