The $12k Home Theater System

So, you are thinking about putting together a Home Theater system and have a $12,000 budget?  It's very easy to spend $12,000. All you have to do is buy a Flagship receiver or Processor / Amp combo for $4500, a set of mid to high end speakers for $3000-$4000, a high end DVD player for $1200, an HDTV Rear Projector for $3000 (or smaller Plasma for $4000), some cables, and you're done!

You now have a nice Home Theater in your living room that you and your friends can enjoy. They will be quite impressed with the sound of your system. Yep, it's just like every other cookie cutter system out there and everyone else has one! In fact, it's still fresh in your mind when you invited a bunch of people over for the unveiling of your New Home Theater system. You stood there proudly until a couple of them said, "Hey nice system. That big screen is just like the one we have in our living room. I guess we have a home theater too."

OK let's be honest, half of the fun is the WOW that we can generate with this hobby. If you are like 95% of the rest of us, you don't mind showing off a bit. How about we take that $12,000 and create a system with minimal compromises that will transform your living room into something more than a place to sit, listen, and watch Home Theater? How about we turn your living room into a Cinema with a huge WOW effect?

Our family and friends are excited about what they will see. Next, let's not disappoint them with a run of the mill 42" - 65" Rear Projector or Plasma. Our Cinema will have an 80" - 96" front projection system to provide that all important WOW effect! Not every Joe 6 pack is going to have one of these in his living room, either. Now, all we have to do is find high quality components that will fit in our budget. This Projector and Screen combination will rival and surpass many of the top of the line Rear Projectors and Plasma Displays. The compromise is that you need to maintain some level of light control, but this is minimal compared to the size of the image you will gain. To have a Cinema, you must have a large screen. The other thing to keep in mind is having a screen on your front wall will make your room feel more like a Cinema. Again, providing that all important WOW effect!

System Goals

• Now we're inching into "high-end" audio (at least for those of us who don't think bending over to pick up a dropped $100 bill is a waste of time). Start to expect more - higher priced products, more complete systems with remote control, minimal acoustics packages, and even some furniture could start to creep in.
  
• We'll utilize HD players whenever possible so that you can experience the best high definition source material on your system.
• This system will excel at both audio and video.
  
• This system yields ultimate flexibility and provides all the latest formats: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital-EX, DTS, DTS-ES, Prologic IIx and may have the ability to decode DVD-A or SACD and display high-quality component video.
• This system is assembled with reliable components all offering good warranty policies.

Following is our recommendation for an complete Home Theater system around $12,000

Equipment & Product Recommendations

Projector: Epson Home Cinema 1080UB Projector Review | review

Price: $2999
Epson makes the LCD display engines (chips) that go into most other 3LCD projectors. As such they really know what they are doing. For years, this expertise caused them to price their systems out of reach for most home theater enthusiasts. Last year all that changed and companies who were secure in their market dominance started fearing for their marketshare.

The Epson Home Cinema 1080UB projector is a projector that should strike fear into all manufacturers of LCD technology. This robust and high-performance model really nails all the important metrics of what a good home theater projector should be - and it has the features to match. 1920x1080 pixels, horizontal and vertical lens shift, solid user calibrations options - you name it, the HC 1080UB is the target to beat this year for the mid-fi 1080p projector market.

Alternates: Panasonic PT-AX200U LCD ($1999) review; Epson Home Cinema 1080 ($2499) review

Carada Criterion Series Brilliant White

Price: $690 (92" HDTV screen)
When choosing a screen for your new cinema, it is important to keep a few things in mind.

• The size of the screen you can accommodate for your viewing position.
• The amount of throw distance the projector needs to fill the screen (the distance the projector needs to be mounted from the screen).

I would not exceed 120" diagonal for the screen given most projectors currently on the market in this budget. Another thing you will need to select is the screen material. If you have good light control, you may want to consider the following screen.

This is a pure white screen that will provide you with accurate high contrast images provided you can control light in the viewing room. It will also give you large viewing angles up to 45%. If you don't have a lot of light control, then I would recommend the use of the Cinema Vision. This is a white screen material that will give you very punchy colors, decent black levels, and will tolerate some ambient light in the room. The viewing angles will be reduced to about 38%. You also need to be aware that setting up a Front Projection system is more involved than simply placing a Rear projector or Plasma in your room. Running cables to the projector, putting in a 110 volt outlet near the projector, and installing the screen in your room will take time and patience. With a little help from the dealer you purchased it from and some help from a fellow movie watcher it should take no longer than a week end to install. You will be rewarded for your time and effort.

