RBH MC-616 vs Emotiva ERM-1 vs eD A6 6T6 MTM

[ack_bak]

All,

I would appeciate any advice I can get per the following speakers:
RBH MC-616 vs Emotiva ERM-1 vs eD A6 6T6 MTM

These would be three of the above (LCR) for my fronts. As far as price goes I need to keep this around $600 for all three speakers. It looks like the Emotiva speakers are on sale for $199 right now + 10% off and free shipping. The eD speakers will cost $476 shipped, and the wildcard is the RBH speakers as I live in Utah and my brother-in-law has a connection at RBH and can usually buy speakers at cost. But. This is not 100% certain as he has not bought anything there in about 2 years and is not sure if his friend still works at RBH.

I currently own some Polk Audio fronts (rti600 towers and a matching center) and have RBH 615 in-ceiling speakers for surrounds as well as an eD A2-300 sub. The room is approximately 15'x17' (it is in a basement) and I will be sitting approximately 11.5 ft away from my fronts. The Polks are over ten years old and are just not cutting it for me anymore. The center has always been lacking and I am planning on going with an AT screen with my 1080p projector with the speakers hidden behind the screen. Bookshelf loudspeakers will simply work much better.

I have always been impressed with RBH, but simply stated, without the connection the speakers will cost me over $1K and will be over my budget. So it may come down to Emotiva vs RBH. Both speakers get strong reviews, but I am leaning towards the Emotiva's. I will be using these speakers for about 90% home theater usage if that helps. I have been blown away by my eD subwoofer (replaced a Polk PSW-10) and have been very impressed by that company as well.

I would love to hear some opinions on these speakers and would welcome any advice on other speaker options as well. I might, might be able to stretch my budget to $650-700 if there is something that is much better for the money.

[FirstReflection]

From my perspective, it would be a choice between the RBH MC-616 and the Emotiva ERM-1. To my ear, the eD speakers are not as accurate as either of those two.

Whether you'd prefer the MC-616 or the ERM-1 depends on your personal taste. I would also advise that both benefit from ample power. Your room is medium sized and you shouldn't require crazy amounts of amplifier power or anything, but a wimpy receiver could have a bit of trouble with the 4 Ohm Emotiva speakers. Provided you have a mid-level receiver or better though, either will be fine with the RBH speakers being just a bit easier to drive.

In my experience, the Emotiva speakers are extremely neutral. I also really appreciate their versatility due to the tweeter and mid-bass adjustment switches. If you desire a bit more detail, you can boost the tweeter output 2dB and similarly, you can cut it 2 dB if your room is more reflective and "live". If you need to place the speakers close to a wall, the boundary compensation can turn bloated mid-bass into reasonable response.

That said, you certainly cannot go "wrong" with the RBH speakers. They are excellent. But I would not call them exactly neutral and they cannot be adjusted for possible room interaction due to physical placement as the Emotiva speakers can.

To me, the Emotiva speakers are the "safer" bet because they can be adjusted and because they are extremely neutral. The RBH speakers sound a bit more "vivid" than truly neutral and they have a bit of emphasis in the midrange. That sort of sound is very pleasing to most people though and if you really like it, then it may put a slightly bigger smile on your face :)

Hope that's helpful.

[AVRat]

Since they’re going behind a screen, I’d go with B-stock Ascend Acoustics CMT-340-/340C for just under $700: http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?t=3903

[ack_bak]

From my perspective, it would be a choice between the RBH MC-616 and the Emotiva ERM-1. To my ear, the eD speakers are not as accurate as either of those two.

Whether you'd prefer the MC-616 or the ERM-1 depends on your personal taste. I would also advise that both benefit from ample power. Your room is medium sized and you shouldn't require crazy amounts of amplifier power or anything, but a wimpy receiver could have a bit of trouble with the 4 Ohm Emotiva speakers. Provided you have a mid-level receiver or better though, either will be fine with the RBH speakers being just a bit easier to drive.

In my experience, the Emotiva speakers are extremely neutral. I also really appreciate their versatility due to the tweeter and mid-bass adjustment switches. If you desire a bit more detail, you can boost the tweeter output 2dB and similarly, you can cut it 2 dB if your room is more reflective and "live". If you need to place the speakers close to a wall, the boundary compensation can turn bloated mid-bass into reasonable response.

That said, you certainly cannot go "wrong" with the RBH speakers. They are excellent. But I would not call them exactly neutral and they cannot be adjusted for possible room interaction due to physical placement as the Emotiva speakers can.

