Receiver and amp help

[Thehaus]

I am new to the forum but have read a great deal over the last weeks.

The long of the short is my old Mitsu DLP died for the 2nd time and I am replacing it with a Pany 54Vt25. I will be mounting it to the wall in my echoy stone and plaster 12x14 den with fireplace and multiple doors. After speaking with my neighbor who does very high end HT installs he said the easiest way to calibrate the room is to get a receiver with Audyssey and if it has pro I can pay a sub fee $200 and get 60 point calibration.

In zone 1 I will be using in wall LCR Triads, dual subs, and Triad Bipolars in the den (5.2 ch.). Zone 2 will be living room with my Vandersteen 2ce Signatures (biwired and possibly biamped). Zone 3 will be outside with a pair of wall mounted Sonance 81's.

I was thinking about using one receiver to run 5.1+2+2. What are peoples thoughts on the Onkyo TX-NR5008? Will the Vandys sound good biwired to it?

What are peoples feelings on Audyssey XT vs. XT32 vs. Pro vs. ARC? Is there really a big difference that is that noticeable?

My other option is to use my old Sony str-da6400es for the room and the outside and preout for zone 3 with a nice amp for the Vandy's. Is it's HT calibration system any good?

I am also open to using a different receiver all together and getting budget conscious amps.

I would like to play music on all zones with my sacd player, mp3s on NAS, iTunes, and Pandora. If I could independently easily control the volumes with my iPad that would be great.

Thanks for the help and insight.

Best,

Jonathan

 

[Thehaus]

Really? Poor cheap materials you say?

I am pretty surprised at the lack of any response other than by myself to myself. I depth discussion and analysis would have been nice. Even something like, have you noticed how flexy the selector dials are on claimed high end components are. Gee, that's interesting.

I have found this forum and most others lacking in shear substance when it is needed most. Almost every analysis of every piece of audio and video equipment these days is filled with over exuberant terms merely appealing to the manufacturer and their need to fill the bottom line. Even this forum and it's reviews fall victim more than one would like to believe.

Just yesterday a user stating that a Marantz AV separate is the same as its SR all in one because they had the same preamplifier, power supply, dac, etc, etc. Many users have become so conditioned now as to believe this rhetoric passed down by industry and stereo and theater review sites.

What seems to be a trend is that if the site sells merchandise or supports sites that do, there is a tremendous pressure in the choice of words selected. Shall call it WORD SELECTION BIAS. Can every amp or receiver really be that good? Even at the price they ask? Well kinda sort of, sure! Give me a break.

It now seems blatantly obvious that the sacrid world of home audio has been invaded and overtaken by convenience and mediocrity at the expense to the individual. We are rapidly on our way to devolution and convince ourselves that compressed audio actually sounds good.

Bring out any piece of vinyl and tell me that it sounds worse than the equivalently recorded SACD, CD, MP3, or Pandora station. If you answer *** than you have been brain washed by corporate America. Congratulations, you will just fall in love that massive all in one component you just bought that can have it's firmware up graded with the latest industry tricks.

I for one won't be a victim and log in to read etoh anonymous forum posts and reviews. I will bite the bullet and finally venture to the free world of separates. It might cost me a bit more but my senses will hopefully thaw out and realize their full potential. Now this is what i call rehab. Join me if you dare. Don't be a victim!

Bon voyage,

Gasman Haus