Updating Blodgett Family Room Sound ~ New Onkyo AVR & JRMC Streamer 29Jan25

The 20 year old Yamaha receiver I brought from PHX for the Blodgett Family Room (BFR) gave up the ghost on its Zone 2 outputs. It was so old that it was only delivering derived multi-channel with Dolby PLIIx anyway, which was OK, but has long since been eclipsed with discrete mutli-channel formats. This is most important for movies and TV video. I didn't want to spend much (typical behavior) and found a low end Onkyo TX-NR6100; it's recent but not totally current, yet supports 8K/HDR10 and all the keen Dolby and DTX sound variants. I installed the new AVR and readily removed a lot of cabling... it's notable how clean modern consumer electronics can be aided by HDMI cabling. The prior install used quite a bit of optical & COAX digital as well as even some analog RCA cables. Little beyond HDMI 2.3 runs were required with the Onkyo and newish LG TV. The new install uses a Roku Ultra for most stuff but also sports a BluRay/DVD/CD carousel for nostalgia I guess. The new receiver and it's capability to decode discrete Dobly and DTX stuff sounds great and the video switching is strong too.

The BFR uses old bass reflex Paradigms and is a 5.1 setup in which I've replaced the sub and even drivers in the speakers previously. I used the Onkyo's own measurement mic and integrated EQ system initially to re-measure and set up the sound ~ ultimately I tweaked it manually to a more THX-like configuration. The panel below the monitor holds the center channel and an SVS subwoofer. The Paradigm speakers are just OK and a smidge oddly placed.

I also added a new JRiver MC streamer to the BFR kit. I really like the tiny inexpensive fanless mele PCs rebuilt into Linux boxes (especially when augmented with Flirc adapters to allow remote control from my normal Harmony control system). Even it is connected via just HDMI which carries the 2 channel 24bit/192Khz PCM or even DSD (.dsf) SACD files fine to the Onkyo for decoding and amplification, and for computer display on the LG. As usual, the JRMC displays lots of stuff about the current band or track.

Zone 2 works fine too; I use the optical back from the TV to assure 2 channel PCM (that's the only format accepted for Z2) is used to drive Zone 2. I can send music basically anywhere in the house using an Adcom selector and power amp driven by the Onkyo's Z2 line level output. We have in-ceiling speakers in many rooms, and even nicer stuff on the rear deck with the spa ~ that's where Zone 2 is most often used, sometimes to the chagrin of neighbors.

I guess I can next upgrade the BFR sound with some custom DRC speakers. The new NanoOnkens would be great replacing the Paradigms, though I'd want to add a new Mark Audio Pluvia 7.2HD center channel too. Hmmm...