What AVR for TSi500?

vderka

Hi All,

Im on the verge of buying a homecinema system, but im still not sure which AVR amp I should buy for the TSi500 speakers. I have some on my list though, like Denon AVR-1610 or Pioneer VSX-819. My living room is 20m2 area. Center speaker will be CS10 and backs TSi100s. I also heard H/K amp on TSi300 but the bass wasnt that good. Any suggestions?

Viktor

cnh

Welcome to club polk vderka!

The H/K didn't have good bass on those speakers....that's hard to believe. H/Ks sound pretty good with that series. TSI-500s do NOT produce prodigious bass so don't look for that. They'll give you good TIGHT bass to around 40hz but not ear bleeding loudness at that frequency!

If I were thinking Pioneer I'd go with last years model 1018...it has pre-outs and is more powerful than current offerings.

I would also consider the Onkyo 706--also pre-outs and decent power.

New Marantz 600x series are also a good bet.

You should listen for yourself. And what's your budget.

cnh

kawizx9r

cnh wrote: »

Welcome to club polk vderka!

The H/K didn't have good bass on those speakers....that's hard to believe. H/Ks sound pretty good with that series. TSI-500s do NOT produce prodigious bass so don't look for that. They'll give you good TIGHT bass to around 40hz but not ear bleeding loudness at that frequency!

If I were thinking Pioneer I'd go with last years model 1018...it has pre-outs and is more powerful than current offerings.

I would also consider the Onkyo 706--also pre-outs and decent power.

New Marantz 600x series are also a good bet.

You should listen for yourself. And what's your budget.

cnh

+1 Welcome to Club Polk!
One common thing you'll be told is when choosing a receiver first but foremost choose one that has pre amp outputs! You'll have peace of mind knowing that if and WHEN you do get bit by the upgrade bug, the option will be available to you.

wutadumsn23

I agree with the guys on this one, the HK will get the job done just fine. Be sure to buy the model that has pre-outs for adding an external amp in the future, you will thank yourself. Also as cnh suggested, keep the Onkyo 706 in mind as well, I have the 806 and love it. One suggestion I would make, that may have gone unnoticed is upgrading to the CS2/CS20, because your 500's will kill that CS10 IMHO. I have the Monitor 70's (TSi 500's newer "twin brother") and the CS2/CS20 is a much better match for them. Something like 70% of all HT is played through the center channel so it is very important you don't skimp on that speaker. I would even suggest upgrading to the TSi 200's for your surrounds, unless space is a concern, or you were planning on wall mounting the 100's. I have the Monitor 40's (TSi 200's "twin brother") and they work very well. The surround speakers is more of a "suggestion" but the center IMO is a must. Good luck and welcome to Club Polk.

-Jeff

vderka

Thank you all for the quick answer, but i do not own the system yet... but I will ofc, hehe. TBH I will leave the TSi100 backs since the living room of ours isn't that huge 4mx5m with some bookshelves and stuff. Although I might reconsider the suggestion regarding the center speaker. I think i can afford CS20 its 50% more expensive than CS10 though, but i will go after it if it is really worth it in the long run. I had chance to listen TSi300s but i chose to buy the 500s because its speakers are bigger and therefore resulting better bass than the 300s. Well at least this is what i hope to get.

I also have some SACD and DVD Audio material which I would play on the Denon DVD-1940 they say it has quite good picture and sound quality. I know im not building a stereo system, but still i think this setup will be enough for playing music as well. I also would like to biwire the fronts, but im new to it, where should I look on the back of the AVR there are 2 front right and left outputs or.... ?

Regarding the amplifiers, what exactly you mean by that the amplifiers should have preamp outputs, is it necessary? Does Denon AVR-1610 have it?

Thank you in advance,

Viktor

kawizx9r

The Denon that you listed does not. Reason behind preamp outputs is if you wish to lets say...bi-amp your speakers, or simply use a separate amp and/or upgrade (resulting in more powerful and better sound) you need preamp outputs that will feed the audio signal out to another amplifier - Freddy

wutadumsn23

kawizx9r wrote: »

The Denon that you listed does not. Reason behind preamp outputs is if you wish to lets say...bi-amp your speakers, or simply use a separate amp and/or upgrade (resulting in more powerful and better sound) you need preamp outputs that will feed the audio signal out to another amplifier - Freddy

