home theater advise about receiver and speakers

**David Meek** · 29 September 2005, 09:28 Thursday

Hi Saurabh, welcome to The Guide. :welcome:

2) The 2500 is a nice receiver (I"m a Yamaha RX-V1 owner), but if you've got the coin then go for the 4600. Updated YPAO, HDMI, component up-conversion, zone 2 management & zone 3 volume control. Very tasty.

3) Definitely get a progressive-scan DVD player, especially if you are purchasing a 16:9 TV. The improvement in quality is very nice.

4) We'll need a bit more information to provide you with good options. How do you like your sound? Bright? Clean? Warm? Loud? Detailed? Relaxed? Can you give us a budget? Is it a big room? Do you have a "significant other" to deal with? Do you like stand-mounted speakers or towers?

**PewterTA** · 29 September 2005, 09:31 Thursday

I would definitely replace the DVD player, Progressive output is a must on a screen that size.

It's tough to tell you what speakers to go with... Personally the speaker/receiver matching is a tough thing. Some receivers sound good with brand X speaker, while others don't.

For instance, I had (still have it) the Yamaha RX-V1400 it was awesome for me, I loved the sound of it with the B&W speakers, but at the same point I thought there was something "off" about it. I don't think I could have described it at the time. Since then I've moved over to the Rotel Group (RSP-1098/RMB1095 specifically) and it's amazing how much better I like the sound of it. It's not that the Yamaha was bad by any means (heck that's why I can't even force myself to sell it), but it's that the Rotel is THAT much better matching with the B&W speakers.

So you really need to start reading through all the website forums and seeing what people like coupled together... then try to go out and listen to that. But you have to remember what one person likes, you might not... so form you own opinions in the end!

I would say that you can never have a receiver that's 'overkill,' I'd go with the 4600 in a heartbeat. The Pioneer Elite 72txv is up there with the 4600 as well. I'd go for either one, see which one has the features you like. I'm in the group with yamaha over pioneer, though I do understand that yamaha is definitely on the bright side. So you wouldn't want to match yamaha with something like Klipsch... that would just kill your ears.

This is a cool new world for you, picking your own components and making your theater "your own sound."

**Azeke** · 29 September 2005, 10:43 Thursday

Hello Saurabh, welcome to the Forum.

I concur, you will need to stipulate a budget. When people ask me for advice on HT, my first question, what is your budget, (although my wife doesn't like me asking that question first).

Panny Plasma is definitely a safe bet, best bang for the buck, however Fujitsu is among the best. This URL should help:

Plasma and Flat Panels

Yami receivers served me well, however when I stepped up to separates, the price/perfomance index was excellent. Something to consider if your budget allows.

Upgrade your DVD player, the technology has improved significantly, as you will have the appropriate inputs/outputs to match the current technologies.

Speakers, are always personal. and the foundation of your audio system. Listen to as many as possible, start with the low end speakers first, if you go high-end, you may not even consider other possibilities. Also, be aware of what components are being utilized to play the speakers. Here are some of my personal suggestions in no particular order:

Klipsch
Paradigm
Definitive Technology
Mirage
NHT
B&W

Hope this helps, and enjoy your search.

Be patient and choose wisely,

Azeke

**saurabhbatra** · 29 September 2005, 12:58 Thursday

thanks...

hey thanks for ur replies guys...
i did consider fujitsu and definately liked it but not enough to spend extra money it costs...
my budget is around $5000 excluding the tv... but that is maxing out...

ok receiver first... if yamaha and pioneer both are rqually good with sound then i would like to go for pioneer just for the ipod compatibility though i was also bending towards yamaha before i knew about the ipod compatibility of pioneer

and speakers i would like the front speakers to be towers the surround ones can be wall hung...
i'll tell u what wud the system be used for.. mostly for sports and movies though i also wath comedy series on cable like raymond etc...
my defination of good sound is rich quality,deep and clear...

i was reading about sonus faber concerto i like what i read but they must be damn expensive and an overkill i know.. just got carried away...

**aud19** · 29 September 2005, 13:51 Thursday

What about music? I would imaginge that if you're even looking at Sonus Faber's you're at least interested in music playback...?

