[Jabippy]

Hi, I'm a noob when it comes to this stuff. I was always a computer geek and so spent most of my hobby money building PC's and buying various PC related stuff, monitors etc. Now that I am older, have more cash and PC's are so cheap I am starting to pay attention to audio/video and want to upgrade my fairly pedestrian gear and wanted to ask the forums advice on what the best upgrade path would be for my situation.


So here's what I currently have.


The room is 20Lx16wx13h opening on one end to a open hallway/dining room and on the other to a kitchen. The television is on a 12 foot wall on the 20 foot length open side.


Current gear is.


TV- 51" Samsung D550 Plasma

BD- Samsung BD-P1600


Audio


Pioneer Elite VSX-56TXi


Speakers


A twenty year old set of Paradigm's, 2 big, 2 medium, 2 bookshelf, center and a sub, the sub is a PDR-10, I think the speakers are the SE series, black wood, at least they look the photo's found here



I also have four ceiling speakers in the room I can access.


I just ordered a new sub because I know that's going to be a must, I went with the HSU VTF2-MKIII


Rears are going to be a problem wiring wise, the basement undereath the room is finished, so I don't know if I should go with wireless rears, rocketfish or something like that, or upgrade the rear ceiling speakers and use those.


Oh and what a disappointment that Pioneer Elite is, bought it right before HDMI came out and I definitely want to have SA-CD capability. I am hoping to upgrade in discrete little five and six hundred dollar chunks, maybe get a new center next, then upgrade the ceiling speakers etc.


Anyway, any advice on what to upgrade first, whether I should maybe keep the Paradigm's for a while etc. I don't see how I can use the mid-size, it's going to have to be a 5.1 system I think, the room isn't really set up to handle side speakers being open to a hall on one end and a fireplace on the other.


Thanks in advance.

 

[Jabippy]

Oh, 70/30 theater/music mix And my tower speakers look like the one on the right in the photo. Sofa is up against the opposite wall from the television. Ideally I would like to transition to smaller speakers as well, keep the wife happy. I am going to do a full on home theater in the basement in four or five years, after the kids leave for college heh.


I keep thinking of more stuff to add in edits.


WIth the sofa being up against the wall, what's the best way to do a 5.1 set up? I have 5.1 in my bedroom, just a cheap denon avr-590 a polk sub and small boston accoustics on the wall in front and on the side walls and that seems to work ok. Also, does anyone know if you can use 2 subs with that Elite? And if you can do I want to use that cheap pdr-10 with the new HSU sub?


Another edit, the big paradigms are bi-amp capable but I've never tried it, any reason to?

 

[holt7153]

The general consensus is that passive bi-amping won't make much of a difference. Active bi-amping might, but it's more complex and probably not something you would want to get involved with. Google passive and active bi-amping to see the differences. Yes, you can easily hookup two subs to your AVR via a y-cable. Integrating two very different subs can be a challenge-you might want to stick with just the HSU. You mention SACD--do you already have a player?

 

[Jabippy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by holt7153 The general consensus is that passive bi-amping won't make much of a difference. Active bi-amping might, but it's more complex and probably not something you would want to get involved with. Google passive and active bi-amping to see the differences. Yes, you can easily hookup two subs to your AVR via a y-cable. Integrating two very different subs can be a challenge-you might want to stick with just the HSU. You mention SACD--do you already have a player?

No, I don't have a SACD player yet. I was looking at Oppo and Denon $500 models but do you need the amp to do HDMI? My Elite is pre-hdmi, has ilink but I understand that's pretty much dead. Eventually I'll upgrade the amp too but that's probably last on my list along with the television. Wife insists on a family trip to Paris next year and that rules out any big ticket(over $1,000) for now.


Sounds like I should just skip the bi-amp and two subs for now though. So I was thinking, get new center L/R speakers then upgrade the four ceiling speakers for a full 7.1 set up. How well do ceiling speakers serve as surround and rears? And still have to decide whether to go with small speakers or new floor standing ones as well.

 

[holt7153]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jabippy No, I don't have a SACD player yet. I was looking at Oppo and Denon $500 models but do you need the amp to do HDMI? My Elite is pre-hdmi, has ilink but I understand that's pretty much dead. Eventually I'll upgrade the amp too but that's probably last on my list along with the television. Wife insists on a family trip to Paris next year and that rules out any big ticket(over $1,000) for now. Sounds like I should just skip the bi-amp and two subs for now though. So I was thinking, get new center L/R speakers then upgrade the four ceiling speakers for a full 7.1 set up. How well do ceiling speakers serve as surround and rears? And still have to decide whether to go with small speakers or new floor standing ones as well.

I'm a big fan of Oppos. You can get a universal Oppo player that will play pretty much anything you throw at it, including Blurays, and connect it to your Elite via the 7.1 MCH inputs. I personally dislike in-ceiling speakers, but that's just my opinion. As far as upgrading your fronts, are you not happy with the way they sound? Just because they're old doesn't mean they need to be replaced.

 

[bigyela]

i would research as much as possible, allow months for this.


i would save as much money as possible for the speakers first.


then spend on the sub/subs next.


and buy the electronics last. (receivers,players,etc.)


try to get the best you can afford/want the first time, this will save you in the long run...


just my opinion

 

[Jabippy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by holt7153 I'm a big fan of Oppos. You can get a universal Oppo player that will play pretty much anything you throw at it, including Blurays, and connect it to your Elite via the 7.1 MCH inputs. I personally dislike in-ceiling speakers, but that's just my opinion. As far as upgrading your fronts, are you not happy with the way they sound? Just because they're old doesn't mean they need to be replaced.

The fronts are OK but I haven't really heard anything modern so I was wondering if maybe there hadn't been big improvements in the last twenty years. I just bought the 5.1 martin Logan package from newegg mentioned on the front page, the mlt-2, thought I'd give them a try out in the living room, the wife would be happier with smaller footprint and if they,re less then what I have now they can always replace the Boston accoustics in the bedroom that came in the low end 5.1 denon package.


As for the ceiling speakers, I can't see any decent way to wire the surrounds otherwise. But if it's a really bad option maybe I could try wireless surrounds.

 

[holt7153]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jabippy The fronts are OK but I haven't really heard anything modern so I was wondering if maybe there hadn't been big improvements in the last twenty years. I just bought the 5.1 martin Logan package from newegg mentioned on the front page, the mlt-2, thought I'd give them a try out in the living room, the wife would be happier with smaller footprint and if they,re less then what I have now they can always replace the Boston accoustics in the bedroom that came in the low end 5.1 denon package. As for the ceiling speakers, I can't see any decent way to wire the surrounds otherwise. But if it's a really bad option maybe I could try wireless surrounds.

the Martin Logan package is for the room with the Paradigms or another room?

 

[Jabippy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by holt7153 /forum/post/20792737


the Martin Logan package is for the room with the Paradigms or another room?

For the bedroom I have a denon avr-590 thib that came with Boston accoustics I want to replace.