He's right on that one, trust me you will want an AVR that has pre-outs in the future even if you don't know it now, lol. I am not overly familiar with Denon's but it looks like the "lowest" model they have that offers pre-outs for external amps is the 3310, which carries a hefty $1500 price tag. I'm sure some one will correct me if I have led you astray. If you are on a budget, and let's face it who these days isn't, look into the Onkyo TX-SR806, it has everything you will ever need and more, I own one and love it. It retails for around $650, but don't know about shipping to Hungary, maybe you have something local? Or even the TX-SR805, it can be had for around $700, it is a little better unit than the 806 since it has the Burr Brown DAC's and a better amp section, but they are hard to come across these days. If you do go with the 500's you will be better off with the CS20, the CS10 will have a very hard time keeping up with them. The CS20 can be had for around $200 from Newegg.com, but I don't know what their policy on international shipping is, it is free here in the states. If you go with the 300's you may be able to get by with the CS10, but the CS20 is def. worth the extra money IMO. Most important thing to remember here is take is slow and do it right the first time. If you have to piece it together, then that is always the better option over just buyiing stuff to have it and then 6 months or so later having to upgrade, to fill in the holes. I am not saying that in any way do the 500's need external amplification, just never hurts to cover your bases. I don't run an external amp on my 70's and they sound great, but one day I will be able to see what they are really capable of by adding an external amp because my AVR has pre-outs. Hope this helps and in the end you are the one who has to make the decision, since you will be the one listening to it, lol. Good luck and if we can be of any more help, feel free to ask.

-Jeff

vderka

Well thank you again for the responses, I just found out that Kenwood has its own AVRs as well, but the thing is I do not see them in our local stores. Does anyone have experience on KRF-V7300D? Is this maybe because Kenwood is not the best option for AVR receivers? I know this is not really related to PolkAudio, but maybe you can help me on this. Here is the link for the Kenwood AVR:

www.kenwood.eu/products/home/separates/avcc/KRF-V7300D/details

hearingimpared

Welcome to Club Polk.

BTW your link is not being displayed.

wutadumsn23

Don't have much experience with Kenwood's, but from what I can tell that unit, and all of the other ones on that site, don't have pre-outs for adding an external amp. Not many HDMI in (only two) all in all a pretty basic unit. If it does what you need it to do, then it is another option for you. Didn't see a price listed and Froogle didn't return any results. I would stick with either Denon, HK, Onkyo, or Pioneer for your AVR. Maybe someone else has better info on the Kenwood.

-Jeff

vderka

corrected link, it should work now... ^^

vderka

Finally I decided to abandon my Kenwood amp imaginations and stick to the Denon AVR-1910. I hope it will be a wise decision. What concerns me know is that 2,5mm wires will be enough for the TSi500 or shall I buy thicker wires for the fronts? The storekeepers said it is enough, but still I am in doubt. Will the sound be richer with thicker wires?

1 more thing, I dont see any possibilities biwiring the center speaker from Denon AVR-1910, it only supports biwiring front speakers? Is it necessary to biwire the center also?

Thank you in advance,
Vik

vderka

Yay,

My Polk speakers just arrived today. TSi500 are huge! 1 pair of TSi100 on the back looks professional, and CS10 is heavy! I wonder now how they sound in my living room. Still gotta wait 2 loooong weeks for the Denon AVR-1910 to arrive. Damn. Anyway, my fiance'e loves them, which is a good sign for start. At least she loves the look of them and not the price tag.

Can you guys recommend some noce bluray player? I heard that PS3 has very nice picture and sound quality. Is this true? I dont wanna buy LG BD390 if PS3 has the same or better quality... Any ideas?

Thanks,
Vik

wutadumsn23

Hey Vik, glad you like your new speakers. The TSi's are pretty easy on the eyes, so not surprised they were a hit, even for the Mrs. As for your question on bi-wiring I would forget that idea all together. You will gain almost no improvement in performance since the power is coming from the same place in the AVR. Most AVR's only have one power source for powering all the channels, unlike an external amp that has a seperate power source for each channel, that was why I was stressing the idea of buying an AVR that had pre-outs for adding an external amp down the road. While I have no doubt that the 1910 will be able to power your speakers just fine, you won't have the luxury of adding an external amp down the road to see what those 500's can really do without having to upgrade your AVR to one that has pre-outs. One other suggestion was in regards to the CS10, I know I suggested earlier on to upgrade to the CS20, but not sure if you were able to find it or not, but IMHO that CS10 is going to have a hard time keeping up with those 500's for movies. You should still be alright, just may have to boost it up a bit, but don't be surprised when the upgrade bug bites and you want the CS20, lol. I use a PS3 for my Blu-Ray player and IMHO it is one of not the best Blu-Ray player on the market. There is alot of talk about the new Oppo's too, but have no experience with them. The PS3 does an excellent job as a Blu-Ray player, and you get all the extras to boot. Hope all turns out well, and if you have any questions feel free to ask.

