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Unregistered guest | The more I research the more confused I become. Please Help. My 16 year old stole my system. I THINK I have it a bit narrowed (not sure..LOL) I have been looking between the Yamaha 5860 7.1 (at Best buy for 511 but found one for $400) and the Onkyo TXSR702 7.1 at Circuit city for $719..but found one for a little under $500) The Onkyo has the THX and the Yamaha does not The Yamaha is XM sat radio ready and the Onkyo isnt. I am totally lost. I am also looking between the Polk speakers and the Klipcsh On the polk speakers I was thinking about buying the Monitor 50 (4 of them) the center and the velodyne 12 subwoofer.... Should I get the monitor 70 for the front? thought if I did all moniter 50 instead of 70 with a bookself it would be better for music. I love music...but not really an audiophile. But want good sounds and I can hear the differnce between good and bad. Dont want to get too crazy. But want something nice for watching tv and something nice for music. Lost and begging for help Thank you Annie |
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ani Unregistered guest | Me again...now even more confused...just looked up a yamaha rxv 1500...for about 550....is that any better than the one above? Not sure why they dont make this clear for us with little knowledge but love music.. Annie |
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Bronze Member Username: RikmeisterHometown, Pa Usa Post Number: 13 Registered: Jun-05 | well this is a good time of the year to look. models are changing and they are liquidating their inventories cheap. however CC and BB are not exactly the place to get a bargain. LOOk on the net you could get a marantz sr8400 or a denon 2805 or 3805 or harman kardon 335 435 535 635 at ebay from harman audio they sell them their. but they are not posting for about 10 days vacation time for them. also denon and marantz dump on ubid.com. watch and do not rush unless you get a good buy. being patient can save you hundreds. Yamaha is also at ubid.and so is onkyo. |
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Bronze Member Username: ZiggyzoggyoioiOutside Philadelphia, PA Post Number: 31 Registered: Jun-05 | A few thoughts, in no particular order: The Yamaha RXV-1500 is better than the 5860. But I don't think I would pair any Yamaha receiver with Klipsch speakers. Onkyo's tend to have highly inflater power ratings, and quality is nowhere near where they used to be. THX certification, while a "nice" thing to have, is really unimportant unless you're planning on running a full THX setup. It costs the manufacturer money to be "THX Certified," and you pay that cost, whether you need or not. There are many places to shop, either locally or online, besides Best Buy and Circuit City, that offer better products at (typically) equivalent or better prices. This applies to both electronics and speakers. If I were looking at spending ~$500 on an AV Receiver, my first choice would be the best I could get in my price range from Harman Direct on Ebay, as RIK mentioned. Next would be the Denon 2805 or Marantz SR4500. But I'd be on the lookout for a good deal on an older Denon (3803?) or Marantz (SR7400/8400). |
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ani Unregistered guest | You guys are the best. Thanx so much!!! So hard to get a straight answer from someone who is trying to sell you something. I looked up(and still looking up) some of your sugestions. That Marnantz 8400 sure looks nice...and you guys are sooo right...can find these recievers online so much cheaper. I guess I should stick with the Polk speakers? On my way to check on some H/K... I have kind of stayed away from H/K for someone told me they were complicated and hard to figure out....I do not have a degree in Reciever science *S* ....and although I was thought to be pretty techniquical in the 70's...today I cant figure out how to work all the features on a cell phone *L* ...Gosh...am I sounding old??? Hope not. Bottomline...I REALLY appreciate you help Annie |
