Any home theater/audio folks on here?

[Horitexan]

I'm wondering if there are any home audio/theater retailers or installers on the GS - especially (but not necessarily) in the SA area? We're building a new home and I have a BUNCH of questions about rigging up speakers for the living room, kitchen, master bedroom and future media room.

If you're in a position to offer advice or bid on installing some audio/video stuff, shoot me a PM, please. We're about 1 hour west of SA.

1. What's a good brand and model of wall/ceiling speaker that won't totally break the bank?

2. Can I build a good system by mixing and matching brands? Like, buying a really good receiver (not sure what the components are called these days) and using a cheaper speaker, that I can upgrade later?

3. Is it better to wire in the speakers or are wireless speakers just as good? If wiring is better, is it really worth using something like Monster cable - or is standard cable plenty good?

5. Will a receiver allow me to select which speakers I want to turn on/off at any given time? Our living room and kitchen are all one big room. So, if I have a surround sound system in the living room, around the TV, and a couple of speakers in the kitchen, can I select to run music just in the kitchen or just in the living room depending on what we're doing? Or, do I need to set up separate systems for each living area?

Sorry for all the questions but I don't have a clue (obviously) about how all this works and it'd SURE be a lot easier to install all this stuff while the walls are still open. Can anyone help a brother out??

[elkbowhunter]

ha!! was just thinking of this today....Following.

[Horitexan]

ha!! was just thinking of this today....Following.

Dude, this is NOT fair! You're going to learn from ALL my mistakes! LOL! Wish you were ahead of my so I could benefit from all YOUR questions! LMAO! Hopefully there'll be some audio/videophiles on here to help us out.

Another thing I'm wondering about is what special things I'll need to do/consider since we'll have stained concrete floors and a vaulted ceiling. I know that's going to create an echo and I'm not sure what all (if anything) I can do to compensate?

[Fordman]

1. I really like my Infinity speakers.

2. Yes

3. Wiring is better and yes get the monster

4. Why is there no #4

5. Not all receivers will do this but the better ones will.

[elkbowhunter]

Dude, this is NOT fair! You're going to learn from ALL my mistakes! LOL! Wish you were ahead of my so I could benefit from all YOUR questions! LMAO! Hopefully there'll be some audio/videophiles on here to help us out.

Another thing I'm wondering about is what special things I'll need to do/consider since we'll have stained concrete floors and a vaulted ceiling. I know that's going to create an echo and I'm not sure what all (if anything) I can do to compensate?

ha!! Ive been praying for wisdom and guess what... its YOU.

[visdata]

1. What's a good brand and model of wall/ceiling speaker that won't totally break the bank? in wall klipsch are ok but mounted will be way better- orb makes a good mounted speaker.

2. Can I build a good system by mixing and matching brands? Like, buying a really good receiver (not sure what the components are called these days) and using a cheaper speaker, that I can upgrade later? yes you can mix and match but only if the receiver or other components are needed because you will then need a remote that can learn instead of one remote. you could use cheaper speakers than the system but why?

3. Is it better to wire in the speakers or are wireless speakers just as good? If wiring is better, is it really worth using something like Monster cable - or is standard cable plenty good? buy decent wires but if you use monster (or anything thicker than 16 guage) you will need terminal connectors as the receiver might not accept thick guage wires. Wireless speakers are good but definately not better than wired.

5. Will a receiver allow me to select which speakers I want to turn on/off at any given time? Our living room and kitchen are all one big room. So, if I have a surround sound system in the living room, around the TV, and a couple of speakers in the kitchen, can I select to run music just in the kitchen or just in the living room depending on what we're doing? Or, do I need to set up separate systems for each living area? you can use a lower end receiver and sacrifice 7.1 sound in the main room to run in another room at the same time or buy a higher end multi zone receiver.

[Speedgoat]

I was the Senior tech at Mesa Home Systems before I left. I had my own business before going to active duty. I could help you wire anything you want. Prewire is the best option. Wire for everything, even if you may not use it. You dont have to finish it out. I wire alarm systems ant networking too. I have references. I have wired multi million dollar homes.

[BuckRage]

First and foremost...what's your budget?

[SHSUBearkat]

I had this same problem before I just recenty set up my media room. I had Best Buy come out to do a free consultation, and let them tell me everything I was going to need for my room. Of course everything they offered was over priced, so i went to Amazon to order most, and got the rest from there on sale. Then I had them come do the install for me.

[Sticks&Strings]

I had this same problem before I just recenty set up my media room. I had Best Buy come out to do a free consultation, and let them tell me everything I was going to need for my room. Of course everything they offered was over priced, so i went to Amazon to order most, and got the rest from there on sale. Then I had them come do the install for me.

Do this. Use their Magnolia room guys. Also look into dolby atmos. It's the newest technology out there. Buy a good high end reciever. One that does wifi. There is a system and I can't recall the name but it allows integration of your phone to control it. I highly recommend it if you are going to zone the entire house. Also, build a media closet with an ac duct into it for the heat of the components. And pre wire things you may never use. I will prewar for an outdoor projector on my next house for night time football games outside. Definitely cut on speaker quality if you have to cut anywhere. Easy to replace later.