To me, the Emotiva speakers are the "safer" bet because they can be adjusted and because they are extremely neutral. The RBH speakers sound a bit more "vivid" than truly neutral and they have a bit of emphasis in the midrange. That sort of sound is very pleasing to most people though and if you really like it, then it may put a slightly bigger smile on your face :)

Hope that's helpful.

Thanks for the feedback. Honestly, I was also leaning towards the RBH speakers as well, but it looks like I won't be able to take advantage of my hookup with these speakers (ie gettting them at dealer cost) at this time. My connection is really swamped with work and life at this time and I just do not want to bother him (he is working 2 jobs right now to make ends meet). I called RBH directly and they will not sell to me direct or even sell me b-stock since there is an RBH dealer in my area. After a quick call to the dealer, it has become apparant that the 616's are just going to be too expensive at this time. Too bad.

So I was leaning towards the Emotiva speakers. But I was doing more research last night and am now really leaning towards the SVS SCS-01 speakers. They get very solid reviews and I called them up and spoke to them and they were extremely helpful and knowledgeable.

And now I am researching the HSU bookshelf speakers as well..

[ack_bak]

Since they’re going behind a screen, I’d go with B-stock Ascend Acoustics CMT-340-/340C for just under $700:

Wow. I did not think I could afford the Ascend's but you have given me something to consider here. These are solid speakers, especially at that price. Looks like it will come to about $750 with shipping. The SVS speakers are $489 shipped. That is a pretty big difference in price. The question is, are the Ascend's worth that price difference vs SVS.

[TRT]

Save up a little more jack and get the 6.3's for LCR. I'm pretty sure they offer a deal for multiple speaker purchases. Worth the wait. Do you have a good subwoofer? The Emo's roll off at 80hz.

[bandphan]

I listened to the emos with my hgs as the sub and found them quite nice for ht usage. It was in a room that had very little teatmeant ( thanks Dave :p) and still was nice. Listened to some Strauss in dts that all thought sounded very good.

[FirstReflection]

The speakers are going to be placed behind an acoustically transparent screen, correct? IMO, that makes the Emotiva speakers your best choice by a fairly substantial margin. First of all, they are a sealed design. This is very beneficial when the speakers are going to be mounted very close to the wall. Ported speakers (such as the Ascend Acoustics CBM or CMT) will wind up with their ports placed too close to the wall and will result in poor mid-bass performance.

The Emotiva speakers are particularly well suited to placement behind a screen. The sealed design and boundary compensation switch lessens the worst issue (that of mid-bass performance). The available tweeter adjustment also allows you to compensate for the screen, most of which attenuate the high frequencies to some degree.

[ack_bak]

Save up a little more jack and get the 6.3's for LCR. I'm pretty sure they offer a deal for multiple speaker purchases. Worth the wait. Do you have a good subwoofer? The Emo's roll off at 80hz.

I have an eD A2-300. Amazing subwoofer for the price IMHO.

Here is the thing. I am in the middle of finishing my basement (I have already finished my media/ family area and office area and am now finishing 3 bedrooms and a bathroom). I was going to spend 1200 or so on new main speakers but we have decided to put in a gas fireplace in the basement media/family area. It is going to set me back about $1400... :( I cannot be selfish and I am paying 100% cash for the basement build out and the speakers. I have no credit card debt and I prefer it to stay that way.

As far as the speakers go, I just cannot wait any longer. I have 11 year old Polk fronts and center and over the course of those 11 years I have moved about 8 times (and once across the country). The left front speaker was recently damaged by by either one of my kids or a neighbor (I cannot wait to get my speakers behind an AT screen) and too be honest the center channel has always been lacking to me. I have a decent receiver (Onkyo 605) and much better surrounds and sub than I do my mains.

I just spoke with my wife and she is adamant that I pay cash (and I agree) and it looks like I have exactly $600 budgeted to upgrade my speakers. With two young children and everything else (basement build, landscaping, etc) speakers are just not my families #1 priority (although they are higher for me) :) There will always be something else to take priority so I don't see that $600 budget really growing anytime soon this year. With the poor economy my company really cut back on bonuses and raises this year.

So I want to do this reasonably and I am the type of person who likes to upgrade, so I can probably justify an upgrade in 5 years or so if I feel the need.

All that said, I think I have decided on my next set of speakers. The HSU HB-1 MKII's for fronts and the HC-1 MKII center. Honestly, I did not even research these as I remember reading about the first gen HB-1's and while they got good reviews, they had some flaws. However, the MKII's were released Q4 last year and have been gettting rave reviews. I called up a friend who is considered an audiophile (he recommended my RBH in-ceiling speakers as well as my eD sub) and he actually auditioned these speakers as well as the SVS SCS-01's and he did not even hesitate. He told me that the MKII's were better speakers in his opinion and that he felt they were the best bang for the buck out of any bookshelves that he has auditioned. That said, he did highly praise the Ascend 340's but he felt that since the HSU speakers were in my budget I should go that route and not look back. He had not heard the Emotiva speakers but had high praise for their amps.

