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Energy Micro 5.0 + Receiver (US > Europe) - please advice

post #1 of 6
2/14/12 at 11:58pm
Thread Starter 
I am looking for a 5.1 audio system + receiver, on a budget around $900, for a 5m x 4m x 2.7m living room, 220V/50Hz, Romania.

My heart is now pretty much set on the Energy RC-Micro speakers, based on the good reviews they get. The problem is that I can't find them in Romania, and the European stores that carry them have ridiculous prices (599 EUR, as opposed to $399 in the US).

So, as I have the option to get them shipped cheaply from the US through a friend, I thought I would go with the following setup:

- A/V Receiver - a dual-voltage Denon/Yamaha/Onkyo receiver, to be bought from the US (~$400)
- Energy RC Micro 5 Pack 5ch Home Theater System, to be bought from US (Amazon, $190)
- Energy ESW-C8 Subwoofer, to be bought from EU (Akustic-center, EUR 250)

Can you please tell me:
1. Is there any problem with using the US version of the RC Micro speakers in Europe (220V/50Hz)? I am thinking no, as they would go into the the 220V receiver I am also getting, but I am a newbie and I want to get a confirmation on everything...
2. Is there any better Energy subwoofer that you would recommend for this setup, for roughly the same budget?
3. What minimum features should I be looking for in a receiver to make sure it's not "the weakest link" in this setup?

Thank you all very much, looking forward to your feedback
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post #2 of 6
2/15/12 at 3:43am
1) There should be no problem using any US version speakers in Europe

2) You don't have to use an Energy subwoofer. One from any manufacturer would work. Look for a sub that goes down to at least 30 hz. The lower the better.

3) Buy a receiver that has some form of automatic setup and room correction. They are usually included in most receivers except the very lowest models like the Denon 1312, Onkyo 309 and Yamaha 371. Any other models would be more than adequate for the Energy Micro's.
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post #3 of 6
2/16/12 at 12:09am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the answer, Gene!

I'm now looking at this combo:
- Yamaha RX-V671BL A/V Receiver ($450 - in US)
- Energy RC Micro 5 Pack 5ch Home Theater System ($190 - in US)
- Subwoofer Yamaha YST-RSW300 ($360 USD - in RO)
Grand total: $1000, not a penny less, not a penny more smile.gif - slightly over my budget, but great value for each component, I think.

All that I still need is to find a US vendor that sells international editions (110V / 240V) of the Yamaha receiver.
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post #4 of 6
2/16/12 at 4:05pm
Nice receiver and speakers but I don't know anything about yamaha subwoofers. The specs look very good. Almost too good to be believed!

Don't spend a ton on wires and cables. Good quality at a good price will do fine.
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post #5 of 6
2/22/12 at 5:19am
Thread Starter 
OK, I went ahead and ordered the Energy RC Micro 5 pack. All i need now is a receiver and a subwoofer! But, as the-newbie-trying-to-set-up-a-5.1-system that I am, I am still trying to figure out if the components I chose are compatible. From what I've read so far:
- the kHz range of the speakers should overlap the one of the woofer, to prevent gaps in sound range
- the receiver should be able to handle the the impedance of the speakers

I've had a look over the specs of the receiver, of the speakers and of the subwoofer, but I'm not sure if they would work fine together:

* Yamaha RX-V671BL A/V Receiver: http://europe.yamaha.com/en/products/audio-visual/av-receivers-amps/rx-vx71series/rx-v671_g/?mode=model#tab=product_lineup

* Energy RC Micro 5 Pack 5ch Home: http://www.energy-speakers.com/na-en/products/rc-micro-overview/ (just the speakers)

* Yamaha YST-RSW300 subwoofer http://europe.yamaha.com/en/products/audio-visual/speaker-systems/subwoofers/yst-rsw300__g/?mode=model

Could you guys please have a look over these specs and share some audiophile knowledge with me? In general, I am interested to know what common technical specs should I look for when matching a receiver, a set of speakers and a subwoofer? In particular, what about the combo above?
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post #6 of 6
2/22/12 at 3:45pm
The two biggest things to look at when matching a receiver to speakers is the ohm and spl ratings of the speakers. Those RC's are 8 ohm and the SPL is 88 which is pretty high for smaller speakers so they will work well with the 671. The only other thing is to be sure the upper end of the sub can reach the lower end of the speakers. The speakers go down to 150 hz and the sub up to 160 so there is a little overlap, but not much. The subwoofer needs to be matched to your room more than to the receiver. How large the room is, how loudly you want your system to play and how deep is what you need to think about when looking for a subwoofer. And the sub doesn't need to be from the same brand as the speakers since they never really reproduce the same frequencies.
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