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Here is another way to go

AVR - Yamaha RX-V381 $200

Speakers - Yamaha NS-SP1800 $150 - 5.1 speaker set is a one stop shop for a 5.1 setup. Will they sound great...no but they will get you up and running straight away. The small size is good for smaller spaces.

Not the best setup but if you wanted a quick and easy setup this could be the way to go.

An alternative would be the Pioneer ctfrommn linked paired with this Dayton 10" bundle $220. That would get you a better sub.

It's a little rough around the edges as far as cabling goes, but I'm not 100% set on where my gear is going to go. For now its on a bookshelf opposite the screen. Once I use the room a bit and get a feel for things I'll move the outlet closer to the projector and fish a HDMI cable through the wall/ceiling instead of going across the ceiling.

Edit:
Equipment List:



Equipment| Model
---|---
Projector | Optoma HD26
Screen | Elite Screens 135" Sable Frame
Mount | Cheetah APMEB Universal Mount
Receiver | Yamaha RX-V375
Speakers | Yamaha NS-SP1800BL

I can't speak about the quality of the Z-906 as I have never heard them directly. Also, for $400, I don't think it is a complete terrible deal. They will do the job I described, even including accepting Dolby Digital live via digital coaxial/optical signal.

That said, they are the successors to the Z-5500 system that I have yeeears of experience with, and I don't think they've really significantly improved things over the Z-5500; from my perspective, they look almost identical with regard to speaker drivers and enclosures. They've just given it a face lift.

For reference, I have taken apart my Z-5500 satellites after I finished using them just to have a look inside and I found the exact speakers they used for that model, and it appears as well as the Z-906. I give you the Tang Band W3-593SF 3" full-range driver -- Logitech really broke the bank on some quality drivers, eh? This particular speaker has NO business attempting to reproduce any sound below 150hz (in real world conditions) and really nothing above 6-7kHz... which is fine as a dedicated mid-range, but not a full-range as Logitech have employed it. The speaker will do 80hz (faintly) and above 6-7k (muddily), but it was never crisp and loud and immersive like I thought it could be. This was partially the amp and processor's fault, but there is a very good reason speakers come in 2 and 3 and even 4-way driver designs. All of my speakers are now 2-way, and the difference is night and day. Tweeters exist for a very good reason, and if you want sub 125-150hz bass reproduction, use at LEAST a 4-6.5" midbass driver. But then they wouldn't have tiny aesthetically pleasing satellite speakers. It's always a compromise in the world of audio, and there is no replacement for displacement.

Believe it or not, the satellites weren't my biggest gripe-- no... my biggest gripe by far is the subwoofer, the processor (brain box), and the amplifier.

The subwoofer would get loud in certain situations, but it never sounded good. It is not articulate. It cannot do quiet bass/low volume levels well. It does not do high bass for shit at all. The system as a whole only sounded "good" and "even," when listening at moderate-to-loud volumes. At low volumes, the sub was too loud and boomy and apart from the equivalent of a "bass (volume) knob" on the stock radio of a 1994 Ford Taurus (shit), you could not fine tune the subwoofer at all. This may be a fault of a crappy sub driver/enclosure design, and/or very easily a crappy amplifier design, and/or just lack of processing power to customize things, or probably all of the above...

The best I ever heard the Z-5500 was when I had it set up as a surround sound in my bedroom hooked up to a TV (no computer) with the subwoofer in a closet. Being that I wasn't so close to it, I normally had the volume up a fair bit, putting the speaker setup in it's "sweet spot" for the most part. Worked OK there, but after I moved, I am just using the TV speaker and not missing the Z-5500 at all.

You get the sound signature Logitech wanted you to have and very little customization ability. That's fine for some people. I bet there's lots of people out there with a Z-906 that just don't know any better, or care... But I know that $$ you'd spend on a Z-906 can get you MUCH better gear.

So to answer your question, yes, compared to MOST HTIBs with a proper AV-R, the Z-906 is garbage. That said, there are LOTS of garbage HTIBs out there, but at least you will have a proper AV-R that can either manually or automatically (with microphone) tune the system and you'll have dramatically better results.

Now as for the JBL speaker set you referred to, I do think that JBL is a good brand, but this particular unit is probably near the bottom-end of their lineup. It will almost certainly sound better than the Z-906 (because being coupled with a proper AV-R), but if you look at this YT Video review of them, at 2m8s, you'll see that these satellites are a single driver speaker design as well. It will share some of the same inherent shortcomings as the Z-906 satellites.

The Boston Acoustics XS 5.1 I have the same criticisms about, EXCEPT their satellites are at least 2-way coaxial design. They're almost certainly better because of this alone, but the wonky shape of the satellite speakers make me think it would be a PITA to mount and or look right on the R3v.

The Mission M3 I know very little about, but I've heard some good buzz about the brand. I would again say no to these because of the satellites. Single, flat-pistoned driver they're attempting to use as a full-range. No bueno. This review from "What Hi-Fi" supports my opinion in the form of their headlining item in the "against" column.

With regard to the front LR + Center, you don't have to be too terribly concerned for ultra tiny size. As you can see from my setup, I have comfortably and securely affixed moderately sized bookshelf speakers and it looks good. The rears are really the only one where you need to be concerned with small size. And for those you don't really need a 2-way speaker design; that's just optimal.

