A/V Recievers?

[DD66000]

You say the speakers where custom, as in DIY? Did you measure the impedance? No offense, but either you aren't considering a factor concerning the speaker's drivability or your bias is the cause for the audible difference (assuming none of the components where faulty).

Don't make me use my Goldilocks argument, you won't like it.

The speakers are really '77 vintage JBL L212. What I did was built new mirror image cabinets and replace the original XOs with a newer version of the same.
A technology JBL calls "Charged-Coupled". The only changes to the xo are the caps; replace all original cap sizes with two caps that are twice the size, used in series pairs, with the common point of each pair connected to a 9 volt battery, through a 6 megohm resistor.
The result is that the audio signal never crosses the dielectric zero point of the caps, thus eliminating the phase shift that would occur if the signal were to cross the zero point.

As for any bias, I had none at the time I bought the Denon, I had bought it for a pair of JBL Studio L890s, it seemed to do the job.
Then I fell into a steal of a deal for 5 PT800s, put them in place of 5/7 L212s. Then split up the 5 L212s to two different systems and gave the L890s to my daughter for a wedding present.
That's when I connected the mirrored pair to the Denon, and a TT. The resulting sound was less than I thought it should be.

 

[jcPanny]

If I should decide on speakers first, then what should I get? I was looking to spend around $500, but am willing to spend more? I really wanted a wireless setup but I heard they don't have that for speakers yet? Does anyone know why not?

Originally I wanted two front speakers, two rear speakers, and a sub, but someone suggested I should get a front center speaker as well? Money really isn't an issue, it was just what I was looking to spend. I mean I don't want to go crazy, but I wouldn't mind spending upwards of 7 or 8 hundred for the speakers alone.

Also, is it true that wood speakers are better? I have heard that too.

Thanks for all your help!

Taxman,
The overall budget is a good reason to select the speakers first and adjust the budget accordingly. As sugested above, you will get much better results spending $800-1000 for a speaker system and the remaining $2-400 on the receiver than vice versa. Another option is to start with a quality 2.0 or 2.1 system and add the center and surround channels as budget allows.

Wireless rear speakers significantly compromise sound quality and they still require wires for the power connection. Some wiring options include snaking speaker wire through the walls or ceiling and/or using in-ceiling speakers for the surround channels.

Concerning construction materials, 99% of speakers enclosures are made of MDF, medium density fiberboard. This is covered by vinyl, wood veneer, or paint. Some high end speakers use exotic materials and low end or "lifestyle" speaker might use a metal or plastic enclosure.

On your tight budget take a close look at the RBH package and the current free "upgrade" options through the end of the month:
http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/memorial-day-special-emp-ef30-free-upgrade
If the floorstanders don't meet your esthetic requirments consider 3 of the RBH onwalls with some satelite or inceiling surrounds ($500) and a small sub like the AV123 X-sub ($200) in your budget.
http://store.audioholics.com/section/66209/1/xs_pricelh/on-wall-speakers
http://av123.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=41&category_id=9&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=37

 

[Pyrrho]

Once again someone is confusing the issue, changing the conversation from receivers to amps, not the first time I've seen that happen. I never said anything about amps. Receivers are more than just an amp, some receivers can sound "warm", while others can sound "bright" using the same speakers, in the same room.
Then there is also the added things to any given receiver, or pre/pro.
Just look at HK, for an example, the L7 processing in the HK receivers isn't the same as it is in Lexicon products, with exception of maybe the HK745 receiver and the Lexicon MV-5, which is the low end Lexicon.

A receiver is more than an amplifier, as you say. But that does not mean that they sound different (excluding tuner sections and different DSP modes and tone controls).

Have you level matched any two decent receivers, and done double blind listening in which one of those so-called "warm" receivers was compared with a so-called "bright" one, when both were set to not add any processing to the signal? Do you know of anyone who has done this? Or is this judgment of one being "warm" and the other being "bright" done with full knowledge of which one is on, so that the placebo effect can have full sway, and without level matching, so they might actually sound different due to different volumes?

 

[DD66000]

A receiver is more than an amplifier, as you say. But that does not mean that they sound different (excluding tuner sections and different DSP modes and tone controls).

Have you level matched any two decent receivers, and done double blind listening in which one of those so-called "warm" receivers was compared with a so-called "bright" one, when both were set to not add any processing to the signal? Do you know of anyone who has done this? Or is this judgment of one being "warm" and the other being "bright" done with full knowledge of which one is on, so that the placebo effect can have full sway, and without level matching, so they might actually sound different due to different volumes?

Blind, no. But I always setup a system to the same db setting at the seated position.
I'm not saying that there will always be a difference between brands, but there can be.