Opinions requested for new loudspeakers for music

[Drumheller]

Hello everyone!
I've been reading threads hoping to learn more but I'm still very much a novice.

Currently I'm using a cheap HTiB configuration. I've never put together an audio system before so most of this is new to me.

I purchased the Pioneer SC-1222-K receiver. I'm looking to get two floorstanding loudspeakers, a center, two surround speakers and a sub. However, my primary use will be music. I will occasionally watch movies / TV and play video games, but probably 80% of the time I will be listening to music.

I've been through a range of impressions and opinions. Reading threads today, I'm considering the new Pioneer set (with the FS52 speakers). Last week I was nearly set on the Polk RTi A9s after listening to them. Then someone suggested I'd be better with the LSi series if music is my primary usage. I saw the prices getting higher and decided to cool down a bit and think it over and review other options.

So, all of that said, I need help!

Budget: it's flexible. Originally I had hoped to stay at $2000 total (including the receiver, which I paid $600). However, I'm willing to exceed that if it means getting the right setup for me. I'm also willing to pay less and keep some money if I don't need to spend that much. I am not an audiophile and probably would be hard pressed to tell the difference between two different 'nice' sets of speakers.

My house is an open floor plan with tile floors and vaulted ceilings. The room with the entertainment center is approximately 17' x 17.5' x 13' (at the peak of the ceiling). The back wall of this room is a half wall that opens into the kitchen, so that could add another 11' to the depth in that direction (making it 28.5'). I have an area rug on the floor between the recliners and the entertainment center.

I've never owned anything better than the cheap ($250 total new) HTiB speakers so probably anything would be an improvement to me.

Thanks for your time and help!

 

[ImcLoud]

Welcome, nice choice on receiver, congrats..
What kind of music do you listen to?

I think the best bang for your buck is going to be a setup similar to mine.
Ascend Acoustics 340se front pair, and center, with 200se surrounds, and a pair of 340 tower stands, this will cost around $1300... Then spend $615 on the vtf2 sub from HSU research... I did a lot of research when buying my new theater a few months back and listened to so many speakers I was on the verge of giving up... The Ascends are the best value I found... They sound really good with movies and music, and the hsu sub is amazing...

Now my second choice would have been-
Wharfedale diamonds, 10.7 towers with DFS surrounds and the matching center but that would cost around $600 more, and when I played them side by side the Ascends were warmer and more detailed {noticeably} although their cabinets were more attractive with a better finish... The ascends are all business with black vinyl coating, you can see where your money is going inside the box not on it...

But anyway for $2000 and under I have to say the Ascend/HSU setup is the best bang for your buck, they are obviously better than the new Pioneers, but the Pioneers are by far the best buy up to the Ascends... SO- $400 vs $1300, you will have to test the 2 to see if you want to pay $900 for the difference...
Another option would be to buy the Pioneer set {with the bookshelfs for front left and right instead of the towers which will cost $300 instead of 400, then buy a designated set of towers for music WHARFEDALE EVO2-30 TOWER SPEAKERS (PR) at Music Direct or WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 10.6 SPEAKERS (BLACK) **DEMO** at Music Direct or WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 10.6 SPEAKERS (BLACK) **DEMO** at Music Direct

And one more option for you I promise...
How about-
FOCAL Chorus 814V 716v Dual 6½ Floorstanding Speakers Gloss Black Pair | Accessories4less
FOCAL Chorus CC814V 800V Dual 6½" Center Speaker Gloss Black Each | Accessories4less
WHARFEDALE DIAMOND DFS BI-POLE SURROUND SPEAKER (PR) at Music Direct

this sub is on sale could bring the Focals into budget if you substitute it for the HSU Newegg.com - Klipsch Reference RW-12d 12" Powered Subwoofer Each w/ New box

There are tons of options out there, and you can definetly find something in your price range...

 

[Steve81]

I am not an audiophile and probably would be hard pressed to tell the difference between two different 'nice' sets of speakers.

I wouldn't sell yourself short just yet. There's a lot of different manufacturers out there, and consequently a lot of different takes on how to build a speaker. While the difference between a Polk RTi A7 and an RTi A9 might not be especially pronounced, you'll probably notice a difference between them and something like a Mirage OMD-28 or a Klipsch RF-7. If your only points of reference are Pioneer and Polk, my suggestion is to do some more listening and expand your horizons a bit. This isn't to say ImcLoud's suggestion of Ascend is bad; in fact I'd say they're very good all round speakers for the price of admission; however, IME a lot depends on what you value in music and what compromises you're willing to make. NHT, PSB, Paradigm, B&W, Klipsch, Infinity, JBL, Mirage, Ascend, Aperion, etc, etc... There's no shortage of choices in your range. Take a listen to a few and see how true your statement really is.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I am not an audiophile and probably would be hard pressed to tell the difference between two different 'nice' sets of speakers.

If after you have auditioned other speakers and still feel the same way, then that's just fine. In that case, buy the speakers with good measurements and good resale value, but at the same time are not a total joke to the audiophile community like Bose.

Revel and KEF are among the most popular brands and seem to have good resale value. Others include B&W, Focal, Dynaudio, RBH, ATC, among many, many brands.

It's probably just me, but I find it pretty cool to own speaker brands that also make ultra expensive speakers. For example, Focal have their $190K Utopia, KEF have their $160K Muon, Dynaudio have their $100K Evidence, ATC have their $85K flagship, TAD/ Pioneer have their $80K flagship, B&W and Revel/JBL/Harman have their $70K flagships, and RBH have their $60K flagship, etc.

