CS400i center channel

[Davidv]

First question. How do you tell if a speaker is a good or reasonable price? Second I just purchased a CS400i center slighltly used, like new for $217.50 on Ebay. Good deal or not? Third. What is wrong with Sony receviers? I have a STR-DE975 running 2 RT10's, and 2 MIII rears, and soon the CS400i. I returned the Onkyo I bought in favor of the Sony. The Onkyo would kick off half way through a DVD. The Sony will run all day. With excellent sound and zero distortion.
Thanks,
Davidv

[scottvamp]

Originally posted by Davidv
First question. How do you tell if a speaker is a good or reasonable price? Second I just purchased a CS400i center slighltly used, like new for $217.50 on Ebay. Good deal or not? Third. What is wrong with Sony receviers? I have a STR-DE975 running 2 RT10's, and 2 MIII rears, and soon the CS400i. I returned the Onkyo I bought in favor of the Sony. The Onkyo would kick off half way through a DVD. The Sony will run all day. With excellent sound and zero distortion.
Thanks,
Davidv

Hey David
#1 very nice price for the 400i considering its in good shape and paid reasonable shipping charges.
#2 Sony - well for the $ or a little more $ there are much better units out there.
Here is some irony on the two recievers:
Zero distortion - low end Sony reciever - not today my friend.
You were over loading the Onk because it contained fairly low but clean power and it clipped. The Sony probably had little more power though not as clean and not as much clarity - distortion IS sound even though one may not be able to detect it. The Onk has wider range of clean sound and therefore gives an effect of less volume.

[Davidv]

Thanks for the info. The Onk I had was 55 watts per channel. It did sound great, but had no real volume. The Sony has 110watts per channel. It has great sound and some volume. It still doesn't seem like enough though. (Even though I did manage to blow up one of my RT 10's last summer.) Caused by distortion?
I am however working on a very limited budget. I am happier with the Sony, probably because I coudn't afford the $600 to $1000 Onk that I really wanted.
Thanks Scott,
David

[MxStYlEpOlKmAn]

Yamaha can push some energy at some LOUD volumes. They got about 70% clean volume, the rest suck. But they can push for 300 dollars and up.

[scottvamp]

Originally posted by MxStYlEpOlKmAn
Yamaha can push some energy at some LOUD volumes. They got about 70% clean volume, the rest suck. But they can push for 300 dollars and up.

Mx thanks for the update on the Yamaha. Very interesting stats.

[RuSsMaN]

**** a 'grain' of salt with that review, you need a whole ****ing 'LICK'.

Cheers,
Rooster

[scottvamp]

Good stuff Russ!!!

[MxStYlEpOlKmAn]

yamaha isnt the best, and they arnt the worst. he wants loudness. If he'll settle for a sony! THEN YAMAHA even if it be bottum of the line would suit his wants alot better than a POS sony.

[scottvamp]

he wants loudness

And buying a Yamaha is your wisdom of the day.
*******New Logo*******
Want loudness ------ Buy a Yamaha!
Nice

[MxStYlEpOlKmAn]

Ill give ya an effin logo to sarcastic weirdo! if u want something that plays loud, for a bottum dollar! y the EFF would u want sony? eh? onkyo probally makes some nice stuff, but for the dollar id go yammer neday, now if i was spending 700+ my money would be elsewhere, also check out pioneer elite man for 400 plus shipping u can get 110 wats and alot of features, altho some of it is out of date. Ill leave u with this since u wish to be an @$$hole...what would u rather buy? SONY or YAMAHA? eh? seems like everytime i say something people take it outside the box. (ie: bose comparisons. Russ and thos paper cones and junk alike, when I talk about bose i talk about bose, im not talking about a multi thousand dollar pair of speakers. Can yall take a chill pill and relax??????

[RuSsMaN]

Originally posted by MxStYlEpOlKmAn
yamaha isnt the best, and they arnt the worst. he wants loudness. If he'll settle for a sony! THEN YAMAHA even if it be bottum of the line would suit his wants alot better than a POS sony.

What does the *brand* of receiver/amp have to do with 'loudness' or volume?

Once again, shouldn't a young lad like yourself be masturbating or experimenting with drugs vs giving audio advice? ;)

Cheers,
Rooster

[MxStYlEpOlKmAn]

My yamaha isnt what u could call extremely loud, or ear bleeding its merely louder than sony. Ive had a sony and I know. The bass altho is on the weaker end. Not as loud. But it plays louder than a sony. God forbid.

and yeah i was awaiting ur experimenting quote, its getting quite famous, might as well add it to my quotes list.

[scottvamp]

Wow!
Mx bringing the knowledge.
Relax - I am on my second BEER. Soon I will chill in my spa and then have sex with my women. No really!!!!
Life is Good! Mx I will not comment on the rest of your evening.
Hormones ---- Homones ----- got to make some drain babies!!
Just having fun with ya.




Sarcastic A$$.

[MxStYlEpOlKmAn]

i have knowlage...i gotta wow myself! lol

[RuSsMaN]

Women? As in the plural of woman?

Maybe there is something to this *goth* thing, or is it the silky smooth Eddie Rabbit sound flowing?

