I'm thinking of a new theater system , what do you think?

mantis

Ok it's starting again I know I know I change gear out more them most do with underwear , ok so I have a habit LOL.

I'm thinking NAD T785HD or maybe even going with NAD T175HD pre and a NAD T975 amo connected with Audioquest IC's I'll decide on level later.

Then for Speakers I'm thinking B&W CM9 fronts , CmC2 center but the rears I want wall mountable and the CM line doesn't have any so I'll have to change lines for rears and go with maybe the 600 series DS3's. Maybe In walls who knows I'm not exactly happy with the CM line rear being only a bookshelf , good for music but sucks **** for theater.

Now another option would be going Totem Acoustics in the Hawks as fronts , Rainmaker center , Links or Tribe III's for rears. This would be a fantastic VS against the CM series B&W's and might win overall

As for a sub or subs I'm thinking Something from James , Velodyne , Paradigm , or even going with Rel for pure musical ability.

Now granted I'm a die hard Dynaudio fan and would love to own them once again as they have moved me in ways no other line has. It's always on my mind to go back but I wouldn't mind giving B&W or Totem a run for a bit.

What do you guys think of these ideas? Goal is to have a more 50 50 music theater system. NAD should provide plenty of dynamic power for any of the speakers I decide on going with.

On a side note the TV will finally get upgraded to either a Panasonic VT 30 when they come out n a 65 inch size or a Samsung Plasma

ViperZ

Sounds like an awesome system. I know for sure that Rotel + B&W provides a very smooth sounding combo. IMHO, NAD amps sound even more smooth than Rotel, so you may get a very soft sounding system. I believe, CM speakers replaced the CDM, and if they sound like or better than CDM, then you'll be getting awesome speakers.
And obviously Panny VT series is the best plasma on the market, so you can't miss there . Good luck and post some pictures when you'll get the new stuff!
I never heard James subs, but Velodyne and Paradigm make great subs. From Paradigm, if you want really good music performance and not miss much with the HT performance, then go with the Servo series.

polkfarmboy

The totems with the NAD T175HD sounds like a great combo

Grimster74

I have dibs on your SC-07, need a new receiver for upstairs.

cnh

Dan, what did you do? Win the Lottery?

Those NADs look great but are pricey. Totems also not your run of the mill 'budget' there?

Looks like a killer system!

cnh

mantis

ViperZ wrote: »

Sounds like an awesome system. I know for sure that Rotel + B&W provides a very smooth sounding combo. IMHO, NAD amps sound even more smooth than Rotel, so you may get a very soft sounding system. I believe, CM speakers replaced the CDM, and if they sound like or better than CDM, then you'll be getting awesome speakers.
And obviously Panny VT series is the best plasma on the market, so you can't miss there . Good luck and post some pictures when you'll get the new stuff!
I never heard James subs, but Velodyne and Paradigm make great subs. From Paradigm, if you want really good music performance and not miss much with the HT performance, then go with the Servo series.

yes the CM's replace the CDM's of years ago. The 700 series was a flop in my opinion like they missed something when they designed them. The older CDM series out performed them in every single way. The New CM series is flat out amazing and musical with wall to wall sound. They suck you in making you long for their touch so soft and warm. Your music gets presented to you with taste and joy ,like if joy was a blanket that you could wrap yourself in.

mantis

Grimster74 wrote: »

I have dibs on your SC-07, need a new receiver for upstairs.

I'll keep you in mind if and when I pull the trigger, I gotta feel my way around and see what feels good.

mantis

cnh wrote: »

Dan, what did you do? Win the Lottery?

Those NADs look great but are pricey. Totems also not your run of the mill 'budget' there?

Looks like a killer system!

cnh

Nah no lottery ,I'm in the business and just get surrounded by so much gear it makes you long for something new. It's like if you worked in a Strip club surrounded by all those beautiful women day and night , after a while its going to break you down and you will long for one of them , or all of them. I don't really drink , do drugs or have any other expensive hobby. Ok well maybe I do have other expensive hobbies but this one I like to keep going until I find "the one" or just get something new.

Sherardp

In the end your still selling yourself short. Your missing the video aspect of this HT. You need to look into a projector and screen. That will add to the immersion of what you currently own. Give it some thought.

polkfarmboy

Sherardp wrote: »

In the end your still selling yourself short. Your missing the video aspect of this HT. You need to look into a projector and screen. That will add to the immersion of what you currently own. Give it some thought.

