Best new pair of bookshelfs $250 shipped can buy

[WmAx]

I have a problem with your subwoofer layout. It may be that your suggested locations for the subs may not be optimal for the subs. In the three rooms that I had, only one of the rooms allowed me to locate the sub near the speakers. The other two rooms for optimal bass response was at the opposite end of the room relative to the speakers and it was optimal from the seating location based on eveness of the output and the strength of the output.

That may be, but if you want seamless integration, with the subs acting as a perfect audible extension of the mains, then the close co-location is required. My suggestion is essentially using the subs to make the 2 way bookshelf speakers into 3 way full rangers. I don't see what good improved FR of the subs will be in different distant locations if they no longer act as a seamless extension of the speakers. Things like bass guitar and cellos will be ruined in presentation.

-Chris

 

[WmAx]

If it can change the phase that much, then sure .. . Besides it would look so much neater .

The DCX2496 device I recommend has full control over phase on each channel individually with infinite variability. But that's just one little side feature. The device is incredibly powerful and allows you to make so many precision adjustments on every little factor that it makes the ultimate integration device. A swiss pocket knife for home audio systems of ANY price or caliber.

-Chris

 

[3db]

That may be, but if you want seamless integration, with the subs acting as a perfect audible extension of the mains, then the close co-location is required. My suggestion is essentially using the subs to make the 2 way bookshelf speakers into 3 way full rangers. I don't see what good improved FR of the subs will be in different distant locations if they no longer act as a seamless extension of the speakers. Things like bass guitar and cellos will be ruined in presentation.

-Chris

Keeping teh electronics out of it for now, its entirely possible that the location of the sub with the speakers may be at a null relative to the listening position and one may have to overwork the sub to get any appreciable output. I know this was the case for me. My sub chuffed through the ports becuase I was trying to overcompensate the poor bass response with increased level output from the sub's level control. It sounded awful. Once I learned about the trick about putting the sub at the listener's location and crawling around teh room until the bass response was the most even and strongest placing the sub at that location, the sound cleaned up imediately. I backed way off on the subs level control and the integration between speaker and sub-woofer was as good as my receiver's selectable crossover frequency would allow it.

 

[voltainthesky]

I kind of lost you guys a few posts back. I don't need to have a perfect setup, this is going in my bedroom, and the subwoofer is going in the corner. I don't have room to put 2 subs where I am going to put my bookshelfs, they would have to go in front of my dresser and then I would have to move them every time I wanted to open the bottom 2 drawers. Besides, I don't have the money for 2 subs, I am having enough trouble coming up with $200 for 1 subwoofer.

You have to remember, I am not upgrading from an already decent setup- I am using my Klipsch Promedia 4.1 computer speakers that I have had since 2000-2001. The back speakers don't work anymore so I am just using it as a 2.1 setup, and the sub is only dual 6.5" woofers, and I'm pretty sure the sub is messed up somehow.

And I'm not to sure what this DSP/crossover/eq for integration means, but I don't plan on purchasing any extra equipment to run my speakers on. I just have my Onkyo TX-SR506 that I have yet to use.

Besides, I thought subs were supposed to sound good from any corner of the room?

 

[WmAx]

Keeping teh electronics out of it for now, its entirely possible that the location of the sub with the speakers may be at a null relative to the listening position and one may have to overwork the sub to get any appreciable output. I know this was the case for me. My sub chuffed through the ports becuase I was trying to overcompensate the poor bass response with increased level output from the sub's level control. It sounded awful. Once I learned about the trick about putting the sub at the listener's location and crawling around teh room until the bass response was the most even and strongest placing the sub at that location, the sound cleaned up imediately. I backed way off on the subs level control and the integration between speaker and sub-woofer was as good as my receiver's selectable crossover frequency would allow it.

Well your situation is NOT common(one where it seems impossible to find any way to get good bass response with the bass drivers near the mid and treble drivers), and would make any full range speaker utterly useless to you(as the suggestion I make simply makes a 2 way bookshelf into a full range 3 way pair).

