Need help selecting right home theater receiver

davehall83

I am looking for some suggestions, I want to invest some money in speakers for a home theater system. The room I am putting the sound system in is 18'15in by 15' 11in and has a 22ft tall ceiling and is open floor plan to the entire house. I will of course center the couch in this octogon shaped room. I have a bit of a dilema since the room is octogon. I have been looking for speakers for quite some time and this is what I came up with. Any suggestions on these speakers would be greatly appreciated as I don't want to waste my money but want something good for gaming/watching 3d movies and getting good quality dolby 7.1 sound.

Speakers:

Front Left/Right: Polk Audio RTi A9 Pair
Center: Polk Audio CSI A6
Surround side right/left side of room: Polk Audio FXi A6 Pair
Surround Rear right/left: Polk Audio FXi A6 Pair
Sub: Polk Audio DSW PRO 550Wi
Amp: Onkyo TX-NR809

Does anyone have any comment's on these speakers I selected as far as my room size/shape? I figured the FXi A6 would work well in the octogon room with the bipole/dipole switch and the shape of the walls having the sound reflect around the room, any idea's on this and placement?

For the center channel i was going to go the next step up to the LSI series center like the lsi 704 instead of the CSI A6 but crutchfield said because I am using the RTI series speakers, the sound may not be acoustically correct. Is this true? My goal is to have clairty out of the center channel/voices and not to have that center audio washed out. If I dont need to spend the extra money on the lsi 704 thats great but if it's going to make a huge difference then I will but I want to make sure I don't drown out the front's/surrounds.

For the sub is that too big? I don't need to blow out the windows just want the good quality sound, thats what I am trying to obtain.

Last but not least for the amplifier, what do you think based on the speakers? Is onkyo the best to go in the price range our should i try a different amp? Any suggestions on a 7.1 amp/home theater receiver would be great. Is the amp i choose enough power to drive these speakers and to obtain good quality?

Again, help is greatly appreciated as this is a huge investment that i want to last and be happy with and making sure everything matches right. I have attached a diagram of my room which is exact its the one labeled Family room. Tv is on the wall where library wall is which is the direction i will be facing. Placement of speakers/selections etc is greatly appreciated as mentioned above

TNHNDYMAN

Welcome to Club Polk Dave!

I believe you are on the right track. That would be a nice set of speakers for a full 7.1 setup. Crutchfield is correct in telling you that you want to stay within the same family of speakrs for you front stage so the CSI A6 is the right match for your front L & R. I have no experience with the DSW series of subs, but from what I have read they are a pretty good sub in general. I would highly recommend going as big as you can afford in reguards to the sub you choose. You have a very large area to try to pressurize the room w/ low freq sound so you may want to look at some of the internet direct sub companies such as HSU, Epik, and Velodyne IMHO. As far as your AVR goes I like the feature set the Onkyo 809 offers and am currently using a Onkyo 706 myself. The problem w/ the Onkyo as well as most any AVR is that the spec in relation to driving all 7 ch at once is usually significantly less power that what the sales brochure will ever actually show you. Most are rated w/ only 2 ch driven to get the #';s they advertise so you would do yourself a favor by researching some reviews that might list specs of all channels driven. I think the AVR will run out of steam if you try to overdrive it. What you have listed would be great to start out with, but I would definately look into getting an amp to either power the A9's (they are particulary power hungry) or a good 5ch amp used if you can find one at the right price. Good luck in your search for audio bliss.

mufsoman

Dave - definately stay with the Csi A6 for the center. Don't mix the speaker family's. I did that with my first Polk upgrade and ended up selling the LsiC and getting the Csi A6. Its a beast of a center channel, but so are the Rti A9 towers. They'll all blend together well, just make be sure to run the auto tuning system in your AVR to get the right balance.

As TNHDYMAN mentions aboves, with a big room like you have, your probably going to need a big sub, or two, if you really want to get that thump in your chest bass. Do some research and read the threads here in the Polk forum. Lots of good advice available.

Personaly, I would only consider Pioneeer for the AVR, but with the Rti A9's, and a 7.1 set up (even a 5.1), you need to feed those towers more power. A stand alone amp is definately recommended. Good luck !!!

davehall83

Got it, however, I am a bit confused on the amp'ing the RTI A9 idea. So what you are saying is go with the onkyo 809 but get a 5 channel amp. So how would that work to give the speakers more power? What would you recommend for a second amp? Since I am running 7.1, what speakers would I choose to amp and not to amp since I would have 2 that would be without an amp

pyrocyborg

You could amp the front 3 (left/center/right), and let the receiver power the other 4; or you could amp the front left and right only, but it is probably preferable to power the center channel too.

