I would appreciate some help from those not trying to sell me a product, and after perusing some of the forums I decided this is a good place to get some advice.
I have been trying to research receivers for a couple of weeks now and am more lost and confused then when I began.
A bit about what I have currently:
Blueray-80G PS3
TV-Toshiba 46" LCD
Cable box/ DVR
Personal Computer hooked up to TV for watching internet.
WII
Martin Logan MLT-2 Home Theater System (purchased from Amazon for $400)
Product Features
Four MLT-2 satellites; One MLT-2 center; One high-performance subwoofer: 10-inch driver, 360 watts peak / 120 watts RMS
High-performance sound. Room-filling bass to 32 Hz. Compact design suits any listening environment
1-inch titanium dome tweeters; 3-1/2-inch and 4-1/2-inch poly-cone midrange/woofers
Powered subwoofer with 10-inch paper cone; built-in high-power amplifier: 360 watts peak/120 watts RMS
Technical Details
Brand Name: Martin
Model: MLT-2
Color Name: Black
Speaker Type: Bookshelf
I realize there are many better speakers out there. I am a "broke" audiophile however and had to work with a very limited budget. The ML brand has a great reputation and for the price, I couldn't beat the quality of what I was getting.
That said, I am working on powering this speaker set with a receiver. However, I am lost as to what I need. I look at photos of the backend of many of the receivers and they look like overkill to say the least. Perhaps I really don't understand what all those inputs and outputs are for.
That said, after all the preliminary and somewhat confusing research I have done, I know I have narrowed my brand choices down to:
Integra DTR 40.1
Marantz NR1601 or SR 5005
Denon AVR 891, 1911 or AVR 988
Pioneer Elite SC-05
Yamaha RX-v3300 or v2300.
What I want from a receiver is the power to make my speakers work clean and powerfully. I like warmer tones, clarity, and the full spectrum of sound as best as I can get it. I am willing to spend as much as $600 on a receiver. If I can reach the same goals with a cheaper unit without sacrificing quality I'm certainly not against saving money.
From what I have read, these are "power hungry" speakers and they take 100 watts each.
I am also lost as to whether or not I should buy a separate amp. If so, this cuts into my receiver budget. I doubt it would be necessary considering my sub came with an amp attached to the back, but I'm unclear as to the necessity of it. Any clarification on that matter would be helpful.
On an end note, I like the idea of up converting my music when I have it on the computer so that it sounds as close to authentic and original as possible, but I will never need to worry about 3D because it makes me sick. I know some receivers point to that need. I will not have that need ever.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on the matter.
