Help! I need to pick a new Subwoofer and speakers!

[mvp]

I think you all will be happy to know I have taken your advice and am committed to selling my Bose system. In fact, I have someone coming over tomorrow that will probably buy it. That will leave me without speakers/subwoofer for a while while I decide what I want (between HSU and SVS most likely). And by the way, no biggy but I am not a guy. I am a lady. I am an aerospace engineer that fully admits I have alot to learn about audio hardware! Thank you everyone for all your help!!!

 

[mvp]

On another note, I just found out I will be have shoulder surgery on 5/11. I would really like to have new speakers and subwoofer setup by then so during my awful recovery I can be enjoying them. Does any audio guru on this site live near Houston and would maybe consider coming to my house to help me set it all up? I can help hook up wires but I don't know anything about the other "tuning" you all talk about. I would so love to have an audio guru help setup my system!! Anyone out there that might consider it???

 

[mvp]

How would a projector cope with those skylights? Windows look like they may have shades....

Skylights do not have shades. I don't think a projector would work there. I don't think that space above the ceiling is really accessible. Plus I love my 3D TV! If that every goes I want to replace it with a mega big OLED.

 

[mvp]

My Monolith Encore towers just arrived tonight for my bedroom I'm installing them tommorow morning and will post the entire experience on the Encore tower review thread Shady just did if you want to get an idea of what the Encore series of speakers can do

Great. Thanks!!

 

[mvp]

Use near-field placement to take out room size as a factor. Why not replace that table behind your listening position with a sub? I have outlined it with a red circle:
View attachment 55745
Replace that table with a nice looking sub. Look at the Outlaw Audio Ultra-X12 or the Arendal 1723 1V. You can put a tablecloth on them to keep the room looking nice. Use a wireless sub signal transmitter to avoid wires altogether. If you really want to go nuts, replace that little table between the sofa and the armchair with this sub. Both seats get blasted with high quality bass, and you have unlimited headroom since the sub is so close to you. The dual-opposed driver configuration negates cabinet vibration, so you can rest your drinks on the sub without worrying about them vibrating off the top. It's the perfect end table subwoofer.

I would be willing to put a bass under the table near the staircase, but not in place of it. I had that table and the granite tabletop custom made to fit that space. Not to be sexist, but I am guessing you all must be guys, because ladies place a high priority on the looks of a room. Ha! Ha! And I am a typical lady.

 

[mvp]

I think part of what's being lost here, and maybe my fault for not being clear, and that is that below a certain frequency the size and shape of the room are what is going to determine how a subwoofer will perform. That's why appropriate size and placement are so important. If poorly placed and implemented the quality of the subwoofer is irrelevant and no amount of eq, power or quality engineering will make it sound right.

The room size and shape are completely in control of the bass domain, and when you have a bunch of different subs placed all over the room one or 2 of them are going to sound better than the rest no matter who made them. Just by virtue of having an advantage with optimal placement while the rest are doomed from the start and have no chance of playing to their true potential.

This is why I keep banging that drum. You just can't trust what you're hearing from a subwoofer in a retail demo room.

I am sure you are right. That is why I am weighing getting 2 moderate subs vs 1 more powerful sub. The benefit of the former is that I will have more areas with better sound but the later allows me to upgrade to the second powerful sub if the first is not enough.

 

[mvp]

Okay option #1. Move the TV in front of the windows. That way you have room for 2 towers a center channel and those pre wired positions are perfect for surround and surround backs eventually tilted down I did that at an old house and it worked out great. With the surrounds up a little but angled to the listener

Option 2 go the fireplace side but mount the TV it doesn't have to be centered over the fireplace but centered along that wall. Above the mantle towards the right of the fireplace and then you could do 2 towers a center channel with 1 tower by the left side of the fireplace the other at the right corner or

Option 3 my fave one tower to the left corner by the fire place one tower by the right side of the fireplace for the center channel. And then one tower to the right corner. TV up centered on that wall like in option #2 all equipment goes in that alcove to the right of the fireplace

In all 3 options I think Shadys suggestion of nearfield placement for the subs is ideal. It's the best way to beat that room size without gigantic subs and nice looking ones as end tables or behind the seating can do very well

I had a huge living room like that in the old house and that's exactly how I beat the room size 2 SVS PB 4000 nearfield right behind my couches. It was friggin epic man.

I mean bookshelves in those spots just wouldn't give you much there not even in the right places. But if you did that would be option #4 but I wouldn't do polk S15 I'd go with Polk S20's minimum

But I'd go with the Monopricr Monolith Encore series before the polk the Monolith bookshelves would smash the polks and for less money too.

That's my 2 cents

THanks you so much for your suggestions. I would not put the TV in front of the windows and block my view but I understand your perspective. I could think about mounting the TV above the fireplace but I would hate all the unsightly wires showing. That would change where in the room I sit. I will have to think about that.

 

[lovinthehd]

I would be willing to put a bass under the table near the staircase, but not in place of it. I had that table and the granite tabletop custom made to fit that space. Not to be sexist, but I am guessing you all must be guys, because ladies place a high priority on the looks of a room. Ha! Ha! And I am a typical lady.

