Looking to get out of 5.1 and back into stereo

[pjviitas]

Haven't been to these forums for years...good to be back.

I have been running a $300 set of surround speakers for 10 years now and have never really been happy with the sound quality.

Now I am ready to replace them but would rather spend my money on sound quality than surround and got to thinking a set of stereo speakers may be the way to go.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[markw]

Just speakers, or a whole system?

If the former, what receiver do you have?

What's your price range?

 

[KenM10759]

You can have both 2 (or 2.1) stereo and 5.1 (or more) surround with the same system, it's just a matter of being able to select which channels you feed for a given listening environment.

I don't know what your spend limits would be, but in mid-priced systems a good audio-video receiver can be a one-button push to switch from surround to stereo. In higher level systems you can do similar with an array of separate components.

 

[herbu]

I have been running a $300 set of surround speakers for 10 years now and have never really been happy with the sound quality.

The "sound quality" of what? Car door closing? Plane flying by? Phone ringing?
You know that's mostly what you get from surrounds, right?

So what is it you want to improve? TV/Movies or music? Do you usually listen to music in surround? Most people listen to music in stereo, using only their Front Left & Right speakers. How do you like your current L/R speakers?

Tell us a little more and we can better help.

 

[j_garcia]

$300 set of 5.1 speakers is the reason you're not happy. Speakers are the single most important factor in your sound. To improve on that though, your thinking is correct - a better 2.0 or 2.1 setup will be a better investment.

 

[Seth=L]

I'm a firm believer that you will get better sound quality (all things being equal, and they aren't always) by spending the same amount of money on a 2 channel setup vs a multichannel setup.

I'd be much happier with a $300 stereo system than a $300 surround system, bar none.

I'm very happy with my little 2.0 plus subwoofer setup (it's not 2.1 if there's no LFE channel ). It's a simple setup that did not cost me a fortune and I'm happier with it than having surround sound of similar and even greater cost. It's far less to have to deal with as well. Trying to get 5 speakers and a subwoofer to sound and look right in my awkwardly shaped room is quite an undertaking.

 

[KenM10759]

>>Trying to get 5 speakers and a subwoofer to sound and look right in my awkwardly shaped room is quite an undertaking.

You're preaching to the choir on that one, but I'm still making a valiant effort with my system!



My KEF R500 left-right mains and SVS SB1000 (LFE fed) sub sound stunning as 2.1 coming out of my current-for-now Denon AVR-1912. The R200C center is due soon, and somewhat later the R100 rear surrounds. That should look and sound pretty good as a 5.1, or at least "acceptable."

None of it is within the $300 range though. Sorry.

 

[JRT3]

The NHT SuperOne 2.1's sound super as a stereo speaker system - but you'll need a clean 50 WPC (RMS) min to drive them. You may want a sub - eventually! The speakers will take most of your $300 - and work better insulated from a bookcase's shelf with some foam. Mine have a home!

 

[Seth=L]

I may have caused some confusion, I don't believe he stated a budget, he simply mentioned that his existing system was $300

 

[ImcLoud]

I am a 2 channel fan, I have 5.2 in my living room but that is more for the wife and kids...

With out knowing your budget, it could be low judging by your $300 surround sound or it could be high since you had 10 years to save up????


If you can afford these, I would go with a set of http://www.amazon.com/Debut-Bookshelf-Speakers-Andrew-Jones/dp/B014GSEQ06/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1445881457&sr=8-3&keywords=elac+speakers

I got a chance to hear them recently and actually took them home to hook them to my system to poke around with them a bit, my brother has them running off a little tri path in an outside room with no walls just ceiling and screen walls on 3 sides...

I took them home and hooked them up to an emotive mini X, I have to say they are all there, nice speaker for the money, nice accurate speaker, they do lean towards what I label as (store stuff), because I think they are made a bit bright to sound good in say a "best buy parking lot sized store", which is fine, but then you get them to your cozy home office and them strong highs end up blasting you in the forehead... Leads to listening fatigue in short order. BUT they are not as bad as some B&W's, JBL's, and other I heard, I tend to lean towards speakers that I can listen to for a long time, they may not JUMP out at you in the first 5 seconds because they lack that unrealistic, bright clear seeming top end, instead that is replaced with a realistic warm sound that you can fall asleep to and listen to for an 8 hour shift...

But anyway, for a few hundred bucks, if you can get your hands on a set, jump on them, they are OK...

 

[pjviitas]

Thanks for all the feedback folks.

Just to give a little more feedback I have a Sony STR-DG800 AV Amp https://esupport.sony.com/CA/p/model-home.pl?mdl=STRDG800&LOC=3#/howtoTab

My current 5.1 speakers are Polk RM6750 http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/polk-audio-polk-audio-rm6750-5-1-home-theatre-speaker-system-6-speakers-rm6750-black-system/10077799.aspx

I notice that the RM6750's are $600 now but they where $300 when I bought them on sale (in canada)

I am thinking that sticking with $600 for a set of stereo speakers is a good idea at least for now.

I listen to everything on my system:
-All manner of movies and concerts
-TV
-Music...mostly EDM but I pull out the led zeppelin and pink floyd once in awile

I am thinking part of my problem is that I do listen and watch alot of MP3's and AVI's

 

[tyhjaarpa]

Thanks for all the feedback folks.

