Need some audio system help!

[Avond]

Hello all!
I would just like to thank all of you in advance for any help you can provide.

I've been lurking around the forum for over a year now, but I rarely post. I just try to absorb all of the knowledge contained here However, I'm looking to upgrade my audio system from the HTIB I have now (Onkyo HTS590) and I would love to hear some expert advice. It used to suit my needs, but now I really want to take advantage of the lossless audio codecs. Additionally, for some reason, I can't hear any sound from my record player through that receiver and I cannot figure out why (if anyone has any ideas, please let me know!). As I understand it, I have two options. Get a new player that can decode the audio codecs and send them over optical cable to my reciver or get a new receiver as my player can bitstream (Sony BDP-S350). The only store that I have local is a Best Buy where I can demo speakers. Other than that, I'm out of luck.

I have a few questions:

1. If I buy a new receiver, can I use my old speakers for a bit while I save up money for some new speakers, or do I need to do this all at once? I was under the impression that I could NOT do this, but please let me know the correct answer.

2. I am thinking that it would be the nicest to get a new receiver and speakers and go that route rather than get a new player, just becuase the old speakers leave a little to be desired. I am, however, getting ready to move to a second-story apartment where the people below may be picky about the sound, which could be a problem. I would love to hear some opinions on which option might be best.

3. I was thinking about either the Denon AVT-590 as a first choice receiver with the Yamaha RX-465 as a backup choice. I'm still in grad school so money is very tight and I do not want to spend a ton of money on these, so my receiver budget would be somewhere around this range (no more than 350 I hope). Are there any opinions on either of these receivers or any others that would be good? I will be hooking up an OLD record player, my blu player and a Roku box. The HDMI out will go to a Samsung LCD TV.

4. I was thinking of maybe starting with a 2.1 setup (left, right and sub) and getting the rest of the components slowly. Will not having a center be a problem hearing dialogue in movies or playing music? Is it better to do a center and sub and build from there? Would love to hear some advice there.

5. I was thinking about the Polk TSi100 speakers for the left and right and a CS10 for the center. I listened to them in a store, and they sounded great to me. Any other suggestions?

6. I was thinking about a Klipsch SW350 sub. I absolutely LOVE this sub. The only issue I can think of is that it is a down firing sub and if I have neighbors downstairs, what is the probablility of them hating me? It seemed to have a "volume" control knob on the back, so maybe I could just turn it up for the things I really need to listen to some rocking tracks to (LOTR anyone? ) and turn it down at other times? Is that a reasonable option or should I not mess with it once it is calibrated?

Anyway, I"m sure I've forgotten some things, but I'm sure you'll remind me I would love to hear about some of your ideas and your opinions of my ideas. Any suggestions or great places to find a good deal are welcome! Thanks!

[bluRazor]

whats your speaker budget?
if you're a fan of the polks keep an eye on newegg.com they have the older models on sale quite often. same speaker different cabinet much better price.
word of advice (with a few exceptions), dont buy subwoofers from speaker manufacturers if you can help it.
what would your subwoofer budget be?

[Avond]

Originally Posted by blu/razor

whats your speaker budget?
if you're a fan of the polks keep an eye on newegg.com they have the older models on sale quite often. same speaker different cabinet much better price.
word of advice (with a few exceptions), dont buy subwoofers from speaker manufacturers if you can help it.
what would your subwoofer budget be?

Thanks for the quick reply! I haven't really set a speaker budget yet, as I would like to buy the receiver and then later on buy the rest of the components. I about have to have something ot test it with though, to make sure it works correctly, so I'm not sure how to go about doing that. I will have to save up and get one piece at a time, so I thought it might be useful to get some recommendations of reasonably priced components that are decent, so I will know how much to save up for later. I guess that might not be the most helpful. I guess I'd like to spend under 350 for the receiver, under 200 for the left and right and 300 ish for the sub. If I can cut some cost by finding things on sale, I could switch that money over to the other components and maybe not have to save as long. I would like to spend less on the sub than that, but everything I listened to that was less didn't sound nearly as nice as the Klipsch. I guess I'm in the planning ahead stage right now

I will definitely check out Newegg and do some more internet research. Thank you!

[solarrdadd]

Originally Posted by Avond

Hello all!
I would just like to thank all of you in advance for any help you can provide.