I called up HSU and spoke to one of their engineers concerning my room layout and size and also the AT speaker placement and he really eased any fears that I had.

So I have not pulled the trigger just yet, but probably will very soon.

[ack_bak]

The speakers are going to be placed behind an acoustically transparent screen, correct? IMO, that makes the Emotiva speakers your best choice by a fairly substantial margin. First of all, they are a sealed design. This is very beneficial when the speakers are going to be mounted very close to the wall. Ported speakers (such as the Ascend Acoustics CBM or CMT) will wind up with their ports placed too close to the wall and will result in poor mid-bass performance.

The Emotiva speakers are particularly well suited to placement behind a screen. The sealed design and boundary compensation switch lessens the worst issue (that of mid-bass performance). The available tweeter adjustment also allows you to compensate for the screen, most of which attenuate the high frequencies to some degree.

Thanks for the feedback. Hmm. Per my above post I questioned the HSU engineer about putting these speakers behind an AT screen and he told me that they only needed 2" or so placement from the wall. I was concerned about the rear port of the HSU, but the HSU engineer said that this would be no problem.

But here is my problem. HSU has a 30 day moneyback guarantee on these speakers but I am not planning to go the AT route (I currently have a 100" pull-down screen) until later this year when I have the time and money (DIY on the false screen wall build and will be buying an AT screen).

Just when I was ready to pull the trigger :)

So, what to do? FirstReflection (or any other knowledable folks) do you see the rear port of the HSU speakers being an issue? I was planning on setting my crossover at 80hz and letting the eD sub do all the rest. I am also planning on wrapping the wall behind the spakers in 1" linacoustic.

[ack_bak]

Based on some rough early designs it looks like I can place my speakers about 9" from the wall. Will that be enough room for a ported speaker?

[bandphan]

Based on some rough early designs it looks like I can place my speakers about 9" from the wall. Will that be enough room for a ported speaker?

i wouldnt;)

[ack_bak]

i wouldnt;)

That was my initial impression, but the HSU engineer didn't think it would be an issue. Uggh..

So now I am back on the fence. SVS SCS01, Emo ERM 1's, or HSU...

I think I have eliminated the eD speakers. They seem like solid performers, but the reviews are not as favorable as the SVS and HSU reviews.

[bandphan]

That was my initial impression, but the HSU engineer didn't think it would be an issue. Uggh..

So now I am back on the fence. SVS SCS01, Emo ERM 1's, or HSU...

I think I have eliminated the eD speakers. They seem like solid performers, but the reviews are not as favorable as the SVS and HSU reviews.

at high bds you might here chuffing

[FirstReflection]

Well, my recommendation remains the same: the Emotiva ERM-1s. The price is right, their performance is excellent and they are particularly well suited to your eventual acoustically transparent screen setup and, in the mean time, will also sound great with your current screen. Being able to adjust their mid-bass and tweeter output really is the key to their versatility.

That said, I would not say "no" to any if your options really. I love the accurate and neutral sound offered by Ascend. SVSound's SBS-01 speakers are probably my favorite $1000 5.1 speaker package. RBH has that signature clarity and midrange purity and the newer HSU speakers seem to be excellent as well.

The HSU speakers are the only ones I have not heard. I was no fan of their first gen speakers, but the new ones have garnered much more praise, so there's every reason to believe they are indeed better.

All of that said, I just keep coming back to the Emotiva speakers as being particularly well suited to your needs. Really, in such a situation, that is what it's all about. You can't really go "wrong" here and that's a great thing! Whether you chose Ascend, SVS, RBH, HSU, Axiom, Emotiva or perhaps even some other high quality brand, I'd be surprised if you were outright unhappy with just about any of them. When that is the case though, I look for any little detail that might put one particular offering over the others. It's not a clear cut case of "better" and "worse". It's more like, "these are all good choices, but the Emotiva speakers, IMO, have just a little advantage because they address a specific issue that you are likely to face".

Best of luck in your decision! If it were my money and I faced the same room and future plans, I would chose the Emotiva speakers. But if I wound up with one of the other brands, I wouldn't complain :)

[ack_bak]

Well, my recommendation remains the same: the Emotiva ERM-1s. The price is right, their performance is excellent and they are particularly well suited to your eventual acoustically transparent screen setup and, in the mean time, will also sound great with your current screen. Being able to adjust their mid-bass and tweeter output really is the key to their versatility.