Alternates: Stewart Luxus Deluxe StudioTek 130 ($1683); Da-Lite Cinema Contour High Contrast Cinema Vision ($1100) review

The Receiver: Marantz SR7005

Retail Price: $1599
There are a lot of choices in this price category for AV receivers, however we had to give the nod to Marantz this go-around. The SR7005 sports 6 (count 'em) HDMI inputs and two outputs in addition to its ample 4 component inputs (with dual outputs). This beefy receiver has Audyssey's MultEQ and also handles HDMI 1.4a - including 3D, and Audio Return Channel. A Zone 2 remote is included and the receiver handles Deep Color and xvYCC as well. 110W x 7 means you'll be able to drive even the most inefficient speakers to ear-bleeding levels and to top it all off, they opted for THX Select2 certification. If you're shopping for an upgrade, and this fits your budget, you can rest assured that you're picking the right receiver.

Alternates: Yamaha RX-A1000; Harman Kardon AVR 3600 ($999); VSX-92TXH ($1300)

Best Alternative for Audiophile: The Emotiva MMC-1/LPA-1 Package

Price: $1148

If you really want to make your speakers sing and have a larger room demanding more power, we strongly recommend going with the new Emotiva Ultra Theater Series consisting of the MMC-1 A/V Processor and the LPA-1 7CH Power Amplifier. This package comes in at $1148 (no typo) around the same price as these receivers. It even comes with a 2x1 HDMI internal switcher supporting up to 1080p.

Blu-ray Player: Samsung BD-C6500 Wireless Network Player

Retail Price: $219
Now that Toshiba gave up the HD DVD ghost, we're left with the available Blu-ray choices as practical forward-thinking high definition DVD recommendations. BD-Live )Profile 2) issues aside, if you want a player now, then the third-generation Samsung isn't a bad choice as these players go. Outputting 1080p/24/60, the BD-P1400 handles all the latest lossless audio formats and 24p support means that you'll be able to view films as they were intended (and mastered) when paired with a compatible display.

Alternates: Oppo BDP-83 Universal Player ($499)

If you want to save some money, consider the Oppo BDP-80 Universal Blu-ray player ($289)

Speakers: Klipsch RF-82 Home Theater System

Price: $3674 (5.1 system)
Speakers are the most subjective part of a Home Cinema system! This single subject draws more praise and criticism than any other in our hobby. There are many variables for placing speakers in your new Cinema and many options. All I can do is help steer you toward a product that I believe offers the most bang for your buck based on these key factors:

• Will the speakers provide me and my guests with WOW effect?
• Will the speakers exceed my expectations regardless of price?
• System Synergy: are the speakers tonally the same, do they blend well and will they work well with the rest of the system? Will they be easy to install and do they have placement flexibility.
• Dynamics: are the speakers capable of delivering bone jarring heart thumping sound one moment and subtle whispers the next moment?
• Build quality: do the speakers look good and is the fit and finish refined?
• Can I display the speakers in open spaces and will they look impressive?

With its exceptional combination of sound and style, this powerful and dynamic Klipsch setup is a must-have for any home.  Consisting of a pair of RF-82 floorstanding loudspeakers, an RC-62 center channel, a pair of RS-52 surround speakers and an RSW-10d, this recommended system captures the true essence of today's demanding soundtracks.

RF-82 Towers	RS-52 Surrounds	RC-62 Center	RSW-10D Subwoofer
33Hz-23kHz +/-3dB	62Hz-23kHz +/-3dB	57Hz-23kHz +/-3dB	24Hz-120Hz +/-3dB
98 dB@2.83V/1m	95 dB@2.83V/1m	98 dB@2.83V/1m	114dB@30Hz 1/8 space, 1m
8 ohms	8 ohms	8 ohms	- -
150Wrms/600W peak	100Wrms/400W peak	150Wrms/600W peak	500Wrms/1200W peak
2x 8" Cerametallic woofers 1" Ti tweeter w/Tractrix horn	2x 5.25" Cerametallic woofers 2x 1" Ti tweeter w/Tractrix horn	2x 6.5" Cerametallic woofers 1" Ti tweeter w/Tractrix horn	10" Cerametallic woofer 10" Cerametallic passive radiator
Crossover: 2000 Hz	Crossover: 1700 Hz	Crossover: 1150 Hz, 1650 Hz
43.6" x 9.5" x 16.25"	13" x 12.6" x 8.5"	8" x 23.5" x 12.5"	13.75" x 12.75" x 17.5"
66 lbs	15 lbs	32 lbs	45 lbs
Cherry or Black ash woodgrain vinyl	Cherry or Black ash woodgrain vinyl	Cherry or Black ash woodgrain vinyl	Cherry or Black ash woodgrain vinyl
$549/ea	$389/ea	$499/ea	$1299/ea

This system perfectly matches aesthetically and we think it's an important factor to consider in a system of this caliber. If you've got the extra coin, opt for two subwoofers for the benefit of more headroom and better bass distribution across the entire listening area.

