# Please Help With Gear Selection



## musicfan (Jun 21, 2010)

Hello,

I am ready to move ahead with installation of a home theater in our basement. It's a nice sized room that's already been wired appropriately. Here's what our home theater advisor is recommending:

TV = Sharp 70" LC70LE857 Class - LED - 1080p - 240Hz - Smart - 3D Sharp 

Receiver = Yamaha RXV675 7.2 Surround Receiver. This seems a bit lower powered, but let me know what you think please.

DVD Player = Sharp BD-AMS10u 3D Blu-ray Disc™ player 3D Blu-ray Disc™ player

Speakers: These are the choices. Basically 5.1 is what I'll be doing. The audio guy suggested "on wall" speakers rather than floor standing, since the teenagers also wrestle around down there. Can anyone give me reactions about "on walls" or these choices? Others? 

Martin Logan $2680

http://www.martinlogan.com/motionSeries/models/ultra-slim.php SLM
http://www.martinlogan.com/motionSeries/models/motion-15-30.php
http://www.martinlogan.com/dynamo/index.php#dynamo700w

episode $2100
http://www.snapav.com/p-1253-es-sub-trp8-300-blk.aspx
http://www.snapav.com/p-426-es-700-mon-6-blk.aspx
http://www.snapav.com/p-989-es-300-owlcr-l-blk.aspx

PSB $2850
http://www.psbspeakers.com/products/imagine/Imagine-W1-On-Wall-Speaker
http://www.psbspeakers.com/products/surround-speakers/Image-S5-Surround
http://www.psbspeakers.com/products/subwoofers/SubSeries-200-Subwoofer


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## seanpatrick (Apr 16, 2013)

Well I can't tell you much about the other two selections but I have a 9.2 PSB set up with the Image line ( the step down from the Imagine line you're looking at ) and can tell you I'm quite happy with them. I'd love to get my hands on some imagine's actually, as I hear they've drool worthy sound. As far as power goes, unless you're running at reference in your basement it should be O.K... 90 wpc at 8ohms is probably closer to 60 watts with 5 channels driven, but in an enclosed environment like that I'm sure you'll be fine, unless of course your basement is palatial. As far as needing to get on wall for teenagers, I don't know about that, they're not like 4 year olds where you have to be concerned about a floorstander tipping over and hurting them - just tell them they won't be going to college if they damage any of them. Besides which, if they're foolhardy enough to damage speakers on stands what makes you think they won't find a way to damage ones hanging on the walls? .. The one thing I will say definitely is NOT to go with any of the speaker manufacturer's proprietary subwoofers. You will get WAY WAY WAY more performance and bang for the buck if you go for sub from a respected subwoofer ID manufacturer such as SVS, Rythmic, HSU, or PSA.


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## zieglj01 (Jun 20, 2011)

I would not worry about bookshelf or tower speakers on the floor, with
good speakers, they may enjoy them. >>> however, in-wall for your
surrounds is a decent option, or you can wall-mount your surrounds.


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

What is the size of the room? 
other options for On wall are the Definitive Tech Mythos line, Axiom Audio. I have found that on/in wall speakers are laking in bass responce which puts more emphisis on your subwoofer, if you are going this way I would highly recommend going with a HSU or SVS subwoofer (I have an SVS cylinder sub which I find performs very will with smaller speakers). 
Will you be able to control the ambient light? If you have control I would look at a Plasma over a LED, something from Panasonic. I find the colors (once calibrated) to be much nicer then LEDs

As for a DVD player, most here at HTS will point you to the Oppo http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-103/

To save some $ you can find excellent deals on Onkyo and Denon 

Depending on your budget I would point you too the Onkyo 

http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...-Ch-THX-Certified-Network-A/V-Receiver/1.html

Or if you use alot of Apple products (airplay, Itunes) you may find the Denon X4000 a better fit:

http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...Ultra-HD-Networking-Receiver-w/AirPlay/1.html

Both units offer Audyssey MultEQ XT32 room correction which I beleive is substantially better then what is offered by Yamaha.


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## musicfan (Jun 21, 2010)

Guys,

Thank you so much for your replies. They are helpful as I try to juggle (1) making my wife, who wants this project installed before Christmas, happy; (2) being fair to our home A/V adviser, who comes to the house and is a good guy and helped us a few years ago when we installed our current system in the family room; and (3) trying to do some research so I can buy some decent gear – even perhaps beyond what my adviser, who has a lot of experience and knowledge, but is not an audiophile, is recommending. Notice which consideration came in as no. 3!! 

Back in July 2010, when I was here last, I bought a refurbished Onkyo TX-SR876 THX Ultra2 Plus 140 watts channel 7.1 Receiver from accessories4less based on recommendations on the site, and I also ended up utilizing some AV123 speakers that I had previously purchased as Left/Right/Center speakers, together with an old subwoofer that someone gave me. Together with a top-of-the-line at the time Panasonic plasma, some rear speakers, appropriate brackets and wiring etc., it's been great for us.

