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New member Username: Tay81Post Number: 4 Registered: May-06 | I just "won" 5 Mirage Omnisat Micro speakers to use for a 5.1 home theater. I will need an inexpensive sub and receiver to complete the system. Any recommendations? The system will be used primarily for home theater and television. There may be times when it is used for music- but the listening will not be critical (I have a separate 2-channel system for that). Thanks in advance. |
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Gold Member Username: ChitownPost Number: 1012 Registered: Apr-05 | What is your definition of inexpensive? See if you can get this for around $175 http://www.ubid.com/Denon_AVR-1706_7.1_Ch._A%2fV_Home_Theater_Receiver/a10684493 .html |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 4051 Registered: Mar-05 | cheap sub: Athena AS-P4000, around $225 from audioadvisor.com cheaper sub: Dayton 10" from partsexpress.com for around $140 shipped cheap receiver for Omnisats: Marantz 4500, accessories4less.com should be around $250-300 |
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New member Username: Tay81Post Number: 5 Registered: May-06 | To me, inexpensive is below $500 for the receiver (I would like to be below $700 for the receiver and sub). I was looking for a receiver that could also act as a good home theater pre-amp (if I ever expand my 2-channel system). Which receivers would be the best pre-amps...Denon, Marantz, Yamaha? |
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Gold Member Username: ChitownPost Number: 1023 Registered: Apr-05 | You have some good options at that price range. All the ones you mention above have good receivers in that range. See if you can listen and see which you like and go with it. Otherwise there are good deals to be had on refurbished and B-stock receivers out there. Around this time last year some of us on this board got fat buying a NEW Marantz SR-8400 though Ubid for about $450 (normally $1300). So keep looking. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 4054 Registered: Mar-05 | Look here for Marantz: http://www.accessories4less.com/cgi-bin/category/AVReceiver and call HsuResearch.com directly for availability of STF-2 subwoofer b-stocks, about $350 shipped |
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New member Username: Tay81Post Number: 6 Registered: May-06 | I remember the Marantz 8400 Ubid deal. That is when I first heard of Ubid, and it is where I got the Omnisats from ($280 for 5, shipped). I have also been looking there for receivers. My issue is I do not know much about home theater, and what makes a good processor. I am not too concerned with sound quality, if I was Marantz would be my 1st choice. I listened to a few Marantz receivers a couple years ago when I purchased my 2-channel system, and thought they were the best of the major brands. Also, I have a Rel Storm 3 sub that I can use for now. Would increasing my receiver budget to around $700 make a big difference? Thanks. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 4056 Registered: Mar-05 | > Would increasing my receiver budget to around $700 make a big difference? with Mirage Omnisats, I doubt it. For HT/TV, if you want to go cheap I'd go with a digital switching amp. Right now the Panasonic sa-xr55 has become available again on eBay for around $200, or if you can wait another 2-3 weeks the new xr57 should be out at the major online dealers. Do a search on the AVS Forum for a lot more feedback and discussion of these. Another digital receiver to look at is the Pioneer Elite EX-500 bundle, $260 shipped from hookedontronics.com --- comes with a universal player that you can probably eBay for at least $50. |
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New member Username: Floyd_1977Plainfield, IL USA Post Number: 5 Registered: May-06 | Some here will disagree with me, but in general, I would buy the cheapest receiver that has all the inputs, outputs, bells & whistles, etc. that you care about, and use the rest of your budget for a good sub. |
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New member Username: Tay81Post Number: 9 Registered: May-06 | I have narrowed my choices to the Marantz 4600 or 5600. There does not seem to be a big difference between the 2. The 5600 has component switching and slightly more power, which I do not care much about. It also has Lip-sync (digital audio delay)- how useful is this feature? Which model would handle speakers with lower impedences better? Is there something I am missing? |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 4115 Registered: Mar-05 | If the price difference is not a big deal for you, I'd get the 5600 --- have been told that the 5xxx line has the best long-term reliability of all the Marantz AVRs. |
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New member Username: Tay81Post Number: 10 Registered: May-06 | Thanks Edster922. I will probably do that. Do you know anything about the Lip-sync feature? |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 4118 Registered: Mar-05 | not really, I think it mainly concerns people using Tivos which I never have. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 2795 Registered: Dec-04 | tay, the Marantz might handle low impedence speakers, none of the rest. |
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Gold Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 1541 Registered: Feb-04 | Lip sync concerns mostly HDTV displays that are slow to process the image and display it, resulting in a lag relative to audio. Lip sync delays the audio to bring them back together. I doubt Tivo has this problem by itself. e.g. see: http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/specsformats/AV_lip_sync_delay.html |
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Bronze Member Username: Tay81Post Number: 12 Registered: May-06 | Thanks Peter. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 4128 Registered: Mar-05 | > I doubt Tivo has this problem by itself. Unfortunately I have no personal experience with HDTV, the wife won't let me. : ( However a friend of mine has a 10 year old Sony flat tube SDTV and has lip sync problems with his Tivo, so he has to use the TV's audio to watch Tivo. |
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Gold Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 1550 Registered: Feb-04 | That's surprising, since the Tivo is outputting both audio and video streams. But I have no reason to doubt you. My Bell ExpressVu PVR doesn't have this issue. It outputs the same exact stream as the original direct feed. |
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Bronze Member Username: Tay81Post Number: 13 Registered: May-06 | Just to let you know I went with the 5600-- based on Edsters reliability comment and the Lip Sync feature. Now I just need to get it set up. Thanks for the help. |