$5K budget - scratch setup - what do you get

[ngerne]

I am in the process of building my first home audio setup that is better than my current setup Logitech Z-5500. It sufficed while living in an apartment, but now it's time to move on to bigger and better things.

I am looking to build a system with a budget of $5k. I will be using it for audio primarily (house parties, and good tunes while tinkering with other things). However, it will also be used for our home theater system eventually. We listen to music 98% of the time. I'm looking at just buying 2 speakers (a sub if necessary) and a receiver. The remaining 3 speakers will be for later.

I went to Best Browse (Best Buy) and listened to B&W CM9s through Pioneer Elite SC-55. I was impressed, but it the sound was lacking on the low end so a supplemental sub woofer would be in order.

I was considering the B&W CM9s, with the Pioneer Elite SC-61 until I read... (forums.audioholics.com/forums/loudspeakers/77956-floorstanding-speakers-%243-500-4-500-advice-please.html) Some good points were brought up, I think I remember the receiver being turned WAY up to push the sound to decently loud levels. He wound up laying out > $7K -- that's not happening.

Let's, pardon the pun, hear what you have to say...

 

[ngerne]

Quick edit:

I listen to a variety of music (classical, techno, rap, classic rock, pop, gospel, etc.) and I've been impressed with the Dev Tech BP7002, but Definitive stopped manufacturing them . I haven't been able to check out the BP 8080STs yet, but I was not overly impressed by the BP8060STs or Definitive's Mythos ST SuperTowers...

 

[lsiberian]

When you say house parties what exactly do you mean?

JTRs would be great if you like to rock the place out.

While B&Ws would be better critical listening.

 

[ngerne]

Rock the place out partying... the majority of the music source will be through Pandora One (paid version of Pandora for higher bit rate, but not spectacular), but I would like to throw on a good acoustic and be "moved" by the singer's voice - I think this is where you're right lsiberian, this is where B&W excels because the sound was crisp, but not very "loud".

The BP7002 did a pretty good job balancing LOUD with clarity, but were more on the loud side - which is what I'm going for.

I'll be browsing a few local home audio specialty stores this weekend to try and sample some JTRs. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[templemaners]

I'll be browsing a few local home audio specialty stores this weekend to try and sample some JTRs. Thanks for the recommendation.

I believe JTR is internet only, so looking for them in stores might be futile...

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The KEF Q900 has a sensitivity of 91dB/w/m, Max SPL 114dB, and has been independently reviewed & measured by Home Theater Magazine & Stereophile:

KEF Q900 Speaker System HT Labs Measures | Home Theater

KEF Q900 loudspeaker Measurements | Stereophile.com

You can get a pair of Q900 for $1,350 delivered from Onecall (on phone, not online).

You can also get a PR of Q900 fro $1280 delivered from Elegant Audio Video (also via phone).

Add 2 subs from Rythmik, SVS, Spike, HSU and you're set.

JTR, Seaton, and all the other High Efficiency (HE) speakers are fine as well, but I haven't heard them and haven't seen any measurements of their speakers, so I can't say much.

The Revel F12 has a sensitivity of 90.5dB/w/m. You can get them for $1250/PR.

SoundStage! Measurements - Revel Concerta F12 Loudspeakers (3/2006)

Revel Concerta F12 loudspeaker | Stereophile.com

The Revel Concerta F12 Surround Sound Speaker System | Home Theater

Unless your room is bigger than 30' x 30', either the Q900 or F12 will play as loud as your brain can tolerate.

I have the cheapo Infinity P362. Even from 40 ft away, they sound extremely loud.

So you don't need a 130dB speaker to play extremely loud, unless you have an extremely large room.

 

[shadyJ]

The JTRs would rock. You might also check out Klipsch RF-7 II towers, those things would blaze for parties but still be great for lower volume critical listening. Plus they look nice. For the sub, I would either get one of these Rythmik FV15HP subs or two Hsu VTF3 mk4 subs. These new Powersound Audio subs like very intriguing for the price, it may be worth considering getting a couple of those XV15s as well. That ought to leave you roughly $1k for a receiver. I would look at what you can get for $1k from Yamaha, Marantz, Harman/Kardon, Denon, Pioneer, Onkyo, Outlaw Audio, or Emotiva. Any combination of the above speakers with those subs and receivers would make for a massive sound system that will sound gorgeous but can also get enormously loud while remaining crystal clear.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

For AVR, I think the Denon 3312 is enough. Talk to Electronics Expo and see if they will sell for $550. Amazon was selling $550 shipped 2 wks ago.

The AVR-3312CI was reviewed by HTM. It measured ~ 225wpc x 2ch into 4 ohms @ 1% THD.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Add 2 subs from Rythmik, SVS, Spike, HSU and you're set.

Damn tablet. I meant Epik, not Spike.

But if I were going for powered subs, I would get Rythmik with the Servo-direct or the high-end Funk Audio.

