4 Months to live...what have I done?
BurrInspector
Posts: 83
in Speakers
Hello everyone, newbie here at polk. I have waited 11years to buy a system for myself, 50:50 movies to music. And after much debate and convincing my fiancée agreed on letting me have my way.
And now things have escalated so quickly, it almost certainly seems like I have signed off my own death warrant...it all began 2 weeks ago.......
I have been wanting a ht system for as long as I remember and I thought before settling down I should just go for it and do something for myself for the last time, and so I thought about using my left hand but....no just kidding! So after 3 days of negotiations with wife to be, we set out a budget for the system. 4k for speakers, 1.5k for a subwoofer and 2k for an AVR.. budget in NZD.
Righto, I was damn excited and from my research over the years I knew this will be a difficult road. Problem is theres limited components available in New Zealand and I needed to find something within my budget and it had to be perfect according to me. So I set out and searched around for what was available, options were b&w 683's2, 684's2, paradigm monitor 11 v7's, and the klipsch rf82's. I set up a date with the local dealer where a buddy of mine works and went in for some tests. I could have a decent speaker combo for 4k from the brands available and I spent a whole day listening to the various offerings with different AVR's and power amp setups. I was looking for a distinct tone from the speakers I wanted (a speaker set that reminded me of the old school set my dad had, dunno what brand it was but I remember the sound/tone) but every thing I heard was not even getting close.
The bw 600 series were alright for music (needed alot of power to drive em), paradigm were good but not what I was looking for and the klipsch omg, it was just piercing, however it was not as bad for the reps there. Maybe it was just me. Anyways needless to say I returned home depressed. Almost gave up till my fiancée who was abit worried looking at the state I was in went 'wow!! Look at these!'
It was the rti series and she was looking at the a5. We both liked the look of it in cherry and she was happy with the costs. Said it would be alright if I went a little over the budget too. So I called my bud and he said he could try bringing them in. After a week he gives me a call and I went in to have a look. He couldnt get a hold of the a5 but got the a7 and the a9. So I started testing them against the previous sets I tried. And man do they shine, when they are powered by an external amp. I was impressed as it was close to the tone I was after, it sounded great and I had to have a set of the rti's. Spend 7 hours playing random media, blu rays and some wav files. I went home happy, and after much debate my fiancée and I settled on getting the a7
The next day I went to purchase the speakers and I hear the polk rti a9 again going off in the corner, and this is where things escalate, this was it, that weak moment in life, I was bedazzled by the a9's and within 5minutes I made the decision to get a set of a9 instead of a7 and when I was asked what about rears I said a9, center csi a6 and now it was all over, I wasnt thinking straight and when I was asked if I wanted a sub...I squeaked out pb13ultra's...god damn it! It was all over. The speakers and subs were ordered and are due late december. I spent 5800nzd on 2x rtia9's and the csi a6. And 5450nzd on the two subs...Avr and since the a9's are power hungry I would be needing an amp which are yet to be purchased, plus the cables required.
Its been two days and I havent told the other half, thinking of just leaving it till the components arrive and most likely I will be stabbed or shot.
Anyways I was just looking at recommendations on avr and amp or pre/pro setup.
I cannot get the parasound amp that was used for tests so if someone could give me some advice on a mid range amp, it would be greatly appreciated.
The room the systems going to be setup in is 24 feet by 14 feet. And the height of 8.1 feet.
Calling on all the wise men for advice, many thanks in advanced.
Sorry bout the lengthly post but I just needed to let people know how it all came to be. Cheers
And now things have escalated so quickly, it almost certainly seems like I have signed off my own death warrant...it all began 2 weeks ago.......
I have been wanting a ht system for as long as I remember and I thought before settling down I should just go for it and do something for myself for the last time, and so I thought about using my left hand but....no just kidding! So after 3 days of negotiations with wife to be, we set out a budget for the system. 4k for speakers, 1.5k for a subwoofer and 2k for an AVR.. budget in NZD.
