Help! I need to pick a new Subwoofer and speakers!

D

Danzilla31

Audioholic Spartan
On another note, I just found out I will be have shoulder surgery on 5/11. I would really like to have new speakers and subwoofer setup by then so during my awful recovery I can be enjoying them. Does any audio guru on this site live near Houston and would maybe consider coming to my house to help me set it all up? I can help hook up wires but I don't know anything about the other "tuning" you all talk about. I would so love to have an audio guru help setup my system!! Anyone out there that might consider it???
I wouldnt call myself a audio guru but I live in San Antonio and would love to come help but I don't think I can do so by the 11th of this month. I have a commitment on the 10th I can't get out of and I work all this week

I work in psychiatric inpatient nursing for our military here it would be impossible to get off that short notice this week. So sorry :(
 
D

Danzilla31

Audioholic Spartan
No, I am in houston
If you want something set up by the 11th of this month we need to help you figure out what you would like to buy pretty quickly. With shipping these days it can take a liitle longer at time for the equipment to come in.
 
Replicant 7

Replicant 7

Audioholic Samurai
No, don't have that kind of money. :)
I ran across those subs. They really cool looking but yeah the price Ouch!! Your home is awesome absolutely gorgeous room. It deserves a very nice audio video setup.
 
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Replicant 7

Replicant 7

Audioholic Samurai
I think you all will be happy to know I have taken your advice and am committed to selling my Bose system. In fact, I have someone coming over tomorrow that will probably buy it. That will leave me without speakers/subwoofer for a while while I decide what I want (between HSU and SVS most likely). And by the way, no biggy but I am not a guy. I am a lady. I am an aerospace engineer that fully admits I have alot to learn about audio hardware! :) Thank you everyone for all your help!!!
Even better! Awesome! Aerospace engineer, nice! You got this!
 
M

mvp

Junior Audioholic
I wouldnt call myself a audio guru but I live in San Antonio and would love to come help but I don't think I can do so by the 11th of this month. I have a commitment on the 10th I can't get out of and I work all this week

I work in psychiatric inpatient nursing for our military here it would be impossible to get off that short notice this week. So sorry :(
I think it is pipe dream that I will have the hardware for a new system before my surgery date. I haven't even decided which product I want yet. So it will likely be in about 3 weeks or so before I would have the hardware on hand and can start the setup. I would love to have an audio guru come and help me set it up. :)
 
Pogre

Pogre

Audioholic Slumlord
Aerospace engineer! I'm a big astronomy and astrophysics nerd! Well, an uneducated dilettante to be honest, but I love learning and reading about it.
 
Replicant 7

Replicant 7

Audioholic Samurai
While I appreciate your confidence in me, I don't think I have this. :)
You help put people in space! So umm research is your best friend on audio/video gear. Oh and check in with us first before you buy. Not saying your not capable of making an informed purchase cuz you are. Just AH has some of the best members that hang out in here. We do have some retired engineers that hang out in here. PENG is one, we even have a retired ER doctor, dude has one of the nicer setups I've ever seen, he has a ton of experience and knowledge with speakers. We just call him Doc in here. Than of course, Gene's our leader, Shady J is our speaker guru. He does most of the speaker testing.
 
-Jim-

-Jim-

Audioholic General
@mvp I've re-read this thread 3 times now, and I'd go with a wireless Sub kit so you can move it around (get help they are heavy) to optimize not only the sound, but the esthetic with no signal cable => but remember it still needs to be near a wall plug. Once the Bose stuff is gone could you shift the TV a bit left, and put the sub in the alcove along it's right side for starters?

Surround speaker placement in your room is tough. I'd suggest you move the Dog picture (white Golden?) to the right side column of the pass thru, and hang a bookshelf there. I'd put the other one below the infra-red security device on the outside wall. Put them both at the same height on brackets, just high enough so no one bumps there head. You could consider In-Wall speakers here as you'll need to move speaker cabling regardless.

