Best Friends HT

[XEagleDriver]

diamond wharfedale Any thoughts?
10.1 & 10.CM

Wharfedale 10.1 is a very competent speaker for the price. I own two sets and am pleased with their performance, but I use them in substantially smaller rooms (bedroom size).
- You may want to consider the Wharfedale 10.2 (demo pair for ~$325) to better fill a room that large. It is also the closer match to the 10.CM center speaker (~$225).

Cheers,
XEagleDriver

 

[lovinthehd]

Never heard of ELAC before.

European brand that hired Andrew Jones from Pioneer and have launched some speakers here in the US market....

 

[mx416]

Just so many good choices out there.

Just double checked. HSU ultra 15 3.1 package is only $1259. And you get a very very nice 15" woofer. Not mention it's a small footprint which will mean something to my best friend.

 

[shadyJ]

If you want an amazing home theater, get that Hsu VTF3 mk5. It will massively outperform all the other subs mentioned so far. The Hsu speakers are very good also. If you want some inexpensive but good speakers to fill in for surrounds for that package, check out the Infinity p153 or p163 speakers, very high bang-for-the-buck speakers.

 

[mx416]

I just realized it is less then the ultra 15 package
Ultra 15 3.1 $1259
Hybrid 3 3.1 $1239

Thats a heck of a deal.

Once my friend buys the hybrid 3 package I will have to trade in my 2xLv12r for 2x vtf3 mk5

 

[rojo]

Just so many good choices out there.

Just double checked. HSU ultra 15 3.1 package is only $1259. And you get a very very nice 15" woofer. Not mention it's a small footprint which will mean something to my best friend.

The ultra 15 combo comes with the ULS 15 sealed sub. The Hybrid 3 combo is accompanied by the VTF-3, a 15" vented sub. The VTF-3 with one port open appears to have considerably more output than the sealed ULS 15, according to the CES burst ratings published on the product pages. The Hybrid 3 option is also a little cheaper.

Edit: never mind. I see you guys already discussed this. (Browsing the web on a phone feels like browsing through a periscope while under heavy medication.)

@shadyJ OP is locked into in-ceiling surrounds.

 

[mx416]

Well that brings it down to only four brands

Ascend- CBM-170 with CTM-340 center
RBH towers and center
HSU hybrid 3
Wharfedale

 

[shadyJ]

All are very nice. I think the Hsu system would be the most fun on account of the subwoofer. The other subs you were considering are nowhere near the Hsu's performance level, and the Hsu speakers are pretty good too. I do like the 3-way design of the RBH towers and center though.

 

[mx416]

Not sure I can let my friend have a better woofer then me.

The RBH towers look great to boot

 

[mx416]

After some discussion with said friends wife. It looks as though speaker stands are out of the questions. Which from what I can see leaves this options.

Option RBH-towers
Front left/right R55ti and center R5ci: $890
Subwoofer: $499
Receiver: $499
Stands: -
In ceiling Surrounds:$130

Total $2018

 

[herbu]

from what I can see leaves this

Option RBH-towers

Send a PM to this guy:
AcuDefTechGuy

 

[mx416]

Thanks for the contact.

Still would appreciate any help on an AVR.

Kinda lost on that at this point

 

[lovinthehd]

What features/connectivity you need/want/may want in the future determine more than anything what avr to choose....

 

[mx416]

Able to run the the RBH towers at relative high volumes
5.1 w/ 2 Channel zone 2
Possible 5.1.2 w/ zone 2
Wifi connectivity
Bluetooth
4K upscale or pass through(still need to do some research on this)
iPhone/iPad application

 

[lovinthehd]

What are those relatively high volumes in terms of spl?

 

[mx416]

I wish I had an spl gage to check. So I am unsure.
Budget would still remain at $500

I was considering the onkyo tx-nr 555.

 

[rojo]

I wish I had an spl gage to check. So I am unsure.
Budget would still remain at $500

I was considering the onkyo tx-nr 555.

How about a Denon AVR-X2100? It ticks all your check boxes. The refurb version still comes with a year warranty and ships for < $350.

Many of us own Accessories4Less refurbs. My own refurb Marantz has been going strong for 2 years with no issues. Indeed, if I hadn't been the one who ordered it, I might never have realized it was a refurb.

By the way, don't get too hung up on wattage. Doubling the wattage nets you an additional 3dB. So there's not much audible difference between 95 watts and 125. Most listening is done around 1 to 20 watts anyway. I say all that to say your "Able to run the the RBH towers at relative high volumes" request shouldn't be a problem for any AVR you choose.

 

[herbu]

Still would appreciate any help on an AVR.

AVRs can be easy. Look at Denon and Yamaha. You can get more bang for your buck with refurbished. This place: http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html is reputable, they have a guarantee, and lots of folks here have used them with satisfaction.

Or buying new is fine. Both of these brands are good quality and each has its fans. I don't think you can go wrong with either. Just compare features and decide what you want.

 

[lovinthehd]

I wish I had an spl gage to check. So I am unsure.
Budget would still remain at $500

I was considering the onkyo tx-nr 555.

You have a smart phone or tablet? Plenty of apps out there, may not be perfect or do the whole frequency spectrum well but should give you a good idea...

 

[mx416]

How about the Denon x2200?

Download two apps to help get a rough idea of spl. Nothing to scientific here. Come up with 97-103 at listening position 12 ft from speakers.

Hope that helps