[enbayo]

I recently moved into a suite at college and I want to loft my bed and create an entertainment/relaxation/homework area. I really want to get some nice speakers and an A/V receiver to connect to the blu-ray and computer monitor that I would use for movies and Netflix. I was considering the Denon AVR 1513 and two Klipsch RF-52ii, does Headfi have any ideas as to which receiver and speakers I should get? My budget is about $1000 for both the speakers and the A/V receiver (I would prefer to keep it a 2.0, maybe a 2.1)
(I know i will receive lots of posts saying just to save the money cause im in college, but I think I need a good music environment because I really enjoy music and its one of my passions, I also wouldn't be just spending $1000, I am preparing to sell my LCD-2 and O2 amp because for the month and a half I have been in college I have used it once and feel i wont use it enough to warrant keeping it so I will sell that to mostly fund this escapade.)
Any suggestions would be helpful thank you.  

 

[cel4145]

I had an expensive audio setup on college, so I'm not going to say anything against your plans 

 
The Denon 1612 is a better option that the Denon 1513 because it has Audyssey MultiEQ which can use EQ filters to help improve the frequency response of speakers and a sub. You an still get them as factory refurbished, factory warrantied through accessories4less.com.
 
A sub can make a good difference for HT usage. For music listening, depends on whether or not you listen to bass heavy music like EDM, hip hop, or rap. In that case, for a college room, bookshelves and sub can be a better option (although you do have to worry about bass transference to other rooms). If it is a small room (1500 feet or less), the Outlaw Audio M8 could work very well for a small sub that wouldn't take up much space.  
 
Klipsch are known to be great for HT usage, but the horns can have a fatiguing sound. Best to listen to them before buying.  
 
Do some research on the Ascend Acoustics CMT-340 SEs if you want a speaker with multiple drivers, or if you want to go with a sub, the CMB-170 SEs. Ascend Acoustics is an Internet direct brand that has a great reputation for their speakers. They also have a big forum where you can ask questions; the owner and designer of the speakers even participates. 

 

[enbayo]

Thank you cel4145 for your advice! I dont really want a sub just out of consideration for my suite mates and anyone living on top or below me. I am going to check out the Klipsch on either thursday or friday this week, whenever I have a break from classes. I am really new to the world of speakers (I actually got my first speaker, a JBL HLS615, from a goodwill close to my college) what are the benefits of bookshelves compared to towers? is it just the size? which is able to deliver a more accurate representation of music and movies?

 

[PurpleAngel]

You may get some great advise here for speakers and a receiver, but the websites AVSforum and AVforum are more dedicated to info about speakers and A/V receivers.
 
The Denon AVR-1612 is selling as a refurb for $180 to $250
The websites Techbargins is great for spotting audio stuff currently on sale and the website Bountii is good for finding the best price if you know what your looking for.
 
What sound card are you using?
Does your graphics card come with HDMI output?
Does your computer monitor come with HDMI input?

 

[enbayo]

I am currently using the retina macbook pro and im not entirely sure whats inside of it, I do know that my computer has a HDMI out and yes my computer monitor has an HDMI input, but I would mostly be using a panasonic DMP-BDT220 for movies and netflix and either optical or hdmi for the computer music. 

 

[eugenius]

No sub. Jamo C607 + Outlaw Audio RR2150.

 

[enbayo]

I looked into the Jamo C607 and Outlaw Audio RR2150 and its about $400 out of my price range, if it is at all possible I would prefer to keep it as close to $1000 as possible.

 

[cel4145]

Quote:

Thank you cel4145 for your advice! I dont really want a sub just out of consideration for my suite mates and anyone living on top or below me. I am going to check out the Klipsch on either thursday or friday this week, whenever I have a break from classes. I am really new to the world of speakers (I actually got my first speaker, a JBL HLS615, from a goodwill close to my college) what are the benefits of bookshelves compared to towers? is it just the size? which is able to deliver a more accurate representation of music and movies?

 
Towers will typically have a deeper low end response, and would be better for getting by without a sub for movies and better for music that needs that extra fill in on the low end. A lot of bookshelf speakers have already reached a -3db response by 60 or 50hz. For movies, you definitely would want more. Of course I think that the lower the bass response, the easier it is to transfer through walls (lol). 

 

[enbayo]

I guess that is the problem I face, I will most likely end up using the speakers for movies and netflix a tiny bit more than I will listen to music with them, but I dont listen to music with a lot of low end in it. I also feel that since I am new to speakers I have a general bias towards towers (cause honestly I like the look of large wooden audio equipment and towers are probably my favorite, besides headphones) Can anyone recommend an audio store around Pomona that I could test bookshelf and tower speakers, I have done a little research but have mostly come up with nothing, thanks.

 

[eugenius]

Jamos are frequently discounted to half price in the USA, shop around,, check out vanns.com, price match etc.

 

[enbayo]

even at half off it with the blu-ray player ir ends up being $1200 which is more than I can spend so if you have any suggestions that are slightly less expensive I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

[cel4145]

Outlaw makes good stuff (I have one of their subs), and I don't doubt that the RR2150 is a good receiver. However, it wouldn't make sense anyway to put that amount of budget towards electronics. Your best bang for the buck is putting more money towards the speakers. And especially when the receiver doesn't have HDMI connections. With a $1000 budget, around $300 or so for the receiver and the rest towards speakers would give you a good sounding system. 
 
Watch Newegg for the next week and see if the put the Kef iQ70's back on sale. They've been available for $400 to $500 for the pair a few times over the last couple of months. 
 
Vanns that the other poster mentioned is currently going through bankruptcy. They've sold out of some of their stock already, but could be worth watching their site.
 
The Polk RTi 5 is in your budget range (check Amazon). Although another consideration if you are building a loft to put your entertainment center under is to get PolkMonitor70s from Newegg and the matching Polk Monitor CS2 center. Mount the center up over your monitor for a 3.0 setup 

 

[enbayo]

thanks again cel4145, what would you recommend in the $300 range for receivers?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

thanks again cel4145, what would you recommend in the $300 range for receivers?

My two cents
Yamaha Aventage RX-A700, $350, any Yamaha cheaper then this comes with lessor amplifiers.
Comes with Yamaha's own headphone surround sound tech, "Silent Cinema".
http://www.ebay.com/itm/160811820853?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

[cel4145]

Quote:

My two cents
Yamaha Aventage RX-A700, $350, any Yamaha cheaper then this comes with lessor amplifiers.
Comes with Yamaha's own headphone surround sound tech, "Silent Cinema".
http://www.ebay.com/itm/160811820853?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 
+1
 
That's a nice receiver. This factory refurbished/factory warrantied Denon 1712 is very nice, too.