[patrox89]

im looking to spend around $1000 on a stereo (2.1) setup that will eventually go in my dorm/apt for college. I want to get savvy with the product lines from the major companies (sony onkyo pioneer denon etc.) anyone know a good home audio forum orhave some advice for me? im looking to spend anywhere from 200-500 but would really like to have HDMI switching capability so that the receiver will last me a long time.


on top of that i was looking at some polk audio bookshelfs (rti6) and there 10 inch monitor powered sub. if anyone has any experience with polk or has recommendations for that same price range (~$200 for the sub and ~$400 for the bookshelfs) that would be great.

i wish there was a homeaudio-fi.org



im most likely going to use the optical out of a macbook pro as a source for the receiver and then get a microdac for my headphone source running on usb. notebook soundcards are yucky.

 

[JaGWiRE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrox89 im looking to spend around $1000 on a stereo (2.1) setup that will eventually go in my dorm/apt for college. I want to get savvy with the product lines from the major companies (sony onkyo pioneer denon etc.) anyone know a good home audio forum orhave some advice for me? im looking to spend anywhere from 200-500 but would really like to have HDMI switching capability so that the receiver will last me a long time. on top of that i was looking at some polk audio bookshelfs (rti6) and there 10 inch monitor powered sub. if anyone has any experience with polk or has recommendations for that same price range (~$200 for the sub and ~$400 for the bookshelfs) that would be great. i wish there was a homeaudio-fi.org im most likely going to use the optical out of a macbook pro as a source for the receiver and then get a microdac for my headphone source running on usb. notebook soundcards are yucky.

Er... Why do you want HDMI for 2.1? And if you are going to be using an optical out, why not go with an intergrated or power amp, and a standalone DAC, you'll probably get a better bang for your buck. Also, most stereo recievers don't have any digital inputs from what I've seen, just rca inputs/outputs.

You might want to provide some more details as to what it's use will be, and what sizes are fine. A 10" woofer is probably going to be really big, maybe even overpowering for a college room. For polk comments, you may want to pm skyline889, he just recently picked up a pair.

And btw, there are many good brands that you may have not heard of. I love my wharfedale diamond 9.1's, yet you've probablyy never heard of them.

 

[Homeless]

I don't know what it is, but why do you come off so snotty?

Anyway, check out avs forum, lots of info there...

 

[r3cc0s]

Most modern amp's will usually have a sub output or line outs that you can use to connect to a sub. But as most audophile "Stereo" recievers do not have a DAC of any kind, they will not provide any support to any format asides from a WBT or RCA analog input.

I have to say that the most impressive 1K amp right now is the NAD C372
It's not a reciever, so yes you'd have to get a tuner, but it is probably the best bang for buck in our market right now.

Once you jump past the 1500 mark, thats when you can start talking about looking for a pre-power amp setup or even entering a tube pre-amp setup

The quality from the NAD C372 to a mid-end CDP such as a NAD 542, Rega Apollo, or Arcam CD73 is surprisingly good
If you want a good quality DAC for your digital recording & movies.. look @ the Denon 2910 player as I have found that to be probably one of the best sounding multi format player for it's price range

Polk speakers? I have no love for... not even their LSi9's
Though the C372 has tons of power, a relatively efficient line that sounds great with them are the Canadian companies Paradigm, Axiom & Energy (veritas)
The Axiom from axiomaudio.com - M22 is a fantastic bookshelf which rivals Paradigm's fantastic Studio 40's for almost half the price
The energy Vertias products are also fabulous but even the 2.8 bookshelves are pushing into an elitiest price range, of which I'd rather go for a set of Sonus Fabers, Totems or B&Ws.

The reason why Paradigm/Axiom/Energy and even PSB have a simular flavor, of which I think is well balanced, is that they all did their research @ the NRC (Canadian National Research Counsil).

Anyways good luck and here was some food for thought..

My favorite bookshelves\Mini-Monitors:

Totem Mani-2 (more of a full range isobarric studio monitor no need for SUB whatsoever)
Totem Model 1
B&W 803 (only when paired with something smooth like a conrad johnson or Cary tube amp)
Quad 12L
Monitor Audio GR10
Morel Octwin (flashy but wow... that crazy encasing is almost a neutral as it gets)
Energy Veritas 2.8


Mani-2 by far is my favorite, if not one of my favorite speakers of all times

For subs... I really can only recommend one that I really enjoy for music
the REL Strata

for movies... anything goes, but I was particularly fond of the Velodyne HGS-18
but I've heard that the Axiom epic 500 is phenominal and the 600 is just ridiculous
Paradigm subs are alright, I think overrated but they are a good value

My new setup:

Totem Hawks
Cary SLI-80
RSC Prime 2 x 8 speaker wires w/ WBT connectors
Kimber Hero IC's
Rega Jupitor

 

[marvin]

r3cc0s: Not to be an ass or anything, but man, you just killed his stated price limit. Patrox89 wants to spend ~$1k on his setup, not ~$1k on each component...

patrox89: I recently did a budget/bang-for-buck setup on my home theater. After a lot of auditioning with the usual suspects in this range, I ended up going with the Panasonic XR-70 receiver and 5 Infinity Primus 360 speakers.

The Panasonic XR-55/70 series put out a lot of clean power, and are great as long as your chosen speakers don't have any major impedance dips. Analog inputs aren't so good, but my setup only uses the digital inputs. The Primus 360s were (reasonably) flat through most of the FR range, had great dynamics, and enough bass to remove the need for a sub. Flaws (every speaker in this price range has 'em) are that it has a bit of a boosted midrange in order to get good bass extension, and they aren't the most refined speakers.

