My set up (for now)

[mike c]

I forgot to ask: are the studio 20s magnetically shielded? (B&W 602 s3 isn't)

 

[corysmith01]

They have those weird inverted woofer surrounds. How do they handle the low end by themselfs?

Sheep, yeah, that inverted surround is odd. I've seen it before, but it doesn't seem to be employed that often. I actually think they handle lows pretty darn well by themselves. Since I'm in a small apt, I will often run them in direct mode (no sub) so as to not drive my neighbors nuts. They do pretty well. The drivers are 7", not 6.5" and the cabinets are quite large, so they don't do bad at all.

I'd sell that PB-10 back to you if I still had it. Setup looks great, amazingly clean. I really need to listen to those studio 20's after all the praise I hear about them

Matt, man, I'm still sorry that PB-10 didn't work out for you. But hey, you gotta give it a try, right? If I remember correctly, didn't you have a really large room? What did you end up replacing it with anyhow? Yeah, the Studio 20's sound great. A touch pricey? Maybe/probably. But I dig 'em. Good to see you're still checking in from time to time. Stay safe over there.

I forgot to ask: are the studio 20s magnetically shielded? (B&W 602 s3 isn't)

Mine are not. However, you can get them shielded, but only in the black I believe. It is an option. They sell the black both ways...I got mine without the shielding. The one on the left, if you can see in the photos, sits about a foot and a half from my tv, which is CRT, with no problems.

 

[Matt34]

Matt, man, I'm still sorry that PB-10 didn't work out for you. But hey, you gotta give it a try, right? If I remember correctly, didn't you have a really large room? What did you end up replacing it with anyhow? Yeah, the Studio 20's sound great. A touch pricey? Maybe/probably. But I dig 'em. Good to see you're still checking in from time to time. Stay safe over there.

Nothing to be sorry about, I was/am a total newb at all this and you have to start somewhere. Yes it was a good size room but I have since moved the rig into a dedicated HT room in which the PB-10 would have been perfect for. I got a VTF-3 MKII to replace the PB-10, it's really overkill in the 13x15 room but I am a bassnut and will run a 5.2 setup when I get back. What that other sub will be is still up in the air.
Anyways, I will need to check out those studio series if I ever start shopping for a 2-channel setup.

 

[mike c]

thanks again corysmith! must be what the optional "magneshield" is all about.
if I plan to use bookshelves with the TV, it's only gonna be 6" away.
maybe I should save up for studio towers

 

[Sheep]

...or you could get the black sheilded ones...

Seriously, why does everyone hate black? If you want something to look classy, paint it black....

SheepStar

 

[avliner]

Hi Cory,

pretty nice set up, ideed. Congrats!!

From my side, I'm still working on my new arrangement, so I'll be sending some pictures in about 2 weeks time frame ( I still owe you a picture of my new PB10 without grill).
I've got a new tv set and I'm in the process of buying a pair of bookshelves, to replace the towers.

Enjoy your system. You deserve it!

Cheers / Avliner.

 

[corysmith01]

Thanks.

Though I must confess, there's a good chance it will all look very different in about a month or two. I may be the first diagnosed case of "downgradeitits."
Yep, I may be scrapping the set up, and repurchasing compenents that are much cheaper, trying to generate some much needed cash. We'll see. I've taken the photos...but haven't worked up the confidence to actually put them on ebay/audiogon. But, it seems as though it is unavoidable. Maybe I'll snap new pics once the overhaul is done.

 

[mike c]

what speakers are you looking to replace them with?

 

[corysmith01]

Well, I've run the gamut on what to replace them with. But, being that I'm overhauling with the ultimate goal of walking away with as much cash as I can, price is paramount in the decision. With that said, of course I don't want bum speakers. I've considered the usual suspects: axiom, ascend, rocket/onix, athena, etc. I think I've decided on the Onix xl-s. 3 of them actually. For $300, I can get a pair ($199) and a single ($100) to be used as a center. The CBM-170's intrigue me, but at $150 more than the xl's, not to mention the expense of the 340 center, I'm holding off. Like I said...the main goal is to pocket as much cash as possible. I believe xl-s is where I'm headed. But again...I've just got to muster the mental fortitude to do so.

 

[mazersteven]

Cory,

Really nice looking room. I love the hardwood floors. I would say those Studio's are "a touch pricey". I think they are an excellent value in their price range, maybe even under priced.

Before I upgraded the television. The Velodyne SPL800II would go first. JMO
A nice SVS 20-39PC-Plus would be real nice.

Ever think of going with 40's up front, and moving the 20's to the rear instead of the ADP's?

 

[corysmith01]

I had almost forgotten about this when I stumbled across it today. Figured I'd post how things have changed. And, just for fun, thought I'd try to take the same pictures/angles, only with the new/replaced gear.

So the freelance gods were not kind when I first moved and thus, I sold most off my gear to purchase less expensive pieces, pocketing the difference. Now, I'm in a state of flux, exchanging some of the economical stuff with nicer things...the upgrade bug biteth.