[Horitexan]

Thanks for the info, guys! I don't really have a "budget", per se. I'm looking for upper-mid range speakers for the walls/ceilings because they're a lot easier to install while we're framing. As for they "system" I'll use, I wanted to wait until the end of the build - to see what I really want to spend at that point. I figured, the (living room) system itself can be swapped out at any time because it's not integrally wired into the house itself. I probably don't want to spend more than $1500 for wall/ceiling mounted speakers for the living room, kitchen and bedroom. I'll add to that, for the system itself and floor speakers/subwoofer.

I've been looking at the Dolby Atmos systems but some of those, to me, would be "breaking the bank." I just can't justify spending $3K for an amplifier. I can afford it, but can't justify it in my mind. I probably need to be 'sold' on it by someone that can explain the advantages of such an expensive system. All the years of shooting and hundreds and hundreds of concerts I worked (when younger) have damaged my hearing enough that I can't hear many of the fine nuances that audiophiles can hear. So, I'm not sure I would benefit from some of the ultra high-end systems/speakers. I just want to have really nice sound in the house - not something that blows an audiophile away.

I was the Senior tech at Mesa Home Systems before I left. I had my own business before going to active duty. I could help you wire anything you want. Prewire is the best option. Wire for everything, even if you may not use it. You dont have to finish it out. I wire alarm systems ant networking too. I have references. I have wired multi million dollar homes.

Sending you a PM

[Horitexan]

I had this same problem before I just recenty set up my media room. I had Best Buy come out to do a free consultation, and let them tell me everything I was going to need for my room. Of course everything they offered was over priced, so i went to Amazon to order most, and got the rest from there on sale. Then I had them come do the install for me.

That's a great idea! I'm going to talk to SpeedGoat first, because I like keeping my money 'in the family' if I can. If that doesn't work out, I'll try Best Buy or an independent company. I was hoping someone on the GS would be located in SA and doing this sort of work for a living - so I could hire them for a consultation and a bid.

[9452772]

Contact Bjorn's in San Antonio. I have using them for 25 years now. They know there stuff.

[DosToros]

Take a look at this site. You can buy stuff individually or buy a package. They will teach you how to install it yourself. This is the budget option. It would be much easier to have someone local do it but probably 3-4x's the cost. There are advantages each way. I installed my own system at my house.

I can't post a link cause I don't post enough but it is the home-technology-store .com. Just google it....

[nck]

I'm wondering if there are any home audio/theater retailers or installers on the GS - especially (but not necessarily) in the SA area? We're building a new home and I have a BUNCH of questions about rigging up speakers for the living room, kitchen, master bedroom and future media room.

If you're in a position to offer advice or bid on installing some audio/video stuff, shoot me a PM, please. We're about 1 hour west of SA.

1. What's a good brand and model of wall/ceiling speaker that won't totally break the bank?

www.monoprice.com has good speakers of different shapes that work great and won't hurt you.

2. Can I build a good system by mixing and matching brands? Like, buying a really good receiver (not sure what the components are called these days) and using a cheaper speaker, that I can upgrade later?

I personally went to newegg.com and researched an Oynko brand complete home theater system that works so good. i can plug in TV, sat, roku, plug it into my network and use phone to control it from apps.

3. Is it better to wire in the speakers or are wireless speakers just as good? If wiring is better, is it really worth using something like Monster cable - or is standard cable plenty good?

If you are building new, wire that stuff up. you don't want to deal with changing batteries and signal issues. You do not need high dollar cable for speakers. www.monoprice.com has great deals on wire, wall outlets for speakers etc.

There are videos and articles proving you don't need a high dollar wires. also use monprice.com for HDMI cables.

If you are networking your house with cat6 ( i hope so) make some connections where your receiver will sit. plan everything out before wiring.
5. Will a receiver allow me to select which speakers I want to turn on/off at any given time? Our living room and kitchen are all one big room. So, if I have a surround sound system in the living room, around the TV, and a couple of speakers in the kitchen, can I select to run music just in the kitchen or just in the living room depending on what we're doing? Or, do I need to set up separate systems for each living area?

I would have to research that more. I bet you could set zones.

Sorry for all the questions but I don't have a clue (obviously) about how all this works and it'd SURE be a lot easier to install all this stuff while the walls are still open. Can anyone help a brother out??

1. What's a good brand and model of wall/ceiling speaker that won't totally break the bank?

www.monoprice.com has good speakers of different shapes that work great and won't hurt you.

2. Can I build a good system by mixing and matching brands? Like, buying a really good receiver (not sure what the components are called these days) and using a cheaper speaker, that I can upgrade later?

I personally went to newegg.com and researched an Oynko brand complete home theater system that works so good. i can plug in TV, sat, roku, plug it into my network and use phone to control it from apps.

3. Is it better to wire in the speakers or are wireless speakers just as good? If wiring is better, is it really worth using something like Monster cable - or is standard cable plenty good?

If you are building new, wire that stuff up. you don't want to deal with changing batteries and signal issues. You do not need high dollar cable for speakers. www.monoprice.com has great deals on wire, wall outlets for speakers etc.

There are videos and articles proving you don't need a high dollar wires. also use monprice.com for HDMI cables.

If you are networking your house with cat6 ( i hope so) make some connections where your receiver will sit. plan everything out before wiring.
5. Will a receiver allow me to select which speakers I want to turn on/off at any given time? Our living room and kitchen are all one big room. So, if I have a surround sound system in the living room, around the TV, and a couple of speakers in the kitchen, can I select to run music just in the kitchen or just in the living room depending on what we're doing? Or, do I need to set up separate systems for each living area?

I would have to research that more. I bet you could set zones.