ADVERTISEMENT

Audio guys - who is up for being peppered with a million questions?

sultanofsuede

sultanofsuede

HB Heisman
Nov 30, 2004
8,156
1,922
113
Lets start here (tip of the iceberg):

I'd like to buy a decent receiver that would allow for two speaker set ups:
1) main living room, two towers, center channel and sub
2) second room (man cave)

My primary wish is to listen to spinal tap's 'big bottoms' at 11, possibly followed with 'Eruption' on repeat. And then a couple movies, every now and then (keeping my wife in mind, the gent that i am).

Sounds like a need a 7.1 receiver, right?

Side note: i'm going to be building a full system from scratch and trying to get going via craigslist, and then replace stuff over the years as i come across items that are too great to pass up (or get addicted and start blowing money on things that are actually out of my price range).
 
I'm pretty sure any quality receiver has a way to set up different zones.I've got a mid price Yamaha 5.1 now.My last Denon had a way to set up multiple zones.I'd think any decent Denon/Yamaha/Marantz/Onkyo et al will do you fine.I've got about 1200 bucks in my cave theater stereo.

I've always been a Jamo speaker whore.Spend more money on speakers.Receivers are the easy part of your equation.
 
I'll add Pioneer Elite receivers to the list. I am partial to Canadian speakers like PSB and Paradigm plus good ole NHT if you can find them. HSU and SVS give you a lot of subwoofer for the money.
 
found a few decent receivers on CL in the brands you guys are talking about. for my needs, my 'wish' would be a brand spankin' new marantz SR5009, but i'm going to try to save a few bucks there to spend on other items.

the newest thing with receivers seems to be the app that is provided by the manufacturer. would love to have that but kind of wonder if i can side step that with apple TV (possibly with better results).

as little as i know about receivers, i know less about speakers. i'm not opposed some ugly, old beasts from the '80s that bring a tear to the eye. just keeping an eye out for some good values to get the ball rollin'.
 
nosing around on craigslist, found this one and seems like a nice place to start

http://cedarrapids.craigslist.org/ele/4929321775.html
 
also - wondering if i'm going to be really missing out if i find something with no HDMI ins/outs..... can i get by without?
 
Originally posted by sultanofsuede:
also - wondering if i'm going to be really missing out if i find something with no HDMI ins/outs..... can i get by without?
Click to expand...
I'm no expert but if you are dropping good money on a receiver I don't think you could even find one without HDMI ins/outs.
 
Originally posted by Tenacious E:

Originally posted by sultanofsuede:
also - wondering if i'm going to be really missing out if i find something with no HDMI ins/outs..... can i get by without?
Click to expand...
I'm no expert but if you are dropping good money on a receiver I don't think you could even find one without HDMI ins/outs.
Click to expand...
you're right, but if i come across a marantz from 2009 (for a great value) that was a beast at the time and didn't have hdmi, would it still be a fine starter? or am i going to regret not having hdmi?
 
If you don't foresee using the receiver as a switch in the future, you can get along without HDMI. You will have a lot more cords going from your sources to your receiver though, audio and video both if you want to use it as a switch.
Also, if you don't use HDMI you have to use component video for high def - just thought I would mention that in case you have not yet made that update. But you can continue to or just connect your source components (Blu Ray, Directv etc) directly to the TV with either HDMI or component cables for the video and send the audio to the receiver via RCA, or optical/digital outputs.

The Denon looks like a great deal. Other sources to check out are Amazon (they have dealer displays and manufacturer refurbs) as well as Accessories4Less-a site that features manufacturer's refurbs.
I love Marantz receivers and amplifiers - honestly think you can hear the difference with high current amps. You may also like the Harmon Kardons. HK sells refurbs on their site and on Ebay.

I always recommend setting up your system to use your receiver and speakers every time you watch TV. You will not believe the difference in sound quality.
 
i ended up with a marantz sr56000, found on craiglist for a fair price.

now its on to the turntable.

i think i might inherit some speakers from my dad's basement, so that will hold me over until i come across something great.
 
There are people here who can tell you about the newer turntables (especially those that don't cost as much as a house!) but some of the "name" older brands were -

Dual
Pioneer
Garrand
Technics (Panasonic)
NAD
 
and i assume that 'stylus' means 'needle' - or is there something i should take into consideration when is see a craigslist listing that says 'new stylus' vs. 'new needle'?
 
I think these days most "experts" think a belt drive may be preferable to direct drive. I have a direct drive Garrard that got good reviews back in the 1970s so there has always been proponents for both types. A criticism of the DD is that vibrations for the motor may be transferred to the platter. Belt drives are said to dissipate these vibrations. But many people think affordable models of either type will have their own compromises.