Cheers,
Rooster

[scottvamp]

Originally posted by RuSsMaN
Women? As in the plural of woman?
Maybe there is something to this *goth* thing, or is it the silky smooth Eddie Rabbit sound flowing?
Cheers,
Rooster

Nice catch Russ - Ya it is a exotic blend of Vampire seduction with a little ER in the background. :D

[brettw22]

Originally posted by Davidv
Thanks for the info. The Onk I had was 55 watts per channel. It did sound great, but had no real volume. The Sony has 110watts per channel. It has great sound and some volume. It still doesn't seem like enough though. (Even though I did manage to blow up one of my RT 10's last summer.) Caused by distortion?
I am however working on a very limited budget. I am happier with the Sony, probably because I coudn't afford the $600 to $1000 Onk that I really wanted.
Thanks Scott,
David

This is a generality, but you really can't compare a 55wpc receiver with something twice the power. True, you're going to get different sounds from different brands, but your problem was trying to get as much volume from the Onk as the Sony, which had to work half as hard as the Onk.

I have an Onkyo receiver that I've had for about 5 or 6 years and I really like the thing. It's got 100wpc, and I'd be willing to put it up against the sony line any day and be very very happy.......

Congrats on the 400 purchase......have fun with it connected......

[Davidv]

I relize that you can't compare 55 w to 110w. Regardless of the brand. I was comparing price, and what the wife would go for.
Also I am not just about LOUDNESS. I love clarity also. I just can't afford it right now. As for good options on a receiver. The Sony has options that you can't get until you spend $1000+ on better brands. Besides all of this, I have also been operating on the principal that it is not the receiver it is the speakers otherwise I wouldn't have been trying to piece this system together for 5 years. I would have gone out and spent the $6000+ and probably not been as happy. When I say I have no budget I mean it. Were talking Champayne taste on a water budget! I love my system, but otherthings take precedence too.

[nellis8166]

You guys make me laugh out loud(mx, russman, scottvamp)...guess that is why I spend countless hours a day here. Lovin it....

Regards,
Nat

[elsid88]

I have also been operating on the principal that it is not the receiver it is the speakers otherwise I wouldn't have been trying to piece this system together for 5 years.

David,

It is a balance of both, speaker and receiver. Clean POWER has just as much to do with clarity and "headroom" of the sound you are trying to produce as does the quality of your speakers.

You could have 1000w carver amps driving some plastic Realistic speaker system from the RatShack and you won't be impressed. (Can you see the image). Just as if you try to drive some Martin Logans with your $89.95 on sale receiver from the electronics department at Wal-Mart. It just doesn't work.

So my advice to you is, if the Sony sounds good, great, I'm happy for you, but don't think the receiver doesn't have much to do with your setup. It has plenty to do. You will be amazed how much better the sound will be when your budget will be able to afford that $1000+ receiver.

Also, don't get hooked on the Watts thing that a receiver can put out. It actually has more to do about the AMPs.

If you have a 110w/ch 5ch driven receiver that = 4.6 amps, but if your receiver only puts out 4.5 amps you are really not getting 110w/ch continuously. So be careful on the sales pitch.

110w x 5 = 550w / 120v = 4.58 a

Of course this doesn't even take into account the efficiency of the receiver or power consumption by the other functions of the receiver. Just something to keep in mind.

My $.02

Tom...
:D

[Dr. Spec]

Most $300-$500 A/V receivers are not rated with all channels driven at the same time. Usually it is with one channel driven. I think this type of receiver is an exceptionally good value if all speaks used are set to small.

Running all your speaks on small SIGNIFICANTLY reduces the current demands on the receiver. Nearly all of the current demands on an amplifier come from the bass signals.

It doesn't take much power at all to cleanly drive all the surround speaks to very loud levels if they are high passed at 80 Hz. This gives the impression that the receiver is far more powerful and dynamic than its power ratings might suggest.

Many people report a big improvement in midrange and treble sound quality when they relieve the receiver's amp of bass duties. I certainly did.

With that said, I'm not saying high end pre/pros and amps don't have their place - they do. Overall they do sound better than a mid-grade receiver, and they are capable of driving speakers with low and reactive impedance loads, and they excel at driving a full range signal with high current demands.

Doc

[Micah Cohen]

shouldn't a young lad like yourself be ...

Russ, mellow out with this. I'm getting complaints all over the place.

Careful, or you'll end up in the Hall of Shame.

Micah

[RuSsMaN]

Wow, nothing like a PUBLIC spanking. It's strange, I got several emails saying how FUNNY it was. (which is what was intended)

Did a bunch of Baptist preachers just join Club Polk? Tell whoever complained that 'wigglin' it every now and then is nothing to be ashamed of.

How about OFF instead of down? I'll make this my final transmission.

-Russ

[HBombToo]

Way to go Micah.

We allow thieves on the board but no jokes?

I'm beginning to wonder....

[Dr. Spec]

Ditto. I truly hope cooler heads prevail and one of most senior, knowledgeable, and trusted members of Club Polk sticks around.

FWIW Micah - a PM warning would have been much more discrete and appropriate considering Russ' standing in, and contributions to, this forum. Christ, guys like him BUILT Club Polk.

[RuSsMaN]

Guys, don't shoot the messenger (mc).