Hello – general speaker upgrading question

[Needbass]

I am currently using 3 Insignia NS b2111’s from my front 3 speakers in my theater system. They are around $50-70 a pair. I have the Truehd/DTS-MA hdmi setup. The whole thing sounds great to me as is. My question is if I were to start looking at replacement speakers within the 200/each range, do you think I would hear a noticeable difference. My room isn’t huge. It’s maybe 20 X 10 feet so I don’t need significantly more powerful speakers. I have a powerful subwoofer too. I am just wondering if I would notice a crisper or over all better sounding audio. I’m guessing yes but how much? Any help would be great.

Here are the Insignia’s specs:

Maximum Power Handling
120W

Frequency Response
50Hz - 20kHz

Tweeter Size
1"

Tweeter Composition
Silk dome

Subwoofer
6-1/2"

Subwoofer Driver
Carbon fiber

Sensitivity
90dB

Impedance
8 ohms

 

[Needbass]

Also, any recommendations would be welcome. Thank you.

 

[alexwakelin]

Your Insignia speakers are exceptionally good performers for their price (which is now up to $90/pr). Many people have modified them to improve their sound even more. Since you already like the way they sound, this might be an option for you. A complete guide to modifying them is here:
http://www.gr-research.com/insignia.shtm
The author of the guide says that a modified pair of the Insignias will embarrass much more expensive speakers.

If you would rather not deal with modifying your current speakers, then yes, upgrading will give you better sound, especially if you are willing to spend ~$400 a pair. What receiver and subwoofer do you have?

 

[FNG212]

Alex, what program do you need to access *.shtm

I clicked but couldn't load it.

 

[alexwakelin]

Alex, what program do you need to access *.shtm

I clicked but couldn't load it.

That's odd, I use Opera at home and IE at work. I know I have looked at that page both places.

 

[alexwakelin]

I found a way around that by going to http://www.gr-research.com/
Click on upgrades, then Insignia upgrade.

http://www.gr-research.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=132

The information is identical on both pages.

 

[FNG212]

Thanks, which Opera program should I download for that?

 

[alexwakelin]

Thanks, which Opera program should I download for that?

http://www.opera.com/download/

 

[CraigV]

As someone who had the same setup, I would suggest moving up this way:

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/KEFIQ3BLKA/KEF/iQ3-2-Way-6.5-Bookshelf-Speakers-in-Black-Pair-NEW/1.html

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/KEFIQ2CBLKA/KEF/iQ2C-2-Way-Center-Channel-Speaker-in-Black-NEW/1.html

Same driver configuration for an expansive soundstage, but better implemented, and since it’s one generation old, a really good savings/deal to be had.

 

[Needbass]

Your Insignia speakers are exceptionally good performers for their price (which is now up to $90/pr). Many people have modified them to improve their sound even more. Since you already like the way they sound, this might be an option for you. A complete guide to modifying them is here:
http://www.gr-research.com/insignia.shtm
The author of the guide says that a modified pair of the Insignias will embarrass much more expensive speakers.

If you would rather not deal with modifying your current speakers, then yes, upgrading will give you better sound, especially if you are willing to spend ~$400 a pair. What receiver and subwoofer do you have?

I actually heard about modifying them before. I do like the speakers, enough to have bought 3 pairs of them. I'm pretty good at following instructions and am daring enough to sacrifice a pair by trying it. I will look at this link and get back to you with my thoughts. Thank you for all your info.

 

[Needbass]

while very thorough, the process looks very daunting and may be a little (alot) above my skill level. I was thinking that you just needed to fill the cabinets with foam or something. I dont think I will go that route. Although I am still open to anymore reccomendations.

Along with this, I have burbur carperting in my theater. If I were to look into floor standing speakers, do they work well on carpets?

Also, do most floorstanding speakers have built in subwoofers?

I already have sub (Sony Model: SAW2500 ). Will that used with floor standings be too much woof? Or do they all work together?

 

[CraigV]

If your receiver is setup to decode surround sound, it’s still a good idea to have a subwoofer. The LFE or bass effects channel is sent to the sub, for added bass response.

By setting the crossover on the receiver (assuming you can) to 80hz also alleviates some of the receivers amplifier power from having to work too hard to power the woofers in the main speakers (most of which, even floor standers, do not have a built in sub)