HELP newbie to home theatre

[pin0yizm]

I just recently bought the following

-Polk CS2
-Polk T90e
-Polk Monitor 30's
-Pioneer 5020

I need help in picking a receiver, i was leaning towards the onkyo 606, also what kind of wires should I be buying? thanks guys im new to this home theatre stuff

[neogeo64]

the 606 is great. I would buy your cables @ monoprice.com

Sounds like you need some speaker wire 16 to 20 guage.
You can use a single HDMI bable from the receiver to the TV.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Welcome!

What are you using for watching Blu-ray and/or DVD? The suggestion from neogeo64 is a solid one. Monoprice has great pricing and delivery. Regarding speaker wire I would go 12-14-16AWG, but that's just me. If you can spare the cash get some Banana Plugs as well. You'll need 4 Banana Plugs for each speaker-to-receiver connection.

John

[Ferris]

I've heard good things about the 606 (and it's predecessor, the 605). I've done TONS of research on receivers I want to fit my needs. In the end, I ended up going with the new Yamaha RX-V565. Make sure you do A LOT of research, ask questions of the folks on here, and audition the receivers.

As for the speaker wire, monoprice.com is the preferred choice for the folks on this forum. They really have great prices on stuff, and their gear is great quality.

As for the size (AWG or gauge) of the wire, it depends on how long the run will be. The longer the run, the lower the gauge (thicker wire) will need to be. Most reasonably sized home theatres should be good with 16 gauge, but for the longer runs, you'll want 12. I think BigDaddy or Crackin has a Sticky on the speaker forum for that...

[Johnny Vinyl]

Check this thread.

John

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by FriedEggs

I've heard good things about the 606 (and it's predecessor, the 605). I've done TONS of research on receivers I want to fit my needs. In the end, I ended up going with the new Yamaha RX-V565. Make sure you do A LOT of research, ask questions of the folks on here, and audition the receivers.

As for the speaker wire, monoprice.com is the preferred choice for the folks on this forum. They really have great prices on stuff, and their gear is great quality.

As for the size (AWG or gauge) of the wire, it depends on how long the run will be. The longer the run, the lower the gauge (thicker wire) will need to be. Most reasonably sized home theatres should be good with 16 gauge, but for the longer runs, you'll want 12. I think BigDaddy or Crackin has a Sticky on the speaker forum for that...

+1, I have the Onkyo 605, and have loved it. It decodes all of the high end audio codecs and you can probably pick one up on the internet for under $300. I have very similar speakers as you, and I use 16 guage wire for my speakers. Don't forget a good audio cable for your sub too!

[DavidAg02]

Originally Posted by forsberg21

+1, I have the Onkyo 605, and have loved it. It decodes all of the high end audio codecs and you can probably pick one up on the internet for under $300. I have very similar speakers as you, and I use 16 guage wire for my speakers. Don't forget a good audio cable for your sub too!

Another happy 605 owner here, and I've got several friends who have the 606.

Both are great entry level receivers.

[pin0yizm]

Originally Posted by John72953

Welcome!

What are you using for watching Blu-ray and/or DVD? The suggestion from neogeo64 is a solid one. Monoprice has great pricing and delivery. Regarding speaker wire I would go 12-14-16AWG, but that's just me. If you can spare the cash get some Banana Plugs as well. You'll need 4 Banana Plugs for each speaker-to-receiver connection.

John

I will be using my PS3 to watch blu rays, I occasionally game but mostly I just watch movies and tv, what are the differences between the 605 and 606? and I've been hearing a lot about the new pioneer 1019 coming next month should I be looking into that? Also I'm new to this home theatre stuff is it hard to set everything up? ie hooking everything up and knowing how to set up the receiver? if that even made sense

[DavidAg02]

Originally Posted by pin0yizm

I will be using my PS3 to watch blu rays, I occasionally game but mostly I just watch movies and tv, what are the differences between the 605 and 606? and I've been hearing a lot about the new pioneer 1019 coming next month should I be looking into that? Also I'm new to this home theatre stuff is it hard to set everything up? ie hooking everything up and knowing how to set up the receiver? if that even made sense

There are small differences between the 605 and the 606. The biggest difference is that the 606 offers an extra HDMI input. If you can afford the extra $50 or so for the 606 it is definitely worth it.

