Shopping for receiver

[yourbeliefs]

To be fair, they will visually dominate the room. If you don't have a WAF, and can tolerate the dorm room look of huge speakers in a small room, then Paul's advice is good. The sound will be there, and you will likely place less stress on the system this way.

Oh yeah. The cluttered look is the LEAST of my concerns. I mean in that small room will be that and a 40-50" television, so clearly this will be a case of "Substance over Style." As far as the WAF goes (which I thought was a technical term until I googled it), my fiancee said that she's fine with it. Her concern was that the speakers may be bigger than her (she's about 5'3", 100 lbs. )

 

[Dirtydan]

My den is the same size as your room, go with the Yambeka speakers, they are not the best, but very good, and they are black and I hardly notice them.

 

[yourbeliefs]

My den is the same size as your room, go with the Yambeka speakers, they are not the best, but very good, and they are black and I hardly notice them.

Looks like the cost for the 606 (338.51 from Amazon) and the speakers (359) brings me up to $697.51.

Now I get to buy speaker wire, mounts, and a television/component stand. Any suggestions on those?

 

[Paul Wozniak]

A spool of any 12 or 14 gauge speaker wire will do just fine. (The high-end police will be knocking at my door, tonight). If you need interconnects, Monoprice is the place to go, (and the speaker wire also). No nonsense pricing and advice. I've used Sanus speaker stands back in the day, and found them to be of great quality and fairly priced. As for my TV and equipment stand, i got a great deal on a floor model at CC. I paid $125 for a $400 stand that holds my TV and the rest of my equipment. I will recommend an open stand, though, for ventilation's sake. Some Onkyo's run a little hot (mine doesn't), as do some components that have hard drives. Besides it's a lot easier to access your connections. I traded out the feet on the rack for some wheels I bought at Home Depot, which increases the ease of getting behind my components as well as cleaning back there. Have fun, it's always exciting to get some new "toys".

 

[yourbeliefs]

A spool of any 12 or 14 gauge speaker wire will do just fine. (The high-end police will be knocking at my door, tonight). If you need interconnects, Monoprice is the place to go, (and the speaker wire also). No nonsense pricing and advice. I've used Sanus speaker stands back in the day, and found them to be of great quality and fairly priced. As for my TV and equipment stand, i got a great deal on a floor model at CC. I paid $125 for a $400 stand that holds my TV and the rest of my equipment. I will recommend an open stand, though, for ventilation's sake. Some Onkyo's run a little hot (mine doesn't), as do some components that have hard drives. Besides it's a lot easier to access your connections. I traded out the feet on the rack for some wheels I bought at Home Depot, which increases the ease of getting behind my components as well as cleaning back there. Have fun, it's always exciting to get some new "toys".

Is it hard to get those "floor model" versions? I saw that stands were rather expensive, and unfortunately I have a tv, D* HR20, PS3, Wii, 360, and Receiver that need a resting place.

 

[Zookster]

If you can't find a floor model you like at BB, CC, or Sears, look for something new at Costco, Target, or Ikea (not all their furniture is "blond").

 

[yourbeliefs]

If you can't find a floor model you like at BB, CC, or Sears, look for something new at Costco, Target, or Ikea (not all their furniture is "blond").

Another thing about floor models: I'm assuming those things come "as-is" and not in a box. Will I have to go and transport a fully assembled stand in my vehicle? Also, having only experience with one stand (which really I should take for myself but my dad still needs a place for all of his stuff..) are the things somewhat easily assembled and disassembled?

 

[jayn_j]

I have always been astounded at how cheaply constructed these $300 stands actually are. They mostly have a thin vinyl veneer over particle board. They are peg and glue and/or cam locked together. They tend to be quite heavy, but not very strong. When I moved last time, I had a couple of guys try to move the stand. They lifted it by the top shelf, and the whole unit simply fell apart.

I would also be careful about shelf size and spacing. Mine was constructed so that two normal size pieces of equipment friction fit side-by side with no room for airflow. The shelves wer only slightly taller than the average DVD player/VCR. They were too small to fit my receiver. So measure carefully. Airflow is a big deal.

I would second Paul's comment about fitting feet. Otherwise it is difficult to get behind and run cabling. You also tend to create rat's nests because you can't get back there to do it right.

If I were doing it again, I would design something myself with lots of right angles, plywood, and plenty of ventelation space.

 

[Zookster]

You do get what you pay for if that. My GF recently got a really nice stand on sale from Target. Very sturdy. Looks and feels like real wood. My stand from Costco was one like jayn_j describes, but for $100 it has been plenty strong to support my 154 lb. 1080i CRT TV. I actually made sure I could find a stand to suit my current and future needs before getting the TV, so you might work on getting the stand first before adding any more components to your system.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Another thing about floor models: I'm assuming those things come "as-is" and not in a box. Will I have to go and transport a fully assembled stand in my vehicle? Also, having only experience with one stand (which really I should take for myself but my dad still needs a place for all of his stuff..) are the things somewhat easily assembled and disassembled?