I've been lurking around the forum for over a year now, but I rarely post. I just try to absorb all of the knowledge contained here However, I'm looking to upgrade my audio system from the HTIB I have now (Onkyo HTS590) and I would love to hear some expert advice. It used to suit my needs, but now I really want to take advantage of the lossless audio codecs. Additionally, for some reason, I can't hear any sound from my record player through that receiver and I cannot figure out why (if anyone has any ideas, please let me know!). As I understand it, I have two options. Get a new player that can decode the audio codecs and send them over optical cable to my reciver or get a new receiver as my player can bitstream (Sony BDP-S350). The only store that I have local is a Best Buy where I can demo speakers. Other than that, I'm out of luck.

If you read your manual for the HTiB (or just checked out the back of the receiver) you have it already has the ability to play lossless audio. what you need is a player that has 5.1 analog out. your receiver has multichannel 5.1 interconnects. get a player with analog out and make sure that player can decode Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD-MA onboard and you'll have HD audio for your movies. if your on a budget do as much as you can to keep and re-use what you have. I would change those front 3 speakers to the ones you asked about below.


I have a few questions:

1. If I buy a new receiver, can I use my old speakers for a bit while I save up money for some new speakers, or do I need to do this all at once? I was under the impression that I could NOT do this, but please let me know the correct answer.

2. I am thinking that it would be the nicest to get a new receiver and speakers and go that route rather than get a new player, just becuase the old speakers leave a little to be desired. I am, however, getting ready to move to a second-story apartment where the people below may be picky about the sound, which could be a problem. I would love to hear some opinions on which option might be best.

3. I was thinking about either the Denon AVT-590 as a first choice receiver with the Yamaha RX-465 as a backup choice. I'm still in grad school so money is very tight and I do not want to spend a ton of money on these, so my receiver budget would be somewhere around this range (no more than 350 I hope). Are there any opinions on either of these receivers or any others that would be good? I will be hooking up an OLD record player, my blu player and a Roku box. The HDMI out will go to a Samsung LCD TV.

4. I was thinking of maybe starting with a 2.1 setup (left, right and sub) and getting the rest of the components slowly. Will not having a center be a problem hearing dialogue in movies or playing music? Is it better to do a center and sub and build from there? Would love to hear some advice there.

I think you can easily get by on a 2.1 channel and build from there. I would also recommend that if you can wait and save do that and roll out a 5.1 right out of the box.

5. I was thinking about the Polk TSi100 speakers for the left and right and a CS10 for the center. I listened to them in a store, and they sounded great to me. Any other suggestions?

In my basement, i have a small office and in there i have the TSi100's for front L&R & the CS10 center. i use some old logitech Z-680 speakers for surrounds and use the sub and amp from the same logitech setup. i sit about 4 - 5' from them and they sound incredible. i can't have large speakers in my office and these fit the bill. mind you they are not really small or light weight wise they are a great value for a small footprint, you will need a sub for LFE but for the most part if you have a small room and a small budget, these will do nicely.

6. I was thinking about a Klipsch SW350 sub. I absolutely LOVE this sub. The only issue I can think of is that it is a down firing sub and if I have neighbors downstairs, what is the probablility of them hating me? It seemed to have a "volume" control knob on the back, so maybe I could just turn it up for the things I really need to listen to some rocking tracks to (LOTR anyone? ) and turn it down at other times? Is that a reasonable option or should I not mess with it once it is calibrated?

Anyway, I"m sure I've forgotten some things, but I'm sure you'll remind me I would love to hear about some of your ideas and your opinions of my ideas. Any suggestions or great places to find a good deal are welcome! Thanks!

i think you went over your "how many mini questions can i sqeeze into this one big question thing!"

next time, please include your total budget this will help us to not potentially waste time giving suggestions or solutions only to have you come back and possibly state that it is out of your budget. trust me, we want to help. also, use google and do some homework & research on your own, that is part of the best way to learn. i hope some of my answers helped. yes, it's early and i haven't had any coffee yet. i'm gonna head out to mac's for an oatmeal and some coffee, i'll be better after.

later,

[Avond]

Originally Posted by solarrdadd

i think you went over your "how many mini questions can i sqeeze into this one big question thing!"

next time, please include your total budget this will help us to not potentially waste time giving suggestions or solutions only to have you come back and possibly state that it is out of your budget. trust me, we want to help. also, use google and do some homework & research on your own, that is part of the best way to learn. i hope some of my answers helped. yes, it's early and i haven't had any coffee yet. i'm gonna head out to mac's for an oatmeal and some coffee, i'll be better after.

later,

Thanks also for the reply!
I definitely exceeded my mini questions limit! Thank you for being patient with me. I know I have a lot to learn, but I also know from my lurking that this is the best place to learn it When the guy at the store is pushing little tiny Bose speakers that sound awful and cost a fortune, I know it's time to look elsewhere for advice!

