help i am totally lost

It's a Sony ES from the 90's: Bright and tinny with no bottom end. And you're using a Bose Acoustimass system with it which is said in the industry as "No highs, no lows, sounds like Bose".

If you want thump then buy a subwoofer.


No. No. Yes. Why?


If you have 5.1 inputs on the back of the receiver and you want to continue to use the receiver then you need a source with multi-channel outputs to get 5.1 "discrete" sound i.e. a blu-ray player. If you want to use more than one source or satellite/cable/etc. then it makes more sense to get a new receiver than buy the extra components you'll need.



No, it just an inferior system.



Depends on the unit and I would check the manual. Usually it means that it bypasses processing (i.e. surround modes, tone controls, digital circuitry).


Don't overthink this. If you want better sound from the speakers, get better speakers.


I'm not qualified to answer this.

B.

You need to decide on a budget, then visit a local brick-and-mortar audio/video store to listen to speakers. Spend at least 2/3 of your budget on the best sounding speakers you can afford, replacing what you have now, and the rest on replacement electronics.

"Thump" usually translates into low bass frequencies. For that you'd need a decent subwoofer.

While current generation receivers and disc players primarily use HDMI to carry both high-definition multichannel surround-sound and high-definition video, older systems use component video and separate digital audio connections (called SPDIF -- either coax or optical) You can find some great bargains in the older equipment.

If your looking to upgrad to something thats going to be around a while DONT buy older equipment.

It sounds like your already unhappy so why be unhappy again buying something you havbe to replace in less then 5 years. Older equipmennt is great if your just doing a 2 channel audio system with no video but you sound like you have a surround system in your living room and its more then just music your dealing with.

You need a new receiver and real speakers. The Bose system may be good in a bedroom but in no way will it do a good job in the living room for surround sound or quality music playback. They market that stuff to people that dont understand audio but its really inferior. Its not that we are all audiophile and hate the stuff you can just do so much better for the money with stand alone subwoofers and a little bit bigge rbookshelf speakers that a Bose Acoustamas set up.

A small Marantz NR1402 receiver and PSB loudspeakers is a good start.

The first thing you should do is also probably the most important and cheapest thing anyone in your position should do. Go find a dealer that sells speakers that isn't Best Buy. Anywhere that has a setup/layout that somewhat resembles a living room would work. The way a speaker sounds in a big place like Best Buy often will barely resemble what it would sound like when you got home with it.

Start listening and take note of brands and/or model numbers you enjoy. I would look at anything that has about double the retail of what you are willing to spend. Once you find a brand you really like, start visiting audiogon.com religiously. If you don't mind going used, you can often find extremely good deals on stuff you previously couldn't afford. It's very common to find speakers for about half of the retail value.

After your Bose system, there is a very good chance that you will become bias towards the first thing you listen to because it will sound so much better. So keep that in mind as well when comparing speakers.

Also, don't just listen to something for a few seconds and move on. It usually takes a few to 20 minutes for ear fatigue to set in, and the speakers will begin to sound bright/harsh. If that happens, I suggest moving on to another brand. Everyone hears things differently so go with whatever sounds right to you. Just be prepared to spend some time and enjoy yourself.

If I may make a suggestion though, you say you may not have enough power. I would try listening to some Klipsch speakers. They are extremely efficient, meaning you don't need a lot of power to get great sound. However, they are not for everyone. Some people get really bad ear-fatigue to the point where it feels like their ears are bleeding, and others like myself absolutely love them.

I didn't mean for this post to become so long, but I hope that it helps!

Steve,

Most of the quality of the sound you hear comes from the speakers plus the room environment. Spending more for quality speakers will produce more of a sonic improvement than spending more for electronics.

Ideally you should get loaners of speakers so you can listen to them in your own environment. Room acoustics and speaker positioning can make a major difference in the quality of what you hear. Your personal environment will not produce the same sonic experience as the showroom.

There's essentially no difference in the sonics produced by different modern electronics, so long as it's capable of driving your speakers to the sound levels that you want. Low powered amplifier circuitry used in a large room with inefficient speakers is the major exception. Distortion increases rapidly as you approach the maximum output that the amps are capable of providing.

If they have equivalent performance, whether you choose preamp+separate amps, an integrated amp or an AVR is primarily a emotional and financial decision, not a sonic choice. (I'm assuming the equipment your deciding among all have identical technical features.) Separates typically cost about 50% more than the equivalent integrated solutions because they're produced in smaller quantities.

Audio and video systems are used for entertainment. The type of hardware you use to produce the sounds and sights you experience is part of that entertainment. Get what makes you happy.

Personally, I use a Marantz pre/pro and 5-channel amp with NHT speakers in my living room "home theater", where they are used for both music and movies.

