First off, this will be my first "quality" A/V system.  So I am a newbie, but I swapped houses and pulled some cash to put together what I hope to be a quality system.  TV wise I am awaiting the arrival of the new Samsung LNT-4681, I see CNET had the Samsung LNT-4665 as thier top rated... and this one is newer and seems to be far better then the 4665.  Next I am waiting for the arrival of my receiver... the Onkyo TX-SR875, I'm told Onkyo is a quality company and this is one of thier top end receivers.  Supposed to have this new Reon-HQV HD video scaling that converts everything to 1080P.  Speaker wise my system will be all Aperion Audio: 633-T fronts, 634-VAC center, 534-SS (Bi/Di) surrounds, 532-LR rears, and the S-12 sub.  Also invested in a Monster Power HTS-2600... supposed to filter power making audio/video quality better.  Also waiting for the arrival of some cords.. I ordered the Monster M-series M1000 sub cable and three Monster M-series M1000 HDMI cables. Haven't purchased speaker wire yet, have no idea what to get.  I already have a HD PVR satellite receiver, and will soon be adding a PS3 for blu-ray movies.  Any thoughts... any suggestions??

 I am hoping this will perform well, again... never put together a system before and have high hopes.

My Aperion Speakers:

 

2) 632 L/R, 2) 532 L/R, 1) 532 C, 2) 534-SS, 2) 422 rear surrounds and an S-10 Sub.

 

8 driven by Onkyo TX-SR805

 

2 driven by Sony STR-DE997

 

I think you will be pleased with your speaker and AVR choices. My setup has all the punch that I need and then some. Clean, clear and accurate at all volumes.

 

You may want to consider cooling for the 875 if in a confined space. My 805 runs really warm when not cooled by the PC case fans I have installed.

 

I am not a big fan of Monster Cable since I think you pay a lot for the name. I do have a few Monster interconnects for my setup, but I found them at “O” for a good price. I used 14-gauge wire from Lowe’s with a Philips trademark for the speakers; probably an overkill in size since my longest run is less than 40 ft.

 

Once you get that system setup, you will probably not want to leave the house.

 

Jack

I agree with Jack, your setup will work well together. There are many Aperion owners with Onkyo receivers that are very happy. I have similar feelings about Monster products. I do have a buddy with one of the Monster power centers and he is happy with it. He does not know how it impacts video or audio quality, since he never did critical testing without it. I have a similar product from Panamax. Once I installed it, I could identify a lower background and pick up more subtle music, especially in classical. Some folks think it is overkill and makes no difference. Either way, it is wise to invest in something that will protect the electronics from surges and such.

In my opinion, a newbie is not going to be able to tell the differences between cables, so do not put too much thought into it. :-)

-James

I've heard of the 875 running hot... so how did you install the computer fans in the receiver??  I'm assuming there is enough space... is there proper holes already in the reeiver for mounting the fans?  Is there the proper hook-up to run the fans built in????

I made up an axial fan setup with two 12 VDC 92mm computer case fans run by a 5V DC converter plugged into the switched outlet of the 805.

 

I only have about 1.5 inches free space above the 805 and the assembly easily fits in the space over the AVR. The assembly has small pieces of foam weather-stripping at the corners to keep the unit from moving. With the assembly placed centered on the top of the 805 over the cooling vents, the temp decreased to 110 degrees F after running hard for a few hours. I can live with that.

 

I had these fans already but you may get by nicely with a single 120mm ultra-quiet fan like the Noctua NF-S12-800 that has an 8-db(A) rating. 

 

Jack

James Lemoine II:

I do have a buddy with one of the Monster power centers and he is happy with it. He does not know how it impacts video or audio quality, since he never did critical testing without it.

 

Oh my!  Is that an off-handed challenge for me to test out my setup?! 

Mike 

Ha! I suppose it could have come off that way. No need to strain our ears just yet. We have bigger fish to fry in our systems. Sound treatments anyone? I should probably start a thread on that...

-James