Help!! AVR/SVS Ultra

[xzesta]

I recently added a home theater in my basement with block walls "roughly around 800sqft" living space/entertainment with a drop ceiling tile height of 7ft.
It's a large area but the way i have my seating and projector set up i "think" the svs ultra bookshelf speakers LCR will be good to get me started. I do have plans to add the svs sub and work my way towards 7.1 surround sound. I been looking at the Denon avr's but after many hours of looking it has become way more complicated than i ever thought..
1. Any suggestions on a entry level ($1000) under avr that will be suitable with svs ultras ?
2. Are the svs ultra bookshelf efficient for my sqft ?
3. Is it true you don't have to spend a fortune on an avr to get good quality sound?

 

[pwlong]

Hi,

Congrats on getting a basement theater setup. Bookshelves are a great way to get started, and the Ultras should work well in your space. I like Denon AVRs myself, I have two of them -- an S710 and an X5200. The S710 should work well for your Ultras, and fit your price range.

No, you don't need to spend a fortune to get good sound. But beware this can be an expensive hobby/habit if you're not careful.

BTW both of us first-time posters today Welcome!

 

[lovinthehd]

Hi,

Congrats on getting a basement theater setup. Bookshelves are a great way to get started, and the Ultras should work well in your space. I like Denon AVRs myself, I have two of them -- an S710 and an X5200. The S710 should work well for your Ultras, and fit your price range.

No, you don't need to spend a fortune to get good sound. But beware this can be an expensive hobby/habit if you're not careful.

BTW both of us first-time posters today Welcome!

Welcome to you both. Now with a stated budget of $1000 why would you recommend the S710? Surely for his budget he can afford some nicer features like pre-outs and the higher versions of Audyssey and amps better suited to 4ohm speakers....personally I'd look at the 3300/3400 and 4300 models.

AVRs are about features/connectivity, as well as amp section (and sound quality differences are often just dsp differences, in their basic function they're more alike than different). As far as amp section, some are more suited to 8ohm loads than 4ohm, but generally all fall within a few dB of each other. Your total cubic space is more related to how your sub will react to the entire volume of the room (and 5600 cuft is a big room, try this article http://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/subwoofer-room-size ), but for speakers it's more about the distance from the speaker to your seat. Try using an spl calculator to get an idea of your needs http://myhometheater.homestead.com/splcalculator.html

Some info on the Ultras http://www.audioholics.com/bookshelf-speaker-reviews/svs-ultra-bookshelf-speakers/Ultraimpedance.JPG/image_view_fullscreen

 

[pwlong]

Yes, there is budget room to go a bit bigger. Certainly the suggestion wasn't to cheap out -- I was only commenting that the S710 met the eventual 7.1 goal while staying well within his budget.

But I take your point about getting the best feature set for the amount budgeted, especially since good quality gear will (usually) last for years, and become obsolete feature-wise well before it stops working.

 

[aschamne]

Check out https://www.accessories4less.com/ for a reciever, they are older models that are factory refurbished, but they can save you some decent coin.

 

[-Jim-]

Hi & Welcome to the Forum,

While I agree the SVS Ultra Bookshelves will probably be a great fit (I'm looking to buy a pair for our Family Room system if I can find a deal), it would be helpful to know what your total budget would be for the Audio Equipment and what you percentage of the time it would be for Music, TV, or Movies? With your kind of space most here will recommend 2 Subs. Do you ever see Dolby Atmos / DTS:X in your future? Do you have any existing equipment you are going to re-use?

 

[chrisskylin3]

Go for the Yamaha Aventage line. Magnificent receivers. I've got the RX-A2050 that's from 2015 and it is awesome! Might be able to find one second hand on eBay etc.

Speaker wise, I would recommend the Klipsch Reference Premiere line. I've got the 260F loud speaker and 440C center channel. Very happy with both. Excellent base, I'm still yet to buy a sub woofer.

