Energy RC-50's vs. Infinity Primus P363's

[Melee]

Here is my main question, fellows.

Do you think I would be okay with with a Sealed Sub if I moved it in front of the tv, 2-3 feet away from all walls, and nearfield to the listening area?

I'm thinking that my Ceiling Mount idea for the OMD-5's could be pretty freakin' amazing. It will allow me to position them where I want them and w/ 360 degree dispersion, it should be a "sprinkler" effect of sound spreading all over the room. I'm just trying to explore this option as much as possible.

My other question is which would be better?

5x Mirage OMD-5's

*OR*

4x Mirage OMD-5's + Mirage OMDC-1

I've read that it's normally best to have the same 5 speakers in a 5.0 system so that you have uniform sound all over. However, I don't know how the OMD-5 would perform as a center? I believe the OMDC-1 has the same driver and tweeter that the OMD-5's do while also having 2 more small drivers in addition.

If the Sub is still going to cause trouble, would I be okay going with all 5 speakers in a 5.0 System? The OMD-5's only reach down to 60hz so I'm not sure how weak that is going to be, overall.

Thanks!

 

[KEW]

It will allow me to position them where I want them and w/ 360 degree dispersion, it should be a "sprinkler" effect of sound spreading all over the room. I'm just trying to explore this option as much as possible.

Either I'm not following you, or you don't understand how these speakers project sound.
Are you talking about ceiling mounting them so the bottom of the speaker is flush with the ceiling? The reflector really doesn't allow for extreme vertical dispersion and I believe the direct signal from the tweeter and mid would be reflected away from your ears.
If you use the built in mounts, you will mainly be firing the signal into the floor.
These speakers definitely are not narrow or beamy in the vertical axis. I suspect part of the design was to prevent strong reflections from reflecting off of the ceiling or floor when the speaker is at ear level.

 

[Melee]

Hmm, I actually read about several people who used them that way that's why I thought it would be beneficial.

So, they're basically not designed to transport the sound straight from the speaker to your ears, but to reflect it off the walls, ceiling, etc. So, it would actually be better to have them on or near the walls instead of out in the open?

 

[Melee]

I'm still learning and discovering new brands as I go. ^_^ I'm considering even going Bookshelves w/ a Sealed Sub depending on what I can find.


What do you guys think of these?

Ascend Audio CMT-340

Ascend Audio Sierra-1

ERA D14

ERA D5

NHT Classic Three


If the Infinity's are going to match or best anything below $800/Pair then let me know and I'll save myself time + money and stop looking. lol I just keep coming across a few new brands each day since there are so many options. When you get into Bookshelves, there's even more....


I have $800 left after the Receiver. (Found what I need for $199.)


These are my options to spend it:

Buy 2x Towers for 2.0

Buy 2x Bookshelves w/ Sub for 2.1

Buy 2x Bookshelves for 2.0 (I'm guessing $400 Bookshelves can be mighty impressive?)

Buy Infinity P363's and either buy Sealed Sub or matching Center + Surrounds


I'm watching Audiogon like a hawk. I'm still extremely new to most of these brands but if I narrow down the price range to $0-$800 then it limits my confusion a lot more. I've learned a lot just in the last week or so I've been around here though so thanks a lot for the help. I really do appreciate it.

 

[KEW]

Hmm, I actually read about several people who used them that way that's why I thought it would be beneficial.

So, they're basically not designed to transport the sound straight from the speaker to your ears, but to reflect it off the walls, ceiling, etc. So, it would actually be better to have them on or near the walls instead of out in the open?

Maybe you could do what your are proposing. I guess it depends on what angle you would be from the ceiling mounted speakers (which also depends on how large your room is).
From the manual:

NOTE: When mounting the speakers at a height of under six feet, orient the
OMD-5 speakers in an upright position. When mounting the speaker at a
height of over six feet, orient the OMD-5 speakers in an upside down position
so the grille is facing the floor.This guarantees even tonal balance no matter
which mounting configuration is most suitable for your room. Diagram 2.

You can also achieve excellent results in the rear position.Try not to place
the speakers directly into a corner. Leave 2 or more feet between the edge
of the cabinet and the sidewall, so the sound can reflect into the room
environment.The rear position is usually chosen when your room will not
accommodate the sidewall position due to unequal walls, a doorway, or a
large opening, etc. It is recommended that the rear center (6.1 system) or
dual rear surrounds (7.1) be placed at the same height as the other two rear
surround speakers wherever possible.

My concern is that you don't want the omni reflectors between the driver and your ears.
The mid reflects off of what I would call a "pod":

and the tweeter reflects off of what I would call a "spoon":

Credit to DKane360 for the great photos!

 

[KEW]

Do you think I would be okay with with a Sealed Sub if I moved it in front of the tv, 2-3 feet away from all walls, and nearfield to the listening area?