I did check the back of the receiver and I do think I have the analog inputs. My player, however, does not have them. So I guess I could do that in the meantime, but I would have to buy a new player. I will do some research as to the costs of a new player with that feature Then I could save up a little longer for the other things at a later time.

As I will have to buy each thing (receiver, then some speakers and then a sub) individually over time, I did not include a complete budget, so I apologize for that. Just trying to get ideas right now of what are some reasonably priced components that are still pretty decent, so I know how much I need to save up I did list out a few things in the post above mine price-wise if that will be helpful in the advice and suggestions.

I do have a small room and probably an even smaller budget (at least until I can get done and find a really good job [hopefully] ), so it sounds like the polks would fit the bill for me, as they did in your office. I'm definitely looking for something as small as possible that still sounds great and is reasonably priced.

I hope I have provided a little more information that is helpful as to what I am looking for and budget (in this post and the one previous). Thank you again for the help!

[Avond]

I looked up the speaker info and it looks like they are all 6 ohm speakers in case that is helpful (in terms of being able to hook them up to a new receiver while I save up for new speakers as well). I recall someone mentioning that is important somewhere.

[callas01]

Originally Posted by Avond

I looked up the speaker info and it looks like they are all 6 ohm speakers in case that is helpful (in terms of being able to hook them up to a new receiver while I save up for new speakers as well). I recall someone mentioning that is important somewhere.

in regards to your record player/turntable you need a receiver with a phono input, and in your price range the Marantz 4003 from accessories4less.com would be the best bet. Plus it will have the HDMI so you can send Mulit-channel PCM to your receiver from your Blu-ray player and you will have lossless.... its the same as DD THD or dts HD MA......

Regarding speakers..... I highly suggest that you take the time to listen to a lot more speakers then Polk. I will bet that within about 30 minutes there are speaker dealers that you don't know about. I say that because if you go to some of the websites of the speakers MFGs and click on "where to buy" or "dealer locator" you will see that there are businesses that you didn't know about. Also for the same amount of money the PSB B15s from audioadvisor.com and the C40 center would be a better option, however, I cannot tell you exactly what sounds you will prefer the most. That is why you should find places to audition speakers.

Things you should try to listen to
Energy CB10
PSB Image B15 or B5
PSB Alpha B1
Monitor Audio BR1s

Also look at other speakers like thsse Internet Direct companies.
Aperion
Axiom
elemental Designs

[Avond]

Originally Posted by callas01

in regards to your record player/turntable you need a receiver with a phono input, and in your price range the Marantz 4003 from accessories4less.com would be the best bet. Plus it will have the HDMI so you can send Mulit-channel PCM to your receiver from your Blu-ray player and you will have lossless.... its the same as DD THD or dts HD MA......

Regarding speakers..... I highly suggest that you take the time to listen to a lot more speakers then Polk. I will bet that within about 30 minutes there are speaker dealers that you don't know about. I say that because if you go to some of the websites of the speakers MFGs and click on "where to buy" or "dealer locator" you will see that there are businesses that you didn't know about. Also for the same amount of money the PSB B15s from audioadvisor.com and the C40 center would be a better option, however, I cannot tell you exactly what sounds you will prefer the most. That is why you should find places to audition speakers.

Things you should try to listen to
Energy CB10
PSB Image B15 or B5
PSB Alpha B1
Monitor Audio BR1s

Also look at other speakers like thsse Internet Direct companies.
Aperion
Axiom
elemental Designs

Thanks for the reply!!!
I will definitely check out that receiver and the speakers that you mentioned. I've listened to Klipsch, Bose (which I don't care for) and Polk, so I will check around and see if there's something else I can demo. I live pretty much in the middle of nowhere, so it's about 2 hours to a fairly big city, so I don't make it too often I will also check out the websites you listed and see what I can find. Thanks a lot for your input!

[jomari]

Welcome to the foray Avond! glad to see that you've chosen to post inquiries, and as always, a good number of individuals will be glad to assist you.

Now down to business....

Originally Posted by Avond

Hello all!
I would just like to thank all of you in advance for any help you can provide.

