Looking for LCR: PSA MTM 210s vs the JBL HDI 3800 vs klipsch rp8000 / rf7 III ?

[smodtactical]

Looking for some LCRs for my TV surround system. Its a 12 x 20 foot room but has large openings that open to the rest of my house which is very open. Currently have dual 18 inch full martys and just vienna acoustic haydn grand bookshelves.

Thinking of PSA MTM 210s vs the JBL HDI 3800 vs klipsch rp8000 / rf7 III. Leaning waveguide/horn for the added excitement / dynamic factor for home theater / movie use. Won't be using this system for music much.

Appreciate any thoughts. Thanks!

Edit: Will be sitting 6-7 feet away.

 

[everettT]

Klipsch RP-8000F II Floorstanding Speaker Review

Klipsch RP-8000F II Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

JBL HDI-3800 Floorstanding Speaker Review

JBL HDI-3800 Floorstanding Speaker Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

Out of the ones you listed the JBL and the RF7IIIs for the described listening. What's your budget?

 

[Verdinut]

Looking for some LCRs for my TV surround system. Its a 12 x 20 foot room but has large openings that open to the rest of my house which is very open. Currently have dual 18 inch full martys and just vienna acoustic haydn grand bookshelves.

Thinking of PSA MTM 210s vs the JBL HDI 3800 vs klipsch rp8000 / rf7 III. Leaning waveguide/horn for the added excitement / dynamic factor for home theater / movie use. Won't be using this system for music much.

Appreciate any thoughts. Thanks!

My recommendation without any hesitation is the JBL HD3800. It is a acoustically more precise than the other two. It can handle a wide dynamic range and has an excellent dispersion. It provides good low frequency output while the PSA is a pro audio product with response limited to about 70 Hz.

JBL HDI-3800 Floorstanding Speaker Review

The JBL HDI-3800 84lb beast of a floorstanding speaker features triple 8" bass drivers and an advanced compression driver and waveguide. We review it to determine if it lives up to the JBL heritage.

www.audioholics.com

 

[smodtactical]

Klipsch RP-8000F II Floorstanding Speaker Review

Klipsch RP-8000F II Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

JBL HDI-3800 Floorstanding Speaker Review

JBL HDI-3800 Floorstanding Speaker Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

Out of the ones you listed the JBL and the RF7IIIs for the described listening. What's your budget?

Trying to spend under $4-5k usd. I can get the speakers I listed for that price.

 

[smodtactical]

My setup

 

[Audiosaur]

Looks like you might benefit from a rug to tame that first reflection.

 

[Verdinut]

Here is James Larson's review of the Klipsch. It is more critical than the JBL for proper positioning in a specific room:

Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F II Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review

Klipsch released their new RP-8000F II floorstanding loudspeakers that we reviewed to determine if they still retain the same high value and performance of the originals despite the pricing hike?

www.audioholics.com

 

[everettT]

So many speakers in that price point. What is the main listening distance? What do you have as amplification and processing?

 

[smodtactical]

Looks like you might benefit from a rug to tame that first reflection.

Definitely will treat the room.

 

[smodtactical]

So many speakers in that price point. What is the main listening distance? What do you have as amplification and processing?

Distance is 6-7 feet. Will be using Denon 4700H. I could maybe get discrete amp down the road but for now just want to use my AVR.

 

[lovinthehd]

Nice Martys! Is there going to be a center or not?

 

[smodtactical]

Nice Martys! Is there going to be a center or not?

Thank you sir. Yes for sure. I am going to go listen to some Tyler acoustic PD30s this week that are on sale.

If Im not into those then I may be going for JBL HDI3800 + 4500 or PSA MTM 210 LCR.

 

[lovinthehd]

Thank you sir. Yes for sure. I am going to go listen to some Tyler acoustic PD30s this week that are on sale.

If Im not into those then I may be going for JBL HDI3800 + 4500 or PSA MTM 210 LCR.

So took your OP to mean three identical speakers...and then saw the picture and wondered how that would work for a center.....or are you going to an acoustically transparent screen or ?

 

[Timforhifi]

Bowers has huge sales going on for 700 series. 702 s2 are $3500 a pair. Matching 3 way center is $1199. I bought some cm9 s2 used this last weekend and I was very impressed. Today I went to demo the 702 and 703 in person. Also heard the revel f206 and f208, then hdi 3600 and hdi 3800. If they were all the same price I’d get f208 but the 702 was so close and better on some music. Revel at $1500 more a pair would make me swing towards the bowers. Bowers look nicer as well. Jbl hdi was nice as well but a step below the others.

the others on your list I’d pass on. Rf7 iii is ok but most people that buy klipsch sell them within first year at a loss. Just trying to help you skip that step and not lose a couple thousand dollars.

