|
Basically none of those have active crossovers for subwoofers, room correction or adjustable delay (for syncing audio and video). I'd consider all of those features deal breakers personally. And HDMI support is a huge utility. Even just having the OSD instead of needing to get up and look at the tiny screen on the receiver is something a typical consumer is going to expect. Not to mention ARC and CEC now that nearly all TVs are smart.
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2021 14:32
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 10:39 |
|
|
KillHour posted:Basically none of those have active crossovers for subwoofers, room correction or adjustable delay (for syncing audio and video). I'd consider all of those features deal breakers personally. To your first paragraph- I don’t, and frankly neither do 90+% of the people who buy receivers with those features. Most buyers of 5.1 systems plug in their speakers and equipment, maybe they adjust their subwoofer level, and they leave it at that unless something sounds audibly and immediately bad. Pretty much zero stereo amps come with any of the features that you consider dealbreakers (maybe there’s a sub pre out), regardless of price point, and I think they all largely do their job just fine. People adding miniDSP to their stereo rigs are the exception and not the norm. To your second paragraph- I’ll give you the convenience of CEC/ARC, but I really don’t agree with you on screens and menu diving. Relying on optical means having a second remote control (if you don’t have a universal/unified/scene remote, or can’t get your cable/TV remote to talk to your amp), but beyond that inconvenience I think most consumers would prefer an amp with zero menu diving to one with “very good” menu diving, and consumers have proven time and time again that they’ll happily sacrifice potential sound quality over the convenience of not doing a thing. The OP is coming from a sound bar. Most people just want something that sounds louder/bassier/better than the built-in speakers on their TV.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2021 14:48
|
|
|
Toebone posted:I've got a ~10 year old Samsung sound bar that I'm getting pretty tired of - the wireless subwoofer drops out, it turns itself back on after I turn it off, and other little annoyances. What should I look into for baby's first "real" audio system, ie receiver and speakers. It'll mostly be used for movies & videogames on my TV, some music off Bluetooth or my record player. I don't think I have the space/layout for a 5.1 setup (but maybe I do?) Soundbars have gotten quite a bit better since 10 years ago. There are some pretty nice ones out there for decent money worth looking at. I just have a basic Yamaha soundbar in my main living room and its fine. Not sure who Wirecutter is recommending these days, but some of the mid range Vizio sound bars have been a favorite of theirs in the past and have pretty good reviews. If you're sure you don't want another sound bar, I've been really happy the last 8 years or so with my basic 5.1 system. I like and recommend Yamaha AVR's. Grab one that has the features you want, and some decent speakers and a sub and you'll be good to go for a long time. I went with the Pioneer Andrew Jones speakers and a Polk PSW505 subwoofer and for under 1,000 bucks all in (wiring, etc) I've been 100% happy with my 5.1 system in my game/movie room. This is my post from April 2013 skipdogg posted:I just finished building a 3.1 system on a budget, and am more than happy. Since then I upgraded the sub to the PSW505 that I caught on a BF sale years ago for 150, and picked up the matching rear speakers for like 99 bucks. skipdogg fucked around with this message at 15:41 on Apr 12, 2021 |
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2021 15:21
|
|
|
KillHour posted:Basically none of those have active crossovers for subwoofers, room correction or adjustable delay (for syncing audio and video). I'd consider all of those features deal breakers personally. I will agree that adjustable delay could be a dealbreaker (many receivers do auto-sync I believe). Active crossover seems completely unnecessary if can adjust the crossover on the sub, which I think is the norm.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2021 15:31
|
|
|
I always suggest avoiding passing audio through a TV to a receiver or soundbar if you can avoid it. Unless you have HDMI eARC, regular ARC and Optical connections can not support uncompressed 5.1 or 7.1 audio. Not an issue if you only have two speakers, but also on most setups I have used, the TV degrades the audio quality with digital compression even if you select "Passthrough". You'll also likely run into sound syncing issues which are not an issue using HDMI pass-through on an AV receiver. Being able to control basic functions of your receiver with your TV remote is also a plus, and with a 5.1 receiver you have the option to add speakers later.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2021 19:00
