Looking to Upgrade! (1 Viewer)

Hey guys! Great forum you got going here and I'm hoping I can get some help looking for a new system.

I currently have a Onkyo set up. I'm not in my room but it's a cheaper Onkyo AV 5.1 receiver with 5 speakers and a sub. I got it all together a few years ago during the holidays at a pretty good price.

Recently it's been acting a little weird. Dropping inputs randomly, Turning off, Speakers buzz once in a while. Anyway I'd like to look for a new set up.

The TV i'm using will probably be replaced soon but just to be clear for the mean time I need an AV receiver. The TV i have has very few ports on the back to hook up external speakers, hdmi outputs, etc. I will probably upgrade my TV sometime soon but I still feel an AV receiver is best.

The main complaint I have with my current system is it doesn't get that loud. Especially the rear speakers. Quality is important to me but I'm not overly concerned with it. I'd like to have a loud system with good quality but nothing extreme.

The other big kicker in my situation is that I'm a college student so I don't have that much cash to spend on it. I'm curious as what you guys would recommend me doing. Buy a new HTiB? Buy a new Receiver and speakers separately? Just buy one or the other and keep the ones i have now?

Any and all help is great!
Thanks in advance guys!
~DanOpi

"Loud" has more to do with speakers...than power.Klipsch and other horn tend to be 94db and higher efficiency.Pre-package tend to be 85db and lower.That 9 db difference is enormous.

The current AV Receiver I have is the Onkyo HT-R391. The speakers and sub came with in the package. The speakers are Onkyo SKR-391s.

Anyway I am looking for some suggestions for a set up that is nicer than my current one, but I can find at a pretty cheap price. It won't be used in a huge room or a theater room. When I'm at school it'll be in my dorm room and when i'm at home it'll be in my bedroom.

And so you're saying stay away from pre packaged speakers?

Thanks much guys!
~DanOpi20

A budget would help. Your "not much" is not my "not much".

True. I realized that as soon as I posted. I feel like my not much isn't going to be enough for you guys to help me out!

But 300 tops probably. Hence the reason I'm not looking for something super nice.

I'm not opposed to used either. I was looking on craigslist for some used stuff but I don't really know what to look for.

As i type this my onkyo receiver constantly drops the picture on and off.

Thank you very much!

Edit:
If this means I should just get one new piece for now to build a nicer system then that could be an option too.

Where are you?There was(might still be) a Denon basic AVR here for well under $200.Accessories4less has(had?) a Denon DHT under $300.Otherwise. A4L has numerous AVR under $150.Sony SS speakers are cheap...and don't suck(the center is no longer sold "new").Easy to do this at $300-$400.

I'm in Minnesota. Right outside the twin Cities. http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavrs500bt/denon-avr-s500bt-5.2-channel-4k-ultra-hd-a/v-receiver-w/bluetooth/1.htmlIs this all I would really need? I looked at some 7.1s but I don't think I'd need that in the size of the room it's going in.Denons are brand to look for? And as far as speakers... I really have no idea what to look for. 2 floor standing for front? 1 center. 2 rear. 1 sub?Really appreciate the help! Thanks man!

The main complaint I have with my current system is it doesn't get that loud. Especially the rear speakers.

Click to expand...

How did you calibrate your system?

Quality is important to me but I'm not overly concerned with it.

Click to expand...

So is quality important or not?

The other big kicker in my situation is that I'm a college student so I don't have that much cash to spend on it.

Click to expand...

I was in your shoes once. I had more time than money and when I didn't have anything constructive to spend it on, I spent it on beer. Do you have access to any tools? Yes, DIY is scary for some people but if you have the time and the tools available then it will give you the best bang for the buck.

You want loud which means efficient speakers. I'm thinking about building these for $100 each - http://www.diysoundgroup.com/forum/index.php?topic=53.0%C2 Page 7 has the latest crossover design. Here's a video the designer made.

Unfortunately, you're in a tough position. As Sam mentioned, getting "loud" is really a function of your speaker efficiency moreso than any other factor, so my first thought was that you would be better off putting the $300 budget toward new speakers...

but...

That AVR was part of the Onkyo 3500 system, correct? which means it only supports a passive subwoofer. That's a big problem, too - particularly if you're looking for loud, impactful sound. Also, you mention the AVR is cutting out and may be starting to fail on you...

So in a nutshell, you need a new AVR, but that alone isn't going to solve your lack of volume problem - for that you need new speakers, too.

The Denon system Sam mentioned can be found here. It's another pre-packaged system, but it's better than the Onkyo. For simplicity that may be your best bet. Trying to piece together a system is likely to go over budget once shipping costs are factored in, but there are deals out there to be found.

Good luck in your search.

