Best Sound System for the Money?

[ToneDeafAudioRookie]

Hello! I'm looking at buying a home theater system for my living room on Black Friday. I've been considering the Klipsch 7.2.2 Refence Premiere Home Theater System with Marantz SR7013 9.2-Channel AV Receiver, but the price literally just increased from a little over $5,000 to now over $6,000 on Amazon.

Does anyone think this system is worth the $6,150 price tag? Will the Marantz Receiver provide enough power to get the full potential out of every speaker and subwoofer? The 125W per channel output doesn't sound like enough for the 150W front speakers or the 300W subwoofers.

Please share your thoughs or suggest better alternatives. Thanks!

 

[shadyJ]

That certainly isn't what I would buy for that kind of money.

 

[mazersteven]

1) Klipsch speakers are very easy to drive. Sensitivity: 98 dB

2) Klipsch subwoofers - there are better choices in subwoofer performance. In other words they suck.(Subwoofers work on total room volume. Dimensions are needed)
2.1) most subwoofers have their own amplification are not reliant on the amplification of the receiver.

 

[Trebdp83]

What a difference a day makes. He didn’t want to change out his Onkyo speakers this morning.

 

[ryanosaur]

While convenient, I wouldn't spend the money on that. the Bouncy-House Atmos design, the Bi-Pole Surrounds, the Subs... You can spend money to better effect.
If nothing else, the Subs are not worth the cost in that package. 2 Hsu VTF2s will grossly outperform them. The receiver is solid, but if I were you, I would look toward something from last year. The Denon 3600 is down to 800 and is a very good machine.

Lastly, you need to understand Speaker Sensitivity and how power is used to reproduce sound. Just because a speaker manufacturer says a speker is 150w or whatever... well, it's largely meaningless. A speaker with 90dB sensitivity will reach that SPL at 1m with 1 W. 64w will produce ~108dB at 1m. Sustained exposure to that level will destroy your hearing.

My vote: keep shopping!

 

[mazersteven]

My vote: keep shopping!

Shop this

Premier 800F

4-driver, 3-way bass reflex floorstanding

www.paradigm.com

Premier 600C

6-driver, 3-way passive radiator bass reflex center channel*Stand not included

www.paradigm.com

Premier 200B

2-driver, 2-way bass reflex bookshelf*Stand not included

www.paradigm.com

PB-2000 Pro

The PB-2000 Pro subwoofer features legendary SVS technology for immersive home theater experiences.

www.svsound.com

$5700 plus you need a receiver. Looks like the Denon 3600 is Sold Out

 

[shadyJ]

1) Klipsch speakers are very easy to drive. Sensitivity: 98 dB

2) Klipsch subwoofers - there are better choices in subwoofer performance. In other words they suck.(Subwoofers work on total room volume. Dimensions are needed)
2.1) most subwoofers have their own amplification are not reliant on the amplification of the receiver.

The only other Klipsch speaker that I have seen that has decent measurements was the R-280F. That and the Rp-8000F are the only Klipsch speakers that I have seen that didn't have significant response flaws. I think those towers would make for a good budget two-channel system, but the center speaker design alone would rule them out for a surround sound system, at least for myself. The Paradigm Premier is much better, especially the center speaker.

 

[shadyJ]

An incredible system for the money:
Outlaw 976 Processor: $1,000
3 x Kali LP-8 for the LCR: $600
4 x Kali LP-6 for surrounds: $600
2 x Hsu VTF15h mk2 for subwoofers: $2,100
Total cost: $4,300
That will absolutely smoke the Klipsch/Marantz system or nearly anything else in the same price range. You will just have to do without Atmos though, but that isn't exactly a huge sacrifice.

 

[mazersteven]

^ Even better then these?

3 x BMR $2550
4 x Mini $1800

Philharmonic Audio

www.philharmonicaudio.com

I'm still rockin the SVS's

PB-2000 Pro

The PB-2000 Pro subwoofer features legendary SVS technology for immersive home theater experiences.

www.svsound.com

 

[MacCali]

Shop this

Premier 800F

4-driver, 3-way bass reflex floorstanding

www.paradigm.com

Premier 600C

6-driver, 3-way passive radiator bass reflex center channel*Stand not included

www.paradigm.com

Premier 200B

2-driver, 2-way bass reflex bookshelf*Stand not included

www.paradigm.com

PB-2000 Pro

The PB-2000 Pro subwoofer features legendary SVS technology for immersive home theater experiences.

www.svsound.com

$5700 plus you need a receiver. Looks like the Denon 3600 is Sold Out

I thought he had a 7013?

 

[mazersteven]

I thought he had a 7013?

No it's being sold along with the Klipsch speakers. It's also not being sold by Amazon but through a Audio store using Amazon

Amazon.com Seller Profile: Sound Distributors Inc.

 

[MacCali]

Please share your thoughs or suggest better alternatives. Thanks!

Paradigm is great.
Some people like canton, I see some of those speakers are actually on sale. I’m not familiar with measuring but people say they measure great. Maybe someone else can put their thoughts.

