Speakers for AVR-3805

[tenerifepaul]

I have recently replaced my ONKYO amp with the above but I have yet to replace the speakers, so I am still using the solids I got with the system I bought originally.

I know choice of speakers is a very personal thing, but I would appreciate some suggestions. The amp is used for watching DVD's not for listening to music. Up to $8000 for the set.

 

[cbraver]

I have a Denon AVR-3805 with M&K S-150s in the front with 750s in the rear and it's fantastic.

mksound.com

-Chad

 

[Vancouver]

Did I read you right ? your budge is 8,000? no question B&W Nautilus 800...maybe the 700 series if you want to get 5.1

http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.ranges/Label/Range Nautilus 800 Series

The 800's are the best speakers I have ever heard, and I dont care if speakers are all personal...no one can say they are less the spectacular

 

[hootie10]

$8000!!!!????

Well lets see, I agree with Vancouver. Take a good listen at B&W 800 or 700 series speakers. I would also suggest the Energy Veritas line of speakers, I have a paif myself and absolutely love them. There is also some good stuff from Axiom, and RBH. Both of these companies have good costumer service and if you don't like them....send them back. As far as subwoofers, I really like my HSU sub with the Energy Veritas, SVS makes good ones, Axiom, Velodyne.....even Energy or B&W.

With $8000 you can put together a SUPER audio system to say the least. There are many options. Go listen, audition....this is the best way to decide.

 

[flyv65]

All the manufacturers listed above make some outstanding speakers, as well as some others that hadn't been mentioned yet (Spendor, Paradigm, JMLabs, etc). My *one* recommendation to you is that you either select speakers that are fairly sensitive (>89 dB), or seriously consider buying a separate amplifier of at LEAST 150w/ch and using the pre-outs on your 3805 to run the fronts (if you decide on the floorstanding models).

I have a 3805 and Spendor S5e speakers that I love-great sound, and the bi-amping trick works pretty well with them...but they are rated at 250w/ch with a sensitivity of 84dB, and I can tell they'd be much happier with more juice. A friend of mine has the Denon 4802 with the B&W CDM 9NT for his fronts (rated for 200w/ch and 89dB sensitivity) and he adored those speakers. Then he bi-amped and said that they were noticeably better...then he bought a 190w/ch amp for the 9NTs and the difference was *amazing* (note this was with a fairly efficient speaker, too).

I'm not saying that you "need" an amp to use any of these speakers, but I am saying that if you drive them properly you'll notice a remarkable improvement in your music-and you should bear in mind that the 3805 is only pushing about 77w/ch with 5 channels driven (I think:check the review).

Bryan...just something to think about...

 

[tenerifepaul]

OK. Looked up the Nautilus 800 series. No shortage of praise for these, although they won't win a beauty contest. The recommendation was as follows:
Nautilus 803 main front. Nautilus HTM1 centre-front, and surround speakers SCM1'S. Bit more than $8000 in Europe, but they could be for life.

My next question, and it may sound stupid, so I apologise in advance. Do I presume correctly that a separate active sub woofer is not required in this set up?

 

[kode3]

If your budget is 8 grand, why did you get a 3805? Why not a 5 channel amp with a processor?

 

[flyv65]

Tenerifepaul-

I'd still look for a quality sub-it makes quite a difference with movies, if not necessarily for music. I'd also recommend that you think about a 2 channel amp (200w min) for the 803 fronts. IIRC, the SCM1s are bookshelf sized, and you can drive them (and the center) comfortably with the 3805's amp if you're not trying to push the fronts as well. You know, the 700 series has almost the same performance as the 800s and they're a bit more affordable, too.

By the way Kode3, the Denon 3, 4, and 5k series decks function pretty well as a pre/pro: perhaps as good as most of the entry level offerings. Frequently, they often have other features you don't typically find on the more affordable pre/pros, as well as an onboard amp for driving additional surround speakers if necessary.

