jdfelice said:
If a person spends 1k on his receiver, what price range should he look for in a speaker. I realize that this is a very vague question. I am asking for opinions. Here are my goals. I like music and I like it loud. I want to buy very good mains without "over buying". It is a B&K202, I bought it used as it was an upgrade from my current receiver and I got a good deal. I am now in the market to buy new speakers. This is where you come in. I will also need some new rears as I am remodeling and it will require in-walls. The center will need replaced and I always wanted a velodyne sub. Please give me your suggestions and opinions. Also feel free to ask more questions.
Thanks,
The smart aleck answer, as much as possible.
Seriously, speakers are the weak point in the sound equation, followed closely by the room's acoustics.
Spending 10's of thousands of dollars on speakers and placing them in my little 11x13 HT room would be a waste of $. So would having those speakers setting in my kitchen (with solid wall cabinets, tiled floor and other sucky acoustics).
Sounds like you have a good receiver, so most of the main stream speakers on the market will match up well with the receiver.
The general "equation" is to spend 50% of your total HT equipment (excluding video display) on the speakers. If your interests are geared more to music, I would spend as 70 or even 80% of my budget on speakers, with most of the money being spent on the main speakers. In the case of HT, the importance of the main speakers is not as great.
In my HT room... all prices list
Denon Receiver $900
Denon DVD $300
Polk LSi 9 $900 Main
Polk LSi 7 $700 Surround
Polk LSi C $500 Center
Polk PSW 10 $200 Sub
Total $3500
Plus speaker stands, cables, display rack, a new TV etc. When I get done, the speakers are not as great of %, but just in basic HT stuff, speakers are 66% of the purchase.
Less expensive speakers could have been bought for the surrounds, but.... the LSi 7's match the 9's in styling, AND this room is not a permanent location.
By the way, that $200 sub is OK in my room size. Not a great sub, basically it is fine for movies (were quality of sound is not important) and for buffing up the very low end of the LSi 9's for music. Spending more on the sub, for the current room, was just a waste of money... room size limited the viability of the more expensive subs. Get the Velodyne.... good bang for the buck, if you got the room for the sub to show what it can do.
