Home Theater Re-Boot? (1 Viewer)

[bolorkay]

Hi, I'm attempting to re-boot my "former" home theater system that was "lost" in a house fire about six months ago. I'm not looking to "break the bank" so to speak, and so I've been investigating a couple of Yamaha a/v receivers ... I specifically need a unit that features phono input, network connection, and 5:1 or 7:1 capabilities. Also, are there any speaker companies that might come close the the specs of my "former" B&W "Matrix - 2s" ? (are they still being manufactured?) again without sending me to "the poor house"? (as my parents used to say.). Thank you for helping plan my new system in advance.

 

[JohnRice]

It’s kind of my standard recommendation, but take a serious look at ELAC Debut v2 and UniFi v2, especially when they’re on sale.

 

[ScottRE]

I had the same situation: replacement due to house fire, so I know your pain.

I got the Yamaha RX-V685 7.1 surround receiver and scored the Jamo Cinema Pack of speakers (with S809 towers) at one of Adorama's monster sales for $400. Came with the towers, two surround bookshelf speakers and a center. I got a wireless Klipsch sub separately. I'm 100% satisfied with the sound and the performance. I must have spent $1400 total, max.

This is the speaker set I got, wait for a sale, they occur regularly.

https://www.adorama.com/ja1064578c.html

Good luck!

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I've had to scale back/down on my speakers (probably from similarly high quality, old faves as you had) a year-and-half ago as well, and I'm very satisfied w/ the ELAC recs John mentioned above.

In my case, I went w/ UniFi v2 floorstanders + center channel for my front LCRs and Debut v2 bookshelves for the surrounds. I also have Debut v2 on-walls that I never got around to installing (so far) that I might use for the rear surrounds at some point (to get to 7.1). My sub is a Hsu VTF-3 Mk5, but I'd expect you could be quite happy w/ whatever fits your budget from Hsu, SVS, Rythmik or maybe even RSL, if you can afford >=$500 for that. All of those should probably offer something affordable enough to be a reasonably good match for the ELAC UniFi v2 and/or Debut v2 speakers.

And yes, definitely wait for a frequently recurring, good sale from ELAC to save between 20-30% off MSRP (that usually extend to all its American resellers) -- you might also save on sales tax ordering direct from them, which is what I did (and received excellent, above-and-beyond service).

IF you can't quite afford UniFi v2 for the LCRs on top of a >=$500 sub, I'd probably go for the cheaper Debut v2 before cutting the budget on the sub -- I might even go for the Hsu VTF-3 Mk5 or maybe even SVS SB-3000 before paying the extra on UniFi v2 over the Debut v2... although the RSL Speedwoofers are certainly very intriguing at their lower prices.

Cheers! And welcome to HTF!

_Man_

 

[theJman]

I'm not looking to "break the bank" so to speak

Depending upon what would break your bank, the Arendal 1723 S series are perhaps worth looking into. They're detailed, smooth and very natural sounding. I've been quite impressed with them.

 

[bolorkay]

Can anyone suggest a "Serious" home theater retailer that I can actually "visit" in order to "audition" various replacement speakers for a new Home Theater system.. I'm interested to find a retail location in Northern, New Jersey if at all possible. Thank You.
"

 

[JohnRice]

Can anyone suggest a "Serious" home theater retailer that I can actually "visit" in order to "audition" various replacement speakers for a new Home Theater system.. I'm interested to find a retail location in Northern, New Jersey if at all possible. Thank You.
"

Value Electronics is in Scarsdale.

If you're into a drive to central Connecticut, there's Take 5 Audio.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

We have @Robert_Zohn, a highly regarded rep regular here from Value Electronics, which instantly makes them a must-shop for in-person in the area me thinks.

_Man_

 

[theJman]

Can anyone suggest a "Serious" home theater retailer that I can actually "visit" in order to "audition" various replacement speakers for a new Home Theater system.. I'm interested to find a retail location in Northern, New Jersey if at all possible. Thank You.
"

When I lived in Union I used to go to Stewarts Audio in Westfield all the time. They sell a lot of really good brands there.

 

[YANG]

a "reboot" wouldn't be meaningful without the presence of "Grandpa" of optical disc player... a LaserDisc player!

​

 

[bolorkay]

Thank you, all for your responses. (I will definitely be looking into Stewarts Audio, in Westfield, NJ when the time comes.). In the meantime, I am still actively searching out any audio/ video retailers in the north Jersey area who can provide solutions and suggestions in my quest for a new home theater arrangement. (My more immediate "need" is the purchase of a Yamaha A/V receiver as I have owned three Yamahas over the last 30 years and I've had great luck with them and finding a good retail audio dealer where I can "audition" various speakers.)

 

[theJman]

Thank you, all for your responses. (I will definitely be looking into Stewarts Audio, in Westfield, NJ when the time comes.). In the meantime, I am still actively searching out any audio/ video retailers in the north Jersey area who can provide solutions and suggestions in my quest for a new home theater arrangement. (My more immediate "need" is the purchase of a Yamaha A/V receiver as I have owned three Yamahas over the last 30 years and I've had great luck with them and finding a good retail audio dealer where I can "audition" various speakers.)

What are you referring to when you say north Jersey? This entire paragraph says Stewarts Audio all over it, unless you're up around High Point in Sussex county they shouldn't be much more than an hour or so drive.

 

[bolorkay]

Speaking of speakers....... would anyone have an opinion as to how the"older" B&W Matrix 2 speaker system compares to the "newer" B&W 602 speaker series? I notice the 602 series is a physically "smaller" speaker (and consumer price-friendly) compared to my older Matrix 2s (which were lost in a fire!). Does "size really matter in the case of these speakers? (In addition to being an integral part of my movie-watching experience I also intend that my "new" replacement speakers be the heart of my "music experience"...along with a center speaker and two "satellite" speakers.). Since my only reference point are my older, "lost" Matrix 2s, I just wondering what to expect when comparing old to new.