1st post and in need of suggestions... (1 Viewer)

[LandSharkUA]

Ok, I will start with what I have in my HT...

Samsung LN40a550 LCD
Onkyo TXsr705
Polk monitor 70 mains
Polk CS2 center
Polk OWM3 surrounds
Sony BDPs350 bluray
Velodyne VRP1200 and VRP1000 subs

My biggest problem is limited speaker placement. With the wifey I can't have speakers and subs lying all over the living room. I don't have a assigned room for my HT so I have to make due until we find a new house. My idea is once I have the new designed area for HT I will add another pair of OWM3's for 7.1 and get a SVS pb13 Ultra. What I need to know is, with my setup-to-be what kind of amp would I need to compliment my system? I've heard that a 3 channel amp will do what I need because it will take the power I was using to push the mains and the center and give that power to the surrounds thus not needing a 5-7 channel amp. Is this my best bet? with the Onk 705 do I really need more power to the mains and center? Right now i have my Velodynes stacked behind my entertainment center in a corner. This is my only way of hiding them. I will try and add a picture so it might help in knowing what I might need to help me. Thanks!

 

[MaxL]

for this level of gear in this space, i wouldn't bother with the extra amp. you might hear a difference but it likely would not be significant unless you are listening very loud and buy a pricey amp. for that kind of money you'd do better to simply replace the speakers with something better, or add some acoustic treatments to the room. you have a lot of hard, flat surface area there to muddy your sound. that's my 2¢.

good luck.

 

[LandSharkUA]

Ok, I've heard this before about replacing the speakers. I don't want to put my life savings into speakers but what would you suggest for speakers better than these...that won't break the bank. I only use these for movies. Thanks for your reply!

 

[David Willow]

Shane, I guess the first question is what do you not like about your current setup that is prompting you to get an amp? The 705 should have no problem with those speakers without an amp.

 

[LandSharkUA]

Hi David, it's not that I'm having a problem with my setup...it's just tat I have no idea how much better it gets. I don't have the luxury of hearing HT's except what I can play with at Best Buy. So I'm trying to learn on here. So, I need to once again upgrade speakers? lol.

 

[Robert_J]

Any place large enough for a Best Buy is bound to have an independent home theater/audio store near by. Another option is in-home listening at other's houses. No one posts their location any more. I've had a few people take me up on my offers coming over for a beer and a movie.

Your list of equipment comes from proven manufacturers so it has potential. How did you calibrate everything? Is your low end the issue? Have you plotted the in-room frequency response of your subs or your entire system? There are a lot of things you can do now that involve a little money and some time rather than a huge upgrade. It's always better to start small.

 

[LandSharkUA]

Thanks Robert, my Onkyo had audessey but I'm ordering a meter to do it myself. I guess my biggest issue is effects. When I hear glass shattering, shrapnel from explosions etc. I want more effects. I can get these effects from my speakers but I have to turn it up more than I want to. I'd rather be submersed in effect without blowing out my eardrums. Now, if I were to push more power into these speakers would it not work the fronts and center harder without needing more volume? Might be a silly question...

Oh, by the way the Best Buy is over an hour away. Every time I go in one of those things I have fix the settings on the receiver before I can hear what a speaker can do. I want to go somewhere to learn something (no offense to the college students) but I usually know alot more than they do and I probably know less that 95% on this forum.

 

[David Willow]

Audyssey can do more to harm the sound than help it if not done properly. Have a look at this post - http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/264060/audyssey-multeq-questions-and-answers-onkyo-denon-et-al/150#post_3469702 - for tips and tricks.

 

[LandSharkUA]

Cool, thanks! I did everything pretty much like it said except the subs. I changed the distance on them after every calibration...going to try it again.

 

[Robert_J]

Originally Posted by LandSharkUA

Thanks Robert, my Onkyo had audessey but I'm ordering a meter to do it myself. I guess my biggest issue is effects. When I hear glass shattering, shrapnel from explosions etc. I want more effects. I can get these effects from my speakers but I have to turn it up more than I want to. I'd rather be submersed in effect without blowing out my eardrums. Now, if I were to push more power into these speakers would it not work the fronts and center harder without needing more volume? Might be a silly question...

Technically, you did increase the volume (measure of sound) by sending more power to them. You just didn't change the volume knob to do it. It really sounds like you need to confirm your auto calibration. I had to do the same with my Pioneer a few times before I trusted it completely. I still manually change the speakers from large to small after running the MCACC routine but otherwise it is spot-on.

 

[LandSharkUA]

Ran the Audyssey last night and it sounds awesome. I actually had my sub volumes just below 100%. Guess this was making them a little boomy. Now they are barely over half way. Seems like the bass is much more detailed and clear. Thanks!