Just rambling.

Of course, you don't need to make $190K speakers to have great sounding speakers, like Funk, Ascend, Salk, Philharmonic, PSB, Paradigm, etc.

 

[zieglj01]

For a tight budget, Pioneer would be a real good one. However,
you have a budget where you can expand your options > Focal
and Monitor Audio are a couple of them > Also if you desire a
sub for musical listening >> I would aim for a good musical sub.
HSU, and SVS would be a couple of brands to look at.

Even if you did buy Pioneer > I would still want a good musical
sub, from the likes of HSU, SVS and a couple of other ID brands.

 

[GranteedEV]

Hey, based on your handle, I'm assuming you're in Alberta?

 

[Drumheller]

Hey, based on your handle, I'm assuming you're in Alberta?

No, but I'm aware there is a city named Drumheller. It's a character name from a novel I read.

Thanks everyone for the input! I'm still uncertain and will continue to read and consider options.

Where does everyone go to listen to speakers? I have a Frys Electronics and Best Buy near me, but not sure about other places.

Thanks again!

 

[Steve81]

Usually companies like NHT, PSB, etc utilize smaller dealers a bit more dedicated to audio than Best Buy which also deals in refrigerators, computers, etc. Probably the easiest way to out what's nearby is to go to the respective websites for the brands listed and search for local dealers.

 

[Drumheller]

Bumping this thread to ask what people think of the Polk Audio RTi 12 speakers. Fry's Electronics is clearing them out and I could get a pair in my budget this weekend.

Thanks again!

 

[KEW]

Where does everyone go to listen to speakers? I have a Frys Electronics and Best Buy near me, but not sure about other places.
Thanks again!

This is a difficult question for budget speakers.
Fry's and BB will allow you to listen to speakers, but there is usually so much store noise that it is of dubious value (not to mention damage to the floor samples and a less than ideal setup).

High dollar speakers are more likely to have a good showroom set-up.

In either case it is almost impossible to be certain that the salesmen have not played with the processing or setup to favor a product with a higher sales commission.

Personally, I think you would be best served to narrow your choices to two or three then bring them home to audition/compare using your own setup and room acoustics. Be up front with the store about your intentions and make sure there are no restocking fees (I'm pretty sure there are not for speakers from the two stores you mentioned). Of course, you will need to temporarily buy them all, but they can be floated on a credit card.

You will be amazed at how much you will learn over a weekend at home compared to in the store.

 

[zieglj01]

Bumping this thread to ask what people think of the Polk Audio RTi 12 speakers. Fry's Electronics is clearing them out and I could get a pair in my budget this weekend.

Thanks again!

If you want loudness, bass and some shout - then go for it.

 

[Drumheller]

If you want loudness, bass and some shout - then go for it.

Thanks! Any idea how these would compare to something like the new Pioneer FS52s ? I've been reading the other thread and am considering picking up that set. The problem is I really don't know how much of a difference there is between those price points.

 

[zieglj01]

Thanks! Any idea how these would compare to something like the new Pioneer FS52s ? I've been reading the other thread and am considering picking up that set. The problem is I really don't know how much of a difference there is between those price points.

Differences can still be subjective, based on preference and taste.
I am not a real Polk fan for music, from RTi series on down, > The
Pioneer is a good all around speaker for music and movies. > They
can play loud, however not at extreme levels. > Your budget still
allows you to aim higher, > and there are some good speakers out
there, like Focal and some others, which have better resolution.

The bottom line is, if you like Polk - then buy them. > However for
$200 a pair, it can not hurt much to audition the Pioneers in home.
They sound no-where near a $200 pair of speakers to me, and will
take you way above, your HTIB speaker system experience.

 

[Drumheller]

Differences can still be subjective, based on preference and taste.
I am not a real Polk fan for music, from RTi series on down, > The
Pioneer is a good all around speaker for music and movies. > They
can play loud, however not at extreme levels. > Your budget still
allows you to aim higher, > and there are some good speakers out
there, like Focal and some others, which have better resolution.

The bottom line is, if you like Polk - then buy them. > However for
$200 a pair, it can not hurt much to audition the Pioneers in home.
They sound no-where near a $200 pair of speakers to me, and will
take you way above, your HTIB speaker system experience.

Thanks! Not really set on Polk; the HTiB I have is Polk and I thought it was decent for it's price, so I figured I would look there.

I'll take a look at Focal. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[eriko]

hey freinds i'm new here & when i see your chitchat i came here to tell that i'm a big fan of pioneer & i'm using it for a long time but even now it's giving the same quality beleive me. i don't get outcome like this from any other sound system.

 

[kini]

There's more than a few internet direct brands that allow for 30 day in home trials, some with free shipping both ways. It may take longer to find what you want but it is an option when you can't demo locally.

Gene

 

[PENG]

I will occasionally watch movies / TV and play video games, but probably 80%of the time I will be listening to music.

For a 80% person I would spend the whole 2K on a pair of KEF R500, they are probably unbeatable at that price outside of the ID brands. The R500 is capable of pumping out some serious bass on their own. You can skip the center for now and use those little HTIAB speakers to get some surround effects. That way you will have very nice sound quality for music enjoyment and you will be happy 80% of the time for a very long time.

If you go the other way, such as buying the Pioneer or Polk, you will end up reasonably happy 20% of the time and sad 80% of the time.