I said Denon DHT. Not AVR. There is a difference.The Denon DHT1513 is $270. Is it stellar? No, but you don't have a stellar budget.The Onkyo 5600(ignore the lesser Onkyo) is $299.Denon has slightly better speakers. Onkyo does more. Do you want "more" or "better"?There are 3 less expensive AVR than the one you chose. 2 Denon and 1 Onkyo.I'll peruse the twin cities CL. Imagine it is pretty good.

There is a guy in Savage selling a functional Onkyo HT RC330 for $75. Fair. These sold on Ebay from A4L(never sold on their own site) for $120-$130 around this time last year. Probably where this person got it.South Minneapolis. Onkyo 705 with 2 Infinity towers. $225. Would singlehandedly solve the "not loud enough". 3 more Infinity to match will take a while.Chanhassen. Same seller, two listings...Paradigm speakers. $240 both together. Good speakers...to pair with...(center easy to find)Shakopee excel pawn has a Denon 1610 for $129. If complete, worth it.

I think you're at a crossroads. Do you go back to a cheaper 5.1 setup or do you start building a better HT piece by piece. Do you watch movies or listen to music more? Any option will work it's just what do you want more, a quick and dirty 5.1 or a decent 2.0 that you can build to a 5.1. Your budget kind of has you limited. Feel free to ask questions.

[*]Refurbed Denon and BA set - $280 decent speakers with an older AVR but fits the budget and you can replace the AVR later. This is the system Sam refered to earlier.
[*]Denon E200($150ish with shipping ) with this 5.1 set from Yamaha ($120) - newer AVR with lesser speakers but you get a 5.1
[*]Same AVR with this Dayton 5.1 set ($165) - might be slightly over budget but you get a 5.1 out of it that should be louder.
[*]Same AVR ($150) as above with this 2.1 set from BA ($160) - only a 2.1 but gets you ok speakers with a powered sub to build with.
[*]Same AVR ($150) with some speakers, take your pick. It's going to be a 2.0 but you get decent speakers to work with going forward. BIC DV62 ($110) Fluance SX6 ($130) Yamaha 6490 ($125) Polk TSi 100 ($150) Pioneer BS 22 ($130)
[*]Same AVR ($150) with a powered sub of your choice and reuse your current speakers. Energy Sub10 ($120) Dayton Sub 1000 ($140) Dayton sub 1200 ($165) ML Dynamo 300 ($130) Polk PSW111 ($150)
[/list]

You're right. I'm at a crossroads. I listen to a lot of music. Love all different types however I also play my Xbox One a fair amount and watch Netflix and Sporting Events. TV when i'm back at home.

Seeing as I didn't really like the HTiB option, I think I want to go a different route this time. My only concern is buying an AVR that is already past it's time. Like I said i'm going to be purchasing a new TV (most likely) and so I want to make sure i can get all of the features out of my new TV with the AVR I purchase such as 4k, 3D, etc. (Newer Technologies) I however don't know what TV i will be purchasing so I guess i can't be too picky.

And now i'm just overwhelmed with all the options! But I can't complain. I love the help.

I'm thinking what I may do, lemme know if you think of a better idea, is purchase an AVR and a pair of nicer speakers. Then I would use the sub I currently have and the center and rear speakers I have. This would allow me to have a halfway decent AVR with a good start on a nicer 5.1 system. At the same time allowing me to have a 5.1 with the old speakers I have.

Does this sound reasonable or the best way to go about it?

As for the AVR selection. ArmSC seemed to recommend the Denon E200 quite a bit. It has the 3D capability however I don't see 4k. I'm not going to lie I don't know much about the technology or how important/relevant it will be. Can I go without it for a few years? As for bluetooth, I have a bluetooth adapter that works great with my current AVR so I can continue to use that.

Would the Denon S500BT be that much of a difference from the E200 except for the areas of features and video capabilites?

The third choice is the Denon 1610 from CL (Pawn Shop) for $129.

Also is Yamaha just not as great as Denon? I guess my question is why Denon over Yahama?



Next I have some questions about the speakers. Options:

[*]Infinity Speakers from CL. (Would try and talk down price since I wouldn't need receiver. Price suggestion?)
[*]Paradigm Speakers from CL. (Don't know if I could do both sets. Would give me 4 instead of 2 to start with. Again could talk price down for all 4?)
[*]BIC DV62
[*]Fluance SX6
[*]Yamaha 6490
[*]Polk TSi 100
[*]Pioneer BS 22
[/list]
I really have no idea of these which is the best, which would go best with the AVR, Pros vs. Cons, etc. I will say this. My current speaker set up is the two front speakers are attached to my TV Stand on each side. Center speaker is on the TV Stand right below TV. Sub is to the right of the stand. And the 2 back speakers are hung on homemade stands behind the couch. I would have to create a new stand if the speakers are as big as I think if they go in the back. Or make more room up front if they go up there.

