i think i made a mistake and could use some advise

[billy6494]

just bought a yamaha rx 573 av receiver and a pair of polk tsi300 tower speakers.while the polks seem alright i'm sure they would perform better with an actual am/fm receiver.being somewhat older...lol..bought my 1st stereo in the early 70's..i am not up on all the new innovations etc...i may never use the video portion. are there any recommendations you pro's can give...i have an extensive record collection so i will also be in the market for a turntable....questions that i have for really nice sound are
1)is my receiver good enough or is it just me....what would you suggest in the $1000.00 range?
2)am i on the right track with the polk ts1 300's?
3)do i need a sub woofer...love led zepplin
4)what is the best way to play music....cd's still the best? and what would be a good player.
sorry to sound so uninformed but i really cant keep up anymore and i just WANT TO LISTEN TO GOOD TUNES...
any and all suggestions are appreciated.
thanks
billy

[Lasareath]

One day i want to get one of these:

http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/rr2150.html

[Upstatemax]

In terms of receiver, you might be much better suited with seperates in that price range...

something like a dared SL2000A Pre and Parasound amp will cost less than $1000 and kill the yamaha for music.

For the TSi 300's, it depends on what you paid but LSi 7's/9's can be picked up for a great price and will beat the pants off of the TSi line.

As for the Turntable, the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon is brand new and seems to be the new "entry level" TT to beat...

[hochpt21]

Maybe a nice integrated with a good phono stage to keep thing simple.

[pyrocyborg]

Hi there!

If you're more into music than video, you shouldn't get an AVR, expecially if you're not goin to the "5 speakers or more" route.

If you're in a small to medium room (for example, maximum 20 feet x 12), you'll be better off with standmount speakers (aka Bookshelf on a stand) and a small musical subwoofer than a pair of towers which requires a lot of power ($$$) to sound at their best.

For less than 550$, you could get a good entry-level integrated amplifier with 50w per channel, capable to drive 4 ohm speakers paired with a phono pre-amplifier (as you'll probably need one if you want to use a turntable... except if your amplifier has one). Then, ditch 350 or 400$ on a pair of musical bookshelf speakers, get a 400$ musical subwoofer and for around 1300$, you've got an excellent brand new system for music. An example could be the Harman Kardon 3390 which integrates amplfier, 4 ohm capabilities, a DAC (which converts digital signal to an analog one, interesting if you've got a PC with some mp3/flac files around), a phono pre-amp for less than 400$. It's a jack of all trade and perfect if you're using bookshelf speakers.

However, if your room is way bigger, you might be in need of towers and a subwoofer, which will probably need about 700-800$ worth of amplification, at least. Keep in mind that while the TSi are good, they are entry level speakers: don't expect the same level or refinment from a 350$ pair of tower compared to a discontinued 350$ pair of bookshelf. Also, towers requires alot more power than bookshelf do, and that's why most people will tell you to get separates (i.e. a pre-amplifier and a beefy amplifier).

As for the turntable vs CD... I would say that properly geared, LPs should sound the same than CDs. Some people will say LPs are refined, and warmer, and they're probably right... but overall, most people shouldn't be able to distinguish the two IF the LP is in pristine/brand new condition and the turntable/cartridge is good. Fact is it cost way more to get a good sound from LPs than it does from CDs.

[coolsax]

Maybe a nice integrated with a good phono stage to keep thing simple.

The music hall a15.2 integrated would fit that bill at $500 so plenty leftover to pick up a decent entry tt

[cnh]

One day i want to get one of these:

http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/rr2150.html

Great solution to your problem. You want "music", stay with a two channel unit or separates as mentioned above. The Outlaw is a stereo receiver with everything you need. Get a sub eventually, and a TT and you're fine!

The TSI-300s are OK. But they are not your best option for two channel, better in a HT system!

