Theater expert needed

 

New member
Username: Mikeo1313

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jun-06
Hi. my living room is 20' x 14'.. I live in a condo. I want decent sound and there are some complexities I cannot myself properly consider due to limited knowledge.

#1. I like A yamaha htr-5990 reciever that does 120wx7 RMS... but do NOT intend to have more than 5 speakers since my sofa is against the wall which means I have to either connect rear speakers to rear output of reciever and position them to the side... OR connect rear speakers to side channel output of reciever and put those to the side. What do you think is best?

#2. giving consideration to #1... I then thought why get the 7.1 reciever anyways if I don't plan on hooking up 7 speakers then set my eyes on another reciever.. YAMAHA HTR 5830 it does 110w x5 rms. Is the downgrade to a 5.1 reciever very much plausible if I don't plan on getting 7 speakers hooked up and intend to be satisfied with 5? .. but my thing is I buy for the speakers I'm gonna have... what do you think, logical enough?


#3. At this moment I have some fisher towers that came with a VERY old system I had,, they sounded good but I blew a woofer,,, and just plan on storing them away since they are old and whatever can handle a MAX of 110 watts each which I assume won't be adequat for either of the two recievers I'm looking at correct? OR
should I replace the woofer and use it as a rear?

#4. I want some fairly decent mid-high end front speakers that can handle decent power. There are these theater research tr-2810 floor standing towers I plan on getting... but they handle 400watts RMS EACH... in consideration of #1 & 2... humm,,, makes me think of two things ....

a. get a different pair of speakers that perform at rms my recievers rms output... they are too powerfull or just think of another reciever alltogether..

-OR-

b. if I get the 7.1 reciever maybe I could bridge it with the unused side or rear channel, take advantage of the power output combined since it can handle it?


woof,, thats it ... your knowledgable comments and assistance is appreciated..
 

New member
Username: Mikeo1313

Post Number: 2
Registered: Jun-06
Oh I forgot to mention I will be listening to all types of music also... classical to electro to hip hop EVERything...

Furthermore

#5. considering I get good front floorstanding speakers as specified in #4 I am assuming from things I've heard that the subwoofer is not needed.. furthermore most good front floorstanding speakers with subwoofers are good enough that subwoofers are for those bose caca setups... lol
 

Silver Member
Username: Usa2k4

Post Number: 178
Registered: Dec-04
With the HTR-5990, if surround back speakers are not practical, you can move them to the front for presence speakers.

Even though the HTR-5990 lets you assign the amplifiers for bi-amping, I'm afraid the amps are not bridgeabled.
 

New member
Username: Mikeo1313

Post Number: 3
Registered: Jun-06
ok Kevin, thanks for response...

This is the way I interpreted your response...

you meant that with assigning amplifiers I can put the power of one channel to the other?

Considering that... either of the two ways would be best to go forward.

W. assign the side channel power to the front... put rear speakers next to front position... (+ delay the front channel so rear channel sound arrives at proper time)
-or -
X. assign the rear power to the front speakers... put side speakers as they are meant to be placed (+ delay side speakers so sound comes together at proper time).


IS that it?







Thanks again
 

Silver Member
Username: Usa2k4

Post Number: 179
Registered: Dec-04
Nope! You can reassign the surround back speaker connections to use with the front L/R speaker connections to biamp a pair of front speakers only.

You can download the manual for the HTR-5990 here:

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/customer/manuals/PDFs/HTR-5990_e(U).pdf
 

Silver Member
Username: Usa2k4

Post Number: 180
Registered: Dec-04
Sorry, if you click on the link above it doesn't work. You'll need to copy the entire link then paste it to your browser. Or just go to the main page of the HTR-5990:

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/HTIB/HTR5990.htm
 

New member
Username: Mikeo1313

Post Number: 4
Registered: Jun-06
seems those speakers are a scam... luckily I did my research
 

Silver Member
Username: Usa2k4

Post Number: 181
Registered: Dec-04
Yep, the theater research speakers are scam. Except if you want to listen to 2 channel music only, you would need a good subwoofer for multichannel home theater system. People can recommend some good subwoofers if you tell how much you plan to spend for your system.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Mikemv1977

