Advice for A/V Setup

August 21, 2008 9:17 AM

I'm buying a completely new A/V setup (the audio portion). Any advice?

So, I've gotten extremely tired of the kludge that exists in my living room, and I'm in the mood to splurge on some quality A/V equipment. I've got a 42" HD Hitachi Plasma that I like, so that's not going anywhere, but I'm looking for some community advice on a high-end A/V receiver and speakers (5.1, potentially?). I'm not a *true* audiophile so I don't need anything ridiculous, but I'd like to take advantage of some of the newer features of these receivers such as ethernet/wi-fi connections for internet radio, hdmi inputs/outputs, etc. I am also considering the Sonos system to be able to stream music from my main server upstairs, but I'm curious if that is even necessary. In general, I'll be using this for Movie playback as well as music.

Thanks!

posted by atodedeus to Technology (8 answers total)

I've always been fond of Boston Acoustics speakers. They are lively while still being quite neutral. Great for vocal or orchestral performances in particular. I run mine from a fairly nondescript Pioneer receiver and I'm very happy with them, and HDMI switching really helps keep the cable clutter under control.

I do find their subs a bit lacking, so I went with a Velodyne. No complaints at all there either.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 9:48 AM on August 21, 2008

Should have added:

As for streaming, I use TVersity on a media sever PC and stream to my PS3. Blu-Ray and a media centre all in well. Well worth it for the Blu-Ray alone!
posted by WinnipegDragon at 9:49 AM on August 21, 2008

*all in one* that is. I may be drunk. Apologies.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 9:50 AM on August 21, 2008

You don't say how much you want to spend, which can make a big difference in what type of system I'd recommend for you. You also don't mention how big your room size is, or whether you have other concerns, such as not disturbing the neighbors or needing to get something that anyone who lives with you will be happy with. I would check out the forums at AVSForum for recommendations. Having said that, here are some suggestions.

For a <$1,000 budget, I'd go with a home-theatre-in-a-box (HTIB). While there are some bad systems out there, there are some pretty decent options as well. Onkyo, for example, makes a number of systems at various price ranges, most of which are under $1,000.

If you're willing to spend some more, both Onkyo and Denon make good all-in-one receivers that would work well to handle both your audio and video needs. Onkyo tends to be cheaper for a given feature set and level of quality, but I prefer Denon at the high-end. They both have receivers that work with internet radio stations or that will play back music from your hard drive or computer on the network.

If you don't buy the HTIB, you will need to get speakers as well, of course. There are several recommended brands that are sold exclusively online for fairly cheap, such as Axiom.

I can have more specific recommendations, but in order to do so, I'd need to know how much you want to spend and what you plan to use it for (movies versus music versus games, etc.).
posted by EatenByAGrue at 10:15 AM on August 21, 2008

Take a look at Axiom Audio. They are a Canadian speaker manufacturer (designed and built there, too). You get such a huge bang for your buck with these speakers that it's almost ridiculous. I own and love a 5.1 system from them (but am not otherwise affiliated). They also sell Sherwood Newcastle receivers, which are also great.
posted by pmbuko at 11:09 AM on August 21, 2008

I really like Monitor Audio speakers. They're very accurate all up and down their product line. I have both a Denon and Marantz receiver and it seems like the Denon is a bit more stable.
posted by Doctor Suarez at 10:58 PM on August 21, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks for all the advice! I have a decent budget for this project and was looking at Denon A/V receivers, mainly. I will definitely check out the Axiom Audio and Monitor Audio speakers. Any recommendations for a specific Denon receiver? Is there any specific reason to look at the top-of-the-line models or is the value for features set better if you move down a couple of notches?

Thanks!
posted by atodedeus at 4:21 AM on August 24, 2008

I'm not familiar with the new models, but there's generally a sweet spot for receiver lines. Again, it depends on what you want to do (e.g., play Blu-ray discs, have a 7.1 speaker set-up or a 5.1 setup, play music in more than one room, control your video as well as audio, etc.). It's usually pretty clear what the differences are when you step up a model, so you need to figure out whether the additional features are worth it. Quality-wise, the top-of-the-line is usually significantly better, but at a significantly greater price. The mid-level products, which are the two or three models below the flagship, are generally similar in quality and mainly differentiated by feature. These models tend to have all the basics and vary more on the bells and whistles. Then you have the low-end models which are somewhat lower in quality (but may still be good enough for your needs) and may be missing features more devoted audio and video enthusiasts desire.
posted by EatenByAGrue at 12:06 PM on August 26, 2008