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Anybody got a good recommendation for a home audio amp/speakers for a non-audiophile?
I want something good for movies, passable for mp3's, and easy enough to plug in many other gadgets and whirlygigs. I don't expect to do multi-room, but I'm not against doing, maybe, 2 rooms.
If I put audio systems into automobile terms, I've always had Corollas. Dependable, but nothing fancy.
I'm looking to upgrade to perhaps an entry-level Porsche, or entry-level Mercedes. Not looking for the Aston, Ferrari, and certainly not the Veyron or Enzo. :)
"avsforum can be overwhelming", said Capt. Obvious.
The hardest part for me is the speakers. I need opinions for mid-priced speakers, that kick ass. My room is around 16' by 20', but is open in the back to the kitchen. I will have a sweet-spot for listening, but I really need omni-directional awesomeness. Wife wants in-wall, but I don't really feel like that kind of hassle, unless it was something pretty special.
What say you, wise off-camberites?
Anybody got a good recommendation for a home audio amp/speakers for a non-audiophile?
I want something good for movies, passable for mp3's, and easy enough to plug in many other gadgets and whirlygigs. I don't expect to do multi-room, but I'm not against doing, maybe, 2 rooms.
If I put audio systems into automobile terms, I've always had Corollas. Dependable, but nothing fancy.
I'm looking to upgrade to perhaps an entry-level Porsche, or entry-level Mercedes. Not looking for the Aston, Ferrari, and certainly not the Veyron or Enzo. :)
"avsforum can be overwhelming", said Capt. Obvious.
The hardest part for me is the speakers. I need opinions for mid-priced speakers, that kick ass. My room is around 16' by 20', but is open in the back to the kitchen. I will have a sweet-spot for listening, but I really need omni-directional awesomeness. Wife wants in-wall, but I don't really feel like that kind of hassle, unless it was something pretty special.
What say you, wise off-camberites?
Oh dear...you got me started. :gomer: I recently replaced my HT speakers with a sound bar. $1K speaker system sits in the closet. Vizio LED TV, sound bar (http://www.vizio.com/home-audio/) + TiVo does everything a $2K+ setup did for $500. :eek: The Vizio and TiVo stream Netflix, Pandora, etc. I also bought one of these gadgets to stream sound via BT (iPod and Elmo's fave an Android cell phone :tony:):
https://www.google.com/shopping/product/17891073759836095734?q=belkin+bluetooth+music+rece iver&safe=off&espv=210&es_sm=91&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.55617003,d.cWc,pv.xjs.s.en_US.2UGjtckCHYg.O&biw=1060&bih=660&tch=1&ech=1&psi=xotwUuruLZC3sAT94YHABg.1383107536521.3&sa=X&ei=1ItwUrWcFanlsAT0qoDYCQ&ved=0CPQDEPMCMAA
I rarely use the AV receiver these days.
WickerBill
10-30-13, 07:34 AM
What's your budget? I'd also ask what your definition of kick-ass is, but subjective is subjective.
I ask about budget because there are some things you can buy where you actually pay a bit more for simplicity. I'm totally enthralled with the Sonos systems... all wireless, really good sound, fantastic integration with your smartphone / home network....
Scroll down about 3/4 of the way on this page http://www.sonos.com/system to see how they do home theater.
For receivers you can't go wrong with Onkyo, Denon or Yamaha.
Speakers, I have systems with PSB, NHT and B&W. But I thing speakers are a very personal decision. Only you can decide what sounds good to you.
My advice is to figure out your budget and find a local home theater store and give a listen.
Another option these days is a soundbar. Probably not the best for music but can do a decent job for TV. I'm going that route for the family room in Colorado Springs. I'm probably going with the Yamaha YSP-3300. Reviews are good but so far I've not found one to listen to.
For receivers you can't go wrong with Onkyo, Denon or Yamaha.
Speakers, I have systems with PSB, NHT and B&W. But I thing speakers are a very personal decision. Only you can decide what sounds good to you.
My advice is to figure out your budget and find a local home theater store and give a listen.
Another option these days is a soundbar. Probably not the best for music but can do a decent job for TV. I'm going that route for the family room in Colorado Springs. I'm probably going with the Yamaha YSP-3300. Reviews are good but so far I've not found one to listen to.
