derrickdj1

I do not own the SC 55 or 57 but, I have the SC 35. The SC 35 and 37 were Pioneer's last years top of the line models and are similar in a lot of ways to the 55 and 57. The Elite avr's are awesome from the power stand point and easy of operation. The analogue conversion is top notch and the MCACC is one of the best programs for room correction. I demo 2 Denon and a high quality Sony for several weeks prior to getting the SC 35. Amps can always be added to the SC 57 if you ever fill the need to expand your system. I have my HT in a 9.1 and really like having the front height speakers. The extended stereo function is great for listening to music. I did call Pioneer and asked about the SC 35 and 37 handling the impedance dips of the RF 7II's and they said it is not rated for those loads. If your system will have a good sub, this should not be a problem.

I also use the DDPLIIZ and have become very fond of it. It is my most used configuration. The best spot for the height speakers is 3 tt or slightly higher directly above your mains. I currently use Klipsch surround speakers for the heights. I tried bookshelf and not much difference in SQ. The height speakers should match your system or you may not get the benefit from the additional speakers. Poor choice in height speakers is why some people do not hear much out of them. They are great for movies and music. I have a 9.1 setup and which is great for movies in the various format and extended stereo listening.

Setting all the speakers to small gives good results. But, some avr's manage phase issues and standing waves very well, so the user has more options. I have my fronts, surround back and surround set to large. This is great for music listening. Pioneer's MCACC does a good job with room correction.

First, what are your other speakers? I take it , you are building a HT. The Front and Center speakers should match. Tell us your budget and the size range of speakers that will fit in your HT. This question may belong under home theater.

I keep reading about problems using the emotiva amps on this forum. Seem like ground loop problems, hiss and noise are major problems. Is this just a problem with Klipsch speakers, or is it a design problem with emotiva? I do not see complaint about other amps for the most part.

A question for you, I read that a lot of avr's under $1000, MSP, do not handle the first one or two watts of power as well as a good power amp? They have more distorton in the first couple of watts, compared to a good amp, although they may perform better has the load increases. Therefore, when listenign at lower volume the sound will have more clarity. This is in addition to the increase headroom and handling dynamic swings in the source output. So, it is not just about how many watts you are pushing; since most Klipsch will work really well in the first few watts.

I don't think you can do that with this avr. To do it, you may be able to run speakers in series or parrale. I do not think this is worth the hassel. Set things up a see how you like it. The enemy of good is better!

The white rose represents the human spirit and the struggels in life. Best wishes and thank you for sharing.

Thanks for the additional info. Place one surround between the balcon and window, and the other at as good of a matching point across from it. Yes, Audessey should balance out the difference in the speaker locations. Remember that surround speaker, play a support role in your HT. So, you should be good to go. The front stage is the anchor of a good HT and other speakers should compliment the front stage. Good luck!

Better pic. Normally I have better wire management, but I was working around the gear and moving things. I know I need a bigger TV console, lol.

Here is a pic of some of my gear, the amp is on the bottom right (Yamaha M 70, 200 watts per channel).

My wife listens to talk radio in the kitchen. The family room, kitchen and dining room are designed as an open concept. When the family is watch TV, she listens to the radio on the small under the cabinet TV, radio, dvd player. The little TV is 7 or 8 in. and gets plenty loud. Something like this may work for you without running wires and making holes in the wall or ceiling: with one drawback, it won't be Klipsch.

I am assuming you are sitting in one of the angels in the diamond shap room. Make an equilateral triagnle from your RF 82II's to your sitting position. Locate the TV between the tower speakers. Keep the towers 1-2 ft away from walls. I deally the surrounds should be at ear level. Since you are going to be using the RS 52 or 62, If possible put them at equal distance from the listening position. They do not have to be directly on the side of the listener. These WDST speakers cover 180 degree area so, having them some what anterior to the sweet spot will work. You need a center channle speaker. I would suggest getting that first. The RS 52 or 62 sound like ear level will be a bad spot for those speakers. You may want to elevate them 3-4 ft so the are out of harms way.

What type of setup do you want to run, Front Height, Front Wide, Surround Back or standard 5.1. List your whole systems and others will surely help you. There are a lot of ways to set things up, taking the facts of room constraints. I personally like wall mounted surrounds. I use the VS 14 for Front Height and surround speakers. I tried the VB 15 in the Front Height position, but the 14's have a WAF and sound just as good.

The HD 500 is an awsome satellite system. If you are going to use the satellites as surrounds, keep your X/O at no less than 120.