You are correct that the stylus should mean the same as the needle.
Some of the still existing high quality cartridge makers are Shure, Grado and Audio Technica.

Ebay List Looks Fair
 
Thanks - I'll check those out

As I attempt to keep this thread going for a really long time - anyone have opinions on speaker wire? Monster cable the best (or over rated)? What about those banana plugs - worth the extra $?
 
Re: Audio guys - who is up for being peppered with a million question

OP...bought a Marantz receiver 20+ years ago and the same for a set of Paradigm speakers. I beat the living piss out of them all thru college and for many years after. I know this doesn't help much regarding your sitch, but I have loved both companies and their products.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
Re: Audio guys - who is up for being peppered with a million question

For my man cave, I bought a Yamaha rx a 740 7:2 receiver with wi fi and a blue tooth hook up. For speakers I went Canadian as well with Energy RC 70's. $500.00 for a pair brand new. RCLCR speaker for $185.00 new and RC 10's for rear surrounds.
Also a ECW 10 that was the only one I had to buy at list. For $1850.00 , I got what I want and as the speakers have gotten broken in , they sound incredible. I do have my vintage Marantz 2270 reciever with a Marantz 6100 belt drive turntable. Sony tape deck and JBL L26 and Infinity studio monitors. Life is loud at my house.
Good luck with what you are looking for.
 
Originally posted by h-hawk:
I think these days most "experts" think a belt drive may be preferable to direct drive. I have a direct drive Garrard that got good reviews back in the 1970s so there has always been proponents for both types. A criticism of the DD is that vibrations for the motor may be transferred to the platter. Belt drives are said to dissipate these vibrations. But many people think affordable models of either type will have their own compromises.

You are correct that the stylus should mean the same as the needle.
Some of the still existing high quality cartridge makers are Shure, Grado and Audio Technica.
Click to expand...
h is correct about the "most" word, but many do prefer DD. Those who do usually think DD can produce a bit more "drive" or "chunkiness" in the music. Many love the Technics line from the 70s and on. They are usually pretty pricey, though (one wants the quartz speed control, as opposed to servo controlled) and they require some expertise. You need to know what you're looking for and getting and, ideally how to tinker. I think new belt drives are best if you aren't the mechanic.

But there are some good choices in budget land...
 
Pro-Ject- These tables are made in the Czech Republic by an Austrian named Heinz. The models run form $229 to $12K. The "sweet" spot in the budget area has been their $400 Debut Carbon (the tonearm has carbon fiber in it), now replaced by the better and $50 pricier Debut Carbon DC.

Chicago retailer Music Direct has several B-Stock Debut Carbons for $319, in blue, green, white, black and gray. They come with the fine $100 Ortofon 2M Red cartridge. That and the tonearm would be the chief selling points. They have one DC demo model in green for $360. The difference in the DC model is even better speed stability (from the DC power supply) and a somewhat heavier platter.

Hoelfully, this will take you to page 2 of the Pro-Ject tables:

http://www.musicdirect.com/c-529-turntables.aspx?pagenum=2&sortfield=Popularity&sortdirection=DESC&perpage=24&BrandFilterID=115&CategoryFilterID=529

There have been many good reviews; this is one of the better written ones.

http://www.soundandvision.com/content/test-report-pro-ject-debut-carbon-turntable

The youtube vid in the link is a little tour with pro-ject's Heinz Lichtenegger at CES, hosted by analog guru Michael Fremer. One can see some of the upgrades as you move up in price. It may or may not been regarded as torture.
smile.r191677.gif


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmk0mQ4CJaE
 
nice - i'll check those out. something tells me, i'm probably best to start out with a used/vintage find, and then upgrade the turntable (possibly everything else), as i start getting into it more.

i have some dumb follow up questions -
i found a nice DVD/CD changer and was getting ready to hook it up last night, but wasn't sure the best set up:

would it be

DVD/CD ---> DVD input on receiver
DVD/CD ----> TV

or

DVD/CD -----> TV
TV -----> TV input on receiver

i assume the former, but it wasn't really clear in the users manual.
 
You are right on the first one - audio out to receiver and video out to TV. But you could send both the audio and video to the receiver using HDMI and then use the receiver as a source. You would then connect the video only or HDMI to the television (even if not using the audio portion).
Some people with a lot of sources use their receivers as a switch as they generally have more inputs than the television.

I probably mentioned this before :) but I highly recommend sending your dish or cable audio to the receiver and using your sound system while watching television. If you have over the air only, many TVs have an audio out that you could send to the receiver.
 
ok - thanks - i guess i can probably check out youtube for some basics on hook ups.

just to build on this - i see a few of you are sharing your set-ups. would be cool to read up on the other HROT AV ets. just for some ideas..... (and for some not-so-subtle brags)
 
Halted by Rivals last night. Onward!