That said, I would not say "no" to any if your options really. I love the accurate and neutral sound offered by Ascend. SVSound's SBS-01 speakers are probably my favorite $1000 5.1 speaker package. RBH has that signature clarity and midrange purity and the newer HSU speakers seem to be excellent as well.

The HSU speakers are the only ones I have not heard. I was no fan of their first gen speakers, but the new ones have garnered much more praise, so there's every reason to believe they are indeed better.

All of that said, I just keep coming back to the Emotiva speakers as being particularly well suited to your needs. Really, in such a situation, that is what it's all about. You can't really go "wrong" here and that's a great thing! Whether you chose Ascend, SVS, RBH, HSU, Axiom, Emotiva or perhaps even some other high quality brand, I'd be surprised if you were outright unhappy with just about any of them. When that is the case though, I look for any little detail that might put one particular offering over the others. It's not a clear cut case of "better" and "worse". It's more like, "these are all good choices, but the Emotiva speakers, IMO, have just a little advantage because they address a specific issue that you are likely to face".

Best of luck in your decision! If it were my money and I faced the same room and future plans, I would chose the Emotiva speakers. But if I wound up with one of the other brands, I wouldn't complain :)

I really appreciate your feedback as well as others in this thread. I did quite a bit of research on sealed vs ported speakers and the consensus seems is that all ported speakers are not alike. Some can be placed close to a wall (within a few inches) and some will need to be placed 12"+. Even after discussing the placement of the HSU speakers with an engineer, I was still concerned after their owners manual for these speakers shows ideal placement at least 27" from the back wall. Clearly any speaker will most likely sound better with ideal placement, but I was simply concerned with the HSU's rear porting and further research actually could have the HSU speaker within 7-8" of the wall. It probably would have been fine and sounded great since my subwoofer will be handling the vast majority of the bass. But... The fact that I cannot actually test the HSU with an AT screen false wall in my room within their 30 day satisfaction guarantee was a dealbreaker for me.

So I really focused on sealed speakers. And I seemed sold on the SVS but I kept coming back to the Emotive ERM-1 and their flexibility, performance, and price. The Emotiva, at least on paper, has better frequency response, better efficiency, can handle more power (and I am sure I will be upgrading to a pre/pro down the road), and better tweater and boundry compensation. Price wise it was about a wash. The SVS speakers would have been about $50 cheaper.

So I went with the Emotiva speakers. It was a tough call. I think the SVS SCS-01 speakers or the HSU speakers would have been a great fit as well, but overall I came to the same conclusion as your recommendation. The Emotiva's seem to offer me more for my money based on my room/placement conditions.

So now I am really pumped! I am very interested in hearing these speakers next to my old Polks.

I will report back after they are hooked up and I have done some room calibration and testing.

Thanks to everyone who assisted!

[FirstReflection]

Congratulations! It's always a bit of a rush when you hit that "submit order" button, isn't it? :)

I think you will be very pleased with the performance of the Emotiva speakers. Specs certainly do not tell the whole story, but in this case, the impressive specs do line up with impressive sound! I've always found Polk speakers to have a pleasant, but less than stellar sound quality. You should notice improved clarity and detail right away. The real treat though is the more subtle improvement. The Emotiva speakers can provide a truly seemless front soundstage. You will notice that during pans across the front, the timbre and voice of the sound remain completely unchanged as the panning sound moves from left to centre to right, or vice versa. Sometimes you might not take particular notice of this effect because it simply sounds seemless and exactly the way it should! But rest assured that when you visit a friend's house, his less than seemless front pans will stick out like a sore thumb to you :D

I have one bit of advice: play around with the tweeter cut/boost switch. I have found that it often helps to say, cut the left and right speakers' tweeter level while leaving the centre's at neutral; or to boost the centre while leaving the left and right neutral. I believe this is because the left and right speakers are often quite close to a side wall in many setups, and I think the early reflections may increase the perceived output of the left and right channels while the centre sounds a tad subdued by comparison. I can't predict what will work best in your setup, but experiment a bit to really dial in that perfect, seemless blend across the front!

Enjoy your new speakers! I think you're going to love them! :D

[ack_bak]

I may have hit a snafu.. My Onkyo 605 receiver is rated for 6-8 ohm speakers. My current speakers (both fronts and surrounds) are rated at 8ohms and the Emotiva's are rated at 4ohm.

They have not shipped the order yet and I am thinking I should cancel. I cannot afford to upgrade my receiver at this time. It looks like the SVS speaker and HSU speakers would both work since they are rated higher than 4ohm.