As you are talking to HSU about Subs, may I suggest you try their CCB-8s . I have them across the front in our Atmos setup in our Games Room & we love them. Check out the technical reviews, as well for whatever else you are looking at. Trust me, the CCB-8s will fill your room up with great sound -no problem! I used stands which can be sand filled (or add lead or steel shot for more mass) for added stability. I didn't bother filling them as our Golden (RIP Murray) never bumped anything over. Some folks use brackets or small shelves to mount them.

One of the benefits of CCB-8s is you can rotate the speaker without any negative impact. So you get flexibility in placement and can use it as a center. They sell them in packages with Subs as well. As I live in Canada (Vancouver) I bought them based solely on technical reviews, and recommendations in the Forums. HSU offered different finishes as well, even though I went Satin Black. HSU was great to deal with, and we have no complaints years later.

For the surrounds, talk to HSU about their HSU MK2 Bookshelf and or their HSU HIW-1 In Wall . I do not have any experience with either but I'm trying to keep this "simple" for you, with a single point for the transaction and support. Their in walls speakers have a paintable grill which will blend in almost seamlessly into your décor. (We did in-walls for the surrounds in our Family Room System which my wife approved. We have 3 Home Theater systems in the House. I'm an Audioholic & I know I have a problem! o_O) From what I've read folks who used these for surrounds have been pleased with the results. I don't think you need to spend more on a pair of CCB-8s and they are physically too large (IMHO) for surrounds in your room, and would be "unsightly" in those locations. Personally, I'd probably go with in walls regardless of speaker manufacturer you choose.

The standard HSU warranty on all subwoofers is 7 years on the driver(s) and 2 years on the electronics. Speakers come with a warranty of 7 years on the drivers. So this is quality gear. "If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, you have 30 days from receiving the item to begin the return process." You would have to pick up the freight for the return. Returning them is unlikely.

I'd be very tempted to replace the TV stand and hang the TV off a wall bracket with enough capacity to carry you future OLED TV (Although with all those windows and skylights in there a QLED may be better suited. But that's another topic...) Then you could put the center speaker on a stand just below it along with the receiver and any other devices. OR maybe the TV mount on that stand is removable and you'd just need to buy a bracket?

As you can probably tell, a lot of the gang here is very satisfied with their system(s), so you really cannot go wrong picking one of them for guidance. (Especially if the bar was Bose to begin with - sorry I couldn't resist. :oops:) Good luck with your choice and your upcoming surgery.

I hope this is helpful.
 
little wing

little wing

Audioholic General
I wouldnt call myself a audio guru but I live in San Antonio and would love to come help but I don't think I can do so by the 11th of this month. I have a commitment on the 10th I can't get out of and I work all this week

I work in psychiatric inpatient nursing for our military here it would be impossible to get off that short notice this week. So sorry :(
Awesome work you do. It is so needed. Our Vets need and deserve the very best of care.
 
M

mvp

Junior Audioholic
@mvp I've re-read this thread 3 times now, and I'd go with a wireless Sub kit so you can move it around (get help they are heavy) to optimize not only the sound, but the esthetic with no signal cable => but remember it still needs to be near a wall plug. Once the Bose stuff is gone could you shift the TV a bit left, and put the sub in the alcove along it's right side for starters?

Surround speaker placement in your room is tough. I'd suggest you move the Dog picture (white Golden?) to the right side column of the pass thru, and hang a bookshelf there. I'd put the other one below the infra-red security device on the outside wall. Put them both at the same height on brackets, just high enough so no one bumps there head. You could consider In-Wall speakers here as you'll need to move speaker cabling regardless.

As you are talking to HSU about Subs, may I suggest you try their CCB-8s . I have them across the front in our Atmos setup in our Games Room & we love them. Check out the technical reviews, as well for whatever else you are looking at. Trust me, the CCB-8s will fill your room up with great sound -no problem! I used stands which can be sand filled (or add lead or steel shot for more mass) for added stability. I didn't bother filling them as our Golden (RIP Murray) never bumped anything over. Some folks use brackets or small shelves to mount them.

One of the benefits of CCB-8s is you can rotate the speaker without any negative impact. So you get flexibility in placement and can use it as a center. They sell them in packages with Subs as well. As I live in Canada (Vancouver) I bought them based solely on technical reviews, and recommendations in the Forums. HSU offered different finishes as well, even though I went Satin Black. HSU was great to deal with, and we have no complaints years later.

