Just saying Hi, Thanks and I fully blame you for this!

[sleepyhead]

Hello Audioholics forum. First off, I'd like to say thanks for the useful and detailed (thought oft times beyond my current comprehension) information here on the forum, main website and YouTube channel. Also it's all your fault I've started getting into audio and hometheatre! I don't have much in equipment (or money or space), but I'm hoping to make my way up slowly.

I do have a question though: right now I have a pair of Monitor Audio BX5 (got them on the cheap) running off a Onkyo SR-343 (yes, you guessed it, on the cheap again). How would I go about selecting a centre and surround to match? Is it better to sell the BX5 and get a different set of speakers?

Thanks!

 

[afterlife2]

Welcome! Budget?

 

[rojo]

Welcome sleepy! It's generally preferable to get a center from the same maker and series as your mains so your entire front stage maintains a consistent timbre. If you don't mind not having a grille, I'd say place a bid on this. Or you can get one new in box for $256 if you prefer. If that is out of your budget, you should contact Dennis Murphy at Philharmonic Audio and buy an Affordable Accuracy center channel from him. For $100 + shipping, you won't find a better center channel. It's a Pioneer SP-C22 center channel modded by a crossover god with an upgraded tweeter and impedance-matched crossover. It's got neutral tuning, and will probably blend reasonably well with your Monitor Audio Bronze mains.

For surrounds, again I recommend Affordable Accuracy. Same reasons as the AA center.

Have you gotten a subwoofer yet? The Monoprice 9723 measures impressively for the price. See this writeup for details. If you have a larger room to fill (over 2500 cu. ft. or so), you could step up to the Dayton SUB-1500 for a few dB more output. If ground-pounding and frightening small children is what you crave, save up about $600 - $1000 and we'll help you find something a little more grown up.

 

[sleepyhead]

Welcome! Budget?

HA! Budget. That's a little interesting. I'm currently residing in Japan, so budget will be in Yen, however if it's an imported product, I'm looking in the region of $300 for surrounds and less for centre. Locally produced speakers, probably less so. I actually have no idea what to be looking to start with...

Welcome sleepy! It's generally preferable to get a center from the same maker and series as your mains so your entire front stage maintains a consistent timbre. If you don't mind not having a grille, I'd say place a bid on this. Or you can get one new in box for $256 if you prefer. If that is out of your budget, you should contact Dennis Murphy at Philharmonic Audio and buy an Affordable Accuracy center channel from him. For $100 + shipping, you won't find a better center channel. It's a Pioneer SP-C22 center channel modded by a crossover god with an upgraded tweeter and impedance-matched crossover. It's got neutral tuning, and will probably blend reasonably well with your Monitor Audio Bronze mains.

For surrounds, again I recommend Affordable Accuracy. Same reasons as the AA center.

Have you gotten a subwoofer yet? The Monoprice 9723 measures impressively for the price. See this writeup for details. If you have a larger room to fill (over 2500 cu. ft. or so), you could step up to the Dayton SUB-1500 for a few dB more output. If ground-pounding and frightening small children is what you crave, save up about $600 - $1000 and we'll help you find something a little more grown up.

Thanks for the info rojo, however the caveat being my location being Japan. It seems that audio here falls into some extreme grades: a few budget models, a few mid range, then a ton of gear that's $10,000 or more. At least, in my experience from the shops I've been to.

Subs, I am trying to import an SVS PC-2000, however PayPal / japan financial laws are making this purchase much harder than it is (there is a hardcap to each transaction, and importing the sub goes over that threshold)

I'll have to try and contact Dennis Murphy and see if it's possible to sent those units over or if there is a distributor here.

Thanks for the help!

 

[herbu]

It's generally preferable to get a center from the same maker and series as your mains so your entire front stage maintains a consistent timbre.

Hey, sleepy. Do you understand what that means?

Think about a movie with a car/truck/plane moving from left to right across your screen. The sound will travel from your Left speaker to your Center speaker to your Right speaker, so it actually sounds like the car/truck/plane is moving. It is kind of the primary purpose of surround sound.

If your Center speaker has a different "timbre" than your Left & Right, you'll hear the sound change, not just move. It may sound like a Camry on your Left & Right, but a Corvette on your Center. When your Left/Center/Right speakers match in timbre, the car will sound the same from each speaker, so all you notice is the movement.

