Home Theather Overhaul

[jfoley22]

Hello Guys,

First, great site. Lots of good stuff. I feel I kind of have a unique set of questions so I figured I would ask. Looking for some advice on replacing my current system. I currently have the following setup.

Panasonic 42" plasma - 1080i / 720P
Panasonic Home Theater System - All in One - 5 speaker system.
PS3 - Blu-Ray
Direct TV - With HD
IPOD - IPOD TOUCH


I am working on a rolling budget, meaning, I plan on piece mailing the system together. Right now I have $700.00 to spend, with another $1000.00 coming late "09". And then maybe a little more in early "10" if needed.

I would guess replacing the TV will be the last piece. So right now, I have $700.00 to spend. What would you all suggest buying first? I am looking for a good all around system. I play PS3 quite a bit, I watch Blu-Ray quiet a bit. I listen to music when hosting a party(I am very intrigued by HD radio, but not a necessity).

From what I am reading I would guess the Onkyo 606 would meet my needs. Looks like I could get the 606 for around $400.00 (Amazon). That would leave me $300.00 for speakers or would I better off going with a more expensive receiver such as the 706 or 806 and getting speakers down the road? I would guess the speakers with my Panasonic system would work?

I want this set up to be done right, not just buy something to get me by. I want it to last a long time. So I don't mind just buying an expensive receiver now and waiting on the rest but if a cheaper receiver will work, then it would be nice to go ahead and get it with a $300.00 sub maybe?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everybody in advanced.


Josh

 

[Midcow2]

Two front speakers and a matching center

WELCOME TO AUDIOHOLICS

What model of Panasonic Home Theater System ?

Does it have a usable receiver?


If so, I would spend all of the $700 on two front speakers and a matching center. The matching center maintains timbre (seamless sound).

Speakers make the most difference in any system.

Later with the $1,000 if it were me, I would but a good sub like a SVS
PB10-NSD for $429 and then spend the rest on a good receiver or a pretty-good receiver ( e.g. Yamaha 363 $199) and some surround speakers, e.g. Behringer B2030P.

Good receiver brands to consider ; Yamaha, Denon, Pioneer, Onkyo, Marantz


If you like the idea of spending $700 on front and center speakers let us know and we can provide some ideas.

Good Luck!

MidCow2

 

[audion3wb]

Well first off, welcome to the forum.

Theres a whole lot of ways you can go about doing this and none of them are right or wrong, its about what is right for you. Sounds like you want to upgrade from the home theater in a box.

If I were in your shoes I would consider doing speakers first and foremost. The speakers are going to make the largest difference in audio quality out of anything you purchase. A new receiver plugged into the old speakers wont really sound any better than the original one that came with the speakers because the speakers in those sets aren't very good.

#1 Reason why not to buy receiver first in your situation

Consider this, you buy a new receiver and plug the old speakers into it and it doesn't really change anything except the fact that you can route HDMI and your other components through it. Now by the time "late 09" rolls around and you are ready to buy speakers you see the same receiver you have on sale for $150.00 cheaper or you see that you could have gotten a significantly better receiver for the same price. Lesson is that electronics prices drop fast and 6 months is a lifetime when it comes to prices.

So, if you really really want to get the ball rolling now then I suggest considering the $1700 you have listed as your end budget. Its a shame I think you just missed the EMP speaker package sale because that would have been perfect for you, but I'm sure the other guys can lend some advice for deals in your price range.

Best of luck, and remember to just be paitent and do the research and avoid the impulse buy (I wish I did when I was in your shoes)

 

[jfoley22]

WELCOME TO AUDIOHOLICS

What model of Panasonic Home Theater System ?

SC-PT950

Does it have a usable receiver?
It does have a receiver. It is a 5-disk DVD combo receiver. My issue with it is, it only has 1 set of audio inputs and doesn't support sound over HDMI. Right now I am using a 3 port HDMI switch so that I can use Direct TV and PS3 over HDMI to the TV. For audio, I am just running RCA's from each device (PS3 and Direct TV) to the Receiver, but only one can be hooked up at a time. So when I switch from watch blu-ray to watching tv I have to get in the closet and switch the audio cables on the back of the receiver. It also only has 1 HDMI input, thus requiring the HDMI switch.

 

[jfoley22]

Well first off, welcome to the forum.

Theres a whole lot of ways you can go about doing this and none of them are right or wrong, its about what is right for you. Sounds like you want to upgrade from the home theater in a box.

If I were in your shoes I would consider doing speakers first and foremost. The speakers are going to make the largest difference in audio quality out of anything you purchase. A new receiver plugged into the old speakers wont really sound any better than the original one that came with the speakers because the speakers in those sets aren't very good.

#1 Reason why not to buy receiver first in your situation

Consider this, you buy a new receiver and plug the old speakers into it and it doesn't really change anything except the fact that you can route HDMI and your other components through it. Now by the time "late 09" rolls around and you are ready to buy speakers you see the same receiver you have on sale for $150.00 cheaper or you see that you could have gotten a significantly better receiver for the same price. Lesson is that electronics prices drop fast and 6 months is a lifetime when it comes to prices.

So, if you really really want to get the ball rolling now then I suggest considering the $1700 you have listed as your end budget. Its a shame I think you just missed the EMP speaker package sale because that would have been perfect for you, but I'm sure the other guys can lend some advice for deals in your price range.

Best of luck, and remember to just be paitent and do the research and avoid the impulse buy (I wish I did when I was in your shoes)

Wow, thanks for all the quick reply's. I don't necessarily have a big issue with the sound quality at this point, it is more an issue with being able to get surround sound easily out of my PS3 and Direct TV with out having to manually change the RCA cords each time. If I had any argument on sound quality at this point it would be the lack of bass my sub produces.

