Home theater audio questions
20-Jun-23 2:53pm
#1 Chad
So my receiver is nearly dead, only 1 of the inputs on the back works consistently. I currently run a 5.1 system, I could get up to a 7.1 or 9.1 (or 5.1.2 / 5.1.4 depending on how you do your home theater math)
So the big question, is there any reason to buy a flagship model by like Marantz or Denon with 13.2 channels or will a good 9.1 system do everything I could want? I am tempting to buy a Marantz 8015 but I think it might end up being a waste.
#1 Chad
So my receiver is nearly dead, only 1 of the inputs on the back works consistently. I currently run a 5.1 system, I could get up to a 7.1 or 9.1 (or 5.1.2 / 5.1.4 depending on how you do your home theater math)
So the big question, is there any reason to buy a flagship model by like Marantz or Denon with 13.2 channels or will a good 9.1 system do everything I could want? I am tempting to buy a Marantz 8015 but I think it might end up being a waste.
20-Jun-23 3:50pm
#2 SwiftJAB
I'm using a Vizio 5.1 system, so I'm not the one to be giving advice. That being said, I'm sure answers to some of these questions might help people:
1. What are your ultimate goals for your home theater experience?
2. Do you run multiple zones?
3. What's your typical sources for content (ie: cable/dish, streaming, bluray)?
4. How much power do you need to drive your speakers? and do you want/need room to grow?
5. What receiver are you currently running?
6. What speakers and sub are you currently running?
#2 SwiftJAB
I'm using a Vizio 5.1 system, so I'm not the one to be giving advice. That being said, I'm sure answers to some of these questions might help people:
1. What are your ultimate goals for your home theater experience?
2. Do you run multiple zones?
3. What's your typical sources for content (ie: cable/dish, streaming, bluray)?
4. How much power do you need to drive your speakers? and do you want/need room to grow?
5. What receiver are you currently running?
6. What speakers and sub are you currently running?
20-Jun-23 5:24pm
#3 firefly2k
Wow, that Marantz 8015 is $4,000!!!
I could never justify spending that much on a receiver unless I was rolling in dough and had a legit home theater in a McMansion. Even then, I'd be tempted to use that money toward a better TV.
I've been through several receivers over the years and don't think I heard any differences in sound quality coming out of my speakers reflective of the prices of the receivers. I agree with @SwiftJAB 's considerations, but would also add the length of the warranty as a factor in your decision (and definitely use a credit card with a warranty extension benefit). Ultimately, it will depend on your use case and financial means.
I've been using a Sony 7.1 for almost 3 years and it has met all of my expectations for my modest media room.
#3 firefly2k
Wow, that Marantz 8015 is $4,000!!!
I could never justify spending that much on a receiver unless I was rolling in dough and had a legit home theater in a McMansion. Even then, I'd be tempted to use that money toward a better TV.
I've been through several receivers over the years and don't think I heard any differences in sound quality coming out of my speakers reflective of the prices of the receivers. I agree with @SwiftJAB 's considerations, but would also add the length of the warranty as a factor in your decision (and definitely use a credit card with a warranty extension benefit). Ultimately, it will depend on your use case and financial means.
I've been using a Sony 7.1 for almost 3 years and it has met all of my expectations for my modest media room.
20-Jun-23 6:45pm
#4 Chad
1. What are your ultimate goals for your home theater experience? - Best quality I can get for my usage within my budget? End of the day I want a 9.1 system with 2 speakers ceiling mounted (or near it). I do probably 25% music, 20% tv, 20% movies, 35% video games. Room is 16x 16
2. Do you run multiple zones? No
3. What's your typical sources for content (ie: cable/dish, streaming, bluray)? music is off my old Zune, streaming, sometimes CDs. TV is 100% streaming, movies are probably 75% streaming, 25% bluray/dvd. Video games are mostly bluray but some DVD and CD and cartridge based gaming.
4. How much power do you need to drive your speakers? and do you want/need room to grow? Current speakers are 91db @ 1 meter @1 watt, 250w max recommended power. Most of the time I probably listen at less than 1 watt / channel. But I like to be able to turn it up now and then. I'd like 100 watt per channel that is actually making close to that 900 watts when running a 9.1 system for those times when I want to feel like the Apollo 13 launch is happening in my living room.