-Chris

 

[WmAx]

I kind of lost you guys a few posts back. I don't need to have a perfect setup, this is going in my bedroom, and the subwoofer is going in the corner. I don't have room to put 2 subs where I am going to put my bookshelfs, they would have to go in front of my dresser and then I would have to move them every time I wanted to open the bottom 2 drawers. Besides, I don't have the money for 2 subs, I am having enough trouble coming up with $200 for 1 subwoofer.

You have to remember, I am not upgrading from an already decent setup- I am using my Klipsch Promedia 4.1 computer speakers that I have had since 2000-2001. The back speakers don't work anymore so I am just using it as a 2.1 setup, and the sub is only dual 6.5" woofers, and I'm pretty sure the sub is messed up somehow.

And I'm not to sure what this DSP/crossover/eq for integration means, but I don't plan on purchasing any extra equipment to run my speakers on. I just have my Onkyo TX-SR506 that I have yet to use.

Besides, I thought subs were supposed to sound good from any corner of the room?

I'm sorry, I almost always end up going off on a tangent about related issues and ideals.

Your SR-506 will be fine. Your single sub will be fine. The single sub in this circumstance as outlined by me previously only becomes an issue if you are trying to set up a system for critical musical listening, which you are not.

-Chris

 

[3db]

Well your situation is NOT common(one where it seems impossible to find any way to get good bass response with the bass drivers near the mid and treble drivers), and would make any full range speaker utterly useless to you(as the suggestion I make simply makes a 2 way bookshelf into a full range 3 way pair).

-Chris

According to the site here, my situation is very common. As you know bass wavelength are very long and its all to easy to set up your sub in aposition reltive to the listening position that delivers a null at that point. The trick that I suggested is one of the set-up procedures suggested on this site.

 

[3db]

I kind of lost you guys a few posts back. I don't need to have a perfect setup, this is going in my bedroom, and the subwoofer is going in the corner. I don't have room to put 2 subs where I am going to put my bookshelfs, they would have to go in front of my dresser and then I would have to move them every time I wanted to open the bottom 2 drawers. Besides, I don't have the money for 2 subs, I am having enough trouble coming up with $200 for 1 subwoofer.

You have to remember, I am not upgrading from an already decent setup- I am using my Klipsch Promedia 4.1 computer speakers that I have had since 2000-2001. The back speakers don't work anymore so I am just using it as a 2.1 setup, and the sub is only dual 6.5" woofers, and I'm pretty sure the sub is messed up somehow.

And I'm not to sure what this DSP/crossover/eq for integration means, but I don't plan on purchasing any extra equipment to run my speakers on. I just have my Onkyo TX-SR506 that I have yet to use.

Besides, I thought subs were supposed to sound good from any corner of the room?

If you audtioned teh PSB Image B15s and you like them and if you are pleased with the sub, go for it. If the sub is a little too boomy in the corner. just pull it away from the corner along one of the walls.

 

[bandphan]

Not straying off topic, for 199 the dcx2496 is great tool for any HT or stereo setup. When used to tame room response issues, the benefit for the price is hard to beat. The GUI software interface make setup easy, and when filters are applied in conjuction with software like rew its an upgrade worth exploring.

 

[mazersteven]

Not straying off topic, for 199 the dcx2496 is great tool for any HT or stereo setup.

 

[voltainthesky]

You guys have been very helpful. I think right now I am actually leaning towards the KEF speakers. I'm 22 years old and I like to play my music and movies loud. That said, I spoke to a PSB, Monitor Audio, and KEF dealer here in Fresno over the phone, and he said for my age, the type of music I listen to (hip hop and all sorts of 'rock'), and the volume I will mostly want to play the speakers, that I should go for the KEF's. He said the Monitor Audio Bronze series I am looking at would not hold up to the KEF's, unless I went to the Silver series, which is out of my budget. Do you guys agree with him?

I also talked to a B&W dealer, and he said he would pick the 303's over the KEF's of course. What do you guys think?

