Looking for suggestions on first home theater purchase

[TwinsFan]

I call 'em Fraudioquest. Way overpriced. Go by the gauge. Try this wire table http://roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm#wiretable (and a great site otherwise also for all things speaker wire). I also buy my 12g speaker wire in 300 ft reels from Monoprice.

The speakers just won't be able to do lower bass as well as a sub, particularly the content in movies.

LOL! I was curious how much they would be so I let the rep just add them to the order in store. Audioquest is being returned today.
I placed an order for 100ft., 12 guage #2789 from Monoprice. The price is less than half what I was charged for the 30 ft. 14 guage from BB .
Thanks for those recommendations!!! I really only needed about 20 feet for my current plans, but now I will have plenty extra wire for any future expansion.

 

[lovinthehd]

@TwinsFan thought you might enjoy this https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/audioquest-niagara-1200-review-power-conditioner-surge-protector.25443/

 

[TwinsFan]

@TwinsFan thought you might enjoy this https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/audioquest-niagara-1200-review-power-conditioner-surge-protector.25443/

I didn't get taken for that bad of a ride lol. Thanks for giving me a chuckle!

 

[TwinsFan]

Quick update. Everything that I have ordered is now setup. I was able to figure out the wiring on the in ceiling speakers as well.
Overall first impressions on Martin Logans: I probably bought too much speakers, but in a good way. I have watched Kong V. Zilla, and new Suicide Squad movies. Both sound great and every detail comes across crisp and clear to my ears. I felt bass, but didn't quite "feel it" as deeply as I would like. I still have some fine tuning to do as I'm using Audyssey default settings. But for very little work on my end, well worth the results.
As for the in ceiling speakers, these will require some more tuning on my end, I think I set them up as surround speakers instead of in ceiling surrounds. They seem to be getting too much sent to them when watching general tv. I found that using the "direct pure" setting fixes this issue. Maybe it's just the crappy sound that is applied to tv shows these days???

Overall takeaway: There isn't a ton of reviews available online for ML products. I'm guessing they are a tad overpriced, and aren't the "best deal" at their price point. With all that being said, I trusted my ears in store for what I could hear, and do not regret my investment. I'd recommend them to anybody that is looking for a solid set of speakers, that just sound good.
Sidenote: I've also decided to buy either 2 svs 10's or one svs 12. I'm leaning towards just the ported 12, as I think that given what I have already and what I can hear throughout the house....one should be ample

 

[lovinthehd]

Quick update. Everything that I have ordered is now setup. I was able to figure out the wiring on the in ceiling speakers as well.
Overall first impressions on Martin Logans: I probably bought too much speakers, but in a good way. I have watched Kong V. Zilla, and new Suicide Squad movies. Both sound great and every detail comes across crisp and clear to my ears. I felt bass, but didn't quite "feel it" as deeply as I would like. I still have some fine tuning to do as I'm using Audyssey default settings. But for very little work on my end, well worth the results.
As for the in ceiling speakers, these will require some more tuning on my end, I think I set them up as surround speakers instead of in ceiling surrounds. They seem to be getting too much sent to them when watching general tv. I found that using the "direct pure" setting fixes this issue. Maybe it's just the crappy sound that is applied to tv shows these days???

Overall takeaway: There isn't a ton of reviews available online for ML products. I'm guessing they are a tad overpriced, and aren't the "best deal" at their price point. With all that being said, I trusted my ears in store for what I could hear, and do not regret my investment. I'd recommend them to anybody that is looking for a solid set of speakers, that just sound good.
Sidenote: I've also decided to buy either 2 svs 10's or one svs 12. I'm leaning towards just the ported 12, as I think that given what I have already and what I can hear throughout the house....one should be ample

Martin Logans are mostly known for their electrostatic versions rather than the more traditional type speakers you got. I've a friend with the former, which can be quite nice, haven't heard the latter myself. Subjective only reviews aren't worth much IMO in any case.

SVS 10 as in the old PB 1000? Current PB1000 Pro is a 12. Don't bother trying to "listen" to subs in a store, tho, not worth the effort. Multiple subs aren't particularly about volume, but rather smoothing of room modes.

 

[TwinsFan]

I've added the SVS PB2000 Pro to the setup and have enjoyed the setup, however now I'm looking to upgrade to a 5.1 setup. So I'm looking for recommendations on what surrounds/bookshelf speakers to pair with my current setup. I can run wire under carpet, but woukd prefer to avoid wall mounts. Please share any recommendations! Also looking for suggestions on bookshelf speaker stands. My floor is carpeted basement.