Agreed, the soundbar is best for surround (TV/movies), but the Vizio I have is actually not bad (sucks less) for music. I only use the AV receiver for whole house audio these days. Add Harmon Kardon to that list of AV receivers. It seriously depends on budget...I have three HT setups, and found the soundbar was a more cost efficient solution based on cost. PSB, NHT, B&W quality...not, but more elegant and space saving.
Agreed, the soundbar is best for surround (TV/movies), but the Vizio I have is actually not bad (sucks less) for music. I only use the AV receiver for whole house audio these days. Add Harmon Kardon to that list of AV receivers. It seriously depends on budget...I have three HT setups, and found the soundbar was a more cost efficient solution based on cost. PSB, NHT, B&W quality...not, but more elegant and space saving.
I have surround set up in the master bedroom, family room and theater. I've found we never use is it the family room or bedroom. I'm hoping a simple soundbar hookup in the new family room will get more use.
SurfaceUnits
10-30-13, 12:56 PM
Here's a relatively current gen AV Receiver
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=82-115-375
Here's a range of soundbars from Samsung with wireless sub-woofers, BT, ARC, etc
http://www.samsung.com/us/video/sound-bars
Soundbar. Meh. You kids get offa my lawn.
I'm partial to Pioneer A/V receivers. They offer a good balance of performance and features. Good deals to be had on last year's models:
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-VSX-822-K-5-1-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B007O5ATM8
I can't vouch for Pioneer speakers. I have a 25 year old pair of Cerwin Vega D-3 speakers that I still like so when I was filling out my 5.1 surround setup I used Cerwin Vega VE series speakers. Cerwin Vega speakers produce a lot of punch at relatively low power and a generally considered best suited for rock music.
Woot does have some Pioneer Elite in ceiling speakers on sale right now if you're thinking about that.
http://tech.woot.com/plus/pioneer-audio
WickerBill
10-30-13, 07:30 PM
My surround system is Onkyo 7.2 receiver pushing five JBL mains and a crappy Sony sub. The JBL sound is theater quality, but it is 2013 and I wish my system were more internet-functional like the Sonos.
Soundbar. Meh. You kids get offa my lawn.
My point was form factor and cost. I have $10K+ invested into HT equipment. I downsized to make the homizzle 'pretty' for sale. Pinnacle is a great speaker as well. I also have Atlenatic Techs buried in the walls of the man cave. I have four H/K receivers in the hizzy. Three DVD players and two TiVos. 108" DLP projector in the cave. The solution I outined was just a simple and cheap HT setup.
Insomniac
11-03-13, 01:20 PM
I have three HT setups, and found the soundbar was a more cost efficient solution based on cost.
I'd hope so. :P
My point was form factor and cost. I have $10K+ invested into HT equipment. I downsized to make the homizzle 'pretty' for sale. Pinnacle is a great speaker as well. I also have Atlenatic Techs buried in the walls of the man cave. I have four H/K receivers in the hizzy. Three DVD players and two TiVos. 108" DLP projector in the cave. The solution I outined was just a simple and cheap HT setup.
Hey, let me be an old fart in peace. Be happy I'm not demanding a tube amp. Seriously, I still like the sound of a full system but the truth is that we only unleash it from time to time.
SurfaceUnits
11-04-13, 12:31 PM
Be happy I'm not demanding a tube amp. .
What else wood you hook to your Moog synth?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blrHHRWKygw
Hey, let me be an old fart in peace. Be happy I'm not demanding a tube amp. Seriously, I still like the sound of a full system but the truth is that we only unleash it from time to time.
'tis why I have a man cave with a 108" screen and DLP projector, dual subs, 7.1 speakers buried in the walls (for now :\). Whole house audio in the ceilings and patio, and two subs with an HK receiver powering it. I just needed a solution to improve the TV audio (which sucked canal water) so I could close the Hooker TV/AV cabinet and reduce clutter. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I recently added the Chromecast to the TV so I can stream from the iPods, MBP and Android phone via BT/WiFi. I have a really nice Pinnacle speaker system sitting in a closet if yer interested. :gomer: Back in the day when I purchased the set, I auditioned NHT, PSB, Vandersteen, etc. and Pinnacle kicked ass and was an amazing bang for the buck. And yes, in my younger days, I would unleash the beast and make the floor on the first floor rumble. These days, not so much. just enough to enough for sports and movies surround with the girls. </old man> And get off my lawn. :gomer: :D
What else wood you hook to your Moog synth?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7jW8_2Us5c&noredirect=1
Needs better Moog.
