Stereo Receiver for Polk Tsi100 speakers

Clipdat

First post! I'm a new member of the Polk family with my recent purchase of the Tsi100 bookshelf speakers! I tried them out with a hand me down Technics SA-EX100 receiver circa 1995 and noticed that the receiver has some sort of defect that is preventing some of the mid and high frequencies from correctly reaching the left channel! (I also verified this with an old set of Sony speakers.)

Anyway! I need a suggestion of a good stereo receiver (yes I have searched!) that will drive the Tsi100s well. It's going to be used in my small bedroom alongside a CD player and DVD player which I have going via HDMI into a LCD and then have the L + R audio output RCAs going back to the receiver. So, a very basic setup that is primarily going to be used for music, with DVDs as a secondary focus.

cnh

Welcome to Club Polk!

Take a look at a Harman Kardon 3390 or 3490. They should power your speakers fine and the 3490 also has output for two subs and pre-outs for an external power amp, as well as decent DACs for a direct digital hook up from the DVD or BDP (coax or toslink) to the Harman Kardon.

What's your budget?

cnh

Clipdat

Thanks for the reply! The 3390 looks fantastic, and like you said there's still some room to grow there with the sub pre-outs if I want to add in a sub at some point.

To answer your question, ideally my budget is under $200, and it looks like the 3390 is $199 on HK's refrub eBay store. I was also considering the Onkyo TX-8255, but wasn't sure if 50w/channel was "enough". I don't have anything against Onkyo though as I use a HT-RC360 in my main living room surround sound setup and love it...

As a side note, do you think that there's a big difference in audio quality if I go optical out from the DVD player to the receiver and then video into the LCD tv via component cables, as opposed to the HDMI into the LCD and then L&R analog out from the TV to a receiver input?

dorokusai

Any decent AVR will drive those speakers. I'm an Onkyo fan....and some older high end versions can be picked up for a deal. TX-SR807....a handful will work for that speaker.

Clipdat

Oh no.. I just discovered the NAD 316BEE... My poor $200 budget might about to be destroyed...

Clipdat

dorokusai: Any older Onkyo models in particular that you recommend?

dorokusai

NAD is a solid choice as well since they both use the same Power Envelope/Power Drive feature. Whatever the new buzzword for the dynamic power reserve feature is these days....it really works well and NAD started that idea.

Drenis

Welcome to CP!

Buy my Onkyo in the FM :cheesygrin: http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?134698-Onkyo-TX-SR506-AVR

Should work fine for your application and budget.

Clipdat

Drenis: Thanks for the tip on your SR506, but I'm not sure I want to get a 7.1 receiver and completely under-utilize it for a simple bedroom stereo setup. I was looking to go with a stereo receiver if at all possible. The SR506 reminds me of my RC360 in the living room!

Drenis

Clipdat wrote: »

Drenis: Thanks for the tip on your SR506, but I'm not sure I want to get a 7.1 receiver and completely under-utilize it for a simple bedroom stereo setup. I was looking to go with a stereo receiver if at all possible. The SR506 reminds me of my RC360 in the living room!

Look at it this way, when you want to go 5.1 in the bedroom, you can. :razz: I figured, the price was right so I threw in the suggestion. Happy hunting!

Honestly, I'm just using it for 2-channel stereo right now. Coax in from my Squeezebox Touch to use the Onkyo's DAC's and Direct out to my speakers.

jimbo1421

I have been checking out the HK 3390 & HK 3490 for my office. The 3390 does not have coaxial or optical digital inputs; the 3490 does.

Jim

Clipdat

Look at it this way, when you want to go 5.1 in the bedroom, you can.

5.1 in the bedroom?! Do you have any idea how difficult it would be to convince the wife to go for that?!? :eek:

cnh

NAD is a great choice. Good Power, nice warm sound. Hard to beat in its price range.

Onkyo, nice AVRs, I run one myself--the monster TX-SR 805. Gobs of power for Monitor series surround systems.

Think about the NAD or the Harman Kardon for stereo sound.

If you want to go FULL Home Theater, then certainly consider an Onkyo.

Actually, I use an Onkyo TX-SR 604 with two Polk Rti-4s and a small 100 watt 8" sub in a 2.1 config. In my bedroom along with a smaller 32" LCD and couldn't be happier with that set up. You might be able to do something similar with the TSi-100s and maybe add a PSW 111 (sub) later on?

cnh

deronb1

are you going to add a sub?

Clipdat

Regarding adding a sub at some point, I thought about it and I have to say no - there's really no place to put one and it would be totally overkill in that size room.

I can't believe I wrote that though, I seriously love bass. But I have my KRK speakers hooked up to my DJ setup if I have a bass craving... :cheesygrin:

Drenis

Clipdat wrote: »

5.1 in the bedroom?! Do you have any idea how difficult it would be to convince the wife to go for that?!? :eek:

You would be surprised what some members here have JUST for a bedroom HT setup. Never mind there MAIN HT system. :eek:

cnh

Drenis is right. Besides, my room (above) is only 11.5 x 13 x 8.5, there is is a King Size bed in there along with a small sub! Subs don't have to be that big and they're still effective in such a space for HT. (Even a cheap 8" 100 watt sub).

I would agree that such a room is not quite big enough for more than a 3.1 system (I only run in 2.1 but that sub makes a huge difference).

Don't rule it out before you try it!

cnh

Clipdat

Thanks for all the replies so far! I decided that I'm going to head to World of Sound in Marin on Saturday and audition the NAD 316BEE. Should be fun!

Although, I have a feeling that once I see all their goodies I am going to be leaving with far more than I bargained for... :eek:

Clipdat

Well, based on my listening/testing earlier tonight, I think I made the right choice!