How do you have a V25 (Lifestyle, right?) hooked up to this system - if memory serves that is *not* a passive nor a free-standing component set. And instead relies on a Lifestyle system controller and ribbon cables to hook up, not a third-party amplifier (like say, the Acoustimass 12 does). Are the cube speakers straight into the Sony?

Also, got more info about the Tannoys? (These are bookshelf style speakers, yes?).

My theory from what I've read:
You have nothing that can reproduce lower frequencies and you're improperly using the Bose speakers (what you're complaining about is common in threads where people complain about Bose speakers) which doesn't help the situation. The Sony sounds like it's fine, and there's no reason to replace it (spending a (huge) bucket of money on NAD equipment will do absolutely nothing for you), but you may want to consider different speakers or at least a subwoofer.

Really need more information to advise.

All good advice here. I think a 5.1 system based on 2 full-range front speakers and matching (smaller) center and surrounds would be the best option for both music (2.0) and movies (5.0 or 5.1 if you get a sub). What is budget? At this pint almost anything will be an improvement.

You need a sub if you want low-end response, say from 100hz down. This is relevant for music, and VERY relevant for movies. A sub does not mean "boom boom bass" - it's just the right way to do LF.

There's no reason to get "separates" or spend any significant money on a receiver. There is no audible benefit. It's just more expensive. Also, a "separates" setup will eat most of your budget (again with no real advantage).

Look at maybe $500-$1000 for a receiver, and $0-whatever for speakers based on what you like. You'll have to go out and audition speakers to really get an idea there. Generalistically I'd look at Mirage, Yamaha, Klipsch, Polk, etc but the overall sound will be heavily dictated by your room.

No guarantee.


Ideally, yes. Practically, not usually.


Fine stuff.


I'd say so.


Nope, it just makes sure the speakers sound their best.


"more expensive"--not necessarily.

B.

I would see if you can sell what you have now.

No amount of electronics is going to make your current speakers sound good.

If you are worried about getting both good music and surround sound, without taking up too much space look for quality book shelf speakers and a good sub. They will work great for both movies and music.

Once you have that, you can find a receiver with the functions you want.

Steve,

Usually above a certain price point, you aren't going to find much higher quality. Martin Logan speakers have an excellent reputation.

The sales experiences you've had are the same kinds you'd encounter in the U.S., plus you'd have the complications of shipping things across the border and trying to get warranty repairs for equipment purchased in another country. Building a relationship with a local company is often well worth the somewhat higher prices you'll pay. They're usually glad to handle inconveniences so you don't have to -- like the paperwork and shipping, as well as providing loaners or replacements when equipment acts up on you.

You're unlikely to have to install higher power circuits. The usual listening levels require only a few Watts most of the time, with just occasional peaks for things like explosions in movies or the cannons at the end of the 1812 Overture -- for a total of 100-300 Watts on the average: less than 5 Amps.

A relatively modern development which still tends to be put-down by some audiophile purists is room equalization. It helps to compensate for irregularities in speakers and room acoustics, and works just as well for music as for movies. At the moment, Audyssey's MultEQ XT32 process seems to be one of the best. NAD has not yet announced support for that level of Audyssey and is still providing only MultEQ XT. In other words, you might want to consider a device like the Marantz AV8801 preamp/processor plus appropriate external amplifiers. It's gotten rave reviews from both objectivists (who base their opinions on measurements) and subjectivists (who base their opinions on what they hear).

I don't recall if you've mentioned your budget, but the items you've mentioned tend to be rather expensive. The AV8801 seems to cost slightly under $3000 U.S. after local discounts. Hopefully that wouldn't be too unreasonable. Equivalents from companies like McIntosh and Linn tend to be quite a lot more. FWIW, Denon's AVR4520 receiver has most of the same features as the AV8801 pre/pro for about 2/3 the price. (Denon and Marantz equipment are made by the same company.)

One of the things that shouldn't be forgotten, but which you didn't mention, is a subwoofer or two. Quality subwoofers can provide a much better low frequency experience (below about 100Hz) than can even the best of floor-standing speakers. Low frequencies interact with room boundaries quite differently than the upper frequencies do. As a result, subwoofers need to be placed in different locations than those used by the higher frequency speakers.

I hope these comments help a little.

Everything you've mentioned will work fine on a conventional 15 amp circuit.

Electrostatics sound different than dynamic speakers. If you are enamored with the sound then I would concentrate on Martin Logan (or the like). In my experience, if full-range sound is important, then I would go for the largest panel you can afford--preferably one with a 10 or 12" woofer (assuming you don't get a separate sub). They are very placement critical, so be sure they can work in your space.

The MA6600 is a good amp and has good power into low impedances (like the M-Ls are...) I'm not a fan of the M3, but others like it. The M-L dealer will probably have some good recommendations as to what will work well the particular speaker.

It sounds like you trusted that guy, so that is a big bonus. He will most likely be there for you should you need any after-the-sale support or service. That's important to me, but not to others.

Good luck.

B.