Need Advice, new HT 15k budget

[manwithnocape]

Since you were looking at the Axiom Epic 80-600, I'm assuming a $5,000 budget for speakers and sub(s).

Under budget:
Ascend Audio CM Family: CMT 340 for LCR, CMB170 for surrounds and rears.
2x Hsu Research VTF15H


On budget:
Aperion Audio Verus Family: Grand Towers, Center and Bookshelf speakers for surrounds and rears.
2x Rythmik Audio FV15HP with H550PEQ3 version amplifiers


Misc. recommendations:

Acoustical Treatments:
Do not ignore this aspect of your home theater. The Under budget options in a properly sorted room treatments will sound better than the Over Budget setup in a room with issues. Look at articles on Gik Acoustics and Real Traps.

Receiver:
Denon 3313, Amazon, open box.

Amp:
Emotiva XPA-3

Amen Brother!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

i've been toying with getting into surround sound... what benefits do you see with having this kind of set up?? i like the idea because it sounds awesome, but what do you think about the performance?

Having identical awesome speakers all around ---- no weakness in the speaker chain, perfect timbre matching and imaging. Oh, yeah, I think it provides the best possible performance - all identical Funk monitors or towers + dual Funk subs.

 

[jcl]

Having identical awesome speakers all around ---- no weakness in the speaker chain, perfect timbre matching and imaging. Oh, yeah, I think it provides the best possible performance - all identical Funk monitors or towers + dual Funk subs.

I think the Funk speakers are fairly new? How have you been able to listen to them? Is there a program like Salk's where you can get hooked up with a local owner for a listen?

If I was spending that much money I think I'd want to listen before making a decision.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I think the Funk speakers are fairly new? How have you been able to listen to them? Is there a program like Salk's where you can get hooked up with a local owner for a listen?

If I was spending that much money I think I'd want to listen before making a decision.

No, you're right. Always safer to audition before you buy. No matter what anyone says, always a good policy to listen first.

manwithnocape already owns Funk speakers & subs. He has also listened to the new Funk speakers. So for him, it's not a blind purchase at all.

 

[manwithnocape]

I think the Funk speakers are fairly new? How have you been able to listen to them? Is there a program like Salk's where you can get hooked up with a local owner for a listen?

If I was spending that much money I think I'd want to listen before making a decision.

i own a pair of 8.1P's with a 18.0... breathtaking and this wee little baby seriously upsets the neighbors. i happen to live close to the studio, so i could preview them.. the 8.2 studio monitor (stand/wall mount) and i commissioned the 8.1P's which lead to them getting in the product line. i don't know how many are floating around out there, but they are defiantly worth a listen. give them a shout to see what the deal is . where there is a will there is a way amigo.

i just have experience to draw on, so if i can describe the 8.2P's - they are focused and just bright enough, but not assaulting or fatiguing with clear lows and mids. no muddy sections, very delicate and smooth in response but not slow, timbre and transparancy is always perfect... it never flattens out, there is always something gripping you and there is always something new revealed in the source material, its like a sensory overload and everything is exciting. i have classical music nights every once in a while, and i have literally had grown men and women get so moved by a piece that they break down in tears... seriously not a joke. and these are serious audio nuts, like they will travel half way around the world to hear an pipe organ in some old theater or church, and they are floored by FA. movie theaters sound horrible to me now... i can't go anymore i get literally mad and i ended up walking out of Skyfall, seriously, 16 bucks to see a flick and the sound is awful. i try to watch movies at Funk Audio's studio whenever i can.
i don't know if im allowed to say this but... i know they have 2 more loudspeakers in design... freaking hardcore monsters... the projected spec sheets are something like down to 28hz with some retarded low level distortion and 135 dB or more (i can't quite remember). i know one of the designs is built and in beta testing/design. they are not on the website and not listed anywhere, i just happened to be talking to the designers a little while back.... sorry nathan, my filter is busted.

hope this perspective helps. its just an opinion and personal experience, so take it for what it is and talk to the chief, cook, and bottle washer (nathan).

 

[Senact]

Assuming your KEF 5.1s are not of the R series, have you considered them? They seem to be getting some good reviews and I am sure even the smaller R300s plus a couple of good subs can fill your room nicely. I wouldn't recommend their subs though as there are better ones for less.

