best 5.1 speakers under 30k (no electronics just speakers)

[Jordan Friedman]

hi! so i am looking to finally upgrade my sennheiser ambeo max soundbar into a full fledged 5.1 setup and i am completely lost. too many options! and nowhere where i can hear enough speakers side by side with same electronics.

95% of the time we are just going to using the system for movies/streaming/etc. 5% of the time will be 2 channel listening.

this is unfortunately not a dedicated theater room but a large open living room.

the 30k does not include electronics, just speakers. i dont WANT to spend 30k lol if i can avoid it but as i said, i am bit lost since there are so many options and i dont know where it makes sense to spend.

speakers i have heard so far:

Focals (fatigued my ears)
B&W 804 (nice but didn't win me over)
Sonus Faber Olympia Nova V's (these were my favorite but i can't say if they are worth 18k or im paying 10k for the styling/design).

i know the new SVS ultra evolutions just came out -- has anyone heard those? can they compete with some of the more expensive brands? and yes i know more money does not necessarily mean better sound =)

for electronics, i will prolly do the McIntosh MHT300 or the flagship marantz. since i wont be doing much if any 2 channel i dont see the need to go separates but would love to hear advice.

thank you for helping me on the journey!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

You certainly don’t need to spend $30K for 5..1 speakers to sound like $30K.

And you certainly don’t need to buy separates either to sound like “separates” if you just want a single-box solution.

A lot of diminishing returns. I think many of us have spent money for more than just sound quality alone - other reasons like pride of ownership, aesthetics, etc.

If you have always “dreamed” about McIntosh or any other brands, then I say go for it. But you don’t need to buy McIntosh if sound quality is the only factor.

Continue to listen to as many speakers and subwoofers as you can - RBH, KEF, PSB, Revel, Focal, Dynaudio, Monitor Audio. The more experience you have, the better.

 

[lovinthehd]

There's really no "5.1" set to aim for. More likely you'd be better off thinking of a 5.2 speaker setup, tho. Speakers and subs don't "match" particularly other than they need to work together well enough for the frequency ranges involved with each. The soundbar is not part of the new system, right?

 

[Jordan Friedman]

yep, subs weren't planning on matching i should have been clear about that. =)

thats the only thing frustrating about this hobby is not being able to listen to them side by side to make a fair comparison. i would love to save money and also would be happy to spend more to get a lot more....

appreciate the advice!

 

[lovinthehd]

yep, subs weren't planning on matching i should have been clear about that. =)

thats the only thing frustrating about this hobby is not being able to listen to them side by side to make a fair comparison. i would love to save money and also would be happy to spend more to get a lot more....

appreciate the advice!

Use measurements more. I haven't been close to many places offering demos in decent rooms in a long time, much prefer my own room with a good return policy when shopping speakers on the interwebs. Some very good internet direct vendors you can't even listen to in a showroom or warehouse, etc.

 

[shadyJ]

Can't go wrong with Arendal. A full 1723 THX system would be pretty killer. JBL HDI is on sale right now, and that would also be stellar. Revel is reliably good. RBH Sound has some good stuff within that price range. Philharmonic Audio has excellent speakers in that price range. SVS's new Ultra stuff looks good but its performance isn't known yet.

 

[cpp]

Why did you pick $30k, what not $10k or 5k oh was that your post 12 hr ago on ASR. Also you note NO electronic, then you bring up electronics. Also, how big is your space ?

A lot of nice speakers for under your limit, and some have been named. And the 'best' is subjective., Get out there and listen and do it with your ears not your wallet.

 

[highfigh]

yep, subs weren't planning on matching i should have been clear about that. =)

thats the only thing frustrating about this hobby is not being able to listen to them side by side to make a fair comparison. i would love to save money and also would be happy to spend more to get a lot more....

appreciate the advice!

This is what happens when low price trumps B&M stores being open for local demonstrations. Find dealers for the brands that you want to hear and travel to them to listen to whatever is in your price range- that's one of the ways that you might avoid the need to have multiple speakers shipped to you for demo, then shipping them back if they aren't right for you.