If I were going with a 2 ch setup in this price range, I'd get the XR-55, the Polk LSi-9's, and skip the sub. Compared to my current setup, I'd get better sound quality with more refinement, but less dynamics and extension.

 

[felixkrull6]

AVS forum have tons of info.

Also try

http://www.audioasylum.com/index.html

http://www.htguide.com/forum/index.php4?

http://www.audioholics.com

If you don't have a chance to go to a store I have heard that www.AV123.com has some great products at low prices. I personally like the idea of places selling to me directly to cut out the middleman but definitely read up on them and don't take any one person's word for anything.

I couldn't tell if your main interest was music or movies. 2.1 and the fact that you want a receiver says to me that you are thinking about movies although I could be wrong. Is there any reason why you want 2.1, other than cost and space, if you are into movies? I only ask because you want the receiver to last a long time so your preferences would help you get better recommendations.

 

[r3cc0s]

Whoops...

well then
for under a grand
I say pickup a set of the Axiom M22's & find yourself a used NAD BEE320 used on audiogon.com

 

[patrox89]

srry

perhaps i should emphasize what i intend to use this setup for. mostly it will be to listen to music while in college but i will also like to be able to expand to a 5.1 setup later on when space/budget permits. thus buying a receiver with hdmi switching (2 in 1 out) is a must, tv signal and hi def dvd whether it be blu ray or hddvd when it comes time to set up a home theatre. also the two bookshelfs that i want to get in this set up will then become the rear speakers in a 5.1 setup. i hope that explains what i need well enough.


marvin: the lack of hdmi support on the pannasonic xr-55 turns me away but otherwise it seems like a solid receiver for the price. thanks for the headsup on that. ive looked at the lsi9's but they alone are almost out of my price range. also, ive read reviews and people have said they prefer the rti6's to the infinty primus 160's (the bookshelf equivalent of the 360's).

anyways the more i read the more it seems that i will not need the sub, as these speakers provide enough bass for what i need them for.

thanks for the input as well r3cc0s but ya what you suggested is alittle bit too much for what im looking to do. i want a basic 2.0 or 2.1 setup with a receiver that will last me a long time. also, im a little turned off by the idea of buying things use, esp electronics. i like the comfort of having a warranty.


so to specify which receivers im looking at, the PIONEER VSX-1016TXVK, Onkyo TX-SR604, and also the SONY STR-DG800. all are around the same price. so if anyone has any experience plz chime in.



also, homeless: im sorry if i come off snotty, im not sure what i say that gives off that vibe, please elaborate if you can and ill try to be more conscious of how i say things.

 

[Homeless]

Sorry man, I wasn't referring to you...I'd still recommend checking out the AVS forums, there is a plethora of info there...

 

[r3cc0s]

If... you're lucky & can find a smoking deal... buy a Pioneer Elite

I've seen them go for sale for under $500 (msrp is well over $1300)

I know a friend who has one and drives his multi-channel with it, yet it does a really good job as being a pre-amp for his Sumo power amps for his B&W Nautalus 803's

I was really impressed with that Amp, which does 6.1 EAX etc... THX certified (Whatever that means)
the newer model I think supports HDMI... but HDMI is really junk
Just use it to go directly to the television
Let a good DVD player be your source... such as the Denon 2910

 

[gevorg]

At your price range forget about analog receivers, just go with a Panasonic SA-XR55/57. Ascend CBM-170 will be a nice pair of speakers to go with it. And you will have enough $ left for a decent sub, like Hsu Research STF-1.

 

[marvin]

If you're going bookshelves, the RTi6 is much better than anything in the Primus line. I owned a set of RT35i's (RTi6 predecessor) and they were great speakers for the price.

The main reason why I recommended the LSi9's over the RTi6 is because, IMHO, the RTi series doesn't scale well at all. The floorstanders are overpriced for what you get. If/When you scale your system to a full HT setup, the LSi series offers much better options.

As for pricing, well, the LSi9 and XR-55 will handily fit under your $1000 limit. AcousticSoundDesign sells the LSi9 for ~$680 shipped and the XR-55 clocks in at ~$230. Not bad at all for what you get.

And as for a DVD player, you really can't go wrong with the Oppo OPDV971H ($200, only the DVI/HDMI are good) or the Panasonic S97 ($230, all outputs are good) as far as bang for buck.

 

[r3cc0s]

I find the LSi9's to be an ordinary bookshelf w/o much life
I find they tend to be too bright on the top end and has a extended mid-bass w/o the depth I am used to in a top end bookself
Imaging isn't nearly as wide as a good set of bookshelves should be...
Here in Canada they were going for roughly $1200...
For 1200, I can find a set of the new Gold series (GS10) Musical Fidelity bookshelves which eat them for dinner
Or better yet, for $200 less, I can get a set of the Totem Rainmakers, which for an entry bookshelf, also competes with alot of top end contenders

marvin, you recommended the LSi9's for a HT setup w/o a sub? There is no way the LSi9's & even the 15's @ that can fill in bass under 90hrtz well

Seriously though, look at the Axiom M22s and you will be impressed
At your budget, they are easily the best and compete with speakers close to 2 1/2 times it's cost

 

[marvin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by r3cc0s marvin, you recommended the LSi9's for a HT setup w/o a sub? There is no way the LSi9's & even the 15's @ that can fill in bass under 90hrtz well

Normally, no. But in a dorm enviroment, getting a sub to sound halfway decent is a tricky proposition at best. Since the OP is limited to bookshelves, they might as well be ones with decent extension.

And really, for the $680 USD they go for in the US, they're very competitive if you like the sound. For the $1080 USD they apparently go for in Canada... well, not so much.

 

[Jam_Master_J]

budget CDP ->Cambridge Audio Azur 540 reciever -> Paradigm Studio 20s should sound pretty good for just over a kilobuck.