OK, I'm an idiot, or so I am told!! First post here.

[cwall99]

Check this out...

So I went to Google Maps for Willow Grove, PA, and then clicked on the Business links. I entered "home theater" in the search field, and this was one of the first businesses that came up: http://www.audiovideoexpressions.com/.

I don't know how far they are from you or whatever, but judging by the lines of hardware they sell, they'd definitely qualify for "boutique" status.

I favor boutique stores, too, because you can get some exceptional customer service at them. Yeah, you might pay a bit more than if you order something off the web, but, in case something goes south, you have a nearby place you can take it for service. And you can talk to real people.

And they at least make a bit of an effort to create listening rooms that might emulate, at least a little bit, what you'll have in your home.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Here are a couple of dealers in your area that carry good gear:

HIFI HOUSE
509 OLD YORK RD.
JENKINTOWN, PA
19046
215-885-4970

STO SOUND & VISION
320 OLD YORK RD
JENKINTOWN, PA
19046
215-886-1650

Also look here for B&W dealers: http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/display.aspx?infid=1426&cid=224&pid=0&crid=159

And here for PSB dealers:http://www.psbspeakers.com/dealers/usa

And here for MAs:http://www.monitoraudiousa.com/distributors.php?page=38

 

[JerryLove]

I would spend a greater portion of the money on the receiver to start (instead of a $500 receiver and $2000 speakers (5), I'd buy a $1500 receiver and a pair of $1000 front speakers). Then you can build on that in the future...

My disagreement with that logic is that you will have spent all your money now for less current payback. At some future point, the extra money on the receiver may or may not meet your needs/wants.

I really recommend making sure that the system now meets your needs now, not later... and in many ways, the receiver is the easiest component to upgrade (read: It's the most likely to need upgrading no matter what you buy).

Get the speakers that fill your room now and the receiver that powers them (try Craigslist). If you need more later, it's likely to be less expensive, not more.

Too many times have I bought something that suited my needs at the time, without thinking about the long term goal. The receiver should be the cornerstone of your system, and getting one with the connectivity, features, and quality that your system may need 3 years from now is how I wish I had bought my first system...

Much of my equipment uses HDMI 1.3a, which would not have been available 3 years ago. Much of mys system is older than that. How much harder would it be for me not to get rid of the receiver I spent 90% of my budget on than the one I got for $400 that has done everything I wanted up until now?

I agree that you should plan for the future, but not at the cost of the present.

 

[Reorx]

I agree that you should continue to listen to more speakers, as other members have suggested. Before you cut a check, you really should hear what B&W, Paradigm, Dynaudio, PSB, Monitor Audio, Focal.JMLabs, Era and others have to offer in you price range. Once you've listened to a variety of speakers, if you still like the Definitives you can be certain that you have the best speakers for you.

Fun thread. I just finished reading through it.

The one thing I would add, is that while auditioning speakers in the store is fun. It'll only give you a general idea of what the speakers could really sound like in your home. Your listening room, is different then the listening room in the stores, thus the speakers will sound different.

Once you have narrowed down your speaker selection to 3-5 pairs of speakers (or less), tell your local shop that you want to audition them in your home for a few days or a week. This will give you a chance to hear their true sound.

Reorx

 

[EJ1]

Once you have narrowed down your speaker selection to 3-5 pairs of speakers (or less), tell your local shop that you want to audition them in your home for a few days or a week. This will give you a chance to hear their true sound.

Reorx

I wish more dealers would do this but I understand their skepticism. Some places will only let you do this if you're talking $$$ or if they think you'll become a good repeat customer.

 

[poutanen]

***SNIP***

I agree that you should plan for the future, but not at the cost of the present.

Fair enough. I guess I don't see what the new receivers have that mine doesn't have, that I want/need (ie. the RX-V1900 vs. my RX-V1500). I run all my vid through component, all my audio through optical, and at the moment I'm only using 5.1 of the 7.1 ch. It decodes all the formats that I'm getting so far via BluRay and my HD cable box.

I dunno, it seems my thoughts on this are the minority, and I can see everyones point, I guess I'll rephrase my advice to this:

Make sure you buy an AVR with at least 5.1 pre-outs, so that you can expand your system if you choose.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Then I asked her to turn on the Def Techs BP7004 ($849). There was no comparison for me. I preferred Def Tech. I switched back and forth between the 7004’s and the WF-35s. No comparison for me. Def Tech had it.

Martin Logan Preface speakers at $750 were then tuned on but they sounded horrible. She agreed and said their must be a connection issue. Then we popped on the Def Tech BP7002 ($1200) and I said, check please!! What a difference between the 7002 and the 7004. Throughout all of the speaker/receiver changes (and there were an awfully lot over 2+ hours) I had the 650 watt Def Tech sub LDAA ($700) on.

The center used was the Def Tech is CLR2002. This thing is HUGE!!! 21” wide and 12” deep. No way will this fit on a shelf on my entertainment center, nor is there enough room on top. I don’t have my TV on the wall. Bummer!! I would not be able to get this if I wnet the Def tech route.

Surrounds were the Def 1000’s.

At least for today, it was Pioneer & Def Tech. I just saw an add for Klipsch RF82’s ($1099) for the almost the same price as the 7002. It will be sweet to compare the 7002 to this model but not having them side by side will be challenging. Too late in the day to do it today.

Luke, join the Dark Side....

Umm, I believe Denon and Definitive go together like peas can carrots.

BTW, I still have a HUGE GRIN on my face like this: as I am typing this and listening to my favorite music compilation CD.

J/K. It's okay to buy any receiver you want.

 

[rsd22]

Thx!!!