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Bronze Member Username: ZiggyzoggyoioiOutside Philadelphia, PA Post Number: 33 Registered: Jun-05 | The HKs may be a little more difficult than others, but the manuals are pretty easy to follow, and they're really not too bad. You can view the manuals online (for every model)at HK's website. Depending on how much you want to spend for speakers, there are likely to be a lot of options. No matter what, speakers are the most subjective part of any system. You can get some recommendations based on: what you plan to listen to (music vs. movies and what kind of music), size of listening room, typical listening volume, budget, and style of speaker (bookshelf vs. floorstander vs. sat/sub system), as well as whether or not you plan to use a subwoofer. But ultimately your ears will tell you what you like best. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 1134 Registered: Mar-05 | ani, I'd echo the other advice you've received so far. Do NOT buy your system at Best Buy or Circuit City, they have crappy selection and inflated prices except for the occasional clearance deal. and no don't stick with the Polk speakers, especially not the Monitor series and *especially* not if you buy them from BB/CC. You say you like music, so it will be worth your while to reserach speakers carefully. You can get far better quality buying Internet-direct speakers for the same or often a lot less money, if you are comfortable with the notion of buying speakers w/o listening to them first even though you get a 30 day refund period. First off, a few questions need to be answered before we can give you more informed advice: 1. Maximum budget for the whole thing: receiver, speakers, subwoofer, dvd/cd player? 2. % music vs. movies usage? 3. type of music, and how loud do you like to listen? 4. do you watch a lot of Hollywood action flicks or do you prefer dramas and comedies? 5. size of listening room? |
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ani Unregistered guest | Well it seems my Max budget keeps growing *LOL* I would LIKE to get out with everything at about $1500 or LESS. But would be willing to go to $2K. I listen to music thru the day...and watch Tv in the evening. To be honest...I enjoy listening to music more than watching tv....but do enjoy a good movie. I listen to stuff like Enya, Engima, Love the Blues,,,,,,and I also listen to a lot of Latin music. My daughter (who stole my stereo so not too worried about her likes *S*) listens to that rigaton stuff (something like hip hop or rap but more latin)... I dont want to blow the neighbors out of the subdivision...but I do turn it up. Like it kind loud when I am cleaning the house. I enjoy the dramas and comedies to be honest. My boyfriend....well he likes the action stuff...but getting ready to kick him to the curb anyway. That sounds so cold...but really doing it for his good. The listening room. Well....let me explain. My house is VERY OPEN. The actual room is probably 45 feet in length...and 18 to 20 ft width....BUT....this is how it is set up....the tv is on one end...with a sectional....in the middle of the length is a pool table...and at the end is the kitch (with a little half way up bar seperating the pool table and tv part. The ceilings are 11 ft. The tv is only about 10 ft from where the sitting spot would be. I am totally into saving money here. Would love quality and feel like I got a deal. I am one of those people who actually enjoy something a lot more when I get a deal on it. I did look at the sony 400 dvd/cd changer/player. I also looked at some cool little remote control...think it was harmony...that makes it easy and puts it into one remote. I like easy. At first I looked at Boses...but thought it WAY to overpriced for the quality. Even with my uneducated ears...I could hear it. Also...the guy at curcuit city said I need something to CLEAN the electricity. Is that true? I started to get the feeling he was SELLING me. Meaning he was piling up stuff that I MIGHT not need. Annie |
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ani Unregistered guest | oh...on the post above...regarding price. I think I might have to raise that price a bit if I want to get that dvd changer. Sheesh...my buget keeps expanding. Hopefully Ebay has EVERYTHING I want LOL and cheap. Annie |
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Bronze Member Username: RikmeisterHometown, Pa Usa Post Number: 15 Registered: Jun-05 | dvd player there is only one to get. oppo 199.95 from oppo and it is superior to anything out there save a 3000.00 denon. so do not waste your hard earned money on any other dvd . check out the reviews they are fantastic on it. |
