I have the same question about a receiver and sound set up. This is coming from someone who qualifies as a novice (at best). We just bought a Sony Bravia for our upstairs TV. We tried out a Polk sound bar and did not like it. Thankfully we were able to return it. I want everything to sound good but particularly the music. I have some older Klipsch speakers that still sound good but have the old wiring. Is a receiver the way to go? It sounds like I should look at Denon. Any thoughts which one or if that is the way to go? We also have Dish TV but we have the dual box downstairs so upstairs only records in digital. OTA is another thought. Any input on that? We have the Bose 3-2-1 downstairs on a bigger screen TV that is about 7-8 years old. Thanks for any input on any of my vague questions!
Hmmm, older Klipsch. That resonates with me, as I have KG4s I have used for years and love. I will eventually find a nice set of Cornwalls and place these as the rears. I don't know what you me4an abould older wiring. Do you mean the speaker internal wiring or connection wiring between the amplifier and speaker? If you bought reasonable wire in the first place, it seldom goes bad. Just cut it back a bit and re-strip the ends. I use 12 Ga speaker wire, but 14 gauge power cord will work just fine and be a lot cheaper.
Receivers? Read above. Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha and Pioneer all seem to be OK. I believe Denon produces the best quality and Onkyo gives the best bang for the buck. YMMV. I pretty much have the same opinion of soundbars. They serve a purpose of getting you better tv speakers, but they are not for serious viewing.
Generally OTA gives the best picture. Cable and satellite are always compressed, so you tend to lose detail. Give it a try. FWIW, I am in the process of cutting the cord and going strictly with OTA and internet delivered content.
What's also interesting is the iOS apps for most new receivers. Ability to control it from my iPad would be great.
