try hk

The Harmon-Kardon 3490 is a great receiver, with a lot of excellent features including a phono preamp and subwoofer outputs, among others, plus excellent sound quality and lots of power. I suggest you go with that. The price is also quite nice. I have seen it for under $500.

Some of the speakers you mentioned are very good, but some are too small to run without a subwoofer.

For your room, I suggest the Monitor Audio Silver RX-2 speakers. They have an 8-inch woofer, and should produce enough bass in that size room to eliminate the need for a subwoofer. They run $850 per pair. They are also VERY nice-sounding speakers, period.

To back up your music, burn CDs or DVDs of your music for archive purposes from your computer music files. Then store them in a locked file cabinet or safe or some other safe place away from your other stuff.

Good-quality double-cylinder deadbolts are a good idea, too, along with track locks on the windows.

ShawnCraig wrote:

The gear I need is either an intergrated amp or receiver with digital input for the apple tv. A sub out would be preferred as a plan to add one latter. I also need stand mounted speakers as I need them high enough off the ground so I can listen to them while in bed. 

So if you are still with me this is what I have in mind and need some opinions on. I don't want to spend any more than two grand on gear right now.

Either an HK 3490 receiver or an Onkyo A-5VL Integrated Amplifier. Both have a digital in with the HK having quite a bit more power. Power should not be an issue though with the Onkyo if I pick the right speakers that are on the sensitive side. A nice headphone out would be a big plus. 

Speakers I have been considering are the Focal Chorus 807V and 807W, Monitor Audio Silver RX2, KEF Q300 and LS50, PSB Imagine B, and the B&W CM5.

Any guidance you could provide would be great. Maybe I could narrow my choices down and make it out to listen to a little equipment or find on online retailer with an awesome return policy which would actually be best. 

 

Thanks, Shawn

I've owned a pair of 807V for the past 5 years ––– they look and sound amazing with beautiful clarity, not over-powering. I'd recommend them over anything else. They are specially great for Jazz, Classical, Opera, but will be good for Rock and anything you'd feed them.

And boy are they beautiful to look at!

Also, I can see the brands you have submited for an amplifier --- i think they'd be both good for these speakers.

But have you considered other brands? I have a Denon receiver that I do not like much - too much electronics in it – and in my research, have zero'd in on Cambridge Audio - I'd advise you to take it in consideration. 

Price-wise, they can be similar to Onkyo or HK - but have the advantage of coming from a much smaller company that puts a lot of research and effort to their small, slow evolving lineup of receivers, amps – the result is a brand that consistently gets rave review and is praised for the quality of construction and sound reproduction. 

Give Cambridge Audio a good look: it fits your budget and you get a lot more bangs for the bucks (from what I've read..)