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Bronze Member Username: Jet2001Post Number: 57 Registered: Mar-05 | Unless you can get the Monitor 50's at a really good price, check out other speakers in the Polk line. The monitor series is Polk's big box retail line. You'll find better build quality in the R series, the R50 may suit your needs. You can find them pretty cheap at Fry's (outpost.com) from time to time. You'll get even better quality from the RTi line, the RTi8 may be worth looking at...and you'll get superior quality out of the LSi line, but they'll eat up your budget too. Good luck! |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 1136 Registered: Mar-05 | Annie, It sounds like you have an excellent BS detector---power conditioners are like exotic $200/foot cables...esoteric mumbo-jumbo that is rarely if ever worth the money. Sounds like you've already sussed out the Bose scam, the power conditioner scam, and are in the process of sussing out the BB/CC scams by coming to a forum like this, good for you! The other common scam is exotic overpriced cables and interconnects, with Monster Cable being the usual suspect---beware! Here's an article you might want to read, I don't agree with all of it but it does cut through a lot of audio BS/mythology/sales-propaganda: http://www.theaudiocritic.com/cwo/Sample_Articles/ > I am totally into saving money here. Would love quality and feel like I got a deal. I am one of those people who actually enjoy something a lot more when I get a deal on it. wow, as a consumer, you sound just like me, lol! I'm not necessarily looking for the lowest price product, but the best quality to price ratio, and with a strong focus on the rule of diminishing returns. And because I am very WARY of getting screwed, so I research both products and pricing very thoroughly, and try to buy everything I can online. Anyways, $1500-2000 can get you a very decent system, especially if you are willing to go with a 2.1 setup which would give you the maximum bang for your buck esp. if you are willing to buy used NAD equipment on eBay. Here's a sample: 1. Receiver/amp: most important part of the system especially if musical sound quality is your first priority. NAD is widely considered to be one of the best (if not THE best) audiophile-quality-without-the-audiophile-price brands out there. http://www.hipposaudiovideo.com/nadc352.htm (retails at $600, you can probably call them and haggle down to $500) 2. Speakers & sub: very close second in importance, and here I recommend two Internet-only brands that offer excellent bang for the buck and have a huge paper trail of glowing reviews from both consumers and pros. http://www.ascendacoustics.com CMT-340s plus Hsu STF-2 subwoofer, $975 shipped For more info on Ascend and Hsu, do a google search or browse through their websites and look at their own review-link pages. 3. If you already have a DVD player already, keep it for movies, but for music you'll get better sound quality from a dedicated CD player. I'd avoid the 400-CD Sony carousel despite its very very attractive convenience factor---the price you pay is poor sound quality and long-term reliaiblity. A lot of people rave about the top-notch music performance of this cd player: http://www.spearitsound.com/nad/c542.asp (refurb is $350, retail is $500 so you might be able to haggle down to $400-450) But you might be perfectly happy with a less expensive model like this: http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=3725867 or an all-in-one player like this: http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=3953366 or who knows, even a cheap mainstream $50-100 Sony, Toshiba, etc. single CD/DVD player. I'd say take care of #1 and #2 first though, the CD player can make a difference but not as dramatically as those first two. Anyways, here are some good places to research specific products: google.com (of course) audioreview.com and to check prices: pricegrabber.com froogle.com and to check out dealers: www.resellerratings.com www.bbb.org |
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ani Unregistered guest | A wealth of information you have turned out to be Edster!! I REALLY appreciate all the advice and links!!!! I mean I really really do! On my way to check out the links. Thank You Annie |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 1156 Registered: Mar-05 | You're very welcome, and happy researching...it's worth it! |
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Bronze Member Username: RikmeisterHometown, Pa Usa Post Number: 22 Registered: Jun-05 | also check out axiom speakers. and look for the factory outlet ones they are 10% cheaper and free shipping. shipping can be costly for speakers. |
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Silver Member Username: DanmanQUEBEC CANADA Post Number: 323 Registered: Apr-04 | I have to go with Edster on this one........he has it all right....(I know, it's rare!) especially about cables! I built my own and am in the process of building a new power cord to try and see if there is a difference. Good one Edster! |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 1178 Registered: Mar-05 | ah Danman, your approval is such divine music to my poor parched ears...LOL |