Newbie putting together my 1st surround setup..needs advice- Please

buyer2k11

From the suggestions I received from a previous post, I think I know what I want to buy and just need some help finishing the details...
Here is what I am thinking...
Surrounds- M30
Fronts- M50
Center- should I get a CS1 or CS2 (if the price difference is only $30 or $40 more for the CS2, is it worth the upgrade given my other speakers...Not sure of the best fit.)
Subwoofer--Question here, what should I get PSW111 or PSW125 or something different???
Receiver--Help!..I know I want HDMI that is not a pass-through (correct?)

Thanks in advance for your help:)

kawizx9r

Definitely get the CS2, just my .02
Far as the other components, members will chime in with their experiences

wutadumsn23

I am with Kawi on the CS2, def. get that over the CS1, you will not be sorry. I have one and IMHO it is one of the best centers per $ there is out there. For your surrounds you could go with either the Monitor 30's or the Monitor 40's. If you are looking to wall mount them I would go with the 30's (much easier to wall mount them) if you are looking at stands then I would go with the Monitor 40's. I also have them and they work great with my Monitor 70's. I am not very familiar with the PSW111, but I have a PSW125, and while it is not the best sub out there it is def. a quality starter sub and you will be pleased by it's performance. It does very well in my humble set-up. The 111 has an 8" cone and the 125 has a 12" cone and the 125 gets down a little lower with a -3db limit of 34 hz, compared to the 111's lower -3db limit of 42 hz. That spec. may be a little confusing but it's like golf, the lower the number the better, lol. As for the AVR (Receiver) question I am a little confused by your non pass through comment. Are you looking for an AVR that will upconvert an analog signal to 1080p using analog cables? Or are you going to be using the AVR for sound only? What source are you going to be using to watch movies and such? I have a PS3 and an Onkyo TX-SR806 that I use in pass through and they work very well together. Also one more thing to keep in mind is if you are going to want to upgrade your fronts later or possibly give them more power to perform closer to their potential. If that is the case you will def. want to get an AVR that has pre-outs for adding an external amp down the road. A little more detail on the AVR question and we should have this problem licked for you. Good luck and welcome to Club Polk.

buyer2k11

Right now my movie source is my Xbox360. I mostly would use the setup with movies, Xbox360 games, and TV...not much at all for music. I would like a AVR that can carry the audio via HDMI cable. Thanks again for everyone's help...I could not be more thankful

wutadumsn23

How much are you looking to spend on an AVR? What type of TV do you have? You can get an AVR that has all the latest codecs (Dolby True HD, DTS HD MA) in case you someday get a Blu-Ray player for around $500, probably even less if you don't want pre-outs for adding an external amp. I recommend you get one that has pre-outs in case you upgrade and get bigger/better speakers and then have no way to give them the power they need because your AVR has no pre-outs. It is not a must to have them, just a nice thing to have down the road to allow you more options when it comes time to upgrade. I have an Onkyo TX-SR806, but I think that is more than you are looking for, it retails around $700. The lowest model Onkyo that has pre-outs would be the 70X series. For example 705, 706 and they go for around $550. They also have many AVR's that don't have pre-outs for considerably less $. Give us a budget and what you want it to do and we can be of better help. I recommend Onkyo because I have one and have always liked them, but there are other companies too. HK, Yammaha, Denon just to name a few.

buyer2k11

I understand the pre-outs, and I do like the idea of being prepared to upgrade. Here is what I was looking for in AVR, but again, I am new. I wanted a AVR with multiple HDMI, and one that has the latest codecs to add a Blu-Ray some day, and a 6.1 or 7.1 channel to add more speakers later, I would start with the traditional 5.1 surround...but I was not sure what else to look at. So, I guess pre-outs right now is not a requirement for me. If I put together a solid system I think I would be satified for a long time (famous last words I am sure you heard before):D

My TV is a 42' Plasma Hitachi
A loose budget would be between $400-$600, but would also consider a quality AVR for less if the only feature I don't get is the pre-outs.

nguyendot

Dump the Xbox360 as your main source. It's great for games, but it's dvd quality has proven one of the worst.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2088531,00.asp

In terms of an AVR - Go with a good Onkyo or Denon. If you can stretch your budget, get what seems to be the forum favorite, the SC-07 Pioneer Elite. It's a lot, but ask everyone on this forum, and the majority of them will tell you it's great.

Here's an onkyo for $500~ http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/538983058/onkyo-txsr607b.

5hdmi in, 1 out. They are not just pass throughs, like you want.

Get the CS2.

subs - I'll let the rest of them answer that one.

buyer2k11

Thanks for your input. I like the AVR you suggested.

cnh

The PSW125 is an OK sub, a better sub is the PSW505 if you can find it for 249? That sub will last you for a while until you start hankering for 1000 watts of power and an SVS, HSU, Sunfire, etc....

Onkyo's sound great with M-systems, IMHO! But Harman Kardon AVRs 254 and 354 are also nice. The old Pioneer 1018 has pre-outs, the new one does not.

I also recommend pre-outs and the Onkyo 700 series. But if you REALLY don't care. Try to find an Onkyo 606 (you'll save a lot of money if you can--the new model is NOT that different (607--a couple more HDMIs and the unproven front presence speakers?). Gimmicky!

cnh

slowpolky

I must add that I own an onkyo 607 that I purchased on ebay for 440 shipped plus $10 insurance . Today it can be had for less , but let me defend the front hight speakers by adding that there isnt a single movie thats been encoded with dolby LLZ yet.

It cant be described as gimmicky?

I had a sony htib before the onkyo paired up with fxi3 $150 rti6 $170 csi3 $170 but since the onkyo came I paired up with a csi5 $99 now I hunt for rti8's day and night

If like me you only play games and watch movies then go for the onkyo its the best sound ive ever heard with bluray . The sound effects this machine puts out will have you leaping out the chair

Knucklehead

slowpolky wrote: »

If like me you only play games and watch movies then go for the onkyo its the best sound ive ever heard with bluray . The sound effects this machine puts out will have you leaping out the chair

what do you mean by sound effects?

slowpolky

The enveloping sound stage that one becomes immersed in . Things like spikes in volume when a bad guy leaps out with a knife or gun shots being fired in all directions .When a building crumbles and the feeling you get that its a structure of great weight

Knucklehead

ok gotcha, im sure the Onkyo is a good choice, just my opinion, but I prefer the sound from the Pioneer. Ive come to the conclusion that certain receivers sound better with certain equipment.

nguyendot

For this price point I personally like Onkyo/Denon. For the Elite level... Pioneer.

mvs9963

was in the same boat you are in a while ago try to listen to as many as you can. each receiver has a slight different sound in my ears anyway. auditioned a bunch before choosing

buyer2k11

Just saying thanks again for everyone's advice and help. I am sure many more questions will come up...such as Speaker wire recommendations?? What should I look for? How much should I need to spend?

nguyendot

It's not a matter of how much, but rather what you like. There are a lot of opinions on speaker cable. Try some out, buy some used sets from forum members. You'll find what you like soon enough.

slowpolky

Another option you have is monoprice.com

I bough the 12awg speaker wire and a whole bunch of banana plugs
Incase your not familiar with the banana plugs they insure that your speaker wire doesn't touch each other

This will help prevent speaker damage or shortages from your receiver