Recommendations on AV Receiver and Speakers for HT

Hi, new to this forum and looking for recommendations on sound systems in a
home theater application.



My wife and I purchased a 42" Sharp LCD HD TV for Christmas but had to
connect it to a 20 year old Nakamichi stereo receiver and 30 year old Yamaha
speakers until we get a new sound system.



The TV dealer tried steering us toward Bose but I didn't think it sounded
any better than lesser priced systems. I've looked at the Yamaha RX-V2600
and was impressed by its features, but haven't spent much time on speakers.
We're not tied to any brand just basically interested in decent quality. I'm
looking to spend in the $2000 price range and would appreciate and
recommendation.



Thanks in advance

Kudos on critically listening to the Bose, rather than falling for the
hype or sales pressure. I'm not here to bash Bose...no highs, no lows,
ahem...but you can certainly find a better bang-for-the-buck as long as
your wife will accept larger speakers.

Speakers are HIGHLY subjective, as hearing is like a
fingerprint--everyone's is unique. Many people love efficient,
horn-loaded Klipsch; some find them to blare and grate their ears. Many
people find Polk speakers to be very accurate (most important aspect
IMO); some find them to lack bass and sound thin. Therefore, you should
continue critically listening to various speakers to discover which
sounds best to you.

However, before you can best decide what speakers to shop, you really
should consider your room. Speaker drivers are essentially air pumps,
so the volume of air they need to push throughout your room and how
close you sit to the speakers is critical to proper selection. That is
why the 3" drivers and 8" subwoofer of a Klipsch ProMedia system may
sound wonderful on a computer desk in a small office; but don't even
think about using them in a 20' x 25' family room with a cathedral
ceiling--simply too much volume to fill and too much distance between
speakers and listeners. This helps explain why so many complain that
their speakers "sounded better in the store." I can go on and on...so I
recommend you check out www.axiomaudio.com for great information on
speaker setup, as well as superb value-priced speakers with a 30-day
in-home trial.

Regarding the receiver, the Yammy 2600 is a fine choice, but here's a
few caveats: First, as far as impressive features, be careful not put
too much stock in the wattage ratings. They are typically
unrealistically overstated, and never apples-to-apples. For example, do
not expect a 20 lb "100W" Sony or Kenwood to sound nearly as powerful
as a "75W" Harman Kardon that weighs over twice as much (indicative of
a much larger amp inside). Second, the RX-V 2700 is now available, and
includes some compelling features such as iPod control and network
connectivity (can play music from up to 4 networked computers). Third,
Yamaha's value HTR line can be bought online for a fraction of the
price of a virtually identical RXV model. Lastly, know that different
receivers also have unique sonic characteristics. Of course, it's not
nearly as obvious as a speaker's sound qualities; but be sure to give a
critcal comparison to Denon, H-K, and Onkyo, in addition to Yamaha (I'm
a bit partial to H-K, but each brand has diehard fans for good reason).
All are make excellent value mid-range receivers that get superb
componentry and design trickled down from true high-end models.

The bottom line is that you can pick up the Yamaha 2600 or similar
receiver online for about $600-800 and a fine speaker system from Axiom
or similar set up for about $1000-2000. This will give you a superb
home theater that will rival systems costing twice as much.

Good luck,
Jeff
www.1080me.com

"Jeff" wrote:
Kudos on critically listening to the Bose, rather than falling for the
hype or sales pressure. I'm not here to bash Bose...no highs, no lows,
ahem...but you can certainly find a better bang-for-the-buck as long as
your wife will accept larger speakers.

Speakers are HIGHLY subjective, as hearing is like a
fingerprint--everyone's is unique. Many people love efficient,
horn-loaded Klipsch; some find them to blare and grate their ears. Many
people find Polk speakers to be very accurate (most important aspect
IMO); some find them to lack bass and sound thin. Therefore, you should
continue critically listening to various speakers to discover which
sounds best to you.

However, before you can best decide what speakers to shop, you really
should consider your room. Speaker drivers are essentially air pumps,
so the volume of air they need to push throughout your room and how
close you sit to the speakers is critical to proper selection. That is
why the 3" drivers and 8" subwoofer of a Klipsch ProMedia system may
sound wonderful on a computer desk in a small office; but don't even
think about using them in a 20' x 25' family room with a cathedral
ceiling--simply too much volume to fill and too much distance between
speakers and listeners. This helps explain why so many complain that
their speakers "sounded better in the store." I can go on and on...so I
recommend you check out www.axiomaudio.com for great information on
speaker setup, as well as superb value-priced speakers with a 30-day
in-home trial.

