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Bronze Member Username: Bobby29Post Number: 25 Registered: Apr-04 | After lurking for a couple of months, I'm ready to buy. Room- 18'x17'. I would say it's pretty neutral. Plaster walls and hardwood floors, but huge 12'x12' padded rug, window coverings and two rather large couches. Listening habits- About 60/40 HT/Music. Music tends to be rock, reggae, and heavy jazz. Sound desired - This may be where I run into conflicts. For HT, I'm looking for a clean, crisp sound. So when a bottle breaks on screen, I want it to sound like it broke right next to my head. However, for music I'm looking for a nice warm punchy sound with detailed highs and plenty of power. I like a more forward sound. I want to feel like I'm in the front row, not row 22. For now, I will be keeping my Klipsch KSW12 sub (great for HT, boomy for 2 channel but see below) and my Klipsch quintet rears (space/wife constraints). I have Audioquest interconects. I have narrowed down my receiver choices to a NAD 763 or a Rotel 1065. Unfortunately I cannot listen to these side by side. They all have plenty of power, and I'm only into 5.1 right now, so the Rotel is ok. The NAD has a slightly warmer sound, but the Rotel sounds a little cleaner. I dont need 344 DSP sound fields, I tend to watch movies in the format they were created, and I prefer 2 channel music with no sub. I had many speakers on my list, but I have narrowed it down to Paradigm Monitor 7's (love the 11's, but way too big) and the Monitor Audio S6. I heard these like 1.5 years ago and liked them, however I only have one dealer in my area. He's a custom installer and dosen't have a showroom, and is charging full list. I am only looking for floorstanders, so I unfortunately cannot go with the great sounding Paradigm Studios as they would be over my budget. I also loved the JmLab Chorus 716 S, but, and I hope I don't offend anyone here, I cannot allow myself to buy a French product right now (I know, politics over sound? Let the flames begin!). I keep reading about PSB also, but have yet to give a listen. I can get the Paradigm fronts for $650 and the center for $325, so if I go that route, I have a little more for the receiver. Does anyone have the Paradigm Monitor 9's? I could step up to these, and they are right around $850. Total budget for a receiver, fronts and center channel is $2500. Wadda you guys think??? |
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Silver Member Username: Elitefan1Post Number: 482 Registered: Dec-03 | Rob, I would go this way. If you buy the NAD receiver I'd get the Monitor's. If you buy the Rotel I'd get the Paradigm's. I feel these match better together sonically than the other way around. I would say though that your description of a bottle braking fits the Monitor's a bit better. Both combos are very nice and you have chosen some really great mid-priced equipment and I don't think you can go wrong either way. |
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New member Username: Rhythm1New York USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Jul-04 | Rob, My room size and listening habits are similar to yours, and I am getting great results using the NAD T763 to drive an all Vandersteen HT system. I have owned Vandersteen speakers and NAD electronics for 16 years, and this is a killer combination for 2 channel music or a 5.1 HT system. Take the time to check out the Vandersteen line, http://www.vandersteen.com and try to swing the 2Ce for the extended and tight low end. |
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Bronze Member Username: Bobby29Post Number: 26 Registered: Apr-04 | Rhythm1- My dealer actually has the Vandersteens in stock. They sounded good, maybe a tad polite for my tastes, but they absolutley do not go with my room. I don't have a dedicated theater/listening room, so the speakers I purchase need to be like a piece of furniture (per the wife). That fabric all around just dosen't visually cut it. I listened to some Energy, Totem and Canton speakers yesterday. The Totem Sttef's sounded excellent, but are $1400 a pair, which, when paired with a center, is going to put me $500 over budget. The Energy's were good as a "club" loudspeaker. They would be great for HT, but looked cheap and were not all that musical. The Canton's were matched with the Rotel and sounded quite good, but I know little about them and the only deal I could pull off was for a display model. I can now get the Rotel 1056 and NAD 763 for the same price, but still cant listen to them side by side. Per my original post, Saturday Audio can hook me up with the Monitor Audios at a good price. I think I have enough feedback and research on the NAD, but any additional info for anyone on these Rotel receivers would be great. Thanks all! |