An audiophyte's quest for a bangin home theater system

[cduaneg]

I recently purchased a Sony PlayStation 3 for its BD player as well as games, and a Panasonic TH-50PZ800U display for decent 1080p presentation within my budget. Now I'm looking for an amazing sound system to go with it.

I've pored over receiver specs, read reviews and owners manuals, and I've learned a few things. Foremost, my PlayStation 3 decodes all audio before sending it to the receiver, so I don't care what sort of decoding the receiver has. I thought I might save a few bucks here, but I could not find any receivers on the market that don't do any decoding. This leads me to believe that there is a lot of HD source equipment on the market that does not have onboard decoding. Is this true?

In my reading, I've come across lots of talk about THX certification. I read through the thx.com website, and concluded that I am their target audience. I appreciate great sound, but I will probably always be an audiophyte, which is fine with me. I do not have a competitive spirit with audio equipment, but I do appreciate high quality when I hear it. Considering this, I think a THX-certified receiver is the best option for me. The THX features that attract me are Loudness Plus, Advanced Speaker Array (Listening Modes), Timbre Matching, Adaptive Decorrelation, and Boundary Gain Compensation. Loudness Plus is probably the most important to me because I intend to listen at low volume much of the time. On the other hand, I do not consider myself a THX disciple. If I could accomplish all of these features with a non-THX receiver and speakers, I would consider purchasing them, but I have no idea how to do that. Choosing a THX-certified receiver is a matter of convenience and ease-of-use for me, not brand loyalty. Anyone care to share some insight?

Currently, I've narrowed my receiver choices down to two different Onkyo systems: TX-SR706 (THX Select2 Plus) and TX-SR876 (THX Ultra2 Plus). I'm not sure if I really need HQV Reon upscaling, because I'm not sure I would notice a difference. Is Faroudja DCDi good enough for my Panasonic? I'm not comfortable going to a store for a demo because I intend to purchase a refurbished unit online. Can anyone give me advice based on real-world experience?

I've got my eyes on Crystal Acoustics for THX-certified speakers because they're the cheapest I could find. I figure that the THX certification requirements exceed quality requirements for my needs. I did come across Onkyo's HT-S9100THX integrated system, and that seems like an incredible deal, but I'm afraid it won't pack the punch I'm hoping to produce. Sometimes I want my neighbors to think an earthquake is happening (haha), or at least minor mayhem in my apartment, but I intend to listen at low volume most of the time. What do you think?

 

[dkane360]

what's your budget?

 

[lsiberian]

I recently purchased a Sony PlayStation 3 for its BD player as well as games, and a Panasonic TH-50PZ800U display for decent 1080p presentation within my budget. Now I'm looking for an amazing sound system to go with it.

I've pored over receiver specs, read reviews and owners manuals, and I've learned a few things. Foremost, my PlayStation 3 decodes all audio before sending it to the receiver, so I don't care what sort of decoding the receiver has. I thought I might save a few bucks here, but I could not find any receivers on the market that don't do any decoding. This leads me to believe that there is a lot of HD source equipment on the market that does not have onboard decoding. Is this true?

In my reading, I've come across lots of talk about THX certification. I read through the thx.com website, and concluded that I am their target audience. I appreciate great sound, but I will probably always be an audiophyte, which is fine with me. I do not have a competitive spirit with audio equipment, but I do appreciate high quality when I hear it. Considering this, I think a THX-certified receiver is the best option for me. The THX features that attract me are Loudness Plus, Advanced Speaker Array (Listening Modes), Timbre Matching, Adaptive Decorrelation, and Boundary Gain Compensation. Loudness Plus is probably the most important to me because I intend to listen at low volume much of the time. On the other hand, I do not consider myself a THX disciple. If I could accomplish all of these features with a non-THX receiver and speakers, I would consider purchasing them, but I have no idea how to do that. Choosing a THX-certified receiver is a matter of convenience and ease-of-use for me, not brand loyalty. Anyone care to share some insight?

Currently, I've narrowed my receiver choices down to two different Onkyo systems: TX-SR706 (THX Select2 Plus) and TX-SR876 (THX Ultra2 Plus). I'm not sure if I really need HQV Reon upscaling, because I'm not sure I would notice a difference. Is Faroudja DCDi good enough for my Panasonic? I'm not comfortable going to a store for a demo because I intend to purchase a refurbished unit online. Can anyone give me advice based on real-world experience?

