Seeking advise on upgrade path

[jmeiri]

Hello all, and thanks in advance.


What I currently have:

RTi12 Mains
CSi5 Center
RTi6 Surrounds
Yamaha RXV3300 Receiver


What I’ve been “approved” to do:

Add a subwoofer (SVS PB12-Plus or PSW1000)
Add a new receiver or preamp/amp combo (Denon 4306 or Outlaw 990/7125)


What needs to go:

RTi12’s to be replaced by “bookshelf” speakers (LSi9’s+LSiC or RTi6’s)


Any advice on speaker / subwoofer / amplification would be appreciated.

Additionally, will mixing LSi’s up front/center and Rti’s in the rear pose a difficult load for the receiver/amp?

[2+2]

If you do a lot of HT, then why dont you use your yamaha as a pre/pro and just get a 2 or 3 ch amp for the front. that way, you can free up some $ to get an LSiC. If HT is minimal, having different centers and surrounds is not that big of deal, esp. for the rear surrounds.

[jmeiri]

If you do a lot of HT, then why dont you use your yamaha as a pre/pro and just get a 2 or 3 ch amp for the front.

The Yamaha is a quality unit, but it has rudimentary bass management (90hz only) and none of the newer video fuctions / inputs I need.

My usage is about 75% HT, 20% Multi-Channel Music, 5% Stereo.

[Lsi9]

I'd go with new speakers plus the amp, the reason I say this is because next genereation preamps will have 5.1 HD (uncompressed) from HD discs
If you don't see that as a waiting point I'd go with the 990...but I would reccomend down the line upgrading your speakers too...

[jmeiri]

I'd go with new speakers plus the amp, the reason I say this is because next genereation preamps will have 5.1 HD (uncompressed) from HD discs

That's an interesting point I didn't consider. Any idea when the next gen preamps and media will be readily available?

[cfrizz]

Hi Jmeiri welcome!

Get the Outlaw combo, if you can get a higher powered Outlaw amp that would be good. The more power you give to the LSI's the happier they are!Get the LSI 9's & LSIC put the RTI 6's in the back for now & a SVS sub.

Once that is in place, your ears will quickly tell you if you have to change the rears.

[Early B.]

For 75% HT, just add an amp to power those 12's and the biggest subwoofer you can afford and you're done.

[cfrizz]

There won't be a new gen from Outlaw anytime soon since they just revamped everything.

Also I would wait for the new technology to come out, let them get the bugs identified & fixed & then purchase.

[Lsi9]

As we speak HD dvd and Blue Ray are about to hit the scene but the new Audio Ht formats aren't being utilized yet, that will probably occur sometime in sept - jan 2007

[jmeiri]

For 75% HT, just add an amp to power those 12's and the biggest subwoofer you can afford and you're done.

What are the advantages of keeping the 12's over bookshelves for HT and 5.1 music after I add the sub?

[jmeiri]

Hi Jmeiri welcome!

Get the Outlaw combo, if you can get a higher powered Outlaw amp that would be good. The more power you give to the LSI's the happier they are!Get the LSI 9's & LSIC put the RTI 6's in the back for now & a SVS sub.


Will the extra wattage of the 7500 be a notable upgrade over the 7125?

[Early B.]

What are the advantages of keeping the 12's over bookshelves for HT and 5.1 music after I add the sub?

For HT, you want as much dynamic sound as you can get. The 12's plus a good sub will offer that. Music will provide a similar effect.

There's an easy way to test what I'm saying -- just put your RTi6's up front and play a DVD and compare the sound to the 12's. Repeat this experiment when you get your sub. If the 12's don't sound significantly better than the 6's to your ears, then get rid of them and buy a pair of Lsi9's, an LsiC and a set of Lsi7's for the rear.

[cfrizz]

Yes it will! Actually, I would get the 7500 right now & put it on your 12's That is if your receiver has pre-outs. That might take care of everything right there!:)

Edit, scratch that, your receiver does not have preouts! Go for the 990/7500 You will be one happy camper!


Will the extra wattage of the 7500 be a notable upgrade over the 7125?

[Tour2ma]

No need to make all the moves at once. Suggest you bag the SVS pronto and do EB's little test (nice one, EB).

While I'm not a big fan of the 12's, I'm curious as to why you say they "need to go"? As EB stated you're about to land enough power to bring them to a new level, yet you want to downsize. No comprende...

As for the Pre-Pro... Do you, or do you soon plan to, own an HDTV? If no and no, I wouldn't worry about waiting. If yes or yes, then consider a used Pre-Pro as a stopgap.

Another possible stopgap is that with the SVS added, you might just stop there for now. Crossover to the SVS at 60 Hz or so, and your old Yammie may just be unburdoned enough to satisfy you for a while longer.

And on your question on the impact of mixing speaker impedances on the AVR/ separates. It's not the mixing, it's just the low impedance that is the issue. At least it would be an issue for the Denon. The Outlaw would just ask, "Is that all ya got?"

EDIT: Welcome to the Club...

[reeltrouble1]

Put me down with EB and Tour, get the sub and an amp to power the 12's, when you get into music, (most do) then its time for the LSi and some sweet sounding tubes in the Rig.

RT1

[wingnut4772]

I would just get a sub for now and wait untill the HD technology irons out in the next gen of pres and receivers...unless you have the bank- then go with a 990/amp combo also.

[jmeiri]

No need to make all the moves at once. Suggest you bag the SVS pronto and do EB's little test (nice one, EB).

While I'm not a big fan of the 12's, I'm curious as to why you say they "need to go"? As EB stated you're about to land enough power to bring them to a new level, yet you want to downsize. No comprende...

As for the Pre-Pro... Do you, or do you soon plan to, own an HDTV? If no and no, I wouldn't worry about waiting. If yes or yes, then consider a used Pre-Pro as a stopgap.

Another possible stopgap is that with the SVS added, you might just stop there for now. Crossover to the SVS at 60 Hz or so, and your old Yammie may just be unburdoned enough to satisfy you for a while longer.

And on your question on the impact of mixing speaker impedances on the AVR/ separates. It's not the mixing, it's just the low impedance that is the issue. At least it would be an issue for the Denon. The Outlaw would just ask, "Is that all ya got?"

EDIT: Welcome to the Club...
Thanks everyone for your replies.

I'm going to pick up the sub and amp first (the RXV3300 has pre-outs for all channels) and A/B test the 12's vs. the 6's as fronts.

The reason why I said they "need to go" is that my wife would prefer bookshelves for asthetic reasons (although it's not a big issue for her). Additionally, I figured with the addition of the sub, the bookshelves would be easier on the amp (an issue if I stick with a receiver- even a upper tier model), and not sound appreciably different once the sub was properly integrated.

Then EB and others had to complicate the issue with dynamics.;)

On the video side I'm currently running a High-Def Front Projector (with 108" screen).

[Tour2ma]

Ah the dreaded WAF...

Of course things got complicated, that's how we have fun around here. But then we help sort things out, e.g., EB's test suggestion, so it's all good in the end.

Sounds like a plan, please let us know how it turns out.