System Advice

[audiofledgling]

I'm trying to put together my first system with a few goals in mind:

1) I would like to minimize cost and maximize my listening experience, call it budget audiophile, respecting the law of diminishing returns, whatever - I just don't want to spend $ .01 more than necessary on equipment I don't need/won't use/won't add reasonable value to my listening experience.

2) Music is my #1 priority. I listen to all kinds of music but I would say the genres I listen to most, in order, are: rock, pop, jazz and then some classical. I'm not a big fan of cranking up the bass. That's not to say I don't like bass, I just like it to be balanced and clean. That said, Almost all of my music is mp3 (256 - 320 kbps.) It's all bought from online stores (zune, amazon, itunes, etc) so quality wise it's as good/consistent as it gets for MP3 (at least for the amount of effort I am willing to put into it.)

3) Movies/TV is secondary - I am assuming that if a system does a good job with music I will be reasonably satisfied with movies/TV.

4) I would like a system that is capable of playing music that can be heard throughout my main floor (average sized living, dining, kitchen, family rooms - ~ 1200 sq feet.) It doesn't have to be able to blow your hair back 3 rooms away but I would like it to be loud enough to be enjoyed while washing dishes, throwing a dinner parties, bb-qing in the backyard with the windows open, etc)

3) I would also like to do some focused/critical listening – I’d like to spend some time sitting in the sweet spot with a drink in my hand and one of my favorite albums playing. Clarity and quality is important to me - I would like the experience to be as natural/neutral as possible. I don't know that I wouldn't go so far as to call myself an audiophile (only because I know I will be told off if I do so, considering my budget) but I would like to remove equipment limitations/distractions from the equation, as much as reasonably possible, considering my data source and budget.

4) My primary, and potentially sole, source of data will be a Windows Media Center PC. I may add a game console but don't see having more than 2 or 3 devices - I expect all will be connected via hdmi.

5) I would like the setup to be reasonably pleasing to the eye. I don't want anything that looks cheap or too "unique"

All of that said here is what I am looking at, equipment wise:
- Paradigm atom OR mini monitor OR Titan speakers (5 in total)
- HSU STF-1 OR STF-2 Subwoofer
- Marantz nr1601 OR Onkyo HT-RC260 receiver

Speakers - again, I don't want to spend a penny more than necessary - Is paradigm the way to go? If I'm using a sub and set the crossover correctly will the atoms be as good as, or at least close to, the minis and titans? If not, which speakers would you choose and why (considering I will be primarily listening to high quality MP3s)?

Sub - does the additional range and power of the STF-2 justify the cost? Considering my source (primarily high quality MP3s) and speakers would the STF-2 be wasted money, in the sense I would never realize the true benefit without moving up to a more powerful set of speakers?

Receiver - I expect all of my source(s) will be HDMI and don't expect to go upgrade crazy anytime soon - I want to maximize sound quality in stereo and deliver good 5.1 when watching movies, tv. I also want to get as much out of my speakers as possible and minimize feature bloat I know I'll never use. The one exception I would call out is support for HDMI 1.4a - I would like the option of going 3D one day and really like the idea of HDMI pass-through. I am also assuming that if all of my sources are HDMI then video up scaling is irrelevant as it won’t happen/isn’t necessary.

If you get the impression I am over thinking this you are probably right but I'm really trying to avoid second guessing myself down the road. When all is said and done I just want to enjoy the music.

Cheers,
Audiofledgling

 

[Kai]

I'd buy speakers that sounded the best to me when listening to some of my favorite songs.
I'm a Paradigm fan but would not ignore other brands while looking for new speakers.

Buy the most speaker you can afford. They last the longest of your gear, are generally the most expensive...usually the most expensive unless buying bargain stuff...but provide the most important element of the audio experience.

Generally all the major receiver brands are good. Buy what your budget allows and sounds good to you. They all generally have enough power for your needs. They generally have all the current connections you need unless you go real budget then you may want to make sure. Make sure it has all the features you need and want.
I don't think that today's receivers are going to be easily supplanted by "gotta have" features or new "star spangled" audio video codecs for some time so you ought to be safe the a few years.

Subs are interesting...they seem to be a more personal and argumentative object than speakers are...again demo what you can and buy what sounds best and you can afford.

I'd spend the majority of my budget on the best quality speakers I could afford, knowing they are going to last for years and years, and buy the best I could with the remaining budget knowing I will probably replace the receiver with either a better model or an amp up the road.

Good luck and keep us informed.

 

[jrittz]

I'm new to the forum here but I still am fond of going with a good HTIB like the ones Onkyo puts out. They seem to be very reasonably priced for what you get. I would estimate the life span of any given HTIB from Onkyo to be 1-3 years but really depends on how much use it will see and how much you like to push the listening experience.

The way I see it is it really depends on your top dollar. You mention you do not want to spend $.01 more than you have to but when piecing together a system, there are dozens/hundreds/thousands of various combinations of brands and models to choose from.

I started out with an Onkyo HTIB back about 6 years ago, 3 years ago I ugpraded to another model or two up in the same Onkyo HTIB product line. I was very happy with that decision, if not only to give me the time necessary to learn more about home theather/audio for the home. I still think it's a great place to start because the amount of information out there is overwhelming.

If you're trying to piece together a system and you ask 50 different people the same question about what to get or what's the best bang for the buck, you're going to get 75 different answers. None of which are right or wrong.

I'm not trying to scare you away from piecing together your own system but just merely making a suggestion that may be perfectly viable for you.

If you're looking to spend $2500, there are many options out there for you. If you're looking to spend $1000, your options go way down with the amount of equipment you will need to purchase to complete a "system".

I personally like any of the Hsu subs. As far as which one? You get what you pay for. I think they are all good in their own right and each one fills a specific need. As far as a STF-1 or STF-2, you're looking at exceeding the capability of any given HTIB subwoofer..in performance, quality, and life of the unit.

The HTIB's will give you plenty of time to research all the questions you have and then some and who knows, you may get what you are looking for from them.
Currently they seem to range in price from $280 (HT-S3300) all the way to $800 (HT-S9300THX).

Just a year ago I was in your same boat and now, I can't control myself. I must have more and it seems that the upgraditis bug never goes completely away.

Anyways, I hope I've helped at least a little and if you would like more feedback or information, please do not hesitate to ask.

Jaime