Thoughts from the experts?

[FirstReflection]

I may have hit a snafu.. My Onkyo 605 receiver is rated for 6-8 ohm speakers. My current speakers (both fronts and surrounds) are rated at 8ohms and the Emotiva's are rated at 4ohm.

They have not shipped the order yet and I am thinking I should cancel. I cannot afford to upgrade my receiver at this time. It looks like the SVS speaker and HSU speakers would both work since they are rated higher than 4ohm.

Thoughts from the experts?

It is not a problem. The Emotiva speakers are very steady in their impedance and do not really present a very difficult load. Emotiva is very conservative in their specs and other manufacturers would have likely rated the ERM-1 as 6 Ohm speakers.

The Onkyo 605 perfectly capable of driving the ERM-1 speakers. The ERM-1 do have the ability to use quite a bit more power if you ever have the opportunity to upgrade in the future, but you are in no danger or anything with your current 605 receiver :)

[ack_bak]

It is not a problem. The Emotiva speakers are very steady in their impedance and do not really present a very difficult load. Emotiva is very conservative in their specs and other manufacturers would have likely rated the ERM-1 as 6 Ohm speakers.

The Onkyo 605 perfectly capable of driving the ERM-1 speakers. The ERM-1 do have the ability to use quite a bit more power if you ever have the opportunity to upgrade in the future, but you are in no danger or anything with your current 605 receiver :)

Well that is a little more reassuring, but I am a little worried that the 605 will be underpowered. I do like to crank movies when nobody else is home :)

I sent an email to Emotiva regarding the speaker and receiver ohms, and will see what they say. I don't want to void any warranties either if it should cause any issues.

[FirstReflection]

It's an understandable concern. But remember that at a seating distance of 12 feet away from the speakers, you only need about 10 Watts each to drive the Emotiva speakers to over 90dB!

It's true that the 605 may struggle to hit full 105dB peaks (you'd need around 200 Watts of dynamic power to do so and the 605 cannot muster that), but 90-95dB is loud in anyone's book and the 605 will have no problem getting you to that volume.

The ERM-1 speakers never dip below 3.2 ohms (as per THX specifications) and they also do not produce much sound at all below 80Hz. That keeps the power demands quite reasonable and shouldn't tax the 605.

You can absolutely dump around 400 Watts into the Emotiva speakers, so there is plenty of headroom left if you want to upgrade your amplifier in the future, but for now, as long as you are ok with around 95dB as your max volume, the 605 will do just fine.

[ack_bak]

Thanks again firstreflection. It really sounds like the Emotiva's will work after all. I am going to call Emotiva first thing tomorrow AM and talk to one of their techs just to clear it with them.

[FirstReflection]

You're welcome! And that's a very good idea to call or write to Emotiva :)

You may notice that they don't really trumpet the 4 Ohm rating in their specs anymore. It's sort of hidden in the long list of features, but not included in the "short form" that has their dimensions, +/-3 dB points, efficiency and whatnot.

That omission is not by accident. Many people were concerned with the 4 Ohm rating and some people even speculated that it was a "racket" to get you to buy one of their amps for fear that the speakers would melt your receiver! :p

Well that's not the case. These are no more difficult to drive than the old M&K THX Select speakers, which were small bookshelf speakers with a 4 Ohm rating, but 100% meant to be driven by a mid-level receiver. THX Select, after all, was intended for 10 foot listening distance or shorter.

Bottom line, yes the Emotiva speakers will call for more current than some other speakers, but they are not like some of the 4 Ohm towers out there that dip way down to 1 Ohm at some frequencies. And since they do not produce much of any bass below 80Hz, the amp is not having to power a large driver or move its excursion to huge limits.

Anywho, Emotiva should be able to clear up your concerns :)

Best of luck!

[ack_bak]

Well, I spoke to am Emotiva tech and while he confirmed that the ERM-1's are stable and constant around 4ohms he was a little concerned with the Onkyo specs and told me that he recommends sticking with Onkyo's recommendations on pairing the 605 with 6-8ohm speakers.

So I, somewhat reluctantly, had him cancel the order.

So I am back on the hunt and leaning towards the SVS SCS-01's. I still wonder about those HSU B1-MKII speakers though. I know they have a rear port, but their engineer did mention that they would be fine with mouning near a wall as long as they have at least 2" of clearance.

I also was able to listen to some Klipsch R51 speakers which I liked as well. Again, I believe they have a rearport though.

[bandphan]

Well, I spoke to am Emotiva tech and while he confirmed that the ERM-1's are stable and constant around 4phms he was a little concerned with the Onkyo specs and told me that he recommends sticking with Onkyo's recommendations on pairing the 605 with 6-8ohm speakers.

