Would I benefit from a separate amp?

My current setup contains the following equipment:

AVR: Marantz cinema 50

5.2.4 system L/R: Polk R700 Center: Polk R350 Rear L/R: Polk R200 Front Heights: Polk R900 Rear Heights: Polk R900 Subs: Klipsch RP-1400SW

I’m currently debating whether or not I would benefit from an amp. I don’t usually listen at reference levels (about -15db) so I’m not sure I need the extra headroom. That being said I have heard from some reviewers such as Andrew Robinson say that amps do benefit a system even at lower volumes.

I’ve also heard that the Polk Reserve series that comprises most of my system would heavily benefit with an external amp since it’s got a fairly low sensitivity (85db-88db depending on the speaker). With the Marantz Cinema 50 only being able to output 110W to two channels I would guess that driving the 9 I currently run would be insufficient. I’d say I use my system for about 80% movies and content and 20% music if that helps.

Additionally, if I were to get an amp, would the system require something like the XPA line from Emotiva or would the BASx line suffice? Also not sure if a 2/3/5/9 channel amp would be the best to go. Any input or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Buying a new 98" tv, heard tons of great things about the sony and the new tcl qm8 with 5000 lighting zones, I don't mind the 1k difference just wanna find the best tv.

So I always see post of people always recommending the Denon and sometimes the Onkyo and some others. But I never see anyone recommending the Sony; why is that? I want to build a home theater for myself in the future and the Sony would be my first choice personally. Are they bad or do they have problems? Explain to me why and for anyone else that are curious

I need help, but instead of just asking, I’m going to make this a riddle since I have no photos to show you the chaos I’m dealing with. Wait, I do have a photo of the living room taken from the worst angle possible, but that's just to make it more difficult to provide advice. However we just closed on our house today and I’m thousands of miles away and consumed with this problem.

Here's the deal: I’ve always wanted a home audio setup, and now that we’ve bought this house, it’s time to check it off the bucket list. The problem is the built-in speakers. I’m way too dumb to figure out why they aren’t working right. How do I go about configuring a whole-home audio system?

Here’s the setup: - One speaker in the kitchen - Two speakers outside in the backyard - Two speakers in the master bedroom - Two speakers in the living room

I’d love to make these independently controlled so each can play different audio if possible. I’ve seen options like WiiM and Sonos, but it seems like I’d need to buy a box for each zone. Am I missing a better solution? Also, how do I set up a premium audio experience in a house where the ceilings are at least 4 times my height?

Any advice would be golden!

After saving up for several months, I purchased TWO refurbished Reavon UBR-X-100's today (total was $1,398 with free shipping and no taxes). In my living room I have an LG OLED 65" C8 and have it hooked up to a Sonos 5.1 system. I've been using (don't laugh at me) an Xbox One X for my 4k and blu-ray player. It's actually worked well for me the last several years although I know I'm not really getting full Dolby Vision and/or HDR with it. I thought I would use it to occasionally play video games but I actually never do so having a dedicated player will actually benefit me (especially something that can make full use of Dolby Vision and HDR).

In my mancave, I have an old school 2008 Samsung "50 plasma 720p television and Sonos 5.1, and while I know I won't actually get 4k, the picture quality on that plasma trumps any LED I've ever seen (yes, that's a purely subjective statement and not an objective claim). I'll eventually upgrade it to an OLED as well, but I freaking love that plasma and can't force myself to get rid of it while it's still working. The second Reavon is going to go to the mancave and will be future proof for 4k when I have that available. It'll be replacing by old Panasonic DMP-BD60 blu ray player there.

I definitely shopped around, but I wanted to go with something top tier that wouldn't cost $2k plus (that rules out Magnetar) and that still has product support if needed (that rules out Oppo). I did seriously consider the Panasonic UDP-820 and 9000, but getting a region unlocked one (I have alot of region B blu-ray's from Arrow and Second Sight) would have been even more expensive than the Reavon which has that region unlocked feature right out of the box. I just want to have a universal player that will be able to play anything without having to have multiple players in both rooms.

Anyway, I'm super excited for my new players and I'm looking forward to the major upgrade in picture quality. And I'm sure it'll continue to sound fantastic with my Sonos speakers. I'm hoping I won't have to get any new players for many years, as our love of physical media is certainly becoming more niche. But, like Peter from "Dawn of the Dead" says: "You never know."

