# New system or upgrade old?



## Spoonman (Mar 29, 2010)

I just stumbled across your forum and it has a wealth of information and it looks like many of you know far more about system composition and setup than I.

I recently acquired a new construction home from a builder that has cat5e and speaker cabling running to six different A/V zones. I would ideally like to have a central source for picture, video, and internet streaming to our two LCDs in the two different living rooms. I would also like to be able to run Audio to all six zones with the ability to control source and volume from each zone.

The equipment I currently have is:

Adcom GFA-585
Adcom GFP-565
Kef 104/2 Floorstanding Speakers
Onkyo HTIB (Not sure of model, but probably adequate for the downstairs living room)
Windows MCE 2005 PC
Linksys Media Center Extender (Old, not HDMI)

I really like the Audio set-up, but my wife hates the look of the 104/2's.

I guess my questions are these:

1. Can I use the Adcom stuff for Home theatre and distributed Audio or does it make more sense to get an A/V receiver such as an Onkyo TX series?

2. My wife wants bookshelf speakers and I was ready to get the Paradigm Mini Monitors and pair them with a good sub, but after looking through your site, I am not so sure now. The SVS's are getting a lot of recommendations here, are they more highly regarded?

3. Will I need seperate systems for the upstairs living room (Adult, 70% Audio, 30% Video), the downstairs living room (Kids, 90% Video), and the distributed audio to the Master Bed Room, Master Bath, Kitchen, and Deck?

Sorry for such a long Thread, but I am pretty confused. My budget for new equipment would be about $2,000.

Thank you for any help!


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## Dave Upton (Aug 4, 2009)

Welcome to the Shack! I'll answer what I can for you but i'm sure there are some very knowledgeable people here who can help you better than I.

1. Your Adcom amplifiers aren't designed for multizone audio so to speak - you can use each amp to power it's own room/zone but you'll still need to feed them from a central source. In this case I'll defer to those more knowledgeable than I.

2. While SVS speakers are great bang for your buck - the paradigms are in another league as far as music listening goes - what will their primary use be?

3. You will need amplification for each zone (separate) and a central pre/source if you go with separates. This doesn't handle the video distribution of course. Each room needs to have its own speakers and something to power them - whether this is several amps in one closet each powering a certain room - it may make more sense to have the kids room on a separate cheaper AVR and simply build in the capacity to have AV distributed here. I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to distribution.


It may also be pertinent to state a budget as distribution and control systems can get very expensive.


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## Spoonman (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks for the reply.

1. I was wondering it it would be possible to pair the Adcom Amplifier with one of the Onkyo AVRs with a pre-out to add power to the upstairs living room. Also, can the Onkyo receivers drive multi-room audio with control of source and volume in each zone?

2. The paradigms were mostly going to be for audio, paired with something like the SVS PB10-NSD. The room they would be in would be pretty big as it is about 18x20 with 18 foot ceilings. It is also open to the dining room and kitchen for a total length of about 40 feet.

3. I was going to go with relatively inexpensive in-ceiling speakers in the kitchen, MBR, MBath, and deck from someplace like monoprice.

My budget for new equipment is about $2k.

Thanks


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## lsiberian (Mar 24, 2009)

In ceiling speakers aren't really that great even the good one's aren't great. In-* anything is generally a bad idea if it can be avoided. 

Kef makes their own bookshelves and even their own satellite subwoofer systems. 

http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...5.1-Home-Theater-Speaker-Package-Black/1.html is by far the best small speaker setup in the world. They do offer some cheaper options though. Still if you are forced to go that route then you should be fine. 

Timbre is only required between the fronts. This is because we have heads.:bigsmile:

SVS makes very good speakers as does Infinity(Fry's has insane deals on the primus towers from time to time) These tower beat out some pairs of a 1k plus speakers in a contest. They sometimes go for 260 a pair at Fry's which is just crazy. 

Paradigm makes good speakers too as does B&W.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
Welcome to HomeTheaterShack. SVS definitely makes a very good Speaker at a very good price.
In a HT application, I would use your Adcom GFA-585 to drive your Front Speakers. Make sure whichever AV Receiver you choose has preamp outputs so the Adcom can be incorporated.

What is the max budget you feel comfortable spending on Speakers? The GFA-585 is a beast of an Amplifier and gives you flexibility in terms of Front Speakers. If there is a Dynaudio Dealer in your area, I highly recommend an audition. Dynaudio makes simply fantastic Drivers. Especially their Esotec Soft Dome Tweeter. Focal is another Speaker line I would audition. They too make their own Drivers. And Focal's Inverted Dome Tweeter is right up there with Dynaudio's Esotec's.

Dynaudio and Focal have many lines of Speakers with some costing a fortune, however they do have Series that are not that much more expensive than Paradigm. Both are European Built and Designed.
Dynaudio makes some beautiful Speakers that might pass muster with your Wife.

I really would audition as many Speakers as you can. Your GFA-585 is a very high current Amplifier and could also drive Martin Logan Electrostatic Speakers as well. Another Company you might want to audition.

If the Paradigm Mini Monitor is about the max you want to spend, it might be difficult to find Dynaudio or Focal's in your range. However, if you are a Music lover, I highly recommend an audition. Also, on Audiogon, there are some great deals of NIB Dynaudio Audience Series Speakers. They have been discontinued is the reason for the deals.

****Just saw your max budget for Audio gear is 2K total. Seeing your Amplifier, I started thinking of Musically inclined Speakers that are not super efficient. However, they will go over your budget. Did not see your 2K Post until after posting. My apologies.****
Cheers,
JJ


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