Regarding the receiver, the Yammy 2600 is a fine choice, but here's a
few caveats: First, as far as impressive features, be careful not put
too much stock in the wattage ratings. They are typically
unrealistically overstated, and never apples-to-apples. For example, do
not expect a 20 lb "100W" Sony or Kenwood to sound nearly as powerful
as a "75W" Harman Kardon that weighs over twice as much (indicative of
a much larger amp inside). Second, the RX-V 2700 is now available, and
includes some compelling features such as iPod control and network
connectivity (can play music from up to 4 networked computers). Third,
Yamaha's value HTR line can be bought online for a fraction of the
price of a virtually identical RXV model. Lastly, know that different
receivers also have unique sonic characteristics. Of course, it's not
nearly as obvious as a speaker's sound qualities; but be sure to give a
critcal comparison to Denon, H-K, and Onkyo, in addition to Yamaha (I'm
a bit partial to H-K, but each brand has diehard fans for good reason).
All are make excellent value mid-range receivers that get superb
componentry and design trickled down from true high-end models.

The bottom line is that you can pick up the Yamaha 2600 or similar
receiver online for about $600-800 and a fine speaker system from Axiom
or similar set up for about $1000-2000. This will give you a superb
home theater that will rival systems costing twice as much.

Good luck,
Jeff
www.1080me.com

You are right on most of your points, especially the power ratings,
but I don't think Yamaha has a comparable receiver to the 2600 in
the HTR line. I have the 2300 with Definitive Technology speakers.
They have built in subs and sound quite good, but that is of course,
a subjective view! There are many good satellite/sub speakers out
there that might fit the bill. I would suggest checking www.cnet.com
for starters. Good luck!

Chip

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Chip, you are correct about the RX-V2600/2700 not having an HTR
counterpart. It is the RX-V1600/1700 series that is essentially the
same as the HTR 5990/6090, except with the addition of a 3rd zone,
RS-232 port, and 2 12V triggers, plus a much cleaner looking front
panel. See for yourself at
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/avreceivers.html?CTID=5000200

And here's the general differences between RX-V & HTR from the horse's
mouth:
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/faq/faqde...=KNOWLEDGE_ITEM

I agree that cnet is a good start, plus I would check out:

http://www.audioholics.com/productre...0receiver1.php

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/cgi-...?reviewid=6595

http://www.audioreview.com/PRD_343681_2718crx.aspx

http://www.epinions.com/Yamaha_RX_V2600

The 2600 receives high praise; however, as always, you must take all
reviews with a grain of salt. All reviewers have personal biases and
their unique hearing; plus the professionals must also contend with
their editor's and organization's biases. Let's face it, many are
simply shills; and the opinion sites are filled with silly fanboys.
Still, I like to sift through it all, at least just to get a sense of
the truth.

I agreed that Def Tech speakers certainly deserve a listen, but they
will likely push a $2000 budget for 5.1 or 7.1 surround in a typical
family room (where you'd want to add those sweet, but pricey BP's). As
far as sub/sat systems...well that depends on the room in question.
They can sound good in smallish rooms with good acoustical properties
(not too many resonant room modes) and with proper speaker and sub
location. However, most home theater or family rooms are better served
by larger bookshelf speakers or floor standers (especially for large
rooms where music is also listened to.) Agreed?

Happy New Year!

Jeff
www.1080me.com

Chip, you are correct about the RX-V2600/2700 not having an HTR
counterpart. It is the RX-V1600/1700 that is essentially the same as
the HTR5990/6090, except with the RX-V's addition of a 3rd zone, RS-232
port, and 2 12V triggers, plus a much cleaner looking front
panel. See for yourself at
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/avreceivers.html?CTID=5000200

And here's the general differences between RX-V & HTR from the horse's
mouth: http://www.yamaha.com/yec/faq/faqde...=KNOWLEDGE_ITEM

I agree that cnet is a good start, plus I would check out:
http://www.audioholics.com/productre...mahaRXV2600rec...

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/cgi-...?reviewid=6595

http://www.audioreview.com/PRD_343681_2718crx.aspx
http://www.epinions.com/Yamaha_RX_V2600

The 2600 receives high praise (probably well-deserved); however, as
always, you must take all reviews with a grain of salt. All reviewers
have personal biases and their unique hearing; plus the professionals
must also contend with their editor's and organization's biases. Let's
face it, many are simply shills; and the opinion sites are filled with
silly fanboys. Still, I like to sift through it all, at least just to
get a sense of the truth.