5. What receiver are you currently running? Onkyo 507. This is the most critical piece for me to upgrade.
6. What speakers and sub are you currently running? Floors - Boston Acoustics VR970, center Boston Acoustics VR-12, side/rears - Boston Acoustics HS-450, Sub - Velodyne VA-1250x
I am fairly happy with the front/center/sub, basically to improve front/center, I am thinking I need to spend in the neighborhood of $3-4k. My sub is a 12" active 15" passive, rated 22hz-120hz. So I am missing a bit on the bottom end, but I haven't found any better subs without going into at least $1k. The side/rears are way too big (they are mini-sized floor speakers I got for free). I am trying to decide between book shelf side / rears or to match them with the ceiling speakers.
Basically do I get like 2 of these
https://www.accessor...
and 4 of these
https://www.accessor...
Or just 6 of the first one? It seems like the rear speakers are mostly for staging.
And for the cost of the receiver, I plan on doing refurbished so "only" $2500 if I go that route with 3 year warranty
https://www.accessor...
If I want to upgrade my tower speakers I feel like I have to go with something like
https://www.accessor...
or
https://www.goldenea...
or
https://ascendacoust... those with the ribbon
If I don't need the flagship receiver, I was thinking something like https://www.accessor...
At $1400, that would leave enough for like the Focal towers (3200 pair), Focal center (700), and then go cheap on the rear / surrounds / overhead.
#4 Chad
1. What are your ultimate goals for your home theater experience? - Best quality I can get for my usage within my budget? End of the day I want a 9.1 system with 2 speakers ceiling mounted (or near it). I do probably 25% music, 20% tv, 20% movies, 35% video games. Room is 16x 16
2. Do you run multiple zones? No
3. What's your typical sources for content (ie: cable/dish, streaming, bluray)? music is off my old Zune, streaming, sometimes CDs. TV is 100% streaming, movies are probably 75% streaming, 25% bluray/dvd. Video games are mostly bluray but some DVD and CD and cartridge based gaming.
4. How much power do you need to drive your speakers? and do you want/need room to grow? Current speakers are 91db @ 1 meter @1 watt, 250w max recommended power. Most of the time I probably listen at less than 1 watt / channel. But I like to be able to turn it up now and then. I'd like 100 watt per channel that is actually making close to that 900 watts when running a 9.1 system for those times when I want to feel like the Apollo 13 launch is happening in my living room.
5. What receiver are you currently running? Onkyo 507. This is the most critical piece for me to upgrade.
6. What speakers and sub are you currently running? Floors - Boston Acoustics VR970, center Boston Acoustics VR-12, side/rears - Boston Acoustics HS-450, Sub - Velodyne VA-1250x
I am fairly happy with the front/center/sub, basically to improve front/center, I am thinking I need to spend in the neighborhood of $3-4k. My sub is a 12" active 15" passive, rated 22hz-120hz. So I am missing a bit on the bottom end, but I haven't found any better subs without going into at least $1k. The side/rears are way too big (they are mini-sized floor speakers I got for free). I am trying to decide between book shelf side / rears or to match them with the ceiling speakers.
Basically do I get like 2 of these
https://www.accessor...
and 4 of these
https://www.accessor...
Or just 6 of the first one? It seems like the rear speakers are mostly for staging.
And for the cost of the receiver, I plan on doing refurbished so "only" $2500 if I go that route with 3 year warranty
https://www.accessor...
If I want to upgrade my tower speakers I feel like I have to go with something like
https://www.accessor...
or
https://www.goldenea...
or
https://ascendacoust... those with the ribbon
If I don't need the flagship receiver, I was thinking something like https://www.accessor...
At $1400, that would leave enough for like the Focal towers (3200 pair), Focal center (700), and then go cheap on the rear / surrounds / overhead.
22-Jun-23 6:07pm
#5 Chad
https://www.ebay.com...?
If this was local I’d totally do that. That seems like it would work well for my rear / high speakers
#5 Chad
https://www.ebay.com...?
If this was local I’d totally do that. That seems like it would work well for my rear / high speakers
22-Jun-23 7:09pm
#6 John
I used to have a really nice, wired surround system many years ago. I was big into it. Have a sound meter and everything to make minor adjustments.