So, I kind of narrowed down what I want.
I am sick of having "surround sound" that sounds [B]better in simulated mode. I have crap Sony speakers, that actually sound fairly good (not an audiophile - did I mention that?), but they aren't the most efficient. You need some serious volume to get the sound out.
The old Sony receiver sucked, and I recently upgraded to a (believe it or not) better one, but it was a free RCA box, so it has neither a bell, nor a whistle.
Wife has been complaining about the clutter of the entertainment system. Got her some new carpet, so I get to upgrade. :D
[\blog]
The Sonos connectivity is pretty attractive, but what I really want is the one room to have great sound. Mostly movies. The ability to move speakers around wirelessly is not the main goal. We have many other sources for the kids and such, that do just fine. If they started breaking down, I might be in a different boat.
So, what do I want?
Box audio Receiver, that is fairly future proof, that I can run everything through (for that room).
I want to turn off my TV speakers, and never turn them on again.
Right now, I have the Satellite box/TV, BluRay, xbox360, Wii, and a computer in the room, and I want to be able to run them all through the box. Plus we have various Android, iStuff and external hard drive that I want networked in. (I assume that if the box is wifi, that you can navigate through a networked HD to pick your music??)
I can't go ethernet, unless I upgrade my switch (don't want to do that).
Built-in Pandora/Spotify/other would be nice. Is Mobile High-def Link worth getting?
{Silly question, and I'm pretty certain that I know the answer already, but a good A/V box will have several HDMI inputs, and (usually) one Output. Is the idea that you connect everything to the box first, then one cable to the TV? How do you switch between sources? If you're watching satellite, and want to change to xbox, you change it on the A/V receiver, instead of on the TX Input selection? So, TV always stays on HDMI 1, and the tuner decides if it needs to send video to the tube, right?
Right now, I select using the TV inputs, and the audio runs over with fiber and coaxial to the crap RCA RX.}
All that said, what I really need (to make wife happy) are some slim towers and small surround speakers that will beat the big lumpy Sony's. I need something that can do great surround, without cranking it up to 11. A perfect set would have smaller towers and center, reasonable-sized sub, and maybe even dipole sides/rears, and still be able to wizz off the neighbors on occasion. Where should I start? Are any of the biggie speaker companies really good at the smaller speakers?
Heck, I'm not even afraid of Bose (as long as I can use their speakers with a better receiver).
Needs better Moog.
Saw Head East at the Chicago Amphitheater open for.....uh somebody :D
G, lots of good receivers out there with multiple HDMI and component inputs these days...Denon, Onkyo, HK, Pioneer. I use a Harmony 900 (wOOt deal) that does both RF and IR. Does a good job switching back and forth, but takes some time to tweak via the online interface. Pinnacle, NHT and PSB are good speakers with a small footprint. If your tube has an option to turn off TV audio like my Vizios, you set the option and use alternate audio.
Insomniac
11-05-13, 01:14 PM
So, I kind of narrowed down what I want.
I am sick of having "surround sound" that sounds [B]better in simulated mode. I have crap Sony speakers, that actually sound fairly good (not an audiophile - did I mention that?), but they aren't the most efficient. You need some serious volume to get the sound out.
The old Sony receiver sucked, and I recently upgraded to a (believe it or not) better one, but it was a free RCA box, so it has neither a bell, nor a whistle.
Wife has been complaining about the clutter of the entertainment system. Got her some new carpet, so I get to upgrade. :D
[\blog]
The Sonos connectivity is pretty attractive, but what I really want is the one room to have great sound. Mostly movies. The ability to move speakers around wirelessly is not the main goal. We have many other sources for the kids and such, that do just fine. If they started breaking down, I might be in a different boat.
So, what do I want?
Box audio Receiver, that is fairly future proof, that I can run everything through (for that room).
