LUKassZ32

Some beginner questions

I'm not completely ignorant with home audio as I have always prided myself with the car audio systems I have had. I have also always had a receiver and surround with main towers, center, surround, and a sub.

But now where home theater is going with HD and DD2, etc I decided to step up my game a little bit. My system will still be very amateur compared to most as I am still in college and running on a budget. Before I ask a few questions here is my current set-up:

Receiver: Pioneer 700W 7.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver Model:VSX-516
($200 model, NEEDS to be upgraded when I can afford it)

Time Warner HD DVR (component video to TV, optical audio to receiver)

Samsung Hi-Def Conversion DVD Player DVD-HD860 (HDMI to TV, digital coax audio)

TV: LG 30" Super Slim Direct View Integrated HDTV

Mains: Sony 8" 3-Way Floor Speakers Model: SS-MF550H
(Desperate need of upgrading and matching)
Center: Polk CSM
Surround: Polk Monitor 10's (same thing as the R15)
Sub: JBL 12" 500W venue series (LFE)

So I have 3 questions:
First of all I am getting rid of the sony mains and going with Polk to match my speakers. I am debating between the Monitor 40 and monitor 50. Both are esentially the same speaker except one is in a floorstanding enclosure and the other is considered a bookshelf. The M40 (bookshelf) I would mount on stands which I personally think is a cleaner look than big floorstanders. The M50 floorstanding are $400/pair and the M40's are $300/pair plus $65 for stands. Considering I like the look of stand mounted mains, and it will be about 40 dollars cheaper, is there any benefit of me going with the floorstanding M50's?

second question, how much is my crappy 200 dollar receiver holding my back as far as sound quality goes?

third question, how important is using banana plugs? Right now my cables are just slid in a tightened down. Are banana plugs a highly recommended upgrade?

Thanks everyone!

John Garcia

Re: Some beginner questions

The benefit of the tower version is a little more bass extension and since you have bass covered with your sub, I'd say go with the 40s. I prefer a large bookshelf on stands myself as well.

Yes, that receiver will ultimately be the weak link, however it really depends on room size and how loud you listen. If it doesn't sound strained, then you are OK.

Bananas are a big convenience, but they are not a necessity.

"The trouble with the world is not that people know too little, but that they know so many things that ain't so." - Mark Twain

HT: Marantz SR-8300, MA500 monoblocks x 2, 5X GR Research A/V-2s, Adire Audio Tempest sub, Denon 2900, Oppo 980H, Toshiba HD-A2, RC2000MkII remote, Panamax 5100, Panamax Max2 sub, Slim PS2, PS3 60G + 320G USB

Bedroom: Marantz PM-7200 Integrated, GR Research A/V-1s, Sony 222ES SACD, RC3200 remote, Panamax M8EX

Audio: Audioquest * Video: Bluejeans

My DVDs My HT

LUKassZ32

Re: Some beginner questions

WOW I have some big news...well for me anyway. Many people will claim this to be unethical but I think when a store screws up it's their loss!

I went in to circuit city to perhaps buy a pair of $300 monitor40's. I go over and they have 2 sets of open box M40's. One pair is a bit rough cosmetically going for $70 per speaker/$140 a pair. The other pair is going for $120 per speaker/$240 a pair because they are virtually brand new.
So I decide I can live with the cosmetic flaws and go for the $140 pair...I would be saving $160. When he rings me out he only rings up ONE speaker so I get the PAIR for 70 dollars!! So I say screw it, I go back in and get the second pair for $120 !! So now I have 2 pairs of M40's, 600 dollars worth of speaker, and I paid $190 for. Now I am going to run M40's as mains and M40's as my surround and return the M10's. With the cash I get back for the M10's I may upgrade my center channel CSM to a CS1. Is that recommended??