I've got my eyes on Crystal Acoustics for THX-certified speakers because they're the cheapest I could find. I figure that the THX certification requirements exceed quality requirements for my needs. I did come across Onkyo's HT-S9100THX integrated system, and that seems like an incredible deal, but I'm afraid it won't pack the punch I'm hoping to produce. Sometimes I want my neighbors to think an earthquake is happening (haha), or at least minor mayhem in my apartment, but I intend to listen at low volume most of the time. What do you think?

My suggestion is find a good deal on an 805 or 875. They can be had for very cheap.

However before that get your speakers picked out. I suggest you start off with 2 nice fronts and maybe a couple cheapies for surround duty. Pick up or make the best sub you can. Heck make the whole system.

I suggest this approach to save folks money on bad centers, overpriced surrounds and to allow them to figure out what receiver they can afford after that.

The 9100 isn't something I would buy.

 

[cduaneg]

what's your budget?

My budget is flexible. The most expensive combo I'm looking at right now is the Onkyo TX-SR876 and Crystal Acoustics 7.1 system with an MSRP of $4,196. I can find a refurbished Onkyo, which drops the price a bit, but I can't seem to find deals on the Crystal Acoustics anywhere. The other options are cheaper than that. The Onkyo HT-S9100THX integrated 7.1 system has an MSRP of $1,099, which seems like a great deal, but I have uninformed reservations about its quality compared with the aforementioned system. My main concern is whether the TX-SR876 is overkill for my Panasonic TH-50PZ800U display or not.

 

[cduaneg]

My suggestion is find a good deal on an 805 or 875. They can be had for very cheap.

However before that get your speakers picked out. I suggest you start off with 2 nice fronts and maybe a couple cheapies for surround duty. Pick up or make the best sub you can. Heck make the whole system.

I suggest this approach to save folks money on bad centers, overpriced surrounds and to allow them to figure out what receiver they can afford after that.

The 9100 isn't something I would buy.

Is it possible to accomplish the equivalent of THX Loudness Plus with the 805 or 875? This is one of the most important features of a THX Select2 Plus or Ultra2 Plus system for me. I have no idea how it works, but the description on thx.com sounds compelling: http://www.thx.com/technologies/loudness_plus.html

I've considered building my whole speaker system, but I don't know what the specification differences are between THX-certified and non-certified speakers. I want the THX features to work flawlessly if I get a THX-certified receiver. If I don't get a THX receiver, I want a system that can do the same stuff because those THX features seem to address concerns that are important to me. I'm also not sure whether or not I actually want to build my own speakers. I mean, I'm handy, but time is precious at this point in my life, and I'm not averse to paying someone more skilled, i.e. a speaker company, to build them for me.

At the moment, I'm pretty agnostic about integrated systems versus components or separates. What matters to me most is that I have a system that sounds spectacular for the money, and isn't overkill for a ~400 sq ft room. "Spectacular" for me means reproducing the original sound as close as possible without distortion, and I tend to subscribe to THX's approach, but I am open to compelling options. So far, the only reason I might avoid a THX-certified system is price, but I can't figure out how to achieve THX features without using a certified system.

 

[fast1]

so you are getting all your stock from amazon?

 

[mperfct]

My two cents on THX is that you aren't going to get any bad products that are THX-certified. You may be missing out on other products that are just as good that just didn't send off for THX certification. You are paying some for the THX cert (especially receivers, it seems).

Don't feel compelled to have a total THX system. If you really want to, then cool. I'm anxious to hear what you think once it's all put together. But I would suggest that you look at all the options, especially in the speaker realm, before settling on one.

 

[cduaneg]

so you are getting all your stock from amazon?

I have checked Amazon, Google Shopping, eBay, and Accessories4less. I usually get similar pricing with Amazon and Google Shopping. I haven't found any extraordinary deals on eBay yet. Accessories4less has killer deals on Onkyo equipment, but nothing else that I'm interested in. I would love to hear more discount shopping tips. I prefer to buy refurbished.

 

[cduaneg]

My two cents on THX is that you aren't going to get any bad products that are THX-certified. You may be missing out on other products that are just as good that just didn't send off for THX certification. You are paying some for the THX cert (especially receivers, it seems).

Don't feel compelled to have a total THX system. If you really want to, then cool. I'm anxious to hear what you think once it's all put together. But I would suggest that you look at all the options, especially in the speaker realm, before settling on one.

I totally get it. How do I know if a receiver or speakers are just as good? Furthermore, if someone helps me figure that out, how do I mimic THX features with a non-THX system? Unless someone knows and is willing to enlighten me, I'm probably going to end up with a THX system; not because I'm a fanboy but because I'm interested in the listening experience that system produces.

