Home theater system help (1 Viewer)

[05kawi]

I have been trying to search the web for months and I am finally throwing in the towel and admitting that I really have no idea as to what Im looking for. I refinished the basement in our house, which seems pretty common on this forum. I am planning to purchase a Panasonic TC-P55VT50 600Hz 3D Plasma HDTV, other than that Im not set on anything other than the fact that I really do not want a HTIB or any bose equipment in my home. I'm sure a 5.1 system would work just fine but I would be open to a 7.1. I have a buget of $1000-2,000 if need be to get that much better a system. The room is kind of an odd shape measuring roughly 21'x17'. I have attached some pictures and a rough drawing to better show the shape. The entertainment stand is empty because I had to relocate everything to another room while remodeling the basement and well the tv just hasent made its way back into the basement and after being in our bedroom for so long we are now looking to purchase the VT50 for the basement.

 

[schan1269]

Judging by what "I would do to that room"...
Two options....
1. Front wall of speakers...and two rear speakers(the room kinda doesn't lend itself to 7.1 cause of the chosen seating) mounted up from the overhang.
2. Four tower speakers. I assume(only cause the picture is off to the right) you have the same space left as you do right. The rear towers would flank the couch facing the TV. I would choose towers cause it makes it simple. You could leave extra wire and move the speakers to the walls if you are entertaining and just want "all channel stereo" playing...(all you'd need is a rug to cover the speaker wire running down the middle of the room to under the couch)
Either set-up could be augmented by "height"...either Audyssey DSX or DPL IIz.
For the receiver it would help to know "what else you got"...
Wii/VCR?
Need/want networking?
Iphone/Ipad/droid/blackberry?
another room you wish involved(even as "simple" as a mini-kitchen)?
computer dedicated to this or a Roku/Vudu/ATV?

 

[05kawi]

Thanks for the advice. As of right now im tossing out what I had and completely starting from scratch. I am in need of a sub, front, center, and rear speakers, a receiver, and a 3D blue ray player. Non of which I have yet. Litterally in need of everything.
As for what I am tossing, it is an old 5.1 Panasonic HTIB that was given to me several years ago, which at the time was good enough for what it was used for, but now I really want to step it up and enjoy my movies, music, and tv from a whole new perspective.
Brands to look for, or even better brands to stay away from would be great.

 

[schan1269]

Brand to buy is more determined by the price you can live with vs the features you need/want/can live without....
But in a nutshell(going by brands in an overview)...
Denon=in love with Audussey to the detriment of other features.
Onkyo=Lots features at the expense of Audyssey room correction. They have a HUGE slice of the AVR pie. Roughly 2 out of every 5 AVR bought is an Onkyo or an Integra. Recently have had quality issues...but that hasn't slowed their sales pace.
Marantz=Denon in a Hartmarx suit (by the way, that is also commentary over what Marantz was, vs what D&M has turned it into)
Yamaha=quality stuff, especially the RX-A. Getting hammered lately for their desire to "not play nice" with Audyssey.
Pioneer=not what it used to be. Yes they are feature rich, but haven't heard anybody "enjoy" a Pioneer purchase in a couple years.
HK=long in tooth. But boy do they sound good.
Sherwood Newcastle=Must be a Newcastle. If you think HK is long in tooth...wait and experience the dreadful non user friendly SN...but again, boy do they sound good. Trinnov is what keeps SN relevant.
Integra=yes, mentioned above, sorta. The Integra ownership experience is a totally different animal than Onkyo. Mainly cause you can't buy Integra online. So you get "real people help" when there is an issue. Unlike a Denon to Marantz which only goes skin deep. There is actually a reason to buy an Integra over an Onkyo...other than better customer service(more hardware features)
Elite=same, sorta as Integra. Can't buy them online. About the only thing wrong with Elite. What is Pioneer doing with an Elite branded AVR with a $450 price tag??
I, personally, would budget $300-$400 for the sub(gets you into Lava, eD and HSU). $500-$700 for the AVR. The rest on the 3/2/2(the way you notate if you do 5.1 with height or 5.1 with width) if you decide to take advantage of height.

