New HT Setup

P.K

Hi All,

I am planning to purchase a new home theater set up so need help (being a novice).

So far I have short list the following components:

- RTi A7 front speakers
- CSi A4 center
- Subwoofer - ?? Please recommend ??
- AVR - Marantz SR5005 / Marantz SR6005 / Denon AVR1911

I am not sure which AVR out of the above 3 will be best suited for the configuration or is best out of the 3.

I have a 3D TV so will need the 3D video pass thru, my room size is approx 15x15. I will be using this setup for almost everything - movies, music, PS gaming.

Please help me with your expert advice.

P

HTguru1982

The Marantz SR6005 should be perfect for your needs. Actually, either Marantz would work. Marantz AVR's tend to lean on the warm side which is perfect for Polk speakers. I tend to steer clear of Denon receivers because of my experience with them. Sound-wise they're just fine. Reliability is another matter however.

As for a sub, most here will point you towards SVS or HSU. Elemental Designs is another brand to look at. They have some low price offerings that a lot of people seem happy with.

One or two of these should work just fine: http://www.edesignaudio.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_41&products_id=892

Review: http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65155

If you need something with a bit more impact: http://www.edesignaudio.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_41&products_id=681

Review: http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/elemental_designs_a5300.htm

P.K

Thanks for your quick response Guru.

I will read about the ED subs. Out of curiosity how are Polk sub's? Does it make any difference if you have speakers of one brand and sub of another? Will it be better if I get a sub of Polk itself?

Thanks again for your help.

Joe08867

It does not matter who makes the sub. Timbre match is more of an issue with the high's.

I prefer SVS or HSU myself.

ViperZ

Look for the well known manufacturers when you're buying a decent sub - SVS, Velodyne, HSU, Paradigm come to mind right away. Figure out what budget you have in mind for the sub and check out what's available in that price range. Personally, I'd always recommend going a used route (same for the receiver). You can get an amazing bang for your buck by buying used. For example, one guy on local canuckaudiomart forum just sold a pair of Paradigm Servo 15" subwoofers for $700 each, and that's one of the best subs ever made (IMHO).

HTguru1982

Makes no difference at all. Polk subs are considered underwhelming by many. The PSW505 is pretty decent, especially if you can find it for under $200. But other than that, there's not a single current Polk sub I would recommend. I would stay away from many box store subs in general. I have a Klipsch sub in my system and for what it retails for, it's definitely not worth it. Since it was about 60% off, it's not bad.

ViperZ

HTguru1982 wrote: »

Makes no difference at all. Polk subs are considered underwhelming by many. The PSW505 is pretty decent, especially if you can find it for under $200. But other than that, there's not a single current Polk sub I would recommend. I would stay away from many box store subs in general. I have a Klipsch sub in my system and for what it retails for, it's definitely not worth it. Since it was about 60% off, it's not bad.

Klipsch makes mainly two lines of subs - KSW (KW) and RSW (RW). K-series are essentially crap (sounded worse than my old JBL sub). RW (Reference series) are nice, but cost much more and overlap into "bigger boys" domain with mid-grade Velodyne subs, etc.