 

[witchdoctor]

Yes I held off on subs for now. I thought the 60xtis and 50xti center didn't sound muddy or distorted in movies when I was in store. I want to get everything setup in home, do some movie watching and determine what my next purchase will be. I'll probably end up getting a sub or two in the next year.

I'm already planning to return the speaker wire, as it was a last second add on that I asked for as I was checking out. But it's 30' of AudioQuest x-2, 14 guage wire, cost was about ~$80.00. Looking on amazon I can see generic wire for 50' is way cheaper. So does speaker wire really make any difference?
I'll check out HDMI from Monoprice. Is Monoprice also decent for speaker wire?

I don't recommend low grade cables, wire can act like an antennae or a filter. You will have your wire for years and years, get the good stuff or you may never hear your components at their best.
As for HDMI I use pangea and yes, it makes a difference over generic.

You have a handful of people on this board that will complain about spending any money on wire but look, 100+ reviews can't be wrong:

AudioQuest X2 Speaker Cable (30 feet, Gray)

14-gauge wire

www.crutchfield.com

 

[witchdoctor]

Quick update. Everything that I have ordered is now setup. I was able to figure out the wiring on the in ceiling speakers as well.
Overall first impressions on Martin Logans: I probably bought too much speakers, but in a good way. I have watched Kong V. Zilla, and new Suicide Squad movies. Both sound great and every detail comes across crisp and clear to my ears. I felt bass, but didn't quite "feel it" as deeply as I would like. I still have some fine tuning to do as I'm using Audyssey default settings. But for very little work on my end, well worth the results.
As for the in ceiling speakers, these will require some more tuning on my end, I think I set them up as surround speakers instead of in ceiling surrounds. They seem to be getting too much sent to them when watching general tv. I found that using the "direct pure" setting fixes this issue. Maybe it's just the crappy sound that is applied to tv shows these days???

Overall takeaway: There isn't a ton of reviews available online for ML products. I'm guessing they are a tad overpriced, and aren't the "best deal" at their price point. With all that being said, I trusted my ears in store for what I could hear, and do not regret my investment. I'd recommend them to anybody that is looking for a solid set of speakers, that just sound good.
Sidenote: I've also decided to buy either 2 svs 10's or one svs 12. I'm leaning towards just the ported 12, as I think that given what I have already and what I can hear throughout the house....one should be ample

I would recommend watching Genes video on room treatments before buying subs. Your bass will sound competley different once you have treated your room.

 

[witchdoctor]

I've added the SVS PB2000 Pro to the setup and have enjoyed the setup, however now I'm looking to upgrade to a 5.1 setup. So I'm looking for recommendations on what surrounds/bookshelf speakers to pair with my current setup. I can run wire under carpet, but woukd prefer to avoid wall mounts. Please share any recommendations! Also looking for suggestions on bookshelf speaker stands. My floor is carpeted basement.

I would recommend getting matching bookshelfs all around. As for speaker stands the height is key. Ideally all your tweeters are the same height as your head/ears at your MLP. As for value pangeas stands are good value.

 

[witchdoctor]

Quick update. Everything that I have ordered is now setup. I was able to figure out the wiring on the in ceiling speakers as well.
Overall first impressions on Martin Logans: I probably bought too much speakers, but in a good way. I have watched Kong V. Zilla, and new Suicide Squad movies. Both sound great and every detail comes across crisp and clear to my ears. I felt bass, but didn't quite "feel it" as deeply as I would like. I still have some fine tuning to do as I'm using Audyssey default settings. But for very little work on my end, well worth the results.
As for the in ceiling speakers, these will require some more tuning on my end, I think I set them up as surround speakers instead of in ceiling surrounds. They seem to be getting too much sent to them when watching general tv. I found that using the "direct pure" setting fixes this issue. Maybe it's just the crappy sound that is applied to tv shows these days???

Overall takeaway: There isn't a ton of reviews available online for ML products. I'm guessing they are a tad overpriced, and aren't the "best deal" at their price point. With all that being said, I trusted my ears in store for what I could hear, and do not regret my investment. I'd recommend them to anybody that is looking for a solid set of speakers, that just sound good.
Sidenote: I've also decided to buy either 2 svs 10's or one svs 12. I'm leaning towards just the ported 12, as I think that given what I have already and what I can hear throughout the house....one should be ample

Actually ML are well regarded and I think it is a matter of personal taste.

