Help a newbie make the best of his living room :)

[Keith_W]

For a beginner system, there is no way you should consider subwoofers. Subwoofers are for advanced users, and the only way to dial them in properly is with measurements. And if you really want to dial them in, you'll need DSP. Subwoofers, measurements, and DSP are not things you should worry about right now. Get good speakers and a source, and enjoy.

 

[krabapple]

Oh come on, plenty, and I mean plenty, of audio hobbyists enjoy their subwoofers and benefit from them without 'dialing them in' that way.

 

[fpug]

Hi,

I did mention the volume, mostly low to moderate - due also to the fact that I live in an apartment. So performance at those volumes is important.
And I have the impression - correct me if I'm wrong - that bass performance at low volume is a tricky matter for many speakers. Maybe the recent dsps can dynamically alter the equalisation. By the way, I am by no means a bass-head, I just want a full sound.

Also, I might never had a *good* set of speakers, but coming from the headphones world I am no alien to hi-fi and the subtle push for constant upgrades... which I'd like to avoid, if possible, and just get a system that's good enough to boot with. If I don't get a sub straight a way, I would need to look into speakers that cover the low end properly, like for example a Buchardt A10. But I feel I'd maybe get less bang for my bucks.

I have no problems whatsoever spending some time tuning the equalisation, or putting some effort in improving the room, within some limits - which doesn't for example include moving the sofa to face the window.

Thanks

 

[krabapple]

Hi,

I did mention the volume, mostly low to moderate - due also to the fact that I live in an apartment. So performance at those volumes is important.
And I have the impression - correct me if I'm wrong - that bass performance at low volume is a tricky matter for many speakers. Maybe the recent dsps can dynamically alter the equalisation. By the way, I am by no means a bass-head, I just want a full sound.

Sorry I missed that mention, my mistake. Yes, low to moderate volume means loudness curves come into play. So you'll want some sort of compensation for that, to maintain a balanced EQ. Modern AVRs all offer it, the updated version of the old 'loudness' switch.