I personally like Yamaha over Pioneer but that's just me

I'd also reccomend you look at some of the entry level "high-end" companies like Rotel, Sherwood Newcastle and Nad. They tend to have less "features" but better sound quality IMO.

As for speakers... look at B&W, Energy, Kef, Paradigm, Polk, PSB, Totem Vienna Acoustics etc.

As for plasmas, Panny's likey what would get my money unless I won the lotto (hello Fujitsu! :lol: ) Otherwise if you don't need the display to hang on the wall, there's plenty of options to save you some $$. DLP or LCD RPTVs will keep you digital and have realtively small cabinets and also offer great daytime viewing quality. CRT RPTV's will still give you the best PQ and at the lowest price at the cost of floor space.

**Shane Martin** · 29 September 2005, 14:03 Thursday

They tend to have less "features" but better sound quality IMO.

Based on her/his needs, it doesn't sound like she/he wants to give ipod capability and a few other things just to gain supposed "sound quality".

FWIW, The new yamahas have all the main features of the 4600 but less money. Alot of 4600 owners aren't too happy about it either. The 2600 will be $1500 or less(US$). So basically if you focus on the 2500, don't and wait for the much upgraded 2600 that is in the works. It's due October.

One big knock on the 2600 though is that it won't eq the sub. The EQ in the Pioneer Elite WILL. Denon's 3806 will as well. HK's will as well.

Definitely get progressive scan. I wouldn't spend too much though as HD DVD players are coming.

Speakers: Go listen locally.

gd · 29 September 2005, 15:04 Thursday

Originally posted by saurabhbatra

i'll tell u what wud the system be used for.. mostly for sports and movies though i also wath comedy series on cable like raymond etc...

If that's really accurate, and you don't care much about music...

Don't spend a lot of money on upscale speakers like Sonus... by all means, get a decent dedicated make like those mentioned (B&W, Klipsch, Mirage etc), but you don't need THE top models for TV viewing... spend money on a quality subwoofer (or two if you've got a large room) -- that's what brings the movie experience home... 'Raymond' will not sound any better on Sonus.

Receiver... just get the one that has the features you want... feature-loaded receivers at the $1000-1500 level really won't differ greatly in sound quality... I personally like the Pioneer over Yamaha / Denon.

Given your stated preferences, you should throw most of your budget at the TV (or projector + screen if you've got a light-controlled room).

But if music has the slightest bit of importance in your setup, ignore everything I just said...

**saurabhbatra** · 29 September 2005, 23:29 Thursday

sorry

soory if i gave that impression that music will not be imp... it will be very imp...but i prefer soft rock, country and ballads

**aud19** · 30 September 2005, 12:10 Friday

Then I stress listening to some of the more high-end brands I listed for comparison to the Pioneer/Yamaha.

I think you'll find that especially for music reproduction, those units will show their merit

gd · 30 September 2005, 13:34 Friday

Audio budget = $5000... assuming that includes DVD player, receiver, speakers.

You might consider roughly carving up the budget like this: 60% speakers, 30% electronics, 10% cables.

Speakers: set aside $6-900 for a subwoofer from one of the online manufacturers (SVS, Hsu)... the rest can be had as a 5-bookshelf package... audition B&W, Monitor Audio, Totem, NHT -- actually listen to as many as you can firsthand... speakers make the biggest difference.

Decent DVD players can be had for $1-200, but you'll need to do a little homework to ensure they'll be a proper match to whatever TV you go with... $10-1200 should get you a feature-rich receiver... I like the sound of Rotel, Marantz... but I'm reluctant to recommend anything because of your iPod needs (if they have a digital-out connection - do they? - I presume you could hook it up to any receiver).

Set aside a few hundred $$$ for quality cables... forum sponsor CATcables can help you there, check their section of this website.

Used receivers and speakers (not DVD players) can often be a bargain, and a good way to move up in quality... but again, do your homework.

Good luck.

**P-Dub** · 30 September 2005, 13:35 Friday

Wow, lots of Yamaha fans here. Maybe we should start a Yamaha club?

