Getting closer to purchase time... wanna make sure I'm getting the best bang for my buck. (1 Viewer)

[Wiredin]

Been doing a lot of research lately on upgrading my home theater system.

I thought I had it nailed down, but now I really don't know.....

My current system is:
PS3 Slim
Xbox 360
LG HTIB
PACE HD dual PVR
LG 32" TV (unsure of model #)

There are a few different routes I'm planning on going.... and need some help. It's the receivers that are really twisting with me.


[COLOR= #ff0000]
Option 1:[/COLOR]
Onkyo HTS-7200 HTiB kit
Onkyo DV-CP706 6 disc upconverting DVD player
Samsung LN40B610 40" TV

[COLOR= #003366]Option 2:
[/COLOR]Onkyo HTS-9100THX HTiB kit
Onkyo DV-CP706 6 disc upconverting DVD player

[COLOR= #ff6600]Option 3:
[/COLOR][COLOR= #000000]Onkyo TX-[/COLOR]SR707 Reciever
Onkyo DV-CP706 6 disc upconverting DVD player
Klipsch HD Theatre 300 5.1 speaker system

 

[Ed Moxley]

I'd say option 3, but since you have a ps3, you really shouldn't need an upconverting dvd player.

 

[Wiredin]

Wife wants a DVD changer, she doesn't like using the PS3 to watch DVD's if she doesn't have too.

I'm leaning towards option 3 as well I think.

 

[Jason Charlton]

I would prefer #3 as well. The Onkyo 9100 system is about the "best" HTiB system out there, but the speakers are still the weakest link. Going the separates route in option 3 gets you higher quality components across the board.

However, if you have a chance to audition Klipsch speakers before you buy, I would strongly suggest you do. Klipsch makes great speakers that appeal to a lot of people, but their horn tweeter designs are a tad unconventional and contribute to a unique sound. It's a matter of personal taste (as it always is with speakers) but some folks find the brightness to be a bit fatiguing.

Either way, I can just about guarantee that the Klipsch's will be 100% better than the HTiB speakers you've been listening to! It will be an ear-opening experience!

 

[Wiredin]

went into a couple of stores today to listen to the different setups and just sit down and see what I found best. I even got the wife and the salesman to do a blind test of the different components.

The room was not setup in the best way in my opinion. There were center channels in two vertical and four horizontal rows in there center at eye level, tower speakers setup along the wall facing toward the chair, and then book shelf speakers above the towers. subs were positioned along the side walls.

We adjusted levels on 10 receivers to make sure everything was even and set a flat EQ.

The speakers and subs consisted of KEF, Polk Audio, Sound stage, Vector, JBL and Kilpsch.
The receivers were Sony, Onkyo, Yamaha, Pioneer, and H&K.
We used "Crossroads 2004 DVD - Cocaine" as a reference point for music, and then the blu-ray version of Casino Royal's final fight scene.

I did not like the Yamaha, Sony, or H&K offerings in the under $1000 CAD range. The Pioneers and Onkyos sounded good, but the Onkyo had the better bang for the buck. (as I already knew)

I narrowed it down to two units: The SR507b and the SR707 from Onkyo.

Next was speakers, and spent a lot of time here...as you could imagine. I even let them go out of my budget just so we could do the blind test properly.

We had it narrowed down to three choices, Sound Stage 3D1, KEF C1, and JBL ES20.

After further testing the KEF's (which on paper were a top choice the last month) sounded too bright and lacked body compared to the SS and the JBL selections. The JBL ES20 sounded good, but the mid range was a lil funny playing music, and they sounded a lil fuller with the movie.

There was only one center speaker that stood out: Soundstage 3DC

The subs changed everything once paired with my speaker selection. I've got it down to three models and I'm still not set on either one. The first choice was the Polk Audio PSW110, but after it only seemed to mix well with the ES20's. I realized it was because the ES20's deeper tones were masking the sub.

I then got it down to KEF PSW1000.2, which seems to be discontinued on KEF's website, but had a nice clean, punchy tone for both music and movies.

The SoundStage BFX10 seemed to also deliver a clean, punchy tone.

My ears started playing tricks on me because I started to lose track of which sub was which. One does seem fuller than the other... but I'm not sure which one. The KEF is what my wife says I picked most though.


Finally my take on the two Onkyo's.

The 707 is nice for me... I love buttons and jacks and options and.... ohhhh features! But sound is whats most important, and if I can hook up everything I need to the 507 and the sound is on par... then we got an issue.

And that issue is... THX is useless with the speakers I've selected. Switching from flat to THX on all three was a serious disapointment. I was expecting more clairty from bass, highs, and mids. But what I got was a crisper high end with a lack of bottom. The mid range then seemed to fall apart. It was all highs and all lows! So it comes down to, do I want the extras?

7.1 vs 5.1? well, I only got the space and budget for a 5.1 setup.
power? okay, I like the ability to crank it up to 135. But the 80w output was plenty.
THX? obviously not as good as its cracked out to be
3-stage inverted darlington circuitry: WTF is that?
Biamping? no, too much tweaking for me, I'm too impatient for that
Dolby PLIIz? This feature did make the Crossroads dvd sound fuller and more defined
6 vs 4 HDMI repeaters? Well, right now, I only have 4 devices: PS3, Xbox360, HD PVR, 6disc DVD player. Having another one for Blu-ray would be nice... but I can always hook up the DVD player through component and optical connections.

The 707 has upscaling to 1080i/p... is this nessacary with my HD components and upconverting DVD player?

Other than a lil extra power and gadgety features (like on screen remote programing, ethernet, internet radio...) the 507 seems to got everything I need for almost half the price. And I'd rather buy better speakers.

So, if nothing changes and anyone does not give me conflicting advise for reliability... the plan is:

Onkyo SR507 receiver
[COLOR= rgb(24, 24, 24)]Onkyo DV-CP706 6-disc DVD
Sounds Stage BFX10 Sub
Sound Stage 3D1 Book shelfs
Sound Stage 3D1C center channel

and we call it a day....[/COLOR]

 

[gene c]

The 707 is 4 ohm certified. Not an issue with the speakers you have chosen.

The 707 has a phono input. Any records laying around?

The 707 has analog to hdmi conversion. Useful with a vcr, otherwise....

The 707 has Burr-Brown DAC's. This is a good thing but most probably couldn't tell the difference.

The 707 has Zone 2. Need speakers in another room?

The 707 also has OSD and 7.2 which you have already touched on.

The biggest advantage that I can see that you haven't mentioned is that the 707 has Audyssey MultiEQ vs. 2EQ for the 507.

Other than a lil extra power and gadgety features (like on screen remote programing, ethernet, internet radio...) the 507 seems to got everything I need for almost half the price. And I'd rather buy better speakers.

That's always the best thing to do.



I've never heard of Sound Stage speakers. But they've never heard of me either .

Also, if you hook up the 706 via component then it won't up-convert anything. But your display will so it's also not an issue.

And the PS3 is said to be an excellent BluRay player so you may not need another BluRay player.