New Receiver et all.

[Wedweb]

My old first generation Sony 5.1 receiver is crapping out on me. An electrical savvy friend checked it out and he feels that the relays are cutting out. I am losing the left channel and/or center channel occasionally. The last time the center went I couldn't coax it back. :) Is this fixable? Should I buy a newer one?

I am thinking about buying a new one. Leaning to the refurbished ones on the Harman site.

I am also looking for a Toshiba HD DVD player that does 1080p and some movies. I would be using it with the available movies plus as an upconverting DVD player.

Bo

[whoaru99]

I'd buy a newer one.

[mpdhrd]

What price range would you be looking at? What kind of features are you looking for?

[Cpt.Beaky]

The Emotiva LMC-2 looks like it'll be a lot of fun. To me it seems like the only way to get an HT system that supports every new HT feature for ~700 bucks.

[Wedweb]

Well, since I am looking at spending money on a new LCD HDTV and an upconverting DVD player or Blue-Ray or a cheap HD DVD player, I was looking for something around $200.00. I did see the other day that Best Buy had one of their older model Yamaha's, the $399.99 one, for $79.99. But liked so far the Harman Kardon looks and the Sony's feature of the mic and room adjusting ability for around my price range.

[saltwater]

Sony's feature of the mic and room adjusting ability for around my price range.

Father in law just got the sony, pretty sure it was 299~ Maybe lil less, nice receiver, ill write down what he got. I had to set it up, but it was worth it!

[Wedweb]

Matt, who responded via PM,

My room size is 16'x14'. See the basement layout image. I am looking at having the back of the theater open to the office. The rat run behind the speaker and tv is for running and crisscrossing all the wires. Power strip plugin etc.

I am looking at having Altec Lansing Stonehenge I's for the four speakers in the corners and an Altec 9872 for the center channel. I need to shield the center speaker's magnets from damaging any tape media I may have up there. I am not going to use a sub for this set since I will have 5 12" woofers in over 2cuft each of cabinet.

The second set of theater speakers will be my Celestion f-series 2-way towers in the front, two-way bookshelves in the rear corners, f-series center channel and matching subwoofer. My problem with this set is the sub is down firing and I am on concrete down here. I had it in the basement before and didn't get much response. I was thinking of making a ledge in the storage area on the right side wall of the theater and placing the subwoofer on it to get more dynamics from it.

The other problem I have is switching between the two sets of speakers. I was thinking of using the Radio Shack speaker selector/distributor boxes. One for the front pairs, one for the rear pairs and one for the centers. That is why I was wanting the receiver with the room adjusting feature.

I had always heard the Harmon Kardons were rated for wattage like the old Marantz were in the 70's. About 30W but really pushing more like 100W.

I am going to have a vintage setup on a credenza on the opposite wall to the home theater tv in the office. That is where my Nad 7240PE, Marantz 2220B, HK 730 and Sansui 3000A will be hooked up to a couple sets of speakers. Once again using the RS speaker selectors in reverse. Having the different receiver speaker lines going in the outs and one out from the in to the speaker pair. (Will that work? They are passive aren't they?)

I plan on drywalling the walls and drop ceiling in the finished areas. 2'x2' squares.

Bo

[mpdhrd]

This is going to be a great setup when it's done! I might be missing something but why have two different home theater set ups in the same room? I totally get why you would have a vintage 2-channel for music, but i'm not sure what you want to do with one HT vs the other? Granted the different speakers have vastly different sounds to them.

I'm not sure which Denon/Yamaha/Pioneer models the 2 and 3 zone receivers start at, but have you considered an Onkyo TX-SR605? It's 90 watts per channel and has full 1080p upconversion capability. It's at amazon for $320 right now. I dont know how it would work with two full sets of surround speakers but you could also run a set of speakers to that playroom for the kids to listen to music too. Just an idea.

[Wedweb]

Why two different speaker setups? Well, I have them...... :)
I guess I could just set up the four corner Altecs and bring in my Sony Quad receiver and then use them for forced quad listening, but I am hoping to go with the vintage and modern speakers for two different theater experiences.