So, this time around, I have a fantastic basement space that my guys wired for virtually every option I could think of back in July 2010 in terms of speaker placements, type of display, etc. and I am ready to go.

I'm sure my A/V Guy will accommodate whatever I want to do, but it's easiest and most efficient to simply pick something that he has suggested or close to it. Here's where I am at the moment, and I welcome (and appreciate) more input from you guys and others:

TV: As I mentioned above, we used a Panasonic plasma for our family room set up, and I also bought another Panasonic plasma for our bedroom, and they have been great. My A/V guy tells me that the largest Panasonic Plasma is a 65 inch, and they don't even make that anymore so they are hard to find. He thought that a smaller plasma would likely be too small for our set up down there, which is why he's recommending the Sharp AQUOS 70” LCD/LED Sharp (LC70LE857). So, for the TV, I would be inclined to go with his recommendation unless folks think I would be making a mistake, and should focus on a different make/model. We already ruled out projectors and screens based on the nature of the ceiling/room/etc. In response to your question, I am largely able to control the ambient light. I think it's really a size issue, and it's a pretty wide viewing area, so I wouldn't mind a bigger one.

Receiver: Again, I was happy with the Onkyo TX-SR876 you guys recommended at the time, and it has worked well. If the Yamaha RXV675 is a decent one, with enough power, I would be inclined to go with his recommendation. Again, I'm all ears with respect to Yamaha or others.

DVD/Blu-ray: I really appreciate the recommendation of the Oppo, and would be happy to go that route. My spidey senses were telling me that I could likely do better than the Sharp BD-AMS10u that he was recommending. Although he did tell me that he was recommending the sharp DVD player because it was the same brand as the TV and that it would be simpler in terms of setup options either initially, or if I lose power someday.

Speakers: This is the toughest one, the one that probably involves the most money, and the one where I am probably willing to dig in my heels in order to get the best results. The biggest issue is floor standing vs. “on walls.” I am not able to do “in walls” in the front because of solid masonry walls in strategic spots. I would prefer floorstanding, but my wife feels pretty strongly about on walls. So, I'm really interested in finding out whether I can get decent sound quality from “on walls.” I'll ask my guy about Axiom and Definitive Tech Mythos. He did tell me at the outset that he recommended some higher-end on walls to address my concerns.

Subwoofer: I totally appreciate the multiple suggestions regarding getting a high quality subwoofer. It looks like either the SVS PC12 NSD 12-inch 400 Watt Cylinder model ($749) that you linked or the SVS PB12 NSD Black Vinyl 12-inch 400 Watt model ($699) would be good. That said, the Martin Logan, PSB and SnapAV Episode models my guy recommends don’t look bad, and they would likely match sonically (correct?). Also, my guy told me that the subs was recommending were pretty high quality. However, you saw the links for those subwoofer's, and still provided two strong recommendations to go with a SVS type, so I am inclined to listen to you.

In any event, as I said I really appreciate your input. In the interest of time, and getting the installers to be able to complete the job before the holidays, I am likely to make my decisions shortly, in large part based on reputation and advice from folks. It's not realistic for me to audition stuff at this point. Just being honest.

So, any reactions/help welcomed.

Thanks, Mike


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## zieglj01 (Jun 20, 2011)

^^^I would look at the Yamaha A820 from AC4L
http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...2-Channel-Network-AVENTAGE-AV-Receiver/1.html

I would think about taking the wife out for dinner and a movie, and work
towards some tower speakers up front.

Now if that really does not work - then look at Atlantic Technology FS-3200 
speakers - Atlantic makes good stuff.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/atlanti...lack/8845563.p?id=1218912946716&skuId=8845563

http://www.atlantictechnology.com/Upload/images/product_photos/large/lg_fs3200-blk.jpg


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## seanpatrick (Apr 16, 2013)

musicfan said:


> Guys,
> 
> Thank you so much for your replies. They are helpful as I try to juggle (1) making my wife, who wants this project installed before Christmas, happy; (2) being fair to our home A/V adviser, who comes to the house and is a good guy and helped us a few years ago when we installed our current system in the family room; and (3) trying to do some research so I can buy some decent gear – even perhaps beyond what my adviser, who has a lot of experience and knowledge, but is not an audiophile, is recommending. Notice which consideration came in as no. 3!!
> 
> ...


