Newbie trying to add pieces to existing HT system (1 Viewer)

[Johann-L]

A complete novice here. We are moving from a house we built in October, 1996. When we built, we had a local company send an AV expert out to put together a HT system. He put in an Onkyo TX-SV727 receiver, B&W CC6 center speaker, B&W AS6 subwoofer, and built in B&W left/right main and built in B&W surround speakers (I'm guessing DM 602s and DM 603s), and a Mitsubishi HS-U510 VHS. They also added an Onkyo TX-8410 which was used to play AM/FM and CDs in other zones in the house. I had an unremarkable Sony TV and equally unremarkable Sony CD player.

We are moving to another town, and I am trying to educate myself on what to add to the HT system. We mostly use it to watch movies, though we do listen to CD's on the second Onkyo receiver, mostly in the background. The new house is already built, but not really wired for HT.

I am contemplating upgrading some of the components, while keeping as much as I can. My budget is $5,000 to %7,000. I am leaning towards the following: TV - Toshiba 65HX81. DVD - SD5700. Universal Remote MX-100. I like the B&W speakers I have, but I don't know if I want to buy some more 602s and 603s.

I have general questions as follws:

1. Is my 6 year old technology in the Onkyo receiver, Mitsubishi VHS, B&W center speaker and B&W subwoofer going to be compatible with a new TV, DVD player and universal remote?

2. Can I simply add new left/right main and surround to my existing B&W center and subwoofer?

3. Should I buy new B&W left/right main and surround speakers, or another brand?

4. What speakers should we use for the other zones, including outside?

5. Any negative or positive thoughts on the Toshibe TV and DVD?

6. Any negative or positive thoughts on the overall plan?

All positive and negative comments are welcomed. Thanks for your help.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Hi Johann,

First, welcome to the Forum!

I’ll answer your questions as best as I can – perhaps others will chime in.

1. The speakers have nothing to do with a universal remote, and will work fine with any late model products. A new universal remote will have no problem operating old products. However, if the receiver is 1996 vintage it is probably a Dolby Pro-Logic model, so you will want to replace it with a late-model Dolby Digital model to get the most DVDs have to offer.

2. You’re giving way the B&Ws to the new owner? What a waste – small chance he will actually appreciate them. Any chance you can take them with you and leave something else behind? In any event, it should be no problem buying some new B&Ws to go with the center channel and sub you are taking with you.

3. Hard to do better than B&W, especially since you’re already half-way there (with your existing speakers).

4. You would get a better answer to this question by posting a question on our “Speakers and Subwoofers” forum.

5. Again, we have specific forums for these questions that will get you the most informed opinions: “Audio and Video Sources” for the DVD player, “ Display Devices” for the TV.

6. The plan is good – just be sure and make informed decisions on the specific equipment. That’s why we’re here!

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[GaryAR]

if i were you, here's what i would do with the budget:

buy a pair of high-end speakers, probably b&w nautilus 804's (~$3500) or nautilus 805's (~$2000, +$600 for stands). these will sound phenomenal for music, and they should be pretty well matched to the rest of your system (which will suffice for the home theatre purpose).

next, you'll need to upgrade the amplifier. i'm partial to denon, but there are plenty of other good choices. if you don't mind exceeding the high end of your budget then seperates might be a good idea. anyway, a decent amp can be had for around $1000.

finally, i'd put together a pc to serve as your dvd player. it'll only cost a little over a grand, and with a wireless keyboard & mouse and a giant screen you'll almost never want to look at the 17" monitor on your desk again.

so, for $4600 + $400 or so for wiring you'd be all set.
unless, of course, you were including the price of the tv in your budget...

-gary

 

[Johann-L]

Wayne and Gary,
Thanks for the replies. I may go ahead and try to replace the B&Ws with another brand. I know the purchaser doesn't care. The room we plan on using doesn't lend itself to wall-mounted speakers, but we can adapt.
Gary, my budget amount does include the TV.:frowning: My old receiver has a setting for Dolby Pro-Logic and one for DSP, digital sound processing, I believe. I don't see a Dolby Digital setting.
One question I forgot to ask. The room I am thinking of using is 16'x20' with a 13' ceiling. Is this too roomy for an HT system?

 

[Michael Lomker]

Johann,

The TV and DVD that you've selected are at least 1/2 of your budget. I would be aggressive with price shopping on the television because of the cost ($3k+ -- be sure to investigate Internet resellers).

I'd go with the SD9200 DVD player; you can find them for about $550 on E-bay and it is one of the best available. The sound quality when you play CD's or DVD-A discs on it may surprise you. That would allow you to get rid of the cheap CD player and retain good quality.

Lastly, you can find an excellent quality DTS/DD receiver for around $1k. You'll want to do some looking around to find what is best for your needs. I recently bought an Arcam AVR-200 and I love it but you'll find a lot of products in that price range that are excellent.

For speakers I'd wait until you have a few more dollars and then look for a used pair of Nautilus units for the front mains. A set of 804's should go for $2600 or so. They should blend fine enough with your other B&W speakers and it'll do wonders for your 2-channel listening.