Gear Recommendations?

Question

I just picked up a Vidikron Model 60 and want to set up a theater in what will be my former library. I won't need all sorts of sophisticated switching as it will be dedicated to viewing films on DVD, with perhaps a very light DVI computer load. The salesman recommended getting a Stewart screen, which appears from my research to be an excellent suggestion. For the audio doesn't need to be terribly complex. I had been looking before at Denon and Elite receivers for the video and audio, but this only needs to be bare bones. Those bones should be well matched to the performance of this projector though. Any suggestions on receivers, DVD players, and speakers to round this out, giving a solid performance without wasted money on unneeded bells and whistles?

Answer 1

I like your style.... it seams the main thing you are concerned with in your system is picture and sound... gee imagine that. It is refreshing that you don't require the "launch pad" option.

There are a handful of companies i really like, because they focus on performance and simplicity. All their components are well made and you would not be disappointed with anything that any of these guys make, yet they are not asking you to put a second mortgage on your house either. Speakers are very subjective and you should really only take the advice of your own ears, but i listed a couple to look into.

NAD - http://nadelectronics.com/index
B&K - http://www.bkcomp.com/
Rotel - http://www.rotel.com/na/index.htm
Outlaw audio (internet only) - http://www.outlawaudio.com/
NHT - http://nhthifi.com/2006/ht-s-classictwo.html
definative tech. - http://www.definitivetech.com/loudspeakers/procinema/procinema.html
monitor audio - http://www.monitoraudio.co.uk/

Dont forget good cables... http://www.knukonceptz.com/productMaster.cfm?Category=DVI%20/%20HDMI%20Cables

Denon & elite are good, but you are going to be buying main stream and will have a more complex interface to stumble through. the choices above are simplisticly eligant.

Answer 2

Hi.Onkyo have just released their new model receiver for only $299.00 which is great value for money .It has a lot of features some of which you will not use but they are standard circuits now and may come in handy later on particularly the video inputs for high definition dvd.The power rateing for onkyo amps is continuous which means clean current .
Check it out below.

http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/onkyo-hdmi-switching-txsr505-1081.shtml

DVD Players are a bit hard to suggest because of the ongoing war between the 2 competing formats (hd-dvd and blu-ray) for high definition dvd playback.
You can buy a player that accomodates the 2 formats in the one machine or a player that is hd dvd only or one that has blu-ray only.They all play standard dvds as well.

Here are some dvd players to check out.

http://www.nextag.com/DVD-Players--zz500025zB4z5---html


Loudspeakers are hard to recommend because they all add their own coloration to the sound you hear.Some of the better ones are made in the U.K. and they are low in coloration giving a neutral sound which is more accurate. Now i don't know how many you need for your setup.Do you want the minumn speakers for surround sound. This will be 2 front main stereo speakers. 1 center speaker which mainly handels dialog (these 3 must have the same sound ) and 2 rear speakers for effects .A subwoofer is optional.

How much are you prepared to spend so i can help you with speaker selection.

Answer 3

Find a real stereo store. That's where you will find bare bone and people who know what they're talking about. If you have a hard time finding one in your area (they are getting rarer and may require some driving), try www.avsforum.com. Someone there will be able to point you in the right direction. If you're anywhere near Augusta GA, email me, I know exactly the place you want.

True they have some super expensive equipment but they also have affordable equipment that is som much better than any thing sold by the Bestbuys and Circuit Citys of this world.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

As far as speakers go, check out theophanyloudspeakers.com They are made in New Zealand and are amazing. No colouration, the focus is on eliminating colouration (harmonic & mechanical distortion and standing waves). They sell all over the world now and will be in the USA as of September. We will be at the cedia show in Denver. By eliminating harmonics the listener subconciously conects emotionally with the performance whether cd or dvd. Excellent value they out perform much more expensive speakers. No crossover on the woofers and neodymium magnets allows us to keep the transient response very very fast. We can freight anywhere the world if there is no distributor allready.