Just to give a little more feedback I have a Sony STR-DG800 AV Amp https://esupport.sony.com/CA/p/model-home.pl?mdl=STRDG800&LOC=3#/howtoTab

My current 5.1 speakers are Polk RM6750 http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/polk-audio-polk-audio-rm6750-5-1-home-theatre-speaker-system-6-speakers-rm6750-black-system/10077799.aspx

I notice that the RM6750's are $600 now but they where $300 when I bought them on sale (in canada)

I am thinking that sticking with $600 for a set of stereo speakers is a good idea at least for now.

I listen to everything on my system:
-All manner of movies and concerts
-TV
-Music...mostly EDM but I pull out the led zeppelin and pink floyd once in awile

I am thinking part of my problem is that I do listen and watch alot of MP3's and AVI's

I myself would get new front stage (L/C/R) and use your existing surrounds/sub until you can/want to upgrade them.

Or perhaps get 6 of these for 600$ http://philharmonicaudio.com/aa.html and build pretty amazing surround setup with them and add some nice sub later.

 

[nfafan]

Thanks for all the feedback folks.
<snip>

My current 5.1 speakers are Polk RM6750 http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/polk-audio-polk-audio-rm6750-5-1-home-theatre-speaker-system-6-speakers-rm6750-black-system/10077799.aspx

I notice that the RM6750's are $600 now but they where $300 when I bought them on sale (in canada)

<snip>

I started with the exact same Polk speaker system, connected to a borrowed Onkyo 5.1 AVR and I let it "auto default" to the FM stereo broadcast or the "surround" Comcast music feeds or 5.1 BluRay can provide.
I ended up storing away all the Polks but the center speaker and sub and replaced the plastic satellites with various used freebies and Craigslisters and one new pair of BBuys current Insignia bookshelves.
Along with the Polk center and sub, my fronts are often stacked Technics AB70 3-ways and Insignias, or KLH363s and 32s, or E-V 12 triaxes and one of the KLHs and Insignias, rears are Ohm Walsh 2s, or possibly EPI100s or ADC303AX and some stacked combo thereof and with Sony SS-B1000s. Typically just switch speakers in and out of rotation based on whatever. One of these days I may stack the KLH32s together to create a center speaker... or the EPI100s or the SS-B1000s or the KLH363s or...
Point is you can get a pair of good front speakers for a "2.1" set up and keep some of the Polks in play depending on how much room-size you want to consume with various speakers stacked on each other in the room. If I had to drop to only a stereo pair, it'd be the Ohm Walsh 2s and the Polk sub.

 

[Seth=L]

Sorry nfafan, I rated your post dumb.

This thread is about switching to a basic 2 channel system in favor of surround sound, yet everyone keeps trying to recommend the OP stay with surround sound.

pjviitas.

There's a lot of options in the $600 for a stereo pair of speakers. Are you looking to get floor standers or bookshelf speakers? How large is your room and what is the layout like?

 

[markw]

Sorry nfafan, I rated your post dumb.

This thread is about switching to a basic 2 channel system in favor of surround sound, yet everyone keeps trying to recommend the OP stay with surround sound.

pjviitas.

There's a lot of options in the $600 for a stereo pair of speakers. Are you looking to get floor standers or bookshelf speakers? How large is your room and what is the layout like?

I wouldn't say dumb. Perhaps obtusely worded and a bit of bloviating, but not dumb.

I THINK his basic point is that one shouldn't throw away the baby with the bathwater: Yes, go for a nice pair of front mains but the old polks can serve as surround speakers thereby having the best of both worlds.

 

[nfafan]

I wouldn't say dumb. Perhaps obtusely worded and a bit of bloviating, but not dumb.

I THINK his basic point is that one shouldn't throw away the baby with the bathwater: Yes, go for a nice pair of front mains but the old polks can serve as surround speakers thereby having the best of both worlds.

Exactly. You can get a pair of sweet speakers for cheap carefully shopping CL then store any unused Polks. Wonder if anyone else caught the pop-culture Faux News reference...

 

[pjviitas]

Ok guys...I threw some money out there to the audio gods to test my theory

I picked up a pair of Energy Connoisseur CF-30 speakers new for $300CAD ($226USD). Its' my understanding these are a $800CAD ($600USD) set of speakers so its not really an equal comparison to the $600CAD ($452USD) set of Polk RM6750 surround setup but I am thinking that at this order of magnitude its kind of like splitting hairs.

If this all works out I should be able to sell my Polk RM6750 setup for $300 which would make it a strait over trade...hopefully it will be worth it.

Will keep everyone posted on how everything pans out.

 

[Seth=L]

Have you hooked them up yet? Those should be a significant step up from the polk sub/sat configuration.

 

[lsiberian]

Ok guys...I threw some money out there to the audio gods to test my theory

I picked up a pair of Energy Connoisseur CF-30 speakers new for $300CAD ($226USD). Its' my understanding these are a $800CAD ($600USD) set of speakers so its not really an equal comparison to the $600CAD ($452USD) set of Polk RM6750 surround setup but I am thinking that at this order of magnitude its kind of like splitting hairs.

If this all works out I should be able to sell my Polk RM6750 setup for $300 which would make it a strait over trade...hopefully it will be worth it.

Will keep everyone posted on how everything pans out.

That's an excellent deal on very good speakers IMO. Well done.

 

[pjviitas]

Have you hooked them up yet? Those should be a significant step up from the polk sub/sat configuration.

Gonna try them tonight