1st upgrade in nearly 2 decades

[OneBgBdArtemis]

Ok, so, I am going to consider myself a newb when it comes to home theatre systems. I really need some help and guidance.
Some background; I am 47, have ALWAYS valued acoustical quality over volume. Hell, I even majored in music in high school, so that should tell you what I value. I built my first home theatre setup in '97, with a receiver change in '02 and a myriad of tvs!
First I'll list the components and then what I use it for.
Receiver-Sony STR-DE895, '02 model.
Speakers-Infinity IL40 tower speakers, Infinity IL25C center channel and Velodyne CT-80 subwoofer.
TV-Samsung QN65Q7CAM
Surround back are just some cheapy book shelf speakers....and they're on bookshelves!
So, the question phase with some info inserted for reference
I use this system for movie watching, playing XBox (38 year-long gamer) and listening to music.
What is the best way to send audio to receiver? (Meaning new one to be purchased) I currently have all units running fiber optic, mainly because receiver has NO HDMI ports, and I am a firm believer that the fewer connections in between destination means better quality for both audio and video. Or is technology so good now that it doesn't matter?
When a new receiver is purchased, obviously it'll have HDMI ports. Is it better to use these for audio and video or is it better to take video straight to TV and then run one HDMI to new receiver?
How are these old Infinity speakers compared to newer brands, or older brands with newer tech?
The living room that this set-up is in is @25' X 30' with couch being 10' from TV and front speakers.
I'm not looking for loudness, leave that to Polk Audio. I'm looking for fidelity for all three of the aforementioned activities.
Any help and input is greatly appreciated. This is one area I've obviously failed to keep up on and it's time to move into the new century!
As a side note, very important....I have Dish, XBox One, XBox 360, XBox, PS3 and an HD 4K blu-ray player, so that's 6 HDMI's. Can you guess which one is cheated?

 

[Drunkpenguin]

HDMI is the standard now and its what you want to build around to get the best audio formats. Typcially most people buy an AVR that supports the number of channels they want. 5.1, 7.1, maybe atmos? You'll have to decide how many speakers you want to expand to. Then all speakers run off the avr of course. Most modern avrs are also designed to be used as video switches. So you'll have a myriad of HDMI inputs and an output. Your tv goes to the output and any inputs you have will have hdmi going to the receiver, xbox, cable tv, roku, etc. Then the receiver is used to switch inputs as needed.

You'll need to post a budget before people can start recommending anything.

 

[OneBgBdArtemis]

Budget smudget! No seriously though, I dunno, somewhere in the neighborhood of $3K.
Yeah I get the switching, as right now these newer tvs, or at least Samsung have a box that all the HDMIs plug into and then it's a proprietary cable to the TV itself. I just have all audio from each device run via fiber optic to the receiver so it can do the decoding itself, and again, one less connection.
I'm happy with 5.1, as most games, which is where I spend the majority of my time, don't use 7.1, but, I'm not opposed to 7.1 by any means. No clue what atmos is.

 

[Drunkpenguin]

HDMI can actually run more bandwidth than optical. So to take advantage of lossless audio from a Bluray for example requires HDMI. Just getting to that point will blow you away. And really you're only adding one more cable then you have now, the one from tv to receiver. Think of your tv as a computer monitor at the point. It doesnt do anything but show video.

Do you like the speakers you have now? What do they lack? Your sub is small so I would definately replace that. Infinity has a great reputation so you might find that a better receiver might bring them to life. Modern receivers run auto setups using a microphone (that they come with) to calibrate the system and eq it. You might think about starting off when a good receiver and a new sub and go from there. If your surrounds are terrible maybe replace them.

 

[Drunkpenguin]

For receivers right now, the goto brands are Denon and Yamaha. Speaker selections are huge and people like different sounds. Is there a place somewhere you can demo and listen to some? Best buy for example? Your best bet are internet direct companies. These companies dont sell in stores but usually sound better than anything youll find in a store. My 2 favorites these days are SVS and Power Sound Audio. SVS makes nicer looking speakers tho.

 

[OneBgBdArtemis]

Actually I love the speakers I have. I mean, the fidelity is pretty high, which I expect when listening to music, and theye are the black walnut withe sliver (gray) grilles. Wow, I didn't realize an 8" was small for this small living space. Maybe a 10", or go to a 12"? Not really too concerned with the surround ones at this point, as really they only serve to carry ambient sound cued to visuals in movies and games. Of course if I find a good deal then sure I'll go ahead and upgrade.
Unfortunately, no, where I live, audio is stuck in the 18th century and even best buy, which I haven't stepped foot in in 12 years or more not only doesn't have sound booths, but no one who knows what they're talking about except to be the face of best buy and sell sell sell. That's my biggest issue, although, as I stated earlier, I love my Infinity's. Is Velodyne still a good brand of sub or should I consider something else?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

If you love the speakers - by all means keep them. Your sub, however, could definitely use an upgrade.
8" sub is only really good fit for the smallest rooms. Could you give us an idea of total open volume in cu-ft of your room (that including any open areas)? This is a critical number to advise you on next sub.