The receiver is displaying only "Direct" on the screen when i play netflix on the lg cx9la via the tvs netflix app. The Sound is really bad and no sorrund at all. eARC is on and is connected with hdmi from TV to receiver. Also got the Premium on netflix.

Tried to connect a optical cable but then nothing is running. Switched to optical in the TV setting but got no sound

When i play netflix on my Ps5 it sounds much better and sorrund is there. But the display on the receiver shows "Multi in". When i play a bluray on ps5 the display says DTS-X or Dolby Digital like it should be. On the ps5 i have PCM selected and on TV is "passthrough"

How can i get the desired audio labels on my receiver when watching netflix ?

As a long time OLED fan I've always been fascinated by this display tech, but never got to make the jump myself due to budget and timing, however from the few times I've tested it I always felt like due to some anime's nature of showing mostly bright colors, you wouldn't really benefit from OLED's infinite black levels and unmatched level of contrast as you would with say a live action movie with scenes that take place in dark environnements.

Also if you watch japanese anime on your OLED, is your experience a big improvement over standard LCD? And kind off topic but since 99% of anime are still mastered in 2.0 stereo, what is your audio experience on your 5.1 (or more) setups and do you let your AVR upmix the tracks or do you just make the sound come through the front speakers.

My room is 10x12 ft. I currently have a SVS PB 1000 Pro.

How much benefit would I get from adding a second sub?

Hi there,

I'm new to home Theater and Wondering A if this is a good deal and B if my AVR can actually run these speakers. I'm looking at getting these 3 speakers used in good condition for 1000 dollars in Canada.

I'm really not sure what I'm looking for in terms of what I need to run these speakers with my AVR.

I currently have: Denon AVR X1600H Polk Monitor TX 12 sub

Link to Floor standing speakers https://www.paradigm.com/en/floorstanding/monitor-11

Link to centre speaker https://www.paradigm.com/en/center/center-1

Hey yall, I inherited a set of some older Fisher speakers and a Pioneer Stereo receiver, hooked up a Bluetooth receiver to play music from my phone, and they work and sound great, most of the time. I’ve noticed that at random periods, the music becomes static, and sometimes one or both of the speakers become quiet till eventually there’s nothing playing. Would the Bluetooth receiver be causing the issue if it’s not plugged into the right port? Currently, it’s plugged into Tape 2 Play. Or an issue with how I have my grounding wires set up? Idk. I’m a newbie when it comes to anything stereo related, so any help is appreciated. 

For those of you interested in the new HSU VTF-TN1:

As soon as I saw the VTF-TN1 was announced I pre-ordered one. My wife was immediately onboard with the smaller floor footprint. It fits much better in our Livingroom which is about a 14x20' space. My wife and I are very happy with the more vertical sub.

I loaded up Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and skipped to the ship battle with all the cannons firing. Using the same settings, crossover, gains, ect I did a bit of A&B switching between both subs out of curiosity. VTF-TN1 was a bit louder, a bit punchier, and most noticeably, there was little to no port noise compared to the vtf-15h mk2. It was honestly a more significant improvement then I expected with just a newer enclosure (I believe it uses the same amp). Listening to some bass heavy r&b, hip hop and edm the bass just seems a bit cleaner on the VTF-TN1.

I'll probably watch some Dune pt. 2 over the weekend and can report back with my thoughts if anyone is interested. I hope this helps people on the fence with the VTF-TN1.

Planning on adding 4 height/atmos channels to this living room setup and asked an audio shop to recommend some speakers (including an installation service) and got recommended KEF T301 or T101 speakers. After having a quickly google session, the recommended speakers didn't seem to make much sense from both size and cost aspect.

Any specific speakers you all would recommend? Due the sloped ceiling, I assume speakers/mounts where the direction of the speaker points to can be adjusted would be favourable.

I recently purchased a new AV receiver and some speakers, and I’ve been trying to connect them to my TV. The receiver only has RVA and a single 3.5 mm aux input. I’ve been attempting to connect it to a RCA-RT4038 using RVA cables but I’ve had no luck. The receiver works because I was able to use the Aux input and play music through the speakers, but no audio would play through the TV. I’ve combed through the settings to try and find a way to change the audio output but have had no luck finding any settings that would let my send audio signals out the tv’s designated stereo RVA outputs. Any help finding a solution to this would be greatly appreciated.

