Thoughts about these setups for fronts for home theater

[busterbrown885]

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I have been researching and believe I have narrowed the fronts and center to the following speakers, which are within my budget. The speakers will be used almost exclusively for TV and movies

Canton GLE 403 and GLE405
KEF IQ30 and KEF IQ60C
PSB Image B6 and Image C5
Monitor Audio BR2 and BRLCR
Polk RTIA3 and CSI4

The Polk's are the lowest cost and the PSB is the highest cost with a range of $200 difference between the low and high.

Any thoughts on these setups as to clarity and sound. They all need to be bookcase speakers used in a bookcase.
The receiver is an Onkyo TX-SR706. The PSB speaker spec's talk about a 6 ohm impedence. I know very little about that but will my receiver drive all of these systems. I will be using Athena speakers as the surrounds.

Thank you for your insight.

 

[busterbrown885]

any suggestions?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Yeah, I say get 3 identical NHT Absolute Zero bookshelf speakers:

http://www.amazon.com/NHT-N-AZB-Absolute-Speaker-Black/dp/B000BYNP7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1297265618&sr=8-1

The Absolute Zero’s listening-window response (a five-point average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal and vertical responses) measures +0.94/–0.82 decibels from 200 hertz to 10 kilohertz. The –3-dB point is at 83 Hz, and the –6-dB point is at 72 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 5.19 ohms at 192 Hz and a phase angle of –46.25 degrees at 111 Hz.

http://www.hometheater.com/content/nht-absolute-zero-speaker-system-ht-labs-measures

 

[busterbrown885]

Thank you for the response, I read the article and must admit that when it comes to looking at the charts, I am not sure that I totally understand the meaning of it. You did not recommend using the center channel but rather the regular bookcase speaker? I will have to do some measuring to see if that will work. Why not the center channel? Is the speaker you suggested better than the next model up?
Thank you

 

[jp_over]

Thank you for the response, I read the article and must admit that when it comes to looking at the charts, I am not sure that I totally understand the meaning of it. You did not recommend using the center channel but rather the regular bookcase speaker? I will have to do some measuring to see if that will work. Why not the center channel? Is the speaker you suggested better than the next model up?
Thank you

I don't know much about the NHT (though I've read good things about them). I'll comment about the center. Most center speakers don't perform as well as the main speakers because they are sized (in a compromise) to fit into entertainment centers. In short, the gold standard for seamless integration between center and mains is to have the exact same speaker; i.e., 3 bookshelves, towers, etc. This is not my own theory but that of folks with much more experience than me.

Hope this gives a partial answer.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I don't know much about the NHT (though I've read good things about them). I'll comment about the center. Most center speakers don't perform as well as the main speakers because they are sized (in a compromise) to fit into entertainment centers. In short, the gold standard for seamless integration between center and mains is to have the exact same speaker; i.e., 3 bookshelves, towers, etc. This is not my own theory but that of folks with much more experience than me.

Hope this gives a partial answer.

I was going to say pretty much the same.

Theoretically, have all identical vertical speakers should give us the most seamless, smoothest sound imaging.

My center speaker is actually a C/L/R speaker (meaning it can be used as Left & Right speakers). I place my center speaker Vertically, and I believe it gives me the best possible sound and timbre matching with the rest of my vertical speakers.

At one point, just for kicks, I tried using my BP7001 tower as a center between two BP7000 towers, and the sound was absolutely amazing. However, that would not be feasible when you have a TV.

However, I may just move my 73" DLP somewhere else (since I also have a DLP projector/120" screen in the same room) and get another BP7000 for a center.

 

[busterbrown885]

Your suggestion of the NHT, is your feeling that it is equal to or better than the systems that I had mentioned? Is the next step up in the NHT lineup worth the difference in money in your opinion?
Thank you

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Thank you for the response, I read the article and must admit that when it comes to looking at the charts, I am not sure that I totally understand the meaning of it. You did not recommend using the center channel but rather the regular bookcase speaker? I will have to do some measuring to see if that will work. Why not the center channel? Is the speaker you suggested better than the next model up?
Thank you

There are a few important speaker measurements, but the 2 most important measurements are the on-axis frequency response (FR) and the off-axis frequency response (FR).

The standard tolerance for linearity (thus accuracy) of a speaker is to have a FR that is +/- 3dB from the reference point, which is usually the Sensitivity point (like 90dB, 89dB, 88dB, etc.) from 1 - 2 meters distance.

The NHT Absolute Zero is +0.82/-0.94 dB from 200Hz - 10kHz!

That is even less than +/- 1dB (remember +/- 3dB is standard, which plenty of speakers cannot even accomplish).

The only speaker I know of that has a better FR is the $22,000 Revel Salon 2, which is +/- 0.5dB.

Now just because the Absolute Zero has such an great FR does not mean that the models above it are better or even AS GOOD!

So personally, I would not take a chance. Unless someone measures the higher models and get better results, I would not take a chance. I just doubt they can do better than +0.82/-0.94dB!

As you can see, the Center speaker did NOT do as GREAT as the Absolute Zero:

An average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal responses measures +1.88/–3.90 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Your suggestion of the NHT, is your feeling that it is equal to or better than the systems that I had mentioned? Is the next step up in the NHT lineup worth the difference in money in your opinion?
Thank you

I've listened to a NHT SuperZero + SW2P sub for 10 years, so I feel they sound great. I can recommend NHT based on personal experience.

I don't think any of those speakers you've mentioned has a better frequency response than the Absolute Zero, and I don't think the NHT models ABOVE the Absolute Zero can do any better.

So until I see a better frequency response in bookshelf speakers, I will stick to the opinion that the NHT Absolute Zero is the gold standard bookshelf speaker regardless of price.

Now I admire the Revel Salon 2 towers, which cost $22K. So I auditioned the Revel M22 ($2K) bookshelf speakers a few months ago. IMO, they did not sound better than the NHT speakers I had back then, but that is based on memory (my brother Tommy now owns my NHT SuperZero ).

Just remember that COST or PRESTIGE does not automatically translate into PERFORMANCE.