Hello, thanks for having me on the forums.
I'm looking to spend roughly $500 on a new home audio system. Eventually I'll get to 5.1, but for now, I'd like to get a solid 2.1 system going.
I was planning on getting a Yamaha RX-V377-R receiver. Any reason why I shouldn't? It's the best-selling on Amazon and I've heard good things about Yamaha. Are there any significant impairments I should be aware of?
That will leave me with about $340 to spend on front speakers and a sub. I was leaning towards the Polk RTi4 for fronts, but I've read Yamaha paired with Polks make a very bright sound. Are the RTi4 a solid choice or should I look elsewhere? What $200~ speakers would you recommend instead? I'll also occasionally listen to music through this system. I do like bass-heavy stuff, but of course would like to avoid a boomy-sounding home theater.
Thanks so much!
This is going to be a system you'll live with for quite a while. It's good that you have an eye on starting with a 2.1 channel system and building on it piece by piece. I suggest going one step further and holding off on the sub right now. If you skimp on the subwoofer, you'll be doing yourself a disservice. For now, shop for a receiver + stereo speakers.
For the main LR speakers, I second BSA's suggestion of the
WaveCrest Audio HVL-1. Hold off on the sub for now until you can afford something more worthwhile -- say, the
NXG NX-BAS-500 for example. Or if you have a large room to pressurize, you might need something more in the $500 - $1000 range (Hsu Research, Outlaw Audio, Rythmik, Powersound Audio, or Reaction Audio), or maybe even a
DIY project with a
decent amp.
If you do forego the sub for now, the WaveCrest bookshelfs will give you around 55Hz with room gain I think. If you want something that'll play a little deeper, then maybe the
Affordable Accuracy towers. It'll all be a moot point once you do get a sub, though; as whatever mains you choose will probably eventually be crossed over with an 80Hz high pass filter.
The Yamaha receiver you picked out is nothing to write home about, but I reckon it'll be reliable if nothing else.
This cat seems to know what's up regarding that receiver's YPAO room correction. If you'd like some alternatives to consider, Denon, Marantz, and Pioneer are also worthwhile. Shop for refurbs at
Accessories4Less. Onkyo can often give you more features for the buck, but you're also more likely to have to mail it off for warranty repair.
If you wouldn't mind saying where you live, maybe we could help you find a Craigslist deal?