If your 6.5", 11 pound, 50W PC sub is problematic, I wouldn't expect any sub (sealed or not) that would be recommended here to work out regardless of where you position it.
For comparison, the Emotiva Ultra 10 is 10", 30pounds, and 200 Watts.
You can always turn it down, but unless there are regular times when you can crank it without worrying about the neighbors, I think you're paying money that will ultimately cause you frustration and resentment you're better off without.

Speaking of which, I don't know that rigidly mounting your speakers to the ceiling is the best plan either. 60Hz coupled to the ceiling is going to be heard in the room above.

 

[Melee]

If your 6.5", 11 pound, 50W PC sub is problematic, I wouldn't expect any sub (sealed or not) that would be recommended here to work out regardless of where you position it.
For comparison, the Emotiva Ultra 10 is 10", 30pounds, and 200 Watts.
You can always turn it down, but unless there are regular times when you can crank it without worrying about the neighbors, I think you're paying money that will ultimately cause you frustration and resentment you're better off without.

Speaking of which, I don't know that rigidly mounting your speakers to the ceiling is the best plan either. 60Hz coupled to the ceiling is going to be heard in the room above.

You make excellent points here and definitely made my decisions a lot easier. Thank You. Eliminating the option of a Sub and ceiling mounting the OMD-5's narrow my choices down so much. Without a Sub, it also basically eliminates the Bookshelf possibility. They simply (at least in my price range) can't handle the bass on their own so Towers are needed for my situation to handle the music/movies/games without the Sub.

I will be going with the Infinity P363's. Don't let me change my mind! lol They are simply the best option for me with my budget and living situation. They dig deep enough to alleviate the need for a Sub, they have unbelievable sound quality for the price, and they can be had for $350 Shipped. lol

My question now is what to do with the rest of the budget? I'm all about saving money but this is the money I saved for my sound system and nothing else. It's not that I'm determined to spend it all, but this is what it was delegated for so if I don't spend it here then I will just invest it into my "computer building fund" which isn't a high priority since I don't really plan on having it built until around Christmas. I definitely don't want to just waste money either, though.

I found an Onkyo TX-SR508 for $199 Shipped brand new. That's $100-$125 Saved compared to my Denon and I believe the only thing I am losing is MultEQ which I have no use for without a Sub.

That leaves me around $450 in the Budget.

Should I go ahead and pick up the PC351 at least since it is like half price at $150 Shipped? I can't find much about it so I'm not sure what to do there.

The P153's are $140 Shipped which isn't a huge discount but still decent. Would those be great for the System or should I wait until I find a nice deal on the P163's?

My MAIN question is should I upgrade the Receiver? I'm scared to skimp on it since it is basically the brains and heart of the entire system. If I leave the Surrounds out for now, I would have around $450-$500 to spend on the Receiver IF IT WILL MAKE A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE. Color GUI is not what I mean by a noticeable difference. lol I mean if it will power the speakers better, sound better, have better video quality, etc. to a point where I'm like "man, I'm glad I spent that extra $200-$300 on this." haha

Thanks so much for the help! I promise you that I am getting close to having this finished. lol I just basically have to figure out the Receiver situation and Surrounds now (possibly the PC351 vs PC251 also) and I am done. The Fronts were definitely the hardest part and now that it's finished, the rest should be much easier.

*** EDIT ***

I just now noticed the "Thanks" feature so I'm sorry if I seemed unappreciative and selfish before this. haha I'm used to "Reps" but I didn't even see the Thanks. I'll try to backtrack and thank everyone for their help.

 

[Alex2507]

Other people feel differently than I do about the center choice.

 

[Melee]

Other people feel differently than I do about the center choice.

Well, I guess that's cleared up. Thank You for the link. I found it for $133 + Shipping which is freakin' unbelievable since it costs nearly $300 normally. I'll definitely snag it + the P363's. Fronts + Center = Check.

I'm still trying to decide on the surrounds. I can't really find anything that compares them to figure out which is the better surround. I have plenty of room for either as I already had it set up for my Polk Monitor 40's which are even larger than the P163's. I can definitely wait for those to go on sale somewhere if they're decisively better than the P153's. I checked again and I can get the P153's for $130 Shipped which is $65 apiece. It's a nice deal @ $70 off Retail for the pair but I can wait if it will make a noticeable difference.

The Receiver I'm still on the fence about.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Well, I guess that's cleared up. Thank You for the link. I found it for $133 + Shipping which is freakin' unbelievable since it costs nearly $300 normally. I'll definitely snag it + the P363's. Fronts + Center = Check.

I'm still trying to decide on the surrounds. I can't really find anything that compares them to figure out which is the better surround. I have plenty of room for either as I already had it set up for my Polk Monitor 40's which are even larger than the P163's. I can definitely wait for those to go on sale somewhere if they're decisively better than the P153's. I checked again and I can get the P153's for $130 Shipped which is $65 apiece. It's a nice deal @ $70 off Retail for the pair but I can wait if it will make a noticeable difference.

The Receiver I'm still on the fence about.

To me the most important thing about surround speakers is that they match the rest of your system's aesthetics.

