newbie - need some advice for HI-FI/Home theater setup

[pelo911]

i don't listening to Classic music or hard rock
i don't care about the most powerful system , i care only for the best quality
i think i care 75% for music and 25% for movies

i have 55" samsung LED 7000 series

watch HD movies and listening to music from my computer that connect to the TV with HDMI

for the beginning i want to buy floor-standing speakers and maybe center for dialog
receiver and if i need also amplifier
cables

i checked in amazon review , and this one get very good feedback:
Onkyo TX-NR809 THX Certified 7.2-Channel Network A/V Receiver

can you help me to choose what to buy?

my living room , not sure about the size
350 sqtf approx

$7.5K-$12K

i want also to sell my tv and buy 65 LED tv (separate from the audio budget) any recommendation?

some speakers that i like:
Paradigm Signature S8
what about Focal electra 1038/1028
or KEF reference 207/2
B&W 800/802 diamond

do i need receiver only or to add Amplifier or pre amplifier , proccesor

thanks

 

[TheWarrior]

If you've got cash to burn and not alot of experience, I'd recommend grabbing a pair of Aperion speakers, try them out, adjust, tweak, reposition, try acoustic panels etc. LOTS of articles in the AV University that will fill your head with knowledge.

Then find a local dealer with RBH, Monitor, or the like and pick a pair in your price range and then place them where the Aperions were. Then decide if the difference in sound quality is worth the price tag.

Point is, give the addiction time to set in before you blow your wad on one system, and then realize parts are continuously upgraded.

Receiver only at this point. Try a Denon AVR 3312. Thats my next purchase. I'm getting a Panasonic plasma, so I cannot help with LED.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Just have Dennis Murphy build you some Philharmonic speakers:

http://philharmonicaudio.com/philharmonic3.html

I think having 3 towers in the front would sound fantastic. Or perhaps Dennis can build you a modified bookshelf version for the center.

For AVR, I would look at Yamaha, Denon, Pioneer Elite, Marantz, and skip Onkyo.

For cables, just get some wires from Amazon.com or monoprice.

 

[GranteedEV]

^that's a good idea... I would do

8x GIK Tri Trap - $1000 (four corners, floor to ceiling means two)
4x GIK Griddiffusor - $200 (2 on Ceiling, 2 on front wall corner behind speaker)
2x GIK Q7D Diffusor - $700 (roughly behind the speaker on front wall)
4x GIK QRD Diffusor - $1000 (2 at first reflection points, 2 on rear wall)
4x GIK Monster Bass Trap - $500 (wherever gets the best improvement in bass response; maybe the wall-ceiling horizontal corners?) - Or maybe have them make ArtPanels with these Bass Traps!!



Mains - 3x Philharmonic 2 = $3000
HSU ULS-15 Quad Drive - $4000
1x Denon 4311 = ~1.2k
1x Emotiva XPA-3 = ~$600

That'd be deadly. For surround speakers one might do some Salk Songsurrounds? I dunno.

i want also to sell my tv and buy 65 LED tv (separate from the audio budget) any recommendation?

Pioneer Elite.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Mains - 3x Philharmonic 2 = $3000
HSU ULS-15 Quad Drive - $4000
1x Denon 4311 = ~1.2k
1x Emotiva XPA-3 = ~$600

That'd be deadly. For surround speakers one might do some Salk Songsurrounds? I dunno.

Or Dennis could modify the Philharmonic 1 as bookshelf speakers?

Heck, just get 3 x Philharmonic2 for the front 3 and 2x Philharmonic1 for surrounds.

 

[GranteedEV]

Or Dennis could modify the Philharmonic 1 as bookshelf speakers?

Heck, just get 3 x Philharmonic2 for the front 3 and 2x Philharmonic1 for surrounds.

Since surrounds are generally placed higher in the air and could have lobing effects, a tall midrange like the Neo8 probably isn't the best idea for a surround.

Another cool option, if mixing and matching is cool with OP, would be the Soundfield Monitor 1s.. you know how big I am on coaxials as surrounds because of their radiation pattern! -

 

[pelo911]

thanks everyone

i prefer to buy well know brand of speakers
and also i need to know if i should buy only AV Receiver or if i need also AMP and pre AMP , i advice which brand and model to choose

 

[jcl]

Listen to speakers to decide on the ones you want. Your choice of speakers will dictate if a receiver will suffice or if you will need an external amplifier. Your room isn't all that large, but if you choose speakers that present difficult loads to power you'll want an external amp.

Depending on your room layout you may or may not want to go with subwoofer(s). You get more for your money going with internet direct brands HSU, Outlaw, Rhythmik, Epik.

Denon, Marantz, Yamaha all make good higerh end receivers, many have pre outs and so can act as a preamp. Onkyo's are known for running very hot, and lately have had reliability issues. I own one, but I don't know if I'd recommend them now.

NAD and Rotel are brands that don't compete on features but you may find you like them, and if you're not about getting the latest surround sound standards they might work for you. Anthem in another higher end company that you may want to look at.

