**** The Audio and Sound Advice Thread ***

Quote from ASeven721 : Thanks for the input guys! Will be keeping my eyes open, though I would prefer to go BestBuy, that does sound like a very great deal there and one I might bite on.

The $50 Polks are a better value than anything at Best Buy. For $50, you can get the cheapy Insignia bookshelf. Thats about it. You can pick up some Martin Logan Puritys for $2000 though

Quote from kuwan : Well, I decided to get the Yamaha. I think it'll be a great receiver and I can't wait to hook it up. This is the current deal for it, $768 shipped at 6ave.com: http://forums.slickdeals.net/show...p=10862971 I thought one of the other benefits to bi-amping was that you can send twice as much power to the speakers. Is this not a large advantage? Anyway, I'll definitely do some experimenting to see what sounds the best. Now all I need to get is my center channel.

Theres a few issues here.

First of all, do you need more power to the speaker? I bet your ears will start bleeding before you even get close.

Secondly, the amount of power you need to reach those high levels are very very high. Look at this chart:
SPL vs. watts chart [rr.com]

Thirdly, even if you *wanted* to put in more power in your system, your receiver won't have enough power. You have a 40lb class AB receiver. Class AB is your standard nonswitching type amplifier (as opposed to Class D or T amps like the Panasonic XR series) used in 90% of receivers and amplifiers. I would guess this receiver can do at most, 50 watts continuous all channels driven. Most receiver company inflate their ratings, not telling you that that 100w or 130w number is only 2 channels driven and sometimes even into 4 or 6 ohms!

hi sticky cash,

was wondering if you could enlighten me with your expect advice for my problem.
Was planning to get the refurb deal on HT SR800 home theather system that was on for $289. Unfortunately the deal went dead before i could get it.

Which leaves me now with the following available option:

1. Buy the new HT SR800 for $399
2. Buy the refurb HT SP904 for $399
3. Wait for the next offer of HT SR800 for $289

I know the SP904 comes with dvd player n ipod dock but i would like to know which of the 2 has better receiver and speakers.

I am also not in a rush, just taking my time to grab a good deal.

thanks

Quote from skodeng : hi sticky cash, was wondering if you could enlighten me with your expect advice for my problem. Was planning to get the refurb deal on HT SR800 home theather system that was on for $289. Unfortunately the deal went dead before i could get it. Which leaves me now with the following available option: 1. Buy the new HT SR800 for $399 2. Buy the refurb HT SP904 for $399 3. Wait for the next offer of HT SR800 for $289 I know the SP904 comes with dvd player n ipod dock but i would like to know which of the 2 has better receiver and speakers. I am also not in a rush, just taking my time to grab a good deal. thanks

option 1 or 3...
the SR800 has a MUCH better receiver (sr550 vs SP904's SR505)
and the SR800 has better speakers (larger woofers on the LCR)

the receiver in the sr800 package is somewhere in between an Onkyo 505 and 605. It has the same amp and digital converters as the 605...but you don't get the new HD audio formats (TrueHD and DTS-HD/MA) via HDMI cable as the HDMI on the HTR550 only carries video. BUT with the right blu-ray player now or in a future upgrade... thats a moot point as the sr550 does have 7.1 channel rca inputs.

that was a good refurb deal from onkyousa that included a free upconvert dvd player... if you can wait... there could possibly be a good offering around the next holiday... probably father's day. as long as you're content with the entry-level performance and willing to accept the compromises of a HTiB, the Onkyo SR800's version of this popular surround sound option is very hard to beat...even at $399.
sr800 htmag review:
http://www.hometheatermag.com/hom...7onksr800/
good luck and enjoy

Getting on the preorder list for the Emotiva UMC-1 (LMC-1 replacement)! Its going to go for $600 new, $400 for us original LMC owners. High end DACs and a Genesis Turino upscaler... very nice!

Quote from axiom : Getting on the preorder list for the Emotiva UMC-1 (LMC-1 replacement)! Its going to go for $600 new, $400 for us original LMC owners. High end DACs and a Genesis Turino upscaler... very nice!

yes...nice...

but I have to question the single hdmi output... i know a number of high-end installs that can use the bennie of 2 hdmi outputs... I really wish Emotiva would have implemented this feature ... like Denon has. but its not just E.... Krell's new $25,000 pre/pro has only one hdmi out also... go figure. Glad to see the upcoming Marantz pre/pro AV8003 has 2...

i think that Emo pre/pro will be $700 new....no?

Quote from stickycash : yes...nice... but I have to question the single hdmi output... i know a number of high-end installs that can use the bennie of 2 hdmi outputs... I really wish Emotiva would have implemented this feature ... like Denon has. but its not just E.... Krell's new $25,000 pre/pro has only one hdmi out also... go figure. Glad to see the upcoming Marantz pre/pro AV8003 has 2... i think that Emo pre/pro will be $700 new....no?

$700 your right. I was on the original UL waiting list back when Emotiva products were sold through av123 so I should be able to get it for $350. 40% off $700 will be for those who bought later.

True enough, but what can anyone expect for such a low price in a precessor? I took a hard look at the Onkyo 805 which is comparable but the heat problem and poor customer service scared me off. Plus the fact I'm on the half price list made it a shoo in for the UMC-1. The LPA-1 vs any receiver's amp section under $2000 or even $3000. Even the $2500 list 43xx series is only a 40lb class AB amp. The Toshiba 1.2kilowatt transformer in the LPA-1 is a beast.