Surround speakers don't do very much except create that ambient background sound to make things a little more interesting, and do some panning effects once in a while.

If you decide on the P363, then any of the Infinity surrounds will do just fine.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

NHT Classic Three

If you are going for bookshelf + subwoofer, I would get the NHT Absolute Zero + subwoofer.

The reason I'm intrigued by the Absolute Zero is because it has the best frequency response I have ever seen on Home Theater Magazine regardless of price.

But, a 5.1 NHT system will cost you more than the Infinity.

 

[Melee]

If you are going for bookshelf + subwoofer, I would get the NHT Absolute Zero + subwoofer.

The reason I'm intrigued by the Absolute Zero is because it has the best frequency response I have ever seen on Home Theater Magazine regardless of price.

But, a 5.1 NHT system will cost you more than the Infinity.

I have read a lot of nice things about NHT as well as Ascend. I would definitely love to own some of their bookshelves. Unfortunately, I just don't think I want to get a Sub right now and without it the bookshelves would really struggle. The walls are just too thin and I would have to keep it at minimum volume and worry all the time so I think getting towers that can dig into the high 30's or at least low 40's (I believe the P363's are rated at 38hz) is my best option right now. I can complete my 5.0 system now and then if I move to a bigger place this summer or into a house, all I have to do is add a Sub or two to really take it up a notch.

In relation to the P163's vs. P153's, do you guys know if the P163's go on sale often? From what I have read, most people seem to describe the comparison as the P153's sound clearer and more detailed. The reason for this is the lack of bass that they have when compared to the P163. The P163 has the advantage in extension and volume of course and still sound great.

Unfortunately, that doesn't really help much. lol It's basically another trade-off as is everything else. I'm assuming the 153's would be better for hearing rain or other "tranquil" sound effects of that nature. However, for gaming or movies with explosions in the background, I'm assuming the P163's would be superior.

It all comes down to price, though. I can get the P153's for $130 while (after checking again) the P163's are still around $240 at their cheapest. I'm just trying to figure out if the upgrade is worth it as I can always stick to 3.0 for now and wait to snag them. The P363's and PC351 are as cheap as I can imagine them being brand new so I will definitely buy them. The price on the P153's is nice, but if the larger P163's are going to make a difference, I'll wait either until they are on sale or I can find a great pair of them used.

The Receiver I'm still on the fence about. lol I'm trying to figure out if the Onkyo has any type of "Restorer" function as my Denon does. It basically takes a subpar or sloppy recording and corrects it as much as possible with improved bass and highs. It actually does a really nice job so I hope the Onkyo has a similar feature.

The main dilemma is whether to stick with the cheap Onkyo w/ the full 5.0 System or to snag just the P363's + PC351 and buy a $400-$450 Receiver. I honestly don't see how you guys with much larger budgets do this. lol I have a hard enough time with the limited choices I have. If I could buy whatever I wanted, I fear I would never make a decision.

 

[GranteedEV]

I honestly don't see how you guys with much larger budgets do this.

I... picked a 5.1 budget of $1200

Spend just under 600 on a receiver
Chose a pair of speakers were $800 a pair
Ended up getting 7.0 speakers set with that same pair
Ended up spending 9-1200 on a sub alone..
...will soon add a second matching sub...
... and then get nathan funk to make me 600L bamboo transmission lines.

Yeah.. budgets... good ideas... aren't tehy.

 

[Melee]

I... picked a 5.1 budget of $1200

Spend just under 600 on a receiver
Chose a pair of speakers were $800 a pair
Ended up getting 7.0 speakers set with that same pair
Ended up spending 9-1200 on a sub alone..
...will soon add a second matching sub...
... and then get nathan funk to make me 600L bamboo transmission lines.

Yeah.. budgets... good ideas... aren't tehy.

Yes, but see I'm a poor college student. haha When I set budgets, it's because that's the only money I have and Not because I have $5,000 to spare but I think I'm just going to spend $1,000. I actually have to stick to this one for the moment. I can't wait to start working and have plenty of money to spare. For the next few years, though, I'm thinking these Infinity's will treat me just right.

 

[GranteedEV]

me too

=(

 

[Melee]

me too

=(

Well, I don't think you make the cut since you spent like 4 Grand on your system. haha I had to save for 6 months just to qualify as poor!

 

[zumbo]

I can't wait to start working and have plenty of money to spare.

This never happens.

EDIT. The money to spare part.

 

[Melee]

This never happens.

EDIT. The money to spare part.

It does if I strategically wait to get married and have kids AFTER I buy all of my toys. haha Love can wait.

 

[Guavamanh]

This never happens.

EDIT. The money to spare part.

True... I've been working for about 1 year now... mortgage, student loans... I'm officially in the rat race

 

[lsiberian]

They would certainly share drivers but revels use better crossover components and cabinet build quality.

You would think that were true, but it is not always. But make very sure you check specs closely the same weight and dimensions and I bet you it's the same speaker. I've verified this on comparisons before. So make sure you are really getting a step up.