Choosing Components for a Hi Fi System


I am trying to assemble a system for my large great room to be used for two channel music only. The room is quite large (24'x34'x9') and my wife won't go for a pair of full range tower speakers so I'm leaning toward a monitor/subwoofer combination. I'm considering a Marantz PM7200 integrated amp to power a pair of Monitor Audio Silver S1 stand mounted speakers. I don't want to shake the foundation but I do want to extend the bass and free up the monitors to do what they do best (mids and highs). I currently have a pair of Paradigm Reference Studio 60 towers and she says absolutely not to placing them in the great room....they are banished to the dedicated home theater down stairs (great news for the Home Theater). I currently have a pair of Paradigm Studio 20s on stands up stairs and she is fine with their size on stands (she just doesn't like the �tower of power� look of traditional full range speakers). I�ll be using the Studio 20s as rear surrounds in a 7.1 HT system downstairs. I have a Paradigm PW2200 in the HT downstairs now and a sub of similar size would work upstairs, I have room to hide it, and she is OK with a single subwoofer. For a sub, I�ve considered the Monitor Audio FB210 or FB212, although I might be looking at a 15" Paradigm servo or 15" to 18" Velodyne to move enough air to make a presence in this room. I'm switching speakers upstairs to some more precise, quick monitors with better extended mids and highs and want a sub to match them musically. I'm seriously considering the Monitor Audio Silver S1 monitors and would need a very tight Sub to blend with their metal cone quickness. I'm much more concerned with a subwoofers ability to produce musically clean and articulate sound over the rumbling impact needed for movies.
I�m looking for any suggestions on components including: an Integrated Amp(<$1000.00), CD changer [(not DVD or SACD)<$500.00], a pair of stand mounted monitors(<$1200.00) and a musical subwoofer (<$1500.00). Your help and advice is greatly appreciated.
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Showing 1 response by c123666

If full range speakers are selected for the front/center/right channels then one sub will work fine. Linn AV 5140 speakers are very attractive and take up less floor space than your average high end metal stand for a bookshelf type speaker; they are also full range with right amplification.

Agree on Marantz comments; many better choices out there. Used Integra receivers are a good value and sound pretty good. Arcam AVR200 receiver is a good unit, too; and the AVR300 much better (but much more expensive).

Hard to beat a used REL Strata II for about 600/650; it is one of the quickest and most musical subs around. You never know it is there when it is set correctly. It also has a fairly small footprint and is fairly unobtrusive in the flat black finish. I use one with Gallo Dues (f/c/r) and Gallo Micros (rear surrounds) and an Integra 7.3 receiver with excellent results. I slimmed down from a much more powerful home theatre system with larger speakers (Thiel CS 2.2) and don't miss it a bit with this Gallo system. The receiver is good enough that I've already removed the Bryston amp I was using for the front channels and just use the amps in the receiver.

A great pair of stand mounted moniters would be Spendor 2/3; beautiful sound and fairly easy to drive with a solid 30 watts or better. These speakers do not present a difficult load so you don't have to have Krell/Levinson type gear to do a good job (although it never hurts). The smaller Spendor 3/1 is also very, very good and less expensive. Harbeth makes spectacular speakers that stand mount for a bit more money.