5.1 Speaker Suggestions

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N1ghtcrawl3r

Audioholic Intern
@rojo. I just bought the Dayton sub 1500 - don't even have it delivered yet (someone is getting it for me over the border). Initially, I was only considering upgrading the Subwoofer, and the sub 1500 is probably quite a bit of an upgrade from the crappy Energy 8 inch sub that came along with the classic. So long story, short, I'll probably stick with it for a few years.

Also - another update - I got to listen to the Wharfedales. I found them quite similar to the Emotiva's - I was happy after giving them the run. Also, I got it priced to around 1400 for the 230/220C/210 - which makes me think I could get the 240/220C/220 combination for around 1800. I might have to return and give this combination a listen. Also, one thing the wharfedale's definitely have above the emotiva is the styling. While I do like the industrial look of the Emotiva's but the Wharfedales with the shiny silver rings make me go 'CHROME!' Hahaha.
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
@rojo. I just bought the Dayton sub 1500 - don't even have it delivered yet (someone is getting it for me over the border). Initially, I was only considering upgrading the Subwoofer, and the sub 1500 is probably quite a bit of an upgrade from the crappy Energy 8 inch sub that came along with the classic. So long story, short, I'll probably stick with it for a few years.

Also - another update - I got to listen to the Wharfedales. I found them quite similar to the Emotiva's - I was happy after giving them the run. Also, I got it priced to around 1400 for the 230/220C/210 - which makes me think I could get the 240/220C/220 combination for around 1800. I might have to return and give this combination a listen. Also, one thing the wharfedale's definitely have above the emotiva is the styling. While I do like the industrial look of the Emotiva's but the Wharfedales with the shiny silver rings make me go 'CHROME!' Hahaha.
You might want to check and see what musicdirect.com has to offer in terms of open box buys. Many have bought open box from them and claim it was as good as new. You could save some significant money if you do. Just saying..........BTW, I love my 220's and Dentons! Here is a link for YOU:


https://www.musicdirect.com/speakers?category=Speakers&specials=Demo&brand=Wharfedale&sort=popularity|DESC&page=1&c1=tab-products&c2=grid


Best wishes!:):):)


Cheers,

Phil
 
N

N1ghtcrawl3r

Audioholic Intern
@speakerman39 - thanks Phil. Problem is, Shipping across the border is a pain in the ass and all in all I'll probably save maybe a 100 bucks if that in the end. If it was 2 years ago when the Canadian loonie was at par with the USD - there would be no argument as to where I'd buy from. Now the USD is 30% higher. Also, it becomes an issue if I have to ship back for some reason. One of the reasons I haven't yet approached Flaunce, is that I'll feel very shitty if I have to ship them back because I didn't like them - even if they pay for it. They definitely are the cheapest of the bunch and also - they look pretty good. But again, they have the 8 inch woofers, which is nice, but probably overkill if I have a 15 inch sub.
Haha - Im loving this process..but its getting tougher to choose! Good thing I have plenty of time.
 
N

N1ghtcrawl3r

Audioholic Intern
As an example - If i get the 240/220C/220 - all open box from music direct - it adds up to 1317 USD. That 1647 CAD. At the border I'll have to pay at least 13% duty if not more - bring it to 1861. And I haven't added a shipping charge. So ultimately it ends up being the same.
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
@speakerman39 - thanks Phil. Problem is, Shipping across the border is a pain in the ass and all in all I'll probably save maybe a 100 bucks if that in the end. If it was 2 years ago when the Canadian loonie was at par with the USD - there would be no argument as to where I'd buy from. Now the USD is 30% higher. Also, it becomes an issue if I have to ship back for some reason. One of the reasons I haven't yet approached Flaunce, is that I'll feel very shitty if I have to ship them back because I didn't like them - even if they pay for it. They definitely are the cheapest of the bunch and also - they look pretty good. But again, they have the 8 inch woofers, which is nice, but probably overkill if I have a 15 inch sub.
Haha - Im loving this process..but its getting tougher to choose! Good thing I have plenty of time.
Yeah, my bad. Kind of forgot about that. There has to be a way to get around that right? Really sorry things are that way. So, did you get your Wharfedale pricing at BB Ca? That may be a good way to go. I would at least try to get them to give you a better deal. That would be a rather significant purchase. BTW, many people seem to like the Dayton 1500. It sure gets recommended a lot. :):):)