davehall83

Got it, Sorry if I am being a pain in the *** but I am just now getting into the world of audio and have only ever used the a/v receiver. So how about this, buy the onkyo 809 let it power the 4 dipole/bipole fxi a6 speakers and then get the Onkyo PA-MC5500 to power all the speakers and just use the pre-out's on the 809 to the pa-mc5500 do you think i will get what i need then wattage wise? Or is there something else you recommend? To keep the cost down, what if i dropped the model down some on my receiver like go with the onkyo 709 and just drop the money in the pa-mc5500 to amp the speakers? Or i can go with a onkyo txnr3009 which is 140 watts per channel but where would i be at then? Or i had an idea, buy the txnr809 and use the preout's rca type and go into a emotiva xpa3 receiver and use the oonkyo to power the rest is this a good idea but the only thing is i would be using unbalanced rca's and not sure if it matters? The other idea is use that setup but with XPA-5 but then it's a matter of what two speakers not to amp? Let me know your thoughts.

davehall83

Or one last idea, if all this get's too expensive and I want to stick with everything i started with but swap out the front towers with RTI A5's will that work?

TNHNDYMAN

ok- sorry if we gave you too much to chew on, slow down and breath . Go w/ the lowest level AVR that has pre-outs (for adding the external amp or amps) and has the majority of features you want otherwise. Yes the preouts on the AVR will send to signal to whatever amp you choose and then the amp sends the signal to the speakers it is connected to. Your front L & R are the priority for a good high current amp with the center being your next best canidate if you went w/ a 3 ch vs a 2 ch. If you go w/ a 5 ch amp then you let the AVR handle the speakers that are the least demanding such as your rear surrounds or front height depending on how you set up your soundstage. AS far as the 3009 being 140 WPC well it's probably not. Like I said before look for reviews that show ratings w/ all channels driven. Your surrounds would probably be happy w/ only 50wpc except in the most demanding movie passages and almost any decent AVR can handle that so it's not necesary to pay for the AVR having a higher power rating if you are using the external amp. Pre-outs yes. Features such as networking, room equalization, source connectivity options ect.. are important and only you can budget for what you want or need. The search tool is your friend. There are plenty of threads already out there discussing specific amps such as the emotiva xpa series as well. Good luck.

davehall83

Ok got it, say one more time becuase i think i mis-understood your post, so i get the 3 ch amp idea but you said center/front's on the five channel but which other speakers should i hook to the channel 4 and 5, surround side or back?

davehall83

If you can, i really appreciate your time, how do you calculate off the spec what the amp rating is for wattage when it say's for example 200watt @4 ohm by 5 channel? Is it actually that? What about the rti a9's they say 50-500watt what is it rated at and what does that mean 500 watt at 4 ohm on the one front speaker and if i am hooking like the xpa-3 to it , i take it I am running it at 4 ohm.

TNHNDYMAN

Dave,
I would use the side (normal) surrounds on ch 4 and 5. The backs are normally have the least amound of material mastered in the soundtrack of even blu ray movies. For music really only your 2 front are important. I know some people enjoy driving all channels and or using dobly digital to mix 2ch to 5.1 but I for one am not a fan. I can't help you w the technical aspects of calculating the wattage, personally I feel like for a newcomer such as myself it's easy to get too wrapped up in all the technical aspects and you forget the big picture. Enjoy the music or movies for that matter. Amps will normally be much closer in their power figures compared to most of the AVR ratings. You can get the AVR and speakers now and spend some time with them before grabbing an amp- just don't try to overdrive your system. Try to find an amp w/ 100-200 WPC and that should sound pretty nice. I think your eardrums will rupture before you send 500 WPC thru the A9's. Those figures are design limits and you don't have to maximize them anymore than you have to do a full throttle run 0-60 in your car everytime you leave a stop sign or redlight. Spend some time reading, research your options and spend money wisely rather than blindly hoping to get good results. Many here have been down the road you are on and are willing to help.

begbie

There'd be a lot of votes for Pioneer receivers here but the Onkyo 809 has fantastic value. It's 40lb of muscle with features that'll keep you current for a long time.

