Opinions of this system? H/K and AR (1 Viewer)

[ChaseHanna]

We'll be moving into our new house shortly and I was looking at this system. Please give me any insight / opinions that you have. Thanks, I appreciate it.

Receiver - H/K 520

Fronts - Acoustic Research Hi - Res AR5

Center - AR4C

Rears - AR15 or AR17 - Which do you guys think?

Sub - Have no clue about the sub, running kind of short on cash any suggestions?

TV - Toshiba 27" w/ Component Inputs (Have)

The system will mainly be used for music, some movies though.

 

[ChaseHanna]

Bump

 

[Ashok]

How short on cash for the sub? For $150-$200 there is the Sony SA WM40, for $400 there is the Adire Audio Rava, and at $500 you can get a HSU VTF-2. And of course, there are SVS subwoofers. You can start and $369, which will get you a 25-31CS, but you will need to provide amplification at that price. After that you can work your way up and see what suits your budget.

DIY is another option, if you are comfortable.

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Chase,

Wow you have the same taste as me (almost).

I run the AR9's up front (same as the AR5, less the built

in internal amps)

I run the AR4C Center also. For my rear I am running AR

Performance Series 215PSB's which sound great for surrounds

but the price of the AR15 is very reasonable and I will

eventualy upgrade to those if I don't choose some sort of

DiPole Surround from another manufacturer.

I love the way my AR's sound and I highly recommend them.

This is a very old company who revolutionized the speaker

industry many times over. Sadly due to politics and companies

changing hands a few times over the past 4+ Decades it seems

that many people have forgotten AR as the high end speaker

manufacturer that they once were (and still are in my opinion)

I can't tell you how they will sound to "you" or how they

will sound using a Marantz Receiver (I use Onkyo) what I

would suggest is a demo of ANY speaker you consider buying.

Preferably an in home demo if you can. They never sound the

same in a store as they do your living room.

To me they sound vibrant and full of life. Music fills the

room, and for that matter the whole house. Mids are an absolute

delight with faithful reproduction of vocals both male and

female and both wind and stringed instruments come to life

as I have never heard them before on a speaker in this price

range. Bass output is true and clean and as per AR's specs

these puppies put out the 32Hz they claim and not only do

they put out 32Hz they do so at 100 decibels! I am fairly

positive that they will extend below the 32Hz that AR says

they will, granted not with as much authority or sensitivity.

Short of going to Electrostatic Speakers or Planar Speakers

from either Martin Logan or Magnepan, I know that I made the

right decision for me.

Research before you buy. Listen and let your heart make the

decision. There may be another speaker company out there who's

sound better suits your needs. We all have very subjective

tastes when it comes to sound and I can't say with 100% certainty

that everyone will love the AR5's or AR9's, that is after all

why there are more than just one speaker company. But please

do take the oppertunity to audition a pair and then make the

educated decision based on what you hear. I don't beleive

you will be dissapointed.

 

[John A. Casler]

Although I am not familiar with the "amplified" AR5 speakers, that should free up two amps on the AVR-520.

If that is true, check to see if the amp input will allow you to run an RCA jumper from "sub out" to one of them and "voila" you have 85 watts to run your SVS "unpowered" sub.

John Casler

 

[Brett DiMichele]

John,
He won't be able to do what you propose. The Bob Carver
Sunfire Amps in the AR5's (one 175 Watt Sunfire in each
tower) only supply power to the 10" High Excursion Sub.
I honestly think he'd be better off with the AR9's and a
seperate powered sub (the route I intend to go) The AR9's
will save you enough to invest in a good sub and as long as
the Receiver he chooses puts out at least 100 watts cleanly
per channel it will drive the AR9's very well (They are a
very high sensitivity speaker) I run 100 watts to them and
they sing. The bass is phenominal considering that I can
send another 100+ watts per channel into the AR9's! And
that is exactly what I intend to do long term. I will seperate
my Music system from my movie system. Using my Onkyo DS787's
internal amps to drive the AR9's only for movies, and using
a pair of Stereo Solid State Amps and a Tube LineStage Pre
Amp connected Directly to a source (SACD,DVD-A or whatever I
decide to go with)
And that should be the best of both worlds..
P.S Chase,
You can get the AR9's from Best Price Audio Video
www.bestpriceaudiovideo.com for $550.00 + S&H and I doubt
you will find a better deal for "A Stock" new sealed AR9's.
They also carry the AR5 if I remember correctly. This is who
I purchased my 9's from and the transaction was smooth.