Help Needed to Choose the appropriate AV Receiver compatible with my existing speakers

[shankar sriram]

I have a Sony DAV-DZ350 5.1 home theatre System.
Now, i want to purchase a CINEMA DSP - AV receiver make yamaha (Brand not specific) with 4 HDMI Input and 1 HDMI output. I would like to reuse the speakers that i already have with the Sony home theatre (DZ350).Kindly recommend a DSP- AV Receiver which supports my current speakers.
Thanks in advance for your time!!

 

[TheWarrior]

Hi!

Sadly, you bought what we call "HTIB" or Home Theater In a Box. Those speakers are designed to work exclusively with the unit they came with. You will not be able to connect them to an AV Receiver.

 

[Seth=L]

I have a Sony DAV-DZ350 5.1 home theatre System.
Now, i want to purchase a CINEMA DSP - AV receiver make yamaha (Brand not specific) with 4 HDMI Input and 1 HDMI output. I would like to reuse the speakers that i already have with the Sony home theatre (DZ350).Kindly recommend a DSP- AV Receiver which supports my current speakers.
Thanks in advance for your time!!

Unfortunately we see this a lot. Someone who has bought a home theater in a box and is hit with the unfortunate reality that the head unit no longer serves their needs. Then we have to sadly inform those that have done this that they have to go to square one because the speakers are proprietary to the head unit they came with (incompatibility with low impedance speakers and fixed wires).

You'll need all new speakers I'm afraid. The good news is that if you use the speakers long enough to need another receiver and they still satisfy your requirements they will be compatible with a new receiver. The ones that came with your DAV-DZ350 are doomed to be stuck with the head unit until one of them dies, then the rest goes in the waste bin.

If it still works, sell it on craigslist (be careful of course), and appropriate the funds toward your next home theater purchase. If budget doesn't allow for all speakers and a subwoofer start by getting the receiver and a pair of good bookshelf speakers and a decent subwoofer, add the rest later.

I'll bet that if you get a new receiver, good speakers, and a decent subwoofer, just that alone will sound better than your Sony DAV-DZ350 did.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

Most systems if this type are pretty-much proprietary “all in one” and aren’t readily compatible with standard separate-component audio systems. A common problem is that the speakers are an unusual impedance like 3-ohms which will not work with hardly any other A/V receiver. If you have a volt meter, set it for ohms, connect it across the speaker wire leads and see what it reads. If it’s 8-ohms, you’re in good shape and you’ll be able to use the speakers. Six- ohms can probably be used as well, depending on the receiver you choose (Yamaha receivers can typically handle 6 ohms, for instance), but anything lower than that you’re out of luck.

The next issue is that your sub is passive, meaning it has no built-in amplifier. Most A/V receivers can only be used with active subs that have built-in amplifiers. A “work around” would be for you to use your Sony unit as the amplifier for the sub. You’d run a cable from the new A/V receiver’s subwoofer output to an input with RCA jacks on the Sony, and connect the sub to the Sony as normally done.

However, it would be best to upgrade your speakers and sub, as Seth advised.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[shankar sriram]

Thank you very much for guiding me..Really useful inputs.
1. Can you please recommend top 3 AV receivers-Cinema DSPs with 5.1 O/P (No need of 7.1 or higher) bundled with the needed speakers, with 4 HDMI In and one HDMI out. (Also open for a-la-carte ) Say X AV Receiver and Y set of speakers
My television & Set top box support only a HD and not an Ultra HD or 3D..
2. If your recommended AV receivers supports Ultra HD, 3D etc.. is it backward compatible with HD devices? So that this purchase can support future upgrades of my TV and set top box.
3. If a few channels that i receive in my set top box are not 5.1 or Dolby will this DSP AV receiver be able to convert it into a 5.1 O/P

Sorry for such foolish questions..Browsed a few and I'm confused. Im new to Audio systems and unable to judge. Will purchase one purely based on your recommendations.

 

[shankar sriram]

Hi!

Sadly, you bought what we call "HTIB" or Home Theater In a Box. Those speakers are designed to work exclusively with the unit they came with. You will not be able to connect them to an AV Receiver.

Thank you very much for guiding me..Really useful inputs.
1. Can you please recommend top 3 AV receivers-Cinema DSPs with 5.1 O/P (No need of 7.1 or higher) bundled with the needed speakers, with 4 HDMI In and one HDMI out. (Also open for a-la-carte ) Say X AV Receiver and Y set of speakers
My television & Set top box support only a HD and not an Ultra HD or 3D..
2. If your recommended AV receivers supports Ultra HD, 3D etc.. is it backward compatible with HD devices? So that this purchase can support future upgrades of my TV and set top box.
3. If a few channels that i receive in my set top box are not 5.1 or Dolby will this DSP AV receiver be able to convert it into a 5.1 O/P

Sorry for such foolish questions..Browsed a few and I'm confused. Im new to Audio systems and unable to judge. Will purchase one purely based on your recommendations.

