Newbie advice: Replacing old audio system (1 Viewer)

[Watchnlisten]

TV: Samsung 46" 750 Series 7
Blu Ray: PS3

I would like to replace my old set up with a good 7.1 receiver and has the ability to drive some nice floor speakers.

I only have a budget of $1500 for a receiver + home theater speakers. I've been looking at the 7.1 Onkyo's and Denons for an AVR

Any pro tips and recommendations?




Old and cheap set up.


Room dimensions:

The couch has been moved way at the back giving a good 8ft viewing already. (old tv in the picture)




Thank you!

 

[hodedofome]

Oh decisions decisions...

You'll get as many opinions on this as posts in this topic

However, the Onkyo TX-SR606 or Yamaha RX-V663 would be the receiver you'd want to get.

Here's MY opinion on the speakers, and it's just one way to go. There's many speakers out there in this price range.
Front Speakers: Elemental Designs
Center Speaker: Elemental Designs
Rear Speakers: Elemental Designs
Subwoofer: Elemental Designs

Then get speaker wires from monoprice.com

 

[David Willow]

Onkyo 606
SVS Package - SVSound - Complete Systems
Wires from monoprice.com or bluejeanscables.com (an HTF sponser)

Although it will be hard to find speakers as good as those already mentioned at a local shop (at that price), it doesn't hurt to visit. Go and listen to as much as you can in your price range and even a bit more. Sometimes you can find deals (on close outs and returns).

 

[Watchnlisten]

Thanks guys!

Hoping to see more replies. I'm quite new to the brand of speakers mentioned above. I usually hear about B&W, Jamo, Infinity but I think they're out of my range right now.

By the way, what's the difference of the Onkyo 606 from the 706. Is the extra 200bucks worth it? Any significant gains?

 

[Greg_R]

IMO 7.1 is a waste given your room dimensions. I would go with a 5.1 system (in terms of speaker purchases). This will allow you to get a better quality speaker for your dollar. Either of the Onkyo or Denon receivers will be great. I would not spend more than $500 on the receiver... save the majority of your budget for the speakers. Five $100 speakers + $500 sub + $500 receiver should sound pretty good in your listening room. If you wanted to reuse some of your existing speakers, you could use a pair for the surround speakers and use the saved money on a better set of front+center speakers.

 

[Watchnlisten]

Thanks for the tip!

Just a few questions..

1. What's the difference of a 5.1 vs 7.1 interms of listening quality with regards to my room? Are you saying get a 7.1 receiver but spend on 5.1 speakers?


2. I'm highly considering the Onkyo TX-SR606 7.1, would that work on a 5.1 set up?


3. Would you mind name dropping some brands and specs for a 5.1 set up?


4. I've seen set ups with only 2 floor speakers + Center + Sub. Can this replace a true surround sound set up?


Jamo 5.1 Does this kind of set up work?


I'd actually like a set up geared towards action movies. Clarity and some surround bass.


thank you!

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

1. What's the difference of a 5.1 vs 7.1 in terms of listening quality with regards to my room? Are you saying get a 7.1 receiver but spend on 5.1 speakers?

There really wouldn't be much of a qualitative difference between a 5 speaker system and a seven speaker system in your room, which is why the suggestion was made. The various 7.1 audio formats add two additional rear surround speakers. In a standard 5.1 system the rear surrounds are typically placed on either side of the main listening area, somewhat above ear-level. (One popular rule-of-thumb says to place the speakers at your ear-level while standing next to the main seating position in order to get the proper listening position while you're seated.)

A 7.1 system adds two more speakers behind the main listening area, at the same height as the other L & R surrounds. With your layout (even with the couch pulled back) there isn't enough separation for the additional speakers to make much of a difference. This is especially true because most receivers that can handled 6.1 (single rear speaker) and 7.1 arrangements can also process a 5+ channel soundtrack in such a way as to create a "virtual" center surround channel using the existing speakers. (Much as they can create a "virtual" front center speaker using only the front left and right speakers. Never quite the same as the real thing, but always better than nothing.)

Finally there simply aren't that many discs out there that actually have 7.1 soundtracks (all of them are Blu Ray), so it isn't like you'd be missing much anyway.

You should go with a 7.1 receiver, preferably one that can handle all of the 7.1 formats from Dolby Labs and DTS, because even with 5 main speakers you'll still have access to the lossless audio formats and thus have the true theatrical mixes available. Again, they'll be processed to use the 5 speakers you have connected, but you'll be able to play them. And if you ever move, you'll have a 7.1 receiver ready to go.

2. I'm highly considering the Onkyo TX-SR606 7.1, would that work on a 5.1 set up?

Yes, see above. Again, the only difference is the number of speakers. You can buy a 5.1 receiver and only connect two speakers and do nothing but listen to stereo music if you want to. A more-capable system will almost always be backwards compatible. That 7.1 receiver will also play your stereo CDs, DD and DTS 5.1 standard-def DVDs and your Dolby Pro Logic matrixed VHS tapes.