It is possible to find speakers from different brands with a similar timbre. It is easier to simply buy speakers of the same brand and series.

 

[zieglj01]

Go to the Japan Ebay website

 

[sleepyhead]

Hey, sleepy. Do you understand what that means?

Think about a movie with a car/truck/plane moving from left to right across your screen. The sound will travel from your Left speaker to your Center speaker to your Right speaker, so it actually sounds like the car/truck/plane is moving. It is kind of the primary purpose of surround sound.

If your Center speaker has a different "timbre" than your Left & Right, you'll hear the sound change, not just move. It may sound like a Camry on your Left & Right, but a Corvette on your Center. When your Left/Center/Right speakers match in timbre, the car will sound the same from each speaker, so all you notice is the movement.

It is possible to find speakers from different brands with a similar timbre. It is easier to simply buy speakers of the same brand and series.

Yeah. I got the meaning of timbre from the audioholics youtube video! It's tough finding old BX stuff, as ebay Japan throws up nothing. I'll keep searching for BX gear! Thanks for the assistance!

 

[herbu]

Yeah. I got the meaning of timbre from the audioholics youtube video!

I think I like you already.

 

[sleepyhead]

Could I get away with getting the newer Bronze centre instead of the BX? I don't have access to either to listen and compare (within reasonable travelling distance). Does this also apply to the rears? I'm thinking of getting the BX1 or Bronze 1 for rears. Back-up plans in case I can't find any more cheap BX stuff.

 

[zieglj01]

Could I get away with getting the newer Bronze centre instead of the BX? I don't have access to either to listen and compare (within reasonable travelling distance). Does this also apply to the rears? I'm thinking of getting the BX1 or Bronze 1 for rears. Back-up plans in case I can't find any more cheap BX stuff.

It should be close enough sound-wise, to work out fine for your needs.

 

[sleepyhead]

I found a BX centre so I just put in my order. If they have still have it in stock I should have it by Thursday. Thanks to everyone's contribution and advice.

 

[lovinthehd]

Welcome sleepy! It's generally preferable to get a center from the same maker and series as your mains so your entire front stage maintains a consistent timbre. If you don't mind not having a grille, I'd say place a bid on this. Or you can get one new in box for $256 if you prefer. If that is out of your budget, you should contact Dennis Murphy at Philharmonic Audio and buy an Affordable Accuracy center channel from him. For $100 + shipping, you won't find a better center channel. It's a Pioneer SP-C22 center channel modded by a crossover god with an upgraded tweeter and impedance-matched crossover. It's got neutral tuning, and will probably blend reasonably well with your Monitor Audio Bronze mains.

For surrounds, again I recommend Affordable Accuracy. Same reasons as the AA center.

Have you gotten a subwoofer yet? The Monoprice 9723 measures impressively for the price. See this writeup for details. If you have a larger room to fill (over 2500 cu. ft. or so), you could step up to the Dayton SUB-1500 for a few dB more output. If ground-pounding and frightening small children is what you crave, save up about $600 - $1000 and we'll help you find something a little more grown up.

FWIW the current Affordable Accuracy monitors are based on the Dayton BR-1 kits. I know he used to modify the Pioneers....does he do that just for centers now? Don't see it on Dennis' website at least....may not help the OP in Japan either way.

I'll also throw out that timbre matching is overrated somewhat. You can do well with a mismatched center, too.

 

[rojo]

FWIW the current Affordable Accuracy monitors are based on the Dayton BR-1 kits. I know he used to modify the Pioneers....does he do that just for centers now? Don't see it on Dennis' website at least....may not help the OP in Japan either way.

I'll also throw out that timbre matching is overrated somewhat. You can do well with a mismatched center, too.

Yeah, Dennis still offers the AA center based on the Andrew Jones Pioneer center. See this post from May 23rd.

Re: timbre matching, if ideal is possible, then ideal is preferable to acceptable, and is worth the effort. But yeah, one can do reasonably well with a mismatched center. My center isn't from the same series as my mains, but it's close enough for government work. If it weren't for placement constraints and an inability to use a rear-ported center, I'd probably be running an AA center. I wouldn't consider replacing it with, say, a Polk TSi center though.

 

[sleepyhead]

It arrived and sitting between my BX5s. Boxes instead of a stand. That's next!

Yeah, it's super messy. I'm being ultra lazy about cabling. Movies sound that bit better with a centre channel!