I checked out the R series (reviews), looks like a good buy. I am interested to find out more about Funk Audio, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of information on them at the moment and there site hasn't be updated yet (regarding their loudspeakers). I'll have to call them. Perhaps the KEF R series with Funk subs is the way to go.

@Jostenmeat - Thanks again for the indepth response. I was away all weekend but I'll have time this week to go through those calculators and try to finalize a few more things. I assume the flatest paint is best (non-glossy) to minimize reflection. As for speaker finishes, it would be nice to spend money on the amazing finishes, but I prefer to spend the money on the performance, at least at my budget. As for 5.1 vs 7.1, even if the benefits are minimal, I've always wanted to run a 7.1/7.2 system. If it makes sense to start with 5.1 for now from a budget perspective, I'll do that but plan for 7.2 in the end.

@agarwalro - It seemed like the Axiom speakers were a good bargain until I did more research. I would be willing to go around 10k or so for the speakers and hardware and the rest on the projector/screen. I'm not really factoring the cost of the room itself in my budget as I handle that a bit differently financially. I wish our city had some good A/V specialists, there really aren't any good places to demo products here, so I am basing my decision on reviews and advice on the forums.

@manwithnocape - Just saw your latest post before posting my own. That sounds to be exactly what I'm looking for based on your description/preview. Do you have any idea on when their new 8.1/8.2/5.4's will be available? I'd love to see some pricing/pictures too.

 

[Senact]

I typed up a big response and it said it posted but it never showed up. Not sure if it's delayed for some reason so I'll sum it up.
I was repling to most of the comments individually. I checked out the KEF R series, and they look great. Depending on what I learn about the Funk 8.1/8.2/5.4 speakers, I may go with KEF R series and Funk subs, however, after reading the preview from manwithnocape, he's got me really excited to find out more about Funk. Hopefully there is more info on pricing and availability soon (and some pics) for their loudspeakers.
@jostenmeat - Thanks for all the info again, I was away all weekend but I'll have time this week to check out those calculators and finalize more of the design. I'd like to go with a very flat paint (low reflectance), so my choice will be determined by that, but I believe the black bean offers what I need.
As for 5.1vs7.1/7.2, I've always wanted to have a 7.# system, so I will design my room with that in mind. However, if budget only allows me to go 5.1 for the time being, I can do that and purchase two more speakers later. My 15k budget give or take (mostly give ) was for A/V. I am not including the room renos/furniture/lighting etc in that budget. So I have closer to 10k+ to work with for audio.

 

[Senact]

My last attempt to post in this thread. I've tried twice, thanking those who offered advice, but my post said an administrator would have to allow the post and it never happened.
Anyway, I took the plunge and purchased
KEF R900 Loudspeakers
R600c Center
R800 Dipole
R100 Surround
and 2 polk audio subs (PSW505) (Funk audio will have to wait, over budget)
Onkyo tx-nr5010 receiver
Monster 510 power conditioner (I'll be returning this and buying an APC H15BLK as the monster unit had a lot of bad reviews)
Grand view 120" Fixed screen
Pany AE8000 projector + Mount
I managed to squeak in just under my budget of 15k. I should be picking up my order in a week or two, can't wait!. I plan to bi-amp the R900's, can't wait to hear them.


Edit: Woohoo, the post worked!

 

[lsiberian]

You didn't need surrounds. You could have use the KEF 2000s for that if you wanted.

Drop the dipoles if you haven't bought them already and put that money in a quality sub.

 

[Senact]

Now that I know my posts work, I can go into a bit more detail on my decisions.
For the 7.0, I had done a lot of reading on different brands, performance, specs etc, and felt the R series was the best compromise given the availability in my city. I was able to get what I thought to be a good deal from a local store. One thing I've noticed is we get screwed in Canada on price for stuff like this. If I order it for cheap online, I get hammered by customs, I've never found a reliable way to get the kinds of prices that can be found down south. I compared what I paid to the KEF store and I was about 20-35% less.

