Please Help! Home Audio on $2000 budget.

[HearingImpaired]

Hello to all, first post here. I currently have a 40" Samsung LCD tv, a Playstation 3, and a cheap Samsung 1000 watt cd/dvd changer combo with 5 speakers and a subwoofer. It's just not cutting it. I will be getting a Denon AVR 889 receiver. And will be looking for a set of tower speakers and subwoofer. I'm looking for something that sounds great on music and movies. The receiver is around $500, so that leaves me about $1500 to spend on a set of tower speakers and a powered subwoofer. I do have someone that can build a set of towers if you guys can recommend me some good DIY equipment. I have little clue when it comes to matching components so any help will be appreciated. I have been suggested and am looking at Polk audio LSi15 and LSi25 speakers on ebay but am open to all suggestions for speakers,subwoofers and receivers. Thanks to all for any replys.

 

[jostenmeat]

I believe it's prudent to put the greater portion of budget into the speakers, as you intend, and for you that's seems to be about 3/4. Good on you.

Problem with Lsi series is that they need more amplification than a $500 price point is going to get you. I suppose the only way to get proper amplification, with this budget for Lsi, is buying a very outdated receiver with preouts, and adding a used pro amp or something like that.

The problem with the unknown subwoofer budget is that very different budgets can be called for depending on room volume, and/or apartment living.

I think a good price point value is the SVS PB12, but I know there are other competing candidates from other ID brands like Axiom, Hsu, Outlaw, Epik, eD, and what not. The best value is building your own. There is a good DIY Kappa Perfect build at this forum.

I've never heard them, and they would almost blow your budget by themselves, but I'd be very interested in the Salk Song Towers for $1,700.

 

[bandphan]

Second the Salks, with usable in room extension into high 30's and a sub with high spl thru the 30-60 range will provide alot of fun

 

[adwilk]

You've got so many options its ridiculous. It kinda depends what you want and what you like. I hope you'll get out and audition some stuff. You'll get a lot of differing answers here. Some folks will recommend a nice 2 channel setup, Mike C will tell you to forget about new speakers and and get 6 subs, Adam recommends waiting til its 3 dollars cheaper, and Alex would have you take your speakers apart and put them back together so they sound better and spend your money on beer and cigarettes.

2 grand is a lot of money. I know what I'd buy, but it wont be likely to help you out.

 

[jamie2112]

There is a good DIY Kappa Perfect build at this forum.

I am going to go ahead and say a GREAT Kappa build here . For the cost of the sub you will have to spend over $1500 to compete with the Kappa perfect build IMO of course....There are also many DIY tower kits available to you within your price range and a few people here have built great towers from kits. I am sure the DIY'rs will chime in.......

 

[jamie2112]

You've got so many options its ridiculous. It kinda depends what you want and what you like. I hope you'll get out and audition some stuff. You'll get a lot of differing answers here. Some folks will recommend a nice 2 channel setup, Mike C will tell you to forget about new speakers and and get 6 subs, Adam recommends waiting til its 3 dollars cheaper, and Alex would have you take your speakers apart and put them back together so they sound better and spend your money on beer and cigarettes.

2 grand is a lot of money. I know what I'd buy, but it wont be likely to help you out.

And Adam W will spend way less on speakers and buy a new set of clubs and go golfing.....

 

[HearingImpaired]

Thank you for all the replies, I was kind of worried there for a while. I had like 40 views and no replies, lol. Anyway I will look into the salk song tower speakers. The reason the Lsi25's looked so appealing was because of a good ebay price and also the fact that they have built in powered subwoofers. The Denon Avr 889 I believe puts out 100 watts per channel so I assumed that would be good to power the Lsi25's. Like I said I'm a big fan of Diy and I do have someone who's very experienced in both car audio and home audio in sales and as an installer. He has told me that he has access to a wood shop and he said he would build the towers if I wanted him to. If doing this, I found Vifa ring radiator tweeter, dual Seas midranges and am thinking of a shiva x for subwoofer duty. Hopefully some Diy'ers chime in and give their opinions.

 

[HearingImpaired]

Alright just checked out the Salk Song Tower speakers. It says on their site they use a pair of Seas Ca15 5" woofers in each tower. These Seas Ca15 woofers are only $50 a piece at madisound.com. So I'm definetly thinking I'd be best off going the DIY route, as I could use more quality products, with a cheaper end result.

 

[bandphan]

Alright just checked out the Salk Song Tower speakers. It says on their site they use a pair of Seas Ca15 5" woofers in each tower. These Seas Ca15 woofers are only $50 a piece at madisound.com. So I'm definetly thinking I'd be best off going the DIY route, as I could use more quality products, with a cheaper end result.

The salks are a quater wave transmission line speaker with a dennis murphy designed crossover and a furniture grade finish. Yes you can dyi, but it will not be an easy one

 

[bandphan]

Thank you for all the replies, I was kind of worried there for a while. I had like 40 views and no replies, lol. Anyway I will look into the salk song tower speakers. The reason the Lsi25's looked so appealing was because of a good ebay price and also the fact that they have built in powered subwoofers. The Denon Avr 889 I believe puts out 100 watts per channel so I assumed that would be good to power the Lsi25's. Like I said I'm a big fan of Diy and I do have someone who's very experienced in both car audio and home audio in sales and as an installer. He has told me that he has access to a wood shop and he said he would build the towers if I wanted him to. If doing this, I found Vifa ring radiator tweeter, dual Seas midranges and am thinking of a shiva x for subwoofer duty. Hopefully some Diy'ers chime in and give their opinions.

The lsi will want more power than that Also the powered sub in the speakers are not a replacement for a good sub fwiw.

 

[HearingImpaired]

Thanks man^^^^ I tried thanking you on here but either it won't let me because of the few posts I have or because of the fact that I'm posting from my blackberry and the thanks option isn't working. Anyways thanks for the info, I understand DIY won't be an easy task. I actually ran across an Onkyo 9100 7.1 Home theater in a box for around $970 shipped. Now I understand that HTIB systems are inferior to DIY or buying a set of tower speakers. However this particular one got pretty good reviews and I like the fact that I can hookup up to 4 components via it's HDMI inputs. A buddy had the same or similiar system in a Pool Hall that he owns and it filled the place with sound and sounded quite good actually. What are some opinions on this system, one more post and I'll beable to post a link.