Everyone who has posted has been a HUGE help!! Seriously, I can't think you all enough. I'll be visiting a few stores which posted in earlier replies Friday. BTW, I live in Bel Air MD but stay in Willow Grove, PA on Friday nights (every week). Again, kudos to all of you.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Try using the "thanks" button of all those who helped you

Everyone who has posted has been a HUGE help!! Seriously, I can't think you all enough. I'll be visiting a few stores which posted in earlier replies Friday. BTW, I live in Bel Air MD but stay in Willow Grove, PA on Friday nights (every week). Again, kudos to all of you.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Try using the "thanks" button of all those who helped you

He will use the "Thanks" CLICK button as soon as you listen to those damn rat-bastard Defintive BP7001SC!!!

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I was at my dealers yesterday. I asked him if he had any DTs hooked up, he said yep, do you want to listen to them, I said NOPE....

He will use the "Thanks" CLICK button as soon as you listen to those damn rat-bastard Defintive BP7001SC!!!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I was at my dealers yesterday. I asked him if he had any DTs hooked up, he said yep, do you want to listen to them, I said NOPE....

You RAT-BASTARD!

 

[rsd22]

I picked up the Pioneer 1018 for $454 at BB and love this thing. It was a great deal with warranty so I rang it up. Watching the game this weekend will most likely be like no other Sunday. My Bose speakers have never sounded better. All said, as far as speaker go, I still like the Def Techs but Paradigm sounded real sweet the other night as well. I was told Friday night that almost all speakers work well with HT but not all do music justice. I'm from the hair band generation so I like my music loud. I was also told that speakers that sound good on floor may sound completely different in my home (probably worse, or so I'm told). Yah oh.

I'm checking out Dynaudio on Monday. But it sucks not being able to hear them all in the same room, at the same time. I haven't been intimate enough with sound to really tell a difference from store to store sounds/speaker, as I was that day when I was able to push a button on and off & hear the difference between speaks.

 

[Adam]

Congrats on the 1018! That looks like a real nice receiver, and at a good price to boot.

 

[jamie2112]

Good deal on the AVR. Glad you are on your way.......

 

[rsd22]

The 1018 really fits my needs. I was prepared to drop $1799 on a new receiver until "Adam slapped me with a bag of sense" regarding receivers.

So last night I rented Rambo to see (and feel) what HT can do. At least with my Bose. Man!! The sound went right through me, or so it seemed and the picture through my new Samsung 2500 was simply unbelievable. This was the first time I've used this Blu-ray player, actually any Blu-ray. I could not get over the picture!! My wife on the other hand didn't like the picture due to the gore.

If someone was shot (and this was quite often) the entire body exploded (as did the sound). I cant even put into words what happenned to a head when it was shot!!!!!! At one point they were walking through the woods and it got real silent as they heard the enemy up ahead. For a good 15 seconds there was no sound at all, EXCEPT, for what I thought was a popping sound in the speakers. Was it my 10 yo Bose speaks?

I remember hearing ONYKO pops so I thought my Pioneer was doing the same thing. I replayed the scene 5 times before I realized it wasn't a pop at all. The pops were actually rain drops. In another 10 minutes it was pouring rain. I don't know if this is due to the Blu-ray or the 1018 or both, but c/mon -- to hear single rain drops?? Wow!!! I'm sure you all have heard good sound before, but this is all new to me.

So this morning I wanted to see how my 2500 plays Standard DVDs. I popped in 'Star Wars - The Phanthom Menance' and it looked (and sounded) fantastic. Then I dropped in the older movie CaddyShack and though it was not great like Star Wars it was way better than the original.

Now I only played one scene from each, but I have no doubt that my first 2 purchases (Samsung 2500 and Pioneer 1018) have proven to be great choices.

Now the speakers.......

 

[Davemcc]

Just be advised that your new speakers will make the greatest difference in sound. If you are happy now, you ain't heard nothin' yet. That was a good receiver choice because it should drive most commercial speakers and it has preouts if you want to add an external amp. During your auditions, take note of the ohm and sensitivity specs. Depending on final speaker selection, you may want to add a stereo amplifier for music listening. Like you, I also grew up during the hair band era and I've got a pretty good idea of your listening habits. This should not drive your speaker decision by any means but once you get them home and crank them up to reference level, you should be able to tell if you want to add a more substantial amp to the system.

 

[mazersteven]

So last night I rented Rambo to see (and feel) what HT can do. At least with my Bose. Man!! The sound went right through me, or so it seemed

If someone was shot (and this was quite often) the entire body exploded (as did the sound). I cant even put into words what happenned to a head when it was shot!!!!!! At one point they were walking through the woods and it got real silent as they heard the enemy up ahead. For a good 15 seconds there was no sound at all, EXCEPT, for what I thought was a popping sound in the speakers. Was it my 10 yo Bose speaks?

I remember hearing ONYKO pops so I thought my Pioneer was doing the same thing. I replayed the scene 5 times before I realized it wasn't a pop at all. The pops were actually rain drops. In another 10 minutes it was pouring rain. I don't know if this is due to the Blu-ray or the 1018 or both, but c/mon -- to hear single rain drops?? Wow!!! I'm sure you all have heard good sound before, but this is all new to me.

Now I only played one scene from each, but I have no doubt that my first 2 purchases (Samsung 2500 and Pioneer 1018) have proven to be great choices.

Now the speakers.......

All this ranting, and raving, and hoopla over a receiver purchase.

"You Ain't Heard Nothing Yet"

 

[mazersteven]

you ain't heard nothin' yet.

LMAO You beat be to it.

 

[Davemcc]

LMAO You beat be to it.

I didn't want to rub it in.