Martinparel -- If I had only $10K (which is NOT chunk change by the way) to spend on an entire Home Theater system, here's the way I would go about it.
Speaker System -- Vandersteen (Get the 2Ce's (not the Signatures, but the standard 2Ce's) for around $1,300.00, the VCC-1 for about $850.00, and the VSM-1's for about $700.00 for the entire pair. I am also going to include the Vandersteen 2WQ Powered Subwoofer here, but only as an option. The reason I say this is because the Vandersteen 2Ce's seem to go down pretty low all by themselves (to about the mid-to-upper 20's in terms of Hz.), and depending on the size of your room, that may negate the need for a subwoofer. Try this combination without the subwoofer first and see what you think. Get the 2WQ only if you must need it. The Vandersteen 2QW lists for $1,250.00). The reason I went with Vandersteen in this system just like Sdcampbell did was while you can get other HT Speaker Systems out there that does the same thing that this Vandersteen setup does, they're also going to cost you more money. A lot more money as a matter of fact. The Vandersteen system offers a lot of great sound and performance for the money. Otherwise, I would ask that you would look into a setup that I have picked out in lieu of putting together a [hypothetical] $20K Home Theater system in "Yahoo's" High-End Home Theater Club (PSB Stratus Mini's -- $1,150.00/Pr (x2). + PSB C6L -- $900.00 + Velodyne HGS-18 Powered Subwoofers -- $3,000.00 each...... $6000.00 for the pair). But that setup is too expensive for this system, and that's why I elected to go with Vandersteen instead.
Power Amplifier -- Rotel RMB-1075 (120 Watts Per Channel X 5) -- $1,200.00 to $1,300.00.
Surround Sound Processor -- Rotel RSP-985 (Dolby Pro-Logic, Dolby Digital, DTS and THX) -- $1,000.00 to $1,200.00.
DVD Player -- Pioneer Elite DV-37 (again, until I have talked with "Sdcampbell", I would not have even looked at this player. After talking with him and then actually auditioning this player at a local high-end A/V dealer, I have come to love this player and now, it is at the top of my shortlist. Was going to consider either a Pioneer Elite DV-09 or a Sony DVP-S7700 at a closeout sale before checking out the Pioneer DV-37. I am a month away from getting mine) -- $1,000.00 (MSRP), but you can get it from about $650.00 to about $800.00. If you have some extra loot burning a hole in your pocket or some extra room on your Visa or Mastercard, check out the Pioneer Elite DV-38A (about $1,800.00) as well. If I am spending more than $15K on a home theater system, this would be the player I would go for. It is included on my hypothetical $20K system on "Yahoo". In my (MUCH) more modest system, the Pioneer Elite DV-37 is a better match. And have I mentioned that the DV-37 has progressive scan capability??
TV -- Sony KV-36XBR400 Direct-View TV -- $2,700.00. For a $10K home theater system, I think think that a high quality direct-view TV is the way to go in my opinion. This TV gives you the best of both worlds. It gives you the best that analog TV has to offer to you right now, and when you are ready for HDTV, just go out and buy an external HDTV decoder, and you are set. HDTV or HDTV-ready RPTV's start at $3,500.00 and go up from there. Anything below $3,500.00, and you might as well consider a "Direct-View" set.
That would be the way I would go right now. What do any of you think??
--Charles--
Speaker System -- Vandersteen (Get the 2Ce's (not the Signatures, but the standard 2Ce's) for around $1,300.00, the VCC-1 for about $850.00, and the VSM-1's for about $700.00 for the entire pair. I am also going to include the Vandersteen 2WQ Powered Subwoofer here, but only as an option. The reason I say this is because the Vandersteen 2Ce's seem to go down pretty low all by themselves (to about the mid-to-upper 20's in terms of Hz.), and depending on the size of your room, that may negate the need for a subwoofer. Try this combination without the subwoofer first and see what you think. Get the 2WQ only if you must need it. The Vandersteen 2QW lists for $1,250.00). The reason I went with Vandersteen in this system just like Sdcampbell did was while you can get other HT Speaker Systems out there that does the same thing that this Vandersteen setup does, they're also going to cost you more money. A lot more money as a matter of fact. The Vandersteen system offers a lot of great sound and performance for the money. Otherwise, I would ask that you would look into a setup that I have picked out in lieu of putting together a [hypothetical] $20K Home Theater system in "Yahoo's" High-End Home Theater Club (PSB Stratus Mini's -- $1,150.00/Pr (x2). + PSB C6L -- $900.00 + Velodyne HGS-18 Powered Subwoofers -- $3,000.00 each...... $6000.00 for the pair). But that setup is too expensive for this system, and that's why I elected to go with Vandersteen instead.
Power Amplifier -- Rotel RMB-1075 (120 Watts Per Channel X 5) -- $1,200.00 to $1,300.00.
Surround Sound Processor -- Rotel RSP-985 (Dolby Pro-Logic, Dolby Digital, DTS and THX) -- $1,000.00 to $1,200.00.
DVD Player -- Pioneer Elite DV-37 (again, until I have talked with "Sdcampbell", I would not have even looked at this player. After talking with him and then actually auditioning this player at a local high-end A/V dealer, I have come to love this player and now, it is at the top of my shortlist. Was going to consider either a Pioneer Elite DV-09 or a Sony DVP-S7700 at a closeout sale before checking out the Pioneer DV-37. I am a month away from getting mine) -- $1,000.00 (MSRP), but you can get it from about $650.00 to about $800.00. If you have some extra loot burning a hole in your pocket or some extra room on your Visa or Mastercard, check out the Pioneer Elite DV-38A (about $1,800.00) as well. If I am spending more than $15K on a home theater system, this would be the player I would go for. It is included on my hypothetical $20K system on "Yahoo". In my (MUCH) more modest system, the Pioneer Elite DV-37 is a better match. And have I mentioned that the DV-37 has progressive scan capability??
TV -- Sony KV-36XBR400 Direct-View TV -- $2,700.00. For a $10K home theater system, I think think that a high quality direct-view TV is the way to go in my opinion. This TV gives you the best of both worlds. It gives you the best that analog TV has to offer to you right now, and when you are ready for HDTV, just go out and buy an external HDTV decoder, and you are set. HDTV or HDTV-ready RPTV's start at $3,500.00 and go up from there. Anything below $3,500.00, and you might as well consider a "Direct-View" set.
That would be the way I would go right now. What do any of you think??
--Charles--