Newbie Intro

[GG386]

Glad to be on board, and I will not ask a bunch of questions till I spend a few weeks reading the existing post that may have the info I'm searching for

The short is this, I need to botton up my great room with a above average HT system. I was going to cannabalize some of my power from existing stock, but I decided to use the power amps for my dedicated HT which is now being built. BTW, some of the pieces I own are smithsonian grade and probably not worth using, except for the turn table.

I know the latest bling is HDMI.3, but I'm not sure it's all It's cracked up to be.

Your time and direction is truly appreciated

 

[BMXTRIX]

Welcome and feel free to ask questions. Keep in mind some of the more basic concepts that many people don't understand right away...

Like - you can get cables on monoprice.com or from BlueJeansCable.com and save some cash while still getting top notch quality. No need to spend more for boutique cables that offer you no (and I mean NO) improvement. This frees up some cash for HT upgrades!

Your idea of 'above average' may not match up with what someone elses idea of 'above average'. So it is good to simply shoot to have a budget and try to stick with it. For some $5000 is a good price to pay... for each speaker. For others, $1,000 has to deliver the entire 7.1 setup they want. More people fall into this second category than the first.

In more realistic terms $3K to $5K will deliver a pretty solid mid level setup. $1K on receiver and about $2K-4K distributed among speakers and maybe a decent DVD player in there as well. When you start getting under $3K you start having to make compromises that you may not want to make. Small ones at first, then bigger and bigger.

Always - provide all the details you can! Budget, your preferences, your hard line demands (ie: They MUST be in-wall speakers due to WAF) etc. The more info you give, the better your responses will be. Even if the main response you get is 'I agree with you'.

Welcome!

 

[Bob F]

New??Here!! makes me feel great.

Hi another newbe, I've been visiting here for a couple weeks, and decided you guys would be a great resource. I reciently bought a stereo system for a new addition I built and will probably be asking setup questions.:

 

[GG386]

Welcome and feel free to ask questions. Keep in mind some of the more basic concepts that many people don't understand right away...

Like - you can get cables on monoprice.com or from BlueJeansCable.com and save some cash while still getting top notch quality. No need to spend more for boutique cables that offer you no (and I mean NO) improvement. This frees up some cash for HT upgrades!

Your idea of 'above average' may not match up with what someone elses idea of 'above average'. So it is good to simply shoot to have a budget and try to stick with it. For some $5000 is a good price to pay... for each speaker. For others, $1,000 has to deliver the entire 7.1 setup they want. More people fall into this second category than the first.

In more realistic terms $3K to $5K will deliver a pretty solid mid level setup. $1K on receiver and about $2K-4K distributed among speakers and maybe a decent DVD player in there as well. When you start getting under $3K you start having to make compromises that you may not want to make. Small ones at first, then bigger and bigger.

Always - provide all the details you can! Budget, your preferences, your hard line demands (ie: They MUST be in-wall speakers due to WAF) etc. The more info you give, the better your responses will be. Even if the main response you get is 'I agree with you'.

Welcome!

Thanks B-Trix for your quick reply,

Let me tell you where I've "narrowed" it down to, BTW 5.1 is what is prewired

POWER/PROCESSING
emotiva refernce
Arcam 350
denon 3806
sony 5200 es (has waf cause she is employed by Sony, but it's quirky)
SPEAKERS
Onix
HTD
+ few others as long as they have a tower configuration (My Chapman t7's are a case in point)


Like I said, this will be my primary HT for family and friends to be able to use even when I'm not there- I don't want a call every 5 minutes just to switch sources I.E. It's GOT to be fairly easy to operate without a PHD in Physics


Now for my dedicated one that's under construction, we can step it up a few knotches, but first things first.

I can get sony stuff pretty reasonable, but I'm not too impressed with there HT equipment other than there TV's.

Damn, I can never figure out how to do the multi-quote thing

 

[jcPanny]

New HT

For processors, add the Yamaha RX-V2700 to your list and drop the Sony unless you get a major discount.

If you want the family room to double as a high end 2 channel system, consider the Onix Strata Mini floorstanders for mains ($2k) and a Ref 100 and Ref 1's + sub to complete the 5.1 system.

For ease of use I would recommend a good Harmony or URC LCD remote to control the system. I have the URC 300 with RF and the wife loves it.

 

[GG386]

I've had Yamaha gear in the past and never had a problem with any of the pieces.

I know what you mean about that Sony piece, POS. Not even the employee discount will help, UNLESS we're talking about a Ruby or a Pearl.

I have a helluva time test driving equipment where I'm at, but the reviews are top knotch on those Strata's. Are the Ref 100's part of the Strata family?

I've got to get this put to bed soon, or I'm gonna drive everybody nuts- including myself!

Thanks for your insight