|
|
|
It's sounding like a 5.1 receiver with two speakers and a sub is what I should lean towards. Wirecutter recommends the Denon AVR-S540BT as a budget option.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2021 19:10
|
|
|
Toebone posted:It's sounding like a 5.1 receiver with two speakers and a sub is what I should lean towards. Wirecutter recommends the Denon AVR-S540BT as a budget option. Yeah that’s fine. Speakers is a tougher and more personal choice. People here will definitely have sub recommendations depending on your overall budget.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2021 20:05
|
|
|
Hippie Hedgehog posted:I will agree that adjustable delay could be a dealbreaker (many receivers do auto-sync I believe). The crossover on the sub only adjusts the low-pass frequency of the sub, your main speakers will still be uselessly trying to play deep bass. This also means that you rely on the speakers' natural roll-off. Very few subwoofers integrate a full active crossover to feed back to an amplifier's main in. With an active crossover, you set a low-pass filter for the sub and a high-pass filters for the mains, which frees them from trying to play low bass, giving measurably less distortion in the rest of their woofers' frequency range, on top of easier bass integration in a given room. And that's before you even get into room correction features.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2021 20:12
|
|
|
Hippie Hedgehog posted:I will agree that adjustable delay could be a dealbreaker (many receivers do auto-sync I believe). Not having an active crossover is a great way to blow the drivers on your mains if you're listening to a loud action movie. Toebone posted:It's sounding like a 5.1 receiver with two speakers and a sub is what I should lean towards. Wirecutter recommends the Denon AVR-S540BT as a budget option. Anything from Denon, Yamaha or Onkyo with enough connections and the features you're looking for would be fine (also Marantz, which is owned by Denon or Pioneer, which is the same as Onkyo). The S540 is cutting it a bit slim though - I don't really trust the build quality on those but I'm sure others with more experience with them will correct me. https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html This one is a pretty solid option: https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavrs750h/denon-avr-s750h-7.2-ch-x-75-watts-a/v-receiver-w/heos/1.html As for speakers, we can recommend some brands to try, but you really have to find a way to listen to them to be sure. KillHour fucked around with this message at 20:30 on Apr 12, 2021 |
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2021 20:20
|
|
|
I just moved to a new house and am working with a blank slate for my home theater setup. I'm going to be buying a new tv, bluray player, and some kind of sound system. Leaning towards a sound bar with a center channel vs passive speakers. I currently own a Denon AVR-1913 and besides lacking bluetooth, are there any specific features I am missing out on vs a newer model? I would probably end up using a soundbar/speakers run through receiver for better audio while watching movies I am streaming or from the bluray player, and any music is likely going to be streaming via Spotify somehow. I have a small living room and am undecided on rear speakers at the moment and definitely do not care about buying the hardware necessary for Atmos. Leaning towards a sound bar or some type just because I like the look of them more and am not sure how I would make space for a couple side speakers. Edit: hmm, I guess it can't do 4k video passthru so I'd probably need to connect up my bluray player directly to the tv, probably the same with my cable box, Fire stick, etc. If I go the sound bar route without any additional passive speakers, it wouldn't even get used I guess? Sirotan fucked around with this message at 22:27 on Apr 12, 2021 |
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2021 21:59
|
|
|
