Martin Logan Theos - Starting from scratch

[Andrew149]

Hey guys I’m new the to Audio world but I’m looking for a home theatre receiver. I have 2 front Theos right now I bought used in my living room I’m not sure if I’m going to do a center and 2 rear speakers. I will purchase a sub soon after I find a receiver.

can you guys give me a recommendation on good used equipment. I saw in 2019 someone recommended a anthem MRX700 $500 which might be a option.

budget let’s say under $1,000

 

[Andrew149]

Looks like a MRX 710 is also a option for about $700

 

[EstebanElequente]

Hey guys I’m new the to Audio world but I’m looking for a home theatre receiver. I have 2 front Theos right now I bought used in my living room I’m not sure if I’m going to do a center and 2 rear speakers. I will purchase a sub soon after I find a receiver.

can you guys give me a recommendation on good used equipment. I saw in 2019 someone recommended a anthem MRX700 $500 which might be a option.

budget let’s say under $1,000

Hi Andrew, the question is where you would like to go with this? Try to picture where you want to go with the understanding that good audio is habit forming not to mention expensive. I have always felt like you need to have a clear idea of where you want to go in the future to make the right buying decision for now. If your goal is 2.1 or 5.1 or 7.2.4 that path will point you in very different directions.

For instance the MRX 710 and 700 look nice and will power the theos depending on what you will demand of your speakers, but will still have a fair amount of limitations. First, while amps don't really get outdated receivers get outdated as both video and audio standards change. Neither of the AVRs you asked about will decode dolby atmos or dts X to my knowledge. Atmos and DTS X are essentially the newest surround sound standards and have a huge benefit if you want a fully immersive surround experience. You can get atmos from any number of sources from disks to streaming services. However, 5.1 and 7.1 are still great as long as you don't picture yourself wanting more in the foreseeable future, thus forcing a premature upgrade and wasted $$$. As such, this avr will never decode height channels. Another consideration is about futureproofing with HDMI standards. The 700 doesnt seem to even support 4k and good luck finding a 180p tv any time right now. This means most sources will require you to run two cables instead of just 1 HDMI and you will be limited to sources with 2 outputs or running an optical cable back to your avr losing a lot of benefits and modern conveniences. I didn't look into it but I imagine if you are a gamer and want to use a next gen console or get a new tv it is something to consider for sure because recivers are almost as much about video as audio.

In general anthem will almost always pair well with marlo because they are owned by the same parent company and have been for years although ownership has changed hands a handful of times. In your budget if you want to decode all the modern standards and be MORE futureproof (noting is futureproof with the exception of some uber expensive modular components) you may want to look outside of that family at denon, onkyo, sony, pioneer etc. There are a ton of great options (although everything will likely be out of stock) and some of those will give you room to grow. Even more modern used receivers may work well if you know what to look for. And the Theos aren't particularly hard to power on their own it just gets taxing as your system grows out of control.

I am running a denon x3700h. This avr decodes 11.2 channels and has the power to run 9.2. It has less wattage (which is why I recently added an external amp to run my theos) and I'm certain is not built to the standards of the anthems but it supports the more modern standards. Plus if you haven't maxed it out (like I did) by running a lot of power hungry speakers it will run the Theos with no problem and will give you the room to grow.

 

[Andrew149]

Any Opinions on the nad t 758? For a $1,000

 

[Robert D]

If you could pick up a used Aragon 8008 two channel amp that would be good. It is what I am using now. I bought mine new.

 

[Andrew149]

If you could pick up a used Aragon 8008 two channel amp that would be good. It is what I am using now. I bought mine new.

Looks like that bad boy runs $3,600 on eBay

 

[Robert D]

Looks like that bad boy runs $3,600 on eBay

Yeah, surprised to see that. I bought it brand new years ago for about $4400!

Not sure how old the ones selling for $3600 are. This inflation and supply chain problem is a bitch! Inflation expected to hit near %10 by the end of this new year.

 

[Andrew149]

Anyone have a recommendation on a used 5 channel amp and than a good processor that’s not outdated

 

[Stefan_DR3]

Hi Andrew, I have the same speakers and powered them well with either Anthem MCA20 or Statement A2 amp. Here in Canada the big US made amps like Aragon and Krell are hard to come by, but that kind of money will get you a very nice Bryston or Classe! However the Theos are not that hard to drive.

