A couple of questions: preferences ,room size, budget?
I am setting up my HT for the first time.
Looking at the Onkyo TXNR906 for the receiver good choice or bad?
TV is the Samsung 52" 850
Blu-Ray is the Sony 550
Also need speaker set up any recommends? Polk? or dare I say Bose?
Want to do this right the first time.
Thanks to all for your help!
The Onkyo you are choosing is the high end of mid-price AVRs; very nice. As Chopin_Guy said also consider Deno, Pioeeer and Yahama. To his list I would also add Marantz.
First how much can you spend? That is what is your budget. The reason I ask is that a typical rule of thunmb is that you should spend 2/3 on your speakers and 1/3 on your AVR ( Audio Video Receiver). And since you are looking at a fairly expensive AVR you should alos consider fairly expensive speakers becuase the biggest factor in quality sound are the speakers.
Also decide whether you want just stereo ( some audiophiles prefer for pure music listening ) or 5.1 or 7.1 system.
The front speakers are most important and the center should match ( some actually use a third speaker the same as the fronts) to maintain timbre ( seamless front sounds). While you can match all of the speakers at an extreme, I think IMHO that the surrounds speakers either 5.1 or 7.1 are for enhancement and are not primary and therefore can be lesser than the fronts and center. The center is important if you watch movies nad television; that produces the vocal and dialog.
As for a subwoofer , it add lower frenquencies and significantly enhances movies and TV. Some good brands of subwoofers are SVS and Hsu.
However, everthing depends on three things:
(1) your listen preferences
(2) your room size and layout
(3) your budget
Good luck Joeyrebar and welcome to the audioholics forum.
Later,
MidCow2