 

[schan1269]

Oh yeah, forgot Sony...
Sony=irrelevant.
Sony ES=eeehhh
There is also Anthem. There is the MRX300/500. The MRX 300 is $1000. But, if you were to take the budget to $2500....
Forget eD subs...apparently eD is no mas.

 

[gene c]

I'd consider the SVS "S" series on closeout. $500 for a pair of SBS-02 (surrounds) an SCS-02 center and two SCS-02's as fronts. Then get a really good subwoofer fron them or HSU, Elemental Designs, etc. Frys has been selling the Infinity Primus P362 towers for $99 a piece lately (msrp $329 each). Get them while their still available. But there's really a ton of good speakers out there but you really need to listen to a bunch of them yourself. You may not like what I do and verse-visa.
We recommend factory refurbished receivers from ac4l.com quite often around here. They carry a factory warranty and a 5 year extended warranty from a third party is only $49 for receivers under $600. They carry Denon, Marantz and Onkyo. But Pioneer, Integra, Yamaha, Harman kardon, they're all good. Just depends on what feature you need and what eqipment you're planning to hook up to it. The Internet is quickly invading/taking over the home theater arena. Most new receivers over $450 are ready for it. I'd avoid Sony and Sherwood.
Consider the Marantz 5005/5006 and Denon 2112/2312. Denon owns Marantz and they're practically identicle these days. Onkyo's seem to be having trouble with their HDMI boards of late so I can't recommend them right now. However, I have an Integra 70.2 which seems to be working fine.
Panasoic gets the most love for moderately priced bluray players. But if you care at all for DVD-Audio or SACD then OPPO, Pioneer/Elite and Denon/Marantz make good universal bluray players. But they're kind of expensive.
Here's some site to look at.
Onecall.com
Vanns.com
Newegg.com
jr.com
Tigerdirect.com
Crutchfield.com
Internet direct speakers.
HSU Research.com
Axiom Audio.com
Asend Acoustics.com
SVS Sound.com
Parts and accessories?
Monoprice.com
Partsexpress.com
Learning?
Crutchfiels Research http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Learn/Article/Menu.aspx?c=4&tp=4
Aperionaudio.com http://www.aperionaudio.com/catalog/Home-Theater,45.aspx

 

[05kawi]

Wow, thank you very much for the break down of the brands of receivers. Hopefully I will be able to make up my mind between them. Also I went and looked at some Klipsch and polkaudio speakers (because thats all they had there) at bestbuy the other day, just to get an idea of the price ranges and what not. Where is the best place to be able to go and veiw/listen to speakers with some one who knows what they are talking about? The guy at bestbuy was all about "well this one is more expensive so it must be better."
I live in Endwell, NY right near vestal and binghamton. I am not really sure where to go to buy audio equiptment other than the internet.

 

[schan1269]

The reality in the Amazon/NewEgg/Ebay internet marketplace...including the ID brands(Internet Direct)...
Buy a "bunch of stuff" try it out at home...return what you don't like. Yeah, in some instances, you might end up paying a 10-15% re-stock fee....but you save gas and don't have to deal with a horrid acoustic experience.
I'm near Chicago so I have choices. Where you are, unfortunately I haven't a clue.
But, every manufacturer website has a "where to buy" section. (you'll find that if you check 2-3 different manufacturers, you come up with the same stores. In some cases the "store" is an actual installer...which is even better)

 

[05kawi]

so after spending some time shopping around I found this Onkyo TX-NR717 7.2-Channel Home Theater A/V Receive for $549 on amazon. Would this be a worth while buy? I really cant seem to find very many reviews on this particular unit.
Power and Processing:
•7-channel amplifier
•110 watts per channel into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.08% THD, with 2 channels driven
•THX® Select2 Plus™ certification guarantees pristine home theater sound
•Dolby® TrueHD, DTS-HD™ Master Audio, Dolby® Digital Plus, DTS-HD™ High Resolution Audio and Dolby Pro Logic® IIz
•Audyssey DSX® processing for enhanced surround sound height or width effects using additional front speakers
•analog-to-HDMI video upconversion (up to 1080p) with Marvell Qdeo™ video processing
•Audyssey 2EQ® auto speaker calibration (microphone included)
•Audyssey Dynamic Volume™ mode to maintain steady listening levels
•Audyssey Dynamic EQ™ for fuller surround sound at lower volumes

 

[gene c]

It's a pretty new model so not many reviews yet. It's going to take a while for anything bad to start showing up. The only thing I see is it uses the 2EQ version of Audyssey instead of the much better MultEQ XT or DSX. Kind of disappointing for a receiver with a $999 msrp.

