About to buy a new HTS and need some opinions

[BamaMatt]

I have picked out the following so far. Let me know if they are all compatible and will work well together.

Yamaha rx-v671 reciever
Polk CS10 center channel
Polk PSW10 sub
Polk Audio Monitor40 series ii fronts


Thoughts? I still have to buy rear speakers but I will worry about that next.

 

[GranteedEV]

They should be fine, but you can do a lot better in terms of speakers and sub TBQH

 

[BamaMatt]

I am buying what I can afford.

Should I buy a CS10 center or the CS1 series ii?

 

[GranteedEV]

I am buying what I can afford.

And who said you can't afford anything better for the same cost?

For starters, I'd scrap a center altogether. It's a waste of budget.
Second, I'd put that part of the budget into a better sub - internet direct brands have notably superior options available for you.

For bookshelf speakers to look into, how about EMP Tek e5Bi, Pioneer S-31B-LR-K, and Ascend Acoustics HTM-200 all for the same general price range. You can even source a pair of Infinity Primus P363 Tower speakers for a good price around $300 as far as I know. Behringer 2031P monitors will not only sound great, but get really loud which makes crossing over to a subwoofer optimal.

 

[sholling]

I agree with getting a better sub. The ones that you find in stores just aren't all that good for what you pay. Speakers are a matter of personal taste and while I'm not a big fan of Polk they're decent for the money and for sure a huge step up from HTIB. The Monitor 40s and CS1 would go together and. Just don't pay too much because they are discontinued and go on sale at Newegg.com a lot. Monitor 30s would be a good match for surrounds and go on sale a lot to.

FWIW One Call has some open box Infinity Primus P163 for $105ea with free shipping. That's pretty good because they usually sell for $140ea shipped. The matching center for the P163 is the PC251. I like these better myself.

Either way I'd start out with the best 2.1 system that you can afford and add the center and surrounds later. That way you can free up some money for a good sub.

 

[anamorphic96]

I tend to disagree with the above statement about getting rid of the center. While one can set things up without a center channel and get good results sitting in the center. But once you move, the image collapses. Not a good thing in my book. It's a rather limiting option in my opinion.

As far as speakers go you have probably found the best you can at that price. Keep in mind the low end models from Polk tend to be very bright and borderline painful at high volumes. Polks get better as you move up the line. But in the end Polk's are a bright speaker. Which some people like. But keep in mind while it sounds great at first it can cause ear fatique during long sessions. It can also be made worse if your room is not treated properly. If you have alot of hard reflective surfaces it can sound really harsh.

For just a little bit more you can get some MUCH better options. The speaker will be the most important piece of your system. So invest a little hear. It will be worth it in the long run. I would also go internet direct for the sub. The Polk PSW 10 is a complete piece of garbage. Run as far away from that thing as possible. Most of whats in stores does not perform very well and tends to be way overpriced. This is where the internet becomes your best friend. Especially with subwoofers.

The Yamaha receiver you chose should be just fine and tends to be one of the more reliable brands.

One last thing. We need a budget and room size to help even more.

 

[GranteedEV]

While one can set things up without a center channel and get good results sitting in the center.

The image doesn't 'collapse' unless your main speakers are lacking or poorly setup. It shifts slightly, sure, but not enough to conciously notice.

OTOH, with most centers, especially horizontal mtms, going off axis might fix the image, but clarity and intelligibility flat out plummet

If he had a bigger budget a good center might be worth it... not like this though.

 

[anamorphic96]

The image doesn't 'collapse' unless your main speakers are lacking or poorly setup. It shifts slightly, sure, but not enough to conciously notice.

OTOH, with most centers, especially horizontal mtms, going off axis might fix the image, but clarity and intelligibility flat out plummet

If he had a bigger budget a good center might be worth it... not like this though.

That shift is what I find distracting and dialog becomes clearly audible from the left or right. That to me is a collapsed image.

I also don't have the big clarity issue with dialog intelligibility with my center, and it's 13 years old. If I go way off axis then yes things suffer a little. But every center channel will.

Both are accepted methods with there pros and cons.

 

[sholling]

Compromise. Start 2.1 to save budget for a better sub and then add the center when money allows.