If you are not going beyond 5.1 channels I would recommend an Anthem Statement D2 preamp. The AVM50v and D2v sound even better and they are starting to appear on the used market for < $1000. If you absolutely must have 3D or 4K video switching built-in then an AVM60 would be better, but they don't sound quite as good as the older "Made in Canada" models. Quality is more like the MRX line.

Stefan

 

[Northy]

Hey guys I’m new the to Audio world but I’m looking for a home theatre receiver. I have 2 front Theos right now I bought used in my living room I’m not sure if I’m going to do a center and 2 rear speakers. I will purchase a sub soon after I find a receiver.

can you guys give me a recommendation on good used equipment. I saw in 2019 someone recommended a anthem MRX700 $500 which might be a option.

budget let’s say under $1,000

Hi Andrew, welcome to the "Audio World!" As a proud owner of a pair of Theos for the last seven years, I have to say they are very special speakers and will appreciate with quality amps. If I were you, I would stay away from receivers altogether. You live in States and your grand will go further in the used market. Try getting an amp with good current capability - do not be obsessed with wattage. I drove my Theos with an Adcom amp. The results were good but then I upgraded to Pass Labs amp and preamp and the results are night and day. I know these are way over your budget. I just want to underline how good the Theos are. For me, if I want to upgrade, it will be the successor to ESL Classic 9. Enjoy your new toys.

 

[Andrew149]

Hi Andrew, welcome to the "Audio World!" As a proud owner of a pair of Theos for the last seven years, I have to say they are very special speakers and will appreciate with quality amps. If I were you, I would stay away from receivers altogether. You live in States and your grand will go further in the used market. Try getting an amp with good current capability - do not be obsessed with wattage. I drove my Theos with an Adcom amp. The results were good but then I upgraded to Pass Labs amp and preamp and the results are night and day. I know these are way over your budget. I just want to underline how good the Theos are. For me, if I want to upgrade, it will be the successor to ESL Classic 9. Enjoy your new toys.

thanks for you letting me know your experience I was looking at a used Adcom GFA-6000 amp for about $300s which is not bad for a 5.1 as for a processor I was thinking emotiva BasX mc1 but it’s so hard to make a choice you can spend hundreds or thousands and not know if you did or didn’t waste you money

 

[Northy]

thanks for you letting me know your experience I was looking at a used Adcom GFA-6000 amp for about $300s which is not bad for a 5.1 as for a processor I was thinking emotiva BasX mc1 but it’s so hard to make a choice you can spend hundreds or thousands and not know if you did or didn’t waste you money

No worries Andrew, Adcom is certainly a good piece to start. I have heard good things about Emotiva. They should hold you over until you save up for some really good quality gear. Take your time and be patient (I know it is very hard). I have tried to upgrade in big increments. Truly, there is not much point to upgrade from a Toyota Corolla ( love the car) to a Camry (used to own it). I am talking about performance not spaciousness. You will truly appreciate the difference when you go from a Corolla to a Lexus GS 300. keep us updated with your audio journey.

 

[StimpyWan]

Maybe find a decent processer, and add just a 2 channel stereo amp, to start. Get decent stuff, something you can grow on. Then, as budget permits, add a 3 channel amp. Acurus, Aragon, ATI, Adcom, B&K, Emotiva, and Monoprice offer new and used gear, with 2 channel and 3 channel models. I use an Aragon 2004 MK II amp with my EM-ESL's, and it works fine. It provides 100 watts into 8 Ohms, but is stable into 1 Ohm. It can be found well under your amp budget. The Acurus and Adcom amps, can be affordable too. It just takes time to find a deal. Of the Adcom amps, I like Nelsom Pass's Mosfet designs. They're slightly warmer and more spacious sounding. Models would be GFA-5300, 5400, 5500, 5503, 5800, and 5802.

Good luck.

 

[StimpyWan]

This Anthem might be good too, since it's a 5 channel model, and has been serviced. No personal experience with Anthem, but they're well liked here.

 

[Stefan_DR3]

The reason I suggested even an "outdated" Anthem processor is they always make very good stereo preamps (they used to be made by Sonic Frontiers) but sell for next to nothing because people want the latest features for HT.
As for the used Anthem amps they will never lose value, and are actually starting to gain value because quality components made of aluminum are getting so expensive these days.