So I guess I should state at this point, my number one priority is to have the ability to switch audio inputs. Maybe there is a cost effective solution to this that would allow me to keep my current receiver and do the upgrade on the speakers??

Also, here are the stats on my speakers, not sure if this will help or not....

RMS Output Power: Dolby Digital Mode
Front Ch 250 W per channel (6 ≠), 1 kHz, 10 % THD
Surround Ch 100 W per channel (4 ≠), 1 kHz, 10 % THD
Center Ch 250 W per channel (6 ≠), 1 kHz, 10 % THD
Subwoofer Ch 250 W per channel (6 ≠), 100 Hz, 10 % THD
Total RMS Dolby Digital mode power 1200 W
FTC Output Power: Dolby Digital Mode
Front Ch 104 W per channel (6 ≠), 120 Hz–20 kHz, 1 % THD
Surround Ch 34 W per channel (4 ≠), 120 Hz–20 kHz, 1 % THD
Center Ch 101 W per channel (6 ≠), 120 Hz–20 kHz, 1 % THD
Subwoofer Ch 95 W per channel (6 ≠), 45 Hz–120 Hz, 1 % THD
Total FTC Dolby Digital mode power 472 W

Thanks Again for the support,

Josh

 

[jfoley22]

Any suggestions?

 

[audion3wb]

Well if HDMI switching is your main concern and upgrading speakers is not a priority then I would say getting a new receiver would be the way to go. The Onkyo 606 has the most features for the least amount of money so it would probably be a good way to go for you.

 

[Midcow2]

Some AVR choices

Any suggestions?

If you are satisfied with your speakers and you want to have a good receiver with HDMI switching (look for HDMI 1.3 ; even though specs on 1.1 and 1.2 say they pass audio sometimes they don't; 1.3 always does).

Here are some good brands to look a: Onkyo, Marantz, Denon, Yamaha and Pioneer.

Here are some sepcific models: (look for an authorized dealer)


Onkyo TX-SR706 $539 -$899
http://www.google.com/products?btnG=Search+Products&hl=en&show=dd&q=Onkyo+Tx-sr+706

Marantz SR5002 $530-$750
http://www.google.com/products?q=marantz+sr5002+price&btnG=Search+Products&hl=en&show=dd

Denon AVR2808CI $530- $1,002
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Denon+price&btnG=Search&hl=en&show=dd&cid=12556898366646952945&sa=title#ps-sellers

Pioneer VSX 1018AH-K $429-$633
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Pioneer+receiver+price&btnG=Search+Products&hl=en&show=dd&cid=1097630476893503334&sa=title#ps-sellers

Determine if upconverting is important too you ( actually with your equipment it probably isn't because you have high resolution devices inputting.


I prefer the the Marantz or Onkyo choice

Good Luck!

MidCow2

 

[lsiberian]

I disagree with not upgrading your receiver first. Yes speakers drive the sound, but he's got a really cheap receiver amp with very few connections.

I think the Onkyo 705 would be a perfect receiver for you. It has 3 hdmi inputs decodes all the new audio formats and has THX modes for games, music, and movies that aren't 5.1. I speak from the personal love I have gained from using mine. Plus it has pre-amps meaning it has maximum versatility for upgrading.

The 705 is better than the 606 because it has a bit more power, better audio processing, and is a better deal. The 705 has already taken that price dive too.

www.accessories4less.com. Go there and get it.

however if you can swing 1000 dollars right now. I suggest you get the marantz 4002, Kef iQ package. that is an amazing deal and comes with all you need. Those speakers will blow you away.

another option since you are on a budget is to just get a Kef 1000 or 2000 series. That may be more to your taste.

I know you could piece meal something for our tastes, but honestly I don't get the idea that you are looking for audiophile quality.

Another option is you could upgrade your front sound stage with Infinity Beta 20s and a Beta 250 like I have. It will help your upper bass frequencies some.

Oh for a quick cheap sub upgrade grab a Dayton 12 inch from parts-express.com. It will be an upgrade for you. It's got the best bang for the buck and well placed can easily fill a medium sized room.

 

[jfoley22]

Ok, so I see the KEF KHT2005.2 is $599.99 from accessories4less and the Onkyo 705 (or 706) for around $599.99 from Amazon. That set up would be a good deal for $1200.00? I might be able to swing that. Does that include a sub? Also, are the speakers easily mounted? I had a custom install done with the speakers I have mounted now.

Also, I mentioned above, it seems the 705 and 706 are nearly the same price. Shouldn't I get the 706 if that is the case? On another forum somebody suggested I get the pioneer Elite VSX03TXH. I have found that receiver for $499.99. Is that a nice receiver?

 

[strube]

Just an idea budget-wise, if you are thinking about the Onkyo, I would actually recommend you consider the older 705 over the 706, because they dumbed down the Audyssey room correction for the 706. Plus it is cheaper ! You could also get an extended warranty for fairly cheap if you were at all concerned about that.

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/ONKTXSR705/Onkyo/TX-SR705-THX-100w-x-7ch-Theater-Receiver-BLACK/1.html

They only have refurbished ones, but I think that is ok, because they have been thoroughly tested after refurbishing.

 

[jfoley22]

So you like the 705 over the Pioneer Elite VSX-03TXH for around the same price?

 

[strube]

So you like the 705 over the Pioneer Elite VSX-03TXH for around the same price?

Do you mind if I ask where you found that price? It sounds too good to be true. If it is online, then it is probably gray market gear and should be avoided (Pioneer doesn't have any authorized dealers online for the Elite line AFAIK and won't honor the warranty if you buy from an unauthorized dealer). I would probably take the Elite over the Onkyo at that price, but like I said I am skeptical.