Thanks for the great forum; I need help (1 Viewer)

[DougLainson]

First all, I want to say a great thanks to the owners and moderators of this forum. It's a total class act and I have already gained invaluable information as I attempt to educate myself on Home Theater basics.

Finally, after 13 years of marriage and 3 kids, my wife has given me permission to invest some dollars into a new home theater set-up (She still thinks the 27" TV and stereo speakers are ok--and that I have a disease). I would like to know if I can salvage any pieces from my stereo set-up or if I should just start over. Primarily, should I look at using my Advent Prodigy towers and add a center channel, surrounds and sub, or are the Advents so bad that I should scrap them...(I think they still sound great, but I might be whacked and they might not mix well...)

Decisions I have made so far:

Monitor--> Pan 36 HX41 (sharper than xbr 450 with analog source and dealer told me they would stand behind it should I get one with the geometry problems--which are getting better. Apparently Panasonic is fixing QA process) I love the XBR 700 but it won't fit into the cabinet my wife picked...(you win some you lose some)

Recver--> Deciding between Onkyo 696, Denon 2802, and Yahmaha RX1000--should I add another for consideration? (currently leaning to the Onkyo. They all seem pretty good, but I like the Onkyo zone 2 feature.)

Speakers--> Adding a JBL S-center, N24 surrounds and PB12. Will this work with the Advents? I'm I being cheap? Should I just get new S38 for the fronts? Should I consider something else all together? The JBL sounded good, but so did the Energy's XL series. But I really liked the JBL center.

DVD--> New JVC XA-FA90. Progressive output 7 disc changer.

Looks good on paper--any one got experience?

Bottom line: I just want to know if I am going the in the right direction and will be happy with this potential set-up or if I'm way off base. Comments and criticism welcome. Thanks

 

[Saurav]

Looks good to me I don't have any specific advice on your equipment choices because I have no personal experience with any of them, but from what I've seen people recommending here, you seem to be more or less on the right track.

 

[Anthony Stephan]

Since you are just getting started, I would pay closer attention to your speakers.
Let's see, 13 years of marriage... Yeah, I can envision those Advents.
It's really important that your mains and center match. Panning is smoother and your front soundstage is just going to work better if they all have the same drivers.
In addition, you can't really tweak the timber of the center channel using those receivers.
You should also consider a sub. Seriously consider.
It won't matter whether you choose the JBLs or Energy's, they're both great and just a matter of taste or your budget.
If you needed to cut back in any area, you could go with a single drawer DVD instead of the changer. Personally, I only watch one DVD in an evening, although they are nice for music at parties.
All the receivers are good choices and would work well with either the JBLs or the Energys.
Good luck.

 

[SamRoza]

I'd seriously try to keep the JBL lines the same.

If you use the S-Center, use the S38s with them. If you use the Northridge series, use the N-Center.

Sam

 

[Trey Jones]

Add the HK AVR520 to that receiver list.

 

[Sheldon]

The Harman Kardon AVR520 also feature multi-room.No Home Theatre is complete without a sub.The best one for the dollar is from www.svsubwoofers.com bar none.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Hi Doug. Welcome to HTF!
Your front 3 speakers should be from the same set. Dont try to mix/match brands. (I have old Advent speakers as well )
Remember that when looking at speakers, there is a difference between Music and HT speakers:
"Music speakers are about Accuracy, but HT speakers are about Impact".
This is why some fairly inexpensive speaker sets do a great job with HT. They are less-accurate (read "less expensive"), but do a fine job with the highly-compressed, artifical movie soundtracks.
The JBL speakers have a good reputation. There is a web site, www.cheaphometheater.com that did a comparision of some other speaker sets you might also want to take a look at. Perhaps the cost savings will allow you to get 3 identical front speakers, or a set with a matching center.
Good luck.

 

[Marty M]

Welcome to the Home Theater Forum and the great hobby/obession of home theater. Remember, buying equipment is not "rocket surgery". It's all about what sounds best to you. Happy shopping and enjoy.

 

[DanaA]

Doug,

To me, speakers are the most personally individual choice you will make. With this in mind, I'm going to recommend that you give the Polks a listen. Why? Well, I've ordered a new system for my bedroom, which means that my 14 year old daughter gets my old Onkyo, Denon based system for her bedroom. That system includes my Polk 55i speakers, which I still listen to until my new speakers arrive. I know that some will shy away from the Polks because they are sold at mass market distributers such as Good Guys and Circuit City, but I really love their sound and the sound stage they establish. One more thing, when doing listening tests, please, please don't immediately jump at the speakers which first reach out and grab you. What may be an impressive bass on first listen may end up annoying you like crazy later on (boominess, etc.) Listen for something that sounds euphonic and be somewhat clinical in your assessment. How defined is the bass? Are the mid-range and high frequencies musical? Does a piano, or violin, or the human voice sound like you would expect if you heard them live? Does the sound stage present distinguished width and depth that seems to carry integrity with what you would expect? Is there silence in the spaces between where you hear the instruments played or do they tend to bleed together, etc. At least for me, this leads to speakers that I enjoy over the long term, rather than regret having ever bought. One final note (I promise), let your ears and judgement guide you, not what the salesman tries to steer you toward. Have fun.

 

[BryanZ]

Your choices look good for the most part. Only one I really do not like is the JBLs. What is your budget for speakers and a sub? You may want to go with a wood nOrh 4.0 package for $775 (5 speakers including a shielded center) and an Adire Audio Rava for $400. If you would like wood 5.1 mains, then the package will be $875. Just something else for you to consider.

 

[DougLainson]

UPDATE ON THE NEW SYSTEM

Thanks for all the information. Last nite I pulled the trigger. I got the Panasonic 36 HX41($1880), a Yahmaha RX-2200($900), the AR HC6 speaker set($600). The dealer threw in a 4 year comprehensive on-site warranty, + free delivery and set up. I only paid tax. I think I got a good deal. For So Cal residents--look at Pacific Sales (known for kitchen and bath centers) but they now have a home theater division that's very good. Good service so far and enough patience to answer 10,000 questions...

I read some other posts on here about the AR HC6's. They had them playing at the showroom. The AR HC6's sounded really unbelievable so I bit. They've been selling like hotcakes--can't hardly keep them in stock. Salesman also upsold me on the Yahmaha, but I liked the learnable remote and won't have to buy an aftermarket...

All showing up on Sat. morning. Should have fun putting it together over the weekend. Thanks again. I'll update when it's up and running.