 

[NINaudio]

I'm already planning to return the speaker wire, as it was a last second add on that I asked for as I was checking out. But it's 30' of AudioQuest x-2, 14 guage wire, cost was about ~$80.00. Looking on amazon I can see generic wire for 50' is way cheaper. So does speaker wire really make any difference?
I'll check out HDMI from Monoprice. Is Monoprice also decent for speaker wire?

Monoprice speaker wire will do exactly what you need it to do, get your signal to your speakers unaltered. I always use 12 gauge for my runs. Audioquest is not worth the price over Monoprice as their is no audible or measurable difference amongst them.

 

[witchdoctor]

Monoprice Cable Issues

Monoprice Cables Issues/Concerns

Upgraded my receiver from a Yamaha to a Denon, received my Denon today, I was geeked up to get it going, after removing my Monoprice Affinity banana plugs, I noticed something wasn't right, after closer inspection, I seen that two of the banana plugs stripped off the post and the other two...

forums.audioholics.com

 

[NINaudio]

FWIW I can find Pyle products with a 4.5 star rating and 2000 reviews. That doesn't make it a good product.

And here's some issues with fraudioquest cables:

https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/27346-problem-with-usb-cables-audioquest/

https://www.hifivision.com/threads/audioquest-forest-usb-cable-not-working.81902/

https://www.audioholics.com/frequent-questions/audioquest-cable-theories-exposed

https://www.meridianunplugged.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=303240

 

[BMXTRIX]

I don't recommend low grade cables, wire can act like an antennae or a filter. You will have your wire for years and years, get the good stuff or you may never hear your components at their best.
As for HDMI I use pangea and yes, it makes a difference over generic.

You have a handful of people on this board that will complain about spending any money on wire but look, 100+ reviews can't be wrong:

The fact you didn't read the most recent post and realize that he already has a completely working system is bad enough, but then to suggest overpriced, BS cabling is next level. People here recommend HIGH QUALITY cables at an affordable price. They don't recommend scam companies which bilk the uniformed and gullible out of their hard earned cash. The OP already has made his purchase, and is quite happy with what he owns.

What he needs now is a recommendation for surround sound speakers, which I hope you have a more informed option for than the overpriced garbage you listed above.

 

[witchdoctor]

The fact you didn't read the most recent post and realize that he already has a completely working system is bad enough, but then to suggest overpriced, BS cabling is next level. People here recommend HIGH QUALITY cables at an affordable price. They don't recommend scam companies which bilk the uniformed and gullible out of their hard earned cash. The OP already has made his purchase, and is quite happy with what he owns.

What he needs now is a recommendation for surround sound speakers, which I hope you have a more informed option for than the overpriced garbage you listed above.

Dude, if he needs surround speakers go for it. Will those speakers need cables? Duh! IF you bought a pair of Audioquest speaker cables that the OP bought and had a bad experience post a review like the guy that flushed his money down the drain on that Monoprice review. For you to go on a rant about something you don't own, never bought and can't understand why blame me? I didn't post a 5 star review of those cables, more than 100 other CUSTOMERS who bought them (with a 60 day window to return them), kept them (because they liked them) and then went out of there way to rave (neatly 100% 5 star reviews). Go post a message over there telling ALL of the people who actually TRIED the product your opinion about something you don't own, can't understand, and have 0 experience with.

 

[witchdoctor]

The fact you didn't read the most recent post and realize that he already has a completely working system is bad enough, but then to suggest overpriced, BS cabling is next level. People here recommend HIGH QUALITY cables at an affordable price. They don't recommend scam companies which bilk the uniformed and gullible out of their hard earned cash. The OP already has made his purchase, and is quite happy with what he owns.

What he needs now is a recommendation for surround sound speakers, which I hope you have a more informed option for than the overpriced garbage you listed above.

BMXTRIX, I saw a link in your signature, do you SELL gear?: Yo, do you got a dog in this race homie? This is a link from the website your signature links to "Planet Waves" CUSTOM cabling (not regular cabling)??? Isn't that from the Rocky Horror Picture Show or something?

Planet Waves - Custom cabling that is a cut above

AV Integrated - Custom Audio Visual Integration In Washington DC Metropolitan Area

www.avintegrated.com

 

[BMXTRIX]

Dude, if he needs surround speakers go for it. Will those speakers need cables? Duh! IF you bought a pair of Audioquest speaker cables that the OP bought and had a bad experience post a review like the guy that flushed his money down the drain on that Monoprice review. For you to go on a rant about something you don't own, never bought and can't understand why blame me? I didn't post a 5 star review of those cables, more than 100 other CUSTOMERS who bought them (with a 60 day window to return them), kept them (because they liked them) and then went out of there way to rave (neatly 100% 5 star reviews). Go post a message over there telling ALL of the people who actually TRIED the product your opinion about something you don't own, can't understand, and have 0 experience with.

