EdwardV Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Hello, I am working on building a home theater setup. I am going to get the following speakers: 1. 2 KG-4s 2. 1 KV-3 3. 2 RS-3s What size (Wattage) reciever should I look for to power the 5.1 setup? What about for a 7.1 setup? Will I need a separate amplifier for the KG-4s? Thanks for your time, Edward Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K5SS Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Budget? Size of your room? Subwoofer/subwoofers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardV Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 Budget:$500-$800 Room Size : 16' X 13' Subwoofer: None yet, maybe 1 12" later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K5SS Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 You have a good budget. If it was me personally, I would get a Pioneer Elite SC-35 on clearance. I got mine about a month ago to replace my Pioneer 1019ah and I couldn't be any happier with it. It drives my Reference 5.2 system with power to spare, I can only turn it up to -20 when watching movies and Reference level is 0! It also has pre-outs so you can add a amplifier down the road if you decide to get the upgrade bug. 140x7 I.C.E. amplifiers put out tons more power than I could ever use and our rooms are roughly the same size. If you ask this question 100x you would probably get 90 different opinions. Keep us posted on what receiver you decide on.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I also got a Pioneer SC 35 a month ago. Great price at BB. This avr gives you room to grow. I run a 9.1 setup on this7.1 reciever. Power has not been a problem with my HT. Klipsch IconV series is also a good buy now. The expanded features on my BD is very similar to media gallery, minus a few things that I really don't need or wood use. Pioneer SC 35 Klipsch VF 35's Main Klipsch VC 25 Center Klipsch VS 14's Front Height Klipsch VS 14's Surrounds Klipsch VB 15's Surround Back Klipsch SW Samsung 3D Plasma TV Samsung 3D BD Wii for netfix and some exercise (not a gamer) ASUS notebook for all share connectivity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightguy Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Picked up a Yamaha RXA1000 for $600 at BB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightguy Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 PS; your center channel is the most important speaker so thus should have the most wattage concern. I'm sure either of the mentioned Rcvrs can handle it. You will need a POWERED sub to get any satisfaction. Go $ here. Scrimp on the rears if you have too. They are just color. Subs make it fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuBXeRo Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 you have so many options for receivers its not funny. Going to an external amplifier makes a world of difference as long as you buy one that is decent quality, most separate amps are. When you buy a receiver there is a certain price point that you have to hit before you are given the ability to use an outboard amp, that point is usually around $500-$600 mark. Its great to buy a receiver that has that because it will always enable you to buy an external receiver if your heart desires. With that said, almost any receiver will power your setup. Most receivers made now a days have 7.1 at minimum so there is that option to create a 7 channel setup if you want. One thing i can suggest to you is stick with a 5.1 for the time being. Even though most receivers are capable of powering 7 speakers, each speaker generally receives less power when you run the maximum amount of speakers. Here is just some hypothetical numbers for example: You have a receiver that is 100w X 7 channels, thats 700w total power output. If you only use 5 channels, you have 140wpc. We know that 95% of receivers out there do not produce the power they say they are rated for as far asuseful dynamic power goes and you really only get about 50%, that means 7x100w is actually 7x50w. This power loss is the main reason that most of us move to separate power amps. Your speakers will run fine on a receiver, they are actually more powerful than you think. Almost anybody can see a benefit from a separate power amp but they arent always feasible or practicle because of space, money or actual benefit from it. Benefits mainly include cleaner sound, most authoitize bass because of the readily available power and option to have overhead power to help prevent clipping. I would check out Denon, marantz, onkyo and pioneer. I think onkyo will actually give you the best value for your money, they also have a receiver in that price range i believe that has multichannel preamp out. I like denon over onkyo but its a close race, i havent owned a marantz and would consider one over the denon and onkyo and pioneer i wouldnt so much, people like them as well as yamaha, they are just 2 brands i dont care for as much. I will say, stay away from sony receivers, not as good quality as onkyo and denon and marantz IMO. I would try to find a receiver that is atleast 100 watts a channel as well and i would get a sub before a 6th and 7th channel surround. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted October 18, 2011 Moderators Share Posted October 18, 2011 Welcome to the forums. I have a few questions: What percentage do you listen to Music vs Movies? If you listen to more music, IMO, Harman Kardon and Marantz are at the top of my list for musicality. Onkyo and Yamaha are excellent for HT but are "ok" for music listening. These are what I have owned in order of my upgrades: Harman Kardon AVR55 (VERY musical, great for HT. 55 watts/ch. Just didn't have enough power at really high volume and didn't support DTS and no HDMI) Onkyo TX-SR703 (Fantastic for HT, descent for music. Had plenty of clean power at 100 watts/ch and never ran out of juice. No hdmi) Yamaha RX-V1800 (Fantastic for HT, descent for music. 130w x 7. Supports HD audio formats and HDMI 1.3a.) Just sold my Yamaha and am considering either the Harman Kardon AVR 3600 or the Emotiva UMC-1 Pre/Pro. Both are $499 shipped. The Harman Kardon might be a great fit for you. Check out the specs. It even comes with the iPod dock. Can be purchased at Newegg. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted October 18, 2011 Moderators Share Posted October 18, 2011 Also, I would highly recommend a receiver with preouts. This hobby is addicting. I really enjoy the added clarity, separation, bottom extension and authority my 220 watt x 5 Parasound Amp added to my system. Klipsch speakers are very efficient so don't get hung up on wattage. Keep this in mind, if you have 7.1 speakers on a receiver, you will likely not get the specs from the manufacturer. Case in point, my previous Yamaha RX-V1800 was $1200 new. It was rated at 130 watts x 7. Third party bench test from a major home audio/video magazine reported it was 130 x 3, 100 x 5 and only 55 x 7. I heard it first hand when I added back surrounds. It was rather underwhelming so I went back to a 5.1. A proper 5.1 is better than a poorly setup 7.1. Most blurays are encoded in 5.1 so to me, 7.1 doesn't add much benefit. Lastly, don't hesitate to buy used. Fantastic deals to be had on Craigslist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.