I'm lost with all the things I'm trying to connect

[rocadelpunk]

Well, things were running pretty smoothly for a while, but I just replaced my westinghouse 37in lcd monitor which had built in speakers with a pioneer kuro 500m (also a monitor, but doesn't have any speakers).

Here are my devices as of now:

Pioneer kuro krp-500m (no internal speakers)
Marantz 2245 receiver (this puppy is old, but I LOVE it)
Audio-Technica PL120 record player
Keces DA151 DAC
AKG - k701 cans
My computer with built in realtek audio codec
Klipsch 2.1 computer speakers
PS3
Nintendo Wii
Cox Cable Set top box


My main issue is trying to figure out how am I gonna get sound out of everything.

Normally, I have the Keces DAC connected to my pc via usb and then have it connected to my receiver's aux input. This allows me to use the headphones for when playing music on my computer. However, I don't always want to listen via headphones and so that's where the klipsch 2.1's come in handy. The record player is also hooked up to the receiver's phono input and I solely use the headphones for record playing.

So, I used to just use the monitor's internal speakers for tv, ps3 and wii - however that's out of the picture now.

I need to find some sort of all encompassing solution as with all this gear space is now limited and I don't really have the room for 2 massive fronts.

I can connect the klipsch speakers to the receiver's left and right inputs and put audio from the cable box to the aux on the receiver and get sound for my tv that way...but it loses the sub and I lose the aux input for computer...

help : / I dunno what to do.

Ideally I would like to have speakers that I could use for the cable/ps3/wii/record player/computer and then keep the marantz + headphones + record player as well.

 

[Muadib]

How much did you want to spend? You might not want to hear it, but it's time to let go of the Marantz.

 

[rocadelpunk]

The thing is the marantz is a vintage receiver that has a specific sound/better qualities to it. Receivers back then were solely about the music - there wasn't any need to have 5.1 this, thx that, etc. I had a onkyo htib 5.1 receiver at one point and for my ears listening to records on it was nowhere near as enjoyable as on the marantz. Even on my friends expensive yamaha and my parents more expensive onkyo...the sounds coming from those machines felt cold and sterile.

Even if I get another receiver, I'm biased enough to be keeping the marantz just to have it hooked up to the record player.

As far as budget goes, I'd be willing to spend about 400-500 on a couple of fronts/bookshelves. Nothing extravagant just something that will produce decent sound for music/movies/tv. It's not the cost that I'm worried about it's just what equipment I actually need. Is the simplest thing to get a new receiver and fronts? Should I get a soundbar? Should I try and hunt down the sidespeakers for the krp which seem to only be found in europe?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I'm really not very familiar with vintage gear, so this may be a stupid question...
Can you remove the jumpers from what I assume is the pre-out to amplifier inputs and hook the Klipsch up to pre-outs? (with a 2xRCA to stereo 3.5mm female adapter)
Or alternatively, can you hook the Klipsch up the the tape monitor output?
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Y...howsDAjello/r_2245.jpg

Then get an audio switch so you can select the cable box, wii, ps3, or computer for the aux input... and keep the record player on the phono input?

 

[rocadelpunk]

yes, I should be able to use the pre-out on the receiver : ).

Ok, so *theoretically* I can properly hook up the klipsch to the receiver.

So I would then get a switch and hook that up to the aux input? I can kinda see how the cable, wii, computer via dac could be hooked up because those can all use rca plugs, but what about the ps3 which is just connected to the tv via hdmi?

Any recommendation on a switch?

Thanks

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Hmmm.... I forget what the PS3 can do. Can it send analog audio at the same time as HDMI video?
Can your Pioneer take HDMI audio in and send analog audio out?

For a switch, I don't have a recommendation.

 

[rocadelpunk]

I don't know... : /

Would it make life a lot simpler to just get a newer receiver?
I would just need 3x hdmi for cable + ps3 + tv and 1x component for wii and another component or just stereo input for the keces dac? Does that sound right? Do modern receivers have a line out or preout I could use the klipsch's with...is that what the "zone 2" thing is for onkyos? Or would I need to invest in some bookshelf speaks?

Then I could just have the marantz hooked up to the record player...

 

[sdifox]

does the Kuro have analogue audio out? I imagine it has at least the red and white audio output.


You don't have real speakers, just the headphones and the computer speakers?

I am assuming the marantz has headphone jack at the front?

Me think at the very least you have to get a pair of real speakers. Then add maybe an analogue switch if you don't have enough inputs into the Marantz.