(I've got an AVR-1911 that I expect to keep for a long time) The really big thing your AVR-1913 doesn't have is 4K video or 4K passthrough. It also doesn't support Atmos, but it does support Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, so unless you specifically want Atmos and have enough speakers for it, it's not an issue. Since you're buying a new TV, I strongly assume you will be getting a 4K-capable model. In that case, if you don't replace the receiver with one that can handle 4K, you'll have to plug your devices into the TV and run audio to the receiver via HDMI ARC. Aside from 4K (including HDR) and Atmos, what you generally get with a newer receiver are more streaming options (Bluetooth, built-in Netflix/Spotify and so on), probably a newer better room correction system and possibly phone app integration. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 22:28 on Apr 12, 2021 |
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2021 22:26
|
|
|
KozmoNaut posted:(I've got an AVR-1911 that I expect to keep for a long time) Hah yeah I came to that conclusion and edited my post just as you posted. I really wish the 1913 had bluetooth, that is an absolute must for me. And no intention of ever buying the kit needed for Atmos. If I go the sound bar route it looks like the receiver might not get used at all at this point. Hmmmm. Edit: I guess I could pick up a bluetooth receiver as an add-on... Sirotan fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Apr 12, 2021 |
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2021 22:33
|
|
|
Sirotan posted:Hah yeah I came to that conclusion and edited my post just as you posted. I really wish the 1913 had bluetooth, that is an absolute must for me. And no intention of ever buying the kit needed for Atmos. If I go the sound bar route it looks like the receiver might not get used at all at this point. Hmmmm. I added bluetooth to an old receiver using a raspberry pi and moode audio. You could add bluetooth or airplay.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2021 00:31
|
|
|
KillHour posted:
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2021 03:24
|
|
|
Sirotan posted:Hah yeah I came to that conclusion and edited my post just as you posted. I really wish the 1913 had bluetooth, that is an absolute must for me. And no intention of ever buying the kit needed for Atmos. If I go the sound bar route it looks like the receiver might not get used at all at this point. Hmmmm. I have one of these connected to some old computer speakers in my bedroom, it has a 3.5mm TRS output and RCA output. https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/speakers/bluetooth-audio-adapter.980-000910.html
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2021 05:39
|
|
|
mariooncrack posted:I added bluetooth to an old receiver using a raspberry pi and moode audio. You could add bluetooth or airplay. brand engager posted:I have one of these connected to some old computer speakers in my bedroom, it has a 3.5mm TRS output and RCA output. https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/speakers/bluetooth-audio-adapter.980-000910.html Thanks. I am still mulling all my choices here. I guess I've realized that it's the form factor of the soundbar that I want the most, so now I'm considering a passive soundbar paired with my existing receiver. Doesn't seem like there's really a ton of them though so maybe this is a dumb idea.
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2021 02:04
|
|
|
Sirotan posted:Thanks. I am still mulling all my choices here. I guess I've realized that it's the form factor of the soundbar that I want the most, so now I'm considering a passive soundbar paired with my existing receiver. Doesn't seem like there's really a ton of them though so maybe this is a dumb idea. It’s super dumb. Soundbars prioritize mountability, smallness, affordability, and convenience. Box speakers have a lot of the opposite priorities. Passive soundbars that would presumably depend on an external third party amp to drive them are incredibly rare and incredibly compromised in concept. Active speakers, either with a built in preamp or with a small external pre, will save you some space and (depending on what you get) can give you the convenience of soundbars with some of the sound advantages of box speakers. active speakers are like jogging on a really hot day with no shirt on, passive soundbar is like jogging on a really hot day with no shorts on Passive speakers with an external amp/pre/receiver situation will give you the most flexibility in terms of gear choices and arguably the best possible sound quality. You might also have the option to go with in-wall speakers, of which there are good options at many price points—starting at <$200 for JBL. This, of course, requires you to cut a hole in your wall/pay somebody to cut your wall. trilobite terror fucked around with this message at 06:50 on Apr 16, 2021 |
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2021 06:34
|
|
|
I just found $750, what can I put together for a new system with it? Receiver, two speakers and sub I guess, mostly for games, TV/movies, and music, in that order.