But I would do some crazy research, and wait until Black Friday or cyber Monday and put some extra money in your pocket all around.

I would search open box items from authorized dealers for your receiver. Confirm with the manufacturer that full warranty is given to open box items, which generally are when it is an authorized retailer.

It all just depends what you want, marantz provides 70% of the rated power on all speakers driven and that would put you at the 8012 model.

I think those paradigms will probably hit 700 each and that would be a steal too. Probably save 500 on the entire 5 channel system. But we are very close to discounts. It’s time to rush and research what your options are as it’s less than 2 weeks away

 

[MacCali]

No it's being sold along with the Klipsch speakers. It's also not being sold by Amazon but through a Audio store using Amazon

Amazon.com Seller Profile: Sound Distributors Inc.

Oh that’s wack, he definitely shouldn’t bundle.

 

[mazersteven]

I think those paradigms will probably hit 700 each and that would be a steal too. Probably save 500 on the entire 5 channel system. But we are very close to discounts. It’s time to rush and research what your options are as it’s less than 2 weeks away

Your thinking is flawed

High Performance Audio - Crafted in Canada

Canadian manufacturer of premium high-performance loudspeakers for music and home theater, Crafted in Canada.

www.paradigm.com

 

[MacCali]

Your thinking is flawed

High Performance Audio - Crafted in Canada

Canadian manufacturer of premium high-performance loudspeakers for music and home theater, Crafted in Canada.

www.paradigm.com

View attachment 41651

Lmao I agree with that, but you may find it somewhere else because once the manufacturer has the sale everyone else must follow too or so is the trend I see with many speakers.

And if not those speakers, it maybe another brand that follows suit

 

[lovinthehd]

Hello! I'm looking at buying a home theater system for my living room on Black Friday. I've been considering the Klipsch 7.2.2 Refence Premiere Home Theater System with Marantz SR7013 9.2-Channel AV Receiver, but the price literally just increased from a little over $5,000 to now over $6,000 on Amazon.

Does anyone think this system is worth the $6,150 price tag? Will the Marantz Receiver provide enough power to get the full potential out of every speaker and subwoofer? The 125W per channel output doesn't sound like enough for the 150W front speakers or the 300W subwoofers.

Please share your thoughs or suggest better alternatives. Thanks!

The receiver doesn't power the subwoofers. The subs have their own amps. The wattage rating on a sub isn't very meaningful in any case without more information. While those are some of the better Klipsch subs, I'd look elsewhere (SVS, Hsu, Power Sound Audio, Rythmik, RSL for starters). Klipsch speakers aren't my thing but the avr would do quite well with them as they are relatively high sensitivity (altho the numbers Klipsch publishes are "in room" estimates rather than an anechoic measurement, but still relatively high sensitivity). Play around with this spl meter to get an idea of the relationship http://myhometheater.homestead.com/splcalculator.html but I'd knock off about 4dB off the Klipsch sensitivity spec.

 

[shadyJ]

^ Even better then these?

3 x BMR $2550
4 x Mini $1800

Philharmonic Audio

www.philharmonicaudio.com

I'm still rockin the SVS's

PB-2000 Pro

The PB-2000 Pro subwoofer features legendary SVS technology for immersive home theater experiences.

www.svsound.com

I wouldn't say the Kali LP-8s are better than the BMRs or the LP-6s better than the Minis. However, the Kalis are less than a quarter of the cost, and they come with their own amps as well as ability to adjust tonality. Furthermore, if you want the BMRs to match the dynamic range of the LP-8s, you are going to need a serious amplifier, at least 200 watts RMS, and that will not be cheap. The Philharmonic speakers alone cost more than the entire system that I outlined, and you still need amplification, processing, and subwoofers. You simply can not beat a Kali/Outlaw/Hsu system as far as bang-for-the-buck home theater from what I can see.

 

[mazersteven]

How are those Kali's with Volume levels. I had some Mackie 824's. Absolutely Fantastic speakers. Only issue I had was they didn't like higher dB's.

 

[ToneDeafAudioRookie]

What a difference a day makes. He didn’t want to change out his Onkyo speakers this morning.

Haha! The reason I don't want to spend money on the audio system in the bedroom is because I'm saving it for the new living room!

 

[ToneDeafAudioRookie]

The living room where this new home theater speaker system will be installed is approximately 625 square feet. The floor, walls, and even the ceiling are hardwood (with the exception of the one wall where the tv will be mounted, which is sheet rock). The ceilings are about 10 feet high and access to the living room is open concept to the dining room.

I already have hearing loss from work, so I generally have to turn the sound up high just to be able to understand what people are saying on TV or in movies. I keep the Onkyo speakers/AV system mentioned in my first thread turned up between 68-78 so I can hear everything. I've actually even had the Marantz shut off automatically before because I've had the system turned up too high during movies (apparently could not handle the power ouput).

I'd like to find the best for the money at around the $5,000 (give or take $1000) price range for the living room, but this needs to include all the speakers, subwoofer(s) and the AV Receiver. Does everyone agree the Kali system recommended by shadyJ would be the best bet for this room size and budget range? I do like the look of those paradigm speakers.