CD player with separate amp + speakers?

[xy31]

Sorry I guess this is somewhat of a noob questions.

I am in the market for some new home entertainment stuff. Nothing definite yet. Probably a few thousand $, but not more than lets say $5k or so (excluding TV).

So should I get two separate systems? Say, one with receiver, TV, DVD + home theater suround speaker system, and another with amp, CD, and another speaker system?

It doesn't quite make sense to me, but I thought I'd ask some people who know this stuff better than me (and are not trying to sell me this stuff).

I thought it might make more sense to get a nice reciever and speaker system, instead of spliting up my resources and just getting soso stuff for 2 separate systems....

Any comments?
Thanks in advance

[icarus]

THe best way to go about this is with a pre amp, amp cd, dvd ect. you will not need a reciever. I personally will recomend Rotel for the amps, and pre amps, good quality and affordable. as for speaers im assuming you want a 5:1 system (2 front speakers, center channel, two rears). For these I would recomend the Paradigm Studio series,or the B&W 600 Series.

The break down for speakers
B&W 600 series
603 (front towers) Approx $1000
602 (rear) Approx $500-600
LCR 60 S3 (center) $400
ASW 600 (sub) $500

Paradigm series
studio 80 or 60 (towers) 1200-1500
Studio 20 (rear) 750
cc 470 (center) 400
sub?? any sub should work fine

hope this helps a bit

[Dusty Chalk]

You could definitely put together a nice system that played both CDs musically and DVD's ...erm... theatrically for several thousand dollars. I wouldn't dilute your money on two systems -- just concentrate on getting one good one.

[paul_pci]

Sorry those Paradigm prices are outdated. The new Studio 20s, for instance, are going to be $900 a pair now.

As for the original question: which is more important to you: music or movies. As Dusty suggests, but concentrating on one room, with your budget, you could put together a nice 5.1 system that will be exceptional for movies and good for music as well, including multichannel SACD and DVD-A. You'll want to put the builk of the budget into the speakers and you should audition as many models as you can. But if you could clarify your purpose and what you ultimately want to get out of your system, we could be of more service in what components shoudl comprise your system.

[markw]

The trick here is that when auditioning speakers and receivers, you shop for music, using music.
Leave DVDs out of the selection process. The movies will fall into line by themselves.

I've seen many, many post where people bought systems based on how well it handles DVDs with nary a care to music. Then, they post here "why does my system sound great on DVDs but lacks when playing music?"

I've never seen anyone complain that their musically satisfying system sounds bad on DVDs.

When auditioning, dont' play with the optional DSP's that are included in all receivers today until you find a satisfying sound from the front two speakers with as little signal alteration as possible. Only then should you explore those DSP modes if you are so inclined. IMNSHO, I don't bother with them. Plain two channel stereo is my cuppa tea. And, since you were considering a stand-alone two channel system, I think it may be yours also.

[Resident Loser]

...no reason whatsoever that a proper full range 2ch stereo will not also be able to do quite well with a movie soundtrack...if it can't, there is something quite wrong with it...

jimHJJ(...IMHO HT is just a load anywho...)

[Rock789]

check out B&K receivers, around $2k, but will way outperform the typical denon, yami, onkyo... and save some money of seperates without much loss if any (depending on the seperates you compare)

I'll second the paradigm's as great speakers, and also check out focal jm lab...
I have the chorus S line, but they have a chorus v line out now ... you could get four Chorus 716S and a CC700S center channel for around $2k I would guess the chours v series is about the same price...

I have listened to some nice paradigm towers... (forget the name but they were ~$500/pair)...

listen to as many different speakers as you can... get what you like, not what everyone else likes...

fyi, if you go with a denon or equal, it is worth it for a couple extra hundred to get the higher model... (I got my denon 2805 for ~$700, and could have gotten the 3805 for ~$900 which would have been worth it for me...)

NAD may have something you like too if you are looking to save money with a receiever...

if you decide to go with sepeates... B&K may be out of your price range... perhaps check out Adcom and Rotel...

as others have stated... pick your speakers with music and they will sound good with movies ;o)
I made a test cd and went to about 15 different stores in ohio/pa before I picked my speakers...
goodluck and have fun ;o)

Mike

[hermanv]

To each his own. I would spend the lions share on a dedicated quality 2 channel system and settle for mass market HT. I had a reasonable quality HT setup (about $5K), but most movie, or TV sound tracks simply don't deserve a first class sound system. The movie folks are so enamored of their whizzing bullets, car doors slaming from behind you and explosions that movie music seems an afterthought. Sure there are exceptions but they seem rare. If you like the sound track music, buy the CD and play it on your nice 2 channel rig.

It is possible to buy a "pass through" pre-amp and combine quality 2 channel with lower quality HT, but I could never resolve the sound problems caused by a big screen TV sitting in between the two front speakers to work as well as having the speakers with mostly empty space between them.

[spasticteapot]

I'm a fan of planars - how about some Magnepans? Some 2.7's would fit the bill.

For the reciever, see if you can get an old Pass Labs class-A amplifier. They're supposed to work brilliantly with amp-hungry speakers, of which the Magnepans are a serious offender.

For the CD player, I reccomend an old PC with a hard drive, and a Scott Nixon USB DACkit ($140 with everything.) Rip CD's to the hard drive in FLAC, and play 'em back through the DAC.

If you want home-theater sound, get a three-channel amplifier (don't spend too much - the Teac 700 tripath amp is supposed to be a good bet) and connect it to the rear and center outputs of a 5.1-channel such as the Phillips Aurilium. Not the best quality, but decent nonetheless. I'd reccomend switching out the DACkit and a 5.1 soundcard using an input selector, but that's just me.

[xy31]

Thanks for all the replies. After some thinking I decided that I am really more interested in listening to good music. I don't watch that many movies, more like one or two hours of regular TV each week so I think this whole home theater thing would be overkill for me.

After browsing through different stuff I overshoot my budget a little and went with a Marantz PM-15S1 for the amp, Marantz SA-15S1 as the CD-player and right now I have the Klipsch RF-83 speakers at home. All in all around $6,500.

The speakers sound good, but I heard somewhere that they are supposed to be used with a whole system. I still have like 2 weeks to return them so I will just try to listen to alot of CDs during that time and see if I change my mind.

[jrhymeammo]

I think you bought some incredible gears. Let us know how you like your speakers.

jimHJJ(...IMHO HT is just a load anywho...)

I hope to get a HT setup once I get a new TV in my new apartment. But honestly, I think I'll be taking the HTIB with a decent sub approach. That's alot better than TV speakers, and more than enough for Shhhhhm!!!, Boooom!!!!, Ahhhhhhhhh!!! You are my Hero!!! for 2 hours a week.



JRA

[spasticteapot]

I think you bought some incredible gears. Let us know how you like your speakers.



I hope to get a HT setup once I get a new TV in my new apartment. But honestly, I think I'll be taking the HTIB with a decent sub approach. That's alot better than TV speakers, and more than enough for Shhhhhm!!!, Boooom!!!!, Ahhhhhhhhh!!! You are my Hero!!! for 2 hours a week.



JRA

How 'bout a projector?
Mine should be in the F/S/T forum soon.

[Rock789]

How 'bout a projector?
Mine should be in the F/S/T forum soon.

I am looking for a projector?
what projector are you selling, and how much?

thanks,
Mike