Home Theatre - not welcome on this or any list?
SkotM -- Sun, 11/26/2006 - 17:07
I've noticed a disturbing trend; anyone asking questions about home theater is overlooked and dismissed. I've been lurking for a couple weeks now trying to learn what I can about my next upgrade. I'm facing the double reality of being a renter and on a budget, both financially and spatially. My entertainment comes in the form of listening to music AND watching movies. It seems to me that I'm either on the wrong board, or most of the people posting here only listen to music, or they just don't care about the sound quality of the movies they watch at home? I'm like most people posting here, I already have some equipment and it's time to upgrade. I love listening to music, but I can only afford one system that has to play music and movie sound. What's the deal? Am I on the wrong board?
Thanks!
Skot
You're not on the wrong board; we have a mix of stereo and home-theater enthusiasts. If you post your question, I'll be happy to respond.
Robert Harley
Robert ~
Since my original post, I discovered that you had written a highly touted book that I have yet to read. At this point I'm torn between letting my ignorance loose, or reading your book before I post again. I'm strongly leaning toward reading first, asking later...
Um, ok, just for the sake of argument, how about a couple of simpler questions that you will certainly have substantially more ability to answer than I ever will, even after reading your book (which I'm still waiting to get from Amazon).
I only get one system and we watch movies about 60% of the time, listen to music about 40%. My "entertainment room" is about 15' wide x 12' deep. I'd like to re-build my system using my existing Polk Monitor 10 speakers and the Nakamichi DVD15 that my wife got me for Christmas 2 years ago. I used to have the matched NAD 3140, 2140 amp/preamp pair (the amp died about 5 years ago, the preamp died about 6 months ago). I've got about $2000 to get a new "brain" and a center channel. I'm hoping to build a system that I can limp along with for about a year based on the Polks for front R/L, a new center channel, a new "brain", and my Nak DVD. The Polks still have very silky rubber around the cones and they sounded great a few months ago when I was still able to listen to them. I've been to my local audiophile shop and of course they don't carry NAD or Polk. I was advised to find a matching Polk center channel (matching timber was his catch phrase). That shop carries Rotel and Arcam power, he was leaning toward a B&W center channel if I couldn't find a Polk. There's another shop quite a bit farther away that does carry Polk/NAD but I haven't been over there for several months.
By now you're probably wondering where's this whack job going with all this? Ok, ok, do you recommend sticking with NAD or are either Rotel or Arcam demonstrably better at similar price points? Is the logic that I should find a Polk center valid and do you recommend attempting to rebuild my system around my existing equipment? Is there another angle that I should consider? Separates? I've read some great reviews of the Outlaw equipment, but I fear the death of local audio shops and I'd like to support local shops, even if it means that I'll end up spending a little more to do that.
Thanks for your help!
Skot
My view: NAD is good. Rotel and Arcam also make very nice gear, but I would not say they are automatically better. The specific piece matters.
I would also recommend looking at receivers with the Audyssey room correction system (e.g. Onkyo) as a point of comparison. I don't know if you have a local dealer of course.
I think Robert will say that matching the center channel is key. I'm not there yet. The acoustic characteristics of most center channel speakers are so different from L/R speakers that I am not convinced that brand is the key indicator. I would suggest that much of your music listening will be two channel. Get a center that sounds good and may work with your next pair of L/R speakers.
NAD, Rotel, and Arcam are all excellent brands, and at the top of my list of good, affordable electronics. Although adding a center speaker that's the same brand as your left and right speakers gives you a better chance of matching the left and right speakers, it's no guarantee. A big mismatch in tonal balance between the L/R and center is a serious flaw. If the center speaker uses the same drivers as those in the left and right (primarily the midrange and tweeter), you have a better chance of timbre matching. You could also ask the dealer to borrow the candidate center channel and listen. The AVIA test DVD contains very useful tones for evaluating the timbre match between speakers.
Robert Harley
I woud like to know the pros and cons when using an AVreceiver as a preamp Yamaha (2500) receiver Rotel (1075) poweramp ,would recommend an audiophile power cord on this gear?
I woud like to know the pros and cons when using an AVreceiver as a preamp Yamaha (2500) receiver Rotel (1075) poweramp ,would recommend an audiophile power cord on this gear?
I haven't used those specific receivers as preamps, but I can say some that I have tried (Marantz, Onkyo) work very well in pure analog mode.
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