I've been lurking around the forum for over a year now, but I rarely post. I just try to absorb all of the knowledge contained here However, I'm looking to upgrade my audio system from the HTIB I have now (Onkyo HTS590) and I would love to hear some expert advice. It used to suit my needs, but now I really want to take advantage of the lossless audio codecs. Additionally, for some reason, I can't hear any sound from my record player through that receiver and I cannot figure out why (if anyone has any ideas, please let me know!). As I understand it, I have two options. Get a new player that can decode the audio codecs and send them over optical cable to my reciver or get a new receiver as my player can bitstream (Sony BDP-S350). The only store that I have local is a Best Buy where I can demo speakers. Other than that, I'm out of luck.

1. your current receiver does not have a Phono connection, am i correct? with this in mind, you will need to purchase a Phono-Preamplifier

2. im assuming the end result you want is to listen to the newer lossless audio codecs? this can STILL be accomplished if your player had multichannel analog outs. sadly, this is not the case with the S350 model. this is one reason i still keep 'the tank' with me.

I have a few questions:

1. If I buy a new receiver, can I use my old speakers for a bit while I save up money for some new speakers, or do I need to do this all at once? I was under the impression that I could NOT do this, but please let me know the correct answer.

untrue. in my experience, there is no need to purchase everything in entirity. if so most of us would be broke. for what its worth, you can focus your resources on researching which AVR, which speakers 'sound' good to you, auditioning them, and of course, research, research, research. in order to hear the newer codecs, you have to determine which AVR suites your budget, as well as accommodate your needs.

2. I am thinking that it would be the nicest to get a new receiver and speakers and go that route rather than get a new player, just becuase the old speakers leave a little to be desired. I am, however, getting ready to move to a second-story apartment where the people below may be picky about the sound, which could be a problem. I would love to hear some opinions on which option might be best.

it really depends on your current long term goals. in regards to living quarters, will you be concerned about moving into a larger area? does this accomodate a 7.1 or a 5.1 setup? how loud will you go? the current player you have will to an extent, give you the capabilities of listening to a few of the lossless formats, it can bitsream the other formats with your pending AVR (receiver), to decode it.

in regards to the audio section, id consider again, your long term goals. are you planning on going the full nine yards? or consider this as a er... 'hobby'? what im trying to say is, a number of us believe that there is a matter of diminishing returns, where our hobby can take up a good amount of our time and dedication, and to a certain amount, commitment.

comparative to an automotive enthusiast, you can see people who buy cars, and then there are those who buy cars, modify, restore, heck rebuild em, just for the kick of it. i hope you get my point on this one...

3. I was thinking about either the Denon AVT-590 as a first choice receiver with the Yamaha RX-465 as a backup choice. I'm still in grad school so money is very tight and I do not want to spend a ton of money on these, so my receiver budget would be somewhere around this range (no more than 350 I hope). Are there any opinions on either of these receivers or any others that would be good? I will be hooking up an OLD record player, my blu player and a Roku box. The HDMI out will go to a Samsung LCD TV.

id consider actually stepping up and get the Denon 1610 (im so glad you chose the denon as a primary choice - good for you!), the 590 is pretty much the SAME model, aside from the 590 having only "A" speakers, and the 1610 having "A/B" speakers.

i prefer the sound of denon, and its flexibility of options. the 465, with due respect can do this as well, but i like the details that denon has, and, according to my ears and preference, denon just sounds better. remember, the newer AVRs may not have a LP player option, or a phono input, so consider this when making the decision. if it doesnt, you can always follow my suggestion listed above.

4. I was thinking of maybe starting with a 2.1 setup (left, right and sub) and getting the rest of the components slowly. Will not having a center be a problem hearing dialogue in movies or playing music? Is it better to do a center and sub and build from there? Would love to hear some advice there.

there is absolutely no problems with starting with a 2.1 set up, and a great option for beginning in our hobby. you would still hear the dialgoue via the 2 channels, albeit losing a miniscule amount of detail. i do suggest tho, that, since you purchasing your fronts already, id highly recommend to purchase a center speaker as well, to avoid difficulting 'hunting' or rummaging around for the timbre matched speakers for your setup. will you lose the sub? in this case, id prefer to have a timbre matched soundstage (the front left, right and center speaker), then having a 2.1 setup. you can find any subwoofer will do to 'match' what you currently have. will you lose out on the lower frequencies? of course. but then again, you can use your current one to suffice.

