Hi fi system building...

[groovetube]

<font color='#000000'>Hi all,

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I'm new to HT and hi fi stuff, and need some &nbsp;opinions on what kind of setup I want...First off, 2 track stereo audio is of SUPREME importance. The main L/R speakers seemed like the utmost crucial piece of the puzzle, and I got a used pair of massive Klipsch KM-6 floorstanders for that, ...they 'seem' like they will be good (I only have a very old &nbsp;Sony TA-AX 295 component amp &nbsp;+ CD player to audition them with so far , and they sound a bit small and lifeless although I can hear the smooth highs and good bass on certain CD's)..anyway, I'm sort of stuck on what I path to go for the best stereo playback, but also with something that I can eventually upgrade to a full 6.1 or 7.1 plackback system for audio and movies....Here's what I'm mulling over right now...

1. Get a slightly older , but high quality 100 watt amp dedicated to stereo audio playback , like a NAD or Adcom...

2. Get a midline full blown 6.1 or 7.1 receiver , like a Marantz or Denon..possibly even NAD ,but still run the crucial left and right mains for stereo audio to the dedicated amp....

3. My only audio/video source for now is going to be a DVD player that does SACD and/or DVD audio playback...I've read where the newer models will now let you have bass management, level control, etc from the analog outs of the DVD player, which I hear you have to use to take advantage of &nbsp;SACD's/DVD audio...eventually I may add a turntable for old times sake...

So those are the 3 things I'm thinking I need next....eventually adding in a pair of back surround and side sourround speakers..the TV is the last thing I would upgrade...a couple things I'm wondering are, is it possible to have the single stereo image alone playback thru all the eventual speakers? How easy is it to shift from that back to DTS or Dolby if I wanted to? Does that take a more sophisticated receiver?...and about the surround speakers...I have this idea of using a pair of Yorkville studio monitors that I have as the L/R side surround speakers and hanging them from the ceiling pointed as the listening area, ..and then adding some other type of big speakers for the rear L/R surrounds...possibly something as big as Magnepans hanging on the wall!...I know that surround sound to the surround speakers doesn't really require bigger speakers, but I'm envisioning having HUGE surround audio , with just the single stereo image going to all the speakers (if it's easily selectable via remote that is!)....My thinking is I could avoid a subwoofer alltogether this way, as my Klipsch KM's go down to 35Hz and sound quite massive. As you might be able to tell, I'm really trying to shoehorn a good , selectable-if-I-so-choose DTS, Dolby,etc surround sound for audio/video , but then still have the best possible arrangement for room filling stereo playback thru all the speakers if possible.....</font>

 

[mustang_steve]

<font color='#000000'>NAD is a good choice, if you wanted to go for something more affordable, Yamaha makes some nice stereo recievers that are worth a try. &nbsp;And these are acutallyaffordable new

Since you wnat to upgrade later though, I'd say either go for separate 6.1 pre-pros and amp(whatever fits you, you can always upgrade it later), or a 6.1 receiver.

If you wnated stereo to matrix out to your surrounds, get a setup that can do pro-logicII.</font>

 

[groovetube]

<font color='#000000'>thanks mustang_steve,.....the dilemma is trying to get the most 'bang for my buck' with priority on warm, punchy , powerful audio playback, but also decent surround sound for movies, etc...trouble is, I'm thinking newer ,under $400 receivers (Panasonic, JVC, Sony, etc) &nbsp;just now out have all the connectivity I could ever want, but would I be happy with the sound. as I'm almost certain I would be with a Marantz, Denon, NAD, etc 'couple of years old' receiver...</font>

 

[mustang_steve]

<font color='#000000'>You can get the warmth and punch can be obtained from your choice of speakers.

For about $300 or less you can get a nice entry-level yamaha receiver that should do you nicely. &nbsp;I can't say if the sound will be warm enough for your tastes or not though. &nbsp;I know my old rx-v490 is going for about $140 in some stores now, if your willing to sacrifice binding posts...I'm still clueless as to why they decided to do that. &nbsp;That receiver has an optical and coax digital in, but I think they are routable to only one input. &nbsp;It does have plenty of other analog ins though, and respectable amounts of power to feed your speakers.</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>My approach to building a system is similar with a high priority on music. In researching the receivers available in the 400 - 500 range, three seem to rise to the top in terms of musicality - NAD 742, Outlaw 1050, and HK 325. I was all set to go NAD, but they've received quite a lot of bad press about reliability. Outlaw gets kcked around because of its older design, and some say HK lacks crispness, is too warm.
Any thoughts?</font>