 

[Andrew149]

No worries Andrew, Adcom is certainly a good piece to start. I have heard good things about Emotiva. They should hold you over until you save up for some really good quality gear. Take your time and be patient (I know it is very hard). I have tried to upgrade in big increments. Truly, there is not much point to upgrade from a Toyota Corolla ( love the car) to a Camry (used to own it). I am talking about performance not spaciousness. You will truly appreciate the difference when you go from a Corolla to a Lexus GS 300. keep us updated with your audio journey.

so after shopping for a few days on eBay I narrowed it down to a bunch of choices but I ended up with a Sherwood Newcastle 5 channel AM-9080 for $600s shipped. It will need a mod to turn off auto on and off with the processor but I’m up for that, next is a processor I have emotiva on my mind but opened to other opinions for under $1,000

 

[SomeGeoffGuy]

so after shopping for a few days on eBay I narrowed it down to a bunch of choices but I ended up with a Sherwood Newcastle 5 channel AM-9080 for $600s shipped. It will need a mod to turn off auto on and off with the processor but I’m up for that, next is a processor I have emotiva on my mind but opened to other opinions for under $1,000

Buying processors sucks right now. To get a pre-amp only processor, you have to pay a decent amount of money for the latest technology - by latest I mean pretty much anything with Atmos height speakers. Or you can buy buy some older 7.1 or 5.1 tech that is already outdated but still sounds fine. I run 7.1 right now using my DVD player as processor and it sounds fine in my living room, so maybe that is all you need if you are not putting speakers in your ceiling (my wife won't let me...). Honestly I am just looking for something to do HDMI switching and room correction, so anything past that I feel like I am paying for stuff I don't need.

You go to Crutchfield and the cheapest processer is an out-of-stock Marantz for $3000. I am sure it sounds awesome, though. Emotiva has a new 13.2 Processor for $1000 that does exactly what I am looking for but it is already out of stock after the presale. McIntosh has one that is $5000 that is probably readily available if you have the coin. The new Anthem units look incredible but thanks to the chip shortage are unobtanium. The two top Anthem receivers have assignable outputs, so you can use your big amp for the main channels and let the Anthem run the surround stuff. Would love to get one of these mostly for future considerations.

So even though I need one, I am still sitting on the sidelines. Maybe if that Emotiva ever comes back in I will grab one. My DVD can only do one HDMI in/out and I need three, so the Playstation stays running off the TV speaker for now. First world problems I guess!

-Geoff

 

[Robert D]

Buying processors sucks right now. To get a pre-amp only processor, you have to pay a decent amount of money for the latest technology - by latest I mean pretty much anything with Atmos height speakers. Or you can buy buy some older 7.1 or 5.1 tech that is already outdated but still sounds fine. I run 7.1 right now using my DVD player as processor and it sounds fine in my living room, so maybe that is all you need if you are not putting speakers in your ceiling (my wife won't let me...). Honestly I am just looking for something to do HDMI switching and room correction, so anything past that I feel like I am paying for stuff I don't need.

You go to Crutchfield and the cheapest processer is an out-of-stock Marantz for $3000. I am sure it sounds awesome, though. Emotiva has a new 13.2 Processor for $1000 that does exactly what I am looking for but it is already out of stock after the presale. McIntosh has one that is $5000 that is probably readily available if you have the coin. The new Anthem units look incredible but thanks to the chip shortage are unobtanium. The two top Anthem receivers have assignable outputs, so you can use your big amp for the main channels and let the Anthem run the surround stuff. Would love to get one of these mostly for future considerations.

So even though I need one, I am still sitting on the sidelines. Maybe if that Emotiva ever comes back in I will grab one. My DVD can only do one HDMI in/out and I need three, so the Playstation stays running off the TV speaker for now. First world problems I guess!

-Geoff

Might check Amazon to see if anything is for sale on there. If you're willing to pay more, you can find people selling scalped units.

I wonder when this nightmare ever ends. At this point there is no end in sight.

 

[StimpyWan]

One could find a preamp, or even an integrated amp, that offers a home theater bypass switch. Add an AVR later, when something pops up at a good price.