Righto, I was damn excited and from my research over the years I knew this will be a difficult road. Problem is theres limited components available in New Zealand and I needed to find something within my budget and it had to be perfect according to me. So I set out and searched around for what was available, options were b&w 683's2, 684's2, paradigm monitor 11 v7's, and the klipsch rf82's. I set up a date with the local dealer where a buddy of mine works and went in for some tests. I could have a decent speaker combo for 4k from the brands available and I spent a whole day listening to the various offerings with different AVR's and power amp setups. I was looking for a distinct tone from the speakers I wanted (a speaker set that reminded me of the old school set my dad had, dunno what brand it was but I remember the sound/tone) but every thing I heard was not even getting close.
The bw 600 series were alright for music (needed alot of power to drive em), paradigm were good but not what I was looking for and the klipsch omg, it was just piercing, however it was not as bad for the reps there. Maybe it was just me. Anyways needless to say I returned home depressed. Almost gave up till my fiancée who was abit worried looking at the state I was in went 'wow!! Look at these!'
It was the rti series and she was looking at the a5. We both liked the look of it in cherry and she was happy with the costs. Said it would be alright if I went a little over the budget too. So I called my bud and he said he could try bringing them in. After a week he gives me a call and I went in to have a look. He couldnt get a hold of the a5 but got the a7 and the a9. So I started testing them against the previous sets I tried. And man do they shine, when they are powered by an external amp. I was impressed as it was close to the tone I was after, it sounded great and I had to have a set of the rti's. Spend 7 hours playing random media, blu rays and some wav files. I went home happy, and after much debate my fiancée and I settled on getting the a7
The next day I went to purchase the speakers and I hear the polk rti a9 again going off in the corner, and this is where things escalate, this was it, that weak moment in life, I was bedazzled by the a9's and within 5minutes I made the decision to get a set of a9 instead of a7 and when I was asked what about rears I said a9, center csi a6 and now it was all over, I wasnt thinking straight and when I was asked if I wanted a sub...I squeaked out pb13ultra's...god damn it! It was all over. The speakers and subs were ordered and are due late december. I spent 5800nzd on 2x rtia9's and the csi a6. And 5450nzd on the two subs...Avr and since the a9's are power hungry I would be needing an amp which are yet to be purchased, plus the cables required.
Its been two days and I havent told the other half, thinking of just leaving it till the components arrive and most likely I will be stabbed or shot.
Anyways I was just looking at recommendations on avr and amp or pre/pro setup.
I cannot get the parasound amp that was used for tests so if someone could give me some advice on a mid range amp, it would be greatly appreciated.
The room the systems going to be setup in is 24 feet by 14 feet. And the height of 8.1 feet.
Calling on all the wise men for advice, many thanks in advanced.
Sorry bout the lengthly post but I just needed to let people know how it all came to be. Cheers
Comments
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Welcome to the rabbit hole, it only gets worse once you start....Pio Elete Pro 520
Panamax 5400-EX
Sunfire TGP 5
Micro Seiki DD-40 - Lyra-Dorian and Denon DL-160
PS Audio GCPH phono pre
Sunfire CG 200 X 5
Sunfire CG Sig 405 X 5
OPPO BDP-83 SE
SDA SRS 1.2TL Sonicaps and Mills
Ctr CS1000p
Sur - FX1000 x 4
SUB - SVS PB2-Plus
Workkout room:
Sony Bravia XBR- 32-Inch 1080p
Onkyo TX-DS898
GFA 555
Yamaha DVD-S1800BL/SACD
Ft - SDA 1C
Not being used:
RTi 38's -4
RT55i's - 2
RT25i's -2, using other 2 in shop
LSI 15's
CSi40
PSW 404 -
Knock on the door of PERREAUX as they are built in NZ. Just where i'm not sure but worth looking into since you live there.Main Rig:
Krell KAV 250a biamped to mid/highs
Parasound HCA1500A biamped to lows
Nakamichi EC100 Active xover
MIT exp 1 ic's
Perreaux SA33 class A preamp
AQ kingcobra ic's
OPPO 83 CDP
Lehmann audio black cube SE phono pre, Audioquest phono wire (ITA1/1)
Denon DP-1200 TT. AToc9ML MC cart.
