For the money, Best set up for HT and music

Hey Y'all,

This would be the system I would put together with a budget of $4500.00.

Front speakers- Von Schweirert VR-2 full range floor standers
Not to big for your room but very capable speakers. I use them now as my rears but have used them up front and I liked them very much.

Efficiency- 90 dB in room
Frequency Response- 25 Hz to 25 kHz, -3dB

Subwoofer- Von Schweirert VRS-1
This has a small footprint and is very good for both music and H/T.
Price for both VR-2 and VRS-1- $1425.00 OBO currently on Audiogon.

Center channel- Von Schweirert LCR-15
They have the same drivers as the VR-2's thus a perfect match. Again, I use this speaker in my current system and love it.
This speaker is currently being auctioned on Audiogon. It can probably be had for around $300.

Rear channels- Von Schweirert VR-1. Again, the same drivers used in VR-2 and LCR-15 Thus, a perfect match.
Price- $600 OBO also being offered on Audiogon.

I'm going with Chadnliz on my next couple of pieces because I also subscribe to the notion that separates will give you better sound all around. So, I'm going with a pre/pro and multi channel amp.

Pre/Pro- Rotel RSP-1068. I've not had the chance to listen to this pre/pro personally but Rotel has a great reputation for good sound in both H/T and two channel music.
Price- $995.00 OBO On, yes you guessed it, Audiogon right now.

Amp- Rotel RMB-1095. 200 watts x 5 into 8 ohms. I think this should be enough to give you all the bing-bang-boom for your H/T plus the subtlety in your music playback.
Price- $1200.00 OBO on Audiogon.

If you pay the asking price for everything I've mentioned you will have spent $4420, not including shipping. I would try to haggle with the sellers; you may get one or two things cheaper. I hope all this helps......John

Hey Y'all,

For the source, I would recommend either the Denon DVD-3910 for $500.00 OBO on Audiogon or the DVD-2910 for around $200. If you haggle about $300.00 off everything else in the system you can get the 3910 and still be around your budget. I own the John Tucker Exemplar 3910, which is one of the best multi source playback machines I've ever heard. But I understand that the stock 3910 is a very good performer for all formats. The 2910 is not as good as the 3910 but is a bit more affordable. You may also look into a Rotel source. I'm not sure though if you will get the all around performance from a Rotel DVD player as a redbook player that you will from the 3910.

Hey Y'all,

I don't know anything about Aperion speakers, so I cannot comment on them. The VS speakers are far and away better, price for performance, then the equivalent offering from B&W. I feel comfortable saying this since I've sipped from both compounds Kool Aid drum during my travels to where I am now.

I will again say a separate amp pre/pro combo will give you better H/T audio and 2 channel audio performance then most any receiver you will be able to afford. As for HDMI, there are switchers you can employ that are not that expensive or you can go straight from source, say the Denon DVD-3910, to your TV. The 3910 will give you better 2 channel performance then anything else mentioned and up-converts to 1080I. I was under the impression that the most important aspect of this system was 2 channel performance. I personally would not use a receiver, if I could help it, for two reasons. One, the reason I mentioned above, performance versus seperates. Two, you will eventually add a separate multi channel amp to the receiver and then a pre/pro will replace the receiver anyway. So save yourself the time and effort and jump in with both feet.........John

Hey Y'all,

Knownothing, check my first post, you will see that I set up a system, with separates that fit into the budget and will unquestionably give better sound then any receiver mentioned in this thread. My second post recommends a source that will give Bluvision all that he desires in sound quality and performance.

I just don't see the sense in buying a receiver when, eventually, it will be replaced by something that you can already afford to buy in the first place. But, then again, to each their own.

About twelve years ago I had a receiver based system. I bought it mainly because it was the best I could afford. It lasted me about two years. I've been working with separates ever since........John

Hey Y'all,

Knownothing, or is it Readnothing? This is what I posted on 4/17, my last post;

"Knownothing, check my first post, you will see that I set up a system, with separates that fit into the budget and will unquestionably give better sound then any receiver mentioned in this thread. My second post recommends a source that will give Bluvision all that he desires in sound quality and performance."

Now if you read everything, you will notice that I did mention a sub, the VRS-1, on sale in a package with the VR-2 floor standers. I would never recommend any system, H/T or 2 channel, without a sub. I know for a fact that unless you are using speakers that go down to 20Hz flat response, you are not hearing everything that is embedded in the recording. So, since most speakers out there, especially the speakers in discussion here, do not go down to 20Hz flat, there will always be a need for a sub.

As for your point about cables, this is a start up system, thus Bluvision, as I did when I first started out putting my systems together back in the early-eighty's, can use entry level, i.e.; cheap, interconnects and speaker cables to begin with. Then, as money comes available, he can set out on the endless, and I do mean endless, search for interconnects, speaker cables and power cords that will take his system to the next level.

As for your insistence on a receiver, no receiver has the "chops" to match separates in performance. The only thing a receiver has on a moderately priced set of separates is more features. It's like having a Swiss Army knife, when you need it, it's really good to have but you don't really use it at home because you have the specialized items at home that the knife would give you when you are on the road. Added features on a receiver do not help its performance. They are nice to have sometimes, but generally not necessary.

As for the Revel speakers, I've owned several pairs including the M20's. I agree, they are good speakers. But again I don't think they match up, price for performance, with Von Schweikert. I also found the M20's to be forward and a bit shrill or tizzy on the high end of the frequency range. I've found metal tweeters will do that.

And finally, if you go over what I posted CAREFULLY, you will find that I made everything fit in the budget, give or take $200. As stated earlier in this post, that includes a sub and source. Of course some serious haggling will have to take place, but it can be done.

Bluevision, good luck in your search and have fun.