When I first started, I hadn't planned on building my home theater system as quickly as I did. But as I did my research and pricing I found some deals too good to pass up. So, I ended up getting my home theater system put together quicker than expected!
The key to building a quality home theater on a budget is finding deals and getting items on sale and re-using existing components when possible. And you'll have to be patient. It can take weeks or even months to come across great deals on good equipment. By far the best time of year to find great deals is the holiday shopping season, which normally begins the day after Thanksgiving. And that is when I began.
My 7.1 home theater system consists of:
Sony WEGA 50" LCD HDTV (KDF50E2000)
Pioneer 700W 7.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver (VSX-516-K)
Polk Audio Monitor 50 2-Way Floor-standing Speakers
Polk Audio CSi3 Center Channel Speaker
Polk Audio PSW10 Monitor Series Powered Subwoofer
Atlantic Technology Bi-pole Surround Speakers
Toshiba Progressive Scan DVD player
Re-use existing components when possible
I had several components left over from my previous Dolby Surround system that I felt would integrate well into my new home theater system - The Toshiba DVD player, the Atlantic Technology surround speakers (2), and the Comcast DVR/HD tuner (which is part of my cable subscription). However, these components could be easily obtained for under $200.
I utilized speakers from a previous audio system as my surround sound speakers. They do the job quite well, but they don't totally match the timbre of the front speakers. I am considering re-assigning the Polk Audio R15's currently in use in my computer audio system to back surround speaker duty (in place of the Akai's) to see how well they match up. I picked up the R15's online for a great deal!
Deals Deals Deals
Deals are the name of the game when putting together your home theater system on a budget. You can easily save hundreds of dollars by shopping sales and special promotions. But you'll have to be flexible, both in time and in component choice. Instead of focusing in on particular brands or models, make a list of features you require, then keep an eye out on the various deal sites on the Internet.
Research your components
Once you've come across a good deal, do your research! When researching your gear, the main things you should look for are price comparison, quality, and compatibility. Search Google to find manuals and technical details, and read user reviews on Amazon.com if available. Customer feedback is a great way to determine the overall quality of any component you are looking to buy.
Here's how I acquired my new components:
I purchased my HDTV on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) from Circuit City for around 40% off the regular price! I had researched the deals and had several TVs in mind, knowing one or the other may be out of stock by the time I got there. Total Savings: $700+
My AV receiver was purchased from Best Buy during a special promotion offering a 50% mail in rebate! I picked up the receiver in-store to save on shipping. Total Savings: $100
My front complement of Polk Audio speakers (left, center, right) was purchased from Amazon.com, where I got several big time price breaks. First, I signed up for a free trial of Amazon's "Amazon Prime" feature that offers free 2nd day shipping on select items. This saved me almost one hundred dollars in shipping alone! Second, I took advantage of a special Polk Audio promotion that landed me a powered subwoofer at no cost! Total Savings: $300+
I don't necessarily suggest buying speakers until you've actually auditioned them in person. I was able to listen to my Polk Audio speakers at the local Circuit City before buying them online.
Conclusion
Using this method of shopping deals and promotions may take extra weeks or months to gather all of your gear, but in the end you will save a lot of money and have a great sounding system. In the end, I saved over $1,100 on my system and ended up with some pretty decent gear! My home theater looks and sounds terrific!
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