I’m just in the process of upgrading my home theater. Currently I have…
Pioneer AV Receiver - DD/DTS 5.1 - Cheap POS…
D-Box Ambiance II speakers all around
D-Box David 303 Sub
Up until this point I’ve been on a tight budget, and my equipment shows that. The D-box speakers are made in Quebec City and are decent for the price I paid, so I will be keeping those for a little while longer. Same goes for the sub.
I only have a 27" TV, but I’m waiting for the Samsung 61" DLP rear-projection sets to come down in price.
So I’m going to upgrade my receiver. I want to futureproof myself a little, as well as ensure that whatever I get I can use as a pre-amp/processor down the road if I go the separates route.
The choices so far are:
Marantz 8200
Denon 3803
Pioneer 43TX
NAD T762
I don’t want a Yamaha. I’m not really into DSPs and Yamaha has more than any… I’d rather pay for a better core system than bells and whistles.
I’m really into the Marantz 8200. I know the problems people have with them, but I really like the fact that I can drop an additional $200 US and have the hardware/firmware updated by Marantz to equal the 8300. The 8200s are being liquidated now to make room for the 8300s, and can be had for a decent price (around $1800 CDN).
So what do you, the Teeming Millions, have at home? I betcha Cecil has got one wicked setup
Trust me. Get yourself a surround sound setup. If you’re not a AV geek then a “home theatre in a box” setup is just fine. You can purchase a receiver, speakers and sub for only a few hundred dollars.
That’s how I started out, and then I replaced the parts as I could afford them.
Ummmm…Yamaha owner checking in here. The DSP A-1 has been magnificent - lots and lots of clean power and enough inputs to handle DirecTV, DVD, VCR, Playstation2, CD and LaserDisc players simultaneously. I’ve got all seven speakers hooked up (giant Cerwin Vegas I got 10 years ago for the mains, NHT for the rest) and the various DSP programs actually DO make a difference. Watching Fleetwood Mac’s The Dance in 5.1 is great - but when you switch to “Hall” or “Rock Concert” it sounds even better. To my ear, at least!
Sony Mega-changer 200 disc DVD/CD player does the grunt work, and it’s all shown on a 53" Sony projection HDTV.
I wouldn’t mind getting a good sound system at all, but my wife – the self-proclaimed audiophile – has no interest(!) in setting up a set of speakers(!!) and hooking it all up to the teevee(!!!). She’d rather buy a separate stereo setup and stick it in another part of the house… :rolleyes:
Onkyo TXSV70Pro receiver (Yeah, I know it’s old, only does analog Dolby Surround, no DTS, no digital inputs, no component video switching, no Ethernet connection…)
NHT speakers: 1.5’s up front, SC1 center, Super Zero rears
Velodyne ULD-12 subwoofer
Sony progressive-scan DVD player
Some cheap open-box VHS deck, used only for playing the rare rental tape
Dish Network DishPlayer satellite receiver with 60-hour hard drive recording
Sony progressive-scan DVD player
Sony 40" XBR Wega TV
Cables are primarily “Monster”
A Panamax power conditioner keeps the neighbor’s mixmaster from making static in the sound or picture. An APC UPS keeps the VCR and DishPlayer running through power hiccups.
There seems to be a certain synergy between Onkyo amps, NHT speakers and Velodyne subs. I’ve see the same combo of brands often enough that it can’t be a coincidence.
The TV - 40 inches of direct-view high-definition ready beauty. Built-in line multiplying and “3-2 pulldown” processing, so there’s no scan lines.
Mitsubishi 55807 16:9 HDTV
Denon 1600 DVD Video/Audio player
Yamaha RX-V1 Receiver
Polk front/surround speakers
Cerwin Vega Sub
Sony Smartfile VCR
Pioneer 604 Laserdisc player
Philips Neo Pronto remote
600+DVDs 50ish LDs
and a very understanding wife…
Sony 110 x 5 virtual 6.1 reciever/amp
Sony cd/dvd/sacd player
Sony md player/recorder
Panasonic laserdisc player
Bose am-15 speaker system
all in my bedroom!
21" Panasonic POS TV
(Ancient) Scott 975R
(Ancient) Marantz SP800 cabs
Cheap speakers off a boombox to run to the rear for surround
Apex DVD, CD, VCD and MP3 player with 5.1 and DTS, which I cant use cause of my analog amp unless I take my Boston BA7500G system off my computer.
Sony Wega 32"
Sony reciever (forget which model, cost an arm and a leg though)
JVC progressive scan
Center, fronts and rears (don’t need no stinkin sub because of the 15 inch woofers on the fronts)
All interconnects & speaker cable are Monster, audio is optical, video is component.
Panasonic 27" Flat CRT – looking to upgrade to a 32" Samsung HDTV ready tube
Pioneer VSX-D711 Receiver 100w x 5
B&W 602 fronts on Sanus stands
B&W CC6 center
Sony 10” 250w sub
Old 40w Pioneer rears
Old Pioneer 6 disc CD changer
Sony DVP-NS325S (when did DVD players start costing less than a night on the town?)
I salvaged and scrimped and managed to put together a very nice sounding setup for a fraction of what it would have cost me retail. Hey, if some audiophile needs the newest, best thing right away I’m more than happy to relieve him of last year’s newest best thing for half the cost.
Let’s see. It came in a box, and I unpacked it, and put the little wires in the back, and don’t use that big speaker because it makes my tummy go all woogy and disturbs the downstairs neighbours. Oh, and the rear speakers don’t have stands so they’re balanced on my couch.
I like this thread… it could also be titled… who’s house should I break into?
well I will add mine to the List…
Sony HDTV 43" Projection TV.
Denon AVR -3803 receiver
Sony 5 Disc Progressive Scan DVD player
7 Channel Surround Sound - Room 1.
2 in room 2 (for music)
All monster Cables…
I think I had an orgasm the first time I had it all hooked up and watched the matrix (of course)
I bought the JBL Home Theater Pro-pack. Steal of a life time. 5 disc changer, although it isn’t prog-scan. 100 watts per channel amp with Dolby Digital and DTS decoding. Plus, the THD rating on the amp is 0.07%- which is better than the 0.08% that I saw listed for some Marantz amp that was waaaay overpriced.
The thing that makes this a steal is the fact that I bought it refurbished from JBL for half the listing price and still got a like new warrenty.
My next hope is to upgrade my 36" TV to a 50" Samsung DLP HDTV.
