New LSI & HK set up recomendation request

ChicagoMike

I just bought :
Lsi9's fronts
LsiFX rears
LsiC center
PSW505 Sub

I need to get a new reciever, preamp, amp set up to support my new speakers. I have always been a Harman Kardon fan so I want to stick with HK componants. Im not a hard core audio fan but I want a great new system. At this point I dont know what will work with what which is why Im asking for HELP from the forum.

Here are the must haves... I want 2 zones so I can power and control a second room (Klipch towers in room 2). I want a resonable amount of power and dont really want to power the speakers with the reciever unless you recomend this. I listen to mostly heavy rock music FYI.

These are the 2 options Im looking at

OPTION 1
1- HK AVR 7000 (Used) or a HK AVR 630 refurbished
2- HK PA 4000 amp 4x100 @ 8ohms cant find 4 ohm amp level
3- HK PA 2000 amp 2x 100 @ 8 ohm cant find 4 ohm amp level
OR
HK Signature 2.1 amp 5x 100 @ 8 ohm cant find 4 ohm amp level
PLUS HK PA 2000 amp 2x 100 @ 8 ohm cant find 4 ohm amp level

OPTION 2
1- HK PT 2300 pre amp or HK PT 2500 pre amp
2- HK PA 4000 amp 4x100 @ 8ohms cant find 4 ohm amp level
3- HK PA 2000 amp 2x 100 @ 8 ohm cant find 4 ohm amp level
OR
HK Signature 2.1 amp 5x 100 @ 8 ohm cant find 4 ohm amp level
PLUS HK PA 2000 amp 2x 100 @ 8 ohm cant find 4 ohm amp level

Here are the few questions I am trying to answer.

Shoud I go with a pre amp or a AVR reciever?
Which amps listed go with which pre amp or reciever?
Can I bridge any of these amps to get more power and which amps cannot be bridged?
Will the pre amp allow me to do the 2 zones to power the second room?

I appreciate your help. Again, Im not a hard core audio guy but I want to set up a nice system to drive my new great Lsi speakers.

Thanks for your feedback!!!!!! I learned a lot from reading all of your posts.

Dennis Gardner

HK's seperate amps won't be as strong as their receivers. Their amps make great second room extension amps, but the receivers amps in the 7000 are stronger.

The 630 has the latest level of processing and would make a better prepro than either you listed. It has 6-7.1 decoding.

You really want to look into 200wpc channel amps to see much improvement over those in the HK line of receivers and no current HK amp has this much output.

You might look into Parasound, Outlaw, Rotel or others that would cover the wattage you prefer or forgo the amps and get a new HK 7300 with 115 X 7, as it is really a beast.

ChicagoMike

Thanks Dennis. Can you recommend a good amp or amps that could drive all 5 LSI's and the 2 Klipch towers I have in the second room? Im planning on buying these items on ebay.

So your saying that I should go with the AVR and not the stand alone pre amp? Will I be wasting my $$ on the HK AVR if I end up driving all the speakers off of amps?

Thanks again.

Dennis Gardner

HK has some holes in their current offering of new stuff.

1. No new Prepro with up-to-date processing. Only the receivers carry the latest.

2. No high current-wattage amps. The 2000 and 4000 are primarily used for whole house setups and work great linked through one of thier receivers with the cat-5 control cords. The wattage you quoted was in bridged mode and won't drive the 4 ohms LSIs.

The HK amps in the receivers are great, as I have a 7200 AVR and would only consider adding amps to the mains. There is plenty of power for my center and surrounds. 5-7 channel amps with enough power to do what you are asking will run you $1k-$2k.

For 7 channel value, I would buy a new Outlaw 770 200 X 7 for $1800.

ChicagoMike

Thanks again dennis...

Since you have an AVR 7200 let me ask you this. Is the second zone on the AVR 7000 or 7200 powered the same as zone 1?

Since the AVR 7000 im looking at buying should be able to handle the LSI rears, and center, now it sounds like I need an amp to power the LSI fronts and the Klipch towers in room 2.

Any 4 channel amp recomendations?

Dennis Gardner

I don't use 2 zone capability in my 7200 but understand it to be using the rear 2 channels of the 7 amps available for the 2nd zone leaving only a 5.1 setup for the main room. I think the 7000 has 5 amps and 2 preouts for the 2nd zone if I recall, so an amp fot he 2nd zone is required on the 7000. Only the 8000 carried assignable amps that would let you biamp or assign different amps to another room.

Get the 8000 if you want to use any of the HK amps for 2nd room usage.

Also consider that the Klipsch are very easy to drive and an HK receiver would handle them well.

lomic

If you can find one, Parasound HCA-1205 (5 channels) would drive your LSi's nicely, with 200w into 4 ohms. If you want more overhead the HCA-2205 (also 5 channels) is 300w into 4 ohms - one just sold on Audiogon for $1250. Then you could pick up a HCA-1500a (2 channels) to drive your towers.

ChicagoMike

Now that ive gotten some feedback Im looking at:

HK AVR 7300
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&kw=HAAVR7300&is=REG&Q=&O=productlist&sku=326438
and the

HK DPR 2005
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=326440&is=REG

Any recomendations on these two recievers?

THANKS

Dennis Gardner

Both solid performers, just different technology in the amp section. You won't go wrong using either of those as a foundation for your HT and building an extended amp section to handle your LSIs.

Buying either receiver matched to you LSIs, you will have a top notch start at a great HT. You can always add external amps, but at least you can power the speakers in both rooms until you get a feel if the amps are needed. When I upgraded to the HK AVR, to match the front projector's 8 foot image on my new theater wall, I quickly realized that my Polk sub was the limiting factor to great sound. I chose to build my own, and ended with a dual 12 inch sub with Adire Audio Shiva drivers. You might want to check out subs from SVS, HSU, Velodyne, or Outlaw to name a few. They make true theater capable subs that will handle the lowest explosions and special effects that the digital surround formats throw at your sub. The Polk sub lineup is a little boomy for great HT and really can't hold a candle to the LSi or RTi speakers in a HT setup, for music you may find them adequate, for movies, maybe lacking.

Just my experience through the painful and $$$ upgrade path I took.

Unless you have a deadline for your HT install, I would browse this forum, and do some searches for the components you are looking at over at these HT sites:

Home Theater Forum
AVS Forum

Enjoy your journey,

DG