Bryan...I've given this a lot of thought...

 

[tenerifepaul]

A bit more research forced some changes.

As much as I fancied it, out goes the HTM1, its too big, in comes the HTM2.

Plus the ASW 700, as the sub woofer.


So main front the 803's, standing surrounds 805's, cenre-front HTM2, sub woofer as above. I'll try initially without the second amp.

 

[20to20K]

$8000 JUST for speakers?

With that budget go check out the B&W 703's and see if you like'm.
They've got a matching center, rears and a powered sub that will be well within your budget and leave you enough (about $1500) left to get nice 3 or 5 channel amplfier to drive them. You could probably get away with using you're 3805 to drive the rears.

I think your choice of the 3805 is wise...even if just to use for a preamp,
DSP, and perhaps rear amp. I've got the same reciever and I love the
features and sound. The remote is a little flakey and the user's manual
is a joke...but otherwise I love it!

As for the 703's...those were the speakers I WANTED to buy...but MY
$3000 speaker budget forced me into Polk LSi's Series (which I chose over similiarly priced Paridgms, Def Techs, and Cantons)

That's my $0.02

 

[flyv65]

something to think about: the B&W 700 series has just been upgraded from the old CDM line. The CDM line used the same tweeters as the 800 series, and the 700 series is an obvious step up in sound. If you're serious about the 800s, you might want to look more closely at the 700s as well (a nod to 20to20k for the tip on these).

Bryan...I really liked the B&W 700 series...

 

[tenerifepaul]

Flyv65

Lucky we are only discussing one brand of speaker, otherwise I really would get confused. The 700 range looks fine to me. I presume they are being recommended since they offer similar performance more economically than the 800 series, which definitely comes in at over $8000.

This issue of the second AMP. Do I understand this correctly. I would buy a second amp to drive the fronts, ( so thats the two mains, centre, and sub woofer), and use my brand new, all singing all dancing , the amp that everyone seems to love, to simply drive the rears...............basically the surround speakers. Or is the key the fact that I am using the 3805 as a preamp.

 

[cbraver]

I would still audition the M&Ks. They sound superior, even to the 800s, in my opinion. Nevermind price.

 

[20to20K]

What to do with the amp...

My suggestion would be to initially just buy a two channel amp...just to
drive the two fronts. Use the 3805, which has a fine amplifier section in it
as well, to drive the centers and rears. I'm pretty sure the sub that goes with
the 700 series is active so you would not need a seperate amp for it.

The point is that your 703's are full range, floor standing speakers. To take
advantage of they're full dynamic capabilities you are better off driving them
with a high current amplifier. Since the 703's aren't too inefficient you could probably get away with 150watts a side...anything over 200 may be overkill.
But it's not the wattage that the key...it's the hight current. A high current
120 watt/channel amp (say an Adcom or B&K) will sound much fuller with
your speakers than the 120 watts coming out of your Denon. No knock on
the Denon...it's just the way it's designed. You can have an audio technician
explains the "Ohms law" reason for it...I just know what I hear!

The high current power will make those 703's sing! I know, I've heard an
Aragon pumping through them at a local dealer. Sounded significantly better
than even the 5803 that he had going through them originally.

That much current is simply not needed for your rears...and probably not
your center either. For that I think the 120 watts coming out of the 3805 will do nicely.

I'm running a similiar setup with my Polk LSI series. A high current Denon
amp (200 watts) driving the fronts an active Velondyne sub, and the 3805
pushing the rears and center. This was even more critical for me because
I have very inefficient speakers (4 ohms). Asking an AVR to drive that load
kind of load is unfair and not good for the reciever(heat buildup).

Hope this helps...

 

[tenerifepaul]

It just occured to me that I might be able to use my old amp to drive the rear and centre, and let my 3805 drive the fronts.

I still have my ONKYO TX-DS656, its sitting around doing nothing.