I need Advice on speakers

[ridfighter]

Hi i am new to this website and also new to sound systems, i do apologize if i am posting on the wrong thread, but i need help in building my home theatre.

First of all i have a very basic Denon HTIB, I have been researching a lot about speakers and reviews, and i know speakers like B&W, Paradigm,Dali
,Martin Logan, Wilson, Avalon, Von Schweikert, JM Lab,Sonus Faber have a good reputation and out of all these speakers i love Bowers and wilkins simply because of how it sounds and the way it looks. I listen to all kinds of music, pop, 80s, slow rock mostly though and i love feeling the effect of a good subwoofer when watching movies.

Ok here is the problem, my budget is between $1500 to $2500(i know its not much), I want a 5.1 system that includes tower speakers and a awesome sub and also a reciever, i dont mind if its used or buying on ebay, please help me find the left and right tower speakers, center channel, surrounds, sub and the reciever, i know that yall are more smarter about speakers than i am, thats why i am asking for help, thank you and have a happy new year.
Rida

 

[zumbo]

Easy there grasshopper. You are throwing-out some big speaker brand names there. Then you give a budget that may cover a pair of books, or a single tower. Then you inform that your budget also includes a receiver, and a sub.

Not possible.

 

[sholling]

We do need more to work with like room size (WxLxH)? Open plan room or enclosed? Distance between the speakers and your ears. Receiver and sub included in the budget?

 

[ridfighter]

Need help

yes it needs sub and amp included, and i dont want the most expensive brands, just want quality and i have a 1500square foot apartment, sorry for the low budget, going to school and work!! but i still dream of good speakers

 

[jonnythan]

1500 square foot apartment? You really don't need tower speakers.

Look at a set of 4 Infinity P163s @$85 each, a PC251 @ $149, a Rythmik FV-12 @$500, and a $400-$500 receiver from Onkyo, Denon, Pioneer, or Yamaha.

 

[ridfighter]

need help

well i intend to buy a house, so i want to build the system right now

 

[jonnythan]

There's nothing wrong with bookshelf speakers. Towers can generally put out lower bass, which is irrelevant when using with a sub, and go a couple dB louder with effectively no distortion. But the P163s will go plenty, plenty loud even after you buy a home.

If you want to invest more money on something that will help when you move to a new house, get a bigger sub.

 

[ridfighter]

need help

so what are my choices for that price range? make and model? i would really appreciate it

 

[sholling]

There's nothing wrong with bookshelf speakers. Towers can generally put out lower bass, which is irrelevant when using with a sub, and go a couple dB louder with effectively no distortion. But the P163s will go plenty, plenty loud even after you buy a home.

If you want to invest more money on something that will help when you move to a new house, get a bigger sub.

This is excellent advice. Once you move you'll just add a second sub for the larger room. But if you want the towers now then a good option is a pair of Infinity P362 towers for $200ea, a matching PC350 center for $200, and a pair of P152 bookshelves for $75ea as surrounds. That's $750 total and a whole lot of bang for the buck. Add the $500 Rythmik subwoofer suggested above and you're at $1250. If you don't mind buying refurbished an Onkyo TX-NR709 is a heck of a receiver for less than $500. If factory refurbished makes you uneasy then I'd look for a $500 Yamaha or Denon (brand new only). Once you move to larger quarters you'd just add a second matching sub.

 

[zieglj01]

If you want to keep it simple - This NHT package
Ask them to upgrade you to the B12 sub
NHT Classic Two 5.1 Surround Package

B12 sub
http://www.nhthifi.com/Subwoofer-home-theater-B-12d?sc=12&category=3779

Denon 891 receiver
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/DENAVR891/DENON-AVR-891-7.1-Channel-105W-A/V-1.4-3D-Ready-Receiver/1.html

 

[jonnythan]

Four Absolute Zeros and an Absolute Center is about $1100... $500 for the FV-12 and $400 or so for That Denon 891 is also in your budget...

I wouldn't recommend an NHT sub. You can get more bass for the money.

 

[zieglj01]

Now if you really want to step it up, and stay in budget.
This is some real good, high resolution sound.

Boston VS 260, buy 2 pair
You will be surprised at what this speaker with a sub, can put out.
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/542388562/boston-acoustics-vs-260?s_c=site_search

The Boston center - VS 325
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/548483083/boston-acoustics-vs325c?s_c=site_search

A good HSU subwoofer, the VTF-3
http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-3mk4.html

The Rythmik sub is still a good choice.

And that Denon 891 receiver

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

1500 square foot apartment? You really don't need tower speakers.

Look at a set of 4 Infinity P163s @$85 each, a PC251 @ $149, a Rythmik FV-12 @$500, and a $400-$500 receiver from Onkyo, Denon, Pioneer, or Yamaha.

Hey, I was to recommend that!

But since he wants towers......

Front L/R - Infinity P362 or P363 towers = $400/pr

http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/605infinity/

Center - PC351 = $200

Surround L/R - P163 = $170/pr

http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/measurements/speakers/infinity_primus_p162/

infinity primus at Crutchfield.com

Subwoofer - Rythmik FV12 = $500 (+ $60 shipping)

Total = $1330 for 5.1 speakers & subwoofer.