Your lack of fundamental understanding of how wiring works and a willingness to spend other people's money without a clue of any value is pretty disgusting.

I didn't say that the cables sucked. I said that you literally are quoting and referencing a post that is well out of date. Glad you caught up to the newer post, but you missed the fact (FACT!) that he already has a lot of Monoprice purchased 12AWG cable at his disposal which he purchased a year ago. Cabling he is quite happy with.

Stop with the BS. Stop pretending I have a horse in any race here. Do I own a company that I sell cables through? Yep! Clearly. It is in my signature. Do I sell Planet Waves? Not anymore. I did years ago, but had reliability issues, so I stopped using them. Is it still on my website? Yeah... my website hasn't been updated in over ten years. My bad. I admit it.

If I was after people's money, I would be silent or I would be touting how amazing and incredible Audioquest was because it would be making me bank. But, I deal with honest information and as such, I look for the best pure copper speaker wire I can find at the lowest price and pass as much savings as possible onto my clientele. I still charge less than that stupid 30 foot run of 14AWG cable which sounds NO DIFFERENT than zip cord would sound.

Your failure to comprehend that is astounding. Your ignorance of actual tests is appalling.

 

[witchdoctor]

Your lack of fundamental understanding of how wiring works and a willingness to spend other people's money without a clue of any value is pretty disgusting.

I didn't say that the cables sucked. I said that you literally are quoting and referencing a post that is well out of date. Glad you caught up to the newer post, but you missed the fact (FACT!) that he already has a lot of Monoprice purchased 12AWG cable at his disposal which he purchased a year ago. Cabling he is quite happy with.

Stop with the BS. Stop pretending I have a horse in any race here. Do I own a company that I sell cables through? Yep! Clearly. It is in my signature. Do I sell Planet Waves? Not anymore. I did years ago, but had reliability issues, so I stopped using them. Is it still on my website? Yeah... my website hasn't been updated in over ten years. My bad. I admit it.

If I was after people's money, I would be silent or I would be touting how amazing and incredible Audioquest was because it would be making me bank. But, I deal with honest information and as such, I look for the best pure copper speaker wire I can find at the lowest price and pass as much savings as possible onto my clientele. I still charge less than that stupid 30 foot run of 14AWG cable which sounds NO DIFFERENT than zip cord would sound.

Your failure to comprehend that is astounding. Your ignorance of actual tests is appalling.

So you DO got a dog in the race then? You ARE in the business of pitching gear???
I think my "fundamental understanding" is actually crystal clear, thank you! You gotta pitch your stuff, I think its disgusting to do so by attacking vendors you don't rep or members like me that posted a review of OTHER people that bought the product in question, but whatever....

So, you got any 5 star reviews of your "custom" Planet Waves, cables, or whatever? Maybe 1? If you got more than 100 like your "competitors" cables I will give YOUR cables an unbiased audition, just post a link.

 

[BMXTRIX]

So you DO got a dog in the race then? You ARE in the business of pitching gear???
I think my "fundamental understanding" is actually crystal clear, thank you! You gotta pitch your stuff, I think its disgusting to do so by attacking vendors you don't rep or members like me that posted a review of OTHER people that bought the product in question, but whatever....

So, you got any 5 star reviews of your "custom" Planet Waves, cables, or whatever? Maybe 1? If you got more than 100 like your "competitors" cables I will give YOUR cables an unbiased audition, just post a link.

You know what's insane?

You didn't actually read my post. I can tell, because I actually said that I don't sell Planet Waves anymore. I have no horse in this race. I also don't hock my wares on forums. I just pass on advice.

My advice to you would be that you need to learn how cables work and stop overspending on cables. It's a suckers game at this point.

 

[witchdoctor]

You know what's insane?

You didn't actually read my post. I can tell, because I actually said that I don't sell Planet Waves anymore. I have no horse in this race. I also don't hock my wares on forums. I just pass on advice.

My advice to you would be that you need to learn how cables work and stop overspending on cables. It's a suckers game at this point.

BMXTRIX- "Do I own a company that I sell cables through? Yep! "
My advice to you would be to start your own thread to promote your gear, good luck with that