noob with ??'s on my old b&w speakers

[rivvers]

First let me say i dont have a clue about this stuff. I bought my setup 10 years ago and had the store install everything.

I have b&w CDM #7 front tower speakers and matching rear speakers with a black ash very large center channel speaker and it looks like a 10" sub.

i had a pioneer elite reciever wich doesnt work anymore. the speakers have been stored in thier boxs for the last 7 years.

Im thinking about setting these back up but i have no clue what i need to run these things. I was reading in another thread about amps and recievers.
do i need both?

this is for the tv only and watching movies, usually mid volume lvls with good surround sound and bass is what im looking for.

so any help would be much appreciated, and i dont have tons of money to blow at this point..

thanks
rivvers

[stuofsci02]

First let me say i dont have a clue about this stuff. I bought my setup 10 years ago and had the store install everything.

I have b&w CDM #7 front tower speakers and matching rear speakers with a black ash very large center channel speaker and it looks like a 10" sub.

i had a pioneer elite reciever wich doesnt work anymore. the speakers have been stored in thier boxs for the last 7 years.

Im thinking about setting these back up but i have no clue what i need to run these things. I was reading in another thread about amps and recievers.
do i need both?

this is for the tv only and watching movies, usually mid volume lvls with good surround sound and bass is what im looking for.

so any help would be much appreciated, and i dont have tons of money to blow at this point..

thanks
rivvers

If movies and TV are your priority you would have to make a choice between an HT reciever or a Pre/Pro + Multichannel Amplifier.

If you are looking for simplicity I would suggest the HT Reciever route. I would look for something with a minimum of 100 wpc. You will need to determine what options you need for Decoding and Video if that is important. Some of the less expensive Denon units seem to perform well for HT (like the 2311CI).

[dukester]

Personally, i think you should scrap it all and buy new stuff. Box it up and i'll come by to take it off your hands...

Very envious of you as it seems you have a time machine on your hands.

Back to your questions. I agree with stuofsci02, if only for HT, keeping it simple with an AV Rcvr (w/room correction) is a safe route. Although i have not heard, Onkyo is making waves with a technology-packed av rcvr:

http://www.hometheater.com/receivers/onkyo_tx-sr608_av_receiver/

One of the things often overlooked is how much power a unit puts out with ALL CHANNELS being driven...and unfortunately most brands deceptively advertise their power ratings at only 2 ch...something to consider since you indicated you also have matching rears and a large ctr spkr.

[rivvers]

haha duke nice try... but thanks to both of you for the info it helps alot

rivvers

[rivvers]

so something like this would be all i need to run those speakers right?

Onkyo TX-SR608

specifications175 W/Ch at 6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 1 Channel Driven, JEITA
Frequency Response5 Hz–100 kHz/+1 dB, -3 dB (DSP Bypass)
WHD435 x 176 x 329 mm

[htsteve]

rivvers,

Yes, that receiver will get you up and running pretty nicely in a home theater set. I has the latest audio capabilities (including Blu Ray HD audio), HDMI and nice video scaling.

While I like recievers because they do offer an all in one box solution, there are some things to consider. The main one is that, while the power is pretty decent, it is limited in it's ability to drive larger, power hungry tower speakers (like your CDM 7's). There is only so much power that can be engineered into a single chassis.

B&W towers love power. The more the better. So this receiver will do the job. It just won't bring out the best performance in the speakers.

The way to address this would be to get an external amp. Either 2 channel for just the main speakers, or a 5 channel for all the speakers. A move like this can happen later. You can keep your receiver, use it as a pre-amp, and add the external amp. That would be quite a performance improvement. But it also costs more to get the amp.

In order to use an external amplifier, a receiver needs to have pre-outs on the back so the signal can be sent to the external amp. I bring this option up because the Onkyo unit quoted does NOT have these pre-outs. So it you decide later you want an external amp, it could not be connected to this receiver. So you might consider this option when looking at receivers.


Hope this helps.


PS Welcome to the forum!

[dukester]

so something like this would be all i need to run those speakers right?

Onkyo TX-SR608

specifications175 W/Ch at 6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 1 Channel Driven, JEITA
Frequency Response5 Hz–100 kHz/+1 dB, -3 dB (DSP Bypass)
WHD435 x 176 x 329 mm

This is a slippery slope...when i first starting looking around for a rcvr, all i focused on were the specs. What i quickly learned is that awesome specs do not always equate to awesome sound...and vice versa. And that two brands having identical specs, in no way means they'll sound the same (very good catch by htsteve, that it has no pre-outs...critical if you have any desire to upgrade in the future to seperate amps). $600 is alot of money to me; i'd want to make sure i heard it before i determined whether it was 'all i needed'...have fun finding out.

[rivvers]

ahh thanks for the lessons guys, helps a bunch... I have about a 1500.00 to spend give or take a couple hundred..

it sounds like i would be better off spending all 1500.00 on a better reciever now and add the amp later. Is that the best way to go for now?

[Freddie40]

For a budget of $1500 I would look for used equipment, maybe on Audiogon. You could find much better used equipment for the money.

[htsteve]

rivvers,

Glad to help. Thanks for including a budget. That helps us in making recommendations. That budget is definitely something good to work with.

Attached are some links for Emotiva. I have no personal experience, but many forum members have, with very good results. And this would get you into separates immediately. And really make good use of the excellent speakers you have now.

Pre-amp: http://emotiva.com/umc1.shtm
This includes $100 of 'Emobucks'. You could use these on some interconnects between the pre-amp and amp. You'll need three pair (for a full 5.1).

Amps: Option 1: http://emotiva.com/xpa5.shtm

Option 2: http://emotiva.com/upa5.shtm

Both amps deliver their full power into ALL channels simultaneously. This is what makes an external amp such a good option. Receivers have trouble delivering to all channels at the same time. Notice the description in the Onkyo Receiver specs "175 W/Ch at 6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 1 Channel Driven". This rating is only for ONE channel, not all five.

Also, either one of these amps are pretty heavy (around 60 lbs each). So make sure you have a good shelf for these to go on.

I suggest the XPA-5 amp as it has 200 watts per channel. That will make your CDM 7's very happy (along with the other three speakers).

I also agree with Freddie40. You can find very nice used gear for that budget on Audiogon.


Hope this helps.

[rivvers]

huge help.. thanks a bunch guys. now i feel i can get this right from the start.

take care
rivvers