Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater What do Axiom owners think of this setup????

So I've done quite a bit of research and I think I've narrowed my decisions down to a final setup. I won't be able to purchase everything immediately, but over the next couple of months (to keep the Visa from exploding into flames). I've already decided on these speakers (these will be the last addition):
pair of M80tis
pair of QS8s
VP150


Now here's the amp plan for the very near future:

amp - used Anthem MCA 5 (from auth. dealer with warr. for $1750 cdn)

pre-amp - new NAD T752 ($1300 cdn)
or
new Rotel 1066 ($1800 cdn)

I should have a chance to A/B these at home soon. But I just wondered if anyone had any thoughts as to what I can expect to hear from the diff. preamps, what kind of values these are, am I doing something totally wrong, better option for a processor????

The ultimate plan is to someday look to a better pro, but this is more of a stop-gap.

Sorry about the long post, but would really apperciate comments/thoughts from anyone and everyone.

Scott

i think that would be a pretty nice setup! out of the rotel or the nad, id get the nad just cos i like their priducts

saving $500 is a bonus too, but I'm worried that I might find the NAD will be a tad noisier, just because of everything else contained in that box compared to the Rotel.

Scott, there's certainly nothing "totally wrong", but I'll give you some comments. First, although you didn't describe your present electronics, in nearly every case I'd think that it would be a bigger improvement to get new speakers before new amplification. Next, on the amplification, you seem to have a fascination with separates, to the extent of wasting the amps on the NAD and instead using the Anthem. I'd suggest considering one of the excellent receivers which would cost you significantly less, in particular the new Pioneer 53TX.

John, I certainly need major upgrades in the entire system, but my receiver is probably the weak link, old and underpowered. The speakers aren't too bad, JBL HLS 820s from about 3 years ago. They just aren't getting anywhere near the power they're designed for. I believe I can survive without the speakers for a couple of months (my old receiver probably wouldn't drive the M80s anyways).

As far as the receiver is concerned, I'm pretty set on seperates and I'm real partial to the Anthem stuff. I'd love to buy the AVM 20 at the same time, but it's not in the cards right now. That's why the NAD seems to be a great option, it is one of the cheapest processors available for HT (just happens it has amplification too). If they made a product without the amps...that'd be the handsdown winner. But they don't...so I don't really see it as 'wasting the amp' on the receiver. I just need a really cheap/effective pro option.

After hearing what speakers you have, Id say that you should get new speakers first just the M80's at the time... assuming that you can swing the nad at the same time, allowing you to hook the Nad up to the speakers and just having a two channel system. And buy the rest of the stuff as time allows

So, what is your plan about the subwoofer, Scott?
You do want a GOOD sub in order to enjoy the Axioms' maximum potentials.

I'm in decent shape for the sub, I have a 12" Velodyne. That's partly why moving the old 2-way JBLs weren't the most immediate concern...at least to me that made sense. Plus I do have the matching center and surrounds, so it's a well matched system (if not the best quality).

Ah... the Velodyne will keep you and the Axioms happy for a long time, I guess. Which model is it, by the way?

Sushi, it's the cheaper 12" they sell, can't quite remember the number (HGS-12 sound right??). It was around $900 Cdn msrp I think. It gives good support in the low end, but I think a year or two down the road that would likely be the next upgrade.

Would it maybe make more sense to buy a really cheap receiver to use as a pre-amp (say a new Yammy 730 I think I can pick up for $400 cdn) and then maybe get the M80s now as well? That's another possibility. I don't know how much degredation in processing quality I'd get going that route, but I'd probably have a chance to compare it at the same time as the other 2 pros and see.