Monster HTS 3600 power conditioner
ADS L1590/2 Biamped
MIT exps2 speaker cable -
@vmaxer yeah I had that feeling when I got home after the purchase, it just hit me then, that this was going to leave a much larger hole in my wallet.
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@soundfreak1 I will look into those good sir
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BurrInspector wrote: »@vmaxer yeah I had that feeling when I got home after the purchase, it just hit me then, that this was going to leave a much larger hole in my wallet.
Hey, sounds like you have a great partner....take care of her and enjoy together.
Pio Elete Pro 520
Panamax 5400-EX
Sunfire TGP 5
Micro Seiki DD-40 - Lyra-Dorian and Denon DL-160
PS Audio GCPH phono pre
Sunfire CG 200 X 5
Sunfire CG Sig 405 X 5
OPPO BDP-83 SE
SDA SRS 1.2TL Sonicaps and Mills
Ctr CS1000p
Sur - FX1000 x 4
SUB - SVS PB2-Plus
Workkout room:
Sony Bravia XBR- 32-Inch 1080p
Onkyo TX-DS898
GFA 555
Yamaha DVD-S1800BL/SACD
Ft - SDA 1C
Not being used:
RTi 38's -4
RT55i's - 2
RT25i's -2, using other 2 in shop
LSI 15's
CSi40
PSW 404 -
@vmaxer thank you very much for that comment. I guess I got lucky
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I really enjoyed your story, made me chuckle.
Tell your wife to be what you did as she seems like an understanding woman. I'd say if you don't she'll will be pissed and perhaps start to wonder if she's making a good choice.
One thing I didn't quite get, what speakers did you get for the surrounds?
Other than the suggested Perreaux, what other amps are available to you in NZ?Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
@F1nut I will take your advice and break the news to her over dinner tomorrow. Its better she knows now rather than when the components start arriving.
As for the speakers I got, I see I wasnt very clear on that. I got the A9's for fronts, Csi A6 for center and A9's again for surrounds
Personally I like the 2.0 setup for music but I wanted to have another set for some serious spl in the room using multichannel. The subs are strictly for movies. -
Oops forgot to mention, there are few parasound amps I can get my hands on, integra, emotiva through online and rotel. I dont mind buying amps online, but most wont ship overseas.
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Good man.
Since you going to use this as a double system, stick with the Perreaux or Parasound. Can you get the Halo series? I seriously don't think you'd be happy with the others for music, I wouldn't be.
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Wyred4Sound. You can go 2 channel or multichannel. Internet direct. I started with Parasound and went to W4S and never looked back. The A9’s love a ton of power. See my sig._____________________________________________________________________________________________
Ethernet Filter: GigaFOILv4 with Keces P3 LPS
Source: Roon via ethernet to DAC interface
DAC: Bricasti M1SE
Pre/Pro: Marantz AV8805
Tube Preamp Buffer: Tortuga TPB.V1
Amp1: Nord One NC1200DM Signature, Amp2: W4S MC-5, AMP3: W4S MMC-7
Front: Salk SoundScape 8's, Center: Salk SoundScape C7
Surround: Polk FXIA6, Surround Back: Polk RTIA9, Atmos: Polk 70-RT
Subs: 2 - Rythmik F25's
IC & Speaker Cables: Acoustic Zen, Wireworld, Signal Cable
Power Cables: Acoustic Zen, Wireworld, PS Audio
Room Treatments: GIK Acoustics -
Welcome to CP Burr! Lots of good choices if you're willing to order from the states. Another suggestion is Odyssey, located in Indiana. They have a range of amps and can build whatever you want."Science is suppose to explain observations not dismiss them as impossible" - Norm on AA; 2.3TL's w/sonicaps/mills/jantzen inductors, Gimpod's boards, Lg Solen SDA inductors, RD-0198's, MW's dynamatted, Armaflex speaker gaskets, H-nuts, brass spikes, Cardas CCGR BP's, upgraded IC Cable, Black Hole Damping Sheet strips, interior of cabinets sealed with Loctite Power Grab, AI-1 interface with 1000VA A-L transformer
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Hey guys thanks for all the suggestions, I will look into all of them and see if I could get some in New Zealand. I would love to order some from the states but most dont ship overseas.