I think all the above make separates if you decide to go that route. Outlaw and Emotiva a respected internet direct brand amplifiers. Amplifier Technologies is a good made in the USA amp company that oems amps for other companies.

B & W 800's I think list for well outside your budget, and I think they're pretty big. You mention a living room, not a purpose specific room. Make sure you pick speakers that can be properly placed in your room. As others have mentioned room treatments will help you get the best sounding room, but aren't always easy to incorporate into a living room.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

thanks everyone

i prefer to buy well know brand of speakers
and also i need to know if i should buy only AV Receiver or if i need also AMP and pre AMP , i advice which brand and model to choose

In that case, check out the KEF Q900 speakers and upcoming KEF R900 speakers.

Most of the time, you will only need an AVR. But it doesn't hurt to have an AVR with 7.1 pre-amp output to connect to an external amplifier if you need to in the future.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Since surrounds are generally placed higher in the air and could have lobing effects, a tall midrange like the Neo8 probably isn't the best idea for a surround.

I don't put too much stock into surround speakers. I don't think they carry a whole lot of weight or significance. Sure, they do some panning effects, which I think most speakers can do easily. But most of the time they only do ambience effects to make you feel "surrounded", which even Bose speakers can do effectively.

So to me surround speakers are there for aesthetic/logistic reasons plus serve their minor ambience-effect function.

Unless there are some research out there looking at preferences for certain surround speakers?

 

[agarwalro]

My 2 cents... also look into active speakers. With active speakers you will only need a pre-pro and this one has been reviewed to be exceptional value for money, Onkyo PR-SC5508.

9.2-channel, 3D-Ready HDMI-1.4a, HQV Reon-VX video processing, ISF Video Calibration, Audyssey MultEQ XT 32 sound correction technologies.

Installer version, Onkyo PR-SC5508P

 

[jcl]

I'd read the AVS forum thread on the Onkyo SC5508 before making a move on one. Seems some people are having issues with them. Take a read through the threads on the Onkyo receivers as well. A little disconcerting as an Onkyo owner. I had hoped that issues were caused by running them without proper ventilation, but i'm not so sure now.

 

[timoteo]

A 12K budget if spent properly will get you into a very nice system. Dont worry about brand names trust us!!! Philharmonics are an incredable speaker & so are SALK!!! id be looking their direction for SURE!!!

If you can match all 5 speakers that is ideal. 5 quality bookshelves along with 2-4 I.D. subs will sound fantastic. Dont waist your hard earned cash on towers if you arent going to use their bottom end. With the subs handling roughly 80hz down you dont need the mains to go any lower than 50hz.

Set aside 10% of your budget to room trearments as well. If you can alot a little more then good. But figure on spending at least $1000 on well placed treatments. You can get free analysis' online or spend a bit to have it done right.

Keep doing online research & asking questions here but ultimately go out & listen-listen-listen to as many different speakers as you can to figure out the sound you prefer!!!

 

[GranteedEV]

i prefer to buy well know brand of speakers

That's unfortunate, for someone who supposedly

care only for the best quality

and also i need to know if i should buy only AV Receiver or if i need also AMP and pre AMP , i advice which brand and model to choose

It depends what SPEAKERS you choose. Some will benefit from having a separate amp, while others won't. The speakers, and their interaction with the room, is the deciding factor in the setup, and all else is auxillary and must be treated as such.

 

[pelo911]

Listen to speakers to decide on the ones you want. Your choice of speakers will dictate if a receiver will suffice or if you will need an external amplifier. Your room isn't all that large, but if you choose speakers that present difficult loads to power you'll want an external amp.

Depending on your room layout you may or may not want to go with subwoofer(s). You get more for your money going with internet direct brands HSU, Outlaw, Rhythmik, Epik.

Denon, Marantz, Yamaha all make good higerh end receivers, many have pre outs and so can act as a preamp. Onkyo's are known for running very hot, and lately have had reliability issues. I own one, but I don't know if I'd recommend them now.

NAD and Rotel are brands that don't compete on features but you may find you like them, and if you're not about getting the latest surround sound standards they might work for you. Anthem in another higher end company that you may want to look at.

I think all the above make separates if you decide to go that route. Outlaw and Emotiva a respected internet direct brand amplifiers. Amplifier Technologies is a good made in the USA amp company that oems amps for other companies.

B & W 800's I think list for well outside your budget, and I think they're pretty big. You mention a living room, not a purpose specific room. Make sure you pick speakers that can be properly placed in your room. As others have mentioned room treatments will help you get the best sounding room, but aren't always easy to incorporate into a living room.

what about those:
polkaudio.com/homeaudio/lsim/index.php?s=lsim707

with:
amazon.com/Marantz-SR7005-Audio-Video-Receiver/dp/B003R7KMRY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317158818&sr=8-1

 

[jcl]

Cool. A lot of people liked the old LSI line, but they were rated at 4ohms, difficult to power and frequently people upgraded to external amps to drive them.

I tried google but didn't get any professional reviews. The specs in the manual say 'compatible with 8 ohm outputs' and pretty average 88db sensitivity. If that's accurate then you shouldn't have trouble powering them with the Marantz 7005.