YEP why have big sound on a small screen

pearsall001

It all sounds good to me Dan. I'm sure which ever route you go it'll be a killer combo system. I do like the NAD 785 but at the same time I also like the NAD T175 & Rotel amp combo. I'm running the NAD T765 AVR as a pre with the Rotel RMB-1095 & it sure sounds sweet & packs a lot of punch. I did listen to the CM series & I liked them alot.

leroyjr1

Dan, giving up on the Mythos already? Im also a big fan of the CM9's but the price without any sales was about double the cost of the Mythos 5.1 setup.

Wondering if the higher price tag will give you much better results. Whatever you sell your mythos/pioneer setup for you'll have to almost double it to get your dream Nad/b&w setup.

mantis

pearsall001 wrote: »

It all sounds good to me Dan. I'm sure which ever route you go it'll be a killer combo system. I do like the NAD 785 but at the same time I also like the NAD T175 & Rotel amp combo. I'm running the NAD T765 AVR as a pre with the Rotel RMB-1095 & it sure sounds sweet & packs a lot of punch. I did listen to the CM series & I liked them alot.

As I sit here and think about all the moves I have made , 2 of them I wish I didn't , 1) Selling my all time favorite speaker( that I can actually afford) the mighty Dynaudio Audience 82's. These speakers will have to find their way back to me. I miss them a lot. 2) Selling my Rotel RMB1095 , that amp never even broke a sweat the entire time I owned it. yeah it sucked to move as it was freakin heavy but at least they put castors on the back which made it easier to install in a cabinet (Non rack mount).

The T175 HD is on my very short list but with how poerful and mighty the T785 HD receiver is I'm questioning if I'm gonna require any more power then what it can put out. It's a monster of a receiver and sounds so god damn good on it's own.
Have you tried to drive your LSi's off your T765? I'm willing to bet you will not lose a step or beat removing the RMB1095 until you crank it to very high SPL levels. This is when the RMB1095 will out muscle the T765 internal amps quite a bit. But if you don't listen at these levels , I believe the NAD amps will sound just as good. Tell me.

mantis

Sherardp wrote: »

In the end your still selling yourself short. Your missing the video aspect of this HT. You need to look into a projector and screen. That will add to the immersion of what you currently own. Give it some thought.

In some century that I'm alive in I will get my basement finished. At this point a full dedicated theater will be built. This has been my dream for over a decade even before I built this very house I live in. I have a 9 foot ceiling basement and the theater space as been picked since Construction.
I completely agree with the screen and projector , at this time I'm still in my family room so that is not an option. A 65 inch Panasonic VT30 is coming this spring and it's going to be the closet thing to a Pioneer ELite Kuro you can buy. This will be my set and I will wait until then to get it as I almost wanted to pull the trigger on a Samsung 8000 series 63 inch plasma as it's an amazing set. Other model I liked was a LG PK950 in a 60 inch size. Sexy TV but I thought it was a step behind the Samsung. I actually like the Samsung more then the current VT25 series from Panasonic. It has a slightly better picture but lacks in custom Install as the VT can be controlled over rs232c. I'm actually hoping the new VT30 series will be IP controlled.
back to the screen and proj , we are a JVC / Stewart dealer so I have my hands on a great combo. I plan on a Cinema scope and side masking curve screen from Stewart. This is the current best thing out their and by the time by basement ever gets finished , something new will show it's face.

mantis

leroyjr1 wrote: »

Dan, giving up on the Mythos already? Im also a big fan of the CM9's but the price without any sales was about double the cost of the Mythos 5.1 setup.

Wondering if the higher price tag will give you much better results. Whatever you sell your mythos/pioneer setup for you'll have to almost double it to get your dream Nad/b&w setup.

Cost is always a huge factor when building a new system. But I always sell off everything I got and some wires to help fund the new purchases. I know it will cost me some coin but in this hobby it's expected. As long as my wife doesn't kill me first , I'll always pursue my dreams .

Performance I guess is a personal opinion. The Mythos / Elite set up is stupid killer for theater as I'm completely satisfied but for music I'm missing the very last word. Don't get me wrong this system is very musical and more so then one would expect from a theater setup driven by a Japanese receiver. The Elite ICE amps really sound incredible . Most of the time I really enjoy this system. But I miss having a more pure musical system.

It's a balance thats incredibly hard to do , well for me anyway. I don't have deep pockets and try to find a system that all plays well together and gives me my high expectations of theater and music mix. I'll probably never be able to get to where I want but it's fun trying.