So overall I think I want to purchase a new AVR and speakers for a nice 2.0 Set up with the added old speakers.

Thank you very much guys.
Much appreciated!

It depends which Onkyo pre-package(it isn't HTiB and SHOULD NOT be confused as such) is this?If it is any of them with a passive subwoofer, no, you can NOT, at all use it with any other AVR.If it is self-powered, yes you can.(If passive, you could buy an external amp. But that would be a complete waste of time as every amp available to do this would cost more than a Dayton 1200)

This is what I have:

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-S3500-5-1-Channel-Theater-Receiver/dp/B0077V88V8

No you can't use that subwoofer. The only part you can use is the 5.0 speakers...which are inefficient.But...unless you bought it used, the AVR part has a 2 year warranty. Have you contacted Onkyo?

Shoot. So i'd need to buy a new sub eventually too.

If you looked at the DHT and HT-S that I mentioned, I said "ignore the lesser one"...which is the 3500.On to 4K/3D.4K isn't finalized*. If 4K is on your horizon, you'll be buying a new AVR after April anyway. None of the current HDMI 2.0 support full spec 4K. None.3D requires HDMI 1.4. That is supported by that HT RC330 I mentioned for $75.*Technically 4K is NOW finalized. Everything for sale, right now, that is 4K is to only be bought by suckers...It was all for sale...before 4K was finalized. Can't wait till that backlash starts next year..."you are telling me this 65" TV I bought last year...won't do that?"

DanOpi20 said:

Seeing as I didn't really like the HTiB option, I think I want to go a different route this time.

Click to expand...

As Sam mentioned above, there is a distinction to be made between HTiB and a "pre-package" system. Unfortunately, the Onkyo 3500 with its passive subwoofer is about the only pre-package system that we generally try to steer people clear from.

DanOpi20 said:

My only concern is buying an AVR that is already past it's time.

Click to expand...

AVRs are actually one of the more "disposable" components of a home theater. Many people tend to overbuy when it comes to AVRs - thinking it makes a difference to pay $100 more for 5 extra "watts" of power. Get a cheap AVR that satisfies your needs now and shift more of your budget to speakers and you can upgrade the receiver later on down the road.

DanOpi20 said:

I want to make sure i can get all of the features out of my new TV with the AVR I purchase such as 4k, 3D, etc. (Newer Technologies)

Click to expand...

To be blunt, your budget doesn't really allow you the luxury of considering such bleeding edge technologies as 4K/UHD in your AVR choice.

DanOpi20 said:

I'm thinking what I may do, lemme know if you think of a better idea, is purchase an AVR and a pair of nicer speakers. Then I would use the sub I currently have and the center and rear speakers I have. This would allow me to have a halfway decent AVR with a good start on a nicer 5.1 system.

Does this sound reasonable or the best way to go about it?

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, as others have indicated, the subwoofer needs to be replaced right away, too. In addition, if you get nice new efficient main speakers and keep your inefficient center speaker, you'll be complaining of unintelligible dialog within 5 minutes. This is the reason all 3 front speakers should be treated "as a set".

You can repurpose your current surround speakers, but that's about it.

What you need is an AVR, mains, center, and subwoofer for $300.

You currently have a passive subwoofer...you can't use it going forward which is why I added in the last line of options I suggested. You really can only use the current speakers from your current setup. Frankly they suck however, you could use them to fill in the holes if you wanted a 5.1 straight away. You will still have to buy a new sub (again see the last option from my above post) if you get a new AVR.

Now you asked about the 500BT...if you like that one get it but you're going to eat your budget on it just because it has BT. I think if you wanted a better AVR you should look at the refurb E300 with audyssey and network integration. You can by a BT adapter for $30 and add to if if you needed to. I recommened the E200 for budgetary purposes. You can't BT, 4k, 3d, wifi, network, app integration ect without more cash. Personally ask yourself are you buying a 4k TV? Are you going to get a 3d TV? Are you going to get a 4k or 3d source to run into the TV? If no then why worry about it?

Yamaha is a great brand and makes great AVR's I recommended Denon because they are available from A4L at a good cost for refurb units. However, if you like yamaha and find one that fits your budget go for it.

Any of those speakers I linked would work for any AVR...don't sweat that at all. It's really what you have space and budget for. They are all larger bookshelf speakers so that you can get some decent lower frequency extension without a sub because you can't afford a sub right away. Some are going to sound better than others and depends on what music you listen to. All but the yamaha have matching centers available. This is good so that you can build around them as you move forward. If you could afford towers that would be the best option for a 2.0 but you can't at this time so use one of larger books and go from there.

I think I would go for the E200 and the SX6 or BIC DV 62 speakers it setting up a 2.0. You'll upgrade the AVR later and you'll either upgrade to bigger better speakers or build around those.