Here are a few I would recommend (though I don't have first hand experience with them):

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-NS-SP1800BL-5-1-Channel-Theater-Speaker/dp/B001AVRD62 (decent brand, small size, good price)

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-108247-5-1-Channel-Theater-Speaker/dp/B007YLQUWK (well rated, small size, excellent price)

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-NS-P40BL-Speaker-Package-Black/dp/B00CN45XHG (better than the other Yamaha, good price)

https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-HDT-600-Home-Theater-System/dp/B008CMVY7Q (better than any of the previous suggestions)

I'm personally partial to Pioneer, Denon and Onkyo AV-Rs. Plenty of other ones out there will fit the bill, but I've personally used all of these brand AV-Rs and have consistently been happy with them.

Mind that if it don't work out for your R3v, you can re-purpose it as a nice home theater somewhere else, or sell it. Being that it is far more versatile than the Z-906, it would be easier to sell too.

Im not OP but I am super intrigued by this combo setup(particularly the speakers). I am currently using Yamaha 5.1 Satellite speakers in 5.1 setup. The ones below are the ones I have. I am using them on speaker stands and while they sound great im looking to upgrade soon. I have a 700Watt Denon S530 5.1 receiver . Are the fluances Hi-Fi or no? Would they go well with my receiver? Would mostly be used for gaming on an Xbox One X and PS4 Pro and watching movies/4k blue rays.

Yamaha NS-SP1800BL 5.1-Channel Home Theater Speaker System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AVRD62/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_zldRAbEFBVJVF

Those two things are the exact receiver and sub that came with the HTiB I linked earlier. Plus for cheaper then the price of buying them separate you get a set of surround speakers. I admit the speakers are not going to be the best in the world, but they fit the OPs price range and should be good enough for what they will be used for.

I 100% agree that the speaker cable that comes with that system is crap, but that is one of the cheapest components to replace.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I was always under the impression that as long as a speaker sounded good above the crossover frequency they are fine if used with a sub; Since we don't hear low frequencies directionally.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond. For now I've been doing a little websearch and this speakers caught my eye:

Yamaha NS SP1800BL

But those require a receiver, and since I'm new to this I was not aware receivers cost a lot (for my budget)... any cheaper receiver that I could pair with those?

Sorry for all the questions :(

>What if I were to just buy some cheap speakers like these?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001AVRD62/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527366064&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65




Nope. The drivers are too small to produce any meaningful output. That sub says you can hang it on a wall for God's sakes. Pure junk and a waste of money. Leave out the sub for now as any decent one will cost you at least the price of that whole setup and get something like this instead to start. Not much more money and a recommended speaker package on AVS forums for the budget minded. Later you can budget in a Dayton or BIC subwoofer preferably with a 12 inch driver and you're all set.

Features of that Yamaha package

2-way satellite speakers with 2.5 inches woofer & 1/2 inch tweeter. Impedance: 6 ohmsDual 2.5 inch woofers and 1/2 inch dome tweeterMagnetic shielding (all speakers),Connector: Type Spring Clip8" 100W cube-type high power subwoofer, Wall hanging capability

What if I were to just buy some cheap speakers like these?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001AVRD62/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527366064&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65

u/sonic30101 u/GbMaxSE u/MMfuryroad

IT's... Technics? It's from over a decade ago with a stereo system that still has magnetic tape player. Model SB-CH555

The soundbar upstairs is a POS but I got it on black friday a few years ago for peanuts.

I was looking at this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AVRD62/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Maybe that's no good though.

Thanks!

Ok, now I'm leaning back towards the Dayton Pro, but possibly upgraded to the 10" sub... which would still save me something like $40 over the Polk since it doesn't come with wire and Newegg charges tax... haha...

How do I tell what's proper gauge? I didn't see anything under the descriptions of the set...

Also, I swear this is my last inquiry on a set... is this set as inferior to the other two I'm considering as the price would suggest?

Oh, and I just realized... both the Dayton Pro and Polk have 5 year warranties on their speakers... but the Dayton has only a 1 year warranty on the sub, while Polk's is 3 years... how significant do you think that is?

You're a boss... thanks for the help again.

I just got these speakers and this receiver. I knew absolutely nothing going into this but somehow managed to set everything up. If you have any amount of tech savvyness at all, you can figure it out. They are a great price and I've loved them so far! I played a few games of Halo with them turned up pretty high and it was the coolest thing ever! I would recommend these as they are a great entry level system and very affordable (compared to the others!).

I didn't know what I was doing at first and ended up getting the speakers and receiver at different times and places. This looks like a combo of my speakers and receiver, but it'll save you a hundred dollars or so. I would not go with a soundbar if I were you. Just go ahead and get a full system.

Edit: Also, with this particular receiver you get a microphone that automatically calibrates all the speakers based on their position once you get it all plugged in. As I knew nothing about this kind of stuff, it made everything real nice and easy.

??? I use this receiver and these speakers, what would you suggest that I upgrade to?

try r/budgetaudiophile or just type 5.1 surround sound system into Amazon and pick out what fits in your budget. You post in a home theater subreddit saying you don't care about how it sounds but get pissed off when nobody is actually willing to recommend cheap crap? I don't get it

Edit: Yamaha NS-SP1800BL 5.1-Channel Home Theater Speaker System buy this and the Denon AVR-S510BT I linked above and enjoy the terrible sound quality until you come back looking for something that isn't a complete waste of your money

Also... how horrible is this set?

I'm willing to go this much and have 5.1 that's adequate while I build up a bank to replace pairs with higher quality.