What's the best value receiver that support DTS Master, Dolby HD?

[mugupo]

My speaker is Logitech Z680 comes with the normal Dolby and DTS codec, will that work with the receiver or do i need new speakers? does PCM need receiver? i kinda new to this soft of stuff.

[allstar780]

with those speakers you will see little or no difference between the standard Dolby and DT codecs vs. DTS Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD.... I wouldnt even say it is worth it.

[Headphone Czar]

Originally Posted by allstar780

with those speakers you will see little or no difference between the standard Dolby and DT codecs vs. DTS Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD.... I wouldnt even say it is worth it.

Are you sure about that.. Source is number 1..He should tell a difference.. How big is another story.

[crackinhedz]

not knowing the exact specifications, im only guessing but am pretty sure because of the ohm rating on those speakers it would not play nice with a Receiver.

Do you know the ohm rating for them?

...a good receiver for HD audio will be around $300+, and then you would need additional speakers which could be much more.

[Toptube]

You WILL notice a difference in sound quality. Just because the best speakers ever aren't used, doesn't mean a difference isn't noticeable.

Just think of it in terms of 720p TVs and 1080p TVs.

Blu-ray has a very noticeable difference on a 720p. Sure, it is the fine elegance of 1080p, but it is still a nice improvement.

My step-dad has a Yamaha all in one box set and 2 channel PCM sounds a lot better than 2 channel of regular. He even likes 2 channel PCM with matrix surround better than regular dolby 5.1

[prerich]

Did any of you notice that these are PC speakers? To the OP, get some new speakers (leave those for the PC) and buy a new receiver . (Yamaha RX-V663 or Onkyo 606 - just to start - there are many). Speakers...You may try the Polks (go to amazon and find them) depending on your budget. There are others such as Athena, Klipsch, and many others. The logitechs are designed for PC's specifically.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Toptube

You WILL notice a difference in sound quality. Just because the best speakers ever aren't used, doesn't mean a difference isn't noticeable.

Just think of it in terms of 720p TVs and 1080p TVs.

Blu-ray has a very noticeable difference on a 720p. Sure, it is the fine elegance of 1080p, but it is still a nice improvement.

My step-dad has a Yamaha all in one box set and 2 channel PCM sounds a lot better than 2 channel of regular. He even likes 2 channel PCM with matrix surround better than regular dolby 5.1

I disagree with your analogy.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

I disagree with your analogy.

I agree with your disagreement. A better signal will not make a bad speaker sound good - not even hint at it. More than likely a good signal through a bad speaker will make the speaker tell on itself - showing just how bad it really is.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Headphone Czar

Are you sure about that.. Source is number 1..He should tell a difference.. How big is another story.

Disagree and agree. Source is number one...combined with the end of the chain - speakers. Speakers are the only component in a system that you actually listen to. If the source is a digital source - you can't hear 0's and 1's it has to be converted by something, be it the source or a preamp section ect. Then it's transfered as analog to the amplifiers and the final analog waveform is given to the most critical part - the speakers - its the job of drivers to accurately reproduce the waveform given to it by the source. Your source may be good but if your speakers aren't up to the task - you may have worse sound (speaker given information beyond its limits and abilities).

A bad source is never good, a decent source like dts or dolby is not the best but its good, and good speakers will make it sound very good! I would put a DTS or Dolby 5.1 system up against many of these DTS-HD-Master setups that use HTIB speakers anyday. The DTS/Dolby system will sound better because of the speaker quality. Now all things being equal, yes the DTS-HD-MA/TrueHD/PCM will sound better...with speakers that can properly reproduce the signal, but if the speakers are bad - like I said, you may do better by sticking with a lossy format (look how many people that we thought were beautiful now look awful in HD ).

P.S. I see you have taken great care on the end of your audio chain. Would you trade your headphone setup for some Dollar Tree specials .....Right....I didn't think so

[richteer]

Originally Posted by prerich

I agree with your disagreement. A better signal will not make a bad speaker sound good - not even hint at it. More than likely a good signal through a bad speaker will make the speaker tell on itself - showing just how bad it really is.

+1. It seems that the three of us agree on a lot us things. Great minds obviously think alike! ;-)

[prerich]

Originally Posted by richteer

+1. It seems that the three of us agree on a lot us things. Great minds obviously think alike! ;-)

[allstar780]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

I disagree with your analogy.

agreed

[MPDIEHL]

In the store I work in we sell speakers from $300.00 a pair up to $10,000.00 a pair, centers from $200 to $3500.
I tell my customers the trick to sounding the best is a good balance. Dont spend all your money on speakers only to be left short with a less expensive receiver with smaller power supplies. Dont buy the best TV and then ask for a HTIB and expect great things.
Know your budget and split it up accordingly, Just because a receiver has a feature does not mean it will work as well as another receiver with the same feature costing several hundred more. For example there are major performance changes when going from a Yamaha RXV 863 up to a RXV1800.
But you may not be able to notice the impact and headroom available on a cheaper speaker package you needed to go to because you spent more on the amp..... see my point??
You have the right thoughts coming here.... ask the experts, tho thoughts may differ from person to person we are not here to give you bad advice.