I still I can't get over the Audyssey Multi XT processing on my Onkyo :cheesygrin:

davehall83

Ok, So now i am looking at cost right, Should I go with RTI A7 or A9's or is it going to really make a different if i go with the following setup:

1: CSI A6 Center
2: RTI A7 Front's
3: RTI A4 Rear Surrounds
4. RTI A4 Side Surrounds
5. Emotiva XPA 5 amp
6. Onkyo TXNR809 Receiver
7. Polk DSI 550WI sub

I pretty much have everything nailed down but i want to know if i am going to notice much difference between the RTI A7 front's vs the A9's

davehall83

So I am thinking maybe going to RTI A7 because I will have a sub, I thought about the dual 12" empire legend's for 899 or going with the single 15" empire, what would your suggestions be downgrade to the RTIA7, A5 or stick with A9's and how about sub which is better, I don't want to break the piggy bank which is why i looked at the dual 12" empires. I contacted velodyne about their sub's but they are telling me to use two 15" subs or one 18" sub and were talking 1600 dollars in cost there so suggestions here and i should be set to purchase a system. Anyone have idea's where to buy speakers/equipment other than crutchfield for fair pricing?

unclebiskabobka

Newegg always seems to have pretty good prices on their Polk equipment, and they're constantly running sales. If you don't find what you're wanting at Crutchfield, you might keep an eye on Newegg.

codyc1ark

+1 to Newegg, that is a killer deal on the Epik's, and should fill your room just fine.

davehall83

Killer deal on epik's as in the legend's or the high end ones i mentioned so should i get the one single 15 ' empire or the two 12' empires. Also if i am doing that should i cut back on my speaker's from rti a9 to a7 or a5?

codyc1ark

I've heard great things about the a7's. If you can spring it, get the big boys for your subs, they'll have more of an overall impact then a larger front stage. In fact, I think there are a few members here that perfer the 7's to the 9's.

PrazVT

If you're getting Epik subs then I'd say go for the A7s and save a little $$. The Epik subs sound awesome! My cousin just has a single Legend, and you can't tell where it is in the room. I like how they sound w/ music (the exception I make to not liking subs w/ music).

On the other hand, if you plan to listen to music w/ just 2 speakers A9s would be a little better. Depends on your usage.

Sherardp

Buy that Pioneer SC-05/ SC-27 in the Flea Market, excellent prices. Enough to power that entire setup with no problems and allows you to add an amp later on. I think you will want to push the A9's with an amp to get the best performance from them.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?125471-Pioneer-Elite-SC-27-w-extended-warranty/page2

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?128665-HT-Gear&highlight=Pioneer

F1nut

davehall83 wrote: »

Ok, So now i am looking at cost right, Should I go with RTI A7 or A9's or is it going to really make a different if i go with the following setup:

1: CSI A6 Center
2: RTI A7 Front's
3: RTI A4 Rear Surrounds
4. RTI A4 Side Surrounds
5. Emotiva XPA 5 amp
6. Onkyo TXNR809 Receiver
7. Polk DSI 550WI sub

I pretty much have everything nailed down but i want to know if i am going to notice much difference between the RTI A7 front's vs the A9's

I'm running an HT only rig with the RTi A7's, CSi A6, FXi A6's and a DSW Pro 660Wi off an SC-37 and there is absolutely no need for a separate amp. Save your money for better cables.

John K.

Dave, welcome to Club Polk. The Polk speakers which you're considering should make for an excellent setup . I'll go into more detail about the amplification. You've also done your homework there in considering the Onkyo 809. The Polks are average in sensitivity and don't require anything unusual in the way of the amplifier. The 809 has a quite powerful amplifier and can drive your Polks to beyond safe(to your hearing)sound levels. Beware of misguided urging to get still more maximum power capacity in the form of a separate amplifier. In particular, an "all channels driven" spec is unrealistic in the real world of home listening where driving all channels simultaneously at full rated power simply doesn't happen. Note that the FTC(Federal Trade Commission)which sets regulations for amplifier power testing, explicitly rejected recently a proposal to require such an unrealistic standard as "all channels" be made mandatory. The 809, which includes the Audyssey MultEQ XT auto-calibration and room correction system, should serve you well for many years. At this time the best buy appears to be the factory refurb(which my personal experience and also study indicate should be, if anything, even more reliable than a brand-new unit)available from A4L here for about $650 shipped.

F1nut

Like a broken record......Like a broken record......Like a broken record......Like a broken record......

Sherardp

F1nut wrote: »

Like a broken record......Like a broken record......Like a broken record......Like a broken record......

I was wondering when someone would say it. Can we have a sticky for "Recommend a Receiver?"

F1nut

LOL.....well that too, but I was referring to John K's babble.

davehall83

Wow, this is quite a change from going to external amp's for the front/center to using the onboard amp with the 809. I thought the reason for buying an external amp wasn't necessarily to crank the volume up but to increase the clairity and quality of the sound and making sure the speaker isn't under powered to avoid clipping etc. So can you explain to me why I shouldn't externally amp these speakers, I get what your saying, I don't need my ears to bleed and I don't particullary like audio that is too loud to enjoy. I just want quality/clarity. Do you work for polk?