 

[shankar sriram]

Unfortunately we see this a lot. Someone who has bought a home theater in a box and is hit with the unfortunate reality that the head unit no longer serves their needs. Then we have to sadly inform those that have done this that they have to go to square one because the speakers are proprietary to the head unit they came with (incompatibility with low impedance speakers and fixed wires).

You'll need all new speakers I'm afraid. The good news is that if you use the speakers long enough to need another receiver and they still satisfy your requirements they will be compatible with a new receiver. The ones that came with your DAV-DZ350 are doomed to be stuck with the head unit until one of them dies, then the rest goes in the waste bin.

If it still works, sell it on craigslist (be careful of course), and appropriate the funds toward your next home theater purchase. If budget doesn't allow for all speakers and a subwoofer start by getting the receiver and a pair of good bookshelf speakers and a decent subwoofer, add the rest later.

I'll bet that if you get a new receiver, good speakers, and a decent subwoofer, just that alone will sound better than your Sony DAV-DZ350 did.

Thank you very much for guiding me..Really useful inputs.
1. Can you please recommend top 3 AV receivers-Cinema DSPs with 5.1 O/P (No need of 7.1 or higher) bundled with the needed speakers, with 4 HDMI In and one HDMI out. (Also open for a-la-carte ) Say X AV Receiver and Y set of speakers
My television & Set top box support only a HD and not an Ultra HD or 3D..
2. If your recommended AV receivers supports Ultra HD, 3D etc.. is it backward compatible with HD devices? So that this purchase can support future upgrades of my TV and set top box.
3. If a few channels that i receive in my set top box are not 5.1 or Dolby will this DSP AV receiver be able to convert it into a 5.1 O/P

Sorry for such foolish questions..Browsed a few and I'm confused. Im new to Audio systems and unable to judge. Will purchase one purely based on your recommendations.

 

[shankar sriram]

Most systems if this type are pretty-much proprietary “all in one” and aren’t readily compatible with standard separate-component audio systems. A common problem is that the speakers are an unusual impedance like 3-ohms which will not work with hardly any other A/V receiver. If you have a volt meter, set it for ohms, connect it across the speaker wire leads and see what it reads. If it’s 8-ohms, you’re in good shape and you’ll be able to use the speakers. Six- ohms can probably be used as well, depending on the receiver you choose (Yamaha receivers can typically handle 6 ohms, for instance), but anything lower than that you’re out of luck.

The next issue is that your sub is passive, meaning it has no built-in amplifier. Most A/V receivers can only be used with active subs that have built-in amplifiers. A “work around” would be for you to use your Sony unit as the amplifier for the sub. You’d run a cable from the new A/V receiver’s subwoofer output to an input with RCA jacks on the Sony, and connect the sub to the Sony as normally done.

However, it would be best to upgrade your speakers and sub, as Seth advised.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Thank you very much for guiding me..Really useful inputs.
1. Can you please recommend top 3 AV receivers-Cinema DSPs with 5.1 O/P (No need of 7.1 or higher) bundled with the needed speakers, with 4 HDMI In and one HDMI out. (Also open for a-la-carte ) Say X AV Receiver and Y set of speakers
My television & Set top box support only a HD and not an Ultra HD or 3D..
2. If your recommended AV receivers supports Ultra HD, 3D etc.. is it backward compatible with HD devices? So that this purchase can support future upgrades of my TV and set top box.
3. If a few channels that i receive in my set top box are not 5.1 or Dolby will this DSP AV receiver be able to convert it into a 5.1 O/P

Sorry for such foolish questions..Browsed a few and I'm confused. Im new to Audio systems and unable to judge. Will purchase one purely based on your recommendations.

 

[markw]

Thank you very much for guiding me..Really useful inputs.
1. Can you please recommend top 3 AV receivers-Cinema DSPs with 5.1 O/P (No need of 7.1 or higher) bundled with the needed speakers, with 4 HDMI In and one HDMI out. (Also open for a-la-carte ) Say X AV Receiver and Y set of speakers
My television & Set top box support only a HD and not an Ultra HD or 3D..

If you do this, you set yourself up for the exact same problems a few years down the road. Simply buy a receiver and a set of "real" speakers. It's no more difficult than an HTIB.

But, where are you located? Not everyone lives in the same neighborhood.

2. If your recommended AV receivers supports Ultra HD, 3D etc.. is it backward compatible with HD devices? So that this purchase can support future upgrades of my TV and set top box.

Virtually all receivers are backwards compatible. As for the future, who knows, but if this is a major issue then one would never purchase anything. But, it should last long enough to keep up with the foreseeable future.

3. If a few channels that i receive in my set top box are not 5.1 or Dolby will this DSP AV receiver be able to convert it into a 5.1 O/P

True 5.1? No. But, through various DSP schemes it can convert two channel sources into a reasonable facsimilie of multi-channel sound.