So I, somewhat reluctantly, had him cancel the order.

So I am back on the hunt and leaning towards the SVS SCS-01's. I still wonder about those HSU B1-MKII speakers though. I know they have a rear port, but their engineer did mention that they would be fine with mouning near a wall as long as they have at least 2" of clearance.

I also was able to listen to some Klipsch R51 speakers which I liked as well. Again, I believe they have a rear port though.

get a new avr;) way to may speakers dip into the 4ohm range even if they are nominal at 8. Sell your and bump it up to the 8 series onk ect

[ack_bak]

get a new avr;) way to may speakers dip into the 4ohm range even if they are nominal at 8. Sell your and bump it up to the 8 series onk ect

I wish I could, but it is not in the budget right now. I think the Onkyo is fine with dipping into the 4ohm range, I think the concern from the Emotiva tech would be running them continuously in the 4 ohm range.

[ack_bak]

Checked out a couple of different speakers at several different B&M audio stores today:
Yamaha
Klipsch
PSB
Definitive Technologies
NHT

Basic reviews
The Klipsch speakers are just a little too "bright" for me (auditioned the RB81 and RB51). From what I heard they packed a punch but were lacking in the middle ranges. I understand why people like these speakers though. But they are just a little too "harsh" for me for extended listening. At least I think :) These also had rear ports, which I am trying to stay away from.

Yamaha. I liked the higher end Yamaha bookshelf speakers I heard, but they were pricey (Soavo was the name I believe)? The more affordable bookshelves sounded pretty solid. I liked the NS700/750, but these are still over my budget.

PSB. I really liked these speakers (PSB25). I thought they sounded quite good and seemed to have a very good balance in what I am looking for. The sound was less harsh to me than the Klipsch speakers and when I closed my eyes I definitely felt that these speakers had more of a live realistic sound to them. More natural. Price in store was way too much. Just checked online and these are just out of reach for my price range when you add the center speaker. Nice speakers though.

Deftech. (Pro monitor 1000). Liked the speakers, but not as much as the PSB's and the price was too high when you add the center speaker into the mix. I also tried some lower priced Deftechs, and just did not feel the performance for the $$ was worth it. They sure do look nice though :)

NHT (classic 3's, they did not have the 2's in stock). Like the PSB's, I really liked these. Perhaps the most. Tough call. I thought they were a very solid speaker and a nice balance with regards to highs, mids, and lows. Very clear and crisp and really immersive. The 3's were out of my price range but I have seen some deals for the 2's online, but they are out of reach when you factor in the center. I really enjoyed these.

I am glad I took the time to listen at a few local B&M stores. I am convinced now that I am not going to get the HSU HB1-MKII's. I am uncertain about the rear port, and I am just not sold on horn speakers based on my liking. It is not that they sound bad. They just sound a little "forced" to me compared to other speakers. It is possible that the HSU's are not as bright as the Klipsch speakers, but the rear port is the deal breaker I believe.

I really liked the PSB 25's and the NHT 3's. I am certain that I would be very happy with either of these choices along with my RBH speakers for surrounds and my eD subwoofer. At the B&M stores, they were just too much. Looking around online at trusted dealers I see a couple of deals, but are still more than I want to spend.

I decided to pull the trigger on the SVS SCS-01 speakers for mains and center. I was up late last night scouring reviews and eveybody who has purchased these speakers as mains has very high praise and has been quite pleased. They seem to meet all of my criteria and would be a good fit I believe. Worst case, I can return them and get my money back and just such it up and buy either the PSB's or NHT's.

I would be interested in hearing from PSB/NHT owners out there (specifically PSB 25 and NHT 2's).

Thanks!

[ack_bak]

Update:

My speakers (3x SVS SCS-01's) arrived yesterday morning. The boxes were small and easy to manage and were packed very well (kudos to SVS for not skimping on packaging). Here are my thoughts:
- It was torture, and I mean torture, working from home and making myself wait until the work day was over to unbox them and set them up

- Wow. These speakers (SCS-01's) are much smaller and lighter than my old Polk towers and center. I am not having buyers remorse at this point, but I am wondering if the SVS speakers will be much of an upgrade over the old Polkies...

- The speakers appear to be well made and look good. Wife came down as I was unboxing them and they passed the WAF test!

- I really like the tilt-base for the center speaker. I have a 100" screen and a projector so the center has to sit below the screen. My old Polk center was placed lower than I would have liked, but the SCS center with the tilt base really helps. Nice touch SVS (and I like that it is optional).

