Home Theatre Setup In Bachelor Pad

Every bachelor pad should have some sort of entertainment and if you have the budget than we strongly recommend you go a step further than just a TV.  Start out with your TV and go LCD (if budget allows).  The prices on LCD TV’s have come down quite a bit and it shows you have style and keep up with the latest in technology.  The average size of an LCD for the room is around 40 inches, however you can go smaller or bigger depending on the amount of room of the viewing area.

Once you have your LCD TV, you should purchase a nice stand for it.  Keep in mind that this stand should have room for the rest of your components.  Circuit City has some very nice ones for cheap, but you can get them anywhere such as Target.  The Z-Line stand is a great stand that can hold all your audio and video components.

The stand should fit your TV like a glove.  You then have the decision of buying cable TV or satellite TV.  It really is a preference, but we like cable TV because there is no contracts and no issues with service during thunderstorms and such.  However, that being said both services are equally as good and may depend on the pricing you are able to get.

Your DVD player should be a cheap purchase however you will want it to be able to not only read DVD’s but your DVR’s, MP3’s, etc.  This way you can view your pictures, movies, etc that you create on the TV.  We use a company by the name of OPPO that has an excellent DVD player that up converts your DVD’s to better picture quality.

Now the fun begins, you start to choose your AV receiver and speakers.  If budget is on the mind, than we recommend you go with a home theatre in the box.  However if you become an audiophile you may want to buy all your pieces separately.  For a recent bachelor pad makeover, we used KEF KHT 3005 that can be purchased from Circuit City for $1500.  However if you shop online you can find them for about $1,000.  They are extremely stylish in black egg like shaped and the sound quality is superb.  They feature a 5.1 setup and match up well with any room and receiver. 

There are several other great speakers for you to choose from.  If you go to your local Best Buy or Circuit City, you will find some great choices.   And if you become obsessed with your sounds you can check out the online stores that custom make their speakers.

For receivers, the choice is yours, but a 5.1 receiver is really all you need at this point.  Receivers now allow HDMI ports which making connecting your wires an easy setup as the audio/video are all in one cord.  For pricing, we choose a Yamaha model that pitches out great sounds and easy to use.

Once you setup your system don’t forget to calibrate for where you will be watching/listening your system.  Most receivers come with a calibration mic to make this easy and some even have an auto setup.

Now that you have a complete theatre in your bachelor pad, you can bring friends, girlfriends, or family over to watch the games, movies, play games, etc.  The sound quality will keep them coming back and talking about your bachelor pad.