U-Turn Audio:

Three young Boston area MIT grads got a Kickstarter campaign going in early 2013 to build the Orbit Turntable and they've succeeded admirably. You can start start with the basic unit at $179 (I wouldn't- I'd at least go with the Grado Black Cartridge upgrade) or top out at $359 by adding:

1- Better cartridge
2- Acrylic platter

The Black cartridge is a good upgrade, and the cart could be upgraded later with a better stylus from the Grado line. The platter is heavier and improves speed stability, mostly resulting in tighter bass, better focus, etc. Looks really nice, too.

Check out their Twitter and Instagram links at the bottom of the main page.

http://uturnaudio.com/

They list review links on the main page, but didn't include this nice one:

http://www.goodsound.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/581-u-turn-audio-orbit-plus-turntable

The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon probably has the better tonearm and the included cart is a bit pricier, but the acrylic platter on $309 Orbit Plus is cool. The Pro-Ject is probably more "detailed" and the U-Turn more sweet and mellow.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: OC_Hawk
Now the Audio-Technica AT-LP120USB.

This one IS a direct drive table, though not in the same class as the old Technics tables from which it derives its looks. It's just a nice little all-round "convenience" table. It has an internal phono amp if your receiver or amp doesn't have a TT input. (Not a great one, but it's there.) It also has USB stuff for the rippers out there. It comes with a well-regarded $40-50 AT95E cartridge. Speed stablity should be good. Analog Planet editor Michael Fremer thought it's sound was a little blah compared to the Pro-ject and U-Turn stuff, but it's still a good value and much better than a Crosley kind of thing.

Amazon sells 'em at $250.

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technic...-1&keywords=audio-technica+turntable+at-lp120
 
And finally...

an automatic model. That would be the Denon DP-300F. Very nice looking and you don't have to worry about falling asleep with the album on. The included cartridge should probably just be used for bad records. Grab an Ortofon Red, or Grado Black or Green or a Shure 97 for the good stuff. A nice thing is that you can buy an extra, removable headshell for it and switch out a cartridge easily. A potential negative at some point is that an automatic has more moving parts that have to keep working, but they seem to be pretty reliable. There are a few nice youtube vids featuring it, which show it can handle fairly substantial cartridge upgrades. (Someone uses a $400 Ortofon cart in one vid.)

It also has an included, defeatable, phono amp onboard. Again, these onboard amps aren't the best things, but will get you through the night.

Normal price is $329, but these factory refurbs are $250.

http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...fully-automatic-analog-turntable/1.html#!more
 
In speakers, these Polk Audio RTi8s at the Polk ebay store might the best deal going. They were $800 a pair when introduced in 2004 or so and they still have some at $300 a pair. Shipped. (They were $400 for a couple of years.) The RTi line is Polk's budget audiophile line (wouldn't mess with their lower lines) and the current RTi model differs mostly aesthetically.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Polk-Audio-...445?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item540f2b820d

Comes with a beastly matching center at $215

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Polk-Audio-CSi5-CHERRY-RTi-Center-Channel-Speaker-NEW-/231197219337

One of these times they'll be gone, but don't know when.

These Pioneers are also a great deal, even at the msrp of $255-60 a pair. But sometimes there might be a sale where they go slightly under $200. Highly regarded in the industry.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-FS...d=1429632012&sr=1-2&keywords=pioneer+speakers

The center is under $100.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-C2...=1429632141&sr=1-10&keywords=pioneer+speakers

The Polks win in build quality, are more sensitive and can handle a ton of power, but the Pioneers are great no-frill value.
 
ohhhhhh - nice - i know very little about speakers and have found some on craigslist that are 15-20 years old (and look like they were tops back then). i was a little worried that there may be some foam that is falling apart and just wouldn't be what i'd want.... i'll check these out
 
liking those polks - seems like a lot of speaker for the price. just reading some reviews from a few year ago, and people are raving over them (even at a higher price).

if i get them - will i need to get an amp too? (i have a marantz 5600 - 90 watts/channel)
 
Your receiver should have plenty of power for Chip's Polks. Most of the time your receiver or amp is only loafing along supplying a few watts. Listening loud and something like the crescendos increase the load, but 90 watts is good power for a receiver. The 250 watts in the speaker specifications is just a maximum to avoid for any length of time.
 
h-hawk said:
Your receiver should have plenty of power for Chip's Polks. Most of the time your receiver or amp is only loafing along supplying a few watts. Listening loud and something like the crescendos increase the load, but 90 watts is good power for a receiver. The 250 watts in the speaker specifications is just a maximum to avoid for any length of time.
Click to expand...