For the record, I currently have my PlayStation 3 connected to my roommate's old Denon AVR-1400 with his Energy e:XL-C center, my grandparents' old Bose 10.2 II fronts, and JBL J2050 surrounds that I inherited from another roommate. The fronts and surrounds are placed well, but the center is not ideal. Music sounds OK, but movies not so good. Dialog is difficult to hear without turning up the volume to a point where sound effects are too loud. The Denon allows me to adjust individual channel volumes, but that makes no difference. I think the audio calibration feature, like Audyssey, of most new receivers will help with this dilemma. Beyond that, I'm really interested in the THX Loudness Plus feature, and I'd love to know how to do that with a non-THX system.

 

[AVRat]

You don't need THX certified speaker, for around $1800 shipped you could purchase an Ascend Acoustics CMT-340/CMT-340C/HTM-200 combo and an SVS PB12-NSD.

 

[cduaneg]

You don't need THX certified speaker, for around $1800 shipped you could purchase an Ascend Acoustics CMT-340/CMT-340C/HTM-200 combo and an SVS PB12-NSD.

Can anyone tell me why I don't need THX-certified speakers, specifically the Crystal Acoustics? I'd love to hear some facts other than price. I don't know how to tell whether non-certified speakers are just as good or not.

 

[mperfct]

Can anyone tell me why I don't need THX-certified speakers, specifically the Crystal Acoustics? I'd love to hear some facts other than price.

It sounds that most of what you're looking for are features of THX-receivers, not necessarily speakers. THX offers some insight into what they look for in speakers, but I think most respected speakers would offer very similar, if not better, levels of performance.

I'd focus on what sounds good to you, versus paper specs. I think if you get some good speakers paired with a THX-receiver, you'll be happy as a plum. Whatever that means.

 

[lsiberian]

My budget is flexible. The most expensive combo I'm looking at right now is the Onkyo TX-SR876 and Crystal Acoustics 7.1 system with an MSRP of $4,196. I can find a refurbished Onkyo, which drops the price a bit, but I can't seem to find deals on the Crystal Acoustics anywhere. The other options are cheaper than that. The Onkyo HT-S9100THX integrated 7.1 system has an MSRP of $1,099, which seems like a great deal, but I have uninformed reservations about its quality compared with the aforementioned system. My main concern is whether the TX-SR876 is overkill for my Panasonic TH-50PZ800U display or not.

4,000 dollars can make a great system. 1,000 could be spent on your pre-pro/amp

3,000 could build a great system. Are you willing to build your own speakers? If so I could recommend great deals.

Don't drink the THX koolaid. It's nice to have on a receiver. But not necessary.

Give me some time and I'll come up with some pre-pro options.

Emotiva is where I would start in your shoes. Add a 3 channel amp to a nice receiver.

 

[Exit]

I agree you don't need THX certification speakers. There are many excellent speakers without THX certification. Speaker selection is a personnal preference through listening tests. You wouldn't want to limit your selection to just THX certified speakers because specifications on a speaker do not give you assurance you will like the sound of that particular speaker.

I have got THX certification on my receiver. If you don't understand amplifier specifications, then this provides some assurance you are getting an amplifier capable of running most common speakers (120W RMS, 20Hz-20KHz, at low distortion in my case). It also provides a high frequency de-emphasis, but I generally use a playback mode without THX processing. So read the power ratings comparing apples to apples and you can get a non-THX receiver of the same quality, probably for less money.

 

[lsiberian]

I agree you don't need THX certification speakers. There are many excellent speakers without THX certification. Speaker selection is a personnal preference through listening tests. You wouldn't want to limit your selection to just THX certified speakers because specifications on a speaker do not give you assurance you will like the sound of that particular speaker.

I have got THX certification on my receiver. If you don't understand amplifier specifications, then this provides some assurance you are getting an amplifier capable of running most common speakers (120W RMS, 20Hz-20KHz, at low distortion in my case). It also provides a high frequency de-emphasis, but I generally use a playback mode without THX processing. So read the power ratings comparing apples to apples and you can get a non-THX receiver of the same quality, probably for less money.

Actually I've found it's really company specific. And Onkyo receivers should always be THX or your getting a low end receiver in most cases. They certify everything 700 and higher. It's a good indicator of Onkyo capabilities.

But the thing is that pre-pros can give you more flexibility and more head room than any avr. They have less restrictions on size and weight from marketing, because those things tend to sell amps. For any setup I recommend A nice AVR with pre-outs and however many Behringer EP2500s you need. Do the fan mods to each and you will never clip amps even on very low ohm ratings. If you want something a little quieter I believe Yamaha makes several pro amps that run much quieter than a behringer. but you will pay a lot more for them.