$1800 5.1 Speaker Upgrade, opinions and help wanted

[GTOhaas07]

Like the title says, I'm upgrading the speakers of my main HT. My Norman Laboratories Model 10s are having tweeter issues and after some minor water damage to the feet following a small flood, I've decided against repairing them this time around, maybe down the road when I have a bit more money and feel a bit more nostalgic.

What I currently have:
Receiver - Onkyo TX-SR806
Towers - Norman Labs Model 10
Center - Polk CS10
Surrounds - Boston Acoustics HS450
Sub - Yamaha YST-SW216

What I'm looking to upgrade to:
Receiver - Keeping the Onkyo TX-SR806
Towers - EMPTek E55Ti ($695)
Center - EMPTek E56Ci ($395)
Surrounds - Unsure, see number 1 below.
Sub - Unsure, see number 2 below.

1. I'm not entirely certain I need to upgrade these, are there any real negatives to using a tower speaker as a surround? I know installing a set of bipoles or dipoles can drastically change the soundstage but I'm not sure that's something I want as, correct me if I'm wrong, I've heard the placement of these speakers can be less forgiving, especially dipoles.

2. I am definitely upgrading this subwoofer. This is a carryover from my high school days where I was using it in a typical teenagers bedroom. It's woefully lacking in a larger room, especially in my ≅2000ft³ living room. What I'm torn between is the PB1000 and PB2000 from SVS mainly due to the $300 price difference. This will become a bigger factor if I should decide to spend the money on upgrading my surround speakers.

Any other factors or speakers that I should be looking at? Thanks!

 

[zieglj01]

The surrounds will be OK - at least timbre (voice) match the front 3 speakers.
If you can swing it, go with the PB-2000

 

[GTOhaas07]

Thanks. Just curious, what are the major drawbacks to sticking with the Bostons for surrounds? Any ideas on a better suited speaker that won't break the bank?

 

[zieglj01]

Thanks. Just curious, what are the major drawbacks to sticking with the Bostons for surrounds? Any ideas on a better suited speaker that won't break the bank?

Only real drawback, would be if you listen mainly to surround music.
For surround music, best to timbre (voice) match.

The other drawback for me is, I do not prefer towers for surrounds.
I would prefer something that I could mount higher up >> for the
movie surround sound.

Any recommendation for surrounds, will depend on max budget. >
Some prefer cheaper surrounds - I do not prefer the cheapest one.

 

[GTOhaas07]

If I were to do the surrounds and the PB2000 I wouldn't be comfortable spending any more than $200 on a set of surround speakers.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Your BA HS450 is actually might be a very nice speaker. If you definitely keep it for surround duty if the tweeter is at 1 ft above ear level. Maybe you could arrange some short stands if so needed
Def keep the AVR - 806 is a nice one. Just make sure it properly cooled - aka don't put anything of top of it and allow 4-5 inches of space above it to insure it longevity.

+1 for EMPs - I have heard them - they have very nice laid back and a bit warm sound to them.
For sub - PB2000 is great sub, but it is over your budget by $100. 2100sq room is not too big if it's sealed but if it is open to other spaces you'd need something a bit more powerful than pb1000

Why not it's older model - pb12-nsd - it's a great sub and only for $700 - fits your budget perfectly?
PB12-NSD

 

[zieglj01]

If I were to do the surrounds and the PB2000 I wouldn't be comfortable spending any more than $200 on a set of surround speakers.

Just squeeze another $25 - for EMP
EMP Tek E5Bi Bookshelf Speaker

 

[GTOhaas07]

Your BA HS450 is actually might be a very nice speaker. If you definitely keep it for surround duty if the tweeter is at 1 ft above ear level. Maybe you could arrange some short stands if so needed

Right now the tweeter sits about ear level, it would be pretty easy to mess around with the height a bit.

Def keep the AVR - 806 is a nice one. Just make sure it properly cooled - aka don't put anything of top of it and allow 4-5 inches of space above it to insure it longevity.

I've had it for just over 4 years now, at the recommendation of this site, and couldn't be happier with it. I haven't had any overheating issues with it on my current stand which only allows for about 1.5" of clearance. I do clean it regularly to try and keep as much dust out of it though.

+1 for EMPs - I have heard them - they have very nice laid back and a bit warm sound to them.
For sub - PB2000 is great sub, but it is over your budget by $100. 2100sq room is not too big if it's sealed but if it is open to other spaces you'd need something a bit more powerful than pb1000

Why not it's older model - pb12-nsd - it's a great sub and only for $700 - fits your budget perfectly?
PB12-NSD

My living room does open up to the kitchen and main hallway, it also has cathedral ceilings. I thought about the PB12 but I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much money on something that doesn't look good, especially given how nice the EMPs look. Aesthetics definitely come second to performance, hence I'm looking at SVS over the EMPTek 1010i, but I was willing to go over budget by a little for a nicer looking piece.