Home audio setup question

[c413]

hey all, this is my first post and i was looking to get some feedback about some products ive paired together and what i could expect, performance wise, out of them.

for the sub i was thinking:
Cerwin Vega! CLS-12S 12" Powered Subwoofer

and speakers:
Cerwin Vega! VE-12 12" 3-Way Tower Speaker

and for a receiver:
Sony STR-DH100 2-Channel Audio Receiver

i am fairly new to home audio and was wondering what kind of sound this setup would produce. im not even sure if this system would work well together...thanks!

c413

 

[sholling]

It wouldn't be my 1st choice. Maybe back in the 70s, but not now.

For a small to medium sized room I'd go with a pair of Behringer B2030P bookshelf speakers. They aren't pretty but they sound very good for $140/pr (shipped) speakers. With a decent sub and some simple DIY mods that you'll find on here they may surprise you. If your room isn't too large for these then put the savings into better subwoofer.

Or a pair of Infinity Primus P362 towers paired with a better sub for around $170ea plus shipping. They also benefit from some simple DIY mods you'll find on here but they are good bang for the buck tower for medium to large rooms.

If you just want a stereo receiver I'd look at a refurbished Onkyo TX-8555 for $200. I think a refurbished Onkyo TX-SR607 would be a better long-term investment.

Subwoofers are impossible to size without knowing the room size but that C-V would not be my 1st choice. The entry point is probably Dayton's inexpensive SUB-120 from Parts Express. But unless money is super tight I'd measure the room and have Hsu Research size you a sub that will fill it properly.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Good suggestions by sholling,
except for receiver - If you want to have active sub, you really want to have bass management in receiver and very few stereo receivers do that.
HK 3490 is might be what will fit you setup best.....

 

[j_garcia]

AFAIK, the 3490 doesn't have bass management either so it has no real benefit over the Onkyo mentioned.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

AFAIK, the 3490 doesn't have bass management either so it has no real benefit over the Onkyo mentioned.

My bad, upon verifying j_garcia is correct, for some reason since 3490 has sub out I incorrectly assumed it has bass management - sub outs on 3490 are simply regular duplicate of pre-outs....

 

[Stereodude]

hey all, this is my first post and i was looking to get some feedback about some products ive paired together and what i could expect, performance wise, out of them.

for the sub i was thinking:
Cerwin Vega! CLS-12S 12" Powered Subwoofer

and speakers:
Cerwin Vega! VE-12 12" 3-Way Tower Speaker

and for a receiver:
Sony STR-DH100 2-Channel Audio Receiver

i am fairly new to home audio and was wondering what kind of sound this setup would produce. im not even sure if this system would work well together...thanks!

c413

Well, if you live in a dorm, or a frat house and want loud music, these are probably great choices. If you're after fidelity, probably not.

 

[c413]

why back in the 70s? lol sorry im just clueless. and yeah loud music is kind of what im going for, but quality is also important

 

[c413]

i am also more interested in getting a better subwoofer right now and worrying about speakers later

 

[j_garcia]

Check the deals area - there's a 550W Jamo sub for $199 with free shipping right now. Seems like a good deal for the price. I think he said the 70s because that's what most people think when you say Cerwin Vega "big and loud" and for the most part, that is still true (I think they were big in the 80s though, not the 70s). When you want to talk about great sound though, you probably won't see too many recommendations for CV. I have some CVs and to be honest, they don't sound bad at all when fed with good gear, but they don't sound spectacular either.

 

[c413]

Check the deals area - there's a 550W Jamo sub for $199 with free shipping right now. Seems like a good deal for the price. I think he said the 70s because that's what most people think when you say Cerwin Vega "big and loud" and for the most part, that is still true (I think they were big in the 80s though, not the 70s). When you want to talk about great sound though, you probably won't see too many recommendations for CV. I have some CVs and to be honest, they don't sound bad at all when fed with good gear, but they don't sound spectacular either.

then i guess what i am really looking for is a good brand subwoofer that can be decently loud but also has good sound.. my system will be going in the living room area of an apartment if that makes a difference.

 

[c413]

im also wondering how just the CV sub that i posted would be just by itself paired with different speakers than the ones i posted. bass is very important to me and i want that to sound great

 

[c413]

It wouldn't be my 1st choice. Maybe back in the 70s, but not now.

For a small to medium sized room I'd go with a pair of Behringer B2030P bookshelf speakers. They aren't pretty but they sound very good for $140/pr (shipped) speakers. With a decent sub and some simple DIY mods that you'll find on here they may surprise you. If your room isn't too large for these then put the savings into better subwoofer.

Or a pair of Infinity Primus P362 towers paired with a better sub for around $170ea plus shipping. They also benefit from some simple DIY mods you'll find on here but they are good bang for the buck tower for medium to large rooms.

If you just want a stereo receiver I'd look at a refurbished Onkyo TX-8555 for $200. I think a refurbished Onkyo TX-SR607 would be a better long-term investment.

Subwoofers are impossible to size without knowing the room size but that C-V would not be my 1st choice. The entry point is probably Dayton's inexpensive SUB-120 from Parts Express. But unless money is super tight I'd measure the room and have Hsu Research size you a sub that will fill it properly.

as far as bookshelf speakers go, what do you think about

http://www.a1components.com/itemdisplayn.aspx?item=11974

 

[sholling]

I'm just not a C-V fan. If I wanted LOUD bookshelves I'd buy Klipsch.

 

[c413]

ok, fair enough.. as far as the receiver im still not sure. i think i want the ability to exapnd to 5.1 if i wanted so i dont want just stereo and i want to make sure there is a sub out connection, but i also dont want to break the bank on the receiver..

 

[sholling]

ok, fair enough.. as far as the receiver im still not sure. i think i want the ability to exapnd to 5.1 if i wanted so i dont want just stereo and i want to make sure there is a sub out connection, but i also dont want to break the bank on the receiver..

The receiver selection depends the power requirements of the speakers and the features that you desire. If you live in the US and pick easy to drive 8ohm speakers (for example Infinity P362 or most Klipsch speakers are easy to drive loud) then a $320 refurbished Onkyo TX-SR606 probably won't break the bank. If you need a bit more power or want to run 4ohm speakers then a $500 refurbished TX-SR-707 from Accessories For Less might be a good choice.

If your room isn't too big and you can give them some room to breath you might also want to consider Boston Acoustics CS26 bookshelves. I have a pair in my 3000cuft master bedroom and they do fine. They will need a sub for the lows but you can find them online for $80ea. The matched CS225C center runs about $150.

Which ever speakers you choose I'd pick to good fronts and a decent sub for now. Then add a center when you have more money. Then surrounds or a second sub when money allows.