Newbie Synergy Home Theater

[Mcclure]

So I have read enough on these boards in the last week or two to see that most people recommend the Reference line, but I get a discount on the Synergy, and even with the discount I'll be pushing my budget.

I was looking at the SF-2 with SC-1, SS-1, but when I actually listened to the speakers the SF-3's sounded a lot better so I think I'm now looking at the SF-3, SC-3, and SS-3. This leads to one of the questions, I hear a lot about getting the SF or SB for the surrounds instead of the SS, the room that I am currently going to be using would be a really tight squeeze for the SF-3's to be in the back. The couch is basically pushed against the rear wall, with a small (I probably have 1-1.5 feet on each side of the couch, so not a lot of room to angle them in) amount of room on each side for my current surround speakers. I could probably move the couch forward a 6 inches or so, but that is about it. This isn't going to be a permanent thing though so I can make stuff fit for now if it is going to be better when I finally get a bigger room.

The second question is dealing with a receiver. I was looking at the Yamaha HTR-5660 (discount), but from what I have read I'm thinking about skipping the discount here and getting a Denon, from what I have seen, it looks like the 1604 or the 1804 are about as much as I can afford. Would that still be better than the HTR-5660? How much difference is there between the 1604-1804 and the 2803 (pretty much out of my price range)?

Here is a list of everything that is going to be hooked up to the entertainment center.

TiVo (S-video or composite) list the most important things first

The TV is a 55" mitubitshi A03 (think that is the name of it, the Best Buy one from a year or so ago, before they started getting the same TV's as everyone else)

DVD player (panasonic) (component)

PS2 (component)

XBox (component or composite)

Nintendo 64 (composite, this kind of sits off on the side, and isn't used much)

Computer (S-video)

I can't really see getting too much more to hook up to the TV anytime soon, maybe upgrade the PS2 or Xbox in a year or more, but that is about it. I think it would be nice to be able to run it all into the receiver though, instead of having the change the input on the receiver and change the input on the TV everytime I want to change inputs. It isn't so bad for me, but sucks when I have to teach someone what to do.

Right now I have a cheap Sony system ($300 for receiver, and 5.1 speakers) So this will be a huge improvement pretty much no matter what I get.

Thanks for any help.

Edit: To go with the speaker set up I was also looking at the KSW-12

[wheelman]

If your tight on space what about the sf-2's? I have them and i love em. I am so fond of them that i am scared to mess with the sound. Mainly is the demensions are just right for my room. I thought of reference, but it just might throw the whole thing off, because the size is different.

[doudou]

if you realy cannot put some SF for surrounds you could place some SS a little toward the place you will seat. that how my system is setup in a small room and it works good for dvd.

for music i only use the mains.

[Mcclure]

I think if I get the right speaker stands I get set up the SS-3's at the corners of the couch. I could do the same with SB-3's. I also can't mount them to the walls because the house I am isn't mine so I don't want to start drilling holes in the walls to mount speakers. But after going to the store and measuring SF-3's and how high the speakers are in the box I just don't think they would work.

[drdiaboloco]

I have my doubts about the SF-3. A casual listen to them in BB a few weeks ago left me with the impression that they aren't any better, just bigger. Whatever you do, though, don't go for the SF-1... Those are a serious step down, unless maybe you would want to use them as the rear surrounds.

The SC-1 is obviously a darn sight smaller than the SC-3, and overpriced IMHO at retail, but you can get a good-to-mint condition SC-1 for a hundred bucks on eBay. I have two, in fact, and if you want one send me an pm.

I dunno, I have suspicions that the new, bigger Synergies are there primarily to impress the "bigger speakers must be better" crowd, and the older middle-of-the-line Synergies are better on a dollar-for-dollar basis, not to mention sounding better as well.

[Mcclure]

After doing a little more research I think my reciever choices are down to the Denon 1804, HK AVR-230 or the Yamaha. But I think I am leaning toward the HK right now from what I have read. It just sounds like Yamaha isn't as good for Klipsch and especially if I went with the one I was looking at. Is there a reliable site that sells the Denon or HK? Right now around here I'm looking at about $500 for either of them. My original budget was about $1500 and the speakers are going to cost about $1050 + tax. So I am pretty close right now. Plus I still need to get speaker wire, and stands. (No I'm not asking about what speaker wire to use)

[wheelman]

I have a denon 1801 forsale and it sounds great with my sf-2's, and it is like new. If you had a denon, or hk and sf-2, sc-1, ss-1 all the way around you. You would have it pretty good. That's pretty much my set up and all i can say is rock on! Get descent size wires for the front three and you are ready to rock out the dvd's. Then you got money for a descent sub which is crucial. I would take my sf-2 and mirage sub over sf-3's anytime of the year. Actually i would take my sf-2 over sf-3 regardless, because it was just the right size for my room. You could also go with the bookshelf speaker if that was your preference of surround. Especially if you have stands laying around not being used. If not make sure you have the money for stands or just wall mount them. I went with the ss-1 because i got them new in box for a used price. And they are very easy to put up on the wall. Let me know if you are interested in the denon. It is up forsale on audiogon, and it is first come first serve. 240.00 shipped now

[doudou]

if your room is small like mine, i think sf1 are enought.

the SF2 have just a little bit more bass than the SF1,i mean that the bass are a little bit more powerfull.

that s why i got only the sf1.

and it don t mean that the sf1 havn t bass:in my small room(about 20m²) the sub is almost useless(exept when there are lfe effects on a dvd under 40Hz, for all the remain frequencies sf1 reproduce very well the sound).

if you want to save some bucks go for the sf1, if you think you will have a room for HT larger than 25 or 30m² go for something bigger like the sf2(i think it worth not buying the SF3) or speakers from the rf serie(rb or rf above the 15, the little sattelites couldn t be as good as a real speaker)...

[doudou]

if you want to place some sb or sf directly next to a wall it will deform their frequency response.(you can do this if you like bass or if you haven t enought money to buy a sub).

the ss are made to be against a wall.

the best is to have the same speakers for exemple 5 or 6 sb3 if there not enought place for 5 or 6 sf2.

don t forget, for these speakers there must be some inches or some feet between them and a wall.

the most important factor what will or won t make sound good your system is the room where it would be and the way you will place it.so no need to buy some good speakers if you cannot set them correctly.