Home Audio System

Handymans342

Guys, what do you use at home for your sound system. I am looking for an amplifier and speakers. Maybe surround incorporating. I used to have an Onkyo receiver/amp with separate bass and tower speakers but It blew out the base output and the midrange output so I trashed it. What is a decent system that I can get the neighbors attention. May also want to add outdoor speakers for the future deck at some point if possible. Thanks 

davidbrooks

Handy i have Yamaha receivers that everything is run through and then Definitive Technology speakers and subs.  I bought all of it years ago when Myer Emco was going out of business.  My system upstairs are tiny cube speakers and a sub.  Downstairs though has in wall speakers and two subs.  Lets just say that when dad listens to the Eagles....so do the neighbors.

Handymans342

@davidbrooks. I remember Myer Emco LOL. A friend of mine used to have these little Bose cube speakers mounted to the ceiling. Amazing sound those little things put out! I want to introduce my neighbors to Judas Priest. 🤓

Aqua_Aura

I have Martin Logan speakers and a Klipsch sub it all sounds incredible. My receiver/amp is a Denon but I would like to replace it with a Yamaha at some point. 

Handymans342

I was thinking Yamaha. Hoping to get the whole system as a package

Aqua_Aura

If you can do separate components I would recommend that, you will get a much better product in my opinion. 

LaRea

If you're buying new stuff, it might help to talk to one of the techs at Crutchfield.  They are pretty good at recommending stuff based on what you tell them.  

I like Yamaha receivers, although the market is full of really nice systems.  It all depends on how many sources you have.  I'm also a fan of Bose speakers.  I actually have an original AM-5 system -- the sub-satellite system that started it all.  I bought them new in 1989, and they still sound spectacular.  

LaRea

In my den, the main system is Linn.  But I use a Yamaha receiver in "pure direct" mode as the front-end, and Bose speakers for surround.  

davidbrooks

halifax212

Just bought a  new set of Klipsch 620's and pretty happy with them Slim tower speakers.  Driving them with a newly acquired NAD 3020 (1978) for my new interest in vinyl. Rockin it 2.0 once again.

J3ff

Sonos all the way. TV/AMPS... etc. Would do nothing else at this point. 

Handymans342

halifax212 said:

Just bought a  new set of Klipsch 620's and pretty happy with them Slim tower speakers.  Driving them with a newly acquired NAD 3020 (1978) for my new interest in vinyl. Rockin it 2.0 once again.

Nice Brian!

Ian

Bose. The development hears Metallica with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

PickleRick

Rinker owners are heavy metal guys, this thread is proof. 

Dream_Inn

icoultha said:

Bose. The development hears Metallica with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

The admiral loves Metallica!  Her favorite is Sandman.  My son can actually play it on his steel drums, sounds awesome!!  (was really cool hearing 30 or 40 steel drums playing it, with some 55 gallon drums and other drum sets as well as a couple electric guitars, all in rhythm!)

Aqua_Aura

Ian

Dream_Inn said:

icoultha said:

Bose. The development hears Metallica with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

The admiral loves Metallica!  Her favorite is Sandman.  My son can actually play it on his steel drums, sounds awesome!!  (was really cool hearing 30 or 40 steel drums playing it, with some 55 gallon drums and other drum sets as well as a couple electric guitars, all in rhythm!)

Have her listen with the SFSO, it's an amazing sound.

Handymans342

My Dad used KLH speakers. Sounded pretty good when the Jackson 5 played

MarkB

Go with a Yamaha Receiver and plenty options for speakers, if you can get KEF ... do that, Yamaha tunes their speakers to KEF on their high end stuff. If not, go with Paradigm ... very, very good speaker that is still in the reasonable price category.

I'm not sure how your house is setup and if you are already wired from seperate zones in your house to the receiver location (for example to get the sound outside) ... a multi zone yamaha receiver will do that, but if you don't have the wires ... honestly, go with a seperate blue tooth sound system (there's a few good outdoor speaker solutions).

Handymans342

MarkB said:

Go with a Yamaha Receiver and plenty options for speakers, if you can get KEF ... do that, Yamaha tunes their speakers to KEF on their high end stuff. If not, go with Paradigm ... very, very good speaker that is still in the reasonable price category.

I'm not sure how your house is setup and if you are already wired from seperate zones in your house to the receiver location (for example to get the sound outside) ... a multi zone yamaha receiver will do that, but if you don't have the wires ... honestly, go with a seperate blue tooth sound system (there's a few good outdoor speaker solutions).

House has no wires or zones but a fairly large family room 

Handymans342

Handymans342

Wall mount 80 inch, speakers and Amp below. 

Handymans342

I want to be in the front row of the Van Halen concert when Eddie plays Eruption

redlightning

I own an AV company and have been in the industry for 35 years.  There are a lot of good receivers and speakers out there.  Setting your expectations for performance is important.  What is your budget for the system.  All of it.  You can pretty easily back into a segment knowing your budget.

Handymans342

redlightning said:

I own an AV company and have been in the industry for 35 years.  There are a lot of good receivers and speakers out there.  Setting your expectations for performance is important.  What is your budget for the system.  All of it.  You can pretty easily back into a segment knowing your budget.

Well I don’t really have a budget but just like to keep it simple

redlightning

Simple?  Not sure how to respond to that.  You will need all of the basic pieces in a conventional system regardless of budget unless you go with a sound bar configured system.  Sonos has a good sound bar the ARC that can work with their subwoofer.  Add the Sonos Amp and rear speakers and you have 5.1 surround.  This will not need a remote to make it "simple".  If you do a receiver, tv, source components and speakers probably will enjoy the system more if you do a remote to pull it all together.  
Highly recommend you come up with a budget and find someone to assist you.  we get called in after the fact by DIY guys frequently.  unless you have some good understanding of the components, room acoustics, and speaker placement it can turn into a mess.  

LaRea

If you like watching action movies or sports, you should get 5.1 surround speakers (center, two front, two rear plus a subwoofer).  You can get wireless rear speakers to simplify the installation.  

Take a look at Yamaha MusicCast for multi-room audio.

Handymans342

I want surround, no sound bars, CD player, Satellite music, 2 speakers on the deck. The house has no cable only WIFI

LaRea

Satellite music - you mean Sirius?  If you have good internet access, ditch Sirius.  The sound quality is terrible.  It's worse than AM radio.  Get an account on Pandora or some other internet music service.  Better quality, better control of content, better everything.  

Dream_Inn

LaRea said:

Satellite music - you mean Sirius?  If you have good internet access, ditch Sirius.  The sound quality is terrible.  It's worse than AM radio.  Get an account on Pandora or some other internet music service.  Better quality, better control of content, better everything.  

Only thing I want to add is that you can listen to Sirius over the Internet as well.  Sorry, I'm a big fan of Sirius.  I certainly think it sounds better than AM.  Now, is it great compared to other stuff, probably not.

FWIW, most receivers have built-in Internet access to channels.  It's actually pretty good and you can also pull in radio stations from anywhere in the world on it all very easily.

Aqua_Aura

I have Sirius and google music. Sirius has its purpose but for listening to music having the music account is much better. You can curate music better and don't have to deal with any ads or being at the mercy of whatever Sirius happens to be playing. The sound quality is better as well on a music service app like Google,Spotify,etc