Besides, when has having too many or too large of speakers every been a problem with this group? :)

Bo

[mpdhrd]

Why two different speaker setups? Well, I have them...... :)
I guess I could just set up the four corner Altecs and bring in my Sony Quad receiver and then use them for forced quad listening, but I am hoping to go with the vintage and modern speakers for two different theater experiences.

Besides, when has having too many or too large of speakers every been a problem with this group? :)

Bo

LoL... definately not a problem. I guess I'm still used to my wife slamming the door on all my electronics ideas and plans and I forget that other people have the opportunity to play around more than I do! Have fun and I hope you find the pieces you are looking for to "complete" your system.... Complete meaning for now.

[RaymondLeggs]

whats the big deal about surround sound and home theatre?

Every Discussion about audio and video I hear from peers and people at stores is. "Dude, I need a surround sound system" or the latest "flat screen TV". I never hear anything about stereo or whatnot. Everybody seems to want to shell out big $$$ for a Half empty surround receiver and a set of bookshelf speakers and some skinny floorstanders about the size of those lanky generic floor speakers they used to sell at sears which sometimes contained a "6" woofer and "2" tweeter and don't really sound too much better. they may be louder than an "outdated" stereo but they really anren't that great.

People keep asking me "you got a surround sound?" and I say "why" and they say "well most people have them" I say "yes" in a agitated tone.

My Home theatre is just a true flat CRT. TV. nad a generic "Durabrand" home theatre in a box. Not true surround but then again I just can't seem to like the modern styled gear too much for some reason. and I am only 18 which probably make me seem to be stubbon in most peopkes eyes at to why I would actually want to buy a big black 1980's integrated amp with huge meters off ebay, in place of buying a big plastic reciever which only weighs two pounds.

The only modern reciever I have is from 1998-1999 and that is 2 channel.

People give me an odd look when I say I have a 20 watt 1970's receiver in my stereo. people tell me to "keep up with the times" and upgrade to something newer.

I kno wthis is a rant that will have people saying I am a troll but I just had to speak my mind. :sigh:

[RaymondLeggs]

Oops I forgot to go back to the forum and type that long post as a new thread. :dammit:

[mpdhrd]

Raymond... home theater systems and 2 channel stereos have completely different purposes. I use the analogy that it's like comparing a Dodge Viper and a Dodge Caravan. They are meant to do very different things but each does its own purpose well (when properly put together). A Viper is meant to take one or two people really really fast. A Caravan is meant to take a family from point A to point B as safely and comfortably as possible.

A home theater surround system is meant to immerse you in the middle of the sound. You are meant to be "in the movie" where if a plane is flying from behind you, over your head, and then in front of you, the sound will start behind you, fly over your head and then end in front of you. Why is home theater still being driven by the latest technology? Because the science of decoding individual signal from the dvd through the receiver to the individual speaker where that specific sound is meant to go is still a new and developing technology. In the case of Home Theater, the technology is actually getting better right now.

2 channel stereo has been around for many decades. It's had it's golden age where the technology and equipment and quality have peaked already in the minds of many. In general with music, the band or orchestra or singer is naturally intended to be in front of you. The better equipment with stereo can seperate the instruments and give you different imaging (am i using the right terms?) but in general two big/quality speakers is what is needed to do the job. But also remember that people in the 70's bought crappy equipment too... it existed, it's still out there. I think we are just spoiled because the vast majority of people at AK talk about what was good or how to make what they have better. If I stick with my car analogy, people now are restoring Cudas and Mustangs... no one is talking about the Gremlin or the Pinto that they just bought. (although there is a niche for everything)

Does that mean you cant connect your dvd to a 2 channel system and be happy? No, I've done it... if you intent is just to be able to HEAR the audio and feel the base. But (IMHO) you need the front, center, surround speakers to be immersed in the audio of a movie the way it was intended. Can you listen to a standard CD or Vinyl on a 5.1 system.... sure! but having singers behind you and in front of you sounds unnatural. In my limited experience, even turning your 5.1 receiver in stereo mode isnt the greatest because it's still not how the receiver was designed. Some are better than others and the newer ones are offering better quality for true stereo sound.

