Help me pick some surround speakers please.

[RH Clark]

Hello everyone. I am an aspiring Audioholic on a wino budget. I have however managed to put together what I think is a good system so far for under $500 by searching local Marketplace habitually. I have a Pioneer Elite VSX 03TXH powering all my speakers. My front L&R's are Medowlark Heron towers. My center is a Polk CSiA6. My L&R surrounds are The Speaker Company (TSC) RC1's, that came with the amp. I have a TSC ASM-8 sub that was also included.

I currently have no rear L&R speakers. I have found some Elac B6's for $150 but they are 2 hours away. What would be some good surrounds under $300 a set new that I might consider? Should I also replace the TSC surrounds with higher quality speakers? This also begs the question of just how good the side and rear surrounds need to be to enjoy good movie surround sound since the surrounds are only producing ambient sound. I am a complete newby to anything except 2 channel stereo.

 

[NINaudio]

First of all, what kind of space is this system going in? 5.1 might be plenty already depending on your situation. In general a good set of neutral speakers that will work well are the NHT super zero's.

 

[Danzilla31]

Hello everyone. I am an aspiring Audioholic on a wino budget. I have however managed to put together what I think is a good system so far for under $500 by searching local Marketplace habitually. I have a Pioneer Elite VSX 03TXH powering all my speakers. My front L&R's are Medowlark Heron towers. My center is a Polk CSiA6. My L&R surrounds are The Speaker Company (TSC) RC1's, that came with the amp. I have a TSC ASM-8 sub that was also included.

I currently have no rear L&R speakers. I have found some Elac B6's for $150 but they are 2 hours away. What would be some good surrounds under $300 a set new that I might consider? Should I also replace the TSC surrounds with higher quality speakers? This also begs the question of just how good the side and rear surrounds need to be to enjoy good movie surround sound since the surrounds are only producing ambient sound. I am a complete newby to anything except 2 channel stereo.

The most important question is are you enjoying your system as is? If so you don't have to rush into upgrading. Take your time saving so you can really go after some good upgrade deals when good used speakers pop up in your area

 

[Danzilla31]

First of all, what kind of space is this system going in? 5.1 might be plenty already depending on your situation. In general a good set of neutral speakers that will work well are the NHT super zero's.

Totally agree how big is the room and is it a living room, bedroom, dedicated listening space. Whats the distance between the main listening position and the speakers? That info would be super helpful for us making suggestions.

 

[RH Clark]

My media room is 18X24 feet but I have a 12X16 foot dining room that forms an L with it . I have the fronts near the corners of the 18' wall. My sides are directly L&R of my seating and I have about 8 feet to the rear of my seating where I could place some LR rear speakers.

I am happy with the sound. I just don't know how much happier I would be with 2 more rear speakers or even if the difference between a set of $50 speakers VS a set of $300 speakers could be heard when used as rear or side surrounds.

 

[NINaudio]

I can't find any measurements on the RC1's to see if there is anything that jumps out about their frequency response.

Nobody, but yourself, is going to be able to tell you if you will notice a difference between a $50 speaker or a $150 speaker.

You certainly have the space for rear surrounds.

As for replacing your current set, I'd advise you that since you're happy with how things sound now you leave things as they are.

You could always try a pair of speakers from a company with free returns if you want to see if you notice a difference. You could try a pair of the SVS Prime satellites and see if you notice a difference and if you do if you think it's worth the money.

 

[RH Clark]

I can't find any measurements on the RC1's to see if there is anything that jumps out about their frequency response.

Nobody, but yourself, is going to be able to tell you if you will notice a difference between a $50 speaker or a $150 speaker.

You certainly have the space for rear surrounds.

As for replacing your current set, I'd advise you that since you're happy with how things sound now you leave things as they are.

You could always try a pair of speakers from a company with free returns if you want to see if you notice a difference. You could try a pair of the SVS Prime satellites and see if you notice a difference and if you do if you think it's worth the money.

Is frequency response what I need to be looking at mostly in a surround speaker? When I ask about the noticing the difference between $50 speakers and $150 speakers I am asking more about what is needed in a surround speaker. Will the sound quality of a more expensive speaker be appreciated or noticed when used as a side or rear surround?

