Help with speaker selection.

[sjm01]

Hello,

With everyone strong recommendation in this forum, I have changed my initial thought of going with ceiling speakers. I now need help with new plan. I have Dennon 4306. I need help with home theater speakers. The front speakers will be also used for loud music listening when wife is not around (and very soft music when wife is around.) Wall mounted front speakers are preferable over floor mounted (I have only 1'-4" space on each side of TV). The surround speakers need to be in-wall due to the room layout and need to be as small as possible. The center channel speaker can sit on the cabinet or wall mounted.

The room is 13'x33' half of which is family room with one side open to kitchen. Will also need subwoofer. Speakers will be in the family room area (13'x16'). Ceiling is at 8 feet. Budget ~ $2,000 to $2,500. I like to listen to nice sound but is not an expert at all techological specifications.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

sjm

 

[jonnythan]

Hmmmmm, interesting requirements. Can you tell us about the space around the TV? Sounds like it might be an alcove of some kind, and your speakers will be set back in it? That could rule out rear-ported speakers.

You might want to take a look at Axiom. You could put together an Axiom M3 setup speaker setup for about $1000 and you have a choice of bookshelf, on-wall, or in-wall.

Combine them with a ULS-15 and you will have a killer HT/music setup.

Axiom isn't very popular on this forum anymore though, be aware.

You could also use the HB-1 and HC-1 up front, but you would need to go to another manufacturer for in-wall speakers.

 

[jonnythan]

And Emotiva. A few ERM-6.2s across the front and a pair of their in-wall 6.2s in the back would be good as well.

 

[GranteedEV]

I don't mean to blow your budget out of the water, but I recommend a pair of JTR Triple 8HT-LP:

http://jtrspeakers.com/home-audio/triple-8ht-lp/

You can work out with Jeff Permainian that it's for an on-wall install rather than a floor standing install, so that he can adjust the crossover for that application, and help you with the appropriate wall-mount equipment.

Getting three would cost $3300, but if you were to just get the stereo pair for now it would come within your budget and I think very much impress you. You can always add a third to use as a center channel later, if you feel like it. Most of us here agree that the center shouldn't be a make-or-break issue, as the phantom center produced by stereo mains tends to be pretty good.

 

[jonnythan]

-3dB point on those speakers is 78 Hz. Even a single pair of them doesn't even leave any room for a sub.

 

[zieglj01]

Look at 3 each Focal Sib XL
http://www.dedicatedaudio.com/inc/sdetail/25554

Look at Boston for surrounds
http://www.bostonacoustics.com/HSi-455--P361.aspx
See if you can grab these, only 2 units left
http://www.bostonacoustics.com/HSi-455-Refurbished--P737.aspx

NHT will save you some money
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_228IW1/NHT-iW1.html?tp=192

And the HSU sub
http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-15h.html

 

[GranteedEV]

-3dB point on those speakers is 78 Hz. Even a single pair of them doesn't even leave any room for a sub.

It's sealed, so rolloff will be 12db/octave unlike most speakers that roll off 24db/octave (and this also means that unlike 99% of commercial speakers out there, these fit perfectly the THX criteria for implementing a subwoofer crossover). There will be perceivable bass down to ~50hz especially mounted on a wall. That will cover about 95% of the audible range outstandingly, with limitless output and a quality tonal balance.

A sub will definitely add the deep bass, no doubt, and for movies I would recommend something really nice, like a Rythmik FV15HP for that particular room. For most bass, however these will be :more: than potent - and most bass is centered in the 100hz to 250hz region. These speakers, quite frankly would wipe the floor with my speakers, and probably most of the speakers we own here at AH, in the midbass department, except :maybe: ADTG's salons if you fed them around 2000w, and Gene's T30LSE's.

My personal opinion is that the stereo mains end up being the anchor of every system, and thusly 90% of the enjoyment whether that's for music or even movies. And I say this as a guy with a pretty deadly sub and the intent to build a second.

 

[jonnythan]

Someone comes here and wants a recommendation for a 5.1 system that's around $2000.... and people recommend a 2.1 system that's $3500.

Gotta love the internet.

 

[GranteedEV]

Good thing people who visit that same internet have their own evaluation and decision making skills and can weigh different options on their own, based on what they truly desire at the end of the day.

 

[shadyJ]

Check out the Hybrid 7.1 package from Hsu. For the surrounds just swap some of the HB-1s for Hsu's HIW in-walls. There you will have a blazing speaker system with a killer sub, for $2.1k shipped, or 2.4 if you want to go with the rosenut finish.

