I'm not an expert, but have spent some time researching for the budget receiver. I ended up with an Onkyo TX-SR601, which i'll probably soon upgrade to 602. I bought a set of WHARFEDALE Valdus 500 (200W 4-8 Ohm) floorstanding. I need to match them with some rears, center, and a sub. My first thought was to go with Wharferdales, but I can't find any info on my Valdus 500, or for that matter any info on how to match speakers, to pick a good match. Can i put together a system of different brands, or do i have to stick with one brand? If i haev to stick to Wharferdales which ones do i get.
I don't want to spend more than $500 on rears, center, and a sub. I realize that ity's not much, so i can also use the Sony sub, that i recently got and which sucks, in order to divert my resources to a better rears and a center. The room is 16x16 feet.
b.t.w. i have seen a 100w Polk Audio sub for under $100 at curcuit city. The guy at the store told me that it was too weak for my amp. Do i go for something more pwerfull?
Dont sweat it. Matching models is an overrated topic. Yea sure, in the 'utopian' world, everything will fall together into a perfectly matching puzzle, but since we live in the real world, just get whatever model that sounds the best in your price range. Whatever you choose, you'll more than very likely be happy with the results. If it turns out the center doesnt blend nicely with the fronts, you can always return it and buy something else. My money is on whatever you buy(if you listened to it first), you'll be equally satisfied once it's home and hooked up. If your Onkyo has a setup routine that equalizes and timber matches speakers, the importance of matches is even less.