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2021 12:38
|
|
|
Ok Comboomer posted:Passive speakers with an external amp/pre/receiver situation will give you the most flexibility in terms of gear choices and arguably the best possible sound quality. You might also have the option to go with in-wall speakers, of which there are good options at many price points—starting at <$200 for JBL. This, of course, requires you to cut a hole in your wall/pay somebody to cut your wall. Yeah I just spent several weeks patching holes in walls and ceilings in this room and there will be no more of that going on. I guess I am slowly convincing myself to just get some passive speakers even though I really have no idea where I'll put the L/R ones and just generally hate the look of exposed speakers. I still have to buy some kind of furniture for all the AV gear so maybe I'll get creative and hide them inside a cabinet or something.
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2021 13:12
|
|
|
Sirotan posted:Yeah I just spent several weeks patching holes in walls and ceilings in this room and there will be no more of that going on. I guess I am slowly convincing myself to just get some passive speakers even though I really have no idea where I'll put the L/R ones and just generally hate the look of exposed speakers. I still have to buy some kind of furniture for all the AV gear so maybe I'll get creative and hide them inside a cabinet or something. You know small speakers exist, as do good looking speakers with fancy finishes and colors and whatnot, right? And even beyond that it’s pretty easy to diy your own alterations to most affordable speaker cabinets or do your own kit builds if there’s a specific look or color or whatever that you don’t see. Toebone posted:I just found $750, what can I put together for a new system with it? Receiver, two speakers and sub I guess, mostly for games, TV/movies, and music, in that order. Yes. How big a pair of speakers do you want? Can you do floorstanders? Do you want floorstanders? How much do you value looks? Are there specific looks you’d prefer/like to avoid? Is this supposed to be/become a ‘forever system’ for you? Do you want some of these components (like speakers) to last you a long time? Or do you plan to move in the near term (1-3 years)? Do you plan to toss all this out/sell it once you move into a bigger house, etc? Do you want the system to last you the next 10 years? Do you plan to upgrade components or replace them? If so, do you plan to do that all at once or piecemeal? What about the sub? Would you be happy without a sub (albeit temporarily) if people say that it’s too difficult to fit one worth keeping longterm in that budget? The gap in quality between a $130 sub and a $499 sub can actually be pretty drat stark, so if you’d rather build your system piecemeal and spend a bit more money over a longer period of time then you’ll end up with a better system in the end. A lot of newbies think about audio equipment the way they think about PC upgrades, where technology just kind of all turns over at once and casual hobbyists are often better off replacing their full rig outright whenever they upgrade rather than trying to carry over poo poo like RAM/GPU/power supply, etc from an old machine into a new one. Audio is the opposite- lots of speakers and amps and turntables and cassette decks from 40 years ago will generally play just fine with amps and speakers and turntables, etc manufactured in 2021. Technology crawls at a snail’s pace compared to computers, and high end gear that’s years old still often retains a lot of its value/desirability/function. A lot of people’s systems evolve slowly over time, adding and shedding components as things fail or get replaced with better/more interesting gear. Other people are simply looking for the best system *right now*, either because they’re super thrifty or don’t want to be bothered with it or they know they’re in a temporary living situation or have plans to move/renovate/buy a home, or because they have a use case- like for an office/workshop/kid’s room/home gym/garage/etc, where they want something to be cheap and durable and good enough but have zero plans to ever upgrade poo poo like a hobbyist. It’s like if I have a $1k Christmas bonus to spend on audio toys: I could spend $500 on my amp and $500 on my speakers and be done with it, or I could spend $100 on my amp and $900 on my speakers with the expectation that next year or whatever I’ll get to spend another $1k further upgrading things. What kind of system are you trying to build? Edit: poo poo, this is what happens when I smoke weed on Friday afternoon. Look at all that text 
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2021 21:03
|
|
|
Ok Comboomer posted:Yes. How big a pair of speakers do you want? Can you do floorstanders? Do you want floorstanders? How much do you value looks? Are there specific looks you’d prefer/like to avoid? These are exactly the questions I didn't know I needed to think about. I'll try to answer as best I can: I think I'd prefer bookshelf speakers. Looks matter, I think I'd prefer something with woodgrain, or a minimalist black. I'd like the system to last for a while, I don't plan on this being a hobby thing where's I'm looking for something to upgrade every year (God knows I already have enough expensive hobbies). As long as it still sounds good and hooks up to a playstation 6 or whatever I don't see the need to replace it. I have no idea about subwoofers. I'll probably end up buying a budget one someone recommends, think I'll upgrade in a year, then forget about it. Is it a good idea to look for used bargains? There's plenty of garage and estate sales around here, plus craigslist, facebook, etc. Or is there generally too much junk to wade through to be worth it? Edit: I spent some time looking at far too expensive floorstanders and now maybe I do want the big boys Toebone fucked around with this message at 03:25 on Apr 17, 2021 |
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 02:58
|
|
|
So here's a question to someone who is new to owning an AV Receiver. Why do all receivers have a bunch of sound modes that alter the sound field by adding reverb and whatnot? They always sound terrible to me, and isn't the goal to reproduce the sound as accurately as possible? Does anyone legitimately use these, or are they just thrown in to add marketing checkmarks on the product descriptions?