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada

Post Number: 15
Registered: Feb-06
Holy crikey, it seems you are very much new to the whole world of home theatre. Now the receiver your considering is great, you might want to look at upping the ante on your speakers first then finding the type of receiver you want for power. Bcuz if you run out and buy speakers with too much power and have a low end receiver, your not goin to get your moneys worth for sound and power.
First rule of thumb is to know exactly how much your looking to spend, and recommended ratio is roughly 50/50 for speakers and receiver. The main reason is due to the fact that your speakers can last anywhere from 10-20yrs, depending on how well you treat them and how hard you drive them.
I have read articles of people who have purchased Klipsch 20 some odd yrs ago and still have them, and they only use those for 2 speaker audio. You could spend anywhere from 1500-10000$ on speakers. But unless you know what your main uses are, its a waste of money.
If you plan to use a lot of bass in your livingroom, I would go with a seperate subwoofer, and speakers, but if you want tangible adequate bass, built in woofers are great as well. But your best bet is to audition speaker brands and if possible, the receiver you wanna buy as well. Local shops with lots of experience are great for that, but if you go big box sales, they arent as good for giving you demos. Mainly they want to sell you what they think you will enjoy. Since you will be at home and listening, see if they cant set it up for you the way you hope it will sound at home.
Another thing to consider is, how serious are you about audio in regards to SACD, DVD Audio, movie soundtracks, MP3 music and so on. Your receiver selection has evrything you will need for all aspects of audio. Yamaha is known for the best in DSP sound reproduction, so your getting a great bang for your buck. Power wise, lots of extra oomf. Now if you look at your options, Yamaha has a lot of great features that many other receivers do not. Especially video upscaling for HDMI content and the like. Another idea is consider looking at the Yamaha RX-2600. Lots of bang for the buck and great power handling. Read this review to get an idea:
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=1497&page_n umber=3
You can learn a lot before you spend your money, and you want to be happy with what you get, cuz in the end, it could last you 20yrs. Hope to hear about what you think. Happy hunting.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Mikemv1977

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada

Post Number: 16
Registered: Feb-06
Another idea is to compare the 2 Yamaha models and see what suits your needs better.

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=1486
 

New member
Username: Mikeo1313

Post Number: 5
Registered: Jun-06
Thanks for your input! yes the last time I looked into a system was more than 10 years ago when 2 channels was the thing. Allot has changed since and ofcourse am going to try to get the best I can...

I intend to get all my things together this week.. a bit unsure about speakers... I got someone willing to sell me pair of polk T90 for $300 brand new in the box. http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/t90e/
recommended amp is 20-200 (as per webpage).. I imagine to take full advantage of the speakers bi-amping would do.


*** I wonder if these speakers are another scam... I looked up CAdence they are a indian maker of speakers .. there is even a review on this site that compares them with kicker... in car subwoofer comparison. ended up getting higher marks than kicker.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem%26item%3D9737743781&ssPageName=MER C_VIC_RSCC_Pr4_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT

Thats the link.. they are RIDICUlously low priced... make a heavy claim as far as brand comparison... its from a reputable e-bayer that seems to be a distributor of the brand they have sold TONS of the Cadance coax car subwoofers and since hasn't gotten negative feedback..

I also understand that those details may not equate to quality home speakers.. When I looked up CAdance seems on a page of a speaker manf. that makes home speakers there were $5,000-25,000+ pieces but am unsure if its the same company, though the same name. Oddly enough to me, those expensive speakers had a very odd looking horn-like port ontop. What do you guys have to say about this brand and the speakers on the page and those on ebay.

As for the ones on ebay to me it seems the casing resembles somewhat those of the Theater research speakers because of the subwoofer on the bottom and to the side.

This is getting tiresome.. all the options.. all the factors... if anyone can put a word on those CAdance speakers I think that would finalize the system I'm going to build...

I haven't ruled out CAdance since I do believe there is a possibility they may work just as well as a more common brand, I am positive.. but at the same time am skeptical and cautious.

AS for the reciever I'm going to start bidding on the Yamaha HTR 5990 it has good enough power for me.... decent price also.


Ohh I did send a message to an ebayer that has purchased the CAdances in the past to the tune of their expereinces,, how much power they feed them... misc comments and their previous systems/experiences with other speakers a comparison of sorts...