Room size is important. If it's not too big, get some LSi-7s or 9s and the Outlaw and go from there. That would probably come in around a 1000 or so!

cnh

[billy6494]

thanks guys....lots to consider here.what is the differnce when it come to the lsi series compared to the tsi's.also not trying to sound to ignorant but facts are facts....i am when it comes to this but is a pre amp part of the receiver or is it a separate component?i know harmon kardon has a great rep but the outlaw 2150 kinda caught my eye......any recommendations?
thanks for the input...its very much appreciated.
bill

[CCNJ]

A receiver has three main components in it (Pre=amp, amp, digital-to-anolog converter). Receivers also have a lot of other circuity to support home theater use but all these extras will have a negative impact when using it for strictly two-channel music listening. Your best best would be to keep it simple and go with an integrated amplifier. Some come with internal DACs but most do not. Make sure that the integrated amp you choose can support the speaker impedance. Some speakers like the Polk LSI9s are 4 OHM speakers and you will need to make sure that the amplifier can handle the load.

[Lasareath]

The outlaw also has a USB input for playback of streaming audio output from compatible computers. I need to get one to set up a nice two channel system in my office. I'll hook it up to a pair of Polk Monitor 7's

Great solution to your problem. You want "music", stay with a two channel unit or separates as mentioned above. The Outlaw is a stereo receiver with everything you need. Get a sub eventually, and a TT and you're fine!

The TSI-300s are OK. But they are not your best option for two channel, better in a HT system!

Room size is important. If it's not too big, get some LSi-7s or 9s and the Outlaw and go from there. That would probably come in around a 1000 or so!

cnh

[pyrocyborg]

thanks guys....lots to consider here.what is the differnce when it come to the lsi series compared to the tsi's.also not trying to sound to ignorant but facts are facts....i am when it comes to this but is a pre amp part of the receiver or is it a separate component?i know harmon kardon has a great rep but the outlaw 2150 kinda caught my eye......any recommendations?
thanks for the input...its very much appreciated.
bill

First of all, as CCNJ said, the LSi series are 4 ohm speakers, thus, they require proper amplification (i.e. an amp capable to run 4 ohm speakers, should be writen on specs). Also, as they're higher in the Polk lineup, they should sound better to most people, expecially for music. Personnally, I had the RTi and RTiA line before. Before choosing the RTi, I tried the Monitor series ("old" TSi) and I prefered the RTi: I mean, I was buying bookshelf speakers and the RTi were 20$ more... well worth the price IMO.

Five months ago, I stepped up to the LSi7 and it made an interresting difference compared to the RTi4, RTi6 and RTiA3 I had. They are smoother (i.e. not as bright or harsh) but yet very pleasing to the ear because they bring a lot of detail. However, as they use a particular tweeter (a Vifa tweeter), they are very "directionnal" so details are best heard if you're in line with the tweeter. If you're too far away, you're loosing some elements here and there. If you like to sit down and listen, you're going to be pleased. If you're listening to music while making dinner or chores, you might look elsewhere.

If you're going for a pair of LSi9, you should try to get some sturdy stands and pair it with the Outlaw: it'll pack more power, which is better IMO... The LSi7 will be allright with the HK.

[sponger]

From reading the original post it doesn't sound like you're actually disappointed with what you've got. You seem to be only asking if you should get something better.

The Yamaha RX-573 that you have has bi-wiring capability if I remember it right. You might try that and see it how it pans out. It may or may not sound better. What have you got to lose, right?

I used to have the previous generation of the TSi300, the Monitor 50, playing in conjunction with a 10" JBL subwoofer. I'm no audiophile by any stretch of the imagination, but I thought it sounded pretty darn good with an old Marantz receiver I was using. Sure it could've sounded better, but my CDs being played through an old near-audiophile grade Yamaha CD player sounded every bit as good as I could have expected them to sound. By the way, this included the digitally remastered version of The Song Remains the Same -- a version which unfortunately butchers crucial parts of No Quarter and Dazed and Confused, but still sounds pretty good none-the-less.

If your intention is to have a set of tower speakers that can play the bass frequencies required to properly reproduce Bonham's work of creative genius in Moby Dick, then I would say yes to upgrading -- preferably to towers with at least 6.5" woofers. I currently have the previous generation of the TSi500 as noted in my sig and I think they sound terrific running off receiver power. That's just my opinion, however.

[George Grand]

Preamp stage, power amp stage, and AM/FM tuner stage are the three components in a receiver.

