Hi everyone. Christmas is coming up and I've found myself with a little money to burn. I was thinking I would put a bit into my setup. This is what I have right now:
M22ti fronts
VP100 center
QS4 rears
HK avr-125
Velodyne vx-10
I'm interested to hear what you guys would think would be my best option for upgrading. I'm open to any suggestions. The two paths I'm considering most right now is either a new sub or a new receiver. The vx-10 doesn't go quite as low as I would like for some movies...however I don't think the girls living below me in my dorm would appreciate a stronger sub very much. As far as the HK avr-125, it gets plenty loud enough, but I was curious if I could get a cleaner sound with a higher wattage amp. I think the specs on the 125 are only 45 or 55 watts. I was considering a avr-325 maybe.
I've noticed that the m22s sound a little strained at high volumes and i'm not sure if it's the speakers themselves, the receiver, or the fact that the sub can't quite keep up at such high volumes. I was hoping to fix this somehow. Thanks for any feedback.
If your M22s are sounding strained, your listening levels are either entirely too loud or your receiver's trying too hard.
I'd think about the receiver upgrade.
I'd upgrade the receiver, too. Then again, I'm not familiar with the sub. Sub or receiver. Especially in a dorm room, the M22s should be plenty adequate (spoken as a M50 owner.
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The sub is velodyne's entry level sub. It's only rated at 100 watts RMS (150 dynamic) and goes to the mid 30s.
Measured or claimed?
Yeah, the manufacturer claimed my sub could do 25 Hz. Suuuurrre....
They rate it at 36 lol. That's depressing. My girlfriend bought it for me, so I couldn't take it back lol.
I'd try the reciever too. My M22's play plenty loud and clean in my dorm room. I'm using a Denon 884. Even after an hour of loud listening, the Denon barely gets warmer than room temperature.
Heh... I think if I put a hydrogen bottle on my H/K 525, it would probably undergo a fusion reaction in about 30 seconds...
I'd deal with the amp power issue before dealing with the sub. However, if you can, try out a higher powered receiver before making the final decision.
Ya I'm more than happy with my reciever (if it had preouts I would be extremely happy but its no biggie). My old entry-level Sony 595 would get extremely hot after listening sessions. In the Sony's defense, I would run the speakers full-range (before I had my sub). I got the Denon when I got my sub. I think the combo of more power and only pushing the Axiom's down to 80hz helps out a lot.
My buddy's Onkyo 601 gets pretty hot as well. Maybe Denon's heatsinks work really well.
JServ, how much are you willing to spend? If you don't mind giving us a budget, we would love to help you spend your money.
I don't think your hk 125 has pre-outs for an external amp, so a new reciever would seem necessary.
I agree, go with the receiver upgrade. The worst thing you can do is upgrade a sub or speakers when you are still in the dorm. You have to ask yourself where you will be in a year or three. You never know what type of room your system will be in next and if you start your building process now, at the foundation, you can upgrade the sub and speakers to fit the room you will be in with a good rec.
I'm thinking something below $500. Someone on audigon is selling his avr-525 for $425. I'm considering that, but I've been reading alot of people on these boards are pretty happy with Denon equipment. I also saw a Denon 2803 which seems like a comparable receiver for $499.
I did some critical listening this afternoon for a while, and i'm starting to think that my description of not "clean" was not the right word choice. I'm becoming more and more convinced that my sub simple can't keep up with the speakers at high volumes.
I have to be honest, the idea of buying a new receiver to replace my current one leaves me wondering if I will really gain anything. Unfortunately no one on my campus (that i know of) has a good amp that i could borrow to see for myself. On the other hand, it would be nice to have a receiver with some pre-outs.
How about buying a good sub at a local store and trying that out. If it solves your issus that you brought up then you are good to go. If it does not fix the issue then just return the sub and go the amp route.
That sounds like the best idea so far.
So yea!, what he said.
Alright, so I can get a HSU VTF-2 in my area for $250 used but in good condition. I'm thinking I can sell my current sub for around $125 to someone at my school, so for $125 it seems worth the upgrade. What do you guys think?
Again, I would "borrow" a sub from your local retailer to see if that is the issue you are having with your system. If you can return the HSU, used unit then that would work out well for you. If you cannot return it then you may purchase an item that, after set up, you realize is not the issue you are having. If after you "borrow" the sub and see that it is the issue then return it and get the HSU, or use the HSU as your test item.