You can custom make a sub (either diy or hire someone) where it looks like furniture for a room, end tables or even something that looks like a cabinet of sorts, with faux drawers and stuff. You could even have the granite top or other materials. Yes, I'm a guy and the aesthetics of the room have to work with my speakers/subs/gear....just the way it is.

 

[mvp]

And by the way, for what it's worth, I own a pair of VTF - 3 MK5 subwoofers and they are as crispy as any other sub I have ever heard, and I have owned SVS sealed subwoofers. No regrets. None. Awesome subwoofers.

That great information. I am going to call HSU and talk to them tomorrow.

 

[lovinthehd]

That great information. I am going to call HSU and talk to them tomorrow.

If you're in southern California you can maybe even arrange a demo....altho think that was heavily curtailed for covid....

 

[lovinthehd]

Along the diy lines what people do for customization of subs (forgive our usual sausage fest type attitudes towards the use of WAF). https://www.avsforum.com/threads/awesome-waf-saf-builds.1686770/

 

[mvp]

OK, so what I think I am hearing most is for subs: HSU VTF-3 MK5 is the most recommended. I think you all are saying the SVS are good but more expensive and for the money HSU is better. Question: is the HSU sub user friendly for a novice like me? Or is it very complicated to setup/use?
For speakers, if I go with wall mounted, most of you like monolith the best with Polk S20s as a second choce, is that right?
And if I go with tower speakers, most of you like monolith the best?
Is all that right?

I am wondering the advantage of the towers over the mounted speakers. The reason is with a dog and the risk of things getting knocked over I am leaning toward not going that way. Plus, since the wall mounted speaker are prewired when the house was built, I don't have to deal with wires.

 

[lovinthehd]

I think you really can't go wrong with the better subs, from any of the usual culprits (Hsu, SVS, Monolith, Rythmik, Power Sound Audio, and some others)....it's a value difference I'd think about primarily. The SVS customer service package is a very good one, particularly if you change your mind after an in-home trial. Sub integration can get a bit involved, and it's not about a particular sub really, more just subs in general. Some avrs have relatively good sub setup as part of a setup routine. For tower speakers, the JBL 590 if still on sale for $400 each is what I'd recommend (own them myself)....but check aesthetics first, they're a bit "different" altho still just typical speaker coffin boxes in general....

ps But the 590s are a bit top heavy seeing your dog thing....but there are ways to cope with that somewhat too.

 

[lovinthehd]

Skylights do not have shades. I don't think a projector would work there. I don't think that space above the ceiling is really accessible. Plus I love my 3D TV! If that every goes I want to replace it with a mega big OLED.

LOL still use my 3d plasmas myself. If they go south then agree a big oled is what I'd look at.....

 

[mvp]

If you're in southern California you can maybe even arrange a demo....altho think that was heavily curtailed for covid....

No, I am in houston

 

[mvp]

LOL still use my 3d plasmas myself. If they go south then agree a big oled is what I'd look at.....

Yes! After my 75" 3D TV dies (hopefully not too soon) I am hoping LG will have an 85" and have prices below $3k, but maybe that is a pipedream.

 

[mvp]

I think you really can't go wrong with the better subs, from any of the usual culprits (Hsu, SVS, Monolith, Rythmik, Power Sound Audio, and some others)....it's a value difference I'd think about primarily. The SVS customer service package is a very good one, particularly if you change your mind after an in-home trial. Sub integration can get a bit involved, and it's not about a particular sub really, more just subs in general. Some avrs have relatively good sub setup as part of a setup routine. For tower speakers, the JBL 590 if still on sale for $400 each is what I'd recommend (own them myself)....but check aesthetics first, they're a bit "different" altho still just typical speaker coffin boxes in general....

ps But the 590s are a bit top heavy seeing your dog thing....but there are ways to cope with that somewhat too.

You are right about SVS having good customer service. SVS will ship the subwoofer for free and then you have 45 days to try it out and if you don't like it they pay return shipping and give you a full refund. You can't beat that. It makes you feel less scared to buy from them. I hope HSU has the same policy. I will find out tomorrow.

 

[mvp]

Along the diy lines what people do for customization of subs (forgive our usual sausage fest type attitudes towards the use of WAF). https://www.avsforum.com/threads/awesome-waf-saf-builds.1686770/

I went to the site. That stuff is amazing. Those people are WAY more skilled than me though.

 

[lovinthehd]

I went to the site. That stuff is amazing. Those people are WAY more skilled than me though.

Then again Salk and Deep Sea Sound build cabs to spec as well as others....it can get kinda spendy if not diy though

 

[lovinthehd]

You are right about SVS having good customer service. SVS will ship the subwoofer for free and then you have 45 days to try it out and if you don't like it they pay return shipping and give you a full refund. You can't beat that. It makes you feel less scared to buy from them. I hope HSU has the same policy. I will find out tomorrow.

Plus an upgrade program that's pretty good IIRC....