- I had some old metal stands and the SVS speakers fit pefectly on them. The stands are nice and modern looking and I never used them (they came with a nice TV stand that I used to use with my 56" Samsung DLP before I sold it and got a PJ).

- Got everything hooked up and ready to go around 5:30pm but had to eat dinner, run some errands, and then get the kids to bed and help pickup the house (a 3 and a 1 year old can make some big messes)

- Around 8:30 I calibrated the speakers using my Radio Shack SPL meter and the internal test tones on my Onkyo 605 receiver. So far so good

- I remembered the Avia II disc that SVS sent for free with the speakers and decided to calibrate off their internal sounds as well using the SPL meter. Interestingly enough, I found some minor differences between Avia and the Onkyo test tones. I went with Avia. Everything was close, but four out of the five speakers were off just a decibel or two. Again, nice touch including this disc SVS. Kudos.

- I really debated with crossover settings. With my Polk speakers things seemed to sound good at 100hz all around vs 80hz. I went with 80hz this time all around.

- I did bump up my subwoofer a few decibels above the reference point (75db) that I used for the rest of my speakers. Settled on 78(db's) on the SPL.

- Time for the show! Anticipation was killing me.....

- Decided on Ratatouille on Blu-Ray as I have spent a lot of time with this disc and am very familiar with how it sounded with the Polk speakers.

- Skipped straight to scene 4 (Caught!). Holy sh#$! Wow! And to think that I was worried that the SVS speakers would not be an improvement over my Polk speakers.... The difference was immediate and apparent as soon as the scene started. First of all, the sound was much cleaner than with the Polks. The dialogue was definitely more audible through the center channel and the overall sound seemed very natural and uncolored to me. I felt the highs were perfect along with the imaging. The Polks were definitely lacking compared to SVS in terms of both imaging and highs, but what I love about the SVS speakers is that it is not forced upon you like I have noticed with Klipsch speakers that I have demoed. I keep coming back to the word natural to describe these speakers, along with balanced. Very impressed. The soundstage was definitely broad enough for my space and seemed slightly broader than the old Polk speakers.

- It was amazing how clear these speakers are. There was a lot going on during this scene in the movie. You have the sound of rain falling. You have shotgun blasts. You have water running. You have the clang of metal on metal. Windows breaking. Thunder. And mixed in all of the above you have dialogue. The SCS-01's did not hesitate once or let me down. Everything came through clear and balanced. Nothing felt overpowering to me at all. Wow. I had every intention of trying out other material but I ended up watching the movie for another 20 minutes just taking everything in. My wife came down and wanted to hear them as well so I fired back up the "Caught" scene and she was very impressed as well (my wife is no audiophile). She told me that they definitely sounded better than the old speakers as well and that she was happy that they were smaller

I don't know what else to say except that I am kicking myself for not getting these speakers sooner. Now I feel that I have to go back and watch many of my movies again because of the apparent improvement in sound quality. My wife insisted that we watch both "24" and "Chuck" last night (twist my arm) so I was not able to demo any other movies, but plan on watching another movie tonight.

Overall, I really do not have any complaints. I was worried that the speakers would not play as nice with my RBH 815 in-ceiling speakers, but they really sound great together. I also felt that the eD A2-300 sounded wonderful with these speakers. I truly have no regrets. SVS was great to work with on the phone and I love the fact that they did not cut any corners on these speakers. They look good. They sound great. They were well packaged and the inclusion of the tilt base and the Avia II disc are major pluses. And the price. You cannot beat it. I was listening to speakers that cost almost twice as much as the SVS speakers did and, to me, they sound every bit as good. I really do not see how you can go wrong.

I will post some more pics later and will provide more feedback as I get some more time in with the speakers.

[ozmedia]

Thanks for the feedback. Honestly, I was also leaning towards the RBH speakers as well, but it looks like I won't be able to take advantage of my hookup with these speakers (ie gettting them at dealer cost) at this time. My connection is really swamped with work and life at this time and I just do not want to bother him (he is working 2 jobs right now to make ends meet). I called RBH directly and they will not sell to me direct or even sell me b-stock since there is an RBH dealer in my area. After a quick call to the dealer, it has become apparant that the 616's are just going to be too expensive at this time. Too bad.

So I was leaning towards the Emotiva speakers. But I was doing more research last night and am now really leaning towards the SVS SCS-01 speakers. They get very solid reviews and I called them up and spoke to them and they were extremely helpful and knowledgeable.

And now I am researching the HSU bookshelf speakers as well..