For the surrounds, talk to HSU about their HSU MK2 Bookshelf and or their HSU HIW-1 In Wall . I do not have any experience with either but I'm trying to keep this "simple" for you, with a single point for the transaction and support. Their in walls speakers have a paintable grill which will blend in almost seamlessly into your décor. (We did in-walls for the surrounds in our Family Room System which my wife approved. We have 3 Home Theater systems in the House. I'm an Audioholic & I know I have a problem! o_O) From what I've read folks who used these for surrounds have been pleased with the results. I don't think you need to spend more on a pair of CCB-8s and they are physically too large (IMHO) for surrounds in your room, and would be "unsightly" in those locations. Personally, I'd probably go with in walls regardless of speaker manufacturer you choose.

The standard HSU warranty on all subwoofers is 7 years on the driver(s) and 2 years on the electronics. Speakers come with a warranty of 7 years on the drivers. So this is quality gear. "If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, you have 30 days from receiving the item to begin the return process." You would have to pick up the freight for the return. Returning them is unlikely.

I'd be very tempted to replace the TV stand and hang the TV off a wall bracket with enough capacity to carry you future OLED TV (Although with all those windows and skylights in there a QLED may be better suited. But that's another topic...) Then you could put the center speaker on a stand just below it along with the receiver and any other devices. OR maybe the TV mount on that stand is removable and you'd just need to buy a bracket?

As you can probably tell, a lot of the gang here is very satisfied with their system(s), so you really cannot go wrong picking one of them for guidance. (Especially if the bar was Bose to begin with - sorry I couldn't resist. :oops:) Good luck with your choice and your upcoming surgery.

I hope this is helpful.
Thanks for all the great information. With a wireless SUB, would it both a wireless connection to the AVR? It would not be connected wirelessly to the suround sound speakers, right? That is just a Bose thing having the speaking go through the subwoofer I think. I guess the speakers would be wired to the AVR.
 
M

mvp

Junior Audioholic
Hey audio gurus, I know you all are thinking of optimal placement of the surround sound speakers, but it would be SO much more convenient to use the pre-wired ports in the room. I would not want to make new holes in the walls to connect the surround sound speakers. I recently painted the walls with satin paint (so it was more easily washable - dogs!). The problems with satin is touchups are vey noticeable. That means it is you nik the paint or make a hole and have to resurface around it, you have to paint the ENTIRE wall to make it look OK. And that wall is about 20' high and would cost alot to repaint it. I am thinking I would sacrifice sound quality than go through the cost and struggle of creating new holes in the walls. That being said, if I decided to run the wires without cutting into the walls, I would not want to run a wire on or around the fireplace hearth. I also would not want to run a wire across the floor to the back wall. So only one of the 4 surround sound speakers (front right) is easily wired without major problems if not using the pre-wired ports. With that in mind, what do your think would give me the best surround sound from speakers I could connect to those ports?
 
D

Danzilla31

Audioholic Spartan
Hey audio gurus, I know you all are thinking of optimal placement of the surround sound speakers, but it would be SO much more convenient to use the pre-wired ports in the room. I would not want to make new holes in the walls to connect the surround sound speakers. I recently painted the walls with satin paint (so it was more easily washable - dogs!). The problems with satin is touchups are vey noticeable. That means it is you nik the paint or make a hole and have to resurface around it, you have to paint the ENTIRE wall to make it look OK. And that wall is about 20' high and would cost alot to repaint it. I am thinking I would sacrifice sound quality than go through the cost and struggle of creating new holes in the walls. That being said, if I decided to run the wires without cutting into the walls, I would not want to run a wire on or around the fireplace hearth. I also would not want to run a wire across the floor to the back wall. So only one of the 4 surround sound speakers (front right) is easily wired without major problems if not using the pre-wired ports. With that in mind, what do your think would give me the best surround sound from speakers I could connect to those ports?
The monoprice Encore B6 bookshelves would be a great speaker for the money if you have to use those spots I own the towers and I love them and the bookshelves got good reviews too
 
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