A new Home Theater receiver question.....

So I close on my new house in a few weeks, so I'm actually going to get to setup a proper HT system.

My girlfriend will also be moving in with me, and bringing along her record player. I want to integrate that into the living room as well. Essentially, it's going to be a do it all setup. 5.1 (or 7.1 if I can figure out how to get everything mounted properly.

Plan is to be able to watch TV/Movies in surround, then listen to music either digitally or through the receiver in 2.1. I will be using something like a 12" sub and full-size tower speakers the the L/R. Then of course, whatever matches those for the center and surrounds.

I want to be able to run the turntable straight into the receiver. I don't want to mess with preamps, separate amp and speakers etc.

Suggestions? Or is basically any receiver with a R/L input going to work?

As long as there is a "Phono" input, you should be fine. I bought my Denon last year from Accessories 4 Less on a recommendation from another GRMer (DrBoost?)

With good sized woofers in your tower speakers, you might not need the sub. I never felt the need for a sub with my 12" woofer L/Rs

^I'll just say, I prefer having a dedicated sub.

Not sure on the receivers as I'm basically all vintage at this point, but some things:

• What model turntable? Some of the newer ones have a phono-preamp already built in, which allows you to plug into an aux/cd/digital port. If that is the case, any receiver will work.
• If it doesn't have a preamp built in, then make sure you get a receiver that has a phono input. Many, if not most, do not.
• I wouldn't let the lack of a phono input stop me if I loved everything else about the receiver though. You can get a decent phono-preamp for about $50 (they go up to a couple grand though).
• I am not a fan of surround sound, but have found that what I like best for surround sound speakers is not always that great for music. To that end, consider searching for a receiver that has an A/B Speaker switch. The "B" channel only has to be 2.1.

For a receiver, I'm not a super big fan of "integrated amps" (meaning, it does your receiver stuff and your amp stuff) because input handling advances far faster than the technology to power your speakers, but if you go that route, I would look for something that has a DAC (digital audio converter) to better handle your music (either via USB or over your network). On the plus side, if a receiver explicitly advertises such a feature, it will probably have a good phono input too! On the down side, receivers that cater towards audio enthusiasts and can do 7 channels for home theater usage tend to also be pricey. They also don't tend to be powerful either (but probably good enough for a small-medium room). Marantz ($$$) makes pretty good stuff on the integrated side. If you're willing to consider separate components (input preamp + 7 channel speaker amp), check out Emotiva ($), Outlaw Audio ($$), and Parasound ($$$$).

Yes, that's why I stated music in 2.1. I don't think it sounds good in surround either.

The only ones I've heard that sound ok are DVD/Live Concerts that have been specifically mastered for 5.1 playback.

Kylini wrote: For a receiver, I'm not a super big fan of "integrated amps" (meaning, it does your receiver stuff *and* your amp stuff) because input handling advances far faster than the technology to power your speakers, but if you go that route, I would look for something that has a DAC (digital audio converter) to better handle your music (either via USB or over your network). On the plus side, if a receiver explicitly advertises such a feature, it will probably have a good phono input too! On the down side, receivers that cater towards audio enthusiasts and can do 7 channels for home theater usage tend to also be pricey. They also don't tend to be powerful either (but probably good enough for a small-medium room). Marantz ($$$) makes pretty good stuff on the integrated side. If you're willing to consider separate components (input preamp + 7 channel speaker amp), check out Emotiva ($), Outlaw Audio ($$), and Parasound ($$$$).

I've found once you reach the level of decent speakers (Polk/Klipsch) and a quality receiver (high end Onkyo/Denon/Yamaha)........it's like a race car, you start spending cubic dollars for very small improvements in performance.

And this comes from a musician who used to help mix music at concerts.

z31maniac wrote: I've found once you reach the level of decent speakers (Polk/Klipsch) and a quality receiver (high end Onkyo/Denon/Yamaha)........it's like a race car, you start spending cubic dollars for very small improvements in performance. And this comes from a musician who used to help mix music at concerts.

Yeaaaaaaah..... I fell off that deep end. I tell myself it's okay because I scrounge forums and craigslist for my goodies but no matter how you cut it, there's better ways to spend a few grand. :P

Just a heads up, Monoprice makes a pretty fantastic 7 x 200 watt amp for $1500. An extra $500ish gets you a pre-processor like the Outlaw 975 or the Emotiva MC-700. Then again, you can also get a Marantz 7 x 50 watt crazy network wonderbox for $500 and not deal with the hassle of a heavy power-hungry box.

