im going to be useing the pioneer VSX-815-K which i can get for about 220 from best buy.
Now i will be useing this system with my computer (it has dolby digital live so true dolby digital encoding)/ dvd's/ and a xbox and a xbox360 (when it comes out)
now after looking around at speakers i came to the polk audio r15's the reason for these is because there cheap (dont have a large amount of money to spend)
now how do you guys think these are quality wise, I like how polk speakers sound (i like klipsch more but they are 180+ per speaker)
currently im useing the creative gd580's so basicly if it sounds better than these ill be very happy
Im thinking of 2 sets of the r15's (or if there a better set of speakers (3 way if possible ) in the 100$ a pair range) and then a polk 3 way center channel (cis20) and then for the sub... i maby an old computer sub useing the preouts on the 815k untill i want to sped 300 on a sub
thanks for any help and please make recomendations
I own Polk and also love the sound. The R series are really lacking though and you have to spend a lot more money before you get to the good stuff. Anything less than the Rti line I'd look elsewhere for better bang for your buck.
I'd consider just getting a descent pair of bookshelves in the $300 pair area and building from there.
The Rti6 can be found in that price range - also the Ascend CBM-170s can be bought for $344 internet direct.
For $100/pair get the Athena AS-B1s from audioadvisor.com, these will destroy the Polk R15s. The only time I'd buy the R15s would be when Fry's sells them for $50/pair and I would use them ONLY for surround duty, most certainly not for the all-important front 3.
For the sub, I'd put out an extra $100 for the Hsu STF-2, from hsuresearch.com these are exceptional subs in that price range and will excel for both music and movies.
For the receiver, instead of the Pioneer 814 I'd get the Panasonic sa-xr55 for $230 shipped from Amazon.com (see long thread in "receivers" section)---this new all-digital technology will soon make analog receivers go the way of tube amplifiers.
Ditch the computer sub, these are like friggin' tricycles compared to a real sub like the Hsu or SVS.
both are massive, 40 plus pages. Huge number of people with a wide array of experience and equipment who were also won over by the Panny.
Don't be fooled by the small size, featherweight and rock-bottom price. Pure-digital is a totally different ballgame than analog, all the usual indicators do not apply...if you have a Circuit city in your area just go pick one up and try it, return it within 30 days if you hate it...no-lose proposition. The Pio 815 is a mid/entry-level analog receiver; I've read of people with high-end receivers like the HK7200 and even with separates who were blown away by the Panny. This is not a 100% guarantee that you'll love it that much but I think the chances are at least 80% that it'll be a keeper for you too. The people more likely to dislike all-digital sound are the music purists who have tube amps and turntables.
As long as you have decent speakers (not cheap bright ones) that can keep up with the Pannys there's a big chance you'll find it leaves that Pioneer in the dust.
So maybe the best course of action, if you have a credit card, is just go to CC and buy both the Panny and the Pioneer 815, take them home and compare, then return the one you like less. Only foolproof way to go I can think of. CC sells tons of overpriced craps to gullible consumers, they can afford a small loss.