I had a quick search for the halo series from parasound and in NZ the Parasound Halo A51 multichannel reciever is 9999nzd.
I am not sure I can afford something like that straight away as I have my wedding coming up early next year. In saying that I do want something that I will be happy with and not think 'what if'.
I will give each suggestion you guys made a real good research on and see whats available in New Zealand or what I could get from overseas. -
BurrInspector wrote: »Hey guys thanks for all the suggestions, I will look into all of them and see if I could get some in New Zealand. I would love to order some from the states but most dont ship overseas.
I had a quick search for the halo series from parasound and in NZ the Parasound Halo A51 multichannel reciever is 9999nzd.
I am not sure I can afford something like that straight away as I have my wedding coming up early next year. In saying that I do want something that I will be happy with and not think 'what if'.
I will give each suggestion you guys made a real good research on and see whats available in New Zealand or what I could get from overseas.
Maybe you can find something used in the states and get it shipped??Pio Elete Pro 520
Panamax 5400-EX
Sunfire TGP 5
Micro Seiki DD-40 - Lyra-Dorian and Denon DL-160
PS Audio GCPH phono pre
Sunfire CG 200 X 5
Sunfire CG Sig 405 X 5
OPPO BDP-83 SE
SDA SRS 1.2TL Sonicaps and Mills
Ctr CS1000p
Sur - FX1000 x 4
SUB - SVS PB2-Plus
Workkout room:
Sony Bravia XBR- 32-Inch 1080p
Onkyo TX-DS898
GFA 555
Yamaha DVD-S1800BL/SACD
Ft - SDA 1C
Not being used:
RTi 38's -4
RT55i's - 2
RT25i's -2, using other 2 in shop
LSI 15's
CSi40
PSW 404 -
Yeah that would work too
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@Thorton Had a look at wired4sound and the one on your sig, didnt have much luck finding places in New Zealand but i do like the product prices on their websites. The amp itself has been praised enough on reviews, so seems like it does a great job.
Anyone else wants to chime in on the wired4sound amps?
Will be looking at the other suggestions and see if i could find a place to try out some of the amps otherwise i will have to figure out a way to purchase one online relying on reviews and impressions provided by the good people here at club polk
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I've been using Perreaux electronics for 25 years, and I have never regretted it. They're made in Dunedin. Contact Martin Van Royen, Perreaux's managing director, and talk with him about what you need. He's a great guy and a real straight shooter.
By the way, welcome to the Forum and to the notorious "rabbit hole."Family Room, Innuos Statement streamer (Roon Core) with Morrow Audio USB cable to McIntosh MC 2700 pre with DC2 Digital Audio Module; AQ Sky XLRs to CAT 600.2 dualmono amp, Morrow Elite Speaker Cables to NOLA Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 speakers. Power source for all components: Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One with dedicated 20 amp circuit to main panel.
