need all the help on HT project

[Tarub]

As a newbie and audiophytes I have tons of dumb questions before I decide to buy a Sub and a Receiver for my 1st HT.
Right now I have a stackable type stereo system that was very popular in 80's that I am still using for music and movies - thru Video 1 & 2 or AUX rca l&r input. So, its not a surround, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 or digital audio. Even though its only 2 speaker system the sound of this system is very good even after 17 yrs of service. I just had the woofers and bass radiators refoam 2 months ago and it sound like new again. Its a Kenwood 970CD that has a power amp, control amp, tuner, dual cassette deck, turntable, graphic equalizer and cd player (doesn't read CD/R or RW). The two tower speakers LS-P9000HG specs - 400w peak input (doesn't say the RMS), 4 way 6 speaker system. It has a low frequency drive 10.5" woofer, mid freq drive 4.5", high freq drive 2" x 3 each, super bass radiator 17". Frequency response 20hz to 48,00 hz. Sensitivity 91 db/W at 1m. Crossover frequency 1,200hz; 5,000 hz; 10,000hz. The power amp KM-207 specs is 150 watts per channel min. RMS, 8 ohms, 20hz-20khz, less than 0.03%THD.
I have very little knowlegde about all this specs I gave you guys. But the reason is I want to use this 2 tower speakers as my main l & r speaker for my 7.1 ht project which is for 40% music, 30% movies and 20% games. My room size is 15' x 25' x 8'. What receiver and subwoofer is the best that can blend in on this bass capable speakers? I read the FAQ section that it's a highly recommended to match a bass capable speakers w/ a receiver that has a multiple crossover settings and flexible bass management. I was thinking of buying the Onkyo TX-NR801 because of the Ethernet port features. I want to play my MP3 music files on my laptop or desktop PC on this HT project. But I dont know if the 801 receiver can blend in with this Kenwood tower speaker.
Can I get a receiver without a ethernet port feature and still hook up my PC thru RCA jacks or other digital input of the receiver and play my MP3 music files?
So what good quality brand receiver I can buy with $700-$800 max budget? Hopefully I can get a very good receiver that is a lot lower price than that. How about a good Subwoofer that can match with this bass capable tower speakers with the specs freq response lowest @20hz??? Max budget for sub is about $500.
How about the preamp and the graphic equalizer of this Kenwood stereo, is it still usable for this HT project?
I started on this project 3 weeks ago and bought a center speaker Polk audio Csi25 100w @ 8ohms that was on sale at Frys. I will worry on the surround speakers later after I get the Sub and the receiver.
Sorry for all the questions. I will really appreciate all the help and advice for my 1st HT. Thanks much in advance.

 

[mpompey]

Tarub, welcome to the Forum. I'm sure you'll spend alot of time hear learning from all the experts on the forum.

Let me start off by giving you one piece of advice first... RELAX! Don't spend a single cent just yet. Once you get into this hobby, you'll always be tweaking, upgrading, replacing. So buckle up and get ready for a great ride.

My Advice: Read up some more on some of the basics about home theatre. In your post you mention some budget amounts for receiver and subwoofer purchases that should get you some pretty nice equipment. But you might not want to pair them to those speakers from your component "stack". Here are some pretty good links to some great articles here at Audioholics. Once you read through these, you'll be able to narrow your focus and really start building a HT to your tastes.

Home Theatre Buying Guide (If you're really in a rush to buy)
http://www.audioholics.com/showcase/systemguide/index.php

Setting up Home Theatre Basics
http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/avhardware/hometheatersetupbasics.php

What is Dolby Digital Surround
http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/specsformats/DolbyDigitalsurroundformat.php

And ask questions in the forums. There are lots of knowlegable people here that can definitely help you out.

 

[jcPanny]

HT ideas.

First off, for HT, it is very desirable to have left, right, and center channels that tonally match. The easiest way to achieve this is to buy these three speakers fromt he same manufacturer and same line of speakers. You might consider returning the center and using the money towards the receiver and sub for a 2.1 system.

Receiver:
Check out the Yamaha RX-V2500 and Denon 3805 in your price range.
Your new receiver will include all of the EQ functions so you won't need your existing equipment. You will need a DVD player or changer.

Subwoofer:
For <$500, take a close look at the SVS 10" sub or HSU STF-2.

Speakers:
There are plenty of options depending on your room size and price range.

 

[lostsoul74]

tarub,
Since you enjoy the sound of your current speakers, i'd actually suggest geting another km* series amp to go with the one you already have. You can ebay for around 100 range. I just picked up a km-893 for 60, and found a match km-897 on net for 30. Same look as other, clean look. Just flat front, nothing dated. This should give you a jump start by having seperates and still maintain much of the sound you've come to enjoy with your current system. This way you can shop for real bargains on a great recievers that dont have high wattage. Say HK would be an excellent choice. Great sound and circuitry, but still maintaining the warm feeling that your amps would give off. For that extra 50 to a hundred for a matching amp, you can save several hundred on a cheaper model reciever with less wattage. And still be head of the game With seperates and old school circuitry. Then grab a nice matching DVD with similiar front look of your avr, make sure your dvd-a and sacd capable for great sound. You should save yourself hundreds and have an incredable sounding finish. Just my 2 cents though. As an audiophile on a budget.