 

[lovinthehd]

I thought wino budget meant a large budget....

 

[NINaudio]

I thought wino budget meant a large budget....

https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/wino

 

[Eppie]

Is frequency response what I need to be looking at mostly in a surround speaker? When I ask about the noticing the difference between $50 speakers and $150 speakers I am asking more about what is needed in a surround speaker. Will the sound quality of a more expensive speaker be appreciated or noticed when used as a side or rear surround?

I think that would depend on listening levels. For low to moderate listening levels you don't need anything fancy for movie surround effects. If you like it loud (movie theatre levels) then a more dynamic speaker is going to be able handle the big effects better. If you also enjoy surround music, then it can make sense to put a little more into surround speakers.

I have also read good things about the NHT SuperZeros for those on a budget. You could try one pair and maybe even swap them with the RC1s to see how they work as side surrounds. If you like them you could replace the RC1 with another pair. The used market is a little more of a chore but if you state what area you are in, members might be able to recommend something on Craigslist or USAudioMart. Crutchfield.com also has the Kanto Yu Passive and the JBL Stage A120 discounted right now. The JBL A120 is normally $250 so at $150 is a very good value.

I would also consider saving up for a better subwoofer. Many that are new to the hobby underestimate the impact of a good subwoofer. The little ASM-8 probably doesn't do much below 35Hz and a true subwoofer should have usable output down to 20Hz. If you can't fit a 12" sub in the room, there are some decent 10" subs available. Erin's Audio Corner did a round up of some budget 10" subs here. Dayton and Monolith also have some good budget options.

 

[emorphien]

All I can provide is my own experience. I recently finished setting up a home theater in a small spare room in our new house. For side surrounds I ended up choosing the Polk OWM3 because I needed something that wouldn't stick out too much, could wall mount easily, and ideally wasn't too expensive since I wasn't confident in it being a permanent solution.

So far they have exceeded my expectations, and for $180 they're a bargain.

Can't say how much having rear surrounds will add, I haven't ever had those at home (5.x only). I'm currently looking at adding front height/atmos next (also using the Polks), but that'll max my receiver out.

I will say that my experience with everything aside from the main LCR both at home and in other implementations is that you're asking less of those speakers overall. As long as they can play at needed volumes without distorting, with a good dispersion to cover the seating area (but not too broad), are reasonably linear in their response, and can comfortably reach whatever crossover frequency you're using with your sub, they'll probably be fine. I wouldn't spend big bucks upgrading those for a better experience, but if you want a matching or fancier looking system, that's another matter entirely.

 

[RH Clark]

https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/wino

I think that would depend on listening levels. For low to moderate listening levels you don't need anything fancy for movie surround effects. If you like it loud (movie theatre levels) then a more dynamic speaker is going to be able handle the big effects better. If you also enjoy surround music, then it can make sense to put a little more into surround speakers.

I have also read good things about the NHT SuperZeros for those on a budget. You could try one pair and maybe even swap them with the RC1s to see how they work as side surrounds. If you like them you could replace the RC1 with another pair. The used market is a little more of a chore but if you state what area you are in, members might be able to recommend something on Craigslist or USAudioMart. Crutchfield.com also has the Kanto Yu Passive and the JBL Stage A120 discounted right now. The JBL A120 is normally $250 so at $150 is a very good value.

I would also consider saving up for a better subwoofer. Many that are new to the hobby underestimate the impact of a good subwoofer. The little ASM-8 probably doesn't do much below 35Hz and a true subwoofer should have usable output down to 20Hz. If you can't fit a 12" sub in the room, there are some decent 10" subs available. Erin's Audio Corner did a round up of some budget 10" subs here. Dayton and Monolith also have some good budget options.

Thank you for the well thought reply. I do like loud. I actually shouted at an unexpected gun shot in a movie yesterday. It took me by surprise and I even flinched away from the breaking glass of my window. I can put on some select music, close my eyes and experience the room dissolve. My wife doesn't give a rip and could be happy listening to just her phone the rest of her life, but enough of that.

Thanks again. Ii'll look into those suggestions. I particularly appreciate the speaker dealer links.