DrunkenDolphin is right, HDMI is the way to go. No ifs and buts. Your receiver clearly is behind the times. I'd highly recommend Denon, either 4400 or 3400 models. The rest of the budget could be allocated toward sub(s). For subs brands, it's HSU, Rhythmic, SVS, Monoprice THX series, Outlaw audio, and PSA. My personal preference is with HSU for nearly unmatched value/performance, but SVS & PSA also provides great performance, longer warranty term, and a free shipping. Monoprice THX subs are great performers and could be awesome value on sale

 

[OneBgBdArtemis]

So the cubic dimensions of this living room is 8400cf. Now the one caveat to the sub is I'm not too interested in shaking the walls as for the last 15 and maybe next 3 to 5 years I have lived in a town house, meaning attached to another unit, our living rooms, kitchens and staircases share the same wall. Now I have the complete shared living room wall lined with book cases and the kitchen wall is pretty covered up too. So, with all that said, I am sensitive to volume so even watching sci-fi movies, playing games and listening to music is done at a lower than moderate volume. I've found that the louder things get the more irritated I get!

 

[Drunkpenguin]

Subs have volume controls, but I agree I would probably not go very large in those living conditions. I once lived in a condo with an 8" sub and I had to be very careful about volume. But 8" subs are more proper in something like a bedroom than a large living room.

Modern receivers usually have a night time mode that can help you as well. They keep the peaks of loud noise to a minimum so you don't blast the nieghbors into a fit of rage every time somebody blows something up.

 

[OneBgBdArtemis]

Or YouTube videos smack you in the face with some loud thumping bass!
So, what's a good size then, cosidering also a future built home won't have a very much bigger living room. This is actually pretty close to ideal for our furniture and needs.

 

[OneBgBdArtemis]

Ok, and this will explain my complete ignorance on subs, other than they do the bass work instead of the towers trying to. Volume obviously, I get.
Switch 1- Internal cross over/ direct. I have it set on direct, 17 years
Rotary 1- low pass crosover....what does this provide? It's set on about 100hz, 17 years!

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

So the cubic dimensions of this living room is 8400cf. Now the one caveat to the sub is I'm not too interested in shaking the walls as for the last 15 and maybe next 3 to 5 years I have lived in a town house, meaning attached to another unit, our living rooms, kitchens and staircases share the same wall. Now I have the complete shared living room wall lined with book cases and the kitchen wall is pretty covered up too. So, with all that said, I am sensitive to volume so even watching sci-fi movies, playing games and listening to music is done at a lower than moderate volume. I've found that the louder things get the more irritated I get!

I hear what you say, but I doubt that any 8" sub would sufficiently play deep enough to correctly reproduce action movies soundtrack. this is not related to how loud you like to listen to it. That said, given your focus on acoustic accuracy but still over 8cuft of space, these are the subs I recommend to you based on 2k budget:
HSU ULS-15 MK2 DualDrive Package
http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/uls-15mk2Dual.html

A pair of SVS pb12-plus: https://www.svsound.com/collections/outlet-specials/products/pb12-plus-outlet-black-oak

a single Rythmik G25HP or F18
http://www.rythmikaudio.com/F18.html

 

[Drunkpenguin]

Ok, and this will explain my complete ignorance on subs, other than they do the bass work instead of the towers trying to. Volume obviously, I get.
Switch 1- Internal cross over/ direct. I have it set on direct, 17 years
Rotary 1- low pass crosover....what does this provide? It's set on about 100hz, 17 years!

General rule of thumb is to setup subs to play everything that is 80hz or below. Setting the sub to direct lets the receiver handle the crossover and setting it to low pass would let the sub itself control its built in crossover. Normally you want the receiver to make these choices but I dont know the capabilities of your current receiver.

 

[OneBgBdArtemis]

Thank you penguin, as soon as you started to explain the direct vs internal I actually remembered what I learned all those years ago! Thank you boredsys. I was in the middle of checking out the SVS SB1000. Any thoughts on that? I picked it because it is of the same color and wood as my towers, which I mistakenly said were black walnut, when in actuality they are black ash. I will look at your provided links in the interim here...

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

General rule of thumb is to setup subs to play everything that is 80hz or below. Setting the sub to direct lets the receiver handle the crossover and setting it to low pass would let the sub itself control its built in crossover. Normally you want the receiver to make these choices but I dont know the capabilities of your current receiver.

80hz is default xover, also recommended by THX, BUT it's not general rule of any thumbs. heavily depends on speakers and sub. 80hz could be used as a starting point, but should be played with to find optimal setting

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Thank you penguin, as soon as you started to explain the direct vs internal I actually remembered what I learned all those years ago! Thank you boredsys. I was in the middle of checking out the SVS SB1000. Any thoughts on that? I picked it because it is of the same color and wood as my towers, which I mistakenly said were black walnut, when in actuality they are black ash. I will look at your provided links in the interim here...

SB1000 would be way too small. See my rec for currently clearance for PB12-Plus

 

[Drunkpenguin]

80hz is default xover, also recommended by THX, BUT it's not general rule of any thumbs. heavily depends on speakers and sub. 80hz could be used as a starting point, but should be played with to find optimal setting

Thats kinda what I meant, but didnt state it properly. 80 works for most people but you can tweak up or down from there depending on speakers and personal taste.

 

[OneBgBdArtemis]

REALLY like those HSUs. Think I'll get those for Sure once the home is built. Need to find something that fits the current living room setup (physically), so one sub it is.

 

[OneBgBdArtemis]

Wow, so checking out those PBs, I stumbled upon their cylindrical sub. Kinda diggin' it. Any thoughts on the cylinder designs?

 

[Drunkpenguin]

I love the cylinders. I have dual PC13 Ultras which they dont make any more. Previous version of what they have now. They rock my theater pretty good and make a great conversation piece.

They are actually my wifes favorite part of my theater. Maybe Freud could explain that one to me.