On Dec 14, 1:05 pm, Steven <sstahl4...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Sometime next year I am going to dive into the world of home theater
> and upgrade my 10 year old 32" Sony Trinitron.
>
> I'm looking at all the HDTV's now and narrowing down my choices. My
> question relates more to the audio component of my home theater. I
> have just read an excellent book on putting together high end audio
> systems, "Introductory Guide to High-Performance Audio Systems" by
> Robert Harley. The book explains all the aspects of putting together
> the best sounding system for any budget. I would highly recommend it.
> As a matter of fact, I think I will be buying a copy soon (read my
> copy from the library).
Caveat lector: Harley is one of the high priests of audio voodoo. I
haven't read this book, but I certainly wouldn't take it seriously.
> Back to my question. Since I am on a budget (which I suspect most of
> us are), are their any resources online to find quality reviews of
> pairings of 5.1 speaker systems and receivers? Most of the articles I
> come across seem to be reviewing either the receiver or the speaker
> system, almost never both. I don't have the time to listen to all the
> different combinations of speakers and receivers and was wondering
> where I could find this information.
Don't worry about this (despite what Harley says). It is im****tant to
get a receiver powerful enough to drive your chosen speakers, but
assuming sufficient power, the idea that a set of speakers will sound
different with every receiver out there is golden-ear bunkum. If you
need some "expert opinion" to back that up, try Alan Lofft:
http://snipurl.com/1vago
He's a former audio journalist who works for a speaker company now, so
obviously he's going to be pu****ng his brand. But on the electronics
side, he's not so dogmatic. Very good advice there.
> My budget will be about $1,200
> for receiver and $2-3,000 for complete 5.1 speaker system.
Sounds like a fair budget. Start listening to speakers, whatever's
available in your area. Once you've settled on something, you'll know
how much amplifier you need, and can choose an appropriate receiver
with whatever features/connectivity you need or want.
bob
p.s.--Harley's wrong about cables, too.
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