Cheers,

Phil
 
N

N1ghtcrawl3r

Audioholic Intern
no - the pricing is from Bay Bloor Radio. I didn't do any negotiating - he offered better than sticker by himself. So probably, I could try a little more negotiating when I'm actually ready to buy. Especially if I go to the 240, i should have more room to bargain
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
no - the pricing is from Bay Bloor Radio. I didn't do any negotiating - he offered better than sticker by himself. So probably, I could try a little more negotiating when I'm actually ready to buy. Especially if I go to the 240, i should have more room to bargain
I see. Well, at the very least I would see what kind of deal you could get from BB Ca as well. Be sure to take special notice of the return policy should you decide to do that. Here in the states BB only allows 14-days. Not sure about BB Ca. Perhaps, Baylor Bay Radio can also offer a better deal. Never hurts to ask. Be sure to keep us all posted. Maybe some pics when it all comes in eh? :):):)


Cheers,

Phil
 
Roen

Roen

Audioholic
Have you gone to any of the other GTA Hi-Fi Shops? Queen / Ossington has Planet of Sound, Update Stereo in Markham, Audio One in Vaughan / Concord.

Regardless, I assembled my setup via border mail, because you just get that much more value for your money sending the speakers to the border and then picking it up and driving it across, paying duties as you cross.

Got a Rhythmik F15HP coming in next month, but that wasn't a value purchase. The one I currently have, the PSA S1500, that's a huge value purchase.
 
N

N1ghtcrawl3r

Audioholic Intern
@Roen - thanks for the info. I'll look them up and see if i can better my deal. Going across the border is an option - and i might have that option close to the holidays when I'm actually buying. So its not entirely ruled out. If i see a US thanksgiving blowout that will save me a ton of cash - you bet im driving across!
 
N

N1ghtcrawl3r

Audioholic Intern
@Roen - these guys dont seem to have their catalog and prices online - or dont have what Im looking for.

BUT!! - update hifi has the monitor audio bronze set listed for around 2K. That should make a good contender I think.
 
Pogre

Pogre

Audioholic Slumlord
70% music, right? Normally, I'd think monopole speakers would be better than bipole for music. But with your placement restrictions, a more diffuse sound from the rear might be preferable. Hard to predict.

For sub placement, again, hard to predict. You might add the lower right corner of the diagram to your list with a small footprint sub like an svs cylinder sub. Corner loading can help with sub bass extension. Near field positioning right behind the couch can take a bit more patience to integrate into your system to avoid directionality, but it can be done.
You think moving stuff out from the side wall will help with the front? He looks awfully tight on the left side. As far as sub placement, I used to recommend the sub crawl, but it's been hit and miss for me. Sometimes sub placement takes a lot of moving around and experimenting.
 
N

N1ghtcrawl3r

Audioholic Intern
Yea - that tower will be at the corner. But there is the opportunity to castle the tower with sub (the chess analogy works due to their relative king and rook sizes ;)) .
But - I have very limited options regardless. 4 options including this new one above. Possibly the bottom left corner might work too if I get a 30ft plus subwoofer cable
 
rojo

rojo

Audioholic Samurai
You think moving stuff out from the side wall will help with the front? He looks awfully tight on the left side. As far as sub placement, I used to recommend the sub crawl, but it's been hit and miss for me. Sometimes sub placement takes a lot of moving around and experimenting.
*shrug* probably not enough to warrant the inconvenience or the decrease in stereo separation. I think the biggest peril in suggesting the subwoofer crawl is that the crawl sometimes assumes more flexibility than the room and decor allows. However, it can still provide a good starting point for lower reliance on room correction / eq.

