Amplifiers and Receivers?? (1 Viewer)

[Epic Becker]

So I am BRAND new to home audio and would like to get a system. It would be nice if you guys could recommend me some good brands for the price for receivers and amplifiers for subwoofers. Also, if I want to run speakers off the receiver and just the subwoofers off the external amplifier does that work? Like I said, I've never done this before. Your help would be appreciated!

 

[Al.Anderson]

The standard list of decent receiver manufacturers is (in no particular order): Pioneer, Onkyo, Marantz, Yamaha, Harman/Kardon, and Denon. Almost all modern subwoofers have their own internal amplifier, you don't purchase one to run it. (Their called active subs, if you run across a passive sub, then you'll have to get an amp for it.)

 

[schan1269]

Are you planning to build your own sub? If not, buy a self-powered. Also...budget? Cause I can say Cambridge or NAD...but none of that matters if you say..."Oh, I only wanted to spend $500..." Also, what are your sources? Wii? Ipod? Droid? PS3?, XBox? VHS? PC?

 

[Epic Becker]

I am purchasing woofers by themselves and then building enclosures for them. Should be a fun project! So that is why I need the external amplifier to power it. For budget if possible about 400 on the external amplifier and around 400 on the receiver. For sources I would have my iPhone and Xbox 360. Your help is greatly appreciated!

 

[schan1269]

For your subwoofer...to maximize your money...PM Robert_J. He might catch this as well, but he's the guy to ask. I'm just a "build a square box and throw a driver in it" sub builder... For $400...Denon, Pioneer and Yamaha are pretty much "it" for Airplay...at $400. Between a $250 and $400 AVR the only noteworthy differences are the features... Want front HDMI? Want a remote that will turn your TV off and on? Want some form of 2nd zone? Height or width? If the answer to those 4 questions is "No"... Buy a $250(well, however "cheap" you can get Airplay) AVR. Basically anything but the Yamaha RX-V373(get at least the 473...it is discrete, the 373 is IC). All Denon are discrete. Pioneer has hopped on the "class D amp" train...

 

[Epic Becker]

For the enclosure I know a guy who know's his stuff so I think I'l be alright. Problem is I'm not really sure what any of that stuff is haha. This will be my first setup in something besides a car. Airplay?

 

[schan1269]

You have an Iphone. Airplay is "Apple streaming"...essentially. Your phone can also be the remote, your songs can be sent wirelessly to the AVR. Onkyo, if you prefer that route(which Onkyo has Apple apps as well...just not Airplay), uses a "digital USB" which bypasses the "crappy DAC" that Apple uses in the Ipod/Iphone. So, front HDMI. Do any of your friends have phones with HDMI or MHL? Have a laptop with HDMI? "full featured remote". Basic AVR come with a remote that only runs itself. Some $400-ish AVR will have a remote that will run your BD player and turn your TV on and off(look for "pre-programmed remote") 2nd zone. Have another room you'd like to feed audio to? Height/width. Some people don't have room for "traditional" 7.1. However, many rooms are conducive to height or width(look up DPL IIz, Audyssey DSX and Yamaha Presence). http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-NR515-7-2-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B0077V88VI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1360823523&sr=1-1&keywords=NR515 Has "everything"* I asked in the 4 questions...if you don't "need all that"...buy the NR414. If you don't need networking, at all, buy the SR313. *NR515 has height, but not width...the NR616, still under $400, has width...and "even more".

 

[Robert_J]

For the enclosure I know a guy who know's his stuff so I think I'l be alright. Problem is I'm not really sure what any of that stuff is haha. This will be my first setup in something besides a car.

If you don't know your "stuff" how do you know that he knows his "stuff"? You can carry some knowledge of car audio over to home audio but not much and especially not subs. What drivers are you planning on getting? How large is the room? What are you playing though them? Music? Type? Movies? Type?

 

[Epic Becker]

For woofers I'm doing FI IB3's. I almost guarantee you've never heard of them. The room is probably about 15 X 10. It will be primarily for music, and yes he knows his stuff.

 

[schan1269]

Yes the home audio world has heard of the FI IB3. One of the first Google searches is an IB sub discussion on AVS from 2010. IB is Infinite Baffle That discussion is whether to use 2 18" IB3 or two 15" of something else. I think the IB3 is on here about a dozen times.

 

[Epic Becker]

Ohh, well what do you think of it? I'm sort of an FI junky in the world of car audio, so I thought it would be neat to stretch that out to my house.

 

[schan1269]

Well, you can copy what this guy did...he mentions the IB3(which the IB series is intended for Infinite Baffle) and links the website... http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/esantane/movies/ibsub.html

 

[Epic Becker]

Looks good to me. What would be a good external amplifier around the 500 watt ish range?

 

[schan1269]

Behringer.

 

[schan1269]

This is a very popular one...has darn near everything you could possible use to fine tune it once done... http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-NU1000DSP-iNuke-Power-Amplifier/dp/B005EHIN3A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1360863759&sr=8-5&keywords=behringer+ep2000

 

[Robert_J]

For woofers I'm doing FI IB3's. I almost guarantee you've never heard of them. The room is probably about 15 X 10. It will be primarily for music, and yes he knows his stuff.

Fi Car Audio is owned by Scott Atwell and based in Las Vegas, NV. He also owns the online only brand Ascendant Audio (formerly owned by Kyle Kypers - a forum member). Scott used to own Destijl Engineering which was the build house for Resonant Engineering (his online brand) as well as supplying subs to SVS, Blueprint Audio, Adire Audio, Beyond Audio and many others. When he sold RE to the guy that owns US Amps, one of his employees went with it as president. David (better known in the car audio world as PSI) later decided to move back to the area where he grew up in north Mississippi. I've been to his shop (Fix My Speaker dot com / PSI Car Audio dot com) and met his wife. I save shipping with him by waiting until he comes to town and having him drop of the sub/parts at my house....Before RE/Destijl, it was known as FRC Soundworks. Never heard of them. Are you planning on using your IB subs in an IB configuration? I have four custom 18" subs with TC 9 motors and Fi IB drop-in recone kits but I haven't installed them. I can't convince my wife to let me cut holes in the ceiling of the theater room.

 

[Robert_J]

Looks good to me. What would be a good external amplifier around the 500 watt ish range?

I agree with Sam on Behringer. I use the EP-2500 (now known as the EP-4000) to power a pair of 15" TC Sounds TC-3000's.

 

[schan1269]

I gave up ages ago trying to remember who owned what, worked where...sold this to them...bought it back... If you tried to keep up...you'd get nothing else done.

 

[Epic Becker]

Well I'l plan on Behringer then. What should I use to power speakers? Like can you just run them off the receiver?

 

[schan1269]

Yes, the AVR powers the "other 5"... Receiver means pre-amp, amplifier and tuner in one box.