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 06:27
|
|
|
Toebone posted:These are exactly the questions I didn't know I needed to think about. I'll try to answer as best I can: This probably won't be as helpful as previous posts but if you are legitimately considering floorstanding speakers, then skip the sub and dump that money into the speakers instead. Otherwise you'll be spending 3/4 of your budget on a decent sub that's only appropriate for a small enclosed room: https://www.svsound.com/products/sb-1000-pro-subwoofer God help you if this system is going in a large living room or an area that's just part of an "open floorplan", because you're going to have to spend boat money to pressurize that space. Good floorstanders will give you considerably more bass than a bookshelf speaker but neither will give you the gut crushing sub-bass that a real subwoofer provides. However I'm also of the mind that if you don't have subs strong enough to untie your shoelaces, then there's really no point. So take my words with a grain of salt.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 07:34
|
|
|
I was driving past a best buy so I stopped in and walked through the regular a/v stuff and the "Magnolia" area 1 - I haven't been in a best buy in a while, it's become such a dump 2 - lmao who's buying that ugly Magnolia crap
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 18:24
|
|
|
Ugly crap like B&W, Martin Logan, and KEF?
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 18:31
|
|
|
SweetMercifulCrap! posted:So here's a question to someone who is new to owning an AV Receiver. Why do all receivers have a bunch of sound modes that alter the sound field by adding reverb and whatnot? They always sound terrible to me, and isn't the goal to reproduce the sound as accurately as possible? Does anyone legitimately use these, or are they just thrown in to add marketing checkmarks on the product descriptions? They're 100% "checkbox features," they all sound bad and nobody uses them.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 18:46
|
|
|
I've found that some Best Buys are still nice and maintained, and others are dumpy with boxes piled the isles and lots of empty shelves.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 18:48
|
|
|
qirex posted:They're 100% "checkbox features," they all sound bad and nobody uses them. I thought so. This is one of the many reasons I gave up on soundbars - most of them only have a few of these to choose from and no EQ settings.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 18:59
|
|
|
bird with big dick posted:Ugly crap like B&W, Martin Logan, and KEF? and LG+Sony OLED TVs, you forgot those Toebone you don’t really know about audio companies, do you
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 19:19
|
|
|
bird with big dick posted:Ugly crap like B&W, Martin Logan, and KEF? Martin Logan and Kef look alright, some of the B&W speakers were pretty silly looking. There was another brand I can't remember with gaudy chrome plastic everywhere Edit: the more I learn about audio stuff the more I want to buy a $99 home theater in a box and be left alone
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 19:23
|
|
|
Toebone posted:some of the B&W speakers were pretty silly looking. Agreed, most of their higher-and stuff looks extremely silly. But that poo poo is priced like a small car and up. IMO the B&W lower-end speakers (600 series) are the ones a sane person (ie a non-audiophile) could consider, and they look pretty standard "box in your choice of wood, white or black". Hippie Hedgehog fucked around with this message at 21:24 on Apr 17, 2021 |
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 21:19
|
|
|
who in the world thinks kef makes ugly or tacky looking speakers
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 21:50
|
|
|
Ok Comboomer posted:who in the world thinks kef makes ugly or tacky looking speakers People with poor taste 
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 22:07
|
|
|
SweetMercifulCrap! posted:So here's a question to someone who is new to owning an AV Receiver. Why do all receivers have a bunch of sound modes that alter the sound field by adding reverb and whatnot? They always sound terrible to me, and isn't the goal to reproduce the sound as accurately as possible? Does anyone legitimately use these, or are they just thrown in to add marketing checkmarks on the product descriptions? The sound programs for Movies are bad but these are technically for "music" and work very well for that, and sometimes I like putting my Yamaha RX-V475 into "Concert Hall in Vienna" mode for some movies and blast it for full theater effect. I don't have connected neighbors. 