Sherardp

PM me a price for the JVC RS40 when you get a second.

leroyjr1

mantis wrote: »

Cost is always a huge factor when building a new system. But I always sell off everything I got and some wires to help fund the new purchases. I know it will cost me some coin but in this hobby it's expected. As long as my wife doesn't kill me first , I'll always pursue my dreams .

Performance I guess is a personal opinion. The Mythos / Elite set up is stupid killer for theater as I'm completely satisfied but for music I'm missing the very last word. Don't get me wrong this system is very musical and more so then one would expect from a theater setup driven by a Japanese receiver. The Elite ICE amps really sound incredible . Most of the time I really enjoy this system. But I miss having a more pure musical system.

It's a balance thats incredibly hard to do , well for me anyway. I don't have deep pockets and try to find a system that all plays well together and gives me my high expectations of theater and music mix. I'll probably never be able to get to where I want but it's fun trying.

Sounds like you're trying to get the best of both worlds. The $3500 extra you're going to spend can make a nice seperate dedicated 2 channel system. Have you tried the ST's on a amp & pre amp combo? It sounds much better than the Elite.

mantis

Sherardp wrote: »

PM me a price for the JVC RS40 when you get a second.

No problem I'll check tomorrow , I gotta put it into my Iphone or I will forget.

mantis

leroyjr1 wrote: »

Sounds like you're trying to get the best of both worlds. The $3500 extra you're going to spend can make a nice seperate dedicated 2 channel system. Have you tried the ST's on a amp & pre amp combo? It sounds much better than the Elite.

I have heard them in the store on better gear and they do pick up and shine a bit more. I was trying to avoid going back to separates but they always seem to come calling.
If I ever get the basement done then at this time I can build me a nice 2 channel system and let the theater be a theater. Sucks not having all the money required to for fill your dreams , tuff times.

gdpeck

mantis wrote: »

<snip>
Have you tried to drive your LSi's off your T765? I'm willing to bet you will not lose a step or beat removing the RMB1095 until you crank it to very high SPL levels. This is when the RMB1095 will out muscle the T765 internal amps quite a bit. But if you don't listen at these levels , I believe the NAD amps will sound just as good. Tell me.

I know this thread is a couple of months old, but I'm really interested in the performance of the NAD T765 without an additional power amp with Polk LSi's. I'm seriously considering this receiver for a 5.1 system that will consist of LSi 9s & LSiC in front, LSi 7s in back and likely an Hsu VTF-15F subwoofer. The only parts of this system I own currently are the LSi9s & LSiC, and adding an amp to the NAD receiver is beyond my budget. I've considered going the cheaper AVR as pre/pro and separate power amp route, but the T765 functionality really looks like it matches my needs perfectly.

@pearsall001, I'd specifically like to hear your thoughts on this subject as I see from your profile that you have both LSi speakers and the T765 receiver. Have you driven those speakers with the receiver alone? Were there specific shortcomings that prompted you to add the Rotel amp, and if so what were they? I'm also interested on anyone else's comments on this subject.

Thanks!
George

pearsall001

I never had the entire LSi syetem powered by my T765. I always had a 2 channel amp & the T765 powered the center & surrounds. Never a problem what so ever. But I got such a sweet deal on the Rotel RMB-1095 that I had to jump on it. But the truth be told I really don't believe the T765 would have any problems doing the LSi's justice. Especially since my twin Velo's pick up the low end. My XO is set at 80Hz & it sounds fantastic. This way there's a tremendous load taken off the speakers & the T765's amp section. If you're running a sub or sub's then the T756 would be fine in my opinion. More power is always a good thing but not always necessary. Everything is system dependant.

Hawkeye

Dan, why do you keep dancing around the edges? You like the Dyns. Buy the best you can afford and a front end to to match. You change every couple years and always come back to the Dyn's.

Time to step up and stop with mid grade stuff and do it right once and for all. I don't mean to sound snobbish or elitist, but you need to stop and commit to something that will last you more than one year.

You've installed and heard higher end systems. You know the pros and con's of most pieces. Spend the money on your basement and put what you have in there and see if you really need to change. Rolling pieces is a symptom. The cure is a dedicated place which you can have. I realize drywall and 2X4's are not as fancy as new kit, but you might be amazed how your kit may sound if you spend the money where it needs to be spent.

Off my soap box:redface:

Gordon