lotsofdvds

Ok, I'm a complete Home Theater dunce, so bear with me...

I'm replacing a "Home Theater in a Box" that died on me with an actual receiver this time, but I want to know if the speakers that came with the Home Theater set up can be retained to use with this new receiver. I have the specs, but I can't answer my own question.

For example, these are the front and surround speakers I have now:

Type 1 way 1 speaker Bass-ref.
Full range 8 cm (31⁄8z) cone type
Impedance 6 ≠
Input power 60 W (music)
Output sound pressure level 79 dB/W (1.0 m)
Frequency range 80 Hz–22 kHz (j16 dB)
110 Hz–20 kHz (j10 dB)

And the output of my new receiver will be:

Models of area code U, CA
Rated Power Output at Stereo Mode
(8 ohms 20 Hz - 20 kHz, THD 0.09%)
Reference Power Output
(8 ohms 20 Hz - 20 kHz, THD 0.09%)
Front 90 W/ch
Center 90 W
Surr 90 W/ch
Surr Back 90 W

So would I blow out my existing speakers? Are they too weak?

Spiky

It would help if you'd just name your stuff. Shouldn't be an issue. The important point is the impedance: your speakers say 6ohm, which the receiver can probably handle without too much problem.

Many people worry about matching the wattage ratings between speakers and amp, but that is almost useless in the real world because of how the ratings are stated and also because of how it really works. So don't worry about that.

lotsofdvds

Oh, well I'm replacing my Panasonic SC-HT75 home theater receiver with a Sony STR-DE597 6.1 Channel Receiver.

Spiky

As long as the speakers aren't some proprietary system like Bose garbage, just about anything in the low-end thru low-high-end market will be ok for compatibility as long as you don't try to play louder than the stuff can handle. If you get into high-end esoteric speakers you start running into compatibility issues again.

That should be a pretty good upgrade. You may need to be careful if you like playing it loud. Those little speakers might not be able to handle as much power as the Sony can dish out. Just make sure you don't turn it up too far. That's good advice even for precisely matched systems, really.

lotsofdvds

I'm in an apartment, so loud's never really been an available option.

rdclark

Yes, it should work. Yes, you could destroy those speakers with that receiver. And that receiver will not make those quite awful speakers sound any better.

Plan on spending the $300 it would cost to buy a set of decent HT speakers like the Athena Micra 6 as soon as possible. You won't believe how big a difference it will make; you will realize what you have now is like a car radio from a '57 Plymouth compared to even the most modest offerings from a real speaker manufacturer.

RichC

lotsofdvds

Best Buy has the Athena Technologies Micra 6 Home Theater Speaker System with Powered Subwoofer on sale for $307.99. Good price?

Sdallnct

What he said! Typically the speakers real enemy is distortion. I had nice high end KEF speaker that were rated at 100watts, But I actually drove them with a 150 watt hybrid amp. I could really crank it with no problem as the amp was so clean. However, if I hooked up these same speakers to a 85 watt POS receiver, I could probably blow them with ease.

I agree with the others, you were smart in upgrading your receiver, but your speakers will almost always make the single biggest difference in sound.

drmoze

Did you buy the receiver yet? Not meant as a threadcrap, but I would NOT recommend the Sony. The speakers appear to be pretty low-quality. And inefficient as well. 75 dB/Wis pretty low. Sony receivers are not very good at powering inefficient speakers. Even though it has a higher wattage rating, it will probably distort even these speakers at decent volume.

I agree with the advice above. Get a decent set of speakers, doesn't have to be expensive. It's not about volume--even at low volume, you want good quality sound.

I would also strongly recommend several other bargain receivers over any low-end Sony, such as Yamaha, Onkyo, a couple of Panasonics, etc. Don't be fooled by the "features": you really want a good, powerful amp for clean sound. (Plus, several other brands have better-sounding DSP modes than Sony in my experience.)

rdclark

It's a decent price, yes. You should go listen to them.

RichC

lotsofdvds

The receiver has been purchased, yes. I had a very limited time to get it at the price I got it for, and since my Panasonic was dead, I needed something.

Apartment living really doesn't allow me to have the setup I want, so I'm really ok with these low end models. When I get a house I'll get the HT I really want, but until then the cheaper models do what I need. It won't be another Panasonic though... they've lost me as a customer.

If the speakers sound distorted, or if I notice they just sound worse than with the Panasonic, I'll definitely upgrade them.

Sdallnct

Note to lecture you, but still get the feeling you are associating quality with volume. They are two completely different things. There are loud systems that sound like crap, and excellent sounding units that cannot extend into high volume. Just because you are in an apartment does not mean you cannot enjoy quality.

