new surround system - help me

gaborow

i'm EXTREMELY new to this stuff, basically i know nothing. this is what my brother had me buy (on advice from a co-worker of his):
floor: RTi12's
center: CSi5
sub: PSW505
rear: FXi5's
rec: HK AVR 7300

Here are my questions for those kind enough to answer:

1. where can i learn about this stuff? books? the web?
-- i'm interested in this stuff but need to start with the basics. a lot of the technical speak on this board is definitely over my head.

2. is the reciever sufficient (for surround and music)?
-- there seems to be a lot of talk about a reciever being "up to the task". i have only 20 days to return this one and would do so if it's not "the one".

3. are there any additional items i should purchase to "complete" this setup?
-- preamp? (what the h*ck does that do for me?)
-- speaker wire?
-- etc.?

4. should i be buying 2 more speakers for 7.1 sound? if so what should i be looking at? i don't even know if this question makes sense!

any answers are much appreciated. thanks in advance.

Frank Z

Welcome to the forum!

You've got a very impressive system that will serve you well for quite some time.

Don't worry about the techno-babble, you'll catch on pretty quick.

You can learn a great deal right here. There are many members that have a lot of knowledge that they are happy to share. Try using the search feature and see if some of the previous posts have the info you need. You should also down load the Polk Audio Home Theater Handbook, it's full of really good info for beginners and experts alike.

Your receiver is a very good one, don't be afraid to play around with it to get familiar with the features.

Your receiver is a pre-amp and an amplifier all rolled into one. You don't have to add anything at this point. Down the road you may want more amplification, all you'll need to do is buy an amp and connect it to the Pre-out jacks on the back of your receiver. This will allow you to use any size amp you want and allow the receiver to function as a pre-amp only.

Wires are one area where people get bent out of shape really easily. Some are big believers in hi-end (Read - $$$) wires and cables, others don't feel that they make any difference at all. Don't let anyone else's opinion sway your purchasing decisions. Buy what you want, make sure you can get a 100% refund if it doesn't sound good to you.

Your next purchase should be an SPL Meter from Radio Shack. It is an excellent tool for properly setting up the audio portion of your system. Click here for a good read on the proper use of the meter. You might want to invest in a calibration/setup DVD as well. I've been using the Sound & Vision Magazines Home Theater Tune Up DVD for a few years and am happy with the results I get. You can find it at Media Play, Best Buy, Sam Goodies, etc., for around $20.

7.1 is great, if your room is big enough. I use direct radiating speakers for the rear channels and have my LsiFX (similar to your FXi5's) set up as the side surround speakers. Don't permanently mount your speakers on the walls just yet. Use some stepladders, bar stools, bookshelves, etc as temporary stands until you decide where they sound the best. Don't forget to re-calibrate after each change though.

The most important advice that I can think of is to have fun. Don't be afraid to experiment and try different things. It will help you to understand what your new system can and cannot do and will help you get a better grasp of some of the more technical aspects of this crazy obsession.

Enjoy!!

Early B.

First of all, your brother's co-worker's recommendations are very good. He suggested an awesome system. Now to answer your questions:

1. You've come to the best place on earth to learn about everything audio. Just take your time, keep reading, ask plenty of questions, make ample use of the forum's search feature, and in a few weeks you'll know more than you ever wanted to know about home audio.

2. You have an excellent receiver. However, your speakers are very power hungry and will sound a lot better with a separate 2-channel amplifier to power them (I wouldn't recommend that at this point; maybe later). I'd keep the receiver and trade out the front speakers. Perhaps you can trade the Rti12's out for the RTi8's and save a few coins. You'll need them for the next question. The main difference between the 12's and the 8's is deeper bass on the 12's, but since you have a subwoofer, bass from the fronts is kind of redundant. And based on the size of your room, it could be overkill.

3. Just make sure you get some decent speaker cables and interconnects. Try www.signalcable.com. Whatever you do, don't buy cheap cables (i.e., Monster) from stores like Best Buy or Circuit City. A good system like yours deserves good cables.

4. The question makes a lot of sense. Depends on your room size and seating position. A 7.1 setup works very well in a large room with several feet of space behind the primary seating position. Otherwise, 5.1 is fine. Don't worry about 7.1 right now. You can easily add another pair of speakers later if you choose to do so. What is your room size?

gaborow

thanks very much gentlemen for the replies...

since i haven't found the house i'll be moving into yet, i'll hold off on going to 7.1 until i know my room dimensions better... but i will definitely buy the cables from signalcable.com shortly.

i slept like a baby knowing that if the hk 7300 was sufficient enough for you guys, it has to be good enough for me.

now i will visit polks various learning guides and peruse the many threads to find out what else i exactly need to know to get the most out of all this stuff. thx.

gaborow

i will definitely purchase the calibration dvd and SPL meter as well... not sure what they are yet, sometimes you just have to have faith. thx again.

Frank Z

Click on the links in my earlier reply and you'll get an understanding of the SPL meter and the set up DVD.

gaborow

ok, i've purchased the setup dvd and will buy the SPL meter a.s.a.p. (i'm very impatient).

as for the speaker wire... any specific suggestions? i would like to buy the wire before my speakers show up (they are in transit) so that i can get going right away (did i mention i was impatient?). i checked out signalcable.com and don't really know what to choose. i will of course call them but if you have any suggestions i am a blank slate.

Frank Z

Sent ya a PM