John K. wrote: »

Dave, welcome to Club Polk. The Polk speakers which you're considering should make for an excellent setup . I'll go into more detail about the amplification. You've also done your homework there in considering the Onkyo 809. The Polks are average in sensitivity and don't require anything unusual in the way of the amplifier. The 809 has a quite powerful amplifier and can drive your Polks to beyond safe(to your hearing)sound levels. Beware of misguided urging to get still more maximum power capacity in the form of a separate amplifier. In particular, an "all channels driven" spec is unrealistic in the real world of home listening where driving all channels simultaneously at full rated power simply doesn't happen. Note that the FTC(Federal Trade Commission)which sets regulations for amplifier power testing, explicitly rejected recently a proposal to require such an unrealistic standard as "all channels" be made mandatory. The 809, which includes the Audyssey MultEQ XT auto-calibration and room correction system, should serve you well for many years. At this time the best buy appears to be the factory refurb(which my personal experience and also study indicate should be, if anything, even more reliable than a brand-new unit)available from A4L here for about $650 shipped.

cnh

A9s A6--you need an external amp, period!

Also, since the A9s can go pretty LOW. You should really think about stepping up to the largest Polk sub in that series (you won't regret it) the DSW 660. More power, lower resonance frequency better for a bigger room. And what is home theater without a sub that can get down below 30hz?

Have fun!

John K.

Dave, no I don't work for Polk; I'm an attorney(primarily criminal prosecution)with my undergraduate degree being a B.S. in Chemistry, and both of these fields of study taught me to require solid proof of claims, which I apply in my hi-fi hobby of about the past 40 years now. Applying that standard to the question of amplification for your Polks, I note that the RTiA9s are in fact slightly higher than average in sensitivity, with a Polk rating of 90dB(quite loud)for 1 watt of input power. Brief peaks of course require much more, possibly 50-100 times as much for a split second, but nothing that the 809(or even a model a step down such as the 709 I would have suggested)can't handle easily. When such receivers do this, there's no such thing as an amplifier with an even higher maximum(but unused)output somehow magically increasing the "clarity and quality" of the sound; amplifiers increase the incoming voltage so that it's high enough to make the speakers play loudly. That's it.

You'll almost certainly find that the RTiA9s are in fact quite easy to drive. Note that big speaker doesn't necessarily mean big power needed; the opposite is often the case since the bigger speaker is more efficient(the case here)than smaller bookshelf models and actually requires less power. In any case, your present decision isn't irrevocable: in the unlikely situation that you'd find a separate amplifier was needed, it can be added later. Don't assume a problem(and spend money now to overcome it)which may never occur. Enjoy your fine speakers.

F1nut

I hope you are a better lawyer than you are an audiophile. While I agree that a separate amp is not needed for the RTi A7's or 9's in an HT only rig when powered by a top notch AVR it is not for the reasons you state. For as much education as you seem to have, somehow you missed the part about theory verses reality.

As the typical HT rig crosses over to the sub at 80Hz, a top notch AVR will have no problem driving either the 7's or 9's. For 2 channel music it's a very different story. Having actually heard the 7's and 9's driven by different 2 channel power amps and AVR's I can say with absolute certainty that both perform much better on high quality, high current, high watt power amps verses not so good power amps or top notch AVR's.

cfrizz

davehall83 wrote: »

Wow, this is quite a change from going to external amp's for the front/center to using the onboard amp with the 809. I thought the reason for buying an external amp wasn't necessarily to crank the volume up but to increase the clairity and quality of the sound and making sure the speaker isn't under powered to avoid clipping etc. So can you explain to me why I shouldn't externally amp these speakers, I get what your saying, I don't need my ears to bleed and I don't particullary like audio that is too loud to enjoy. I just want quality/clarity. Do you work for polk?

You have it figured correctly, this is precisely why we recommend separate amplification that all speakers benefit from. Get the receiver that has all the bells and whistles w preouts you want it to have and get a 5-7 channel amp of at least 200wpc @ 8ohms to allow the speakers to operate to their full potential.

This setup will keep you happy for years to come & the amp can be used with any other speakers you get now and in the future.

You are putting together a great system!

michael1947

What a fun project, please enjoy the process. I agree with cnh, I have A9's and most of the other stuff you are considering. Keep the big 9's as they look spectacular. Speaker wire will be an issue. Consider making your own. You will likely move things around a bit in your discovery so a couple of rolls of # 14 from the Home Depot will do for temporary and then you can move to more permanent stuff. Blue Jeans Cables and others can supply good in wall cable and you can make up some real fine connectors for it when finished moving the speakers around. Also, a separate 3 or 5 channel amp is required so do not consider a high end receiver for these big speakers as one is not made. You have a large space so fill it with great speakers and power them properly. My large room uses an Onkyo TXNR 708 and an Emotiva XPA-5.