For example, when I got new "matched" speakers for the front mains and CC, I was amazed at how well they worked together. There was of course excellent seperation, they worked together seemlessly almost as if they were one large speaker. There was also much more depth to the sound, a 3-d feel if you will. The was not volume dependent. I noticed this as very low levels and had not experienced this previous speaker set up.

Just my 2 cents worth!

lotsofdvds

I would say this all the time to my ex-wife.

But seriously, lecture me. Video is something I know about. Audio on the other hand is foreign to me.

rdclark

That's why I suggested you go listen to the Athenas. Audio quality is not about sheer volume. It's about accuracy: How precisely does the reproduced sound resemble the recorded sound?

The sort of crappy speakers you've been using have a variety of weaknesses, audible at any volume. Dull highs that don't reproduce the "air" in a concert hall; tubby midrange that makes male announcers sound like they all have chest colds; artificially boomy mid-bass that mask the lack of true bass. Uncontrolled resonances that change the timbre of musical instruments unpredictably. Mediocre imaging that make it hard to tell exactly where sounds are coming from.

Better speakers don't have these weaknesses. Even modest ones, while they may not play terribly loud, present a sense of realness that poor speakers just can't achieve.

There is no substitute for listening. Go listen!

RichC

Sdallnct

I agree and if I may add a little,

Listening is totally subjective what you like someone else will not. Listening is also a learned item (ask your wife so at first you likely will not see the full benefit of $10,000 speakers. But as you listen to more and more, with better and better sound, you eventually this. This is why folks that have nice systems still upgrade. They have learned to enjoy a nice system and they want better.

For me personally I can live without the lowest of bass. As long as the bass that is there is tight and not muddy, I don't need it to go super low. What really bothers me is terrible highs. Highs that are skretchy just drive me crazy. I must have tight, smooth, controlled highs.

You may be different, so go listen and get started!

lotsofdvds

Ok, let me ask this...

My old subwoofer has the usual split two wire speaker cord, but the new receiver only accepts a monaural audio cord for the subwoofer input. Is there any kind of adapter for this input or do I have to buy a new subwoofer?

Spiky

Ok, from what you've described: Your old sub is unpowered, no amp. Your new receiver has no amp for the sub, it expects you to have a powered sub. You can run it through your main channels, but that will stress the receiver. Does your old receiver work at all? You could use it as an amp for the sub, most likely. Or buy a new powered sub.

rdclark

You need a new subwoofer.

It's hard to say exactly how your Panasonic was configured so as to get the bass to the subwoofer, and it's more or less irrelevant. It might not even really be a subwoofer, but rather a "detached woofer," which is different.

In digital surround, there is a LFE (Low Frequency Effects) or ".1" channel that is intended only for the subwoofer. If you don't have one, the receiver will distribute that sound to the other speakers, but if you have small speakers you'll just hear crap if you try to send low bass to them.

The LFE channel is what the subwoofer jack on the receiver is for, but there is no amplifier in the receiver for this channel. It's a line-level output, intended to go to a sub with its own amplifier (a powered sub).

So you need a powered sub. The Athena system I've been recommending includes one, as will any good complete HT speaker system.

RichC

Sdallnct

This is a pretty good deal and I have to say KEF is one of my all time favorite speakers,

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.proc...F+KHT1005%2DSL

Honestly, I don't know how your Sony would drive these and how it would sound thru these, but might be worth a try. Tho, I will say if this is a typical KEF speaker it could handle a pretty high end receiver and really sing!

As an example, I got a similar system by Celestion when BB cleared them out. And through my 6 year old Sony they were "good", but when I bought a Harman Kardon, they really came to life and I just love them now. In fact I bought a 2nd set for my media room!

rdclark

I've heard a lot of good things about that KEF system, but never had a chance to hear it. When buying speakers mail order when you haven't heard them, it's vital to deal with a vendor that takes no-questions-asked returns, so you can audition the speakers in your listening room and return them if they don't sound good there.

I think speakers in this class will all sound fine with the Sony, as long as levels aren't pushed too much. While amps with plenty of headroom are always desirable, in this case the speakers will probably show audible signs of distress before the amp starts to clip.

RichC

Sdallnct

You should give them a listen. KEF are a British made speaker, and like most audio products made on the other side of the pond they are not a "make your ears bleed" type of speaker. They are very accurate, when set up properly have excellent depth. Typical KEF's do not have the lowest of lows (higher end models do), but what bass they have is very, very tight.

As for the receiver, I was talking more quality over power. The H/K I bought for my Celestions is only like 40 watts. But they are very high quality watts and I love the sound thru the Celestions.

Excellent advise, if you can't hear them before hand, you want a no questions ask return policy. Especially with something like the KEF's. While I feel they are an outstanding speaker and would buy them without hesitation unheard, if you are a huge JBL, Cerwin Vega, fan and love having 8 woofers in each speaker, probably you are not going to be happy with any KEF.