Mancave-material receiver (1 Viewer)

[soadnathan]

Greetings all, I will try to be short since I am in the process of learning a heck of a lot from the different posters around these forums. Here is the link to my original post in the newbie board. http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/314807/our-3000-man-cave-looking-for-construvtive-criticism My setup right now is everything but concrete. The most solid thing I know is that I am going to get an Epson projector, either the 8350 or one of the new 3010s when they come out in October. I have been looking at several different speaker sets but am unsure as to which one would be necessary if the primary use would be for home theater and gaming. I am leaning towards a set of Axiom speakers since everyone swears by them, but I'm unfamiliar with receivers to know what I should be looking at when I buy one. I know I would like a 3D capable one, so if I do end up going with the Epson 3010 it will something that can take advantage of that, but when it comes to power rating and features, I really don't know what is what. My room only warrants for a 5.1 but I am having a hard time finding a high-end 5.1 that is also highly recommended. I know I shouldn't take the power ratings for these speakers at face value, but if an Axiom is capable of 250w per channel whereas the receiver only supports 150w, is the difference really going to be noticeable without turning the volume to an level that would disturb my neighbors? I don't really have a solid budget here, the Onkyo was only $400 but I know they get much more expensive than that. Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

[gene c]

How big is the room? There are basically 4 levels of receivers. Entry level ($200-$350) like the Onkyo 309, Denon 591, Pioneer 520 and Yamaha 371. Marantz and harman kardon really don't have entry level receivers. These will usually be 5.1, not have any room correction equlizer and very limited internet connectivity. They will be advertised as 100-110 wpc but that's not realistic. These would be used for basic movie watching. The next level ( $300-$500) is the Onkyo 509/609, Denon 1612/1912, Pioneer 821/921 and Yamaha 471/671 and the Harman Kardon 1650. These will have basic room correction (Audyssey/MCACC/YAPO/etc.) and maybe 7.1 along with video up-conversion and better internet connection/streaming. compatability with iPod, Bluetooth, etc. and usually around 90 wpc, pre-outs (to add amplifiers) and multi-channel inputs (for DVD-A/SACD players). Next level ($450-$700) is the Onkyo 709/809, Denon 2312, Pioneer 1021/1121, Yamaha 710/810, H/K 2650 and Marantz 5006/6006. These will add (in some cases) a better version of the room correction, better video scaler, a little more power and some other things like 12 volt triggers and custom installer features. Level 4 ($700-$1500) is upper mid-range like the Onkyo 1009/3009, Denon 3312/4311, Pioneer Elite SC-35/SC-37, Yamaha 2000/3000, H/K 3650 and Marantz 7005. Again, more power, better internet/streaming, better room correction, just better, better, better. Then there are the flagship models like the Denon 5808 and Pioneer Elite SC-09 ($5000-$7000). Dream on. When you get near the $1000 point you need to think about separate processors and amplifiers. A whole new league. You should always spend a lot more on speakers than the receiver. The level 2 and level 3 receivers are more than enough for most people. The level 4 is for the seriuos enthusiastes. You need to think about what features you need, what level of room correction and video processing you need and is internet connectivity and streaming important to you. And of course, the cost.

 

[David Willow]

Most of the Axiom speakers are easy to power. My meager Onkyo 705 can make my ears bleed with my Axioms in my 18'x26'x12' room. Unless you are planning to put them in a HUGE room, don't worry about power. Even the entry level receivers will have enough. One caution. If you plan to get the top of the line M80's, you will need a receiver that can handle them since they are 4 ohms. Check the specs and ask around before you buy.

 

[Dave Moritz]

