Is anybody presently using the 7100 with Boston Acoustics speakers? I'm trying to decide between the 950/7100 or 950/770 to properly power my speaker setup. I have VR-M90s in the front, VR-MC in the center, VR-MXs in the rear and a Yamaha YST-SW800 for the sub. I'm looking for the best matchup for my speakers. All of the speakers are rated 8 ohm. The following are the power recommendations for each speaker (watts): M90s = 50-350, MC = 15-150, MXs = 15-200. The listed sensitivity ( 1w @ 1m) for these are M90s = 90 db, and MC = 89 db.
I am now using a Yamaha RX-V2200 receiver, which is rated at 100 wpc into 6 channels @ 8 ohms, to power the system. This setup sounds very good, but when listening to stereo, it seems that the sound coming out of the M90s sounds a little "heavy" to my ear. It's not as clear as I had hoped it would be, almost as if there isn't enough clean power to drive these cleanly across the whole range. I'm hoping that the combination of a 950 and an amp would help. I'm just not sure which amp. I 770 is awfully appealing, but I wouldn't mind getting in at the price of a 950/7100 if that will do what I need.
So if anybody is using the 7100, or the 770, with BA M90s, please let me know how it works for you. Or if you don't have the BAs, but have an opinion, please let me hear it. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Jeff

[This message has been edited by jeffdavis (edited August 27, 2003).]

[This message has been edited by jeffdavis (edited August 27, 2003).]

I have the 950/7100 combo with some Boston VR-M50s as my front speakers and they sound great at higher listening levels. At lower levels with around 75db they sound a little constrained but when the wife isn't around I turn them up. These little guys really like a little more power and really open up if you feed it to them. They don't even sound like the same speakers. Once they start putting out more than about 90db at my listening level (I think the 950 is about -5 or so on the volume) they really do sound amazing. I would imagine that the m90's would probably like even more power but I wouldn't know for sure, I do know that my M50's sound a hell of alot better with the outlaw combo than the crappy Sony receiver that I had previously. Lucky for me the Sony finally took a crap on me. The 7100 has plenty of juice though, I can easily hit 115db at my listening position and it doesn't sound strained at all. If you find that the 7100 won't push your M90's well enough I would even be willing to trade you my M50's for them out a gesture of good will. Hope this helps and let me know about the trade.

AKamp, thanks for replying. I also have a pair of VR-M60s that I use on another setup, and there is a significant difference between them and the M90s. The M60s seem to be so clean even with the Sony STR-DE945 I'm pushing them with, on some things I prefer their sound to that of the M90s. That's why I'm hopeful that I can get the M90s to truly "open up" with the proper setup. I really do like the sound of the VR tweeter that Boston has. I fell in love with it at a local stereo shop in the mid-1990s when I heard it in the VR-20. I'm sure that there are others out there that I'd also love, but this is the best that I've personally heard to this point.

While I appreciate your generous offer to take the M90s off of my hands, I'd feel badly for doing that to you. So I wouldn't be watching for the UPS man too closely. ;-)

[This message has been edited by jeffdavis (edited August 28, 2003).]

[This message has been edited by jeffdavis (edited August 30, 2003).]

[This message has been edited by jeffdavis (edited August 30, 2003).]

Sorry for the rambling that was here. Jeff

[This message has been edited by jeffdavis (edited August 31, 2003).]

Jeff,

Jeff,

Well I could almost tell you how the 7100 sounded with the vr-m90s. Ultimate Electronics in Scottsdale had a set at half price but I just couldn't justify buying them. Afterall, I had to get the 50's because I didn't have the room for my existing floorstanding speakers. I did pick up a VR-MC for $300 though. I love it when stores discontinue lines and sell everything off cheap. Did you end up getting the 7100.
Aaron

Aaron,

No, I haven't yet, to quote others here, "pulled the trigger" and ordered the 7100 yet. I'm still trying to decide whether to go with the 7100 or go ahead and order the 770. But the sweet deal on the 200 M-block amps that they've recently offered almost got me to make the call.

Congrats on the VR-MC. I have two of them on two different systems. But I didn't get any deal even close to what you got on yours. It works so well with the other Boston VRs. I think that you'll be very pleased with it. Voices sound so natural through it that you'll forget that it is coming from a speaker.

Did the store have any deals going on the VR-MXs or VR-MEXs? I need to pick up a couple of these to be able to go to 7.1 on my primary system. If you do decide to go with the M90s, you'll be very happy with the increased bass response you'll get, and they take up very little more than the M50s on pedestals.

Let me know what you think of the MCs after you've had a chance to spend some time with them. Jeff