MC-616's are really nice,so are the MC-414C's (though they APPEAR small they have big sound). MC series are pretty transparent but not reserved. In fact I find the MC's an almost forward speaker, with great imaging.

What I would suggest on budget, would be to go for MC-6Cs, not too pricey and ample for your room, then you can always up to the MC'616's or even the 616-SE's from the Signature line when you have more money and use the MC6's as rears or in another room.

Behind a screen, nowhere to install an MC-616 in-wall? Would save you that extra money without sacrificing sound.



OOOPS sorry, I just noticed that you had received your speakers already; which I can tell you are more than happy with.
Will leave the post intact just in case others need alternate choices as well.

[ack_bak]

MC-616's are really nice,so are the MC-414C's (though they APPEAR small they have big sound). MC series are pretty transparent but not reserved. In fact I find the MC's an almost forward speaker, with great imaging.

What I would suggest on budget, would be to go for MC-6Cs, not too pricey and ample for your room, then you can always up to the MC'616's or even the 616-SE's from the Signature line when you have more money and use the MC6's as rears or in another room.

Behind a screen, nowhere to install an MC-616 in-wall? Would save you that extra money without sacrificing sound.



OOOPS sorry, I just noticed that you had received your speakers already; which I can tell you are more than happy with.
Will leave the post intact just in case others need alternate choices as well.

Thanks for your post. I love RBH speakers and live in Northern Utah but could not get my normal discount and my local dealer wanted to charge me more than I was willing to spend.

RBH makes some excellent speakers (I use 815 in-ceiling speakers for my surround). In fact my father-in-law has the MC-414 line. I have to say though, I think the SCS-01's are better. I would love to compare them to the 616's though. And while I like their (RBH) subs, I have found them to be a lacking when stacked next to SVS, HSU, eD, etc.

[FirstReflection]

Hey, congrats! :D

I'm definitely a fan of SVSound's speakers. I believe them to be very fairly priced and their design and performance is accurate and neutral. I think you would have also been very impressed with the Emotiva speakers if they had worked out for you, but you won't hear me complaining about buying SVS instead! :)

Excellent choice and even more excellent to read that you and your wife are happy with them! The best part will be demonstrating the very real and obvious difference that good quality audio can make to your friends and family. People are almost never convinced, no matter how knowledgable you may be, but when they hear it for themselves, that's when it finally makes sense! Good quality doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg and it doesn't have to look ugly or be huge ;)

[lsiberian]

MC-616's are really nice,so are the MC-414C's (though they APPEAR small they have big sound). MC series are pretty transparent but not reserved. In fact I find the MC's an almost forward speaker, with great imaging.

What I would suggest on budget, would be to go for MC-6Cs, not too pricey and ample for your room, then you can always up to the MC'616's or even the 616-SE's from the Signature line when you have more money and use the MC6's as rears or in another room.

Behind a screen, nowhere to install an MC-616 in-wall? Would save you that extra money without sacrificing sound.



OOOPS sorry, I just noticed that you had received your speakers already; which I can tell you are more than happy with.
Will leave the post intact just in case others need alternate choices as well.


UM make sure you use 3 vertical channels. You have a PJ so no shelf is needed below the PJ.:D

[ack_bak]

Hey, congrats! :D

I'm definitely a fan of SVSound's speakers. I believe them to be very fairly priced and their design and performance is accurate and neutral. I think you would have also been very impressed with the Emotiva speakers if they had worked out for you, but you won't hear me complaining about buying SVS instead! :)

Excellent choice and even more excellent to read that you and your wife are happy with them! The best part will be demonstrating the very real and obvious difference that good quality audio can make to your friends and family. People are almost never convinced, no matter how knowledgable you may be, but when they hear it for themselves, that's when it finally makes sense! Good quality doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg and it doesn't have to look ugly or be huge ;)

I want to personally thank you for all your assistance in my search for speakers. I would have liked to have stacked the Emotiva, HSU, and SVS speakers side by side and really done some testing, but in the end that just was not going to happen and I am definitely happy with the SVS SCS speakers. As you mentioned they are very accurate and neutral. Spent some time with them last night listening to some music and watched a dialogue driven movie "Groundhog Day" on Blu-Ray. A definite improvement over my Polk speakers, especially for dialogue.

I am going to experiment with my crossover settings. I had the Polks set at 100hz previously and then set the SVS speakers to the THX recommended 80hz range. I may try 90hz and 100hz. I feel that the bass is just a little lacking for TV, but is fine for movies.

Yeah, I am excited for some of my family members to come over and listen to them. I believe I am going to host a showing of "Qunatum of Solace" at my house on the projector. That movie sounds very good on Blu-Ray and should be a good test for my speakers :)