I've had enough with my low budget dolby surround..I need a whole new system..
Here is what I can spend: please tell me what you recommend I buy and why..
reciever: $800
Speakers(5): $1700
SUB:$500
I would like to stay in those limits if possible..Thanks for the help..
RJason
05-01-00, 06:27 AM
Hi Mad http://talk.dvdtalk.com/ubb/smile.gif ....
You can get a whole lot for the money in my opinion...I've been shopping for a very similar system and I can say that I've never received more help than at www.audioreview.com (http://www.audioreview.com) ...I would post this question in their TechTalk section....
Now, first of all I'd say you are thinking right in the fact that your speakers are about double that of your receiver...You will probably get the best sound this way...
These are all GREAT receivers and which direction you go would depend highly on your speaker selection and features price balances..The Denon and Marantz will probably be the best Theater performers out of the above...The NAD and Marantz are probably the best Musical performers...The Onkyo and Yamaha are probably a little outrated by the others, but some prefer the sound of these....It's tough to speculate which you will like the most...I can say that in my taste I would purchase a Marantz SR-7000. The Marantz receiver has a clean and warm sound, but so warm that it can sound compressed. The NAD will have the best sound, but has had a couple defects in this model. If Theater is your only concern then I would narrow the above down to Marantz, Denon, and Onkyo...
(Trust me, I've read every review and auditioned most of these)
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Speakers:
Tougher call...You have more to chose from than receivers. You're not guaranteed to like the sound based on someones review.
Paradigm (Probably go with model: Monitor 3)----Bright if used on bright equipment (ie..Yamaha, Onkyo, Nakamichi) , clean, attacking, bassy speakers..
B&W --- Some say these are a little coloured..Others say they are the best in the class.
Dynaudio (model: Audience 40) ---- Smoothest sound, relaxed, tight...But, not as much bass as the paradigm. Smooth sound is great for music, maybe not the best for HT. All opinion...
NHT (Model: SuperOne) ---- Like the Paradigms, these have a clean midrange sound. Very smooth and realistic. Paradigms will be a little more bright, with more bass too.
PSB (from the Image series)--- A highly rated speaker that I haven't read up on enough to know their character. But, they come VERY RECOMMENDED by a few people.
FOR TURE SOUD QUALITY AND STRANGE LOOKS...CHECK OUT THIS SITE www.norh.com (http://www.norh.com)
Of all these the diferences are hard to itentify. The Paradigms are probably in my opinion the best sound for the budget when it comes to home theater. They have many speakers and they all match each other rather well. So, it would be very easy to adjust your selection of fronts, center, and surrounds without changing the sound too much...But, ideally you want 5 of the EXACT SAME speaker. I usually settle for just 4 of the exact same and a center that uses the same drivers...
(Don't trust me TOO MUCH..This is mostly based on 1000's of reveiws read and threads in HT forums. But, I haven't heard most of these and you should LISTEN BEFORE YOU BUY)
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Subwoofer:
I know very little...Other than the fact that brands such as Sunfire, HSU, & Velodyne are highly rated. Some say Paradigm makes a good sub also...
Good Luck...That's the best I can do... http://talk.dvdtalk.com/ubb/smile.gif
Robert Jason
svadas
05-02-00, 01:15 AM
The above post is excellent. I would listen, listen, listen, to them and definately try to take some home to try. I would also throw in Vanderten as you are just about in there for 2 pairs of 1c and a center, this would be at the top of my list if music was concern. I can't say enough about my fondness for B&W, Dynaudio, and PSBs as well. Tannoy makes some nice units, but they may be hard to find. Monitor Audio makes a great series that can be found cheaply, but normally is a mail order type deal. Magnepan has it's own uniqueness that deserves an audition for certain. I would also definately listen to some Energy and Mirage speakers, they make the popular ready made sets, but also very nice larger units in you price range. For a receiver, I feel the Pioneer Elite models are also top drawer in addition to the others mentioned. One thing you will notice is that certain receivers will blend better with certain speakers. When it comes to a subwoofer in that price range, you will likely do no better than the mighty HSU VTF-2 that came out recently. Unless you local dealer gives you a nice package deal, which is highly likely given all you intend to buy, the HSU is as good as it gets until you get into the >$1000 range. again, I say listen to as much as you can and draw your own conclusions, they'll naturally make you choice easier. Extended listening is best as some speakers just shine when first listen to them, and after a while you may feel fatigued by them. In the long run, that may or may not be the speaker for you.
Buy: