Quite a newbie question

[jgmiterek]

I have just ordered a full set of Klipsch speakers RF25's, RC35, RS35's and RW12...I have a Harman Kardon AVR525 receiver and uhm some pioneer dvd...

the questions:

1) will a 16 GA speaker wire work for a 30 foot run? maybe 35 but no more?

2) what kind of connectors will i need for the speakers? BANANA PLUGS? SPADES? or PINS?

3) Im not 100% but can that receiver use the "banana plugs"? looking at the pictures it looks like it can, but im not 100% sure...

4) Should i invest more money for a sub cable? and does that model of sub require the Y adaptor?

5) When placing the sub, is it a good idea to place it close to the RF25's speakers or somewhere complety far from it?

6) do the RS35's come with mounting brackets or will i have to get those on my own?

[Frzninvt]

1) For runs of 25ft or more it is best to use 12Gauge, there is some awesome 10Gauge available on eBay from I guy I bought from at $0.25 a foot. He has two colors.

2) Use Banana Plugs for sheer convenience or spades for the most contact area. Bare wire works too, just a bear to work through the usual tiny hole provided.

3) Most all A/V receivers will accept banana inputs and I am certain the HK 525 falls in this category. (Parts Express had nice banana jacks for reasonable prices) Check the Dayton ones.

4) Not sure if the supposedly super sub cables really make a difference or not, if you can find a decent mono RCA long enough to reach the sub I think you will be fine. If you need a good quality "Y" adapter look at the "AR" ones on Part Express.

5) Wherever it sounds/looks best to you based on the layout of the system and the configuration of the room. Just don't put it in the closet.

6) Probably not, Klipsch may make kits for them, if not you will have to go with something aftermarket.

[damonrpayne]

2) what kind of connectors will i need for the speakers? BANANA PLUGS? SPADES? or PINS?

I'm a recent banana plug convert. You will need to remove the small plastic endcaps on your terminals but that is easy to do with a small pocketknife

3) Im not 100% but can that receiver use the "banana plugs"? looking at the pictures it looks like it can, but im not 100% sure...

I have the HK AVR 325 which is very close to yours. They can accept banana plugs.

4) Should i invest more money for a sub cable? and does that model of sub require the Y adaptor?

Definately get a sub cable. You only need a Y adaptor if you are going to run 2 subs off of one sub output terminal.

5) When placing the sub, is it a good idea to place it close to the RF25's speakers or somewhere complety far from it?

Put it in a corner. Or better yet, get an analog SPL meter and find the place in the room where it registers the best.

6) do the RS35's come with mounting brackets or will i have to get those on my own?

I think they have mounting brackets. Be sure you find a stud in your wall: coming home to find that the rs35s fell down would ruin your day.

Hope this helps and congrats on an excellent purchase.

[zandern]

1). 16 guage will be ok for surrounds, but I would try to find 12 guage for your center channel and towers.

2). Banana plugs really help make connections easy. I move from college to home and back and it makes it much easier connecting both the speakers and receiver. Also they are necessary if you are going to bi-wire you speakers in the future.

4). I think you interpreted his question wrong. Yes you need a Y adaptor if you are running two subs. But I think he is asking about the sub connection on the back of the sub. I don't know what the RW12 has but most likely there is a mono input and a LFE input (both RCA connections). But you want a Y adaptor to use both of these. It will dramatically increase your base even to the non-sensitive ear. Better cables do help. I went from the skinny basic black cable to a monster cable and I could notice a difference.

[dougdrake]

"I went from the skinny basic black cable to a monster cable and I could notice a difference."

Would that be the lighter feel of your wallet? (JK - )

[kenratboy]

Well, if you lighten your wallet, you will reduce your mass, and the bass will be able to have more impact on you!

[jgmiterek]

Thanks for your help guys, it was much easier once I had the idea of what to get...in fact this is what I got so far:

DAYTON AUDIO BANANA SPEAKER PLUG 2 RED/2 BLK (uhhh they look nice )

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&PartNumber=091-1260&DID=7

AUTOMATIC WIRE STRIPPER/CUTTER (yes i know i could strip the wires with a knife but i really dont want to make that to be a pain in the butt, thats like 20 ends that i will have to strip...)

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&PartNumber=360-627&DID=7

12 GA SOUND KING SPKR WIRE 100' (im not paying 50+ for the overprices monster crap, at least not for this sort of cable, this one is oxygen free and will do just fine)

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&PartNumber=100-155&DID=7

I havent gotten the sub cable as i'm still looking through sites like ebay and some others that could save me some money, ill proboblly end up getting the AR sub cable, i dont need it long as i decided to keep the sub close to my receiver so 12' will be plenty.

Will i need anything else? the speakers wont get in till late next week and i want to make sure i have all the stuff...if you guys can think of anything please let me know...thanks again.

[T2K]

I used a medium quality Monster sub cable for years until I needed a longer cable. I bought an AR sub cable from accessories4less.com and there was considerable audible difference. No kidding. And it cost less than the Monster.

Keith

PS> The sound King wire is a good buy/good wire. Has a nice jacket, not the cheap, hard jacketed wire you'll find at HD that splits down the length of the wire.Welcome to the forum!The speakers will sound great.

[marksdad]

all the questions were answered well except the sub issue, the best way i have heard and tried is to place the sub in the spot you will be listening (serious)and than playing a selection with good lfe slowely walk around the room, and where you hear the best sub output is where you should place your sub

[zandern]

"Would that be the lighter feel of your wallet?"

Partially. I have a friend who got a job at American. Now he is going to be my ***** and by my stuff for me with his discount.

[garymd]

Definitely listen to Marksdad as far as sub placement goes. I started with mine by the tv and when I moved it into the corner of the room I found out how a sub was supposed to sound and feel. Makes a HUGE difference! Sounds like you're on target with the rest.

[jgmiterek]

Thanks T2K and others!

as far as the sub's physical placement location, uhmm im not sure i would be placing the sub exactly in the spot where it sounds best...that could be like in the middle of the room no? I was hoping to kind of keep it out of the way (corner or some less visible place), I know that doesnt really give me much options (4 corners, but I'll give it a try.

Hey is anyone familiar with the Harman Kardon PA 2000 amp? I found a site that sells it for quite a reasonable price $235.79 plus shipping and was courious if its a good buy for the system that i'm trying to put together. some specs;

Power Output, Normal Mode : 4 x 45 Watts @ 8 ohms, 20Hz - 20kHz, <0.07% THD, all channels driven

Power Output, Bridged Mode : 2 x 100 Watts @ 8 ohms, 20Hz - 20kHz, <0.07% THD, all channels driven

I already own a H/K AVR525, speakers as i mentioned at the beginning of the post are RF 25's, RC 35, RS's, RW12 sub and was wondering if I should settle for that deal or get something else...

the 4x45Watts per channel arent every much (I dont have complete knowlage of how the amps work but i'm assuming each channel can drive a single speaker? so it would mean 4 speakers getting 45 more watts?)

[Frzninvt]

Doesn't the HK 525 have enough outputs for all the speakers you have at 75W per channel or better? It would make no sense to get an outboard amplifier that featured less power than the receiver has built into it. Unless you were going to bridge it @ 100W per channel to power the mains and let the receiver do the rest, then that would make sense. This would ease the burden on the receiver's power supply and result in a much more dynamic front stage.

[jgmiterek]

That was in fact what i was thinking about, since the front speakers have continious 125 or 150 watts (forget which one) so the bridged 100W would be little better and it would free up some heat from the main receiver, just not sure if its worth dishing out almost 300 bucks with shipping just to do that...

[zandern]

Best placement for a sub usually is in the corner of a room so you are in luck. Typically the worst place is in the middle of the room, so you whouldn't have to worry about that... Unless of course you wanted it for a leg rest.

[michael hurd]

If you can borrow a friends amp to try out with your receiver, than that would be a good test. It made a difference for me, as my receiver doesn't have to work nearly as hard, running the center and rears, than if it was running the mains as well. Now, the receiver barely gets warm. Without the amp, the receiver was hot to the touch, not like burn yourself or uncomfortable hot, but warmer than I had liked.