[wxcarne89]

I really like that outlaw, and at $699 it seems like a great deal honestly. (My stepdad's your age, and same musical taste, and he really likes the Harmon Kardon 3390 he bought recently BTW.) I would by a subwoofer, but a little later down the line. These guys were alot of help when I was trying to pick one. I didn't use one in my 2 channel setup till recently, now I wouldn't go back! I like emotiva gear, what do you guys think about a usp-1 combined with a upa-200 for around $750? the upa-200 does have a phono section, but you would still need to find a tuner, where as the outlaw has everything you could want for $699. I'm just a sucker for separates on a rack though. I just wanted to chime in. Good Luck!!!

[tonyb]

Preamp stage, power amp stage, and AM/FM tuner stage are the three components in a receiver.

You forgot the dac GG.....

[pyrocyborg]

You forgot the dac GG.....

Well... older receivers had no DAC (trying to save the man).

[George Grand]

Part of the preamp stage.

I don't need a life preserver, but thanks anyway.

[billy6494]

thanks guys..great advise...i'll go with the outlaw 2150....any advice for speakers..tt and possibly cd player.
other than that this is a great forum ant thanks for all the advice.as for speakers tower or bookshelf is not an issue....just looking for best sound.
thanks again,
bill

[tonyb]

"Best sound" is pretty subjective my friend. Maybe look at the signatures of some members and see what others have put together to get an idea.

[tonyb]

Part of the preamp stage.

I don't need a life preserver, but thanks anyway.

Thats because your so damn skinny you'll float no matter what.

[billy6494]

alright...........outlaw rr2150 is on its way...10 days maybe...i'll let you know what i think
thanks guys,
bill

[Lasareath]

alright...........outlaw rr2150 is on its way...10 days maybe...i'll let you know what i think
thanks guys,
bill

Congrats!

I'm jealous!, I need to sell some old gear and get me one as well!

[sponger]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the specs look as though the receiver will handle a 4 ohm load without the use of an "impedance selector." In fact, you'll even get a bump in power output. If that's the case, then I would pick up a pair of authorized refurbished Polk LSi --bookshelf or tower-- speakers on Ebay. There have been a couple of threads in the "speakers" forum about people not being able to hook LSi speakers up to a receiver without having to be "careful" despite the receiver having an impedance selector. You apparently would not have to worry about that with the outlaw 2150.

[Lasareath]

How's that Outlaw working out?

[tonyb]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the specs look as though the receiver will handle a 4 ohm load without the use of an "impedance selector." In fact, you'll even get a bump in power output. If that's the case, then I would pick up a pair of authorized refurbished Polk LSi --bookshelf or tower-- speakers on Ebay. There have been a couple of threads in the "speakers" forum about people not being able to hook LSi speakers up to a receiver without having to be "careful" despite the receiver having an impedance selector. You apparently would not have to worry about that with the outlaw 2150.

For the most part, those switches on receivers are there to protect the receiver from overheating. They actually limit the current to your speakers which is not a good thing. Top of the line, beefier receivers have better power supplies to handle 4 ohm speakers and even then you'd still get more mileage from a seperate amp.

[billy6494]

the outlaw is great...the tsi300's sounded better as soon as i turn it on.....but a funny thing happened...up here in the great white north where they tax anything that isnt nailed down..the outlaw..with shipping and exchange came to $853.00..aww i was expecting it though...need an opinion...i think i got a great deal last friday,correct me if i'm wrong..picked up 2 KLIPSCHE REFERENCE IV 82 TOWER SPEAKERS...$799.00 all in.imo these sound really good and i can wait to play some vinyl...any suggestions on where to get a good one...cheap..kinda stretched the budget here.
thanks
bill

[Lasareath]

the outlaw is great...the tsi300's sounded better as soon as i turn it on.....but a funny thing happened...up here in the great white north where they tax anything that isnt nailed down..the outlaw..with shipping and exchange came to $853.00..aww i was expecting it though...need an opinion...i think i got a great deal last friday,correct me if i'm wrong..picked up 2 KLIPSCHE REFERENCE IV 82 TOWER SPEAKERS...$799.00 all in.imo these sound really good and i can wait to play some vinyl...any suggestions on where to get a good one...cheap..kinda stretched the budget here.
thanks
bill

Congrats. Thinking of getting one very soon...... Sorry don't know anything about vinyl.