im new

[nocondorfx]

hey all, my parents just ripped out theyre old setup so i stole it and decided to venture into this home theater hobby. I received (for free)an 11 yr. sony cd player, 7 yr old kenwood receiver and jbl sub. I plan on upgrading it all! My first task was to order speakers though, so after a bunch of research I ordered a pair of Athena AS-F2's from AudioAdvisor. I plan on doing a 7.1 athena audition series setup, maybe get a svs sub if i have the money. Anyway, i have 2 questions.

1. how do i hookup my subwoofer? The low inputs are RCA, and my receiver has a subout

2.I plan on getting a receiever in a few months. Without listening to any I have come to like the Denon 8303, Marantz sr7400, and the Yammy rxv1400, and 5790. any opinions on those? TIA

 

[BMXTRIX]

1. I use RG-6 cable to hook up my subwoofer to my system. This is regular 75 ohm cable - similar to the cable that hooks the 'cable' up to your TV. I use RCA converters to change from the cable end, to the proper end to hook up to my sub. They sell much more expensive cables to do this, but it may cost you a lot more to accomplish about the exact same thing.

2. I am a big fan of Yamaha. So, it's the RX-V1500 now (see intro on this site) which will offer you a lot of versatility in a product and component switching and a ton of ins and outs with good sound. I personally will probably get a 2500 which I think is a better value since I have HD cable, DVD, and my Playstation all putting out component video so I need at least 3 component inputs on the receiver. Just something to keep in mind if you want to spend 200 bucks more.

 

[Unregistered]

am i on the right track of wanting to replace my receiver first, before i do my svs? And as much as i would like to do seperates, im on a college budget and can't do it. You think a 20-39pci will get me in trouble in an apartment? man, this hobby is expensive BMXTRIX... i used to go to that site back in the day when i rode

 

[GeorgeM]

"You think a 20-39pci will get me in trouble in an apartment?"

YES!

-GeorgeM

 

[Unregistered]

in trouble...no way !! EVICTED !!!

 

[nocondorfx]

hmmm... good

 

[BMXTRIX]

I have seen a lot of condo installs of pretty high end surround gear and you definitely have to watch out for the sub. It shouldn't necessarily mean you shouldn't get one... just make sure you can turn it down - or off - when you don't need to use it.

I would say (and I have heard others say) that speakers will make the biggest difference in your audio setup and be the longest lasting piece of your equipment. Since speaker technology is not as steadily changing as audio formats, you can get some good speakers that will improve your audio right away, and still be good whenever you get a good A/V receiver.

GOOD subs are expensive - so maybe while in college you may want to look on eBay for a decent used sub that you can resell for a similar price in a year or two.

I will just say that if you want to get 5 years or more out of your A/V receiver - go with the Yamaha 2500 or HTR equivalent if there ever is one. The 200 bucks gives you that extra component input and extra power. The 3-zones of audio are nice if you decide you want to run extra speakers in a second room - or do house distribution later on. I will probably be using all 3 zones from my 2500 should I get it. (I have a Z1 now)

Anyway - site is still up, I still run it - I haven't updated it in AGES - but want to. And I still ride every day if I can. When my new house is built I will be able to ride in the basement - can hardly wait!

 

[nocondorfx]

hah riding in the basement, thats sweet. i did the common "stop riding when i got into cars", oh well fun stuff.

I have a 7 year old JBL (PSW-1000)sub now, and its um, i dunno not up to par with what i want to be getting. I think I can getaway with an svs if i keep it on the DL while im up at school, the other 4 months that im at my parents house I can BOOM! My roomate has a yammy 5660, and it seems okay for being 250 bucks or whatever, but I would rather go for a lil higher up on the yammy chain. YPAO seems very convienent.

PS. I love this site.

 

[nm2285]

I've had experience with your speakers and with most of the receivers you've listed and I'd tell you to check out the Marantz. I like the sound of it best and the features are very good. Also look at NAD. Their power supplies are fantastic and very conservatively rated.