I want to turn off my TV speakers, and never turn them on again.
Right now, I have the Satellite box/TV, BluRay, xbox360, Wii, and a computer in the room, and I want to be able to run them all through the box. Plus we have various Android, iStuff and external hard drive that I want networked in. (I assume that if the box is wifi, that you can navigate through a networked HD to pick your music??)
I can't go ethernet, unless I upgrade my switch (don't want to do that).
Built-in Pandora/Spotify/other would be nice. Is Mobile High-def Link worth getting?
{Silly question, and I'm pretty certain that I know the answer already, but a good A/V box will have several HDMI inputs, and (usually) one Output. Is the idea that you connect everything to the box first, then one cable to the TV? How do you switch between sources? If you're watching satellite, and want to change to xbox, you change it on the A/V receiver, instead of on the TX Input selection? So, TV always stays on HDMI 1, and the tuner decides if it needs to send video to the tube, right?
Right now, I select using the TV inputs, and the audio runs over with fiber and coaxial to the crap RCA RX.}
All that said, what I really need (to make wife happy) are some slim towers and small surround speakers that will beat the big lumpy Sony's. I need something that can do great surround, without cranking it up to 11. A perfect set would have smaller towers and center, reasonable-sized sub, and maybe even dipole sides/rears, and still be able to wizz off the neighbors on occasion. Where should I start? Are any of the biggie speaker companies really good at the smaller speakers?
Heck, I'm not even afraid of Bose (as long as I can use their speakers with a better receiver).
I hate to complicate things for you. You are correct in your assessment of how you can change inputs with your receiver and you are already doing it with your TV. When it comes to video, your TV has a scaler built in and the receiver does as well. One may be better than the other, so that often dictates how you wire up your system. The receiver could also "expand" the number of inputs for your TV if you run out.
Future proof is tough. There likely will be more audio standards and video standards.
Future proof is tough. There likely will be more audio standards and video standards.
Future proof is impossible. Period. Some sets allow firmware upgrades, but are quickly orphaned as new models are released. Having lived through the years of RCA >> S-video >> component >> HDMI. Then add WiFi, BT, and USB into the mix. :saywhat: I have four generations of HK receivers since 1996. Three generations of DVD players, and four generations of tubes over that time. I also have a nice 100 lb. CRT projector sitting in a corner of the basement. Cost: $4500 (and that was bought @ cost through a friend who works for Zenith...MSRP @ the time was $10K). That sucker was fun to install. :irked: Oh, and I've been through ~5 generations of Harmony remotes the past ~10 years. The 900 is a good remote for RF blasting if your gear is located in a cabinet.
Onkyo TX-NR626
Might have to happen. It seems to have enough features to distract me from my tinnitus. :\
I had said "fairly future proof", meaning 4k ready, ARC, etc.
I guess I wanted to know if The Next Big Thing was just a few months away, and I'll regret the purchase sooner than I had planned.
Onkyo TX-NR626
Might have to happen. It seems to have enough features to distract me from my tinnitus. :\
I had said "fairly future proof", meaning 4k ready, ARC, etc.
I guess I wanted to know if The Next Big Thing was just a few months away, and I'll regret the purchase sooner than I had planned.
Looks like a good choice. :thumbup:
So, of course, WOOT has a decent receiver for their deal today.
http://www.woot.com/offers/pioneer-7-1-channel-network-a-v-receiver-2
:saywhat:
gerhard911
11-06-13, 09:59 AM
Another good limited time receiver deal.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=82-115-377&nm_mc=EMC-GD110613&cm_mmc=EMC-GD110613-_-index-_-Item-_-82-115-377&
More expensive than the WOOT Pioneer but 95 v 80 watts is a big step up in power. Lots of features and fairly easy to setup & control. I own one and really like it. Two friends bought a 773 and a 673 on my recommendation. Both are very happy.
So, of course, WOOT has a decent receiver for their deal today.
http://www.woot.com/offers/pioneer-7-1-channel-network-a-v-receiver-2
:saywhat:
I have the next model down from a few years ago. Not all that different, really. I like it a lot but I don't use a lot of the bells and whistles. Sound is good, HDMI switching is good, surround is good, and I really like the feature that automatically calibrates it for your room.
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