Exercise Room, Innuos Streamer via Cat 6 cable connection to PS Audio PerfectWave MkII DAC w/Bridge II, AQ King Cobra RCAs to Perreaux PMF3150 amp (fully restored and upgraded by Jeffrey Jackson, Precision Audio Labs), Supra Rondo 4x2.5 Speaker Cables to SDA 1Cs (Vr3 Mods Xovers and other mods.), Dreadnaught with Supra Rondo 4x2.5 interconnect cables by Vr3 Mods. Power for each component from dedicated 20 amp circuit to main panel, except Innuos Statement powered from Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One. -
Hey guys, sorry got caught up with work this past few days.
Just a wee update, I took my fiancée to dinner two nights ago, Friday. And we had a good time, towards the end I thought I would break the news bout the over spend and so I started with, 'hun!, I have something to confess...' and before I could finish she interupted saying ''rabbit hole' I know'.
Well apparently I left this forum page open on my desktop and she read the whole thing. She said she understood why I had to have the best and thought I was being silly thinking that I wont get to do things for myself
However she thought we should hold of any further purchases till after our wedding.. long wait
On the brighter side it gives me few more months to save up and go for the bigger amps, so now the questions is:
What's out there that would be able to just run the 4x rti a9's and the csi a6 and not hit the wallet too hard? I was thinking an AVR capable of just running them (cause some sound is better than none) and later I could use it as a pre-amp when I add an amp, which would be in March. However am abit weary of running them underpowered and worse case the rti a9's end up getting wrecked.
Budget > 5k -
@Moose68Bash thanks for the info on Perreaux. I have been through their site and I will be calling in for a chat.
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I'm not aware of an AVR capable of what your asking without hitting the wallet HARD. Pioneer SC series will get them up & running but IMO you still need an amp to do them justice. And your correct in your concern about underpowering them, good luck.
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@chumlie yeah thats my worry. The rti's are due in december and I cant really wait 3 months before trying them out at my place
A friend of mine suggested I get the emotiva amp for that three months and sell it later. But even then I have my worries. -
Good idea your friend had. Emo will do the trick till you find something better. I'm a Parasound fan.
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Yeah am actually looking at parasound, perreaux and wired4sound amps as suggested by fellow members previously . And reading on them has given me a whole new way of looking at things when it comes to hifi now.
I might get the emotiva amp (2000nzd delivered) however I would still need a pre-amp/AVR.
Also any idea how much the emotiva would sell for after 3months? -
Congrats on the setup bro.Shoot the jumper.....................BALLIN.............!!!!!
Home Theater Pics in the Showcase :cool:
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=73580 -
@Sherardp thank you good sir
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Heck, you may like the Emo. Shouldn't get beat up to bad if you decide to sell it with the transferrable warranty. Don't let all these naysayers get to you. Only your ears will decide.
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@chumlie I strongly agree that sound is subjective. While testing the available range instore i often asked for opinions of others in the store. Having spent around 19 hours over 3 days testing and getting feedback on all the tests i can say everyone processes sound differently and at different range. But am sure everyone here is well versed on the topic.
My own experience is limited when it comes to amps and emotiva would sound better than the AVR for sure. When I went out to test the rti a7 and a9 they were initially running off a Denon x4000 AVR. The only available amp instore was parasound 2125 2 channel amp. I had them plug the rti pairs with the parasound for testing and loved the improvement over the AVR setup. -
OMG, that is too funny! ROFL! My wife did not like it when I spent $100 to have my VW Corrado detailed or the $5000 I spent on componets for a car audio system during the early years of our marriage. Good you are getting this out the way now. I have so little money invested in my current system as i found great used deals....but the Ms. still gives me fits sometimes.BurrInspector wrote: »Its been two days and I havent told the other half, thinking of just leaving it till the components arrive and most likely I will be stabbed or shot.
Generally speaking A/V preamps are expensive. Good 5-7 channel amps are expensive. So if you want to go that route...save all you can.
However, if you go with an AVR that has the feature you are after it will power the speakers just fine untill you can add an amp. Then you could add a lower cost 5 or 7 channel or even a 2 ch or 3 ch amp to power the fronts and let the AVR continue to drive the rear. IMO, this is the best bang for the buck. Some 5 channel amps can get pretty pricey. Finding an AVR for $1K USD and under then an amp for $1K USD and under would be a great value.