 

[sjm01]

Hmmmmm, interesting requirements. Can you tell us about the space around the TV? Sounds like it might be an alcove of some kind, and your speakers will be set back in it? That could rule out rear-ported speaker

I have a patio door on one side and a cross wall on the other side. The wall between patio door and the cross wall is about eight feet. Allowing about 5 feet for the TV, it leaves about 1'-4" on each side.

sjm

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Someone comes here and wants a recommendation for a 5.1 system that's around $2000.... and people recommend a 2.1 system that's $3500.

Gotta love the internet.

Jon, come on man, don't take it too seriously.

I'm guilty of taking things too seriously as well, but we need to look at this as just a bunch of guys talking for fun, not WORKING.

When Grant recommends a $3,500 system, I don't agree either, so I just giggle.

Perhaps you are doing the same thing, but the way it's worded on the web, it looks kind of aggressive.

If we disagree, that's okay. We are just talking for fun - shooting the breeze - brainstorming.

Now if Grant recommends a $35,000 system, then you can scream at him all you want.

I hope I'm not sounding aggressive by saying this.

BTW, I just found out my 8 yr old daughter had a fight at school today and cursing at people, so looks like I'll be doing some spanking today after work. Not fun.

 

[jonnythan]

I have a patio door on one side and a cross wall on the other side. The wall between patio door and the cross wall is about eight feet. Allowing about 5 feet for the TV, it leaves about 1'-4" on each side.

sjm

So you're going to have one speaker out in the open, next to a patio door along the back wall, and the other speaker basically in the corner, right against a side wall?

 

[sjm01]

So you're going to have one speaker out in the open, next to a patio door along the back wall, and the other speaker basically in the corner, right against a side wall?

Correct. Wish there was a way to attach a file so that I can include floor plan.

 

[sjm01]

Look at Boston for surrounds
http://www.bostonacoustics.com/HSi-455--P361.aspx
See if you can grab these, only 2 units left
http://www.bostonacoustics.com/HSi-455-Refurbished--P737.aspx

Choice between HSI 485 or HSI 455 for the front speakers?
I will be replacing old Rogersound Lab RSL CG 52 (50 Hz to 22kHz, 20 Watts-150 Watts, Crossover Frequency 3000Hz). How do they compare?

What about rear surround speakers? Can I get away with something smaller?

sjm

 

[sjm01]

Choice between HSI 485 or HSI 455 for the front speakers?
I will be replacing old Rogersound Lab RSL CG 52 (50 Hz to 22kHz, 20 Watts-150 Watts, Crossover Frequency 3000Hz). How do they compare?

What about rear surround speakers? Can I get away with something smaller?

sjm

Anyone willing to help further? Unfortunately, since it is not possible to hear any speakers before buying, it is not possible to make a right choice without help with some experts like in this forum.

sjm

 

[zieglj01]

Choice between HSI 485 or HSI 455 for the front speakers?
I will be replacing old Rogersound Lab RSL CG 52 (50 Hz to 22kHz, 20 Watts-150 Watts, Crossover Frequency 3000Hz). How do they compare?

What about rear surround speakers? Can I get away with something smaller?

I can not speak for Rogersound speakers - I do know that Boston is good.
I would not go any smaller for surrounds.

 

[lsiberian]

http://www.harmanaudio.com/search_browse/product_detail.asp?urlMaterialNumber=P363BK&status= x 2

http://www.harmanaudio.com/Search_Browse/product_detail.asp?urlMaterialNumber=PC351BK&status= x 1

http://www.harmanaudio.com/Search_Browse/product_detail.asp?urlMaterialNumber=TSS-SAT500CHR&status= x 2

http://svsound.com/products-sub-box-sb12nsd.cfm x 1

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/ONKTXSR608/Onkyo-TX-SR608-7.2-Channel-3-D-Ready-Home-Theater-Receiver/1.html x1

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023903&p_id=2824&seq=1&format=2 x 1

 

[sjm01]

Axiom isn't very popular on this forum anymore though, be aware.

Reason why?

 

[jonnythan]

Reason why?

I don't know. As far as I can tell it has a lot more to do with internet politics and snobbery than anything else, which is interesting considering the general demeanor of this forum. I think there was some kind of argument with someone at some point, I'm not sure.

I do know that I have never seen much to indicate that Axiom speakers don't actually sound good.