Honestly, I think hooking up a home theater these days is a lot easier than it used to be. Having HDMI really simplifies hookup because it's one cable for both audio and video instead of separate cables. Also, just about every receiver these days comes with an automatic speaker calibration function. You should be able to get 95% of the way there with the instruction manuals included with your gear, and this forum will be here to help you with the final 5%!

[pin0yizm]

is a sub neccessary?

[crazyBLUE]

Yes !! you will not produce the low's you want without one .

[Rob J in WNY]

Originally Posted by pin0yizm

is a sub neccessary?

For the most dynamic audio experience, yes. The addition of a sub can dramatically improve the audio. There's much more to this statement, but suffice it to say that yes, consider investing in a subwoofer for your new system, especially as you have already invested in some really decent speaker components and a Pioneer 5020.

[liquidice]

everyone is right, don't second guess giving up a sub, you need it!...maybe two! As everyone else has suggested, read read READ about receivers as much as you can, and you'll probably gain more knowledge about them than "test driving" them at a store. Unlike speakers, receivers product knowledge all come from paper. You want to know what they can decode, how many HDMI inputs/outputs, power rating (most important), and many other things. My preference with speaker wire is 12 gauge. Bigger is better....usually. Any other connection cables are at monoprice as mentioned already. Sometimes I go to that site just to try and find something to buy. Good luck....your home theater is on the line!!!

[pin0yizm]

ok i just ordered the polk PSW10 for 89.99 at newegg ... now for the receiver, there is so much to read im kind of overwhelmed, im liking the 606 but a lot of people are saying it gets hot, and im kind of thinking to wait for the pioneer 1019 ugh.. and how much speaker wire and banana plugs should i buy?

[liquidice]

most receivers these days are going to report back as getting "hot", but if you have it set up with enough open air on top and on the sides and back, you should be fine. If you gaze at some peoples setups, you'll see how some bought fans that you can lay on top of the receiver to cool it, or if it's going to be in a cabinet, you can mount a fan on the back of the entertainment stand to blow hot air out. Your receiver is really only going to produce alot of heat if you really push it to it's limits for extended periods of time. Moderate volume is not going to turn it into an oven. Speaker wire depends on how much your going to use. Try and measure what you'll need for lengths, and then over shoot that by some. When I move, I'll be buying this, for the price and quality, you can't beat it. It also comes in 50 feet if that is better for you. For bananna plugs, check these out. 2.17 if you buy 2-9 pair, you can't go wrong, and it will be a cleaner install with the closed screw type. Curious to know what kind of entertainment center you'll be putting the receiver in....let me know.

[htgeek]

If you can hold out wait for the onkyo 607. I was at EHX in Orlando friday and this receiver is par none to anything else in it's price range. It starts at $599 and has most of the bells and whistles of it's big brothers and a few they don't have. Dolby came out with pll2z,where you can swap your surr backs for a extra set of fronts that go over head to give a hole new dimension to surround, it'll be worth the wait.

[pin0yizm]

whats the difference with in wall installation speaker wire? as for banana plugs i would need 2 per speaker? thanks for the help

[igotcabada]

You would need 4 banana plugs per speaker ( 2 go into the speaker & 2 go into the receiver )

[Hammie]

But if he is talking about in wall speaker wire, he may need more banana plugs per speaker run. he may need an additional 4 plugs.

receiver --> 2 banana plugs --> wire --> 2 banana plugs --> wall jack
wall jack --> 2 banana plugs --> wire --> 2 banana plugs --> speaker posts

Inside the wall you can either connect the speaker wire directly to the back side of the wall jack or use additional banana plugs. Personally, I just use the bare wire since I do not disconnect them.

[EigeSan]

I'm a happy owner of a Yamaha RX-V663 receiver. From one newbie to another newbie check out my review here.