A Question of Priorities

[maxbunbury]

Hi Audioholics,

First, I wanted to thank everyone for creating a forum where the majority of information is legitimate as opposed to the psedoscientific nonsense I tend to come across more often than not.

Every time the holiday sales come around I am tempted to make a purchase, but I thought that I would try to spend my money a bit more wisely by asking around the forums here. In-a-nut-shell, where should I spend my money, component-wise.

I currently have the beginnings of a home theater setup, emphasis on "the beginnings". My setup consists of a pair of EMPtek E55Ti Tower Speakers powered by an Emotiva UPA-2 Amplifier and an XDA-1 DAC. I know that I should have spent the money on a good av receiver instead of the amplifier and the DAC, but you live and learn. I can always re-purpose the DAC for my computer setup as the on-board sound via the headphone jack sounds like the constant crumpling of a potato chip bag. (I have already checked if the outboard DAC fixes the problem. It does.) The rest of the system consists of a PS3, an HD Cablebox/DVR, and a Panasonic 50'' Plasma (G20) TV.

Before looking at the currently available sales, my wish-list was a capable av receiver and a sub-woofer, in no particular order. However, I noticed that there is a sale on the EMPtek E41-B Bookshelf Speakers and I am thinking of a bedroom system. My current budget is only about $500 at most, but the less money I spend the better.

The following are my specific questions:

1) Do I flesh out my existing system first or start a new system due to the sale on the bookshelf speakers?

2) If I continue to add to my current setup, what should be the priority of the components I will purchase and what would be your suggestions for those components? (Two questions. I know. )

I am still very much a newbie at this and I would appreciate all available input.

Thank you all in advance for your help,
Max

 

[oppman99]

Ask yourself which system you will use more. Is it a new bedroom setup or your main system. Is music or movie watching more of a priority? I wouldn't jump at buying any components that are on sale unless your were specifically looking for them anyway. Items generally go on sale again if you wait. If budget is an issue (and it seems to be) you can always look for used gear to get more bang for your buck. It seems the AVR won't give you much benefit unless you have a sub for your main system and the sub will need the AVR. I would wait and save until you can buy both, or find a killer deal. Patience is your friend.

 

[maxbunbury]

Thank you oppman99 for your insight. I guess that I do need to learn a little patience.

I am almost sure that the Emotiva UPA-2 does have RCA Pre-Outs. Am I incorrect in thinking that I could connect a sub-woofer to the system without an AVR? Or do you mean that without the bass management of a decent AVR, it is not worthwhile?

If my system can accommodate a sub-woofer as is, what would you recommend, keeping the same price range in mind? I may not purchase anything immediately, but it would be nice to know what product I should watch.

Thanks again.

 

[oppman99]

Max,

Your UPA-2 does not have preouts, just RCA inputs and speaker level outputs. You could use it to power a passive subwoofer but then you would not have anything powering your speakers.

It sounds like you are leaning toward fleshing out your main system. I don't have any specific recommendations for AVR's. You will need one for bass management. Many here will recommend finding one within your budget that has the features you want. For example, some people want network capability to stream music and movies. Others just want the bare basics. Obviously there will be a difference in prices depending on the features. If you plan on keeping the UPA in your main system, you would need an AVR with preouts. Check out the Preamp/Processor sections to get some ideas.

When you get to the point of adding a subwoofer, the internet direct companies like HSU, Epik and SVS are hard to beat in the bang for your buck category.

Do some reading to get a feel for what's out there and keep asking questions. Doing it right the first time will save you money in the long run.

 

[slipperybidness]

You should be able to hook a sub up to the XDA directly (it has 2x RCA and 2x XLR outputs). You would need a powered sub and rely on its crossover to filter out the HF as the XDA will deliver full-range signal.

Be aware, the XDA-1 isn't really the best to use as a preamp. It has to do with the way the volume control was implemented, anything less than a setting of 80 on the volume WILL cause loss resolution. It is fine as a DAC, but you want to leave the volume at 80. Go over to the Emotiva forums and read up on it.

FYI, my 2nd system is sources of CD changer/computer/turntable, computer connects to XDA and XDA to USP-1. Infinity P362s driven from parasound 1206 amp. I don't have the sub yet, but the USP has bass management. I mention this because your setup seems very similar and very similar $ range.