I'm a long time owner of a Yamaha and was curious if the 'brightness' is still there in the new Yamaha's? I recall that it has been reduced from the days of the x95's. I've got a 595 and paired with my Energy eXL's they are very 'detailed'

To get to the subject of this thread. For the receiver, I would go with the one that you find best suited to your needs. By the sound of it, that's the Pioneer. I understand there are some new Pioneers on the way with some upconverting capabilities. So take a look at the new Pioneer Elite line.

At this level, every receiver should have pre-outs. This is an important feature as you may wish to add external amplification in the future. I wish I spent the money early on to have this feature on my receiver. That is why I am stuck, I need to buy a new receiver and can't just add a new amplifier.

Display. No comment as I have not been following plasma development. I defer to the others recommendations.

Find a progressive scan DVD player. I am starting to look for one myself. I have a HDTV capable RPTV and I have an old DVD player. What's funny is I will probably have spent more on my original DVD player than my next one, that's progressive and has various bells and whistles.

Speakers. This is the most important. This is a very personal decision. There are many quality brands available. I might suggest finding a store that carries multiple brands and has a good exchange policy. I know some that will give you full trade value for 1 year! That's where you buy one set, and if you upgrade in 1 year, they will give you full credit of what you paid for those speakers towards your next set.

Energy, PSP, Paridigm, Totem are just a few brands from Canada that seem to get some very good reviews. Don't feel that you need to have floor standing speakers for optimal performance. You will be amazed at what a good set of bookshelf size speakers will do to music as well as movies. Oh and my speaker list is not exhaustive. I think B&W makes some wonderful speakers as do other manufacturers, just remember what they sound like in the store will probably different when you get home. A store is a different environment.

I would recommend, that you when you settle on the brand that you try to maintain the same size speaker throughout. For example bookshelves of the same model for front and rear. That will provide a more seamless sound stage for movies. If you do go floor standing, get woofers of the same size for your rear speakers.

Finally. Subwoofer. This one component will make the biggest difference in the movies you watch. If you like action movies, then a good quality sub is a must.

What size room, what movies do you like?

**kruzmisl** · 30 September 2005, 19:43 Friday

The very positive side of the 2600 is that it will upconvert to HDMI. So I can buy that 5 meter HDMI cable from my 2600 to my Plasma, and still run component cable from my old DVD player or cable box. Eventually I can upgrade my DVD etc. I wouldn't like to buy a 5 m component cable of high quality. Even the 4600 won't do that, but it does give HD radio.
At least that's what I've been told
John
EDIT:
I have a 2500 in another room and I LOVE it. Especially the Optimizer microphone setup, which did a very nice job to help compensate for a less than perfect room. I've run it's program several times; as the system was broken in, and when some changes were made to the furniture placement. It made a noticible difference. Just no HDMI connection.

**Shane Martin** · 01 October 2005, 22:50 Saturday

I'm a long time owner of a Yamaha and was curious if the 'brightness' is still there in the new Yamaha's?

The auto eq's take care of those issues. Direct mode they still have that issue but if you don't use direct mode you'd be fine. The auto EQ sets in and takes over.

**texasbwfan** · 14 October 2005, 10:58 Friday

Can you elaborate on the iPod compatability of the Pioneer? I own the VSX-56TXi and was unaware of any special iPod compatability? Am I missing out on something? As of now, I play my iPod using RCA cables. Is there a better approach for using an iPod with Pioneer Elite? Thanks!

**saurabhbatra** · 14 October 2005, 12:31 Friday

the compatibity is only with VSX-72TXV and 74 series checkout pioneerelectronics.com

**texasbwfan** · 14 October 2005, 18:13 Friday

saurabhbatra,

Thank you very much!! I wasn't aware of Pioneer's new product offering. I contacted my dealer and will be returning my VSX-56TXi for the new unit. Since I've only had my receiver for about two months, he will be swapping the two units at no additional cost. It's nice having a dealer that takes care of you! I can't wait to utilize the new iPod functionality. Thanks again,

texasbwfan

home theater advise about receiver and speakers

home theater advise about receiver and speakers

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