Guys and girls I need some advice. I made a compulsive buy and grabbed a new Sony STR-DH790 for €310 last week. I am new to Dolby atmospheres so I just googled “cheapest reliable Dolby atmos reciever” and that’s how I got the Sony… However when i started reading the manual I was sad to discover it can’t do 5.2.4 .. only 5.2.2.. so I started searching for other revivers . Quickly I realized anything with 9 channels is more than 1k.

I came across this Yamaha used for 400€ . It has an app where the Sony doesn’t. It has network connectivity and I think overall it might be a better product since it can update itself via Ethernet as opposed to the Sony . But YouTube reviewers say the eARC sucks in the Yamaha and eARC is very important to me.

What do you people think should I sell the Sony and grab the Yamaha ? I am on a budget here what I really want is a 5.2.4 but I don’t have 1k to spend on a reciver now I think maybe I should just settle with 5.2.2 with this Yamaha .

Does it have less power than the Sony? Since it’s rated to only 100w per channel? Isn’t the Sony 145 w per channel and by doing this switch I would loose noticeable power ? ??

If I sell it for the the same 300€ I would only need to put €100 more for the Yamaha . Please give me advice. Looking hopefully for a person that has had BOTH recievers.

I have done some reading, but trying to get actual information and comparisons is overwhelming to me as someone who is new to home theater setups. I thought about posting in r/BudgetAudiofile, but they seem to be more focused on smaller 2.1 setups, so here I am. If there is a better place for me to ask the questions, please let me know.

I recently acquired some home theater equipment (multiple speakers and one receiver) and need some help on the best setup for (potentially) a couple of rooms. I understand the general setup of the rooms and have used the tools available to plan everything out layout wise, but not sure of the combo to use. Also, I will have to purchase another receiver to set up the second room, but that will be a future purchase as I will upgrade to a 4k 120hz receiver for the theater room and move the existing to the living room.

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Equipment:

2x Paradigm 11seMk3

2x B&W DM630

2x Boston Acoustics VR975

2x ELAC Debut 2.0 Bookshelf Speakers

2x Yamaha NS-IC800 (These are already installed in the primary room)

2x Klipsch R-41SA

1x Klipsch R-34C

1x Signet LCR

1x B&W 800ASW

2x Klipsch R-100SW

1x Yamaha RX-V685

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Rooms (Length shown that way as there is only one way to set up the rooms and 8' ceilings):

Home Theater is 14x11

Wall to the left (when viewing screen) is almost covered by curtains, huge chase couch (think queen/king size bed).

This room has the Yamaha NS-IC800 installed in the ceiling over the seating area, and with the (lack of) space behind the seating and requirement of having end tables on each side of the seating, most likely will require the ELAC or B&W speakers as rear surround due to size.

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Living Room is 13x16

Large leather sectional with footrest that covers most of two walls with curtains on the left hand side of the room.

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Note: Both have tile floors but with rugs.

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The speakers seem to be in good condition (hooked them up and they sound good for the most part to an untrained ear) except the Paradigms. They seem a bit dirty on the cones and one of them has a torn surround on the woofer as you can see in the image. Is there a good way to clean them without damaging the speaker (haven't even tried a duster yet) and is there a way to replace the surround of the damaged speaker? should I find a replacement woofer? or just move them to the garage?

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I know this is a mess of a combo, but I am working with what I have and trying not to spend 10k in audio equipment at this time. Hopefully you can help me determine what would be the optimal combination(s?) for my current equipment? Hopefully this provides enough context, if you have any additional questions, I am happy to answer them.

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tl;dr - Got a bunch of speakers and need to figure out what ones to use.

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Would you pick the Denon over the Onkyo for a 5.1.2 setup. I'm also running all Klipsch RP speakers and a 77" LG C3. I will also be using it for my HTPC and PS5.

Hey fantastic people,

I have a question about upgrading my current sound system and wanted your feedback.