When I put in my dual 75" TCL TVs last year (for my wife and I to start playing Wonderlands), I decided to go simpler and went with this Vizio M512a-H6 Sound Bar with wireless sub and then two wired rear speakers (that attach to the sub). It's a 5.1.2 system with 2 speakers that point up and bounce off the ceiling.
I've been happy with it -- and it is under $400 now.
Just to throw it out there.
#6 John
I used to have a really nice, wired surround system many years ago. I was big into it. Have a sound meter and everything to make minor adjustments.
When I put in my dual 75" TCL TVs last year (for my wife and I to start playing Wonderlands), I decided to go simpler and went with this Vizio M512a-H6 Sound Bar with wireless sub and then two wired rear speakers (that attach to the sub). It's a 5.1.2 system with 2 speakers that point up and bounce off the ceiling.
I've been happy with it -- and it is under $400 now.
Just to throw it out there.
22-Jun-23 8:02pm
#7 Chad
You sort of bring up another option, get a dedicated stereo for music and then do something different for home theater just meeting those needs. I've never met a soundbar that meets my needs on music. With home theater a good portion of the experience is staging with multiple speakers. If I kept my front 3 speakers, got a $1000 receiver and spent like $500 on the rear/surround/ceiling speakers, that would leave me like $3k for some good towers and like $1k for something to drive them.
#7 Chad
You sort of bring up another option, get a dedicated stereo for music and then do something different for home theater just meeting those needs. I've never met a soundbar that meets my needs on music. With home theater a good portion of the experience is staging with multiple speakers. If I kept my front 3 speakers, got a $1000 receiver and spent like $500 on the rear/surround/ceiling speakers, that would leave me like $3k for some good towers and like $1k for something to drive them.
25-Jun-23 11:20pm
#8 Chad
I ended up getting:
https://www.accessor...
https://www.accessor... x4
https://www.accessor... x2
https://www.amazon.c... x2
right around $4k spent.
#8 Chad
I ended up getting:
https://www.accessor...
https://www.accessor... x4
https://www.accessor... x2
https://www.amazon.c... x2
right around $4k spent.
27-Jun-23 7:02pm
#10 Chad
I found out I maybe should have gotten these mounts instead
https://www.monopric...
People are saying the mounts I bought have the rubber ball wear out over time until it can't hold tension. But the speakers they will be holding are only 7 pounds each, so maybe they will do ok.
Anyway, last weekend I ended up going to a high end audio place in Seattle where they had a lot of the brands i was looking at.
https://www.amazon.c... if I was going to spend under $1500, this would be it.
https://nadelectroni... if I was going to spend $3500 I would have gotten this. Big thing on this is Dirac live out of the box. And people are raving about Dirac. This for $3500 vs the Marantz at $4000, this all day. But the Marantz refurbished with warranty for $2500 felt like a better deal.
https://www.crutchfi... I almost regret not spending $5500 on this. This was a glass G receiver and was clear step up. But, I figured with the Marantz I could run everything through an amp if I wanted, so getting that clean of power from the receiver ultimately didn't see worth it. It seemed like if I bought this receiver, I was going to end up spending $10-20k on sound just chasing just a bit better sound.
Speakers are tough. Quite a few brands sounded great pretty much across their line. Ultimately I went with bipole speakers for my surrounds. I want this set up to have no single best seat in the house, for all to be equally good. A lot of people are saying now bipole and dipole sucks. Dipole may suck, I am not sure on that, but bipole from what I read is less likely to have "hot spotting" in the room. So the surround effects aren't as good as they could be, but more idiot proof, I guess. It came down to Definitive Technology of Polks, so I went with the Definitive Technology just cuz. The bookshelf speakers I went with matched the sound of the surrounds well, so kept it in the same brand. I think they may have the same dome tweeter.
I considered going https://www.ebay.com...? those would match my towers and center. But those are also over 20 years old now. And overpriced. If they were $250 for them, I would have done it.
I feel like I have another $1k to spend still, so trying to decide between a 2nd sub or a stand alone amp. I don't think I could realistically upgrade my speakers for $1k unless I get a screaming deal used and local. I was a bit disappointed in all this to learn Boston Acoustics basically doesn't exist anymore. They weren't my favorites or anything, but I think the speakers I have from them easily stand up to the $1000/speaker floor speakers today. They are outclassed by the $3k/speaker ones though.
ok im done talking to myself.