]I have always been astounded at how cheaply constructed these $300 stands actually are. They mostly have a thin vinyl veneer over particle board. They are peg and glue a[/B]nd/or cam locked together. They tend to be quite heavy, but not very strong. When I moved last time, I had a couple of guys try to move the stand. They lifted it by the top shelf, and the whole unit simply fell apart.

I would also be careful about shelf size and spacing. Mine was constructed so that two normal size pieces of equipment friction fit side-by side with no room for airflow. The shelves wer only slightly taller than the average DVD player/VCR. They were too small to fit my receiver. So measure carefully. Airflow is a big deal.

I would second Paul's comment about fitting feet. Otherwise it is difficult to get behind and run cabling. You also tend to create rat's nests because you can't get back there to do it right.

If I were doing it again, I would design something myself with lots of right angles, plywood, and plenty of ventelation space.

I bought a metal stand with very thick glass shelving, it's 60" wide. Put the glass in the back seat, hung the frame out of the trunk. (Funny thing is that I own a pickup, but wasn't driving it the day we bought the stand.) I would recommend a metal stand anyhow, because of the reasons jayn stated.
As for obtaining a floor model, do what I did, I told a saleman I wanted the floor model. You may even want to look for a metal one that has a paint scratch on it, for additional savings. Take it home and respray it with a couple of cans of paint, and your in business for around a c-note.

 

[nyvram]

Ok guys, tear me apart.

I'm really leaning toward the 606..sounds like a winner for $335 (no tax & free shipping from Amazon).

After consulting the 'cheap but good' threads at avs; I found these speakers (building from ground up).

I have DISH722, XBox360+HD-DVD player, 47" 1080p LCD and basically audio coming out of my TV. :\

My tv area is roughly 12x12

A year ago I was all set to buy these..but now the deals are all dead (except for the subwoofer)

2 Polk R50 @ outpost.com/frys - $49 (for pair)
2 Polk R150 @ outpost.com/frys - $69 * 2
Center channel - Polk CSi25 @ amazon: $59
subwoofer - Bic h100 @ overstock ($280ish)


Now I'm LOST!! I'm not an audiophile, but I do want decent room-filling sound. Is there a better 'budget' setup out there these days? I'm looking to spend ~$500 on the speakers.

I don't care where I buy them..just looking for a surround setup that sounds good together and is a bit higher end than that 'theater in a box' crud.

Suggestions?

 

[nyvram]

Is there a side-by-side comparison between the Onkyo 606 and the Yamaha 663? I'm torn between those two recievers since they're both in the mid-$350ish range. Both seem like alot for the money.

What would be the advantage to going with a more expensive one? The 2 HDMI inputs on the Yamaha don't worry me if the rest of the unit is top notch.

Is there a chart anywhere that compares the features of the two?

 

[jayn_j]

Is there a side-by-side comparison between the Onkyo 606 and the Yamaha 663? I'm torn between those two recievers since they're both in the mid-$350ish range. Both seem like alot for the money.

What would be the advantage to going with a more expensive one? The 2 HDMI inputs on the Yamaha don't worry me if the rest of the unit is top notch.

Is there a chart anywhere that compares the features of the two?

Can't help on the comparisons. BB carries Yamaha, CC the Onkyo. Without knowing your area, I can't make a suggestion other than visiting both stores and creating your own list. For feature checkoff, you can go to the manufacturers' websites, but that won't get you side by side listening.

About the only thing I can suggest is to buy both, try them at home and return the one that doesn't work. However, I suspect they will sound about equal, and the decision will b4e made on features and on subjective feel that you can do with the floor models.

Don't discount the 2 vs 4 HDMI. You will need one for the sat receiver, and one for the BluRay player. That means you are out of inputs when the next greatest thing comes along (game console, media server, next gen camcorder, etc)

 

[yourbeliefs]

Don't discount the 2 vs 4 HDMI. You will need one for the sat receiver, and one for the BluRay player. That means you are out of inputs when the next greatest thing comes along (game console, media server, next gen camcorder, etc)

Part of the reason I was eying the 606. I have 3 HDMI machines, and I wouldn't exactly be upset if I had to give up the component and optical cords in favor of just ONE, all with better picture and sound.

 

[jayn_j]

Ok guys, tear me apart.
...

Now I'm LOST!! I'm not an audiophile, but I do want decent room-filling sound. Is there a better 'budget' setup out there these days? I'm looking to spend ~$500 on the speakers.

I don't care where I buy them..just looking for a surround setup that sounds good together and is a bit higher end than that 'theater in a box' crud.

Suggestions?

I find the thought of buying speakers without listening to them absolutely scarey

I like my Klipsch setup, but an awful lot of folks find them overly bright and a bit harsh. YMMV, and it should. Get out there. Listen to a lot of speakers. Go to places where they are properly set up. Be honest about your budget.

As for mail order, deals will come and go. After you have done your homework, go and hit the sites and find the deals you are looking for. Personally, I look at the following sites:

Amazon.com
onecall.com
crutchfields.com
woot.com (have to wait for the speakers to come around in rotation)
half.com
ebay
half.com
overstock.com
pricegrabber.com
etc.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Ok guys, tear me apart.