Keyser_Soze fucked around with this message at 22:24 on Apr 17, 2021 |
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2021 22:20
|
|
|
I got a bunch of gift cards and overtime so I went and bought that Vizio Elevate system. Sub is pretty room filling and overall pretty satisfied. Definite upgrade from my old 5.1.2 Vizio
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2021 01:22
|
|
|
Wibla posted:People with poor taste To be fair, I also find B&W speakers either ugly or nondescript, and I get what Toebone is saying about the tatty looking trim that B&W have decided to go with since they ditched the signature yellow Kevlar for some reason (probably because companies like KRK and Fluance were doing it too). Toebone- rather than talking about things you don’t like in speakers what elements do you like? If I gave you a list of brands to look at, would you check them out and see if any elements strike your fancy? Snark aside, there’s like a jillion speaker companies making speakers of all different looks. Triangle Audio (specifically the Borea line) Monitor Audio (pretty much all of their lines) Wharfedale (specifically the Linton and Denton 85) Klipsch- both the RP series in piano black or the Klipsch Heritage line (these are pricey and dumb- in the best way- toys for hobbyists, but they’re all about fancy finishes and aesthetic and poo poo) JBL- I like white woofer cones Polk Audio- their brand new mid tier line looks v. nice, a return to form for a brand that IMO’s been languishing for a long time Q Acoustics Zu Audio ....I’ll add more attractively designed speakers as I remember them
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2021 01:36
|
|
|
I tend to like darker wood grain or black, and simple/clean design. I like some of the Klipsch I've seen browsing online, and the Q Acoustics set the wirecutter recommends looks nice. I like the look of floorstanding speakers but after reading into things more, it seems for my budget and room size I'd be better served by a pair of bookshelf speakers. I still haven't been able to listen to anything in person, but there are a couple local/semi-local electronics stores I still need to check out. Right now I'm thinking the Denon receiver someone recommended earlier, and a $200-300 (or cheaper?) pair of bookshelf speakers. Add a subwoofer and maybe surround further down the line. Edit: the Polk S15s look nice. Where's the sweet spot on receiver price for movies, games and occasional music? Edit 2: or the Polk TSi100s for $150 Toebone fucked around with this message at 12:25 on Apr 18, 2021 |
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2021 02:47
|
|
|
Toebone posted:Edit: the more I learn about audio stuff the more I want to buy a $99 home theater in a box and be left alone As someone who recently went down the Separates hole, I wouldn't blame ya.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2021 09:10
|
|
|
https://www.aperionaudio.com/collec...636581026746774 It's a speaker in a tall slim box and it comes in black or white. Can't get much more simple than that.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2021 16:32
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 10:39 |
|
|
I snagged that $350 Denon receiver at Costco, so at least that's taken care of. I stopped by the local electronics places but one didn't have any demo units set up and the other didn't have anything under $800. I think I've just got to roll the dice online.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2021 19:39
|
|