Thanks again

Sometime this week I will attempt to fish out the cadance links I've stumbled over for indian mfg of home speakers and benchmark links for car subwoofer comparison, to see if anyone recognized the company.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Mikemv1977

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada

Post Number: 17
Registered: Feb-06
Ok, first rule of thumb when shopping on Ebday is that you may not get what you pay for. Second rule is, do they have a return policy if your not satisfied. Third, should you actually buy from a brand that only has one review.
My answer to you is that you may very well get taken for a ride. A speaker may have a low proce, but theres likely a reason for it, and when it comes to car audio, its bcuz most people want something with a lot of power, but if the speakers a poorly constructed, theres a good chance, they will blow very easily.
Your better off goin with a reputable company that deals in speakers. You have a million choices out there, but the only way your goin to know what your paying for is to go listen and compare.
It sounds to me like your very much in a hurry to just get into home theatre, but that is never a good idea if you have no idea what it is your buying. You have to do research, and in choosing the Yamaha, thats your first step. Good quality and well known world wide.
Consider speakers to be like a car. You want great mileage and dependability for the money you pay. If you run out and buy a Humvee bcuz evryone owns one, your likely gonna be happy with what you got, but fuel is gonna bury your wallet and you wont be goin anywhere fast. Instead look at the high end speaker brands names, but start with what you know you can afford.
Price shop, compare, listen. Listen should be your biggest concern of all. The reason being, you will know what you like and you will want something that will last you for years to come and enjoy. If your looking for a cheap brand, then buy all means, shop online and buy buy buy. But if you want quality, go to stores that specialize in speakers. Thats why home theater shops exist is to help you get the most for your money.
I am curious, but what kind of budget do you have set up for all your shopping needs???
Bcuz if you know how much your willing to spend, 10yrs is a lot of time and change for what you been looking at. And nowadays, 2 speakers can do a lot more then what they were capable of then. I noticed you owned a set of Fishers, well theres a reason they are not arond anymore, and its bcuz they made crap. Cadence speakers to me sound like something only people who dont know anything about home audio will run out and buy. Never to this day have I heard of, or read about anywhere about that brand, Which means your taking a big risk. And buying off of Ebay for speakers, your taking a bigger chance by never having auditioned them. You could spend a lot of money on something that you may not even be able to return then your really screwed. Stick with brands that are out there that you can listen to. B&W is a great biampable speaker, mainly bcuz thats what they are built for.
But seriously, dont just buy the first thing that you want or see. A friend of mine auditioned speakers for more then 2 months before he bought his B&W bookshelf speakers. I know its frustrating, but please take my advice when I say, DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST BEFORE YOU BUY. Stay in touch, I am interested in seeing what direction you go.
 

New member
Username: Mikeo1313

Post Number: 6
Registered: Jun-06
What do you think about these speakers:
http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/rm7500/

and probably using these for front channel:
http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/t90e/

The t90's are brand new... the rm7500 are used but will test them out first... this girl I know doesn't want them anymore.

making the full 7.1 channels. polk audio.

I have a hard time believing those small speakers from polk have "big sound in a small box" as claimed and wonder if anyone can attest to this for themselves to the extent of saying that I probably don't need the floorstanding speakers..
 

Bronze Member
Username: Mikemv1977

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada

Post Number: 18
Registered: Feb-06
I would have to say that the set u have chosen will be well worth your money. Main reason being is Polk Audio is world wide known and I own a pair of Bookshelf RF15 series speakers. They may be small, but they have a lot of oomff for small size. I dont know if you have ever heard of Totem Speakers
http://www.totemacoustic.com/english/faq/faq.htm

but they are a Canadian made brand, and i have heard them and holy crap do they pound some serious sound out. Average size is like 6inches with a 4inch woofer. Its one of the most insane speakers I have ever heard, and the price alone makes up for what your getting.
But I like your choice for maybe giving Polks a shot. You should go to like a Best Buy or Circuit City and take a listen. You wont be disappointed. Oh yeah, I also added you to my MSN Messenger. Figured it might be easier to chat. Ttyl.
 

Silver Member
Username: Usa2k4

Post Number: 185
Registered: Dec-04
No one can tell you which speakers would sound good for your ears. Go to the local stores to listen to as many brands/models as possible to determine which ones will sound best for you. Or get them from an on-line stores that will let you return the speakers in 30 days or so in case you don't like them.
 

New member
Username: Mikeo1313

Post Number: 7
Registered: Jun-06
I finally got everything together..

Thank you Mike & Kevin for your participation.

As a final note I did stick with the Polk speakers I previously mentioned and got the Yamaha Rx-V2500.

I have never listend to soo many details in music & movies so clear and cleanly... perception / quality that can be very entertaining on its own, I'm amazed.

The subwoofer in the polk rm set really makes a difference... as a whole its almost as if every single sound has its own speaker and you have a separate ear to hear every single one... what an experience!!!
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