Suggestions for Home Theater Speakers Upgrade (1 Viewer)

[bobbyg2]

That's too expensive though. I want something under $550. I can't buy anything much more than that due to the fact that after I buy this, I'm going to save up for a car. And I'm gonna need all of the money I can get for a car. It does seem like a good idea, but it's just too expensive for me.

 

[djsHTnut]

saw this package at vanns.com

http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/bu.../1164151906843

 

[bobbyg2]

That's only 525 Watts. Are you sure that's better than the Onkyo's?

 

[ThomasC]

Denon's numbers are probably a lot more accurate than Sony's and maybe even Onkyo's. Comparing watts from a spec sheet is pretty useless, because as I said earlier, a lot of manufacturers state false, inflated numbers.

 

[bobbyg2]

So, you're suggesting the Denn over the Onkyo? I liked the Onkyo actually. And, my Yamaha receiver has the absolute correct wattage. My freind came over and tested it with some sorta device and it read 110-watts (at full blast). So, maybe I should go with a 110Wx7 Yamaha receiver?

 

[ThomasC]

If you have a Circuit City near you, they may have the Onkyo HT-S790 system. They have it for $400 right now, so I would give that a try. If you don't like it, returning it should be easy.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Onkyo...oductDetail.do

 

[bobbyg2]

Yeah, I have a Cirsuit City about 45minutes away. I'll be there next weekend hopefully. And, I saw in another thread someone wanted Fluance speakers. I was wondering if it was a good idea to getthese speakers and get a 120Wx7 Receiver and hook them up to it.

 

[djsHTnut]

Was the 110 watts with all channels operating? Most receivers, especially budget recievers dont come close to their stated ratings with all channels driven and volume up. They may be able to reach those numbers at the cost of distortion and clipping which can damage your speakers. Denon has a good reputaion for quality receivers. And such as Harman Kardon, those that make a quality product are not concerned about inflating specs, because once you hear it the quality of the product sells itself. Just my opinion. But also keep in mind when you by HTIB's you are still getting what you pay for, receiver and 8 speakers for so little dough.

 

[bobbyg2]

He had all of the channels hooked up to it, it ran at 110Watts per channel on all 7 channels.

 

[djsHTnut]

could he measure what the distortion was?

 

[bobbyg2]

No, all he did was check the wattage and the sound level (Hz). He said it was good for a old receiver.

*EDIT*
My dad did put the receiver on full-blast. Heck, he did it all the time at parties. No distortion at all. Ran full blast for a few hours before getting hot. I'd see for myself but I don't have 110Watt rated speakers and I live in a duplex. My neighbors wont be too happy, especially with an infant.

 

[JohnRice]

That is exactly the way to judge the quality of a receiver. It is scientific fact that with those results you will produce 110 watts from any speaker, and all speakers play at the same volume at 110 watts.

 

[ThomasC]

Your sarcasm doesn't translate well at all into written text, John.

 

[JeremyErwin]

With all due respect, those concerns are for minimalists and purists.

 

[bert halter]

The best advice IMHO would be to spend the whole $500 on one of the items so at least you have quality items that you will be happy with instead of 4 items that are pieces of junk.
Spending $500 on a used pair of klipsch rf3s will make you much more satisfied than a lousy sounding HT in a box. You can then add 1 piece at a time and build a very satisfying HT that will blow away all of your friends systems.

Can get a used RC3 for $100 and then a used SVS for few hundred dollars. This system alone will blow anything away you can buy at CC or best buy. and I gurantee you wont believe the sound you will get for only few dollars more than a trashy HT in a box.

 

[MikeNg]

That made me smile, "Arthur S Jr."! LOL!!

JohnRice, is that your way of suggesting to the OP that he needs to 'just do it'? I agree that your sarcasm does not translate well. I certainly don't believe it to be your REAL opinion!

 

[bobbyg2]

I can't spend more than $600 on this, because I'm going to be saving up for a car. And, my deadline to buy my car is next summer (not this one, the one after this one) so I don't have to ride a bus my senior year. So, upgrades during time are out of the question.

 

[JeremyErwin]

hmm.

Really, when comparing speakers thee are only two "specs" that you should be concerned about-- frequency response, and efficiency. Equally important is how they sound, and that really cannot be summarized in a spec.

Oh, there's impedance, but most 4 ohm speakers are outside your budget.

If you like bass, bass that you can actually feel, and not just imagine yourself feeling, you're going to want a subwoofer. And with a good subwoofer, the need for full range speakers is diminished. Bookshelf speakers tend to be cheaper. (I'm not into bass heavy music, but the subwoofer does come in handy when explosions are called for.)

Which brings us to another subject. The crossover. The crossover is intended to separate sounds by frequency. The highs are sent to the main speakers, the lows to the subwoofer. Some subwoofers incorporate their own crossovers and some don't. Those that don't rely on the receiver to do the job. Most home theatre receivers made today have a sub pre-out jack that can be used to connect a subwoofer.

Most of the loud bass in a movie is carried on a separate "low frequency effects" track. The stereo, left and right tracks do have some bass, but the really extreme stuff is only accessible if you let the receiver decode the dolby digital signal.

Those two reasons are why you are hearing so many recommendations for a newish receiver.

Some speakers are sensitive, and some are not as sensitive. The sensitivity, or efficiency of a speaker is measured in terms of dB/W/m. The more efficient the speaker, the fewer watts that you'll actually need to "make your eardrums bleed".

Let us say that you have receiver capable of pumping 64W into a speaker quite easily. The speakers are 2 metres, or around 6 feet away, positioned in corners.

If the speakers have a sensitivity of 88 dB/W, they'll produce 109 dB of noise. If they have a sensitivity of 95 dB/W, 117 dB is possible. Both are nicely capable of serious hearing damage.

here's a handy calculator in case my figures were way off the mark

Reference level at a movie theatre is average, 85dB, peaks 105dB, though the Low frequency effects get up to 115 dB.

So, really unless you have a large room, or insensitive speakers, multi-hundred watt amplifiers are not all that necessary. If you feel the urge to compare receivers on the basis of watts, though, shy away from "dynamic power". The wattage measurement that matters most is "continuous average power into 8 ohms, all channels driven, 20 Hz--20kHz" or some variation on those words.

Subwoofers contain their own amplifiers, and generally require more watts that the satellite/main speakers. Still, at the end of the day, low frequency extension matters a whole lot more than how many watts are associated with it. A sub capable of reproducing 20 Hz is going to be a lot more usefu than a 45 Hz subwoofer...

 

[bobbyg2]

Alright, thanks. Whats your take on the Denon or Onkyo deal? I personally like the Onkyo's better. To me they look better, have bigger speakers, more powerful , CHEAPER, and is an all-in-one package. I, personally, would rather have one box instead of 2. I'd be easy to carry in, send back if there's a problem, and the Onkyo is available at a store 11 miles from my house. That allows me to test them out before I buy them. The Denon/Infinity system that people were pointing to is only available online. And it's expensive. So, what's your take on this? Onkyo or Denon? Maybe you know of something better for around the same price as them? I can't go expensive, my budget max is $600. I need to save up for a car. Thanks you guys for all of your help so far. It's appreciated greatly.

 

[Rich Allen]

Onkyo and Denon are both good for the electronics, but I'd say the Inifinty speakers would definately be better than the Onkyo speakers.