Yeah, they're 89 or 90 dB for sensitivity and probably an electrically easy load. Should be a nice match with the Marantz, as Polk's can sometimes sound a bit bright and the Marantz should be nice and smooth. The Pioneers have a sensitivity of 85 or 86 and would require an extra turn or two of the volume dial. That's real wood veneer on the Polk's too, as opposed to vinyl. And the center is a perfect match, with identical drivers. Probably enough bass to tide you over if you don't do a sub for a while, depending on room size and acoustics. Ideally, you'd be able to have them a couple of feet in front of the wall, so the bass doesn't get too boomy.
 
Foxclone said:
Re: Audio guys - who is up for being peppered with a million question

For my man cave, I bought a Yamaha rx a 740 7:2 receiver with wi fi and a blue tooth hook up. For speakers I went Canadian as well with Energy RC 70's. $500.00 for a pair brand new. RCLCR speaker for $185.00 new and RC 10's for rear surrounds.
Also a ECW 10 that was the only one I had to buy at list. For $1850.00 , I got what I want and as the speakers have gotten broken in , they sound incredible. I do have my vintage Marantz 2270 reciever with a Marantz 6100 belt drive turntable. Sony tape deck and JBL L26 and Infinity studio monitors. Life is loud at my house.
Good luck with what you are looking for.
Click to expand...

That was such a theft job on the RC70s!

One of my old teachers always tells me I'm inheriting his 2270. Hope he wrote that down somewhere.;)
 
check out these infinity 3008's (i don't think they're 3009's). i'm pretty much ready to pull the trigger on those polks, but wanted to get your thoughts on these first.

also - cables - my receiver is pre-HDMI (bummer), by my TV has HDMI ports. would it want to consider (and do the even make) component cables (red blue green) that convert to HDMI on the other end? is there a marked advantage to that?
 
Tried to do a little research on the 3008s and it appears they would be around 20 years old? If so I would make sure if they have foam surrounds that they are in good condition. Foam can be replaced but it is another expense and a bit of a hassle. Polks are probably the best bet between the two.

I wouldn't worry about component to HDMI converters - send the video from your sources (cable, dish, Blu ray) on HDMI and send the audio to the receiver (and TV if you like) via the optical or digital outputs which is the simplest way to get all the audio channels. You may have to use RCA cables for the television, though some have also have a digital inputs.
(I am assuming your sources have HDMI, if not you can feed your TV the video per component cables while still using the above methods for audio.)
 
Those Polks are from the Monitor Series, which is a step down from the RTi series. A bit more quantity, but less quality.

I wonder if the Infinities might like a beefier amp? They are definitely monsters. They do appear to have foam surrounds. Intriguing, though. They would need a pretty good sized room to sound theirs best; whatcha got there?
 
If a sub is an inevitability, I think I'd keep things simpler with the mains. There's a saying, "don't pay for your bass twice". For example, in that particular Polk line, you'd pay a few hundred more buying an RTi10 or 12 and get another 10 Hz lower in bass response. (And you'd want to be sure the amp could power the extra speaker drivers and cubic inches and that the room was big enough to handle more speaker.)

However, adding a good sub will add that 10 Hz in bass and more. And hopefully, it should be cleaner and more controlled bass. You'd probably cross over from the mains to the sub at 60-80 Hz, so the main speaker will effectively be shut off below that crossover frequency. You want the mains to play full and powerfully enough to that crossover area and ideally a bit more, but at some point you hit the overkill button. Save the dough for a better sub.
 
Fluance has a decent reputation for dirt cheap speakers. They are said to be better than many of the "theater in a box" systems out there.
If you are looking to get into surround sound cheap and upgrade later, or to put them in a bedroom or dorm they are probably fine.
Here is a review of another model from a respectable magazine.
http://www.soundandvision.com/content/fluance-xl7f-speaker-system
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

cigaretteman

E. Iowa nursing home sued after intruder is found undressed in bed with a resident

Replies
0
Views
143
Off Topic
cigaretteman
cigaretteman
BubsFinn

HVAC Experts..... I have a question.

Replies
25
Views
808
Off Topic
BubsFinn
BubsFinn
cigaretteman

Iowa City Council to review development proposals for downtown lot

Replies
0
Views
120
Off Topic
cigaretteman
cigaretteman
tarheelbybirth

Trump just does it right out in the open...

Replies
1
Views
247
Off Topic
king_henry5
king_henry5
cigaretteman

In a first, scientists find microplastics are building up deep in our brains

Replies
45
Views
841
Off Topic
CubanB
CubanB
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT
Top Bottom
Back