Help with Bookshelves with Pioneer 1019...

[tdepas]

Can someone please make some suggestions on bookshelf speakers that would work well with a Pioneer 1019 receiver? I am starting to build my HT and after a long time deciding on a receiver and tv I am now looking at speakers and subs.

Our living room is square, 20' ceilings, hardwood floors, I would guess about 20x20 (I'll try and get actual dimensions tonight), and the speakers will be going on shelves in our entertainment unit. I would like to keep the speakers 12" high or less.

I definately want to buy two fronts, but then I am trying to decide if I should go with a sub or get a center? My budget is about $1000-1500. I want to build this system up in time to a 5.1 and add two outdoor speakers as zone 2.

Thanks for the help!

 

[fredk]

Thats a big room! I hope you are not looking to fill the whole room to high spls with bookshelves.

With your room size I would stick with speakers that have a rated efficiency of more than 90db at 1 meter at 1 watt.

and the speakers will be going on shelves in our entertainment unit. I would like to keep the speakers 12" high or less

You are really restricting yourself with your criterion. I really hope you are going to be sitting close (within 10') to your system.

In general, putting speakers in an enclosure is not the best thing to do as it will affect the accoustics. Look for a front ported or sealed speaker and put the speaker as close to the front of the shelf as you can. Extending slightly would be ideal.

I'm not sure what to recommend for specific speakers. Those I am familiar with don't fit the bill. All of Axioms bookshelves are rear ported and Aperions offerings are low sensitivity. Hopefully someone else can come up with something.

Edit: maybe the Paradigm Studio 20? It will eat up most of your budget new, so maybe someghint used from Audiogone would work. The biggest difference between the two is the cabinet design.

Since you are going with small bookshelves for mains, I suggest you pick up a sub before the center. It will fill out the bottom end for both movies and music

 

[tdepas]

Thanks Fred. I wish I could go bigger but I have to keep the wife happy. We'll be sitting about 11.5' from the speakers. Am I allowed to put a link to my entertainment unit so people can get a better idea of what I am using or is that against the forum rules?

 

[fredk]

I figured that was the restriction. You can link after 5 posts I believe. Make a few posts in the Steam Vent and then come back and post a link.

Is there any chance you could stretch out the height to 15" or so? That would open up some more powerful (and probably more satisfying) options.

 

[Pyrrho]

Can someone please make some suggestions on bookshelf speakers that would work well with a Pioneer 1019 receiver? I am starting to build my HT and after a long time deciding on a receiver and tv I am now looking at speakers and subs.

Our living room is square, 20' ceilings, hardwood floors, I would guess about 20x20 (I'll try and get actual dimensions tonight), and the speakers will be going on shelves in our entertainment unit. I would like to keep the speakers 12" high or less.

I definately want to buy two fronts, but then I am trying to decide if I should go with a sub or get a center? My budget is about $1000-1500. I want to build this system up in time to a 5.1 and add two outdoor speakers as zone 2.

Thanks for the help!

I strongly recommend buying a center channel speaker at the same time as the front right and left, so that you can be sure that you can get matching speakers across the front.

 

[tdepas]

Pyrrho...are you saying to buy a center instead of the sub or in addition to it?

Maybe I can post a picture instead of posting a link to it? Let me see if that will work.

 

[AVRat]

An SVS SBS-01 system may work. They're not the most sensitive (85 dB), but the 1019 should power them just fine. In that space, which seems to be a cube, the worst possible shape for audio, you'll need a potent sub for a visceral HT experience.

http://www.svsound.com/products-spks-sbs01.cfm

 

[j_garcia]

I had a 19'x20' room and had no problem filling it with bookshelf speakers. They weren't 12" tall though.

I've heard the SBS system in a 14'x19'x10' room and it did quite well, though you are going to need more than the PB-10 or PB-12 to get good response as AVRat mentions. Placing speakers into a bookshelf is never a good idea though (despite the name).

 

[tdepas]

The reason I say 12" is that those are the height specs on the top shevles of the entertainment unit...and my wife wants to keep the speakers as small as possible so the setup doesn't look obnoxious.

The room might be a little smaller than I posted earlier but I will post that when I find out. When you see the entertainment unit you guys might have better options for me.

 

[tdepas]

Here is the link to the entertainment unit.

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/p4910/index.cfm?pkey=cwall-systems

If that doesn't work, it's the Logan Large Media System at Potery Barn.

I guess I could use the middle shelves on the sides and that would allow me to use larger speakers.

 

[Pyrrho]

Pyrrho...are you saying to buy a center instead of the sub or in addition to it?

Maybe I can post a picture instead of posting a link to it? Let me see if that will work.

I mean that it is very important for the front three speakers to match. Otherwise, when sounds pan across the front, the tonal quality would shift when going to the different speakers. So, when you buy the front speakers, buy all three at once. Otherwise, if by the time you get around to buying a center, the company stops making speakers that match the right and left, you will have to either find a used one, or you will need to replace your front speakers in order to get them to all match.

If you are wanting the best sound you can get in the end, and are willing to spend additional money in the future, then right now, find the best three speakers you can for the front, that are within your budget. If you have extra money, then consider buying a subwoofer or whatever, but at your budget, I think it would be better to save up for that later, depending on how good of a subwoofer is good enough for you, and how much you will be willing to spend later on it.

I recommend that you go out and listen to as many speakers as you can stand to audition, and think about which ones sound best to you.

 

[AVRat]

You really don't want the speakers up that high. The lower area would be better. The shelving is adjustable so maybe something like the PSB B25 could be accommodated.

http://www.psbspeakers.com/products/Image-Series/Image-B25-Monitor

 

[tdepas]

Just an update...I measured the room last night and it is exactly 20x20. I also want to add that I'm not looking to blow the walls off the room. We have been using the old tv and speakers (new 54V10 being delivered today) and we have an 11 week old so we are just looking for great sound at low to medium levels. Mostly for tv, blu ray and maybe a little music.