The subs were over 50% off and I checked the reviews and they were great. I was already getting close to budget and knew I couldn't order the Funk subs that I wanted, so these will tide me over until I have a bit more cash to spend. I still have to prep the room, furniture, paint, wiring etc, but ideally, I'll end up with a couple of funk subs in the next couple years. I don't know a lot about subs, but I hope the quality or lack of isn't noticable next to the sound from my R series, I hope it will blend nicely.

The Onkyo receiver was a decision based on my personal experience with them. I was leaning towards an amp/pre-amp but for the price I got and the reviews, this seemed to be a good solution for me (and availability). I will be able to bi-amp the front speakers as I'm using a 7.2 setup, and it has all the inputs I need for my gaming consoles etc.

The power conditioner was a sucker sale, I hadn't done my research on them and I was offered 70% off. Once I got home and checked reviews, I quickly realised I wasted my money. Some people argue a conditioner is not even required, but I'd like to go on the side of caution. Maybe someone can speak to this?

The screen is nothing special, average 120" fixed, should get the job done. The panasonic projector was on display, and looked amazing. It kept my kids busy for an hour while I finalised the sale. I won't have ambient light to deal with, but even under the lighting of the room it was in, it looked fantastic, and I got a free spare bulb, should last until 4K becomes mainstream.

My only hesitations in the purchase was the conditioner. I know the APC brand has great reviews, but I am worried about power draw. The salesman insisted one 15A circuit was sufficient, but with a system of this size... I'm not sure. The receiver alone can draw over 12A's on full load, does anyone have any suggestions/advice on this?
Thanks again for the support.

 

[Senact]

You didn't need surrounds. You could have use the KEF 2000s for that if you wanted.

Drop the dipoles if you haven't bought them already and put that money in a quality sub.

I've purchased everything but haven't taken delivery. I still have the option to return any of the items. So you think I should return the R800s, R100's and subs and use 4 of the 2000s for the surround and buy a better sub? Would the funk audio sub be good? 1 or 2?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The KEF R speakers should be great.

Polk subs? Well, you can always upgrade later.

 

[lsiberian]

I've purchased everything but haven't taken delivery. I still have the option to return any of the items. So you think I should return the R800s, R100's and subs and use 4 of the 2000s for the surround and buy a better sub? Would the funk audio sub be good? 1 or 2?

Sounds like a lot of hassle. Maybe you can just upgrade the subs later.

Funk Audio subs would be insanely good. I use the KEF 2001s for surround duty and they do a great job of course upgrading them down the line might be nice.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I think you are just throwing away money with those subs. Take them back and get one decent sub, that's in your budget and add a second identical one once you are able to.

 

[Senact]

The KEF R speakers should be great.

Polk subs? Well, you can always upgrade later.

Are they that bad? Would I be better off with one funk audio sub vs 2 polk audio subs? I could stretch the budget a little bit, I just thought two cheaper subs would have similar effectivness to one decent sub. The 18.0c funk audio sub would be plausible. I spent about 800 total on the two subs.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Are they that bad? Would I be better off with one funk audio sub vs 2 polk audio subs? I could stretch the budget a little bit, I just thought two cheaper subs would have similar effectivness to one decent sub. The 18.0c funk audio sub would be plausible. I spent about 800 total on the two subs.

One 18c will be approximately 9902711.631 x better than two polk audio subs.

 

[lsiberian]

Are they that bad? Would I be better off with one funk audio sub vs 2 polk audio subs? I could stretch the budget a little bit, I just thought two cheaper subs would have similar effectivness to one decent sub. The 18.0c funk audio sub would be plausible. I spent about 800 total on the two subs.

You would be better off with nearly any ID sub than with a Polk. The Funk Audio Sub uses the best drivers in the world. It's like asking if you'd be better off with a Ferrari than a Ford Focus. And your current speakers make great surrounds unless the room is huge. I'd send the Polks and the new KEF surrounds back.

 

[Senact]

One 18c will be approximately 9902711.631 x better than two polk audio subs.

OK, you guys convinced me. From the look of their sub line, the 18.0c would be the best choice for my system?

 

[ParadigmDawg]

OK, you guys convinced me. From the look of their sub line, the 18.0c would be the best choice for my system?

It would be a great choice as would SVS or HSU.

 

[lsiberian]

OK, you guys convinced me. From the look of their sub line, the 18.0c would be the best choice for my system?

The 15.3 is probably better unless space is an issue.