Rythmik FV12 - vented HT sub

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

For AVR:

Yamaha RXA1000 for $780
Amazon.com: Yamaha RX-A1000 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black): Electronics

Yamaha Aventage RX-A1000 A/V Receiver | Home Theater

" RX- A1000... two channels driving 8-ohm loads, reaches... 1 percent distortion at 135.3 watts. Into 4 ohms, the amplifier reaches...1 percent distortion at 213.9 watts... THD+N... was less than 0.007 percent at 1 kHz when driving 2.83 volts into an 8-ohm load. Crosstalk at 1 kHz driving 2.83 volts into an 8-ohm load was –97.43 dB left to right and –93.41 dB right to left. The signal-to-noise ratio with an 8- ohm load from 10 Hz to 24 kHz with “A” weighting was –108.41 dBrA."

All very impressive numbers (for what is available from HTM).

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Four Absolute Zeros and an Absolute Center is about $1100... $500 for the FV-12 and $400 or so for That Denon 891 is also in your budget...

I wouldn't recommend an NHT sub. You can get more bass for the money.

Top notch frequency response on HTM:

" The Absolute Zero’s listening-window response (a five-point average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal and vertical responses) measures +0.94/–0.82 decibels from 200 hertz to 10 kilohertz."

NHT Absolute Zero Speaker System | Home Theater

I say can't go wrong with either Infinity Primus or NHT Absolute Zero or SuperZero ($100 each).

 

[DenPureSound]

For AVR:

Yamaha RXA1000 for $780
Amazon.com: Yamaha RX-A1000 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black): Electronics

Yamaha Aventage RX-A1000 A/V Receiver | Home Theater

" RX- A1000... two channels driving 8-ohm loads, reaches... 1 percent distortion at 135.3 watts. Into 4 ohms, the amplifier reaches...1 percent distortion at 213.9 watts... THD+N... was less than 0.007 percent at 1 kHz when driving 2.83 volts into an 8-ohm load. Crosstalk at 1 kHz driving 2.83 volts into an 8-ohm load was –97.43 dB left to right and –93.41 dB right to left. The signal-to-noise ratio with an 8- ohm load from 10 Hz to 24 kHz with “A” weighting was –108.41 dBrA."

All very impressive numbers (for what is available from HTM).

Go with the Denon AVR-2312 and call Electronics Expo and ask them for their best price, but call others Auth. Dealers also.

Amazon.com: Denon AVR2312CI Integrated Network A/V Surround Receiver: Electronics

I've had two Yamaha's and both of them gave me Problems!!

I now have two DENON AVR's and neither has given me a problem!!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Go with the Denon AVR-2312 and call Electronics Expo and ask them for their best price, but call others Auth. Dealers also.

Amazon.com: Denon AVR2312CI Integrated Network A/V Surround Receiver: Electronics

I've had two Yamaha's and both of them gave me Problems!!

I now have two DENON AVR's and neither has given me a problem!!

Well, I have to admit that if I were to buy another AVR, it would be a Denon from Amazon.

They tend to be pricier than the competition, though.

I would wait until one goes on sale. I've seen the AVR 3310 LIKE NEW direct from Amazon for around $525.

 

[zumbo]

Never had a problem with Yamaha components. CD player in my 2-channel rig was purchased in the 80's.

My 2k Marantz BD player went for repair twice in it's first two years of life. Hung-up the other night, but decided to work. Out of warranty now. When it quits next time, the bill is on me.

Friend purchased a Denon 3310 a while back. He couldn't wait for the out-of-stock Yamaha I recommended. He hates the Denon, and I hated setting-it-up. Manual seemed to be written by a third-grader.

Not trying to be combative, or do the mine is better than yours bit. Just posting first-hand experiences.

 

[sholling]

I think they all get bad batches of components and those troubles are more likely to hit the lower ends of the product lines where lower cost parts have to be used to keep the cost down. Last year it was Onkyo's 508/509 that got trashed but that didn't stop me from buying a TX-NR809 last week based on the reliability of my 606, 707, and 906. This year there have been reports about failures (real or imagined) in lower-end Denons, and Yamaha is about due for their turn simply because no one tests 100% of every part that come in to its limits. Even normally rock solid and reliable Emo was effected with a bad batch of caps making it into a few of their subwoofer amps just about a year ago. It doesn't make any of them bad companies or point to poor quality control simply because all any of them can do is test samples to failure and rely on their repair network to catch the rest.

The two things that make me nervous is fires or when a company's recertified products fail. That's because common sense tells us that refurbished/recertified products should to be subjected to 100% function testing (instead of the fraction of a percent to a percent or two used in statistical process control) before being put back on the market. Getting three of those DOA in a row tells me that someone subjects their factory refurbs to little if any testing or that the QC tech on duty that week wasn't doing his/her job. Fortunately both of my refurbished receivers have been 100% reliable. Almost too reliable because because it's hard to come up with a good excuse to replace perfectly good gear with the newest and coolest.

 

[zumbo]

Well, my Marantz BD player was at the top of the pile for it's year. 2k retail. They treated me like crap, and offered a mediocre repair. Thing sounds like finger bones crinkling when it opens, and closes. Makes all kinds of noises once the disc is in there.

Yamaha players, all I own/have owned, open and close with precision. Just things of beauty.