Advice on New Home Theater System (1 Viewer)

[cwlopez]

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post on this forum, but given the knowledge exhibited by the threads I've already read, I figured this was a perfect place to get some unbiased advice.

I am moving into a new house and am looking to put together a new home theater system. Initially, I was considering B&W speakers (CM7's, CMC2 and CCM817's), but after reading many reviews of various speakers and listening to the finalists, I am seriously considering the following:

Fronts: Polk Audio RTi A9
Center: Polk Audio CSi A6
Rear: Polk Audio FXi A6
Sub: Velodyne Optimum 10 or 12
Denon AVR 3808
Sony BDP-S550 Blu-Ray player

The approximate dimensions of the room are 16' x 24'. Having said that, here is where I am looking for some assistance:

1. General thoughts on the system as a whole?

2. For a room that size, being powered by the Denon 3808, would you recommend a 10 or 12 inch sub?

3. If the room could accommodate 7.1 (still working with the installer/retailer on that, as I haven't closed on the house yet and have to make an appointment to access the house), could I use another pair of the FXi A6's with good results?

4. For this type of system, what would you recommend with respect to wiring?

5. The installer/retailer I am working with is recommending a Furman power conditioner...thoughts on this particular brand?

This should be a good start

Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[David Willow]

1. Forget the reviews, it is about what you like. Both B&W or Polk are great companies. Go with the one you like the best (seems like that is what you are doing).

2. Without knowing the cubic feet, it is difficult to say. IMO, bigger is usually better. Also, check out SVSound - Home for more sub options. You can get a bit more for your money from them.

3. If you have room behind your listening area (at least several feet), 7.1 will work. However, 5.1 is still the standard and adding the additional speakers is not a 'night and day' improvement.

4. Don't overspend on the wiring. Monoprice.com or Blue Jeans Cables are excellent vendors. Get 14 or 12 gauge for everything. If you are going to run it in the walls, make sure it is rated for in wall installation.

5. Can't comment on the power conditioner...

 

[cwlopez]

Thanks David...that was really helpful. I will definitely check out the cable/website you referenced, as that is an area where I am not very knowledgable.

Another quick question - are all HDMI cables essentially created equal? Everything I read says to steer away from expensive HDMI cables, but is there a "minimum" you would recommend?

The retailer I am working with suggested Audioquest HDMI-1 cables, which are so expensive, it's borderline criminal. During a 5 minute websearch I found Audioquest HDMI-A cables (2M) for $40, which are about 20% of the cost of HDMI-1's.

In short, is this a reasonable replacement or should/can I go even cheaper?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Chris

 

[David Willow]

Not all cables are created equal, but the really expensive ones are not better than a well made cheap one. I can't comment directly on Audioquest since I have never used them, but $40 for a 2 meter cable isn't outrageous, but I bet you can do better at Monoprice or Blue Jeans.

Check this out: HDMI Cable Information Center -- Blue Jeans Cable Lots of good cable information there.