So, the changes from the first photos are: Marantz SR8400, now replaced by Denon AVR-3805; Denon DVD-1920, now replaced by a Denon DVD-2200; Paradigm Studio 20 v.3's, now replaced by Onix X-LS speakers in limited edition piano rosewood. Same sub, same tv...I'm still hoping to replace it, maybe by Christmas. No center as of yet, but soon I hope. Check out the changes:

 

[Seth=L]

How do the Onyx compare to the Paradigm Studio 20s, or do they compare? They look really nice by the way.

Another question, is surround sound really important to you or just an extra you feel you could live without most times?

 

[Sheep]

Looking good Cory!

I wish I had a finished room for my HT. No matter how much I clean mine, it looks dirty

How do the X-Ls's compare to the Studio 20v3's? Conventional wisdom would say they're worse, but we know how that goes in the audio world

SheepStar

 

[corysmith01]

Another question, is surround sound really important to you or just an extra you feel you could live without most times?

Well, that's a tricky question. In my old apartment, back in VA, where I had much more room, I found surround essential. With all the extra space and distance from the tv, surround just made the experience more enjoyable. Now, with my extremely small apartment, I can't say I miss it much...probably because I only sit about 5 feet from my tv/speakers. As such, they fill the space up pretty well on their own.

How do the X-Ls's compare to the Studio 20v3's? Conventional wisdom would say they're worse, but we know how that goes in the audio world

Hey Sheep, I hear you on the finished room bit. I'm a bit of a neat freak, so if mine was out of order, it'd probably drive me nuts.

As for your question, my honest opinion is that the x-ls are a better speaker overall. Again, my opinion. The Studio 20's, and I've said this before, seem to have a bit more punch in the upper end and lower end...the mids seem a bit recessed. You can imagine the difference when I went to them after my B&W 601 s3's....the difference was pretty extreme. The x-ls however seem to have a full presentation, not really favoring any range. They're a great speaker...and even more so when you consider cost.

With that said, I'm finding that I tend to like a brighter speaker. Why, I don't know. But just from what I've heard, my taste/preference tends to lean towards a brighter speaker. Guess that's where the "listening for what sounds good to you" part of the equation comes in.

 

[Seth=L]

The sealed cabinet of the Onyx aids it in not being prominent on any particular range in the bass to high bass department, so kudos to Onyx for delivering an outstanding product at a very reasonable price. As for brightness, I have NHT 1.5s which seem bright to me, but I really enjoy the presentation. They are also sealed enclosure design.

If I may make a suggestion, with such a great DVD player you could stand to change...... oh you think this about your tv, no it isn't so keep reading.....Go to two channel seperates man, or at least the Outlaw 2.1 receiver. The Outlaw, as far as I know is the only stereo receiver that has bass management. It has good power, and quality build and it isn't that expensive.

If I were in your shoes, I would take the Denon back and get something like the Outlaw or maybe an integrated or seperates.

 

[mike c]

so you're saying the 601s3 is your first choice, followed by the x-ls, then the studio 20's?

I thought you were the first person to be bitten by the downgrade bug. apparently, that was a fluke looks like you're gonna be spending more than you originally sold your original AVR and speakers. but still, great looking speakers!

 

[corysmith01]

so you're saying the 601s3 is your first choice, followed by the x-ls, then the studio 20's?

No, sorry for the confusion. I was just saying that the mids are very prominent in the 601's (to my ears), then a bit recessed in the 20's, so the net effect was a pretty extreme difference.

I thought you were the first person to be bitten by the downgrade bug. apparently, that was a fluke looks like you're gonna be spending more than you originally sold your original AVR and speakers. but still, great looking speakers!

Well, the downgrade bug came and went. I did get lesser components and what I have now replaces them. I originally went to a refurb Denon AVR-786 from the Marantz. The AVR-3805 has now replaced that due to the fact that I've gotten back on track. Oh, and I had a refurb Marantz DV4600 as well, which has been replaced by the 2200. So yeah, I had originally downgraded, but now, I'm headed back up the ladder.

 

[Seth=L]

The sealed cabinet of the Onyx aids it in not being prominent on any particular range in the bass to high bass department, so kudos to Onyx for delivering an outstanding product at a very reasonable price.

Oops, not sealed. Still good though.

 

[corysmith01]

Yet another update.

So, here are the changes:

JVC 27" CRT - replaced by Sony Bravia 26S2000 (HDTV/720P/1080i....FINALLY!)
Xbox - replaced by Xbox 360
Denon DVD-2200 - replaced by Denon DVD-2910
Onix X-LS - replaced by Onix Reference 1's

This latest update puts me pretty much in the realm of not changing anything for a while. Finally, I have a tv that can take advantage of HDTV, not to mention stellar DVD playback. I'm really enjoying the 2910 now that I have a tv that can take advantage of what it can do.

And finally, I'm now on to my 3rd pair of speakers within this thread...and these, to my ears, are by far the best. I guess that seems like a no brainer as they're $1200/pr normally (get them now for $599/pr ) But, as we all know, cost does not necessarily equal performance. Well, in this case, it does. These speakers have floored me.

So, here's the pictorial update. Again, I took everything from approximately the same angle, just to keep it all apples-to-apples. Enjoy.

 

[angstadt530]

Cory,

Your system is looking very nice and sleek with all the new upgrades! I'm now sort of tempted to get a pair of those Onix's... You're right, it seems like a no brainer. Does the sub working well with the bookshelves, or do you find yourself desiring a little more from the low end?