I'm really leaning toward the 606..sounds like a winner for $335 (no tax & free shipping from Amazon).

After consulting the 'cheap but good' threads at avs; I found these speakers (building from ground up).

I have DISH722, XBox360+HD-DVD player, 47" 1080p LCD and basically audio coming out of my TV. :\

My tv area is roughly 12x12

A year ago I was all set to buy these..but now the deals are all dead (except for the subwoofer)

2 Polk R50 @ outpost.com/frys - $49 (for pair)
2 Polk R150 @ outpost.com/frys - $69 * 2
Center channel - Polk CSi25 @ amazon: $59
subwoofer - Bic h100 @ overstock ($280ish)


Now I'm LOST!! I'm not an audiophile, but I do want decent room-filling sound. Is there a better 'budget' setup out there these days? I'm looking to spend ~$500 on the speakers.

I don't care where I buy them..just looking for a surround setup that sounds good together and is a bit higher end than that 'theater in a box' crud.

Suggestions?

Why would we do that? We're here to help. If you look for more closeout deals I'm sure you can find some similar deals again. I would suggest that you spend the $500 on your main speakers and then save up for a subwoofer. Speakers will make the biggest difference in sound. For about $800, I would recommend Definitive Tech. I just heard them in a buddy's house a week ago, and was blown away by what I heard. By the way he is using an Onkyo 605 to power them. They sounded way better than $800 should sound. I'm sure the rest of the guys will give you some other choices, and I'll advice you to just get out and listen to as many as possible. For me, half the fun is auditioning. Stretch the budget a little and you will be surprised at what is out there. Have fun!

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Part of the reason I was eying the 606. I have 3 HDMI machines, and I wouldn't exactly be upset if I had to give up the component and optical cords in favor of just ONE, all with better picture and sound.

I still have a birds nest behind my stand.

6 sets of speaker wires. (Magnepan MC-1's, CC3 center, MMG-W's, JBL back surround.

2 Y-connectors leading to 2 subwoofers, 2 interconnects running to the Velodyne control unit, 2 interconnects running to the subwoofers. (Velodyne URL-!2, and a JBL 10")

Six interconnects for audio, 3 inters for Video, and a toslink for dig. audio, and 2 interconnects for analog audio output -from the back of a Pioneer Universal DVD (For SACD/DVD-A).

3 interconnects to DirecTv box (HR20-100), 3 more for video out, and another toslink for a Panasonic DVD recorder.

3 HDMI's - one from the D* box, the other from a PS3. The third runs from my receiver (Onkyo 805) to the TV.

Cables to the Satellite box (2), and a another cable for an OTA antennae.

Am and FM antennae's.

2 interconnects running under the floor to a bedroom closet, where my turntable (Sonograph, sumiko arm, Ortofon MC cartridge) and preamp (Carver) are set up.

2 interconnects running from D* box to audio in on my 55" Sony RPTV. Don't know why I bothered with that, we NEVER use the set for audio.

There were 3 interconnects for video and a dig. interconnect running from the D* box to the receiver until a few days ago when I finally replaced them with a HDMI.

49 wires just for audio and video. Now add in 5 electrical cords leading to a Monster master surge protector.

Now that I think of it, it looks more like a rat's nest. Very hard to keep it all neat and straight, but I do have all of the electrical cords away from all the audio and video cable.

 

[Zookster]

Is there a side-by-side comparison between the Onkyo 606 and the Yamaha 663? I'm torn between those two recievers since they're both in the mid-$350ish range. Both seem like alot for the money.

What would be the advantage to going with a more expensive one? The 2 HDMI inputs on the Yamaha don't worry me if the rest of the unit is top notch.

Is there a chart anywhere that compares the features of the two?

I was in the very same dilemma about three months ago and was leaning heavily toward the Onkyo, but the deal-breaker for was the heat issue, so I ended up getthing Yamaha 663 at Best Buy knowing if for any reason I wasn't happy I could bring it back.

If you haven't, I would check out the official threads for those two receivers on AVS forums. Though they are mostly populated by fanboys for the respective receivers, the first post usually gives a fairly objective pro and cons for each one, and then by skimming through the 100s of pages that follow, you'll get a good sense of the issues with each one. AT this price point, neither is perfect.

I have no regrets getting the Yamaha. It's a very high-quality product, runs cool, and has excellent sound (I feel like I'm listening to my CD collection for the first time again, though the 663 was replacing a decent Panasonic AVR) . I actually only needed one HDMI for my PS3 because my HD DVR from Cox Cable looks better over component. If HDMI becomes an issue in the future, I'll just pick up a switch at Monoprice for around $40.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

The heat issue seems to run from unit to unit. I've read that the Onkyo 805 runs hot for some people, yet mine has never gotten hotter than room temperature. I can't explain this.

 

[yourbeliefs]

The heat issue seems to run from unit to unit. I've read that the Onkyo 805 runs hot for some people, yet mine has never gotten hotter than room temperature. I can't explain this.

As long as it doesn't melt anything the heat issue isn't major for me.