For more discriminating audiophile wanting to focus more of their budget on the loudspeaker system, or one that lives in an area of limited distribution for these speakers we recommend the following systems as an alternative.

Alternates: Atlantic Technology System 2400 ($2500); JBL Studio L Series L890 Tower ($699/ea); Pinnacle BD 1000 Tower Speakers ($649/ea)

Equipment & Product Recommendations - P2

The Seats: Berkline 090

Price: $2500 (for 3 chairs)
Your Cinema should be a relaxing place. You, your family, and your guests will have to sit in one spot for two or more hours when viewing a movie. With this in mind, you better have a comfortable place to sit during the movie; and, hey, a place to put your drink would be nice, so you don't have to hold it for two or more hours. Taking this into consideration, we need to find a chair that will be comfortable, provide that WOW effect, and fit in our budget. Here is a chair that will give you instant WOW effect even before you turn on your new Cinema. It will build excitement and set the mood and atmosphere for viewing in your new Cinema. Berkline 090 Leather Match (everything that touches you is leather, sides and back are vinyl) with Auto Recline. These chairs are very comfortable. They look cool, have cup holders, and they have electric recline to provide you with that all important WOW effect. These chairs only need 4" of wall clearance so they are very flexible for placement.

Power Conditioner/Surge Suppressor: APC AV C5 10-outlet

Price: $129.99
We recommend some kind of protection for your electronics. Tripp Lite is well-known for their excellent power protection products and this unit in particular presents a tremendous value in comparison to other name brand power conditioners that cost twice as much for essentially the same thing.

Alternate: APC H10 Power Conditioner/Voltage Regulator ($299)

Tools: Avia Guide to Home Theater

Price: $50
This is a must have tool and will teach you how to set up your system correctly and how to do a first time calibration on your system. It is very easy to use and covers all the basics. For more advanced calibration or to get your system performing at its absolute best you'll need measurement equipment you can't buy at your local hardware store. For that kind of tweaking we recommend finding an ISF-certified technician or installer in your area to come out and do a full calibration on your most commonly used video inputs.

Alternate: Digital Video Essentials ($16-21)

Tools: Radio Shack Analogue SPL Meter (Cat# 33-4050)

Price: $40
This is another must have and will allow you to calibrate your system's speaker levels.It's easy to use and its use is covered in Avia Guide to Home Theater.

Interconnect Cables and Wiring

Here is another product category that will garner lots of praise or criticism. We are not going to recommend exotic cables for this system. We are looking for the best Bang for the Buck to meet our budget and performance goal. We want cables that are well-shielded to prevent RF ingress and we want our cables to be flexible and reliable as well as solidly constructed so that they can be connected and reconnected without fear of wearing out or becoming unreliable. We want all this and we don't want to pay a lot for them.

Blue Jeans Cable represents one of the best deals on the market for A/V cables (and they feature some of the best customer service in the industry.) Their products are derived from Belden (one of the largest cable manufacturers in the world) and are time tested and built on proven designs based on valid science and engineering practices. They use Canare terminations which are some of the highest quality and ergonomically friendly on the market.

• 1 set of 6CH 1 meter analog interconnects (Belden 1505F with Canare RCA Plugs) - $75
• 1 Belden 1694A 1 meter digital coax cable - $12
• 1 Canare LV-77S: 5 meter subwoofer cable - $25
• 1 single male to 2-female Y-adapter - $2
• 1 Belden 7710A: 7.5 meter component video cable - $96

*Note: Your component video cable may need to be longer or shorter depending on where the audio rack and the projector are located. Other cables may be necessary to terminate existing audio/video components such as VCR's, Tivo's, and HDTV receivers.

Speaker Cables

For this budget system we recommend two (2) 12AWG 100' rolls of Sound King (Part# 100-155) 12 Gauge High Strand count OFC speaker wire. Cost is just $72. Feel free to review our DIY Speaker Cable article for more information on how to build your own quality speaker cables and terminations.

Total System Price: $11,993 (including cables)

A good shopper can certainly manage to take at least another 10-15% off the MSRP prices we have listed here. This will put you well under the $12,000 budget and you now have a completed Home Cinema that will rival other mega systems and will WOW you, your family, and your friends! You also have a cinema system that the average "Joe 6-pack" will not have in his living room. As always you can invest a little more money when your budget allows. You can add a second subwoofer, invest in some acoustical panels for your room or purchase a nice 5 channel amp and use the receiver as a preamp. However, right now you have a killer system that will thrill you! The only thing left to do is figure out how much you are going to charge for admission on movie night!

Enjoy!