Beginner: front loudpeakers suggestion seeked

[Bernard L]

Dear all,

This is my first question on this forum. I have checked the archieves, but couldn't really find a matching question. Very cool site by the way, it reminds me of the photography sites I have been roaming for years.

Moving to a slightly larger place (but still rather small in absolute terms), I intend to start building a hi-fi/home theatre system. Current finances don't allow me to get the whole thing at once, so that I intend to build my system little by little, starting with a future proof high quality receiver, 2 front loudspeakers and a reasonnably cheap projector. I would then add surround loudspeakers in the future, replace the projector with a 1080p LCD panel and get a blue ray/HD-DVD player early next year.

It would appear today that the 2 most future proof mid range receivers are the recently reviewed Denon AVR-4306 and the Yamaha 2600, correct? Assuming that I am correct, here are the questions:

My budget for these 2 front speakers would be typically 2000 US$ max and high power isn't really a must right now (but it might become a bit more important in the future),

1. Does the overall approach make sense?
2. Am I right to assume that tall towers are the best option for the 2 main speakers? I saw and listened to very appealing low speakers (B&W 805 for instance) that appear to have good potential as well (although the B&W 805 is a bit too pricey for me),
3. What would be good bets for these 2 front speakers in reasonnably main stream brands. Knowing that I listen mostly to rock, pop, jazz and a bit of classical. I have toured a few shops here in Tokyo where I live. To give you an idea, I found the Dali Ikon 6 to be a bit empty and cold in the mid frequencies, and the B&W 703 to be a bit weak in the high frequences and a bit "fat overall". I guess that I am probably attracted by speakers that are good overall,
4. My current DVD player is an Xbox 360, would it be a complete waste to keep using it on the Denon/Yamaha until HD players become mainstream?

Thank you in advance for your kind help.

Regards,
Bernard

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Bernard,

Welcome to the forum.

The two receivers you listed are not future proof. They won't process the new digital audio formats to their fullest extent. They will be called DTS-HD and Dolby True HD. To add insult to injury, these two (very capable BTW) receivers don't sport the new HDMI 1.3 (do a google search on HDMI 1.3).

Here's a recent article:
http://www.hdbeat.com/2006/06/13/hdmi-version-1-3-approved/

HD audio is in its infancy right now, and things are changing so fast it's tough to know what and when to get. Some guys here will tell you things will always change, and you can never keep up with technology. I can tell you this. DTS-HD and Dolby True HD, as well as HDMI 1.3 is right around the corner, and will compliment Blu-ray 1080p media next year.

What I would suggest - totally up to you, is to hold off on the receiver, and invest in the speakers. Keep in mind, some towers are very demanding, and mid/high level AVR's may not be up to the task of driving them properly. You may be better off with a $1000 AVR and a two channel amp if you're in the market for towers.

 

[j_garcia]

If you aren't looking to add a sub to the mix in the near term, then towers would probably be a good idea, but there is no reason why you can't get great sound out of a pair of good bookshelf speakers and a solid sub. A sub is really a must if you will be watching a fair amount of movies, but for music it is not a requirement as mentioned before. Speakers should probably be the first consideration though, and then choose the right electronics to compliment them.

The first thing that might be useful to members here is what other brands might be readily available.

 

[Bernard L]

Thanks for your feedback. I have read about the evolving standards indeed... buying or waiting is always a difficult choice, especially when you lack feeling for the big picture. Technology evolves in a stepwise fashion, and brands manage more or less effectively their releases vs these steps. Then consumers like me try to outsmart the whole thing... and mostly fail.

How big are DTS-HD and Dolby True HD, as well as HDMI 1.3 a step up compared to what is availale today? Are we speaking 20% better sound/image/convenience (like the new Intel CPU Conroe is 20% faster than the best in class current AMD), or are we speaking 1% improvement? Would my current Denon AVR-4306 be able to communicate with next gen players/displays at HMDI 1.1 level - or would it become blind and deaf?

The loudspeakers brands that I could buy basically off the shelf would be B&W, JBL, JMLab, Tannoy, Dali, all the japanese brands (Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha, Pionneer, ...) plus a few that I consider exotic (but I know basically nothing). I am interested in mainstream because I am likely to move from Japan back to Europe in a few years, and would hate to be unable to get support for the toys in case something happens to them.

Regards,
Bernard

 

[jcPanny]

Speaker options

In your price range, check out the Axiom Audio M80's, Onix Rocket 850s or Onix Reference 1.8s, and Paradigm Studio series.

Axiom and Onix (av123.com) are internet direct and you should find Paradigm at local dealers.

As suggested, speakers and a good amplifier are "future proof" but not a receiver or pre-pro.

 

[Bernard L]

Thanks for your kind answer.

I'll look for Paradigm studio/signature here in Tokyo. Buying a pair of loudspeakers without listening to them isn't something I would consider doing. Sending them back internationally if I don't like them would be too much of a pain.

As far as future proofness, my feeling is that it shouldn't be measured in terms of the inevitable future appearance of better specs, but by the ability of gear to keep performing at its level among these future specs. Any hint about that?

Regards,
Bernard

 

[Josuah]

There aren't a lot of people on this forum who know about Japanese speaker brands. I suggest you visit a few audio boutiques in Japan to get a taste of what is available locally. Your choices are different because of your geographical location, and you should take advantage of that.

However, it may be difficult to find a good store. I don't know what the situation is like in Tokyo.

When I was in Shanghai, two different shopping centers had an entire floor set up for selling audio gear. Many of the brands were ones not available in the USA. At one of the malls, the rooms were absolutely horrible so anything you listened to there would also sound horrible. The other mall was a little better.

The receivers you mentioned aren't going to stop sounding good just because new audio formats are here now, which would meet your definition of future-proof. So I think they're fine choices for you to be considering.

 

[Bernard L]

Thank you Joshua,

There are in facts many shops in Tokyo offering a very wide range of speakers for listening. There are just too many of them which is why I was looking for pointers here...

Various considerations now make me look at speakers like the B&W 805s or the Dali Helicon 300.

Regards,
Bernard