 

[Jordan Friedman]

Why did you pick $30k, what not $10k or 5k oh was that your post 12 hr ago on ASR. Also you note NO electronic, then you bring up electronics. Also, how big is your space ?

A lot of nice speakers for under your limit, and some have been named. And the 'best' is subjective., Get out there and listen and do it with your ears not your wallet.

Because 30k is what I would like to spend max on speakers…I thought it would be helpful to give people a concept of my budget. If I just said “hey I want speakers” and not mention and budget, wouldn’t that be a challenge to give me recs?

and I only mentioned electronics to give people an idea of my amp/processor — again just trying to give additional information to help people potentially guide me where they have been before

as I said, I wish I could hear all of these side by side but I can’t. Maybe some of you have so you can offer advice/guidance.

im sorry if my post frustrated you or wasted your time

 

[Jordan Friedman]

S

This is what happens when low price trumps B&M stores being open for local demonstrations. Find dealers for the brands that you want to hear and travel to them to listen to whatever is in your price range- that's one of the ways that you might avoid the need to have multiple speakers shipped to you for demo, then shipping them back if they aren't right for you.

Seems like the brands dealers sell are similar (focal, kef, Faber, bW). Which makes me think they offer resellers the biggest win (could be wrong).

those brands also seem to depreciate fairly hard — the Olympica nova V for instance are 18k new but I see them routinely slightly used for 10-12k

doesn’t mean they are bad speakers but tough to feel they are worth 18…even tho they do look good

 

[cpp]

Because 30k is what I would like to spend max on speakers…I thought it would be helpful to give people a concept of my budget. If I just said “hey I want speakers” and not mention and budget, wouldn’t that be a challenge to give me recs?

and I only mentioned electronics to give people an idea of my amp/processor — again just trying to give additional information to help people potentially guide me where they have been before

as I said, I wish I could hear all of these side by side but I can’t. Maybe some of you have so you can offer advice/guidance.

im sorry if my post frustrated you or wasted your time

Like I noted, get out and listen. What some might recommend without knowing the size of your room, well cold be total overkill or underkill. Wasted time, not really

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I wish I could hear all of these side by side but I can’t. Maybe some of you have so you can offer advice/guidance.

Many of us have listened and owned many speakers over the past 30+ years.

But even so, when you ask 100 people, you’ll get 100 different opinions.

In my experience, many of these brands sound more alike than they sound different, especially in the treble and midrange. One problem of comparing speakers is that they are often in different rooms and different SETUPS. So it could the room acoustics and setups that make one speaker sound better or worse.

Many of us have bought many speakers and ended up selling many of those speakers. Each of us have different goals and ideas as to what makes the perfect speakers for us.

For example, Gene loves accurate DYNAMIC speakers that look beautiful to him (not look ugly) and do NOT require additional subwoofers. That’s why his speakers are the RBH SVTRS Towers of Powers.

I have the same goal as Gene, so my speakers are also RBH towers of powers.

So the first step is to figure out what YOUR OWN goal/idea is for the perfect speakers for YOU.

Are they smaller speakers to fit your room? What is your room dimensions? Do you want monitors/subs or towers/subs or big towers of powers that do NOT require additional subwoofers? Do you want a powered speakers with built-in amps or traditional externally-powered speakers that use external amps?

 

[highfigh]

S

Seems like the brands dealers sell are similar (focal, kef, Faber, bW). Which makes me think they offer resellers the biggest win (could be wrong).

those brands also seem to depreciate fairly hard — the Olympica nova V for instance are 18k new but I see them routinely slightly used for 10-12k

doesn’t mean they are bad speakers but tough to feel they are worth 18…even tho they do look good

Do you actually think stocking, displaying & demonstrating anything is free and that they should just sell at their cost? Do you even know that anything that isn't collectible loses value as soon as it leaves the dealer? BTW- warranties aren't usually transferable, so used can be a good value, but don't expect the manufacturer to cover damage after something changes hands.