5. I was thinking about the Polk TSi100 speakers for the left and right and a CS10 for the center. I listened to them in a store, and they sounded great to me. Any other suggestions?

i reserve my opinions about purchasing polks, and would consider listening to other manufacturers.

in general, i follow a simple rule.

spend as much money on components you will use for the next 3-5 years, without suffering from upgrading them. there is no need to buy something to 'settle on', then end up upgrading later within the process. there is nothing more painful, than to spend money all over again, instead of using that initial money and putting it towards the 'higher end' product.

Enter Callas01

6. I was thinking about a Klipsch SW350 sub. I absolutely LOVE this sub. The only issue I can think of is that it is a down firing sub and if I have neighbors downstairs, what is the probablility of them hating me? It seemed to have a "volume" control knob on the back, so maybe I could just turn it up for the things I really need to listen to some rocking tracks to (LOTR anyone? ) and turn it down at other times? Is that a reasonable option or should I not mess with it once it is calibrated?

There are also a number of great internet direct companies that sell quality subs at almost the same price range. i personally believe that they can outdo the mainstream companies, and might surprise what you get for your hard earned moolah. in regards to your neighbors, there is always a way to avoid challenges, starting with a great relationship with them. let them know that you have a HT in the home, invite them if they seem trustworthy for a seating or two, or simply keep to the rules (in my old apartment complex, we avoid anything after 10pm).

Anyway, I"m sure I've forgotten some things, but I'm sure you'll remind me I would love to hear about some of your ideas and your opinions of my ideas. Any suggestions or great places to find a good deal are welcome! Thanks!

Just keep the questions coming, we'd love to assist you as much as we can.

[Avond]

Originally Posted by jomari

Welcome to the foray Avond! glad to see that you've chosen to post inquiries, and as always, a good number of individuals will be glad to assist you.

Now down to business....



1. your current receiver does not have a Phono connection, am i correct? with this in mind, you will need to purchase a Phono-Preamplifier

2. im assuming the end result you want is to listen to the newer lossless audio codecs? this can STILL be accomplished if your player had multichannel analog outs. sadly, this is not the case with the S350 model. this is one reason i still keep 'the tank' with me.



untrue. in my experience, there is no need to purchase everything in entirity. if so most of us would be broke. for what its worth, you can focus your resources on researching which AVR, which speakers 'sound' good to you, auditioning them, and of course, research, research, research. in order to hear the newer codecs, you have to determine which AVR suites your budget, as well as accommodate your needs.



it really depends on your current long term goals. in regards to living quarters, will you be concerned about moving into a larger area? does this accomodate a 7.1 or a 5.1 setup? how loud will you go? the current player you have will to an extent, give you the capabilities of listening to a few of the lossless formats, it can bitsream the other formats with your pending AVR (receiver), to decode it.

in regards to the audio section, id consider again, your long term goals. are you planning on going the full nine yards? or consider this as a er... 'hobby'? what im trying to say is, a number of us believe that there is a matter of diminishing returns, where our hobby can take up a good amount of our time and dedication, and to a certain amount, commitment.

comparative to an automotive enthusiast, you can see people who buy cars, and then there are those who buy cars, modify, restore, heck rebuild em, just for the kick of it. i hope you get my point on this one...



id consider actually stepping up and get the Denon 1610 (im so glad you chose the denon as a primary choice - good for you!), the 590 is pretty much the SAME model, aside from the 590 having only "A" speakers, and the 1610 having "A/B" speakers.

i prefer the sound of denon, and its flexibility of options. the 465, with due respect can do this as well, but i like the details that denon has, and, according to my ears and preference, denon just sounds better. remember, the newer AVRs may not have a LP player option, or a phono input, so consider this when making the decision. if it doesnt, you can always follow my suggestion listed above.



there is absolutely no problems with starting with a 2.1 set up, and a great option for beginning in our hobby. you would still hear the dialgoue via the 2 channels, albeit losing a miniscule amount of detail. i do suggest tho, that, since you purchasing your fronts already, id highly recommend to purchase a center speaker as well, to avoid difficulting 'hunting' or rummaging around for the timbre matched speakers for your setup. will you lose the sub? in this case, id prefer to have a timbre matched soundstage (the front left, right and center speaker), then having a 2.1 setup. you can find any subwoofer will do to 'match' what you currently have. will you lose out on the lower frequencies? of course. but then again, you can use your current one to suffice.



i reserve my opinions about purchasing polks, and would consider listening to other manufacturers.

in general, i follow a simple rule.

spend as much money on components you will use for the next 3-5 years, without suffering from upgrading them. there is no need to buy something to 'settle on', then end up upgrading later within the process. there is nothing more painful, than to spend money all over again, instead of using that initial money and putting it towards the 'higher end' product.