Its a pretty sad sight to behold, but one of our big local hifi shops is closing down (Sound City). They tried converting to a home theater place but eventually the big boxes like Best Buy were just too much. In their hayday, they had some really snazzy pricey stuff like Joseph Audio. The place was a mess.. a pair of new Paradigm Studio 100v4s were hooked up to a Yamaha RX-V659 or something else equally cheap... which sounded just terrible.

Its sobering though too. They are a big PSB dealer. They were clearing out some PSB Image B25 at $300. I thought to myself.. woah thats a great price! I should snag a pair. I turned up the Denon next to it... and damn. A solid good speaker but the problem is internet direct speakers are such a great value now. My Onix X-LS speakers were just a small step above in performance... and the Ascend CBM-170s I've heard are about the same level. Not only that, the real wood veneer were just several notches above in looks as well. And to top it off, the Onix are about $200 less! How do you compete against that?

I'm getting a pretty good deal on some Polk Audio speakers, I was wondering if I could get some advice, as I'm not too great on speaker knowledge. I've had a hard time finding good data on the internet. The purpose of this setup is mainly for games and hopefully for some blu-ray movies, I'm trying to have mid/upper mid level equipment
I got an Onkyo 705
I'm getting for the fronts PA RTi8s
the center Csi3
the surrounds Fxi3s
and a Monitor Audio R360 sub

I'm kinda raiding the Sound Advice clearance racks so I'm getting lower-than-internet prices, which being slickdeals I think you guys can understant going as low price as you can. But I just want to make sure their's no red-flags or anything like that. For the amp though I'm alittle concerned as it has a 4 ohm output will that be alright with the Onkyo?

The Onkyo will be fine, don't worry about it.

Ohm is a measure of resistance, basically when a speaker is designed, there is a certain load it presents to the amp. When you check out well written speaker reviews, they will include charts, in this case you'd want one call the impedence curve. This is a measure of the load of the speaker at various frequencies. The easiest to drive speakers average 8ohms. Poorly designed POS speakers, expensive speakers, planar types average lower average impedence ratings so they are hard to drive. Thats why you have some crazy amps driving pricey gear. Your Polks are well made but they aren't hard to drive. Don't sweat it.

Since your 705 has RCA preouts, you can add an amp to it later if you want. An amp would help define the midbass. My old Paradigm Monitor 9s were fairly efficient and I had an Onkyo 701, about the same capability as yours. As soon as I added the amp, the speaker could hit low notes with alot more ease, more depth, and much tighter.

This amp is the best for the money if your interested. Even at regular price, I dare you to find another 7.1 amp with a 1.2kwatt transformer than can do 225watts into a 4 ohm load under a thousand bucks:
http://www.emotiva.com/lpa1.html

Polk RTi8:
Overall Frequency Response 30Hz-27kHz
Lower -3dB Limit 40Hz
Upper -3dB Limit 26kHz
Nominal Impedance 8 ohms

I need some advice about which receiver to keep for my KEF2005.1 speakers: Onkyo TX-SR804 vs Harman Kardon AVR-347.
Thanks a lot

Quote from como : I need some advice about which receiver to keep for my KEF2005.1 speakers: Onkyo TX-SR804 vs Harman Kardon AVR-347. Thanks a lot

Power wise, these aren't big speakers, so either would be good.

I'd look at feature set.

In which case, go for a newer Onkyo like the 705 which has the HDMI upconversion and Audessey EQ.

Hey guys. Looking for a little advice from audio experts as I am a novice in this area.

I am moving into a new house next month, and the room that I am going to use as my TV/Entertainment room is a Loft on the 2nd floor above the living room, which has 3 walls and is completely open on 1 side to the far front wall of the house (approximately 35 - 40 feet) and open to the bottom level. The dimensions of the Loft are 18 X 16, not including the tons of open area on the open side

What type of surround sound or audio setup will work best with this type of room? Will I lose anything with a typical 5.1 to 7.1 surround sound system? Would a 2.1 or soundbar system be a viable consideration?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Quote from Nothar : Hey guys. Looking for a little advice from audio experts as I am a novice in this area. I am moving into a new house next month, and the room that I am going to use as my TV/Entertainment room is a Loft on the 2nd floor above the living room, which has 3 walls and is completely open on 1 side to the far front wall of the house (approximately 35 - 40 feet) and open to the bottom level. The dimensions of the Loft are 18 X 16, not including the tons of open area on the open side What type of surround sound or audio setup will work best with this type of room? Will I lose anything with a typical 5.1 to 7.1 surround sound system? Would a 2.1 or soundbar system be a viable consideration? Thanks in advance for any advice!

Thats a decent size room!

Well, for starters the whole soundbar thing is up to you. Find a place to audition them. A lot of people like them alot, but its not for me. Its a compromise to a real surround setup. Even worse for you is the big opening. Soundbars want walls to reflect off of to simulate sound from behind and to the side. That space would make that even more difficult.

What is your budget? I'd recommend a good tower or bookshelf setup. A challenge for you will be a good sub to fill that space.