The bottom line in my opinion is you should own a 5.1 or 7.1 AVR if you WANT to listen to the audio track of a movie the way it was intended. And the audio quality of a home theater generally follows the same rules as with 2 channel.... bigger better speakers offer more full, deep, quality sound than smaller bookshelf speakers and in-wall. If you listened to your music on tiny wall mounted speakers it would sound like garbage too. Just try to remember that AVRs are generally for movies and 2-channels are generally for music... similar products that do different things. Vipers are going fast and having fun, Caravans are for family safety and comfort.

That's my two cents for the day... Little rambling but oh well...

[RaymondLeggs]

Raymond... home theater systems and 2 channel stereos have completely different purposes. I use the analogy that it's like comparing a Dodge Viper and a Dodge Caravan. They are meant to do very different things but each does its own purpose well (when properly put together). A Viper is meant to take one or two people really really fast. A Caravan is meant to take a family from point A to point B as safely and comfortably as possible.

A home theater surround system is meant to immerse you in the middle of the sound. You are meant to be "in the movie" where if a plane is flying from behind you, over your head, and then in front of you, the sound will start behind you, fly over your head and then end in front of you. Why is home theater still being driven by the latest technology? Because the science of decoding individual signal from the dvd through the receiver to the individual speaker where that specific sound is meant to go is still a new and developing technology. In the case of Home Theater, the technology is actually getting better right now.

2 channel stereo has been around for many decades. It's had it's golden age where the technology and equipment and quality have peaked already in the minds of many. In general with music, the band or orchestra or singer is naturally intended to be in front of you. The better equipment with stereo can seperate the instruments and give you different imaging (am i using the right terms?) but in general two big/quality speakers is what is needed to do the job. But also remember that people in the 70's bought crappy equipment too... it existed, it's still out there. I think we are just spoiled because the vast majority of people at AK talk about what was good or how to make what they have better. If I stick with my car analogy, people now are restoring Cudas and Mustangs... no one is talking about the Gremlin or the Pinto that they just bought. (although there is a niche for everything)

Does that mean you cant connect your dvd to a 2 channel system and be happy? No, I've done it... if you intent is just to be able to HEAR the audio and feel the base. But (IMHO) you need the front, center, surround speakers to be immersed in the audio of a movie the way it was intended. Can you listen to a standard CD or Vinyl on a 5.1 system.... sure! but having singers behind you and in front of you sounds unnatural. In my limited experience, even turning your 5.1 receiver in stereo mode isnt the greatest because it's still not how the receiver was designed. Some are better than others and the newer ones are offering better quality for true stereo sound.

The bottom line in my opinion is you should own a 5.1 or 7.1 AVR if you WANT to listen to the audio track of a movie the way it was intended. And the audio quality of a home theater generally follows the same rules as with 2 channel.... bigger better speakers offer more full, deep, quality sound than smaller bookshelf speakers and in-wall. If you listened to your music on tiny wall mounted speakers it would sound like garbage too. Just try to remember that AVRs are generally for movies and 2-channels are generally for music... similar products that do different things. Vipers are going fast and having fun, Caravans are for family safety and comfort.

That's my two cents for the day... Little rambling but oh well...


I do Agree to that post. I may get a nice used HT receiver to get into "real" surround.

[Wedweb]

Does anyone have any comments about the subwoofer issue, being on the concrete floor of the basement and to my idea of a shelf attached to the backside of one of the theater walls?

Bo

[mpdhrd]

Wedweb - I'm about to put my order in for an Elemental Designs subwoofer and the customer service guys there are awesome! They arent just there to sell you equipment but are there to inform and educate. If you ask them, I'm sure they can tell you how you can properly install a subwoofer for any room and get the most out of it. I've heard nothing but good things from people talking about these guys. Here's the link.

http://www.edesignaudio.com/index.php