All of these require you to purchase a separate phono pre-amp. Pyle sells a good one for $20.

I think the entry-level Polk/Klipsch stuff is decent, but you still have a noticeable jump in quality going one level up.

I'm a fan of DIY for speakers, but if I were buying 5 on a budget, I'd go straight to Elac for the center/mains/rears. Check out the "Debut" or the "Uni-Fi" lines. I have not plumbed the depths of sub brands, however. Subs are even easier to DIY.

I'm probably not the best to recommend electronics, but I've had good luck with Yamaha's Aventage line. My preference would be to get something with Pre-outs in case you want to run external amps.

That would put the cost somewhere around $500 for the 5 speakers (5.0 combo deal), $900 or so for the receiver and, say, 2 15" dayton audio subs for $200 each for a total of $1800-$2000. You can easily go much much higher.

I've always had good luck with Yamaha receivers, but had a nice Pioneer that I really liked for years. I'm going to go against the other advice here and say you're best served by an integrated receiver. The cost of a "decent" receiver is just not that high and you get a lot of - wait for it - integration and thus ease of use by going with one of these. Most audiophile systems fail the wife (/girlfriend) test when it comes to actually turning them on and switching them to the right inputs, etc.

Set your TV/projector up as a dumb monitor with only HDMI input, and have the receiver handle everything else. Easy peasy and setting up a remote to be easy to use is much simpler then.

My last setup was a Yamaha with Klipsch speakers and a 15" sub and I was more than happy with it. But the specific receiver doesn't matter since at this point it would be hopelessly outdated. I will say that receivers are something worth shopping for - 40% off a current or one generation back model is not unheard of. The "daily deal" type things from various websites are worth looking at. I think one really good deal was on Amazon but I found it through Gizmodo's daily deals. I'm a bargain hunter so I try to stay flexible on brand and exact feature set requirements.

dculberson wrote: I've always had good luck with Yamaha receivers, but had a nice Pioneer that I really liked for years. I'm going to go against the other advice here and say you're best served by an integrated receiver. The cost of a "decent" receiver is just not that high and you get a lot of - wait for it - integration and thus ease of use by going with one of these. Most audiophile systems fail the wife (/girlfriend) test when it comes to actually turning them on and switching them to the right inputs, etc. Set your TV/projector up as a dumb monitor with only HDMI input, and have the receiver handle everything else. Easy peasy and setting up a remote to be easy to use is much simpler then. My last setup was a Yamaha with Klipsch speakers and a 15" sub and I was more than happy with it. But the specific receiver doesn't matter since at this point it would be hopelessly outdated. I will say that receivers are something worth shopping for - 40% off a current or one generation back model is not unheard of. The "daily deal" type things from various websites are worth looking at. I think one really good deal was on Amazon but I found it through Gizmodo's daily deals. I'm a bargain hunter so I try to stay flexible on brand and exact feature set requirements.

Precisely.

My previous setup was some entry level Polk speakers (not their cheapest but not their most expensive either), with a 12" 400W Polk sub and a mid-level Denon receiver.

I killed the sub and the Denon receiver right before I moved to OKC at the beginning of this year, or I'd just add some surrounds and go. But figured I'd upgrade the other speakers as well and let my old roommate keep using the Polks.

I listen to mostly hard rock and metal. I don't need to be able to hear the 6th chair violinist in the NYC Symphony.

RossD wrote: As long as there is a "Phono" input, you should be fine. I bought my Denon last year from Accessories 4 Less on a recommendation from another GRMer (DrBoost?) With good sized woofers in your tower speakers, you might not need the sub. I never felt the need for a sub with my 12" woofer L/Rs

Yeah, that was me. I love accessories4less

Great prices and great to deal with.

What kind of price point are you looking at??
Not knowing that, here's some that jump out at me
Onkyo 1

Yamaha 1

Dangit! Gotta go eat dinner. Both of the above units have phono in. That's getting hard to find. Unless your phono has HDMI out???

Ahh thanks! I'd be willing to spend up to $700 for a receiver.

But obviously, the less I spend there, the more I can put in speakers.

What kind of music do you like to listen to? Was it you that mentioned that you listen to HEAVY metal, and LOUD??

