planning home theatre need advice on speakers

[giacona]

I am planning to buy a home theatere within the next few years. Meaning have all the componets. The first item I will probally purchase is the tv by the end of next year, then move onto the speakers and the receiver will be last. The little components such as dvd player and cd changers will be the last.

the room where everything will be set up is approx 18X24 but it is a living room/dining room combo all open. It has 8 foot ceelings and tile floors so there is a bit of an echo.

I have a cheap 5.1 system now that my friend gave me by sony. It was one of those home theatres in the box. This will serve the purpose tempoarly until I find a set of speakers I like. I want a 5.1 set. If I can somehow get a decent pair from 1500-3000 that would be ideal but i am not sure if it's possible.

Now I like wall speakers better than floor standing but I always heard floor standing sound better. I am intersted in dev tech, polk and other brands. I plan to go to the stores and sample also.

I need to go to a store such as harveys or 6th ave where they sell high end equipment and sample the speakers. However I was talking to a guy at work and he was telling me it's very hard to hear the diffences in speakers. He can't tell the difference between a 1000 dollar pair and a 5000 dollar pair. I hope I am able to since this is going to hurt my wallet.

I am not sure if I need to spend a lot on speakers since this is technically my first home theatre. I plan to watch a lot of movies, sporting events in surround sound, plus listen to all types of music.

any advice would be appreciated

 

[R-Carpenter]

Actually, the speakers are the most important part of the system. Sub woofer ads a kick to movies but if you have great mains, it's not necessary, at list in the beginning. You could always add it later.
Mains and center channel should be matched and from the same company but not necessarily. Most of modern receivers offer some type of EQ.
Rear speakers handle very little information and if you need to save, that's the place.
Receiver has to handle the speakers and basically, more power the better.
If your friend can't hear differences between speakers perhaps you need to go and listen yourself.
For your budget I'd look for a used pair of ProACs or Sonus Faber. There's plenty of other great speaker. Thiel comes to mind, Infinity, Magneplanar, Martin Logan. A used pair will beat the budgisus out of Polks or Bose, but you do need to listen and make your own conclusions.
As I mentioned before, speakers adverse sound the most.
I have a pair of Pro Ac 2.5 clones if you interested.
Good luck.

 

[jcPanny]

HT research

Sounds like you should be researching the TV purchase and hold off on the receiver and speakers. Speaker and receiver prices, model numbers, etc. will change in the next couple years.

Depending on your time frame, look for deals on a TV on black friday and around the holidays. That time of the year (perhaps the following year) is also a good time to buy speakers or electronics.

 

[giacona]

thanks

Hey thanks for the advice. I am actually in the process of researching the TV now and plan to buy around black Friday. As for speakers and receiver, what makes you think they will come down in price? Is it the economy or are they just falling like the tv's are? If they do that will definateley help me.

I am in no rush and I am willing to wait until I can get the best deal for the equipment i feel is sufficiant for my needs. I know the technology on tv's change frequently. If I make a good investment in a receiver and speakers as well, would technology change as often with them as they do with tv's?

Thanks

 

[Soundman]

Hey thanks for the advice. I am actually in the process of researching the TV now and plan to buy around black Friday. As for speakers and receiver, what makes you think they will come down in price? Is it the economy or are they just falling like the tv's are? If they do that will definateley help me.

I am in no rush and I am willing to wait until I can get the best deal for the equipment i feel is sufficiant for my needs. I know the technology on tv's change frequently. If I make a good investment in a receiver and speakers as well, would technology change as often with them as they do with tv's?

Thanks

Speaker technology does not change as fast as the tv market does. A good sounding speaker today will still sound good 10 yrs from now. However, you'll probably want to upgrade your receiver/processor every few years to take advantage of new features. I recomend getting a solid amp that you shouldn't have to replace for many years. Then just upgrade the receiver/processor later if you find that after a few years your current one doesn't meet all of your needs. That's usually a more economical way to go if your someone who likes to upgrade more frequently to have the latest and greatest features. As for prices, due to the rise of ID companies out there, speaker prices in general have come down some from what they used to be. Dealers are having to compete somewhat so I have noticed dealer prices are less as well. All in all, there's always a good deal out there. You just have to keep your eyes open and be patient. In the meantime, audition as many speakers as possible.

 

[DD66000]

I need to go to a store such as harveys or 6th ave where they sell high end equipment and sample the speakers. However I was talking to a guy at work and he was telling me it's very hard to hear the diffences in speakers. He can't tell the difference between a 1000 dollar pair and a 5000 dollar pair. I hope I am able to since this is going to hurt my wallet.