I want a speaker pair that will be able to play loud, but I also wanted to be able to buy matching speakers for a 5.1 setup later in the future, and I was going to say that KEF doesn't have a matching center but I did find some centers on vanns.com. They have the IQ2C center and the IQ6C. Which of these would go best with the iQ1 or iQ3 bookshelfs?

 

[mazersteven]

Any speaker will play "Loud".

Have you given Klipsch Reference speakers a listen to?

RB-10 Bookshelf Loudspeaker
http://www.klipsch.com/products/details/rb-10.aspx

How about these

HSU HB-1 MK2 Horn Bookshelf Speaker
http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/hb-1.html

 

[voltainthesky]

Ok any speaker can play loud, but not all will sound good loud. As I was saying, the dealer I talked to on the phone said that the Monitor Audio Bronze B2's sound very good at low volumes, but that they aren't meant to play at high volumes. He said the KEF's on the other hand would be able to take the high volumes and still sound very good. This is what I'm talking about.

I've never heard of HSU, I guess that's another speaker to add to the list, although aren't horn tweeters known to be bright? I'd prefer to stay away from bright speakers

 

[mazersteven]

There has been a lot of very good speakers mentioned in this thread. Have you gone out, and auditioned any?

 

[Seth=L]

I wouldn't go for the HSU speakers with horns, they didn't get too good of reviews and horns tend to be overly bright.

 

[3db]

You guys have been very helpful. I think right now I am actually leaning towards the KEF speakers. I'm 22 years old and I like to play my music and movies loud. That said, I spoke to a PSB, Monitor Audio, and KEF dealer here in Fresno over the phone, and he said for my age, the type of music I listen to (hip hop and all sorts of 'rock'), and the volume I will mostly want to play the speakers, that I should go for the KEF's. He said the Monitor Audio Bronze series I am looking at would not hold up to the KEF's, unless I went to the Silver series, which is out of my budget. Do you guys agree with him?

I also talked to a B&W dealer, and he said he would pick the 303's over the KEF's of course. What do you guys think?

I want a speaker pair that will be able to play loud, but I also wanted to be able to buy matching speakers for a 5.1 setup later in the future, and I was going to say that KEF doesn't have a matching center but I did find some centers on vanns.com. They have the IQ2C center and the IQ6C. Which of these would go best with the iQ1 or iQ3 bookshelfs?

What did he say about the PSB? The Image B15s can crank loud as well especially if you have a sub taking the bass away from them.

 

[mazersteven]

I wouldn't go for the HSU speakers with horns, they didn't get too good of reviews and horns tend to be overly bright.

Those where the original HB-1 speakers. The HSU HB-1 MK2 speakers seem to be getting good reviews. And I only posted them as a alternative to Klipsch. Because the OP's emphasis on "Loud".

 

[voltainthesky]

I haven't been able to audition any, no. Apparently Fresno is really bad for finding stores carrying the speakers we have been talking about in this thread. I did find 2 stores that audition by appointment only, one was an ex PSB dealer who now carries definitive and swears by them, though the soonest I would be able to audition would be the 28th of this month. I found another dealer who deals Monitor Audio and KEF, and used to deal PSB. Unfortunately this dealer has none of the models talked about in this thread up for demo. I also found a dealer who carries B&W, but he doesn't have any 303's on the floor, at least not right now, and I left another msg at a store that was said to carry NHT. 2 other stores just carried Atlanta Technologies and Proficient Speakers, which I've never heard before.

3db- All he said about the PSB's was that in the past, they have had to replace drivers on many of the PSB's, (from being played too loud too long I'm assuming) and that they now don't carry them.

 

[mazersteven]

Acculine A1R
http://www.theaudioinsider.com/product_info.php/p/acculine-a1r/products_id/114

Tweeter All Acculine speakers use a special planar magnetic flat-panel tweeter with simply superb high frequency characteristics. Made for Acculine by BGC

 

[bandphan]

Acculine A1R
http://www.theaudioinsider.com/product_info.php/p/acculine-a1r/products_id/114

Tweeter All Acculine speakers use a special planar magnetic flat-panel tweeter with simply superb high frequency characteristics. Made for Acculine by BGC

excellent recomendation