Yea - that tower will be at the corner. But there is the opportunity to castle the tower with sub (the chess analogy works due to their relative king and rook sizes ;)) .
But - I have very limited options regardless. 4 options including this new one above. Possibly the bottom left corner might work too if I get a 30ft plus subwoofer cable
I wouldn't castle the tower and sub. Ideal positioning of speakers is ~25-30° outside the primary listener. Moving the mains closer together will harm the sound more than having one corner loaded I think.
 
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rojo

rojo

Audioholic Samurai
@N1ghtcrawl3r You know, if your rear surrounds are going to be wall mounted, then the corner underneath "Sat 1" would be another potentially suitable location for a sub, as well as the opposite corner on the back wall (to the right as you're facing the fireplace).

Have you played with the idea of moving the TV over the fireplace? That orientation would give you better stereo separation of your mains. I assume you want to avoid having the back of the couch facing the fireplace.
 
N

N1ghtcrawl3r

Audioholic Intern
@rojo
Yes - the wall mounting will definitely open up that corner. Will just need around 25-30 feet of cable and it will be suitably out of view. Definitely a good idea because it also hides the sub away.

Above the fireplace doesn't work for me. the mantle is high and i have a particular dislike for TVs that are placed higher that eye level for viewing.
 
Roen

Roen

Audioholic
@Roen - these guys dont seem to have their catalog and prices online - or dont have what Im looking for.

BUT!! - update hifi has the monitor audio bronze set listed for around 2K. That should make a good contender I think.
Which guys?

My friend has the Monitor Bronze, and I would very well wager that the Chane A2.4 series knocks it out of the park, easily.

Get a quote from the GTA guys, and come back to us with some prices. I'll see what I can't dig up in similar or cheaper price brackets across the border that will have similar or better quality than the Canadian options.

Caveat is support will be finicky, but good speakers, knock on wood, shouldn't require much support.
 
N

N1ghtcrawl3r

Audioholic Intern
so - I got a quote for the Wharfedale 240/220C/220 combination - and like i suspected earlier - its 1800+tax(2K all in) Canadian. I might be able to get it a bit cheaper - but its line with my expectations. These are top of my list now because:
1. Downfiring ports help me with placing them close to the wall. The left corner beside the TV in particular is not very rear port friendly.
2. The wood finish matches very nicely with my floors and wife likes the look enough to up my budget :p

I will have to go in again and check them again to make sure the sound works for me - and play more of my regular tunes on it. Unfortunately I cant do A/B with the Emotivas - which also would be around 250 bucks cheaper

@speakerman39 - you seem to have a lot of experience with Wharfedales. Any tips? Is there something in particular I should watch out for when auditioning them the second time? I have read that they take a lot of time to get broken in, and they sound better with the grille off the tweeter.
Again, Ive read that they are less fatiguing and warm overall - and even though many dont recommend it for metal - I have to admit, I'm old and wont be blasting my speakers very often. Classic and progressive rock is more like my go to genre - pink floyd, porcupine tree etc. And occasional party music hip/hop if people get drunk.
Another important thing - movies I watch are quite often low rez off kodi and streaming sources and are usually crappy stereo. Some of my black metal is pretty low on production values too. So the speakers need to be a bit forgiving too. Hi Rez surround comes into play for gaming and again for FLAC encoded in 5.1.
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
so - I got a quote for the Wharfedale 240/220C/220 combination - and like i suspected earlier - its 1800+tax(2K all in) Canadian. I might be able to get it a bit cheaper - but its line with my expectations. These are top of my list now because:
1. Downfiring ports help me with placing them close to the wall. The left corner beside the TV in particular is not very rear port friendly.
2. The wood finish matches very nicely with my floors and wife likes the look enough to up my budget :p

I will have to go in again and check them again to make sure the sound works for me - and play more of my regular tunes on it. Unfortunately I cant do A/B with the Emotivas - which also would be around 250 bucks cheaper