Since I prefer unpowered subs, I would get the dual Funk Audio subs (higher end) or RBH Reference SX-1010N (can get for $750 each delivered).

 

[ngerne]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I'll be sure to try and find these at various dealers so I can listen to them.

@templemaners - thanks for the heads up on the internet only for the JTRs. There is no way I could spend that kind of money and not listen to them first.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Some internet speaker companies like NHT & Aperion offer free home audition trials- free shipping both ways.

Others like Ascend, Salk, & Chase offer a home audition, but you have to pay shipping.

Stores like Amazon, Crutchfield, Onecall, & Vanns also allow returns, but you will have to pay return shipping.

 

[Beatmatcher247]

I also like to listen to pandora, and do their paid for version. Do you find their tracks to sound hot in the low and midbass? I do, I have to turn my subs down to like -6 dB for it to sound "normal"

There are so many more options out there that are great that Best Buy doesn't carry. Give KEF, Focal, PSB a listen for starters. They all have offerings that are well within your range. You'll know when you find the speakers for you.

When auditioning you may do well for yourself to audition both original recording on CD and listen to that same track on Pandora so you can hear the difference. I love pandora for its convenience but its audio quality leaves more to be desired in my opinion. It makes me cringe when I turn up the speakers because it just does not sound that clean on even the high bit rate version.

I wouldn't give my speakers hell with pandora like I would with a compact disc.

 

[GranteedEV]

@templemaners - thanks for the heads up on the internet only for the JTRs. There is no way I could spend that kind of money and not listen to them first.

Are you sure about that?

How good are your listening skills? Do you know what to listen for? What are you looking for out of a system?

Often speakers made for "great first listening impressions" end up being very fatiguing or boring in the long run.

All I'm saying is, don't let the illusion of an impressive audition get you. I'm not saying listening isn't important - of course it is - but sometimes you need to trust your gut instinct and available objective data. You're perhaps not such a discriminating listener that you'd immediately pick out speaker flaws, but you are perhaps a person who would appreciate good speakers. Remember you don't want to listen to equipment, you want the equipment to LET you listen to the source material.

I for one have done the internet direct thing twice now and couldn't be happier. And that's including my fair share of local auditioning.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Are you sure about that?

How good are your listening skills? Do you know what to listen for? What are you looking for out of a system?

Often speakers made for "great first listening impressions" end up being very fatiguing or boring in the long run.

All I'm saying is, don't let the illusion of an impressive audition get you. I'm not saying listening isn't important - of course it is - but sometimes you need to trust your gut instinct and available objective data. You're perhaps not such a discriminating listener that you'd immediately pick out speaker flaws, but you are perhaps a person who would appreciate good speakers. Remember you don't want to listen to equipment, you want the equipment to LET you listen to the source material.

I for one have done the internet direct thing twice now and couldn't be happier. And that's including my fair share of local auditioning.

Hey, you need to update your Signature to include your Phil2!

What are you doing with the EMP? My P362 sound great for karaoke.

 

[GranteedEV]

Hey, you need to update your Signature to include your Phil2!

No. What are these phil 2s you speak of good ser? Real men wuould not power Phil 2s with receivers.

This signature will perhaps change when this person buys some Hypex Ncore

What are you doing with the EMP? My P362 sound great for karaoke.

They are way too nice a speaker for Karaoke. For a few days I took 'em upstairs to the main living room. Sounded great upstairs too. More bass with that placement too

But I don't really have electronics for them. Right now they're just sitting there waiting for me to fund electronics for them even though I pretty much only hang out there if it's hockey night and I don't even really like hockey which means out of the possible 40 nights a year I might be there, I'll really only be there for about 20% of them, and within that i may just go downstairs 80% of the time. Drawn out sentence aside, I don't know. =( They look stunning up there though. But they're begging for electronics. But I can't afford electronics. Maybe I'll get another SMSL SA-50 amp. but I hate the idea of two of the same amp

What I really think I want is that harmon kardon 3490. But that's totally a waste of my money for a system I don't use.

Oh the conundrum

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

No. What are these phil 2s you speak of good ser? Real men wuould not power Phil 2s with receivers.

This signature will perhaps change when this person buys some Hypex Ncore



They are way too nice a speaker for Karaoke. For a few days I took 'em upstairs to the main living room. Sounded great upstairs too. More bass with that placement too

But I don't really have electronics for them. Right now they're just sitting there waiting for me to fund electronics for them even though I pretty much only hang out there if it's hockey night and I don't even really like hockey which means out of the possible 40 nights a year I might be there, I'll really only be there for about 20% of them, and within that i may just go downstairs 80% of the time. Drawn out sentence aside, I don't know. =( They look stunning up there though. But they're begging for electronics. But I can't afford electronics. Maybe I'll get another SMSL SA-50 amp. but I hate the idea of two of the same amp

What I really think I want is that harmon kardon 3490. But that's totally a waste of my money for a system I don't use.

Oh the conundrum

Yeah, you need to get a cheap good AVR for the EMP.