By "HTIB" I mean all the lower-mid end plastic enclosed systems by LG, Samsung, Sony, etc. Some stand out from the herd like the Sony that I posted, and others are a great value for the price point like the Vizio. In my experience the BOSE Cinemate sounds better than a lot of these systems and seems to have a better build quality and sound less hollow or tinny.
I totally missed the part were the OP had a $500 budget. In that case I would also recommend a basic receiver and a pair of bookshelf speakers. Or check out the ZVOX 555 or 580. Simple setup, compact, good mid range and on budget.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cman333
You just praised BOSE but said HTIB are crap. What is BOSE most known for? HTIB.
This is exactly why "Audiophiles" dislike Bose. They make crappy stuff and make it look nice and easy to use. Their home theatre towers are garbage. Sound flat, lack mid range/bass, and have no presence in comparison to many others on the market.
And OP's budget is $500. Good luck with any bose system at that price (Sound dock?)
Personally I would just go with some bookshelf speakers, a reciever, and eventually add a sub. Satellite speakers never did anything for me. Especially for music, you miss alllllllllllllllllllllll the mid range and vocals always lack depth. Better off spending it on one good pair of speakers. On craigslist there was a set of Focal Electra's selling for $300 (2k retail), someone snagged them up before me  |