I have 5 Orb Mod1 speakers & the Orb SuperEight sub that I play through my JVC RX DV-31SL receiver (which Orb recommended & I actually got cheaper from another source). I am very happy with the sound for which I play classic rock & blues CD's & DVD's. I live in an apartment and my system is in a normal size living room with good acoustics. I'm always looking to improve myself though. A few questions for Orb users- 1. If I upgraded to Mod 2 speakers would I notice much difference in the sound quality (bear in mind I play my system in an apartment in a normal sized room), 2. If I just got one Mod 2 speaker for the central channel & left every other speaker Mod 1 would I notice much difference, 3. Would I notice much difference in the sound quality if I had another receiver? When I listen to CD's I do so in the "All Channel Mode". Thanks for your input
I think you would get a lot more output from the Mod2, but it does not sound like you necessarily need it. I think it's good to have the Mod2 as a center if you are doing a lot of video, but it sounds like you are more of an audio person. So, maybe just leave things as they are. My preference for the Mod2 was simply b/c of the output -- there are times when I like it loud. Also, when I don't want it loud, you can play the Mod2 at a much lower relative volume setting on the receiver. I'm a firm believer that most amps these days are still a lot cleaner at lower volumes than even middle volumes. It may all be in my head, but so what? I started w/ the Mod1 and upgraded my front 3 channels a few months later. Very happy with the upgrade, but not 100% sure you need it. They have that 30 day home trial, so there's probably no harm in giving it a try. Receivers are another question all together...you can ALWAYS do better. There really isn't a limit. But, is there anything that would cause you to question whether the JVC is getting close to the most from your speakers? Are there other features you want/need? You can probably spend $300-$400 and get a receiver that is better than the JVC unit, but who knows if your ears will hear the difference?
Yeah the main thing is do I need it. I play alot of old 60/70's CD's that even though they've been remastered & so really good they don't sound half as good as more current recordings on my system- duh! Maybe I'm expecting the impossible. On my receiver, which actually lists for $450, I do like the sound quality but if there was another receiver in the market where I would actually notice a significant difference in sound quality when I play a CD, yeah I'd get it.
Sounds like the issue is the sound mastering of older recordings, if the newer ones sound great. I guess my suggestion would be to buy them and try them, since you can always send them back.