Question on what surround sound system?

[N[E]rD]

My parents are remodeling there house and are gonna be buying a new entertainment center, are there any cheap but good ones. They are purchasing a plasma tv, so they want a comprible system. Any suggestions?

[shawners]

I gota great suggestion, I bought a RCA 650 watts system, that comes with five speakers, a big sub, and the reciever with alot of plug in.. for less then 299. I cant remember exact price, but type in the serial or model number you like at www.pricescan.com I paid no shipping and NO TAX!! got it 50 some dollars cheaper and with no tax and shipping, saved 80 dollars all together then i would of at bestbuy.

[Krell]

N[E]rD

If you tell me the amount that your parents will spend, and what size room you have, I will reverse engineer the logic in making a decision. This in no way debunks shawners excellent suggestion to go with the RCA, but I have done this for a long long time. I would rather explain a few simple but important reason to go with a setup, than to let your parents hear even ONE WORD from some lame assed sales guy at an electronics store.

Without your being more specific, I will assume that you mean, they need an Fm Reciever (built in amps, 5 - 6 channels and Pro Logic, THX, etc) and a DVD player, and speakers. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking . . . mmm < $1500. In my head I see a great mom & pop system, that will wow and dazzle them.

[DainBramaged]

If you look carefully and research a bit, some of the cheap(er) prepackaged Home Theater systems are actually a really good deal and deliver pretty good sound quality.

For me, and since my dad has them, I would recommend going with a Bose Acoustimass 6 speaker system. The full range of sound if reproduced very well, with clear dialogue and excellent, rich, but not overpowering bass (though it could be).

As far as receivers go, the Yamaha HTR-5560 is a good choice, though there are better out there. Watch for misleading marketing, however, especially in the power rating area. You're looking for a good (high) RMS, something other than 1khz (a range is good), and the lowest THD percentage you can get.

Good marketing: 600W total (100 x 6, 20hz - 20khz, 0.06% THD at 8 ohms)

Bad marketing: 600W (100 x 6, 1kz, 1% THD at 8 ohms)

DVD players is your call. Look for one that supports as many formats as possible at a reasonable price. Progressive scan will be a plus, since I'm sure the plasma TV will be HDTV ready.

[N[E]rD]

All good suggestions, and Krell I will get you the specs.