-Jeff

vderka

Dear All,

I must say that this Denon AVR-1910 wasn't so bad decision for the TSi500s. I can now hear out the difference between the TSi300 and 500. TSi500 has much richer bass thanks to its bigger speakers. Clear sound I get out from the Denon DVD-1910 which I also bought. It is now connected via HDMI cabel.

I'm still not sure if 2,5mm thick cabels are enough for the fronts. Will be there much difference in sound quality if I change them to thicker ones? Or should I just leave it as it is?

concealer404

What does 2.5mm convert to in gauge? I forget...

apphd

10AWG = 2.588mm
OP if my math is correct you are more than covered with the 2.5mm. Actually looking at your room size you can't have very long runs the 2.5mm is overkill.

BTW welcome to CP

wutadumsn23

Welcome back vd, glad to hear everything is working out so well for you. I think you are fine with what you have for now with the wire. Enjoy.

-Jeff

Crown7

cnh wrote: »

Welcome to club polk vderka!

The H/K didn't have good bass on those speakers....that's hard to believe. H/Ks sound pretty good with that series. TSI-500s do NOT produce prodigious bass so don't look for that. They'll give you good TIGHT bass to around 40hz but not ear bleeding loudness at that frequency!

If I were thinking Pioneer I'd go with last years model 1018...it has pre-outs and is more powerful than current offerings.

I would also consider the Onkyo 706--also pre-outs and decent power.

New Marantz 600x series are also a good bet.

You should listen for yourself. And what's your budget.

cnh

Hi CNH, long time no speak
I see Onkyo came out with the new HT-RC180....110w, 7.2ch, network connectivity. Dolby IIz whatever its called..How would you rate this receiver and will it work well with my RTI a7's or the 606 will do for now....my speakers they are still running a little bright but I just recently purchased a XBR4 from PC richards for $1149....(cant afford the 8 and loved the design of the earlier 4's.) Also on the verge of getting those a4 centers. DOnt really like spending $700 for a new receiver when the one I had is less than 2 years old....Your thoughts?

wutadumsn23

I know this question was directed towards someone else, but being an Onkyo fan I figured I would take a stab at it. Your 606 is a pretty decent AVR for the price, and minus the pre-outs for adding an external amp, it is a solid choice for a first step into HT. The newer HT-RC180 does have a few more bells and whistles than the 606, biggest one IMHO is it has pre-outs for adding an external amp. It has a starting price of around $700 at J&R, so it would be up to you if it was worth the extra $ for the pre-outs. The 110W won't be a HUGE diff. over the 606's 90W since they are both not pushing anywhere near that amount in 5.1 or 7.1. Hope you get more answers, just my $.02.

-Jeff

vderka

On Friday I just bought a new LCD TV. Its a Samsung LE46A551 and Im very pleased with the picture quality it has. I hooked it with the AV Reciever immediately and tested with the DVD player I have. I placed Indiana Jones and The Las Crusade. OMFG! It was like near Bluray quality! 1080p upscaling has very nice picture on that screen I tell you guys. Normal SD quality picture wasn't that brilliant though, but okayish... I played an mkv file with 1080p resolution, now there was a huge difference really. Crystal sharp image, nice vivid colours thanx to the HDMI 1.3a interface. And finally I have deep blacks, just like in the movie theatres. Actually changing from a CRT 29" Panasonic TV to a Series 5 Samsung LCD TV is a big step.

The next purchase for me is the subwoofer. Do you guys recommend the Polkaudio PSW110? I also looked around other company's SW solutions like Proson Stratego Sub 12+. Shall I buy the bigger one or 10" is enough for the room size of mine? 18 square meters. Thanks guys in advance.

Best regards,
Vik

vderka

Too bad 12" Polk PSW505 is discontinued product... And not available in my local stores. Only PSW110 or 125. As I can see both units go down to 32Hz, only difference is the size of the drives. I guess the 12" has more richer sound and is more powerfull also, but which one has the "bestbuy" attribute for me in the living room I have (18 square meters.)

wutadumsn23

I have a PSW125, and in my room, it does very well with my Monitor 70's. It is not the Grandaddy of all subs, but in smaller sized rooms it performs very well.

-Jeff

concealer404

vderka wrote: »

Too bad 12" Polk PSW505 is discontinued product... And not available in my local stores. Only PSW110 or 125. As I can see both units go down to 32Hz, only difference is the size of the drives. I guess the 12" has more richer sound and is more powerfull also, but which one has the "bestbuy" attribute for me in the living room I have (18 square meters.)

That's a pretty large room unless i'm doing some bad math. I don't think either one of those subs is going to be satisfactory, to be honest.

vderka

Well, actually it is not really big room, 18 square meters is like 3 times 6 meters, not 18 times 18 meters...