$2k to spend on AV setup...Magneplanars?????
Streetpraise -- Fri, 06/30/2006 - 09:17
I have been out of the AV loop for about 10 years. I was looking at speakers, ect. when the Paradigm Studio series had just came out...in fact I still have a pair of Studio 20s that I love. I also have a pair of Magneplanar MMGs, which are also great.
Anyway, I need to setup an AV setup for my dad, with a $2k budget!
I will need:
center, fronts, rears, sub and a receiver.
He will primarily be using this as a home theater, so I would like the speakers to reflect that.
I have been leaning toward the following speaker setup:
Magneplanar MMG W fronts and rears ($300/pair)
Magneplanar MMG C center ($300)
Outlaw Audio LMF1 Subwoofer ($600)
That would leave me about $500 to spend on a decent receiver. I know that the maggies need power, and not sure I have enought $ left to provide the power they need.
His setup will include a front projector (he already purchased) that will have a 100-110" screen, in a room that is 14x20'.
I am also concerned about speaker placement, as his screen will be so big that the center will have to be either pretty close to the ceiling or floor and the rears will have to be either mounted to the ceiling (do people do that) or pretty close to the listener (2-3' away).
Any suggestions?
Better speakers for this $?
Better sub for this $?
Any receiver recommendations?
Thanks!!!!
I recently heard the Paradigm Performance series speakers (which are well w/ in your price range, and you may want to give them a listen first. You could save a few hundred bucks there and spend it on a better A/V reciever w/o sacrificing sound quality (although I have not heard your speakers).
If your father's taste and room can accommodate Maggies that's a great way to go. If not you might consider something like the terrific little Totem Dreamcatcher system (retail is around $1600). As to an AVR, I don't know the current lineup but Denon's models are across the board tough to beat. Hope this helps.
The Maggie system will deliver great sound if the set-up is ideal. They are more fussy about placement than direct-radiating speakers, and need to be driven with a powerful amplifier to reach their full potential. If you can place the speakers well out into the room and drive them with enough power, the results will probably be terrific.
Robert Harley
Editor-in-Chief
The Perfect Vision
The Absolute Sound
If you have $500 left for amplification, you should probably look at Outlaw Audio, NAD, or Rotel. They all make good-sounding affordable gear.
Barry Willis
A speaker system I'll suggest as an audiophile-worthy alternative is Definitive Technology's new ProCinema 1000 system ($1649 for the complete 5.1-channel package).
It's easy to drive, more musically nuanced than it has any right to be, and can fill a large space.
Two budget AVRs that both work well with the Definitives are the Yamaha RX-V659 ($549) and Pioneer's VSX-816 ($399). Differentiators: The Yamaha includes a built-in phonostage and an option for adding an iPod dock, where the Pioneer does not.
All of the above will be reviewed in the upcoming TPV 70.
Don't get me wrong; I'm a Maggie user and encourage you to explore that option, too. My one concern is that Maggies do like power, and typically lots of it.
Best,
Chris Martens
Audio Editor, The Perfect Vision
Senior Writer, The Absolute Sound
Chris Martens
Editor, Avguide.com/Playback/The Perfect Vision
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