 

[Verdinut]

Bowers has huge sales going on for 700 series. 702 s2 are $3500 a pair. Matching 3 way center is $1199. I bought some cm9 s2 used this last weekend and I was very impressed. Today I went to demo the 702 and 703 in person. Also heard the revel f206 and f208, then hdi 3600 and hdi 3800. If they were all the same price I’d get f208 but the 702 was so close and better on some music. Revel at $1500 more a pair would make me swing towards the bowers. Bowers look nicer as well. Jbl hdi was nice as well but a step below the others.

the others on your list I’d pass on. Rf7 iii is ok but most people that buy klipsch sell them within first year at a loss. Just trying to help you skip that step and not lose a couple thousand dollars.

The real fact is that Bowers and Wilkins speaker performance never matches that of the JBL or Klipsch already discussed. Their frequency response is far from being linear. Moreover they are more expensive and are hard to drive with some amplifiers, because of their ridiculously designed impedance curves and phase angle responses.

Just look at the serious reviews by Audioholics, ASR and Sound & Vision.

 

[Timforhifi]

The real fact is that Bowers and Wilkins speaker performance never matches that of the JBL or Klipsch already discussed. Their frequency response is far from being linear. Moreover they are more expensive and are hard to drive with some amplifiers, because of their ridiculously designed impedance curves and phase angle responses.

Just look at the serious reviews by Audioholics, ASR and Sound & Vision.

Honestly I felt the same way and always looked past Bowers and Wilkins. Wanted to try cm9 s2 myself in my own environment. Using arcam avr20 and nad m27 power amp. After using for many hours this weekend I’ve changed my attitude towards them. Of course I ran dirac and they really love power. After careful setup, they performed very well.

My at home demo made me want to hear the 700 series. So I went to the store and it wasn’t a perfect test. Jbl, revel and bowers were all in the same room playing on a trinov amp and a trinov altitude 16. They said each pair of speakers in demo room had been optimized to sound their best. I had to take their word for it, and they all sounded great. I like the Jbl a lot, I was just showing how much I liked the others as well.

I like graphs as well, running rew, playing with dirac and dialing in my mini dsp. All that being said it has to sound good at the end. All of the speakers I mentioned did that well, I just liked some more. Bowers isn’t a speaker that I’d just dismiss so fast.

 

[Eppie]

Of those listed I've only heard the JBL HDI series (HDI-3600) but agree with Shady's review. Really good sounding speakers and look better in person than in the photos.

 

[viseral audio]

I have owned the hdi 3800,s for about eight months now and I have no regrets, they sound terrific look great and best they will play as loud as you like without sounding strained. I typically play music in the mid to high 90 db range.

 

[kini]

Looking for some LCRs for my TV surround system. Its a 12 x 20 foot room but has large openings that open to the rest of my house which is very open. Currently have dual 18 inch full martys and just vienna acoustic haydn grand bookshelves.

Thinking of PSA MTM 210s vs the JBL HDI 3800 vs klipsch rp8000 / rf7 III. Leaning waveguide/horn for the added excitement / dynamic factor for home theater / movie use. Won't be using this system for music much.

Appreciate any thoughts. Thanks!

Edit: Will be sitting 6-7 feet away.

Briefly had the PSA MT110s. They were meh. Really no better than my old RF62IIs and less efficient than them too. Despite PSA's efficiency claims.

IMO/IME at 6-7' listening distance you won't get much of a soundstage with horn loaded speakers. Again IMO they need some distance to "open up". One of the biggest improvements I got when I switched to Kef (Q750/650) was the huge increase in the soundstage. It's like I have front wide and height speakers now.

So at such a short listening distance maybe consider something that has better and more even dispersion like Kef, Revel, focal for commercial speakers and Ascend, Salk or James Murphy for boutique speakers.

 

[lovinthehd]

Briefly had the PSA MT110s. They were meh. Really no better than my old RF62IIs and less efficient than them too. Despite PSA's efficiency claims.

IMO/IME at 6-7' listening distance you won't get much of a soundstage with horn loaded speakers. Again IMO they need some distance to "open up". One of the biggest improvements I got when I switched to Kef (Q750/650) was the huge increase in the soundstage. It's like I have front wide and height speakers now.

So at such a short listening distance maybe consider something that has better and more even dispersion like Kef, Revel, focal for commercial speakers and Ascend, Salk or James Murphy for boutique speakers.

James Murphy being Dennis Murphy?