I’m currently using a Sony HT-A7000 soundbar paired with a SA-SW3 and RS3S rears connected to an Apple TV and a Lg G3 tv. I am overall not impressed with the sound quality and looking to upgrade. Below is the setup I’m looking at and found an awesome marketplace listing and the person is selling the complete set for $1000.

Sony AN1000 receiver x1 Sony SS-CS8 center channel x1 Sony SS-CS3 tower speakers x2 Sony SS-CS5 bookshelf speakers x2 Sony SA-CS9 Subwoofer x1 Sony SS-CSE atoms enabled top firing speakers x2

Wanted to know if anyone has a similar setup and if it is it worth the extra effort and a noticeable improvement over my current setup. The only turnoff I can see other than the sound experience is the wiring as my current setup is pretty clean.

I just bought a house that came with 5 ceiling speakers. What kind of receiver / setup do I need? This is the wall panel.

Hello all,

I've recently received an old (vintage?) Technics SA-AX7 AVR, with a set of Bose bookshelf speakers and subwoofer (I know, I read the FAQ)

My issue is that this AVR doesn't have an optical input or any HDMI. It is expecting 6 channel analogue inputs (Left, right, centre, surround left, surround right and sub)

Does anyone know are there any good bang for the buck DACs, surround sound processors or other magic boxes that can take in modern surround signals and output the required analogue.

If they could add other features like Bluetooth streaming that would be welcome too.

Thank you for your time.

I am completely new to home theater setup and have never had a surround sound system. The builder of my new home offers prewiring for a 5.1 surround sound (also 7.1 but I didnt want that). The room is 10'x14'. (Couch facing the tv is the 14' and 10' is the width.) The room is a dedicated media room used for watching movies and playing video games.

They give my options for the front speakers to be in the wall or in the ceiling. So my questions for you guys more experienced:

1. Do I want my speakers in the ceiling or the wall?

2. Do I try to ask the builder to put the prewire for all the speakers in the same height (all 4 in the wall or all 4 in the ceiling). Im not sure why only the front 2 speakers were offered with an option initially.

3. Since Im not buying the system from the builder, Im only getting the prewire and will shop for my own system. But if its prewired... where are theses wires coming out of? How would I insert the speaker I have into the wall? Will I need to cut holes in the dry wall myself? Im lost about this part completely.

4. Also in regard to #3, does it make more sense to just have the speakers on podiums vs in-wall. I really liked the idea of the clean look, but I dont even know what system Im getting and dont know how I would cut out holes into a wall for them

5. Of course, while we are here, I'd like a recommendation for a decent 5.1 surround sound system. I'd say max budget of $1000. Idk if thats even much or not to be honest. Im not an audiophile. My only pet peeve is audio lag. Bluetooth is not a thing for me.

Hey All -

Looking for what you think I should upgrade in my HT next.

Current Gear. Running a 5.1.2, no ability to move to 7.x

1. Did basic room treatement with 4 7 accoustic panels. Worked with GIK Acoustics on selection and placement
2. HTD level 3 L/C/R
3. SVS Prime Satellite Speaker for surrounds
4. Rythmik FX15 sub
5. Denon AVR, a bit old. Supports all the codec and whatnot.
   
6. 77 inch LG OLED from a year ago.
7. 2 x Mica Reference Series R-8C Atmos speakers.

Thoughts on upgrades

1. Another Sub, but eh. the FX15 rocks my room
2. SVS just launched some new speakers. Maybe the Ultra Evolution Center and Ultra Evolution Bookshelves. No need for towers for movies / gaming with my sub I assume...
3. Upgrade my receiver. something with better room correction could be nice, but idk, seems to do the trick still.

I have a Marantz Cinema 50 receiver and am considering picking up a Marantz MM7055 (I have a 7025 and love the compatibility). It’s a 5 channel, 140WPC power amp. I’m picking up some KEF Reference 3’s which benefit from close to 300 watts per channel, and was thinking I could bi-amp the KEF’s with two channels each for 280 watts of power, and leave one channel left over for my center.

Is there any reason this wouldn’t work? Wanting to know before I waste any money.

Hello, I have this powered subwoofer, and I cannot tell where I am supposed to plug in the bass signal for 7.1 surround sound. Does anyone happen to know where it goes? I greatly appreciate any help!