Rotel, Lexicon, or Meridian (1 Viewer)

[ChrisWiggles]

No, Vicky, not really. With a TV that close, though, you have to make sure that you can get shielded front speakers. All center channels (that I know of anyway), come shielded by default, because they are supposed to be on, or under, or otherwise near a TV. People with front projection setups need not worry obviously. Anyway, just make sure that you can get the front speakers shielded, and you should be fine. A more important note, though, is that for HT, you kinda want the TV centered, or the picture and sound won't really match, and everything will sound lopsided. Youll have dialog matching the tv off-center, and effects will shoot out way far to the left, then barely off to the right. Now, as you mentioned, you may end up with more a music setup, in which case you could probably stand that, if your're not too picky about the HT part. Is there a reason you can't move the TV into the center? Or at least closer to the center? If theres a door or something there, maybe you could orient the room the other way. I can't see the room, but just ideas. You really want that TV centered.

And don't be afraid to demand help at those stores too. They are there to serve you.

 

[Rich Wenzel]

The idea of a custom installer is an interesting idea...

I agree completely that a good one can make an average system sound like a very good system.

However, especially when you are new, its hard to know a good one from a bad one and if you blindly trust a bad one (and by bad I mean, unfair in terms of pricing), you will be paying a lot of money for items.

There are some installers that will draw up room layouts, equipment lists, etc and you go out and buy it and set it up. Harder to find though. But then its like going to a lawyer, you are paying only for their time and legal advice.

The only reason I bring this up, is that I had a friend who went through one, and bought about $10k of stuff basically at their list prices. He paid $5k for a Sony RPTV that he could have bought at the store for $3k. On top of that, he paid for the installation time. I think he paid like $12k for everything, and the street value (brand new, assuming store prices) was like $6k....He said he didn't care cause it sounded great to him, and he didn't have to do a thing. I just feel that he got about 10 hours of work out of the guy (and i think that is a generous amount) and paid about $600 an hour for that.

However, I completely agree that room acoustics plays a huge part of the total sound quality of your system, and that a good installer can make an incredible difference in the right circumstances. The more difficult the room, the more they can add.

Finally, I would write up a list of all the different equipment you need, and decide on a budget that you would like to spend, and then some cap room that you are willing to spend, but don't make that too large, or you will find yourself spending more than you want. Then, what I would do, is write some preliminary numbers for each part of the system. So for example if you had $4k in mind, it might look something like this (and mind you, many people may completely disagree with me on this budget assignment):

receiver: $800
dvd player: $400
cables: $100 (for speaker cable, interconnects, video, etc)
other: $100 (for room deflection, books, etc)
speakers: $2600

This would be roughly how I would do it. Then what I would do is go out and look at each thing in that price range. And then I would decide where a little bit of increment would matter most. If I find a $900 reciever that I like, can I take $100 off the DVD player or speakers, and have my total happiness go up? It would also help you with your cap aand deciding where to spend that cap and if its really worth it.

My last advice is find a dealer that works with you. Your salesperson should be very happy for you, if something is not right for you, and the best thing for you is at another store, he should say that. That is why you go one of these stores, for their help and knowledge. However, if you do spend your time there, and he helps you, and you decide you want one of the items that he helped you with, you are of obliged now to buy it from him, as long as he is not outrageous the market. (like if he is charging list for a component that normally sells at 60% of list). If he is a good salesperson, he will work well with you to satisfy both constraints, and in turn he gets not only this business, but your future business. Thats the advantage of the high end stores.

Rich

 

[Guy Usher]

I agree with Rich, basicly thats what I was trying to get across. . .
I have shopped at one high end store for over 10 years, very good relationship, you would not believe the deals I have got, yet most people who are price shoppers avoid them and this store also avoids the price only shopper.

 

[Vicky]

I wish had the luxury of going to a store that specializes in audio with different brands of merchandise. Unfortunately, the stores in my area only specialize in certain audio equipment. For example, one store only carries Rotel and B&W speakers. Another store may carry Integra and JM Lab and so on. So far I am leaning toward the Rotel RSP-1066 and B&W speakers. But I just found out that B&W do not sheild their speakers. Any suggestions...

 

[Dave Moritz]

Hello Vicky

If you live in the Los Angeles area in CA? There are two places just south of the 210 freeway off of Rosemead Blvd you might want to check out? One place is called Sound Factor and the other place is called Audio Concepts. Between the two stores you can check out Marantz, Yamaha, Sunfire, Rotel, Yamaha, Conrad Johnson, B&W and other brands. I have found them to be very helpfull in the past and have purchased equipment from them as well.

 

[Joseph_W]

Vicky,
B&W middle speakers are shielded (at least the one's I am familiar with). Left and right aren't but you should be able to get them far enough from the TV so it won't matter.