Of all the gear that people buy, the speakers are the most personal. That's because we all have different hearing. But for that guy to tell you all speakers sound the same is total bull. Either he hasn't heard many brands or he doesn't really listen when he auditions speakers.
Some speakers within one brand may very well sound quite the same. But another brand of speakers can be just the opposite in sound.
I find some brands to be too dull sounding, while others can be too bright.
Some produce a very good soundstage, while others don't.

So it pays to really audition as many as you can. Then you can say, "well I like this kind of sound over that." Then you've trimmed down the speaker brands to just a few, to decide from which to pick, within a certain price range.

 

[fredk]

If you have two years, you can have a lot of fun and listen to a lot of different speakers.

Since you have so much time, I would highly recommend that you read some of the articles here at audioholics and elswhere on sound and auditioning. I think its is particularly useful to understand what those published frequency graphs mean. Sometimes what people tell you about a speaker, and what the graphs tell you are at odds.

The room can have as big an effect on sound as the speakers. If you are spending big money, do some reading on rooms and room treatments as well.

Consider internet direct manufacturers, they have a different cost structure, and can offer excellent value for the dollar. There are always people willing to let you audition their speakers in home.

Just because someone says speakers are good, dosn't mean they are. Trust your ears and buy what sounds the best to you.

Come back and post questions and observations as you go through the auditioning process. Its always fun to follow someone through their journey to audio bliss.

 

[jcPanny]

Hey thanks for the advice. I am actually in the process of researching the TV now and plan to buy around black Friday. As for speakers and receiver, what makes you think they will come down in price? Is it the economy or are they just falling like the tv's are? If they do that will definateley help me.

I am in no rush and I am willing to wait until I can get the best deal for the equipment i feel is sufficiant for my needs. I know the technology on tv's change frequently. If I make a good investment in a receiver and speakers as well, would technology change as often with them as they do with tv's?

Thanks

The price on speakers and electronics wont necessarily decrease over time with a weak dollar and higher fuel costs. For example, I am buying a road bike (they are all built overseas like electronics) and all of the 2009 models will be priced 20% higher than the 2008 version.

Like TVs, receiver models change every year, but speaker technology is more stable and a good set will last for many years. However, there is no since deciding on a receiver or speakers that you might not be able to afford or could be obsolete 2 years from now.

 

[DD66000]

Like TVs, receiver models change every year, but speaker technology is more stable and a good set will last for many years. However, there is no since deciding on a receiver or speakers that you might not be able to afford or could be obsolete 2 years from now.

Ya, I'm still using speakers that are 30 and even 35 years old. Oh, I've replaced the surrounds on the woofers and have had to replace a tweeter or two, but they're all still in use.
On the other hand, I've replaced the receiver/amps many times over the same time span.

 

[fredk]

My guess is after 35 years, even slow advancement will lead to a significant improvement in sound for the $. I had a pair of Advents that were pretty good for the money in the 70s and my current speakers are much better for not much more money in relative terms.

This will be a fun upgrade for you.

 

[DD66000]

My guess is after 35 years, even slow advancement will lead to a significant improvement in sound for the $. I had a pair of Advents that were pretty good for the money in the 70s and my current speakers are much better for not much more money in relative terms.

This will be a fun upgrade for you.

How much of an improvement would depend on the quality of the older speakers. I have what was JBL's top of the line speakers from the late '70's (L212), I also have JBL's current generation of that speaker (PT800). The PT800 is better, but its not a huge difference.
On the other hand what is now JBL's top of the line, the Everest, is $60K/pr, compared to the $2K for the L212, and for the price of 3000%, there is a huge improvement.

 

[fredk]

Using CPI data, $2,000 1975$ is equal to around $8,000 in todays dollars. My feeling, though I could be wrong, is that for $8,000 today you probably get a lot better sound.

 

[DD66000]

Using CPI data, $2,000 1975$ is equal to around $8,000 in todays dollars. My feeling, though I could be wrong, is that for $8,000 today you probably get a lot better sound.

I find trying to compensate for 30 years of inflation for speakers is a mixed bag of tricks.
I'd say $2K to $8K is probably about right, but it doesn't always equate in the world of speakers.
In the example I used, the '77 L212 and the current Performance Series, which is really the latest generation of the L212.

L212 was $2K for a 3 piece sysem (two 3-way towers and a 75w sub). The Performance Series PT800 are $3000/pr plus $3200/pr 400w subs, both prices are list.
So that's $2K then for a 2.1 system and $6200 now for a 2.2 system. The overall performance is better in the newer system and although a higher price tag, its lower than inflation, plus there are two subs.

So for $8K, I would agree, the quality should be better yet.