Sound Challenged... Need a Stereo Receiver

[JonVanderArk]

Good Day Everyone...

let me just start this off that I understand a few basic things about speakers, but really nothing a little kid wouldn't already know! I'm either what you'd call stupid, or mentally sound challenged... it depends on your political standpoint!

My grandma (bless her heart!) decided to surprise me for my birthday by throwing a family party at their cabin. We were watching family videos and when they were done if I like the sound... of course... she said she thought she had bought an entire sound system for me, but it turned out to be only the speakers, she was a bit misled by the Best Buy guy.

So now I got these speakers, which I know sound awesome, when they're hooked up to my grandparents receiver that is. I need a reciever of my own, otherwise, the speakers are going to be merely decoration in my room!

I've got the KLH model "PLAT-6" speakers. You can find out all the details either here (below) or at (link/)http://www.klh.com(link) ...

I've already asked the KLH Customer Support, the only advice they would give me is... "I would recommend a receiver with Dolby Surround Sound support." That certainly didn't narrow down my choices at all.

Also, I'm military, so money isn't exactly flowing out of every pocket. It's barely flowing to the bank! So if there's a medium price range receiver out there that you could suggest, that would be awesome.

Most of the sound will be coming from my computer (gaming, DVDs, Music) and occasionally a friends XBox.

Any suggestions on either what to look for, feature to expect, brands to get sucked into/avoid at all costs, or if possible reciever type/model number would be awesome.

Thank you for your time and any response,

Jon Vander Ark


PLAT-6

Finish: Silver

Includes One 10" 100 Watt Powered Subwoofer
- Down-Firing, Ported Enclosure
- Amplifier: Built-In 100 Watts Peak
- Woofer: 10" Dynamic Long-Throw
- Frequency Response: 30 Hz to 40 - 180 Hz
- Inputs: Speaker Level & Line Level
- Controls: Power, Volume, Auto Shut-Off
- Dimensions: 15-1/2"H x 14"W x 14"D

Includes One Pair Front and One Pair Rear Channel Satellite Speakers
- Two 3-5/8" Aluminum Cone Woofers
- 7/8" Liquid-Cooled Dome Tweeter
- 2-Way Design; Magnetically Shielded
- Use with Equipment 5 to 125 Watts
- Frequency Response: 80 Hz - 20 kHz
- Impedance: 8 Ohms Average
- Silver Cabinets with Silver Cloth Removable Grills
- Dimensions: 12-1/4"H x 5"W x 6-1/4"D

Includes One Matching Center Channel Speaker
- Four 3-5/8" Aluminum Cone Woofers
- 7/8" Liquid-Cooled Dome Tweeter
- 2-Way Design; Magnetically Shielded
- Use with Equipment 5 to 125 Watts
- Frequency Response: 80 Hz - 20kHz
- Impedance: 8 Ohms Average
- Silver Cabinet with Silver Cloth Removable Grill
- Dimensions: 5"H x 19-3/8"W x 6"D

Includes Speaker Wire

Warranty:
- 1 Year Limited Parts/Labor

Weight: 72.6 Lbs.
UPC No.: 048331-02983-3
No. of Speakers: 6
MSRP: $479.99/Pr.

 

[Rip Van Woofer]

Being in the military, can you get deals in the PX? Or are those days over?

If you go with the major brands like Yamaha, Onkyo, Denon, Panasonic, Sony and so on you'll be pretty safe. One good thing about the market today is that nearly all the gear from the majors is at least competent (I hear some throat-clearing in the background! Hey, I said NEARLY.).

I'll give my usual advice to newbies without oil-sheikh incomes: find a copy of the November 2003 Consumer Reports. That is the last time they did tests of receivers. They might also have ratings on their Website, www.ConsumerReports.org. CU is the only publication I know of doing regular objective testing of mass-market non-exotic HT and audio gear. If my wife wasn't so ruthlessly efficient at throwing out old mags, I could name you their top picks but..

Look for a unit that is rated for power into 4 ohms as well as 8 ohms; it indicates that the unit has a more robust power supply for the amps which is a good quality feature to have even if you have 8 ohm (most speakers are) speakers. For technical reasons the power rating for 4 ohms will not be double that for 8 ohms; that's normal.

Don't get hung up unduly on the watts, either. Unless you have a large listening room in your mansion or very inefficient speakers (neither of which applies in your case ) any decent receiver will have enough power for your needs. Your subwoofer has its own amplifier built in and it's the bass that takes the most power.

Don't sweat THX certification; it costs more and is not a must-have. $200-$300 will get you a good Dolby and DTS equipped unit. For your speakers you need a "5.1" channel receiver. If you get a "7.1" unit you can add two more rear speakers in the future if you wish.

Enjoy. This stuff is simpler that a lot of us make it seem.