I understand your frustration over availability. When I travel I stop in Audio stores in other cities so I can learn more. I do have B&W speakers and am planning on buying a Rotel 1066 (or 1055) soon. I'll probably match it up with a 1075 amp, a good 5 channel amp for the money (my opinion).

Good luck!

Joe

 

[DanaA]

Hi Vicky,

Thought I might stick my nose in and mention a couple of things. First, depending on what type of TV you have, that two feet of distance might be sufficient. Secondly, I'm really happy you like the Rotel. Just my opinion, but it is just a wonderful piece of equipment. If necessary, you can add more power to it later. I like what Rich was saying about a budget, but you'll probably need at least a 2-3 hundred dollars for cables and interconnects. Finally, I still think you need to go that extra mile as far as listening to speakers. B&W's are great, but speakers are so personal. I once heard that when you hear the right one, they will speak to you. In other words, something will click. By the way, when you said they were not shielded, does that include the center channel? When you're listening to speakers, it's also a good idea to take your own CD's along. A lot of times, a customer can be manipulated by the salesperson playing demo CD's which accentuate only the strengths of particular speakers. And, by all means, stay and listen for quite a while. First impressions in audio aren't necessarily the ones you should follow. Finally, don't forget the sub. That can be an extremely important component as far as overall sound. A final finally - several online speaker and sub companies offer a much better product for the money than might be offered at some stores. For instance, I hear the Rocket line is a great performer and they look pretty stunning besides. Hsu, Adire, and SVS offer great subs online. Just something to keep in mind.

Sorry to ramble on. I will say that this is one heck of a great system you seem to be putting together for yourself. I think you're doing it all the right way, by listening to advice, taking your time, and letting your ears be the FINAL judge. Best of luck to you.

 

[Vicky]

When I said the speakers were shielded, I meant the left and right. I'm thinking I may have to look at other speakers. I just double checked my measurements and found that I will have about 12" of separation. I'm not sure if that's enough. Thanks again for every ones help. I'm going to audition some speakers tomorrow, hopefully. I'll let you guys posted...

 

[Rich Wenzel]

12 feet of separation is most likely enough....

as for online vendors, like hsu, i hear they are great as well, such as axiom...the problem is that if you dont like them and want to return them, you have to pay the shipping costs, and possibly a restocking fee.

Vicky, you should also know that the rotel 1066 will need amplification as well. So you would be spending $2k at least on just that part (the processor and the amp), leaving less for your dvd or cd player (assuming you need one), and speakers. I would recommend the 1055 for two reasons (and these are the reasons i bought it), its very flexible and can be used nearly as good as the 1066 as a separate however it has the amplication, and its from a company that concentrates on sound quality over form and function (that they nailed both of those areas as well, imo). Another side benefit is that the 1055 has a tuner, i dont believe the 1066 does. if you do go the rotel route, make sure you get a newer one, so that you get the higher video bandwidth. btw, for a $4k budget, i am not necessarily recommending this, the NAD T762 can probably be had for a $200 less, around $1k even. The 752 is even less. I think the rotel is probably better than the NAD in some areas and not as good in other areas. Some people here may shoot me for recommending taking a look at the NAD. Just make sure you get it from a dealer if you do go that route.

as for stores not selling all the brands, thats to be expected...if everyone sold the same brands, the stores would not be able to distinguish themselves. also, most mid to high-end companies dont want to many dealers within the same geographical area (with the exception of japanese brands, but some would argue that onkyo, denon, and yamaha are not high end).

this does make it harder to pick out equipment, and you have to go to different places and kind of remember which you like better...but there are some benefits, that being you get to meet more people and learn more things...you can learn a lot from a good salesman, because for many of them audio is a passion, and people like to talk about things they are passionate about...so this will give you more exposure to more people...for some even, its not just the destination to getting the best sound, but the journey as well.

one other thing to mention, is that when listening to speakers, especially within the same store, try to make sure that they are at the same volume...speakers that are played louder than others will tend to sound better...so make sure that they are roughly at the same volume...and dont look at the volume setting on the amp, its kind of hard, but just judge it by ear for now, even though the volume may be constant, speakers have different sensitivities, more sensitive ones need less power to generate greater volumes of sound, however since you will be getting a good receiver, power should not be a concern, so try to make sure the speakers are roughly at the same volume...a bad salesman (one who is pushing a product) may turn up the volume of speakers that he wants to sell...