Yes, the repair and parts has be a problem. That was the first thing I did before purcashing my M 70 amps, make sure there was a Yamaha repair shop in the area that could fix it with original part and fine tune it back to factory specs. One is in the shop for a tune-up, just to make sure it back at factory specs, replace any caps, clean the inside, ect. It will cost about $150. tomorrow I will try and post a pic.

I have seen the Panamax line, very elegant design and reliablity for a power conditioner. We can think of our HT systems has a pet. Besides, caring for it, we feed the power hungry little beast. A lot of consideration is given to wires, connectors, room treatments, speakers and the avr/amps: but, protecting your system should be high on the list. Also the benefit of cutting the feeding bill to our pets. Years ago I lost my office computer system and all the phones due to a surg in a storm, and yes the computer way on one of the cheap surge protector, lol.

Recently, a forum member suggested that I consider adding a power conditioner to my HT setup. I told him everything was on surge protectors. After some reading, there did seem to be some benefits to having a power conditioner for the HT equipment, protect against sags or surges in the electrical supply chain, equipment protection, clean energy to the HT gear, energy savings, and possibly improved sound and picture quality. For me, the added benefit of one touch everything on or off. The LED display also looks cool. It displays voltage, amps, and wattage. The all on function cut power completely off for 6 devices, and eliminated the vampire effect of the equipment, sucking power in stand-by mode. The plasma tv and oversized Pioneer Elite avr consume the most power in my setup. I also have a cable box, BD player, Wii game console and a power amp in the mix. My watts reading is between 420 -500. This seems like a lot for a relatively simple HT. I wonder what benefits other members feel a power conditioner brings to their systems and what type of reading they are seeing on the display. What's next, as , Ving Rhames said in Pulp Fiction, I will tell you what's next. I hope I have the Pulp Fiction thing correct, lol.

Time of get loud. Test the sub out with Supe eight!

I took a look at the Marantz, very cool looking. Reminds me of college when looking at the lights and meters were a part of the musical experience back in the late 70's. Many of these vintage pieces are still going strong. Production was focused on quality and not so much on cost. The old stuff was made with high quality parts.

I have a Samsung 3D plasma TV. First I had a regular 2D samsung that had to be fixied twice in 18 months so they replaced it with the 3D tv. I really like the 3D tv for mostly 2D viewing. But I ocassionaly get the itch to watch sports programs, 3D blue-rays and on demand 3d shows for something different. Since I had the extended warranty I complained that it need calibration, so they came out a fine tuned it for free. Subxero is right about getting it calibrated for the best picture quality. If the cost is about the same, get it. Since the 3D tv's are not selling as well as the 2D tv, they have dropped the prices. Oh, I subsequently found out that there was nothing wrong with the 2D samsung except one of the setting was not correct. I am glad they let me keep it, lol.

I have the Klipsch HD 500 satellite system and am pleased with the sound. For small speakers, they really fill a small to medium size room. The sub in the system is a must. Imaging and clarity are exceptional. Congrats on your purchase and enjoy!

I recently brought two well kept vintage amps and a great price. The Yamaha M 70, I use them for 2 channel audio and extended HT listening. The clarity of these old amps is great. No his or buzz which I have heard about on this forum about other amps. No ground loop problems. I just turned the gain all the way up and ran the avr's autocalibration program to set the levels and adjust for room correction. I know there are a great number of good amps and each have there own fans. I was wondering what experiences others had, or having using some older equipment.

Very interesting post. Bass management seems to be the most complex and controveral topic in the audio world. Turning off the LFE and turning the sub X/O off is the opposite of what I have learned. From further reading and forum discussions, there is more ways to skin a cat. I should not keep reading these forums, I have a tendency to try things and spend more time fooling around with my equipment. I guess that's part of the fun!! Thanks for the link.

The Icon V speakers are nice speakers and you can't beat the price. I have the V serie and really think it makes a nice setup for 2 channel listening and home theater. I demo the Reference line, Pardigm and B&W prior to my purchase. Musically the Pardigm were my favorite. The thing that I notice with the V series speakers, was there was no harshness or horny sound to them. If you have a good pre-amp or avr for equalization and room correction, the difference between the reference line and the icon's will not be signifcant. When I first joined this forum, people told me to upgrade my speakers. After using them for a while, I think not. I like them and am only speaking for me. There is a post on this site where a member has the Palladium series, and V series. He gives a nice low down on the V series qualities. I like the sound from the xt tractix horn. My setup has a bit of a warm sound. Good luck! Only you can judge the cost difference and the performance value of your purchase. I went back and brought more Icon V speakers for a 9.1 HT.