samhain1969

For the price (drop) of the 81's, they'd be the better option, if comparing only to the 61's. Floors/towers, as others have noted can be a better option depending upon: specs, space, budget, etc.

Concur with everyone else, i.e. the A-S301 or A-S501, the RP-160M over the 150m's and either the 112SW or 115SW sub. You'll have a very nice setup with any combo of these for sure!

Onkyo TX-NR809 serving preamp duties fer my Onkyo M-506RS amp...

Are you allowing the AVR to do the bass-management duties, i.e. following the manual's suggested setup instructions: http://manuals.denon.com/AVRS710W/NA/EN/GFNFSYaxhqtbzr.php#OKNRMLfvunedcc and turn the low-pass knob on the rear of the sub to max. Set the gain to 0/12 0'clock position and the phase switch is normally at 0*; it's provided because the speakers and subwoofer sound best when they are in-phase. Meaning their woofers move in and out in sync. To check your sub's phase, play music with bass, listen for a minute or so and sit near the sub, flipping the sub's 0/180-degree phase switch slowly back and forth. The correct setting is the one that yields more bass and when the woofers of the sub and speakers are in sync. You may have to try a few different recordings before you hear any difference (if any at all). It might help to turn up the sub's volume level a few notches for this test. If you don't hear any difference between the 0 and 180-degree settings, leave the phase control in the 0 position. Also, if your AVR is not already configured this way, try setting your floors to "small" and their x-over to 60Hz or 80Hz, whichever garners the best result. Setting the x-over to 40Hz is too low, even though your speakers are rated at 37Hz if not mistaken. A decent article here: https://www.avforums.com/threads/crossover-and-speaker-settings-in-relation-to-bass-management.1019893/

Hey franticsled! No guarantees here but it sounds like the left-channel "pot" potentiometer (volume knob mechanism) may be dirty/loose/tight internally or any combo of the three. My Onkyo M506 was displaying similar issue(s) as your Yammy when I got it a few months ago. I did some research and found cleaning the "pots" can resolve some of these issues, BUT will not fix broken hardware obviously. If you are comfortable in doing so, if not already done so, have you tried visually examining the "pots" internally and to see if the tension is equal between the two? Every amp is built differently as are the pots, in accessing the interns to clean/remove and clean. There are numerous videos on YouTube on how to accomplish this and is fairly easy and safe to do. Just make sure the unit is powered off/unplugged. I used CRC QD Electric Cleaner to clean my pots and contacts, speaker terminals, the boards, etc. and then used Deoxit Fader F5 (lubricant) on the pots as the last step. I repeated twice and all was well. The CRC dries almost immediately and is safe on ALL electronics and boards. The Deoxit is more for moving parts such as the pots and may require a wipe for some excess. Let unit sit for 30+ mins (at least) before use, once completing. The CRC will help prevent (in theory) dust from (re)collecting on areas it is used. Other posters may suggest other products for this procedure, i.e. an all-in-one that cleans AND lubes but I went with I researched as what seemed to work best. Again, this is no guarantee... but if it works it could prove to be a money saver vs. hardware replacement/repair-shop work. I owned an MX-800 years back with a pair of Cerwin Vega D-9E's and man, what a matched set! Good luck and that MX-1000 will definitely shine once remedied.

@geoff. I used to own a set of Vega D-9E's about 29 years ago powered with a Yammy MX-800; great combo for my budget. They did not survive a move and were literally crushed, not pleased to say the least and could not find a dealer to order replacements sadly.

Thank you for posting this.

LOL, well done!

Thanks much!

Hello all, My question, is can I bi-wire my RB-81 II's to an Onkyo M-506RS amp? I know, I know, most frown upon or label bi-wiring as a placebo-affect. I just choose to do so, if I've the speakers and AVR/amp to do so, providing there's no issues with doing so. Concerning the 506, I was going to "invest" in a integrated for my PC sound setup at some point. However, I came across a good deal on an Onkyo M-506RS, tested and in near mint condition; two minute scratches on the top-left faux wood panel, otherwise in incredible physical and audible quality that is more detailed/less anemic and has a tad more power than the AVR I was using for speaker output. Speaking of that AVR, I'm (re)purposing that Onkyo TX-NR809 as the pre-amp, which works rather well at those duties. Due to my space constraints I've no room for floors, so the RB-81's were my speaker of choice and am quite pleased with their performance and especially now. Thanks in advance for any inputs/direction!

Toslink from your PC motherboard is the least expensive route to go w/your existing TX-8150, by far. I don't know that you'd be able to notice much of a difference between running optical out from your PC to your TX-8150 vs. HDMI out from the GPU to the TX-8270 as you're essentially using the same audio equipment for playback as both of these format-signals are digital. Aside from the HDMI connectivity w/4K and HDCP 2.2 support/HDR with the TX-8270, they essentially have the same audio-specs with the exception of the TX-8150 having 135wpc and the TX-8270 100pwc; not a deal-breaker for Klipsch speakers by any means. For less than the price of the TX-8270, you could purchase a dedicated PCI(e) soundcard that is far superior to either your PC's onboard (motherboard) or GPU "soundchips", giving you far more flexibility, depth, soundstage, etc. for your speakers, providing you have the space/slots available on your motherboard and in your case and run the card to your existing TX-8150. Some examples and they also give customer testimonials: - https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271004 (PCI only) - https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132072 - https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102050 These cards have both, RCA and Toslink connectivity options and op-amps that can be swapped out, so you can change the "sound-signature" of the card from the stock sound. Unless you'd be utilizing the HDMI-ports on the TX-8270 for AV purposes for a 4K monitor/TV/UHD setup (now or at some later point-in-time), it would be a wasted "upgrade" in some sense.

Whichever route you go... Do not fall into the elitist-cult mindset of purchasing overly expensive "high-end" wire or customs; https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/testing-audiophile-claims-and-myths.486598/ Choosing the right gage w/good insulation and building your own along with using the correct length will do you more favors than how much you spend.

Take a look here... Looks like it's an age-old issue with internal power/circuit-board/caps/fuses or any combo:

When I read this review (http://www.stereophile.com/integratedamps/306outlaw/), sometime ago I was skeptical but further reviews online showed the 2150 to be the "real-deal". Cannot wait to see review(s) on the 2160, as I'm in the market for just such an item!

I have the TX-NR809, which is similar in control/function... Have you tried the BASS setting by using the HOME button on the remote? There should be options there for boosting the bass and treble, which will reproduce from the mains (more noticeably) when running it in stereo or 2.1 mode. I can't comment on the amp/additional speaker question though... Not sure if you are enabling the DOUBLE-BASS feature or not, but it has some impact if so: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/onkyo-tx-nr-818-double-bass.379850/