Anyone have recommendations for speakers, amp & surround
chris661 -- Tue, 09/09/2008 - 09:19
I am in the process of shopping around for a new AV equipment and would love the recommendations of experienced audiophiles. I have a room that's 25' x 15'. I currenly have a Hitachi 55" Plasma (only 1080i, will eventually upgrade), and a Denon DVD-1930CI (will eventually upgrade). I am looking to purchase a 5 speaker surround sound system, with sub-woofer, amplifier and surround sound processor that is capable of producing great video and audio for not only movies but also for listening to CD's. There are so many different manufacture's to choose from and it's a little overwhelming to try to select the best possible system for my budget. As far as the speakers are concerned I'm considering: 1. Paradigm's Signature Series, 2. PSB Synchrony Series, 3. B&W , 4. Revel, 5. Focal, 6. Sonus Faber, 7. Other recommendations? For the amplifier and pre-amp souround sound processor I am considering: 1. Anthem Statement series, P5 amp, D2 proseccor, 2. Anthem MCA 50 amp, AVM 50 processor, 3. Bryston 9B SST amp, SP 2 processor, 4. Krell, 5. Ayre, 6. Marantz, 7. Other recommendations? My maximum budget for the speakers, amp and processor are $20,000.00, although I'd would like be able to spend much less for a great system. Any advise or recommendations from experieced audiophiles would be greatly appreciated.
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Go with Magnepan speakers, Rel sub. Try Rotel, Marantz, B&K, Ayre and Bryston et al to see what sound best to your ears. Its your room and your ears not some reviewers.
I also like Vienna Acoustics with Rel subs and Rotel and Marantz.
And for cabling Better Cables.
Sheepherder
Shenandoah Valley, VA
Personal preferences, Bryston for the amp (you cannot beat a 20 year warranty) Krell is pure power, no finesse and demands HUGE speakers (like Klipsh). Great for the Rolling Stones, not for you. match it to a Bryston Pre-amp and you are literally, set for life.
I Suggest Paradigm for the speakers (little known, Paradigm has access to the Canadian National Research Council test chambers to test their products, a 100 million dollar facility that can tell you if your heartbeat is irregular when you stand in it). They are staggering in soundstage and I would buy them tomorrow if I didn't already have Kefs.
Best to ya.
Paradigm is a great choice in loudspeakers. Incidentally, many companies use the anechoic chamber of Canada's National Research Council. I've visited the facility, and it's quite an experience.
For your electronics choice, I can vouch for the fact that the Anthem Statement D2 processor/P5 multichannel amp pair is wonderful. I use this pair as the reference in the Playback lab. Here is a link to my original review, originally published in The Perfect Vision:
http://www.avguide.com/review/anthem-statement-d2-multichannel-controller
One important point to note, should the Statement D2 wind up on your short list, is that at this point it is probably well worth waiting for the Statement D2 V2, which should be out shortly.
This upgraded model will get you several desirable things: broader HDMI options than the original D2, the Anthem ARC-1 room EQ system, and onboard Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Master Audio decoding.
Playback has returned its long-term loaner Statement D2 to Anthem and is awaiting a swap-out for the new D2 V2. Expect a Playback product review to follow later on.
Having spent time with both the Paradigm Signature and PSB Synchrony speakers, I can confirm that both are excellent and do a great job of pushing the performance/dollar envelope. Unfortunately, I've only heard them in two very different listening environments (the PSBs in the Playback lab, the Paradigms in my home listening room), so I can't really say how they'd stack up in a side-by-side comparison. But the good news is that both firms really "get" the idea of pursuing (extremely) high-end performance standards at real-world prices.
Chris Martens, Editor, Playback
Chris Martens
Editor, Avguide.com/Playback/The Perfect Vision
My requirements for a home entertainment system were essentially similar to yours i.e. able to handle the dynamics of audio in DVDs and serve double duty as a source of clean musical CD entertainment. I soon found out that asking an AVR or amps/preamps to be both musical and able to handle the demands of home theater was a lot to ask even with a generous budget. My quest lead me to a B&K AVR that I demoed against a Denon. The B&K sounds better with music then the Denon and my buddy who was with me and owns a $5,000 Denon agreed. I found out that B&K uses the same amps in its AVRs as it does in its separates. They do this to share parts and increase cost efficiency. This also makes the AVR more "musical" and I like the fact that there are no cables or loss of signal between the amp/preamp as they are directly wired to each. The other thing I discovered is that you will require a dedicated subwoofer to handle not only the demands of movies but a "musical" subwoofer that is fast enough to keep up with quick musical passages and not overwhelmingly boomy. I choose a REL B2. Lastly I puchased some tower speakers before the REL and was not happy with the bass or sound stage of the towers on the floor. Back they went and I purchased a pair of JM Labs Focal Be 1007 monitors and put them on stands. I auditioned them against a pair of Sonus Faber Cremonas which my buddy also owned. I saw him grimace when we played a Diana Krall CD and he conceded that these were amazing speakers and he liked them better than the Cremonas. The Focals handle the highs and mids and mid-bass, the REL handles the lows. People seem to love B&W speakers. I haave not had the change to audition them. Running a home theater/audio system through separates is a lot more complicated than using an AVR. I would prefer a separate stereo audio system with separates (tube amps) if I had the room and the money. Sonus Faber speakers are amazing but pricy. I also agree with a poster about Vienna Acoustics speakers. I think you should budget $10-$15K for the speakers/sub alone and the rest for the best electronics you can get. I was advised to match my speakers by manufacturer and do not scrimp on the center channel as it is the most important speaker when watching movies and TV. I kept mine all Focal including the in ceiling rear channel speakers. Good luck.