2-channel For 11x11 room

[JustaSheep]

I feel like I kind of hi-jacked Sheep's thread. Sorry about that.

Not at all. This all goes into the big picture of setting up a new listening room. Please continue.

[curtis]

Not at all. This all goes into the big picture of setting up a new listening room. Please continue.

OK...another addition to my living room a few years ago (I don't have a dedicated listening/watching room) was a reclining sofa. This thing is dangerous...

When I have the time, I sit back with iPhone/iPad in hand(my whole system can be controlled with either as well as a Logitech Harmony remote), use Roon to listen and/or discover new music, enjoy or just drift off. The same with watching the TV...in the evening, if the TV isn't keeping my interests, it puts me to sleep.

A comfortable listening position can not be overlooked.

[racrawford65]

ditto on reclining sofa being dangerous -- I added 2 reclining HT chairs to my listening area.

[JustaSheep]

Apparently Harmony remotes are no longer being made. I'm treating mine very gently.

For comfort, my wife and I bought a beanbag filled with cut-up memory foam built for two people. It is fantastic!

[curtis]

Apparently Harmony remotes are no longer being made. I'm treating mine very gently.

For comfort, my wife and I bought a beanbag filled with cut-up memory foam built for two people. It is fantastic!

I know some didn't have good results Logitech Harmony Ultimate, but with the hub and companion remote, it has been great for me. I also integrated it with Amazon Echo/Alexa for added useless cool factor..."Alexa, turn on (insert device here)" then all the proper components turn on, and the Anthem set to the right input".

I've been thinking about one of those types of beanbags for extra seating.

[racrawford65]

Apparently Harmony remotes are no longer being made. I'm treating mine very gently.

For comfort, my wife and I bought a beanbag filled with cut-up memory foam built for two people. It is fantastic!

Yes, that's been a while that the Harmony remotes have been discontinued. I was lucky enough to be able to get a spare.

[JustaSheep]

Yes, that's been a while that the Harmony remotes have been discontinued. I was lucky enough to be able to get a spare.

I have 3, one of which the volume button does not work. It is the spare. We may be testing my soldering skills at some point...which are zero.

[JustaSheep]

So, after doing some research I see it is nearly impossible to find separates for under $1k each component. My question is, using Anthem as an example, if I can get an above average AVR for $2k-2.5, why is a preamp/amp combo/separates from the same company 2-3 times as much? Are the components that much better?

I understand the law of diminishing returns and how that effects cost, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this.

[petmotel]

So, after doing some research I see it is nearly impossible to find separates for under $1k each component. My question is, using Anthem as an example, if I can get an above average AVR for $2k-2.5, why is a preamp/amp combo/separates from the same company 2-3 times as much? Are the components that much better?

I understand the law of diminishing returns and how that effects cost, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this.

I understand the appeal of brand new gear, opening that box, unpacking, and being the first to use that gorgeous new piece of audio bliss, but it's like buying a new car, once the new car smell is gone, you're left paying for a big chunk of depreciation. I recently bought a new Anthem AVM 60 through Audiogon that retailed for 3K for 2.2K, and a new open box Audiolab 8300 integrated for half of retail (paid $750). I bought quite a bit of gear (Oppo BR players, Anthem amps) for a fraction of new prices on eBay, all of it has been in great shape, much of it in like new condition (including a couple of Harmony remotes oddly enough).

Separates have always commanded premium prices not only for scale of economy reasons, but because the customers buying them will pay the premium, good old law of supply and demand. That is how the esoteric boutique brands survive; the perception that their products are superior to the mere "midgrade" equipment, despite a large body of evidence that shows otherwise.

Personally, I would advise that you decide what features/specifications are important to your needs and look for equipment that fulfills those needs. Don't be afraid to buy used, well cared for electronics can have a useful lifespan of decades.

Jay

[MusicHead]

@Justasheep, our friend petmotel made great points. It is unfortunately true that the offer of mid-priced separates is quite depressing these days. Emotiva and Outlaw used to have pre/pro and amps that could be had for around $1k, but not anymore.

Buying used from a reputable vendor (or a trusted individual) is a great way to save money and get very good sounding equipment. Amps especially have not changed much over the years. New product hype apart, if an amp sounded good 3-4 years ago and was built well, it will still sound good today.

Preamp and processor, especially those for home theater, have become sort of "disposable" items, due to the continuous evolution of the digital standards (HDMI being the major "offender" there). Stereo preamps are somewhat immune to that, up to a point.

If you still prefer new and are okay with stereo only, perhaps something along the line of "out of the box thinking" could be interesting to you, like this stereo integrated amp from Outlaw:

https://outlawaudio.com/shop/stereo-...-receiver.html

The webpage does not say a lot, but if you click on "Manual" the pdf has a detailed description of all the features. With 2x110W on 8 Ohms and 2x165W on 4 Ohm over the full audio bandwidth and 0.05% distortion (real world power specs, for a change) it should be plenty of power for your rooms size.