Rich

 

[Mike Matheson]

Following up on Rich's point of volume levels during auditions, some of us actually take along sound meters to ensure similar volume levels. You'll probably eventually need a sound meter to calibrate your system in your home (along with an Avia or Video Essentials or similar calibration DVD), so perhaps you could pick one up at this point and bring it to auditions. Depends how geeky you want to be about it. Me, I bring a sound meter.
The meter most folks use is the Radio Shack analog meter, catalog #3-2050, about $34.99 (link).
Fun to watch how salesfolks react when you pull out that meter. . .

 

[Mike Matheson]

And Rich, that was 12 INCHES, not 12 feet of space. . .

 

[Vicky]

I apologize, I meant the Rotel RSX-1055. Stupid question coming... what's the advantage of having a higher video bandwidth? Oh and another correction I will only have 12-inches of separation from the TV to the front right speaker. That's why I am concerned about the B&W not being shielded. Love the way they sound though. :frowning:
Any comments on the Soliloquy 5.3 speakers? Am I talking apples and oranges here? I haven't heard them, I just saw them in "the absolute sound" magazine and looked them up on the Internet. Yeah, they are shielded... I don't know how they sound, however. I'll see if I can locate a dealer tomorrow.
Any other suggestions will be greatly appreciated on comparable speakers to the B&W.

 

[Holger]

quote:
-----------------------------------------------------------
Neither Lexicon or Meridian makes recievers. (I am 99.9% on that one) A lot of people like to say Lexicon for theater, and Meridian for music. I am not sure these people have heard a Meridian HT though

-rob
-----------------------------------------------------------


@ rob,

i couldn't agree more. both lexicon and meridian processors are IMO the two best surround manufacturers on the market today. both are capable of 7.1 surround sound, a feature which literally is NOT offered in any other surround decoder.

to say that lexicons are best for ht and meridian are best for music is complete nonsense IMO. like you said rob, those people probably never listened to a meridian ht, AND those people probably never gave a lexicon music system a listen.



regards, holger

 

[Guy Usher]

Soliloquy makes a great loadspeaker, the store that I use for most of my gear sells Soliloquy and I have spent hours listening to most of their models, they sound good, build quality is great, and they are nice to look at. . .
Higher video bandwidth typically means it would be better suited to the higher bandwidth of HD sources.
Rotel RSX-1055 and Soliloquy would be a very nice match for music in particular, IMO that also works for HT, distortion is distortion wether it is a violin or a glock 17, I dont want to hear it.

 

[Vicky]

Let me throw this out now. I forgot to mention the front speakers will be in a cabinet. Will this effect the performance of, say, the B&W speakers? If not, great! My next question would be could I have the front-right speaker isolated in its own cabinet with a material that would shield the speaker from the TV? In other words, the TV would be in one cabinet and the front-right speaker in another. The wall between them could have a material that would shield the speaker from the TV. Make sense...

 

[Andrew Pratt]

Vicky sheilding is done by placing a magnet on the back of the driver (or box) to counter act the magnetic field they generate so adding material between the speaker and the TV won't have much effect. That's not to say it won't help but its better to buy a sheilded speaker in the first place.

Placing speakers in a cabinate isn't going to give you the best sound stage since most speakers need room to breath properly. If space is an issue you could consider going to in walls or smaller speakers but these generally are the best for music. Is there any chance you could rearrange your room?

 

[Tom Camlioglu]

Holger ... what does that mean? (Are you implying that no other PRE/PRO's on the market today can do 7.1 ??)

/TC

 

[Rich Wenzel]

I agree with Andrew on both counts.

What kind of TV do you have? if its an rptv then you need not worry as the distance in the tv should be enough that shielding is not necessary...

as for the cabinets, even bookshelves will sound better in the open then on a shelf/next to walls...

there are some speakers that get more bass from being closer to walls, but in most cases, you need a certain amount of breathing space (as andrew quite accurately described it).

Rich

 

[Vicky]

I have a Mitsubishi 65-inch wide-screen. Thus the limited space I have in my cubby hole. I do not have any other options, as far as rearranging the room. The room is specifically built to have the TV in the cubby hole. So what I am hearing, it looks like I am better off with bookshelf speakers? If that's the case what speakers do you recommend? I'd like to have them sound as close to floor speakers as possible. I will definitely need a sub then, right?

 

[JimmyK]

In the many years I've been enjoying this hobby, there is one key to making sure it IS enjoyable; a great dealer/shop!

I would make sure that whatever dealer you go with will let you return things if you are not satisfied with your choices. This is especially true for speakers. Your room and setup will have a substantial effect on how your speakers sound. They may sound great in the showroom and awful at home. I've had this happen and am glad I use a dealer that is happy to let me return items if I'm not 100% satisfied. Be sure your dealer will let you return them and try something else.

When it comes to speakers, there is no substitute for being able to evaluate them in your own home.

JimmyK