3. Would you mind name dropping some brands and specs for a 5.1 set up?

I've owned digital a/v receivers from Kenwood, Denon and Onkyo and been happy with all of them. I also have a matched set of Atlantic Technology speakers (mine have been discontinued) that I especially appreciate for their ability to reproduce music as well as slam-bang movie soundtracks - something that not all HT speaker systems do well. My front speakers are bookshelf models, not floor-standing. The L, R, and C speakers are essentially the same system, except that the cabinets are slightly different. (The center channel's drivers are arranged horizontally, not vertically, and it has curved rockers on the bottom that fit into a supplied base, which lets you adjust the angle up or down into the room.) None of them has a woofer - all have two midrange drivers and a tweeter. The left and right surrounds are bi-directional, wedge-shaped speakers that fire in two directions at the same time, which were more popular a few years aog than they are now. They use the same drivers as the front speakers. Bi-directional speakers work well if you can mount them in the corners of a room, to the sides of your main listening area, and provide better coverage for other seating areas in the room. I have my receiver set for "small" speakers, and therefore all of the bass goes to my poweted subwoofer, so the lack of woofers in the main speakers isn't an issue.

My AT system cost about $1,000 9 or 10 years ago and they have similar (and no doubt improved) systems in that price range today. I got mine from One Call Audio Video, which has excellent customer service in addition to good value.

4. I've seen set ups with only 2 floor speakers + Center + Sub. Can this replace a true surround sound set up?

No surround speakers, no surround sound. There are systems that us digital signal processing and delays to simulate surround sound, (some built right into the TVs themselves) but none of them match the real thing. There are even "soundbar", single-speaker systems that will do a fairly good job of this (provided the room is the right size and shape, isn't too accoustically "live" or "dead", and isn't open to other rooms.) Soundbars are mostly aimed at people who want something better than what comes out of the TV's speakers, but for whom aesthetics is more important that sound quality. (In short, those who can't stand speakers "cluttering up" the room.)


Can't find any specifictions there. I'm guessing that the tower speakers have built-in (powered?) subwoofers. I'm sure they'll do the job. I tend to dislike combos of all kinds (DVD-TV combinations, speakers with built-in subwoofers, desktop computers with integrated monitors) because if one component breaks you're SOL. At the very least you're going to lose the entire device while you're waiting for a repair guy to come out or while it is in the shop. Plus you can neither replace nor upgrade one without the other.


I'd actually like a set up geared towards action movies.

Any set-up in your price range is going to do a good job on action movies, which are actually less demanding than music and subtler film soundtracks. As long as the dialogue is clear and you've got plenty of bass from the sub for the explosions, you're all set. Actually a much cheaper system will do just fine with something like Independence Day. A better system will shine with a soundtrack like The Usual Suspects or a concert DVD like Fleetwood Mac's The Dance. Like I said, I'm very happy with how well my system performs with music. Since I listen to almost everything - swing, folk, classic Motown, 50s to 80s Rock, classical, even the odd Gregorian chant when the mood strikes, and they all sound good on my system. Oh, and Independence Day kicks ass.

Clarity and some surround bass.

Bass is basically non-directional. As long as you have a good powered sub and decent surround speakers, you're going to get everything you need out of the surround channels.

Again, any system in your price range is going to deliver clarity. (Even more so if you recycle a couple of existing speakers for the rear surrounds and spend more on the receiver or the front speakers.)

The most important thing is to get an integrated system of speakers designed to work together. This is critical for the three front speakers. If they aren't timbre-matched and designed to work as a unit, the front soundstage will fall apart anytime the soundtrack pans from one side of the screen to the other. Speakers of different brands, or even from different lines within the same brand, will not work and play well together.

You can get away with a lot more with the rear speakers, because they are used less and because soundtracks tend not to pan front to back and back to front very often. Also, in life, we expect sounds coming at us from the rear or the sides to have a different tonal quality than those coming at us from the front. So the recommendation to recycle a couple of your current speakers to become your new surrounds is a good one to keep you within budget and get you the best system for the money. You can always add surrounds that match your front speakers later.

Regards,

Joe

 

[David Willow]

If these have built in subs (can't tell from the link), then I recommend NOT getting them. Most times, proper placement for speakers is the wrong placement for subs. Getting good bass response is all about location.

Check out the AT, ED and SVS recommendations from previous posts in this thread. You could also look at Axiom (will be more than your budget) and look locally at higher end stores.

 

[Watchnlisten]

Thank you for such a detailed and we explained reply. I'll take note of all that.

Another question is, what is the difference of getting...

this

B&W DM602


VS

B&W DM601


Are floor standing speakers better by design sound wise or is this aesthetic.?


I was thinking of front 602s and 601s at the back. OR just save money and get 4 601s + center + sub and call it a day.

Does that make sense?


thanks guys!

 

[David Willow]

The 602 will have a bit more bass due to the cabinet design. Paired with a good subwoofer (not a cheapo one for those speakers - at least the low end SVS or better), either will sound great.

Are these used? The current models for the 600 series are 682, 683, and 684.