Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Which Home Theater System Should I Get From Best Buy?

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Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 11-15-2005, 08:08 PM:

So I bought the mp3 player I wanted at Best Buy. It was the Philips HDD6330/17. I was really pumped to get this thing and put all my music on it. When I took it out of the package and turned it on in the Best Buy parking lot, it froze. That was the beginning of the end for it. To make a very long story short, (see here for the whole story. I am user whale13) after contacting tech support three times I took it back. It has only been out a month and I think I will wait for them to work out the kinks first.

Anyhow, I have a bunch of money on Best Buy gift cards now and we need a home theater system. Which one that they offer should I get? I want to stay under $750 or so for the speakers and receiver. I already have a nice DVD player so I don't want one of those. I don't need top of the line stuff since we will have a 35mm screening room downstairs although I want a middle of the road system if possible. Something that can decode DTS, Dolby Digital and has at least 5.1 sound.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-16-2005, 07:19 AM:

Phillips has a bad reputation for that sort of thing as well as short lived CD player components, mainly the laser section and they also discontinue semiconductor parts quite soon as well. Alot of high end stereo gear is junk yard stuff because they used Phillips CD transports in them.... Stay away from Phillips!

Mark

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 11-16-2005, 09:29 AM:

I actually bought a Phillps Home theater in a box about 4 years ago. It came with a receiver and 5 really cheap speakers and a sub. I think I paid all of $200.00 for it. The sound quality was ok and the surrounds were not even wall mountable. I may have just gotten lucky however, as the receiver itself is awsome. My plan was always to buy a cheap system and then replace the components one (or two at at time) and then eventually a new receiver. I replaced the two front speakers and surrounds with Sony speakers and the center channel with a Polk which I bought as an open box at ABC for a steal. It turns out that my so so sound quality was due to the old speakers because now my system rocks. I think I just lucked out on the reciever (as they stopped making that model soon after I bought it). It has both Dolby and DTS decoders, inputs for ten devices (VCR, DVD, CD etc.) and two coxial digital and two fiber optic inputs. And of course the unit has Pro-Logic.

At this point I dont really see a need to ever have to replace the receiver (though I still need a good sub). I wished it had some of the newer stuff like components inputs for HD or Pro-Logic II and a network input but I see no point in spending $500.00 more just for those options when my current reciever works so well.

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 11-17-2005, 03:30 PM:

Next time you think that theatre's treat their employee's bad, just read the anti Best Buy employee comments here:

Best Buy Sucks

Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 11-22-2005, 12:14 AM:

Best Buy sucks. They will try to sell you what they WANT to sell you and talk down anything that has poor margin or very little mark up. Ever buy a computer there? They always push you towards Sony....HUGE mark-up.

As far as an amp and receiver, Best Buy doesnt offer much, but given a choice, I'd probably go with the Klipsch Sub Satellite system. JBL has some nice speakers, but Best Buy carries a small line, and the good stuff will put you over $750. As far as amps go, the only thing they have at Best Buy worth buying would be Yamaha. Everything else THEY have is crap.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-26-2005, 09:52 AM:

I have not had any troubles at Best Buy(but have had big troubles with Ultimate Electronics) with them selling me what they want to sell. Hardly the case at Best Buy, in fact the last TV I bought there I took the floor sample and saved another 200.00 off the price tag.... I coulda had a brand new set in a box but it was my choice... BUT, I would keep a place like Best Buy strictly for purchasing that TV, Camcorder, or Digital Cacmera. If you're buying Stereo gear go to a Stereo Shop, pay a little more but go away alot happier. I wouldn't consider buying any stereo gear excepting a cheapo Walkman from any of the discount chains. As for the Klipsch and JBL home stuff... you can do ALOT better than those with other brands such as the inexpensive Dynaudio line at a good Stereo Place.... Those mentioned above are all mid-fi speakers anyway.

As for Phillips, the problem with them is not how their products perform... its that they are famouns, like Analog Devices, for discontinuing parts....some of them major parts, not long after a product hits the market...... so good luck getting your stereo in a box fixed a year from now. Unfortunately today that sort of stuff is consididered throw-away by the manufacturers.

Mark