Biggest win? Have you ever worked in retail, dealing with people who think EVERY GD thing costs too much and has the attitude that someone can make a profit, but it won't be on what they buy, then want special treatment after the sale?

That's not a win.

 

[Swerd]

For a 5-channel system you should spend most of your speaker budget on the front three speakers, the Left & Right front speakers, plus a Center Channel speaker. Sub Woofers will cost more, but you should wait and see what your front 3 speakers sound like by themselves. The two rear channels speakers are much less important and you can save money on them. Some of the choices you should make depend on how much floor space you have.

Wait until you have speakers selected before you think about electronics. Base your choice primarily on how much power the speakers need and what kinds of audio or video hook ups you need. Don't worry over other features, as they will make much less difference than speakers.

There is no need to spend $30k or even $15k for an excellent 5 channel system. As an example, consider Philharmonic Audio. It sells speakers only through the internet – no dealers anywhere. If the Maryland/Northern Virginia area is an easily driven distance for you, you can hear these speakers, and even pick them up yourself. For a high priced system, you should consider:

BMR Tower Pair – a pair of top of the line speakers for $4,200. Their bass performance is so good that sub woofers may not be needed.
or
HT Tower Pair – similar performance to the BMR Towers, but with a smaller footprint, for $4,500.

HT Center Channel – will go well with either of the above towers, for $1,400. If you order this speaker along with either of the towers above, you get a $200 discount.

For rear channel speakers consider either of these (below). It depends of what kind of space is available, and just how you'll mount them. Either of these can be mounted on walls.
True Mini Monitor – $380 per pair
Ceramic Mini Monitor – $850 per pair

All this adds up to no more than $6,550. Shipping will add to the overall cost.

There are other good speakers available, but don't pay more. There are annual shows of commercial audio products, including the brands sold only by Internet Direct. Your location should make one of them a good choice to hear a wide variety of speakers.

 

[Eppie]

Take into account the type of sound profile you personally enjoy. You mentioned that the Focals were fatiguing. That is typically due to a rise in the treble. B&W are known to be a little bright as well which gives the impression of having more "detail" but I find that type of speaker fatiguing as well. I prefer something more neutral or on the warm side.

What type of stage presentation do your prefer? Something that yields a sense of a wide sound stage, or something that is more focused and yields pin point imaging (but in a smaller sweet spot).

If you like a neutral sounding speaker with a wide sound stage, then I would also recommend Philharmonic Audio. For a large family room the HT Towers and HT Center would perform well and the finishes on Dennis Murphy's speakers are beautiful. There are lots of photos on-line that we can link to if you want to see samples. I have heard Dennis' speakers (and so has Swerd and Shady) and they are priced well under how they perform. Besides the Minis, you could even go with the BMR Monitor for surrounds if you have the space. Depends on what size speaker you can fit, the aesthetic you're looking for and material you want to play. If you are not near Maryland, there are some owners across the country that are willing to let people hear them. You could email Dennis or ask in the AVS Philharmonic forum if there is someone in your area.

I have also heard the JBL HDI series and really liked them. I would think that someone in the area would have them on display. They may not have all models but the 3600 should be pretty similar to the bigger 3800. There are matching bookshelves and a center in that line-up.

Arendal was mentioned by Shady and that was another brand I considered. Very dynamic speaker and while you can't demo them in a store, they offer free return shipping so that you can try them at home. Their subwoofers are highly rated as well.

Sonus Faber and Focal make good speakers but a lot of the price is in the fit and finish. If you want to have a statement piece in addition to decent sound you can go that route but it will come down to personal preference. You have already started auditioning various models and that's the best place to start.

 

[Jordan Friedman]

Take into account the type of sound profile you personally enjoy. You mentioned that the Focals were fatiguing. That is typically due to a rise in the treble. B&W are known to be a little bright as well which gives the impression of having more "detail" but I find that type of speaker fatiguing as well. I prefer something more neutral or on the warm side.

What type of stage presentation do your prefer? Something that yields a sense of a wide sound stage, or something that is more focused and yields pin point imaging (but in a smaller sweet spot).