 

[schan1269]

That receiver follows a LONG LINE of best sellers...
705, 706, 707, 708, 709...and now 717.
The 60X and 70X represented a "neck and neck" battle for the number 1 and 2 best selling receivers each year. And I don't mean for Onkyo. I mean for the entire market. The 717(for that matter, the 616) shows no signs of dropping that mantle....
But, "quantity of sales" also means you will find horror stories of "My Onkyo died"...
The X08 models have a recall that is "fixed for life"...(I have one, the 1008). The X06 models are prone to HDMI board failures.
And by "prone"...I mean like 7% failure rate over a 4 year period. 7% failure is considered disastrous...
By the way, Onkyo every year since 2007 has had to release its new receivers EARLY...cause they kept running out. Normal release on AVR is typically August. Because they keep running out, when Denon, Pioneer etc start selling their "upper" models in August...Onkyo released theirs by July in 2008, then June in 2009...and this year Onkyo had "nothing to sell" for almost 45 days till the X1X showed up to market.

 

[gene c]

Sam, I get a kick out or reading your "inider information". I hope at least some of it is true! (j/k of course). Keep it coming.
BTW, I always felt the 7 series of receiver was worth the extra money over the 6 series. It's a strong competitor for the Denon 2311/2312/2313 and Pioneer 1120/1121/1122 (well not the 1122. It seems to be an updated 1021 0).

 

[05kawi]

Alright, so hopefully you guys will be able to help me make a choice of one over the other. I like the Onkyo TX-NR717 7.2 for the ability to hook up the high speakers, which after looking into a little I think I like the sounds of the high better than the wide and the 125 W per channel. Or the Denon AVR-2113CI (which is right near my max for a receiver) which has the MultEQ XT which Gene C. mentioned being much better, but has 95 W per channel. The Onkyo has a whole lot more connections, but I really dont need that, going to be pretty basic with needing only the tv, blu ray player, and probably a game system at some point, and possibly some music. Or is there a Receiver in this price range that would stand out over either of these 2?

 

[schan1269]

You aren't going to notice a difference between 95 and 125. What you will notice is how much EACH chew off the wall.
The Denon chews 500...the Onkyo chews 816.
That is 300 extra watts/7
That is 40+ watts per channel more power than the Denon can produce.

 

[NickSI]

Hey Justin, You are a lucky man, living in endwell (I grew up in Ithaca and lived in Johnson City for a year) very close to three top end speaker stores. In order of distance:
Audio Classics in Vestal http://www.audioclassics.com/
They specialize in McIntosh, (pronounced Macintosh) a very high end brand founded headquartered and manufactured in Binghamton. But they carry full lines of other brands as well. Good place to go if you want to experiance some really expensive gear.
Stellar Stereo in Ithacahttp://www.stellarstereo.com/site/new_home.shtml
Small shop, they carry upper end pieces and have a great staff who are really passionate. Also a nice used gear nook up front. (my favorite)
Hiway Hifi In ithaca http://www.ithacahifi.com/
Both home and car audio here. A broader range of merchandise probably more appropriate to your budget. Great staff as well. great system for testing many speakers and different electronics
I would recommend Hiway hifi first and then head to Stellar Stereo, last time I did this I bought a receiver from Hiway and took a pair of paradigm speakers home as well as a pair of bostons from Stellar. Ended up returning the paradigms and keeping the bostons.
Great places you can't go wrong.

 

[05kawi]

Thank you very much for the advice on the stores. I probably would have never found them and they are right under my nose.
Looks like I'll be making a trip out to ithaca to do some testing this weekend!

 

[NickSI]

this is a good article on things to think about and to bring http://www.audioholics.com/education/loudspeaker-basics/how-audition-speakers
Have fun