HD system advices needed

N

newaudiofan

Audiophyte
Hi all - First, I want to apology if this is posted in the wrong forum but it is the closest that I can think of.

I'm trying to set-up a HT for a medium sized room (15x20) for 50:50 movie viewing and music.

The local shop is recommending the new marantz sr8500 to pair with the dv9500 DVD player going through B&W FPM speakers and sub. The whole package is quite spendy.

Is all of these necessary? I'm looking for a good system but don't want to pay for things that I wouldn't need (ie is HDMI/DVI receiver switching that critical?) Can I get a comparable system for less?

Any helps/insights appreciated.
 
S

sjdgpt

Senior Audioholic
long answer, very opinionated

What is "needed", and what is "wanted" are not always the same things. :D

Keep in mind, everybody had a "humble opinion"

Here is mine....

Your tastes in music:movie can be a huge factor in the quality of the system that you may want or need.

Many people on this site are movie driven, with fewer of us more inclined for music rather than movies.

The equipment that movie people choose tends to have a greater emphasis on video processing, as well as processing the audio into several, or even many, different speakers. The Marantz reciever is perfect for highend movie applications.

Pure musical needs tend to be best handled with a simple stereo preamp & amp combination, or a stereo receiver. In this case, the Marantz, with all of its video/audio processing, would be overkill.


If I was building a pure musical system, I would place as much as 70% of the money into a single pair of main speakers, with less emphasis on the electronics.

Building a movie system, the main speakers are of less importance (the center channel can be more important), and the speaker budget must be spread over more speakers, AND a portion of the budget must be allocated to the audio/video preamp features. General recommendations place the percentage of the budget at 50% for the speakers, and the balance in the electronics.



Your room size is pretty good, such that bass output from bookshelf or small floor standing speakers would be most likely inadaquate for musical needs.

Some people recommend the use of small bookshelf speakers combined with a sub for music.

I personally don't like the bookshelf/sub combo for music. Depending upon the recording and the frequency of the bass material, the mono sub may lack the stereo effect to give a full and pleasant sound.

I would look for a floor standing speaker that could handle the bass output of classical music without needing a supplemental sub.

That all said, the B&W FPM series of speakers were designed for movie application, especially in combination with a plasma or LCD screen. They are pretty, will perform well for movies, but will leave something to desire for music as the main speakers are not going to carry the musical needs by themshelves unless accompanied by the sub.

There are other B&W speakers, such as the 700 & 800 series that I would recommend, that will handle both music and movie needs, though at higher cost.

Deciding how much to spend on speakers is a personal issue. There are other speakers on the market that can compete with the FPM or 700 & 800 series B&W speakers, many times at a lower price. But at a lower price, build quality, something that B&W is reknown for, can be sacrificed. Then again, the FPM's are WAF (wife acceptace factor) friendly.



I cant say anything negative about the Marantz equipment, it seems to be a well built, nearly a flagship model, from a traditionally well recommended brand of audio equipment. It is a serious home theater receiver and could be well worth the money.

Can a slightly less expensive unit from Denon (such as the AVR 3805) or Yamaha do as good? Maybe. But I must say, the Marantz just plain and simple looks GOOOD.



Reference the HDMI/DVI, what kind of TV are you using with the system? If your TV lacks the inputs, obviously the outputs would be a waste. Do you need the bells and whistles that the Marantz is going to provide? A lot of people are using less expensive equipment, are quite happy with their systems

Shifting the allocation of your money could achieve a better system.

I would start with speakers.

Good luck, and fun listening
 
Z

zumbo

Audioholic Spartan
I would like to comment on B&W. Anything below the 700's are not worth the money. The 800's are my dream. All are VERY pricey. I would research Paradigm , Energy , and Axiom .

As far as a receiver & dvd player, anthing from Marantz, Yamaha, or Denon with the features and power you are looking for will work fine!
 
N

newaudiofan

Audiophyte
Thanks for the excellent points -> you are right, there is a BIG different between "wanted" vs "needed". Afterall, I haven't won the lottery yet.

Having said that, I want good return for the money spent on my system.

My main difficulty right now is deciding on the important of receiver DVI/HDMI switching - my plasma has the connection and I'm looking toward the future. However, the different between component vs direct HDMI is slight, if any at all.

I don't have enough budget for the higher end B&W so I guess the FPM will be it.

Love to hear the forum opinion on the HDMI switching issue.
 
R

reeceb73

Audiophyte
I have B&W 600 series and I am extremely happy w/ them. I think it does a good job w/ both music and movies. I bought the DM-600S3 for surrounds, DM-604S3 for mains and the LCR 600 for the center. I havent bought the sub yet, i am in the market for a new receiver so the sub will have to wait for now. My buddy has the same setup as above but he also has the ASW650 sub and is using a Denon 3805 and he loves it. I am not sure which receiver i am going buy. The shop i bought the speakers from carry marantz and highly recommend it. I am looking at a yammy, onkyo and the denon -- i havent ruled out the marantz, but i am leaning towards these others. I just wanted to give you some input on the 600 series. I shopped all over the place and auditioned many speakers and to me, these were the best sounding for the money i could find. I was tempted to audition some internet only speaker companies, but in the end i decided it was too much of a hassle, but they might be another good alternative.
 
N

Nick250

Audioholic Samurai
newaudiofan said:
Thanks for the excellent points -> you are right, there is a BIG different between "wanted" vs "needed". Afterall, I haven't won the lottery yet.

Having said that, I want good return for the money spent on my system.

My main difficulty right now is deciding on the important of receiver DVI/HDMI switching - my plasma has the connection and I'm looking toward the future. However, the different between component vs direct HDMI is slight, if any at all.

I don't have enough budget for the higher end B&W so I guess the FPM will be it.

Love to hear the forum opinion on the HDMI switching issue.
Spend less on the receiver and move up to the better speakers. The receiver has almost nothing to do with the sound in your listening area and the speakers and room acoustics have almost everything to do with the sound. A Denon 2805 for example would be fine for your needs. I just looked up the price of the DV 9500 and it's just ludicrous. Spend one-third on a DVD player and put the money into speakers. Again the DVD player has virtually nothing to do with the sound you hear, it just sends ones and zeros to your receiver. The only people benefiting from the recommendations at your local B&M are the sales person and the store owners. So I don't want to hear about your not affording the next level up in speakers as it's the only to go for the savvy audiophile.
 

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