[allstar780]

How do you like your Klipsch setup MPDIEHL?

i saw the new klipsch THX Ultra2 package online for $4500 and got a chubby lol

[Toptube]

Originally Posted by prerich

Your source may be good but if your speakers aren't up to the task - you may have worse sound (speaker given information beyond its limits and abilities).

Most drivers in speakers nowadays are designed so that they won't accept frequencies that they cannot handle.

Also, You'd probably have to re-adjust your equalizer for an uncompressed or HD signal because your Dolby and DTS EQ settings are likely trying to compensate for lack of something that is present in the uncompressed---therefore overdriving those same things when you introduce the uncompressed signal.

[MPDIEHL]

I love the new set up.... was using Ref standard but being a dealer I got a deal I could not pass up. These are the smaller L/C/R speakers but they sound great... Could not press my self for the Klipsch subs (still a Martin Logan fan for low bass)
All the Klipsch are designed to run 80Hz and above, set the receiver to that Xover and wow...................

[MPDIEHL]

Originally Posted by allstar780

How do you like your Klipsch setup MPDIEHL?

i saw the new klipsch THX Ultra2 package online for $4500 and got a chubby lol

I love the new set up.... was using Ref standard but being a dealer I got a deal I could not pass up. These are the smaller L/C/R speakers but they sound great... Could not press my self for the Klipsch subs (still a Martin Logan fan for low bass)
All the Klipsch are designed to run 80Hz and above, set the receiver to that Xover and wow...................

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Toptube

Most drivers in speakers nowadays are designed so that they won't accept frequencies that they cannot handle.

Also, You'd probably have to re-adjust your equalizer for an uncompressed or HD signal because your Dolby and DTS EQ settings are likely trying to compensate for lack of something that is present in the uncompressed---therefore overdriving those same things when you introduce the uncompressed signal.

No... I don't (have to re-adjust). To overdrive my subs, you would have to put a 10hz signal to them (they can produce it - you can't hear it really but I've ran a 10hz test signal through them - usable output for my subs start at about 16hz). And as far as my highs go I'm pretty good there also (I extend beyond 20khz but thats neither here nor there). I have plenty of head room in my system. As one person on another forum put it - I pack a lot of heat for my size (and he owns Wilson Watt/Puppy's). So I don't really worry about overdriving them - if anything you should worry about not having enough power - I don't care if its an uncompressed signal - if your speakers are asking for more juice than your amp can deliver - you're in clipping territory - and nothing makes that sound good. I make sure I have plenty of nice clean power (at least the best I can afford)!

Cheap speakers are cheap speakers - Cheap drivers and worse yet - cheap crossovers, one of the most critical parts of a speaker, are problematic because it determains which signals go to which drivers. The driver may be able to "handle" the frequency but the faithfulness inwhich said driver reproduces the signal is compromised - otherwise you would be able to use any driver in any speaker. There are differences - and cheap speakers will tell on you.

I remember 25 years ago when I was first getting in to audio, I bought amplification, and I had one of the first CD players on my base, but I had sorry speakers - I was wondering why buddy of mines analog tapes (with dynamic range expansion, eq, the whole dbx rack) sounded so much better than my state of the art system. He told me - get yourself some good speakers. I had garbage for speakers (skimped on them because I thought that CD would make everything sound better, kinda' similar to Bluray huh ). I got some good speakers and I haven't degressed since! It was a whole new system. It wasn't the tech that made the system sound good. I had that - but the only thing you listen to - the speakers - that was the weak link. Build a "system" good components that work good with each other-Speakers being the final link in the chain.

Ever since, I've decided not to hold back on speakers. I try to get the best I can afford. At one time I could afford some very expensive speakers ($3000.00+ a pair) - I can't now, but a big thank you for Audiogon! I know from experience, and I was also taught back in the 90's that speakers are the most critical part of any system (Professional Audio Retailers Association Primer training)

P.S. regular Dolby Digital and DTS sound killer on my system. No adjustments needed -and my system has taken everything the "Ultimate Avengers" 7.1 LPCM audio track could throw at it without winking.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by MPDIEHL

I love the new set up.... was using Ref standard but being a dealer I got a deal I could not pass up. These are the smaller L/C/R speakers but they sound great... Could not press my self for the Klipsch subs (still a Martin Logan fan for low bass)
All the Klipsch are designed to run 80Hz and above, set the receiver to that Xover and wow...................

I've heard that system. Its pretty good! I just heard it with Master and the Commander (DVD version) very dynamic! And yes it would sound even better with ML subs! I always thought that was the weak link in that system. I know that you are enjoying A/V life right about now