#10 Chad
I found out I maybe should have gotten these mounts instead
https://www.monopric...
People are saying the mounts I bought have the rubber ball wear out over time until it can't hold tension. But the speakers they will be holding are only 7 pounds each, so maybe they will do ok.
Anyway, last weekend I ended up going to a high end audio place in Seattle where they had a lot of the brands i was looking at.
https://www.amazon.c... if I was going to spend under $1500, this would be it.
https://nadelectroni... if I was going to spend $3500 I would have gotten this. Big thing on this is Dirac live out of the box. And people are raving about Dirac. This for $3500 vs the Marantz at $4000, this all day. But the Marantz refurbished with warranty for $2500 felt like a better deal.
https://www.crutchfi... I almost regret not spending $5500 on this. This was a glass G receiver and was clear step up. But, I figured with the Marantz I could run everything through an amp if I wanted, so getting that clean of power from the receiver ultimately didn't see worth it. It seemed like if I bought this receiver, I was going to end up spending $10-20k on sound just chasing just a bit better sound.
Speakers are tough. Quite a few brands sounded great pretty much across their line. Ultimately I went with bipole speakers for my surrounds. I want this set up to have no single best seat in the house, for all to be equally good. A lot of people are saying now bipole and dipole sucks. Dipole may suck, I am not sure on that, but bipole from what I read is less likely to have "hot spotting" in the room. So the surround effects aren't as good as they could be, but more idiot proof, I guess. It came down to Definitive Technology of Polks, so I went with the Definitive Technology just cuz. The bookshelf speakers I went with matched the sound of the surrounds well, so kept it in the same brand. I think they may have the same dome tweeter.
I considered going https://www.ebay.com...? those would match my towers and center. But those are also over 20 years old now. And overpriced. If they were $250 for them, I would have done it.
I feel like I have another $1k to spend still, so trying to decide between a 2nd sub or a stand alone amp. I don't think I could realistically upgrade my speakers for $1k unless I get a screaming deal used and local. I was a bit disappointed in all this to learn Boston Acoustics basically doesn't exist anymore. They weren't my favorites or anything, but I think the speakers I have from them easily stand up to the $1000/speaker floor speakers today. They are outclassed by the $3k/speaker ones though.
ok im done talking to myself.
28-Jun-23 12:43pm
#11 John
We put in the dual 75" in the living room -- and we recently got a new couch with reclining seats and cup holders -- all mostly for better game playing and movie watching -- and I still feel like you're 18 levels ahead of all of the rest of us!
It's still fun to listen though -- I just have nothing to add because you're in a whole other league here.
#11 John
We put in the dual 75" in the living room -- and we recently got a new couch with reclining seats and cup holders -- all mostly for better game playing and movie watching -- and I still feel like you're 18 levels ahead of all of the rest of us!
It's still fun to listen though -- I just have nothing to add because you're in a whole other league here.
3-Jul-23 3:03pm
#12 Chad
All my stuff arrived today. I have the old receiver out and new in. Front 3 speakers are hooked up. Haven't done any calibrating yet, just ran them pushing it a little at higher volumes I can already tell a difference. At low volume, sounded the same. New receiver is close to twice the weight of old one.
I'm trying to decide if I'm happy with room lay out. I might move the room 90 degrees. I think I am going to hook up a 7.1 to start before I go to 5.1.4. I want to make sure the room is right before I start drilling holes in my new house.
#12 Chad
All my stuff arrived today. I have the old receiver out and new in. Front 3 speakers are hooked up. Haven't done any calibrating yet, just ran them pushing it a little at higher volumes I can already tell a difference. At low volume, sounded the same. New receiver is close to twice the weight of old one.
I'm trying to decide if I'm happy with room lay out. I might move the room 90 degrees. I think I am going to hook up a 7.1 to start before I go to 5.1.4. I want to make sure the room is right before I start drilling holes in my new house.
5-Jul-23 5:48pm
#13 Chad
i wish I didn't have a tv already.
https://secondipity....
that is an amazing deal on an amazing tv if anyone is need of an 83" TV. Its an old model, no 8k.
#13 Chad
i wish I didn't have a tv already.
https://secondipity....
that is an amazing deal on an amazing tv if anyone is need of an 83" TV. Its an old model, no 8k.
Home theater audio questions