Speakers are going to be one of your most important investments as you can make a good receiver or amplifier sound bad with the wrong speakers. There are a good number of speaker brands out there and the best thing you can do is to actually demo them before you pull the trigger and buy! I seriously suggest that you take a handful of your favorite cd's that you have listened to alot. And since you seem very interested in the Axiom speakers see if there is a retailer near you or a friend that you can go demo the speakers. A good retailer is nice because you can listen to multiple brands and compare to see what one sounds the best to you. Speakers are very subjective and what sounds the best to me or anyone else here may not sound good to you! Also keep in mind, what kind of listener are you? Are you a critical listener? Do you listen to music or movies relatively low or loud? Sometimes the type of music you listen to can effect the speakers you end up with. As far as receivers go you do get what you pay for! As manufacturers try to squeeze in more features and keep the cost down something has to suffer. They may do things like put cheap speaker terminals, down grade the amplifier section, down grade the video processing, downgrade the amount of power, down grade the digital to analog converter and a few other things. Companies have also gone back to offering less in connectivity on the back panel on there receivers. Many people where getting the lower end models and using them as preamp processors and companies caught on to that. This is another area where you really should to demo the product if you can! Some receivers can sound warm and laid back and some can sound bright, meaning they accent the mid range and highs. Lower end models will give you a lower end room correction feature as well so ask alot of questions when you are at a retailer. Generally Best Buy is a bad choice to demo a/v gear as they have no demo rooms and a very very small selection. I personally find most Best Buy staff to be younger and not very well trained. Also keep in mind that lower end receivers will sometimes rate the internal amplifier at 1KHz instead of 20Hz to 20KHz! By doing that they can make it seem like the receiver is putting out more power than it actually is, if the receiver is rated at 1KHz rule of thumb is to subtract 20 watts per channel and you will have a better idea what the amp is really putting out. Also keep in mind that if you get a receiver with pre amp outputs and you move and upgrade your speakers because of a bigger room, you can always add a power amp to your receiver. If you get one without pre amp outputs then the only alternative is to buy a new receiver! Speakers I would listen to: (Make sure that you find out if the speakers are 8 ohm or 4 ohm before choosing a receiver and know how much power they will handle.) Klipsch Polk Audio Axiom Infinity Atlantic Technology KEF Boston Acoustic Definitive Audio NHT Loudspeakers Paradigm JBL Swan Divas Subwoofers I like the following: Velodyne Klipsch Polk Audio SVS (These are very good but are online only as far as I know. This is the on exception to trying out in person.) Definitive Technology Emotiva Receivers: Denon Pioneer Elite Onkyo Integra Pioneer Rotel Marantz Sony ES ? , not regular Sony! Yamaha Aventage, not the RX line! (I currently own a 10+ year old RX-V995 and the rx line is nothing like it used to be) By spending time listening to speakers and checking things out in person in my honest opinion will be happier with your purchase in the long run. Do not be afraid to listen to gear you consider to be out of your price range! If you like something and even if it is more than you would like to pay put off your purchase and save up a little more and get that item! You want to end up with something that you can live with and want to use for many years and not have to replace it just a few years down the road! Personally I like brands like Denon, McIntosh and if I can get the money again I would be getting some really nice gear!

 

[John Brill]

The Onkyo TX-NR708 on sale at $389 at accessories4less.com paired up with the Axiom Midi 125 or 175 home theater package would be an excellent combination under $2k. The Axiom's are easlity a step above Klipsch and Polk at their price point and are more comparable to Paradigm and PSB speakers. The only other receiver I'd consider at the $400 mark would be the Marantz SR5005. JB

 

[soadnathan]

Thanks for the input everyone, Im glad I am getting pretty consistent answers from multiple forums. Originally I was torn between the Onkyo 708 and the Marantz 5005, but I have decided to fork out the extra money for the Onkyo 709 and the Multi eq XT as well as a few other features that came recommended on that model. I am much clearer on the speaker situation after some in depth discussion on the axiom forums. The M60s and QS8s are decided, but I am torn between getting one of their standard center channels like the VP150 or using a bookshelf speaker, their M22, as a center channel. As far as the sub goes, I was recommended the HSU STF-2 due to the noise limitations since the last thing that I would need is more SPL with a 12". Any criticism is still welcome, but I am extremely grateful for all the responses thus far.

 

[David Willow]

FWIW, I have a VP150 and I'm very pleased. Granted my room is somewhat narrow so we never get the off angle issue that some folks complain about. Get the M22 only if you have the room to sit it up properly. Do not lay it horizontally. Try to keep the tweeter roughly at ear level or angle it slightly up or down. If you have to compromise with the positioning, get the VP150 and enjoy. BTW - I also have M60's and QS8's and I have an Onkyo 705. I went for a HUGE SVS sub thanks to a great deal I found from a member here at HTF.