Enter Callas01



There are also a number of great internet direct companies that sell quality subs at almost the same price range. i personally believe that they can outdo the mainstream companies, and might surprise what you get for your hard earned moolah. in regards to your neighbors, there is always a way to avoid challenges, starting with a great relationship with them. let them know that you have a HT in the home, invite them if they seem trustworthy for a seating or two, or simply keep to the rules (in my old apartment complex, we avoid anything after 10pm).



Just keep the questions coming, we'd love to assist you as much as we can.

First of all, that you for your incredibly detailed post!

I checked, and my receiver does not have a phono preamplifier, so I have ordered one that was well reviewed from Amazon and I'll try that out. Thanks!!! That one has been frustrating me for a while

My main goal is to definitely get the new lossless codecs. My current speakers seem pretty weak to me, and the sub is passive, so it definitely leaves a little to be desired. Getting a receiver to decode the lossless formats is a good excuse to start getting an audio setup that is more powerful

When I move in a few months, I will have a more open layout with the living/dining/kitchen being more open, but the room will still be pretty small since it's not a house (I'm guessing around 20 feet to encompass all of this if I recall my measurements correctly). I will probably be about 6-8 feet from the TV/speakers. I guess my main goal is to get something reasonably priced (most anything would be a substantial upgrade for me at the moment ) that will last me 3 years or so, and then I can upgrade the speakers at that time. I *should* be done with grad school by then and I will have more resources at my disposal.

In terms of a hobby...this is definitely a hobby, but I'm learning as I go thanks to the people here in this thread that have been so helpful! I watch a lot of movies, and I'm just working on slowly upgrading my system as I can. My TV upgrade can come last I'm kind of a nut about these things, but noone that I know feels the same way, so I don't have anyone to bounce ideas off of, or to listen to their setups. So I come here instead! I get your point on the cars. Someday I hope to have a beautiful and extravagant home theater like many do here, but that will be years away I absolutely love movies and electronic gadgets and I just want to learn as much as I can about home theater. So far I've been having a blast!

I will definitely consider your suggesitons regarding waiting on the sub and purchasing a matched soundstage first. That makes a lot of sense and maybe I can get a better deal purchasing that was as well. Will do some research on that

I will also research some on the Denon 1610. What does the addition of the A/B feature do exactly? On my current setup, it just turns some of the speakers off and when I accidentally hit that on the remote I get kind of mad and turn it right back I forsee some great alternative use I never though of If I can use the gagdet you listed above, I won't worry about the phono input at all! It sounds to me like it is okay to attach the current htib speakers to a new receiver (it won't harm the speakers or receiver) and then continue to upgrade from there. If I'm wrong about that, please correct me That will make it much easier for me to not get impatient and make hasty decisions!

How can I go about making sure that the front soundstage is timbre matched? Do I just see that it is pleasant to my experienced ears, or does one just make sure they have the same brand/line? I could maybe be convinced to sacrifice the sub temporarily, especially since the one I have now is so weak I definitely want something that I will be pleased with for the next 3-5 years and then I do plan on doing another upgrade then. I've been using my current setup for about 3 years and it's time to move on

I've heard a lot of great things about elemental designs and SVS on this forum (I think I got the names right), but I didn't know where to obtain them. I will also definitely check out the items that Callus recommended above. Are there any others in particular (either brands or sites) to check out? I'm wary of ordering things off of random websites without knowing any history about them. I"m definitely open to that route, especially if I can get more bang for my buck

I will definitely talk to the neighbors when I move in, just to attempt to avoid any problems. Hopefully they will be reasonable. I rarely listen to anything very late and most of the time on weekends. I will definitely try to get them to come and check it out with some friends if they don't seem like creepers. As long as it doensn't end up like my neighbors now, who ask to borrow something like 5 times a day be it money, eggs, jumper cables, a computer anything then I'll be good. They drive me up the wall!!! I'm thinking they're an exception rather than the rule

Again, thank you so much for the info and suggestions. I've written them all down and I will look them all up shortly