@speakerman39 - you seem to have a lot of experience with Wharfedales. Any tips? Is there something in particular I should watch out for when auditioning them the second time? I have read that they take a lot of time to get broken in, and they sound better with the grille off the tweeter.
Again, Ive read that they are less fatiguing and warm overall - and even though many dont recommend it for metal - I have to admit, I'm old and wont be blasting my speakers very often. Classic and progressive rock is more like my go to genre - pink floyd, porcupine tree etc. And occasional party music hip/hop if people get drunk.
Another important thing - movies I watch are quite often low rez off kodi and streaming sources and are usually crappy stereo. Some of my black metal is pretty low on production values too. So the speakers need to be a bit forgiving too. Hi Rez surround comes into play for gaming and again for FLAC encoded in 5.1.
Okay let me mention a few things before I attempt to answer your questions. I do NOT have tons of experience with Wharfedale speakers per se. I do own a set of the Diamond 220's and the Denton 80th anniversary bookshelfs. Have not heard any other Wharfedale speakers including the center and/or towers that your are considering. However, I do love my Wharfies.

My preference is ONLY on music in 2-Channel stereo. I do not give 2-craps about HT nor am I a gamer. My place is just too small to really do much with HT. So, why even bother? Never have been a gamer nor do I even care for tower speakers. That is, a stand mounted speaker coupled to a capable sub will nearly always sound better than a tower alone. Besides, most stand mounts image better than towers for the most part.

As far as music is concerned, I seem to have a preference for the "hair bands" as I grew up in the 70's. In short, guess I am a classic rocker. Guitar rock is a BIG one for me. But, I listen to some of the alternative rock from the 90's and so on. At times, I like jazz and /or classical music as well. My Wharfies have done well with whatever I have thrown at them.

Keep in mind that my Wharfies are very laid back, warm and non-fatiguing. Nothing is in your face or harsh. Vocals are what really stands out. Especially, female vocals. My Wharfies are not the last word on detail/resolution. But, there is still plenty of detail that draws me into my music more resulting in a toe-tapping experience. In other words, my Wharfies are very polite if you will.

One thing that is very apparent when I compare the 220's to the Dentons is that the 220's have much more low end capabilities. Yes, the Dentons have a little more refinement from top to bottom over all, but with less extension. The 220's use down-firing vents/ports via the plinth design whereas the Dentons have rear-firing ports. Thus, the 220's are much easier to place close to the back/side walls. The Dentons need more room to breathe and are a bit finicky when it comes to placement.

I listen to most of my music via CD's and Pandora, youtube, and etc. I still listen to some FM mainly b/c I like to listen to my Kentucky basketball games from time to time. Sometimes, I am not able to see all of their games on my TV. So, when that happens I listen to my game on the radio. Have listened to some internet radio stations that also sound decent. As for Metal, I am not too sure how it would sound on the Wharfies. I do like some hard stuff, but nothing over the top per se.

Put in some Adele or Dido/Karen Carpenter and you will see what I mean by female vocals. One of my favorite bands is Heart. Those chicks can rock! They sound fabulous on my Wharfies. The Blues sound really good too. For example, Eric Clapton is just amazing. Carlos Santana and his guitar playing is also amazing. Pink Floyd is another that really stands out. Anyways, hope this gives you some kind of idea as to why I love my Wharfies. Basically, I am a drawn to a more warmer sound signature bar none. It is not for everyone as it is merely a personal preference like many things in life. :):):)


Cheers,

Phil
 
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N

N1ghtcrawl3r

Audioholic Intern
@speakerman39 - Thanks Phil. I'm going to give it a second round of listening with more varied music from my collection and also check how it does with movies. Appreciate the candor.
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
@speakerman39 - Thanks Phil. I'm going to give it a second round of listening with more varied music from my collection and also check how it does with movies. Appreciate the candor.
I think that is a wise decision myself. BTW, I did not get to experience any break-in as both of my sets were gently used. The Dentons were practically brand new. However, I have experienced break-in somewhat with other brands. Nothing night or day, but slightly noticeable nevertheless.

I also do not like taking grilles off as my Wharfies sound fine just the way they are. Just love the Dentons retro look. Lastly, it is true that even somewhat bad recordings can sound good with the Wharfies. In other words, they are very forgiving speakers if you will. Anyways, please keep us all posted. Lots of good advice here. Best wishes! :):):)


Cheers,

Phil
 

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