I agree that Def Tech speakers certainly deserve a listen, but they
will likely push a $2000 budget for 5.1 or 7.1 surround in a typical
family room (where you'd want to add those sweet, but pricey BP's). As
far as sub/sat systems...well that depends on the room in question.
They can sound good in smallish rooms with good acoustical properties
(not too many resonant room modes) and with proper speaker and sub
location. However, most home theater or family rooms are better served
by larger bookshelf speakers or floor standers (especially for large
rooms where music is also listened to.) Agreed?

Happy New Year!
Jeff
www.1080me.com

"kosta" wrote in message
...

The TV dealer tried steering us toward Bose but I didn't think it
sounded any better than lesser priced systems. I've looked at the
Yamaha RX-V2600 and was impressed by its features, but haven't spent
much time on speakers. We're not tied to any brand just basically
interested in decent quality. I'm looking to spend in the $2000
price range and would appreciate and recommendation.

There are lots of good brands to choose from, and others have already
mentioned the basics when looking for speakers. For $2000 you should
be able to find a good system that fits your needs, so here's a list
of well regarded brands in no particular order:

NHT
Energy
Paradigm
PSB
Mirage
B&W
Definitive Technology
KEF
Klipsch
Wharfedale

I happen to own Paradigm Reference series speakers, and they're great,
but any of the above brands have similar speakers with sound quality
to match. Give a listen to them in an audio shop and see if one brand
catches your ear.

I just installed a SVS SBS-01 speaker system, Denon 2807 receiver & Oppo
DV-981HD 1080p DVD player
in a friends home and was actually blow away by it. For a budget system
it is absolutely fantastic.
And you really dodged a bullet with passing on the Bose system. :-)

http://www.svsound.com/products-sys.cfm

http://www.usa.denon.com/

http://www.oppodigital.com/

kosta wrote:

Hi, new to this forum and looking for recommendations on sound systems in a
home theater application.



My wife and I purchased a 42" Sharp LCD HD TV for Christmas but had to
connect it to a 20 year old Nakamichi stereo receiver and 30 year old Yamaha
speakers until we get a new sound system.



The TV dealer tried steering us toward Bose but I didn't think it sounded
any better than lesser priced systems. I've looked at the Yamaha RX-V2600
and was impressed by its features, but haven't spent much time on speakers.
We're not tied to any brand just basically interested in decent quality. I'm
looking to spend in the $2000 price range and would appreciate and
recommendation.



Thanks in advance





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kosta wrote:
Hi, new to this forum and looking for recommendations on sound systems in a
home theater application.



My wife and I purchased a 42" Sharp LCD HD TV for Christmas but had to
connect it to a 20 year old Nakamichi stereo receiver and 30 year old Yamaha
speakers until we get a new sound system.



The TV dealer tried steering us toward Bose but I didn't think it sounded
any better than lesser priced systems. I've looked at the Yamaha RX-V2600
and was impressed by its features, but haven't spent much time on speakers.
We're not tied to any brand just basically interested in decent quality. I'm
looking to spend in the $2000 price range and would appreciate and
recommendation.



Thanks in advance

All I know about is my experience. Like you, I'm a HT newcomer. After
my low end HTIAB system crapped out, I decided to start looking and
build at HT system piece by piece. I picked up a Harman Kardon AVR235
receiver a couple of months ago on an open box basis at Circuit City
for $199.00. Although it's rated at only 55 watts/channel, the output
is more than adequate and clean as can be. The features are great as
well. I would recommend HK equipment without reservations.
About a month ago, I bought a pair of Infinity Primus 150 speakers for
my fronts and again, I'm impressed. Clean, uncolored and accurate
sound. $119.00 from Amazon for the pair.

All – Thank you for the links and recommendations. I’ve looked at all of
the sites and done a little homework. I’m still leaning toward Yamaha
RX-V2600 but the Denon AVR-3806 is starting to look good too. Based on what
I read regarding Axiom Epic Grand Master 350 speakers, I’m thinking those
might be exactly what I’m looking for.



Thanks again!



"kosta" wrote in message
...
Hi, new to this forum and looking for recommendations on sound systems in
a home theater application.



My wife and I purchased a 42" Sharp LCD HD TV for Christmas but had to
connect it to a 20 year old Nakamichi stereo receiver and 30 year old
Yamaha speakers until we get a new sound system.



The TV dealer tried steering us toward Bose but I didn't think it sounded
any better than lesser priced systems. I've looked at the Yamaha RX-V2600
and was impressed by its features, but haven't spent much time on
speakers. We're not tied to any brand just basically interested in decent
quality. I'm looking to spend in the $2000 price range and would
appreciate and recommendation.



Thanks in advance