And a HDMI switch if you exceeded the hdmi input limit of the Kuro.

 

[rocadelpunk]

I live in an apt so I didn't want to get "real" speakers and piss everybody off : )...but I just might have to. From the looks of it though, switches are really expensive...I'd rather just buy a decent receiver and speakers if that's the case.

 

[BassBomb]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Hmmm.... I forget what the PS3 can do. Can it send analog audio at the same time as HDMI video?
Can your Pioneer take HDMI audio in and send analog audio out?

For a switch, I don't have a recommendation.

PS3 can send audio over the RCA while outputting HDMI

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: rocadelpunk
I live in an apt so I didn't want to get "real" speakers and piss everybody off : )...but I just might have to. From the looks of it though, switches are really expensive...I'd rather just buy a decent receiver and speakers if that's the case.

Do you have enough HDMI ports right now? If so, you don't need a HDMI switch.

Real speakers as in something that is not housed in plastic, they don't have to be 130lb speakers.

How many analogue inputs does the Marantz have? 1? If so you need a switch. A cheap switch is like 10 bux for a 4x1, but they are not great.

check out monoprice.com and partsexpress.com for analogue switch. Or you can get the ones that does composite too and just use the audio section.

Key is checking the back of the Kuro and find an analogue output.

 

[rocadelpunk]

Only thing on the back of the kuro is rca audio input at least that's what it says on the back of the tv. Here's the pdf from pioneer http://www.pioneerelectronics....600M%20Connections.pdf

Is that what I'm looking for? Or does it have to specifically say output...in the pdf it just says right/left audio

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: rocadelpunk
Only thing on the back of the kuro is rca audio input at least that's what it says on the back of the tv. Here's the pdf from pioneer http://www.pioneerelectronics....600M%20Connections.pdf

Is that what I'm looking for? Or does it have to specifically say output...in the pdf it just says right/left audio

I am guessing number 10 is output. try hooking that to the input of your marantz and test that theory.

 

[s44]

Step 1: Buy speakers. Not necessarily even expensive ones! Hook them up to the Marantz.

Step 2: Buy a new receiver, if you want to.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Based on the manual
http://www.pioneerelectronics....ngInstructions0905.pdf
it looks like all the analog audio connections are inputs rather than outputs.

If the PS3 can do analog out in addition to HDMI (as Bassbomb mentioned) and your Pioneer has enough video inputs, I think you should be able to handle everything with your existing equipment with just an analog audio switch.

On the other hand, you can get a receiver ($200 for an entry level one, $400 for a pretty good one)
and
Bookshelf speakers ($100 for entry level ones, $300 for pretty good ones)
and
Subwoofer ($100 for an entry level one, $400 for pretty good ones)

Getting "real" stuff doesn't mean you have to turn it up any louder than your PC speakers. Although you'll likely have more headroom to crank it, that doesn't mean that you're going to. You can annoy the heck out of your neighbors with the Promedia set if you wanted to. Getting "real" stuff doesn't mean more annoyance to neighbors.

 

[rocadelpunk]

I think I'll just make life easier on myself and go the receiver/bookshelf route : ). just checking out frys I see that one of their yamahas has the same burrbrown dac that my keces uses...interesting.

If you guys would like to make some quick suggestions that I could amazon prime or frys pickup that'd be swell, but I'm off to the land of avsforum ; )

 

[BassBomb]

To set up what I mentioned, after selecting output HDMI video, click set audio settings and then you can choose to output via the breakout connector (RCA or Component w/ RCA) or via the optical out.

I use either method depending on where I am connecting it

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

(rocadelpunk is in the process of picking out a receiver / speaker / subwoofer combo for himself)

 

[Muadib]

I'm glad, but again I gotta ask how much? He could have gotten a switch for cheap, and used what he has. It just seems wrong to me, being that he just got a Kuro. I know you can't do it all at once though.

 

[rocadelpunk]

Originally posted by: Muadib
I'm glad, but again I gotta ask how much? He could have gotten a switch for cheap, and used what he has. It just seems wrong to me, being that he just got a Kuro. I know you can't do it all at once though.

truth...

however, I am single, young, debt free, employed, have my retirement savings started...so I splurged : )

Probably did go a bit overboard though...
onkyo 607 (refurb), yamaha ns333 bookshelf speakers and a ns-c444 center and a dayton 100ht 10in sub

phew, gonna eat some ramen now. Thank you for the help/suggestions all.