The Yamaha you listed did get some great reviews for an AVR in it's price range - and I wouldn't worry about power - BUT, a receiver with XT32 and perhaps SUBEQ would give you potentially the best quality sound. Not that the unit actually SOUNDS better then the Yammy - but the room correction is as good as you can buy these days. I'd second you picking up a Denon X 4000 ( that's what I have ). It's got both XT32 room correction software, and SUBEQ ( the ability to measure two subs separately ). You can pick up an X 4000 for about 1000 right now. You could also get the less expensive Yammy now and wait untill next year to invest in a model with XT32 - AND Hdmi 2.0, which isn't out yet but will be on most good models next year. Your TV selection sounds good, and I've heard people in another forum I belong to love it. As far as the subs go, again, don't go for a proprietary subwoofer. There is so much mark up from a speaker company selling the subs that you get MUCH MUCH better quality equipment for the same price with a speciality Internet Direct company. You don't have to worry about subs " matching " speakers the way you want your speakers to match - that's not how it works with subs. Even my PSB dealer hinted that there were better subs to be had when I was looking at their subs. Having been a member of a couple forums for a while now, I can tell you that everyone who values hard hitting quality bass goes for a sub from one of the above company's. I have two SVS PC12's and couldn't be happier - they're GREAT. But PSA, HSU and Rythmic also make great subs. I'm not mentioning Seaton as they're 2500+ but same idea, an ID sub manufacturer who makes sure most of your money spent goes into the product they sell, not into the hands of dealers and middlemen. SVS has arguably the best customer care policy in the business, and their subs come with 5 year warranty's - not that you'll need the warranty anyways. Free shipping, and great guys. I'm telling you man, don't waste your money " matching " your subs to your speakers from the same company. 
Most audiophiles seem to go OPPO, it's true, but it seems to me that they're best if your going to run analog cables to your receiver for sound, or need Super Audio CD playback. I personally run HDMI and don't have any SACD's and think a 100 dollar Sony blu ray player is perfect for my needs. You could EASILY save 400.00 dollars on that front and put it towards and X -4000 by Denon. ( Not taking away from how great OPPO's are when properly utilized! - but if your running HDMI then save your money ) 
As I said I'm happy with my PSB's and whole heartily recommend them, but there are tons of other great company's to choose from. The best thing you can do is audition them yourself if you can. There are some great ID speaker company's as well if you want to go that route, but you'd have to trust reviews. I heard the new SVS ULTRA's at an audio show in Toronto and they blew me away - by the by, looked slick too in their Piano Black. But Aperion, Axiom and ARX seem to be winning the hearts of audiophiles as well for their dollar / performance ratio. You can never rule out Paradigms either - another Canadian Company along with PSB. Canadian speaker company's all benefit from having access to the National Research Council in Ottawa. It's a government sponsored lab where all the Canuck manufacturers can go to pool knowledge and utilize their facilities - so you can't go wrong with a lot of them. 
I wish I was in your shoes right now! - so much fun building a system when you have some funds to play with!


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

I will still recommend the Onkyo or Denon for the same reason as Sean, I believe the Audessy room correction is head as shoulders above Yamaha's YPAO.

The SVS cylinder subs not only have excellent sound in my opinion they look good (some wives may object to their size however they look nice in corners imho, they are easy to move around, yet their center of gravity is very low so they wouldn't topple over.

Since you have children another very good option for a blu ray player is simply getting a PS (playstation), this way the system can also double duty as a large screen gaming arena.

As for the TV if you are gaming go with the LED, it will be brighter and the lights will be on when that happens, so its the compromise. If the room is geared towards movies the plasma I believe once calibrated will look better for certain aspect of movie viewing, i.e. dark scenes will be noticably blacker. The 65" Panasonics are still on their website so I don't understand why your adviser would say they don't make them anymore.

Baring price the nicest sounding onwall speakers I have heard are the Totem Tribe, however then are not "thin". The Kef T series is also nice for their size, its really a matter of your tastes, one mans nirvana is anothers hell


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## musicfan (Jun 21, 2010)

Guys,

I just want to thank you for your responses, which were really helpful. I'm going for the SVS sub, the PSB speakers, and am exploring moving up to the Yamaha A820/A830 receiver. I appreciate the input from each of you, your expertise and experience, and friendly tone. 

I'll be sure to report back and let you know how it all worked out.

Mike


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

the PSB manual online is pretty sad. I really wonder if you can hook up the W3 as a full centre vice a soundbar LCR


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## seanpatrick (Apr 16, 2013)

musicfan said:


> Guys,
> 
> I just want to thank you for your responses, which were really helpful. I'm going for the SVS sub, the PSB speakers, and am exploring moving up to the Yamaha A820/A830 receiver. I appreciate the input from each of you, your expertise and experience, and friendly tone.
> 
> ...


Congratulations on your decisions - they are fine selections ( as indeed I'm a PSB and SVS guy! ) - my only concern would be whether the Yammy you chose had the ability to EQ two subs separately. If you never plan on getting a second sub then I wouldn't worry about it - but bass can be addictive, trust me! If you go with the Yamaha please post your feelings about it when you get everything set up. I'd be interested to hear how it all worked out for you. 
Cheers!


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