 

[TheWarrior]

We also do not know what is available in your area, so recommendations are difficult. What is your budget?

Give us an idea of whats available locally, with price in USD or Rs.

 

[shankar sriram]

Im from India. My Budget for the AV receiver and Speakers is INR 50,000 approx 750 USD.
Say a model like
YAMAHA HTR-2067 AV RECEIVER+5.1 CH+CINEMA DSP+EXTRA BASS+4K ULTRA HD+HDMI 3D
(Costs Approx 25K INR) plus the needed speakers (Another 25K) should be fine I think..
Kindly guide me whether this is fine.

 

[shankar sriram]

The following brands are available in India

• Pioneer
• Harman kardon
• Yamaha
• Denon
• Marantz
• Onkyo
• Sony

I can also purchase it online.

 

[Seth=L]

The following brands are available in India

• Pioneer
• Harman kardon
• Yamaha
• Denon
• Marantz
• Onkyo
• Sony

I can also purchase it online.

Pretty much any of those would trump a home theater in a box. I would tend to lean toward Yamaha. They have a really good track record for reliability and up to date features at competitive prices.

Not really sure what is available speaker wise around there, but I know Yamaha makes 5.1 subwoofer/satellite speaker systems that aren't bad for the money. They'd certainly be an improvement over the Sony speakers.

 

[TheWarrior]

Im from India. My Budget for the AV receiver and Speakers is INR 50,000 approx 750 USD.
Say a model like
YAMAHA HTR-2067 AV RECEIVER+5.1 CH+CINEMA DSP+EXTRA BASS+4K ULTRA HD+HDMI 3D
(Costs Approx 25K INR) plus the needed speakers (Another 25K) should be fine I think..
Kindly guide me whether this is fine.

I think that Yamaha receiver is perfect.

From experience, for speakers, I can recommend the Pioneer FS-52 and BS-22. I see that FS-22 is available on Amazon.in but not the BS-22.

The FS-52 (floor standing speaker) will consume the other half of your budget, but I think would be so impressive to you, that it might be worth only having 2 channel stereo, and then buying the other speakers later.

Subwoofers cost money. Period. Think about it, you have a sturdy, thick box. An amplifier. And a big magnet needed for the woofer. Compromise any of those and that subwoofer may sound worse than no subwoofer at all!

If the FS-52, a tall floor standing speaker, is an option for you, I think that would be a wise investment because alone, that tower speaker will play a broader range than all of the speakers they replace! Even that cute little subwoofer you have!

And then save up another 30,000 - 50,000 INR for a subwoofer. And THEN you can buy the matching center channel and the BS22 for rear surrounds.

I suggest this simply because just those two FS-52's will sound so significantly better than what you have, that I think the additional cost of subwoofer/surrounds more than justifies the expense!

If you want to go deeper, tell us about the room these will be played in. Provide dimensions, metric is fine. Is there a photo? What kind of furnishings are in the room? Hard floor and walls? You may need a rug!

 

[TheWarrior]

On a side note, I think this is so darn cool that I can help someone on the other side of the planet make informed buying decisions, for a passion we share in common.

Its really cool how many people from all over the globe find this site!

 

[shankar sriram]

Thank you very much!!
You mean 1 X FS-52 (floor standing speaker) as a Sub-woofer
2 X BS22 for rear surrounds/ left and right.
For Centre and Front right and left which one do you recommend?

 

[Seth=L]

Thank you very much!!
You mean 1 X FS-52 (floor standing speaker) as a Sub-woofer
2 X BS22 for rear surrounds/ left and right.
For Centre and Front right and left which one do you recommend?

No. The FS-52 for your front left and right. Maybe hold off on a subwoofer unless you would rather get the FS-22 to use as the fronts with a subwoofer. I'll allow others to advise on subwoofers.

 

[TheWarrior]

^ Correct, just get the FS-52 as Front L+R for now.

Buy a subwoofer later, as a good one will cost more than those speakers!

 

[TheWarrior]

The FS-52 can play almost as low as your current subwoofer. The FS-52 is NOT a subwoofer. Its just a well designed speaker that can play a broader range of frequencies. Which is why I recommend it as a big upgrade to your current system!

 

[RG7000]

Is it ok if I ask about a similar issue?

I got some used Paradigm Monitor 7 v.3 floorstanding speakers, center CC-370 v.3, and pair of Mini Monitor v.2. I wanted to test them out but I only have a Sony DAV-BC150 system at home. Can I hook up the speakers to that system? Any danger of damaging the speakers? Do I need to keep it at low volume only? Speaker wire is super thin, is that a problem?

I don't plan on keeping the DAV-BC150. I am saving up for a Denon X3400 or something like that. But, I want to see if these speakers work and are good sooner rather than later.