Final Thoughts/Advice?

[MyKill Myers]

Upgraded from a Samsung HTIB - HT-AS720ST over the past 2 years with a ton of help from the friendly people on this site but am just about out of funds and need to put the wallet away for a while . I had a limited budget to begin with as you will soon see. I am running 7.1 with monoprice 14 gauge wiring, monster sub cable and the following:

Onkyo TX-SR705 100w/channel @ 8ohms (Recommended Amp Wattage) (My Frequency Setting)
Polk Monitor 50 (20 - 150w/channel) (Freq 60 hz)
Polk CS1 (20 - 125w/channel) (Freq 70 hz)
Polk Monitor 30 (20 - 100w/channel) (Freq 80 hZ)
Klipsch Sub 12 - DIY Riser (300w) (120 HZ)

I've read some really great threads from some very friendly, knowledgable people on this site and would really appreciate any final thoughts/advice anyone could give me. What has me curious is all this talk about having a separate amp power the front stage, bi amping and frequency settings. I still have a lot to learn and while the thought of an amp powering speakers make sense to me, I wouldn't know what to buy and wouldn't want to throw good money at bad equipment.

I feel as though while it maybe a step up from HTIB, my setup is a very basic, budget friendly set up and separate amp(s), bi amping, etc wouldn't really help me. That type of stuff is for the big boys with big $$$. I guess what I'm looking for is some final thoughts/advice so I can spend or save my last couple of hundred I can put towards HT and then put my wallet away for a few years knowing I'm getting the most of what I already own. It eases the mind/pain a little, if you will. Thanks in advance.

Marvin

[ditch-digger]

Originally Posted by MyKill Myers

Upgraded from a Samsung HTIB - HT-AS720ST over the past 2 years with a ton of help from the friendly people on this site but am just about out of funds and need to put the wallet away for a while . I had a limited budget to begin with as you will soon see. I am running 7.1 with monoprice 14 gauge wiring, monster sub cable and the following:

Onkyo TX-SR705 100w/channel @ 8ohms (Recommended Amp Wattage) (My Frequency Setting)
Polk Monitor 50 (20 - 150w/channel) (Freq 60 hz)
Polk CS1 (20 - 125w/channel) (Freq 70 hz)
Polk Monitor 30 (20 - 100w/channel) (Freq 80 hZ)
Klipsch Sub 12 - DIY Riser (300w) (120 HZ)

I've read some really great threads from some very friendly, knowledgable people on this site and would really appreciate any final thoughts/advice anyone could give me. What has me curious is all this talk about having a separate amp power the front stage, bi amping and frequency settings. I still have a lot to learn and while the thought of an amp powering speakers make sense to me, I wouldn't know what to buy and wouldn't want to throw good money at bad equipment.

I feel as though while it maybe a step up from HTIB, my setup is a very basic, budget friendly set up and separate amp(s), bi amping, etc wouldn't really help me. That type of stuff is for the big boys with big $$$. I guess what I'm looking for is some final thoughts/advice so I can spend or save my last couple of hundred I can put towards HT and then put my wallet away for a few years knowing I'm getting the most of what I already own. It eases the mind/pain a little, if you will. Thanks in advance.

Marvin

sounded like me many years ago, ht is very addicting. you always think you want more. it took me a few (maybe more to figure out what i really wanted, and instead of buying things just to get them, i started to save (as you have) for the items i really wanted not just what i could afford at the time.

as far as a separate amp with your system, i would not bother right now. if thats the set-up you are going to have for a while, then just basic room acoustics, or calibration will yield the best for that system.

if you are asking the question than maybe you are still yet un-fulfilled with your components. best bet is to start upgrading one piece at a time, incorporating what you have. unless you are 100% happy with the system in front of you and what it is capable of producing.

but then you probably would not have asked the question in the first place..

be happy with what you have saved for, try some acoustics mods (will be surprised) maybe a riser for the sub ect.. and save the last bit for future component upgrades

not sure if that helps....

[inlayterms]

Provided your receiver has pre-outs, I always advise that people purchase separate amps. I'm not sure if there are 7 channel amps on the market, as I myself (will soon) use 5 single amps in a 5.2 channel setup, but the power you can deliver to your speakers using separates is, I think, undeniably superior to an integrated system - separates deliver louder, cleaner and tighter sound.

The great thing about audio equipment is that it can always be upgraded piecemeal. So, think about what you ultimately want and go from there. Perhaps look at a company you like that makes quality receivers and amps, buy the amp now and, if you want, upgrade the receiver sometime down the road. Once that's done, you can then consider upgrading the speakers and, after that, cables, etc.

I'm sure some of the other, more knowledgeable, members will be able to suggest some brands for you. Once they have, take a look at Audiogon, which regularly has good deals on good equipment. Good luck.

[MyKill Myers]

Originally Posted by ditch-digger

sounded like me many years ago, ht is very addicting. you always think you want more. it took me a few (maybe more to figure out what i really wanted, and instead of buying things just to get them, i started to save (as you have) for the items i really wanted not just what i could afford at the time.

as far as a separate amp with your system, i would not bother right now. if thats the set-up you are going to have for a while, then just basic room acoustics, or calibration will yield the best for that system.

if you are asking the question than maybe you are still yet un-fulfilled with your components. best bet is to start upgrading one piece at a time, incorporating what you have. unless you are 100% happy with the system in front of you and what it is capable of producing.

but then you probably would not have asked the question in the first place..

be happy with what you have saved for, try some acoustics mods (will be surprised) maybe a riser for the sub ect.. and save the last bit for future component upgrades

not sure if that helps....

Thanks Ditch Digger and you're correct, I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't longing for more but who doesn't do that right? I will start to save and just enjoy what I do have as I didn't think there's really anything else I could do without upgrading.