Thanks to rapid-fire developments in technology you can now get the equivalent of a “lean startup” in home video — a lean starter AV system. After doing extensive research and reading online reviews, I have arrived at what amounts to a bargain stereo system, leaving the extra speakers for true videophiles.
You still will have to add a TV if you want to complete this AV system but this is a solid starting point for audio- and videophiles that will set you back less than $600!
AV Receiver
My favorite AV receiver among the ones available today is the Onkyo TX-NR414 ($180), which can still be purchased at places like Accessories4less.com as a refurbished unit for $180, but you will have to act soon.
While the Onkyo TX-NR414 doesn’t have built-in Wi-Fi, which is the trend among AV gear, you can buy an Onkyo UWF-1 Wireless LAN Adapter ($27) to address that shortfall. The LAN adapter plugs into the front of the receiver’s USB port.
The TX-NR414 does have one feature that I consider key: built-in internet radio. No longer do you have to resort to an external Logitech Squeezebox to listen to internet radio, like the fantastic SomaFM Groove Salad.
You just can’t go wrong with the Onkyo TX-NR414 ($180+), it’s a great AV receiver that, when mated to an optional Wi-Fi adapter, can pump internet radio directly into your home audio system.
Onkyo rates the receiver at 130 watts per channel but that’s a bogus rating, given the wimpy parameters of 6 ohms with 1% THD driving just one channel. A more reasonable rating would be in the 70-80 watt range. However, this Onkyo does come with TI Burr-Brown 192 kHz/24-Bit DACs for all channels, which is a big audiophile plus (download PDF factsheet).
It also has six HDMI inputs and one output. While the Onkyo TX-NR414 is not AirPlay compatible, which I would have liked to see, it does, however, offer DNLA wireless capability for those with compatible gear.
For its $180 price, you just can’t beat the Onkyo TX-NR414. Our next recommended AV receiver, the new Sony STR-DN1040 ($598), which has built-in Wi-Fi plus AirPlay capability, costs three times as much at nearly $600.
Speakers
Pioneer’s speaker designer Andrew Jones was formerly an engineer for KEF and Infinity before joining Pioneer subsidiary Technical Audio Devices (TAD). The Pioneer SP-BS22-LR ($128) have received nearly universal acclaim from, among others, The Absolute Sound magazine and Home Theater.
The Pioneer SP-BS22-LR is a bass-reflex type design with a four-inch woofer and a one-inch tweeter contained in a 12.6″ x 7.2″ x 8.5″ enclosure weighing just nine pounds. Price? An astonishingly low $128 per pair, leading to rave user reviews.
Alan Jones is a high-end audio designer. His contribution to Pioneer is the SP-BS22-LR ($128), a budget bookshelf speaker with an outstanding listening quality.
Blu-ray Player
The Panasonic DMP-BDT220 3D Blu-ray DVD Player ($179) with integrated Wi-Fi is actually last year’s model and has been superseded by the Panasonic DMP-BDT230 ($98). That the old model costs more than the new one, underscores the DMP-BDT220’s street cred and popularity.
The Panasonic DMP-BDT220 gets kudos for its speedy performance and built-in streaming media services, like Netflix, and earned CNET’s Editors’ Choice Award for the Blu-ray player category.
Panasonic beats the Sony camp with the Panasonic DMP-BDT220 Blu-ray player ($93-$179), heralded as the top performer in its class.
If you act fast, you can get still buy a used DMP-BDT220 from Amazon.com’s Warehousedeals for just $93.
Remote Control
Logitech has unfortunately done little with its Harmony line of remote controls after acquiring Intrigue Technologies in 2004. After reportedly considering selling the division, Logitech has seen the error of its ways and will instead retain Harmony.
Why did Logitech flub this acquisition? When I bought my Harmony One remote in 2010 I paid just $148 for it. The identical model now costs $325 at Amazon.com, more than double its price three years ago. In technology, where prices come down regularly, this is a clear sign that Logitech is simply milking the brand without adding much value.
Borrowing most of the features of its top-scoring Harmony One sibling, the Harmony 650 remote control ($72) gets our vote for easy-to-use ergonomics at reasonable cost.
So while I would like to recommend the Logitech Harmony One Remote Control ($325) as the best universal remote control, I just don’t believe you should pay that kind of money, so my recommendation is to get the Logitech Harmony 650 Remote Control ($72), which is more than flexible enough to run your entire system.
Speaker Stands
If you’re lucky enough to have a wide enough bookshelf system you can skip this item, but most buyers will need speaker stands to place their Pioneers far enough apart. The Sanus BF-24B Wood Speakers Stands ($41) fit this bill nicely with 207 Amazon.com reviews garnering a 3.9 rating.
If you put your speakers on the floor, you will end up with too much bass and frazzled neighbors. The Sanus BF-24B Wood Speakers Stands ($41) will improve your sound while putting the spotlight on your new Pioneers.
Banana Plugs
To more easily connect your Onkyo TX-NR414 receiver to your Pioneer SP-BS22-LR speakers, get Sewell Deadbolt Banana Plugs ($28), which are sold in sets of 12 pairs. The Sewell Deadbolt plugs feature self-crimping teeth that provide a simple, secure and low-profile connection without requiring screws or soldering.
You will go bananas over these plugs, sorry coudn’t resist, because banana plugs make connecting/disconnecting so much easier. Sewell Deadbolt Bananas are very popular on Amazon.com with 376 customer reviews giving them a 4.7 rating.
Do you hate threading speaker wires into finicky posts? Sewell Deadbolt banana plugs make things a lot easier by leveraging the very plugs already provided on most audio gear. It’s a DOH decision.
Total cost of this complete AV system, using Amazon.com’s Warehousedeals pricing and refurbished buying strategy is $569.
Lainie Liberti is a recovering branding expert, who’s career once focused on creating campaigns for green – eco business, non-profits and conscious business. Dazzling clients with her high-energy designs for over 18 years, Lainie lent her artistic talents to businesses that matter. But that was then.
In 2008, after the economy took a turn, Lainie decided to be the change (instead of a victim) and began the process of “lifestyle redesign,” a joint decision between both her and her 11-year-old son, Miro. They sold or gave away all of of their possessions in 2009 and began a life of travel, service, and exploration. Lainie and her son Miro began their open-ended adventure backpacking through Central and South America. They are slow traveling around the globe allowing inspiration to be their compass. The pair is most interested in exploring different cultures, contributing by serving, and connecting with humanity as ‘global citizens.’
Today Lainie considers herself a digital nomad who is living a location independent life. She and her son write and podcast their experiences from the road at Raising Miro on the Road of Life.