Models from Denon, Pioneer, Onkyo, Yamaha, etc might offer the best features for the money. Here are some nice units with tons of feature at not so crazy prices. I think Amazon might ship to you?
Pioneer SC-1523-K
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SC-1523-K-9-2-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B00DQHZYRI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409502037&sr=8-1&keywords=Pioneer+SC-1523-K
Onkyo TX-NR818
http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-NR818-7-2-Channel-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B007JOO4XE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409502111&sr=8-1&keywords=Onkyo+TX-NR818
Onkyo TX-NR3010
http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-NR3010-9-2-Channel-Certified-Receiver/dp/B008J834YY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409502140&sr=8-1&keywords=Onkyo+TX-NR3010
Amps
Wyred 4 Sound 7Ch- https://wyred4sound.com/products/multichannel/mc-7150
Parasound Halo 3 Ch- http://www.parasound.com/products/3ch.php
Emotive 3 ch https://emotiva.com/products/amplifiers/xpa-3
Odyssey 3 ch - http://www.odysseyaudio.com/products-stratos-ht3.html
Outlaw Audio Monoblock - http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/2200.html
Anthem MCA 30 3 ch - http://www.anthemav.com/products-current/model=mca-30/page=overview
As far as EMOTIVA...try for yourself. There are some that love them and some that hate them. If you look around the net there are some NICE system built with those amps:
http://images4.static-bluray.com/htgallery/129464_full.jpg
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/attachments/f8-general-forum/4203d1357056672-emotiva-amps.jpg
http://images2.static-bluray.com/htgallery/77442_full.jpg
http://www.avsforum.com/photopost/data/2156533/b/b7/b7824e2e_SAM_1738_zps524a6320.jpeg
http://i.imgur.com/wgoc4.jpgPost edited by WLDock on2.2 Office Setup | LG 29UB55 21:9 UltraWide | HP Probook 630 G8 | Dell Latitude | Cabasse Stream Amp 100 | Boston Acoustics VS 240 | AUDIORAX Desk Stands | Mirage Omni S8 sub1 | Mirage Omni S8 Sub2 -
@WLDock oh god! I think I dodged the bullet here and I feel invincible. If it were my ex then I would be six feet under by now lol.
When it came to her family and friends she expected me to spend freaking thousands and when I went out and bought myself a car she lost it. Needless to say I am with someone that am lucky to have now, I only really realised that few days ago haha...
Anyways back to the topic at hand. As you have stated theres amps than theres AMPS....
I will need sometime to look through what you have suggested but at first glance they all look good for someone like me with no experience with said amps, just going by specs.
As for emotiva amps, I have had googled them and there are plenty of systems built with those and some you provided links to. Those who use it, swear by it. They look like best bang for buck when it comes to amps...
As for AVR's, I had no idea Amazon shipped to NZ! I now have plenty of options for AVR's and or pre-amps. Also, had no idea svs did the pb13ultra in cherry!!!! ?? I ordered the piano black to go with the A9's. -
Actually, only limited items are available for shipment out of Country. The items I linked are not available form what I can tell. Use this link to get to the International Shipping section: http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=230659011
An yes, those American cherry subs look sweet with the Polks, They used to offers this as well as an Oak finish: http://www.avsforum.com/photopost/data/2156533/b/b7/b7824e2e_SAM_1738_zps524a6320.jpeg
...but that is an older color...Its not listed,...nor do I know if they will do a special order.2.2 Office Setup | LG 29UB55 21:9 UltraWide | HP Probook 630 G8 | Dell Latitude | Cabasse Stream Amp 100 | Boston Acoustics VS 240 | AUDIORAX Desk Stands | Mirage Omni S8 sub1 | Mirage Omni S8 Sub2