I'm not familiar with this brand, but the specs look good. That 90 dB sensitivity will really put some sound out there and make the most of the receiver.
Cabasse 1
I'd cross them over a little about their 57 Hz lower limit and allow the sub to handle everything below about 65 Hz. Speaking of subs, how much room do you have? The tapped horn I build in my home theater thread is amazing!!! I'll send you the plans if you are interested.

It is me who likes heavy music and loud. Go ahead and send me the plans! I forgot to measure the living room during the inspection, but I have a good idea of how I'm going to layout the living room.

Yeah, I typically let the sub handle 80hz and lower.

It looks like that brand may be out of business, everything on the site is open box/last one.

z31maniac wrote: Yes, that's why I stated music in 2.1. I don't think it sounds good in surround either. The only ones I've heard that sound ok are DVD/Live Concerts that have been specifically mastered for 5.1 playback.

What I meant on the AB switch is that you'd have 7 speakers for a 5.1 system--2 different sets of front speakers. One is used for theater, one is for music

mtn wrote:

z31maniac wrote: Yes, that's why I stated music in 2.1. I don't think it sounds good in surround either. The only ones I've heard that sound ok are DVD/Live Concerts that have been specifically mastered for 5.1 playback.

What I meant on the AB switch is that you'd have 7 speakers for a 5.1 system--2 different sets of front speakers. One is used for theater, one is for music

No, that's why I want a receiver that will do it all. I don't want to different sets of speakers up front.

Hence the desire for towers vs bookshelf speakers for listening to music.

The best $ you can spend on a mutt system is to get a Logitech Harmony remote. It'll go a long way to making whatever you have wife/girlfriend proof.

oldopelguy wrote: The best $ you can spend on a mutt system is to get a Logitech Harmony remote. It'll go a long way to making whatever you have wife/girlfriend proof.

Honestly, that's not really a concern.

I hate clutter and mismatched items.

oldopelguy wrote: The best $ you can spend on a mutt system is to get a Logitech Harmony remote. It'll go a long way to making whatever you have wife/girlfriend proof.

I agree. The fact that I have a box full of remotes that don't come out of the box more than once a year is a testament to the Harmony. The only reason I get them out is because I didn't feel like programming every obscure feature into the logitech. So if I want to adjust the delay of the rear channel, I grab the original remote.

z31maniac wrote:

oldopelguy wrote: The best $ you can spend on a mutt system is to get a Logitech Harmony remote. It'll go a long way to making whatever you have wife/girlfriend proof.

Honestly, that's not really a concern. I hate clutter and mismatched items.

The logitec may be mismatched, but it's one remote. No clutter.
When you get a logitec you plug it into your computer, tell it the model of the tv, dvd player, dvr, receiver, etc. and...BLAM it's 95% done for you. Amazing.

z31maniac wrote: It is me who likes heavy music and loud. Go ahead and send me the plans! I forgot to measure the living room during the inspection, but I have a good idea of how I'm going to layout the living room. Yeah, I typically let the sub handle 80hz and lower. It looks like that brand may be out of business, everything on the site is open box/last one.

You have a message....

After great experiences with a couple Onkyo reveivers, both which I still have, I bought a Marantz NR1501 because I wanted something that had a slim form factor to fit in a particulat spot. That thing is a dissappointment in that after a year or two it seemed to make strange popping sounds when turned on almost like it needed to warm up for a few minutes. Turns out it's a fairly common issue with them, at least that particular unit. The fix is to solder in a new voltage regulator. I would steer clear of Marantz unless you are ok with wasting money on a DIY electronics project after a year or two. On the other hand I have an Onkyo receiver I bought on 1991 that still works fine. YMMV.

T.J. wrote: After great experiences with a couple Onkyo reveivers, both which I still have, I bought a Marantz NR1501 because I wanted something that had a slim form factor to fit in a particulat spot. That thing is a dissappointment in that after a year or two it seemed to make strange popping sounds when turned on almost like it needed to warm up for a few minutes. Turns out it's a fairly common issue with them, at least that particular unit. The fix is to solder in a new voltage regulator. I would steer clear of Marantz unless you are ok with wasting money on a DIY electronics project after a year or two. On the other hand I have an Onkyo receiver I bought on 1991 that still works fine. YMMV.

And my dads Marantz from 1996 still works fine, as does his Marantz from 2003. One issue on one model does not warrant steering clear of an entire brand.