Hello my name is John and this is my first post.

[musiclover187]

I'd like to begin by listing my equipment and then asking your advice. I presently own a Denon AV2807, Klipsch RF3 II Towers, Klipsch RC3 Center, Polk RC65i In wall, Polk PSW350 Powered Sub and a Oppo DV981HD DVD player. Movies sound great with this system but I have never been satisfied with the sound of music CDs and ipod. While the clarity is fine the sound lacks warmth and can be harsh. I am not an electronics wiz and have a hard time understanding tech talk. I purchased this system years ago and I don't know if I should scrap it and start fresh with a receiver that is easier to master than the AV2807. I am open to all suggestions and looking forward to your expert opinions. I'd like to be able to listen to all types of music as if the musicians are in the room with me without breaking the bank.(if that's possible

Thanks in advance,
John

[Luvin Da Blues]

First off, Welcome to the club John.

Your system sounds like the one I had a few years back except I was using Infinity speakers (I still have the Oppo). I agree that the 2807 interface is more complicated than it needs to be.

I'm assuming that you use the Direct mode for music playback? I was never satisfied with music over that system ( movies were very good tho) and started a never ending upgrade path.

IMO, you need a dedicated two channel system for decent music reproduction. I've heard that a Multi-Channel system (SACD) can sound really good but the gear to achieve that might be a bit pricey.

You may want to start out with a 2 Ch. power amp to supplement your receiver. Emotiva makes a great product a pretty cheap prices. Maybe a speaker change might be the ticket also. Those Klipsch are a harsh speaker to begin with.

Cheers

[musiclover187]

In the $1000 range.

[Luvin Da Blues]

In the $1000 range.

At that price point there a so many and would be just my opinion. Our tastes and expectations might be different. I would like to direct you here for a great comparison of the some of the best is that range.

http://reviews.audioreview.com/blog/editors-choice-best-floor-standing-speakers-under-1000

and here

http://reviews.audioreview.com/blog/editor%E2%80%99s-choice-best-bookshelf-speakers-under-1000

You really need to go out and listen to as many as you can.

[devuonoste]

Welcome to AR John.

I don't have a lot of experience with gear but I know some basics.

Luvin Da Blues makes a lot of good points. I have an Emotiva amp and enjoy it very much.

You have established your budget which is the first step and now I would try to audition as much gear as possible to see what type of gear sounds good to you. If you have that option, then I would do that first or else, you may be getting suggestions from people that have different tastes than you do. I'm sure you will get some suggestions from more experienced members that can get you started and then I would do as much auditioning as possible. Choosing audio gear does have a significant subjective component to it, as you may like something in a certain price range and quality range that I may not enjoy. Some people like gear that has a lot of detail and transparancy and others may like gear that is sweet and warm sounding.

Once you get an idea of some examples that you like, a lot of members here can give you some comparison information of other options. Also, once you have an idea of what you like and what components you want to purchase you can often buy used from places like audiogon, and that will help you get more bang for your buck, if you don't mind buying used gear.

Once again, welcome and good luck with your search for a music system.

[musiclover187]

any dealers in my area with a showroom. I am leaning towards starting with new speakers. Ultimately I just want one system for both music and video.
Thanks again and I look forward to opinions and recommendations by forum members.

[devuonoste]

If you want to start with some speakers I would go Internet Direct, or used if you are OK with that or Do it Yourself. There are many companies like GR Research that offer kits where you can build the speakers yourself. If you don't want to do DIY there's a lot of good Internet Direct companies like Aperion, Emotiva (not just amps, and I've heard pretty good things about their reference speakers but haven't tried them myself), Axiom, etc. The only thing with Internet Direct is that you have to buy before auditioning, but most let you try them for about 30 days and if you don't like them you can return them and get your money back, minus shipping. Many people go with Internet Direct because they have the best bang for your buck versus speakers you can buy at stores. The $1000 budget may be a bit tight if you want to get speakers for HT and 2ch. You can look up some of the Internet companies and see what you can build for $1000. You would probably have to settle for bookshelf speakers all around and mate them with your current sub.

Also, another good thing to look for is B-stock or open box items because most companies still maintain their warranty and often the B-stock is still very good condition. Most of my gear is B-stock and you can't tell where any issue is. B-stock items have no issues with sound quality, defects are mostly small and are in the finish usually. I've saved thousands going B-stock.

Also, more information about your room size and characteristics and listening preferences will help with recommendations.

[musiclover187]

was per speaker. Sorry about the confusion. The room is 25x25. Half of it has a pool table and the other half has the sound system directly facing the seating area.

[musiclover187]

music with the majority being Rock. I like clarity but without the sharpness that I get from the Klipsch horns. I like the music to sound warm and sweet with nice bass. As if the musicians were in the room with me. Hope that made sense :)

[devuonoste]

That certainly is a good budget for speakers and there's quite a few options.

You could look into the Aperion Audio Versus Grand 5.0 system (about $3000) or the Aperion Audio Versus Forte 5.0 system (about $1700).

The emotiva reference speakers are a good all round speaker for both HT and music and a 5.0 system would be between $2500-$3000 dollars for the towers, center and bookshelf rears.

With your budget you can obviously spend a bit more, if I'm assuming you want a 5.0 system, as you mention you want to have a system that does HT and music.

You could look into Salk Sound Speakers, they are probably a step above the options mentioned above but they will be close to your budget limit, as the Salk song line will cost about $4000-$4500 for their base finish.

Also, you can look at systems from Axiom and their website is easy to build your own system. The Axioms are well reviewed but some have said they are a bit bright but many say they are just right and have great detail and dynamics.

Another option would be to contact Danny Ritchie from GR Research and let him know you are after a system that will do HT and music and he will give you some suggestions. Even though he sells DIY kits, he can give you some options to get the speakers built from some Audiocircle members or the Skiing Ninja. They would use his kits and they would provide the built cabinet and put it all together. Danny can give you an idea of what speakers to get and who is the best to build them and what the cost would be for them. He is a speaker guru who has designed some of the best speakers in the world and he has designed crossovers for many high end speakers like Usher, Tyler Accoustics, etc.

Another place you could try is Tyler Acoustics. They sell a lot of stuff on Audiogon. Their speakers are great too and probably comparable to the Salk Speakers, in similar price category.

You'll probably get a lot more recommendations, as your budget now opens up a multitude of options.

Good luck and if you get time take a look at some of the suggestions and do some searches for some professional and user reviews on them.

[musiclover187]

me. I'm going to take my time and try your suggestions. It's going to be a big investment so I want to be sure that I make the right choices.
Thanks again and I'll keep you posted on my progress.

John