How does my set-up sound?

Combining the wires may be overkill depending on the distance, but better to make use of them than just leaving unused.

Another possibility would be to run the speaker pairs through the quad cable and cut back the jacket enough so that each pair reaches the appropriate speaker. This would cut down on the number of cables laying around, but I don't know if it would have any negative effect on sound quality to do it this way.

I think that Monster quad wire is for biwiring incase your speakers have four binding posts. If not, combine 2 wires for each binding post.

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I would have to say that I've been alittle busy shopping since I've posted this. I took your suggestion Whoaru99 and bought a newer reciever. And Krelldog I was looking at those subs, but ended up getting a great deal on a new B&W sub.

Heres how my setup is now:
Pioneer Elite Pro-920 (Plasma)
Pioneer Elite VSX-56txi (Reciever)
Pioneer Elite DV-59avi (DVD Player)
(3) B&W CWM650 (front/center speakers)
B&W ASW300 (Subwoofer)
Monster HTFS1000 (Plasma Surge Protector)
Panamax PMXMAX5100 (Stereo Surge Protector)
Sanus VMPLSb (tilting wall mount)
Monster MV quad (Speaker Wire)

Still Need:
Stereo Rack
(2) B&W CWM650

Now that I have all this gear I have a question about the wiring. I bought that monster speaker wire because of the super, crazy cheap price I bought it for. However its quad 16awg cable, So should I combine 2 wires for each speaker or just use 2 of the wires and leave the other 2 disconnected?

Thanks again guys.

-Wes

Wes,

Sorry, missed the possible addition of the SP-99D. That would add Dolby Digital (5.1), but that's all. It's still quite an improvment over Dolby ProLogic, but I think you could do better even with a newer surround receiver, let alone a newer processor/amp setup.

With M-72 amp, you are still one channel short from having a discrete 5 channel system. You could probably phantom the center, but that's not really a good way to go IMO.

Wes,

The components listed are all pretty good pieces of gear for their time and class. However, that SP-91D processor is way behind the times in terms of surround decoding capabilities. By that I mean it will only decode the analog Dolby Pro Logic format. It will not decode any of the newer digital formats such as Dolby Digital(5.1)/Dolby EX(6.1)/DTS(5.1)/DTS ES (6.1), or Dolby ProLogic IIx(7.1). These newer formats, even while most having been around for years, are light years ahead of the old Pro Logic system in terms of sound quality.

If you are really wanting to get into a home theater setup you would be doing yourself a great injustice to stick with that processor.

My .02 would be to ditch the C-91 preamp and the SP-91D processor and move up to a newer preamp/processor that has the newer surround decoding features. Now, that C-91 preamp is a pretty decent item so if you wanted to set up a second stereo-only system, you could hang on to it and make some use of it. The processor though, sorry to say, is probably a disposable item - not much value unless it's sentimental. You could try to sell it, but I doubt it'd pull much more than $50, if that, could be wrong.

The power amp is a 2ch/4ch design so it could be used in conjunction with the C-91 for that 2nd system 2-ch only, or could be used for the surround channels in a newer setup. If you opt to use it for a 2nd 2-ch only setup, then you would need a new/used amp with 5, 6, or 7 channels to use with the new/used processor. If you keep the power amp to use with the home theater, then you'd need a 3-ch amp for the 2 front speakers and the center channel.

If all that sounds overwhelming, you may just want to consider selling (or setting up that 2nd 2-ch system) most of the Pio stuff and getting a newer surround sound receiver. Based on your description of intended useage, that may be the best way to go anyhow. There are some very capable surround receivers these days that don't cost a fortune unless you want one with the audiophile name and performance.

Regards

The way you describe your economic situation(lower middle)and your needs(parties and background music for other household activities) I wouldn't change a thing. Your already a step above Best Buy. You say you don't have a big room. It sounds like your system is up to par with your needs. If you want to add a sub for movies-try Velodyne or PSB.

I think the main thing I'm looking for is are the future pieces of equipment going to work well with the equipment I have? Should I buy another amp and split them between all 5 speakers? What kind of subwoofer would you all recommend seeing the budget of equipment I'm planning to get and what I have? Also, is the surround sound processor that I pick a good way to go? I really do trust the input I get off of this forum because most on here actually care about performance. Thanks again for the replies.

Most important: How does it sound to YOU? That's the only opinion that truly matters. Too often, people on these audio forums want others to validate their purchases for them. It's the wrong approach. If it sounds good to you, it IS good. If it sounds bad, then you try to find something that sounds better. Just trust your ears. You can't go wrong that way. Unless you're deaf, of course. :)

I don't know, I can't hear it from here. Turn it up a bit and maybe I'll be able to tell you. :-)