My best advice is, don't compromise, even if you have to wait several months to afford the things you really want, it's worth it. Took me some time to put my stuff together, but it has all paid off

 

[xzesta]

Hi & Welcome to the Forum,

While I agree the SVS Ultra Bookshelves will probably be a great fit (I'm looking to buy a pair for our Family Room system if I can find a deal), it would be helpful to know what your total budget would be for the Audio Equipment and what you percentage of the time it would be for Music, TV, or Movies? With your kind of space most here will recommend 2 Subs. Do you ever see Dolby Atmos / DTS:X in your future? Do you have any existing equipment you are going to re-use?

We like to listen to Music more than anything, movies over the weekends,Tv not so much othere than playoffs or an UFC fight. Dolby Atmos / DTS:X is all new to me-not ruling anything out (still learning). As far as budget go's figure 5k is a good start.

 

[-Jim-]

I hope to can take time to audition many brands of speakers, and other equipment to try to find the right fit for you. IMHO Speakers & good Subs are where the most impact will be heard (no pun intended). The electronics are, mostly, pretty level if you stick to the main name brands, but some have better reputations (Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, and maybe Sony) than others (Onkyo & now Pioneer who was bought by them) who jump to mind.

Of course your choice of SVS Ultra bookshelf is a good one based on all the reviews I've read, and with a 45 Day Risk-Free In-Home Trial, Fast & Free Shipping and Returns => I'd certainly start there. Others here, Pogre especially as he has recent experience with SVS, should be able to advise if another pair of those would be required for 5.1 and eventually 7.1 setups. I've read where folks use SVS Prime Satellite speakers for those, and they timbre match quite well, and are cost effective for the limited program material channeled to them. In your case if music is #1, then a focus on those Front Speakers and Subs is prudent.

Your choice for a HT Receiver is a bit more complicated. At "roughly around 800sqft" to me it seems natural for you to pre-wire for Dolby Atmos as you've got a drop ceiling, which makes it easy. However, that puts you into the top rungs for a HT Receiver - especially if you want to maintain 7.x as the ultimate goal. (I'm still thinking two good Subs => so 7.2) You could go whole hog and wire /speaker for a 7.2.4 setup and move straight into an 11 channel amp (say a Denon AVR-X6300H and it's discounted price tag of $1200 USD when / if one comes available.) or compromise a little, and head to a 9 channel like a Denon AVR-X6200W.

Is it possible for you to upload a sketch of your proposed layout with seating positions and dimensions so we can suggest which way to go?

 

[DigitalDawn]

I have a couple of Denon AVR-X3400's left: $725 each.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I have a couple of Denon AVR-X3400's left: $725 each.

Hi Dawn, I believe this was asked in another thread, but there’s no way I can remember which one. I’m curious if you have any x4300’s. Iirc, the answer was no but this popped up so...
thanks.

 

[-Jim-]

Here's a thought for some Subs that may surprise: http://www.audioholics.com/subwoofer-reviews/monoprice-monolith-thx-subwoofers

I try to not to get "sold" by marketing types and let the data do the talking, in addition to my own ears. THX is a useful standard IMHO, and at least sets a floor specification wise. And the costs for these Subs seem disproportionate to the marketplace, and may represent a true bargain.

As your room volume is over 5,000 cubic feet, a pair of 12” THX Ultra should do nicely and even out the bass. Don't get stuck on having the same name brand for Subs (as the other Speakers) as integration of any quality units should go smoothly with a Denon (or similar) receiver.

However, you haven't mentioned any WAF (Wife Approval Factor) and some don't want "black boxes" around as my misses refers to them. If you need to head off into "furniture" defining the equipment rather than just sound, be prepared to radically increase the budget or decrease the quality of the system. (I'm still awaiting a final "nod" of approval for a pair of white SVS Ultra bookshelf speakers for the Family Room.)

 

[DigitalDawn]

Hi Dawn, I believe this was asked in another thread, but there’s no way I can remember which one. I’m curious if you have any x4300’s. Iirc, the answer was no but this popped up so...
thanks.

No 4300's available. Sorry.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

No 4300's available. Sorry.

Thanks Dawn!