If you like a neutral sounding speaker with a wide sound stage, then I would also recommend Philharmonic Audio. For a large family room the HT Towers and HT Center would perform well and the finishes on Dennis Murphy's speakers are beautiful. There are lots of photos on-line that we can link to if you want to see samples. I have heard Dennis' speakers (and so has Swerd and Shady) and they are priced well under how they perform. Besides the Minis, you could even go with the BMR Monitor for surrounds if you have the space. Depends on what size speaker you can fit, the aesthetic you're looking for and material you want to play. If you are not near Maryland, there are some owners across the country that are willing to let people hear them. You could email Dennis or ask in the AVS Philharmonic forum if there is someone in your area.

I have also heard the JBL HDI series and really liked them. I would think that someone in the area would have them on display. They may not have all models but the 3600 should be pretty similar to the bigger 3800. There are matching bookshelves and a center in that line-up.

Arendal was mentioned by Shady and that was another brand I considered. Very dynamic speaker and while you can't demo them in a store, they offer free return shipping so that you can try them at home. Their subwoofers are highly rated as well.

Sonus Faber and Focal make good speakers but a lot of the price is in the fit and finish. If you want to have a statement piece in addition to decent sound you can go that route but it will come down to personal preference. You have already started auditioning various models and that's the best place to start.

Thank you for this. Really appreciate the detail, time, and guidance on


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MrBoat]

Before shopping for speakers, it's good to know what potential the actual room has, if any, and how far you're willing to go to correct it. Trying to maintain the modern penchant for some bless'd sterile aesthetic and then trying to inflict some acoustic hat trick with it can amount to pouring heaps of good money after bad and it happens much more than is reported. Then it is just easier to blame the speakers.

I know that historically, I favor speakers with e FR that slopes downward with regard to high frequency. If the speaker has a relatively flat response to that end, it will work in this room, and just about any decent room that I would be caught living in, regardless of brand.

Whenever I look at speakers, the first thing that I think about is, what if this sucks? What is my plan B? Plan B, ends up being that if I have to, I can set up in another room, and just leave the living room with basic television duties. I have a spare bedroom here I can set up a decent studio in for music listening, video games and movies, and much more efficient and cost effectively.

How big is your expected audience. Most people I know who have went all out on an HT setup, ended up with an audience of what amounts to 1.5 people once the novelty wore off or as their kids got older. In other words, I'd rather set up a really nice small room set up than trying to chase all of the acoustic gremlins out of a larger, impossible space.

 

[Golfx]

HI Jordan and welcome. Most everyone can no longer find places to hear speakers to compare. Most of us rely on trusted reviewers whose opinions are backed up by measured specifics to help us narrow down our choices.

The principal speaker reviewer on this website is Shadyj, James Larsan, who already commented to you above. To me he is the gold standard of speaker reviews as he has no owner’s bias and backs up his opinions with actual measurements. I encourage you to read his reviews on this website to help narrow your choices.

Multiple members above have recommended Philharmonic Audio. Particularly, if you want to cut out that layered profit model and go with an internet direct speaker company whose speakers review/test well. He is a respected designer whose speakers are uniformly praised.

For instance: https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/philharmonic-bmr-ht-tower-review.127428/

 

[Swerd]

Multiple members above have recommended Philharmonic Audio. Particularly, if you want to cut out that layered profit model and go with an internet direct speaker company whose speakers review/test well. He is a respected designer whose speakers are uniformly praised.

Thanks for saying that.

I've heard all the Philharmonic Audio speakers, and I can personally vouch for the abilities of their designer, Dennis Murphy. Honesty requires me to point out that I've known Dennis for years … but I still don't hesitate to recommend his speakers to others on AH. They're that good.

 

[DigitalDawn]

You are going to hear all sorts of suggestions. I have some as well.

Going to need more info on your room before I can make a recommendation.

Room size (WDH)?
Seating Distance from front speakers?
Outer seat distance from side walls, and back row distance to rear wall?