Denon 6500 - Am I crazy?

that horribly priced thing has 11.1 surround.

are you thinking of a super theater with 11.1? It’s nothing special as a 2 channel amp.

Think it thru now, the cost of the speakers, proper locations, interconnects, speaker wiring, seating positions, ceiling heights ...

these things are very complicated, did I say very ...

I’m damnnn happy with 5.1. and my Sony AVR, for Video, I would not consider it for my Music System.

those speakers are sensitivity 88db/1w/1m, I advise 90 or above, for music, the higher the sensitivity, the less power you need, leaves you money for other things, and higher sets you up to try tubes some day.

Home Theater, you want wide dispersion, a center channel directly below the monitor, and enough of a center image for 2 or 3 people,

I use/love these old dogs for home theater mains

http://www.hifi-classic.net/review/dbx-soundfield-100-135.html

at least read about how they are designed for wide center, then choose your mains informed

this Bose low profile center channel has fit in 3 different configurations for me, blends very well, simple, in-expensive, darn good.

https://www.ebay.com/i/133029764436?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=133029764436&targetid=915850255573&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9003512&poi=&campaignid=10454521601&mkgroupid=104612011660&rlsatarget=pla-915850255573&abcId=2146002&merchantid=6296724&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvIT5BRCqARIsAAwwD-RooHNVhnshpy6vry4F9w0iXjMXgjfRn-MMrGnsaVSN5b9hlUs1_i0aAgQdEALw_wcB

Notice the little dispersion vents on the top edge, a little clearance is needed for them.

Don't forget, many programs sound best 'direct' or 2 channel stereo, which means no sub, so you want decent bass out of your mains. I am not a fan of using ports to get more bass, thus you need 8-10-12" woofers to move enough air. Dual 6-6.5" keep the cabinet smaller, perhaps enough bass, but again, avoid ports, so narrow fronts want taller/deeper to give the woofers enough cubic feet in the cabinet to do a good job.

ozzy62

good points, if trying to use the AVR for serious 2 channel music it will be adequate power for efficient speakers, but nothing special for sound quality.

for video, these ’kind of lightweight’ multi-channel amps can do a decent job for 5,7,9,11 channels, by their ability to send power only instantaneously here, there, not needing to send power everywhere simultaneously, so this 11.1 AVR may be good at that.

I want to add, look at the speakers first, i.e. speakers that are good for video, i.e. my DBX, successfully creating a wide center image, are not the best choice for 2 channel music. I toe my music mains in for ’just wide enough’ for 2 people, not wider than that, and dead center is still best.

sooo, pick your video main speakers based on wide enough center, high enough efficiency and lack of bass distortion because they are often too close to rear wall and also often too close to a corner. If 1 is close to a corner, another not, it is again the bass that will be the ’problem’.

Avoiding too much bass in corners is why I don’t like ports, and why so many video systems rely on subs, to get the low bass that has been avoided up front. Just not too much from the sub, and for 2 channel with video, not too little from the front, a tango.

re: Center Channel

Not trying to be ’right’, just to explain and pass on my experiences.

I have found, most of the center ’sound’ is still the phantom center created by equal sound from front l and front r mains. Another reason to get full range mains.

Center wants to be best at dialog, and capable of an output level to match the db level of the front mains. And easily and inconspicuously located.

Center’s location is critical to cement the bulk of the dialog on the screen, the engineers using front mains for off center front dialog. Timbre matching is now important.

Sooo, while it may seem, and is generally proposed to match the center OEM, often they are too big to be easily and inconspicuously located.

I’m no fan of Bose’s ’Stereo Everywhere’ i.e. their 901’s, and no fan of their ’full sound’ from small sources, clever for a kitchen radio, but ...

However, I was and am still happily surprised by the little Bose Center I recommended, I have been over many years, re-configuring my equipment and furniture arrangements, never tempted to replace it, THUS, I could not tell you a thing about any other center speaker.

I guess I am lucky it’s timbre is compatible with my mains.

It's real easy to try and be surprised by it, or return it.