need some help

[rayneman725]

I am new to this site and new to the home theater components, over the past year I have been building a home theater and sound system in my house. I purchased the boston acoustic mcs130 system and upgraded the rear speakers from the smaller speakers to the lcr 130 large speakers and then added two more to make it 7.1. I run this off of an onkyo 706 with monster cables and what not, and I have to say I have been very happy with the system for movies and music. Recently my wife and I were in best buy and I listen to these floor standing klipsch speakers and I was taken back with the sound. So I am thinking of changing out 2 of the speakers and adding 2 floor standing ones, but this is where I am stuck. Ive been looking at the klipsch rf-52, boston acoustic cs226, and the paradigm phantoms. I am wondering if I change the company will it mess the sound of the system up, and which one is better for the money. I want to stay under 1000 for the pair. Please help. Or does any one have better speaker ideas, I like Dave Matthews type music and action movies on this system. Thanks for any help.

 

[JerryLove]

When you change your fronts: change your center to one that matches timbre. Generally: that means same brand, same line.

It won't really matter if your surrounds are different: though you may need to level match: adjust the volumes in the receiver so the fronts and surrounds are similar.

 

[Ares]

From everything I have read on this and every other forum it is critical that the front 3 be tonally matched meaning that they should come from the same family of speakers. If you are going with Klipsch fronts your center should also be from Klipsch. also if you are going with towers your center should have the same size drivers or bigger. I agree with Jerry here didn't see his at first must have been typing at the same time.

 

[rayneman725]

thanks guys have you ever seen these speakers boston acoustic css226?

I was thinking of getting these then I would not have to change the center channel speaker, but after I read some of the other postings I found the Paradigm phantoms any thoughts on these?

 

[Ares]

thanks guys have you ever seen these speakers boston acoustic css226?

I was thinking of getting these then I would not have to change the center channel speaker, but after I read some of the other postings I found the Paradigm phantoms any thoughts on these?

Now for the Boston's I have seen them they are very nice sound pretty good as well but for the phantoms I am not familiar with them,hopefully Jerry could fill you in or some else could chime in on these.

 

[rayneman725]

thanks ares have you found any speakers that sound amazing for home theaters for the money?

 

[JerryLove]

thanks ares have you found any speakers that sound amazing for home theaters for the money?

Yes. Behringer 2030p. Very wide dispersion, very flat response; moreso than anything near the price.

There are a lot of good speakers out there, and you can specify what you are looking to spend.

You will more-or-less get two pieces of advice on so general a question from me.

1) Go listen to speakers, find ones you like that you can audition, and try them at home.

2) (unless your budget is in the thousands).

• Buy 2 behringer 2030p for front left/right ($150).
• If you are in a large room (front speakers more than about 12' apart) next buy antoher pair and use one as the center: otherwise phantom the center and move on.
• Next buy a Dayton sub. 10" or 12" depending on room size ($130). Open it, stuff an accoustic foam pillow in it, and close it. These pillows are $3 at walmart.
• Next buy another sub and do the same thing. Next an external amp (you can skip the external amp if your receiver has pre-out and pre-in).
• Next a behringer external crossover (CX I think), run the pre-out L/R into the crossover, split it around 90Hz, drive one out into each sub (one L, onr R) and into each front speaker. Make sure the front speakers are withing a foot or two of their matched sub.
• Finally, add more pairs of 2030p's to full out your 5 or 7 channel system as you like.

Follow #2 for as long as your budget allows. There's also a DIY for improving thesound from the 2030p's even more if you are feeling industrious.

 

[Ares]

Personally I am bias towards SVS but there are few great companies online that make very good speakers for home theater
1 SVS
2 Ascend
3 Hsu
4 Axiom
5 Aperion
Now the order that they are in is not a ranking these companies do direct sales if for some reason you are not happy with their speakers the offer a money back guarantee between 30-45 days check their return policies

 

[rayneman725]

wow guys this awsome I really appreciate your help! I will check these companies out, but I should have mentioned that I am not looking to rebuild the whole system yet. The Boston surrounds I have are pretty nice sounding for me, I am just looking to add some floor standing speakers to the system. I already have a boston center channel lcr130 and I wanted to add to that, but for a good floor standing speaker I am willing to change it if need be. But if I can find some floor speakers that will fit with the center I would like to spend more on them. Any thoughts?

 

[Ares]

If you wish you could start slow on upgrading like buy the fronts first then the center and so on as your budget allows. If there is one thing I have learned about HT it is very addictive and once you start you can't stop always looking for the next upgrade.

 

[rayneman725]

Oh I know ares Im like an addict with this stuff first it started with a big screen and then remotes and now this. I just dropped 700 on the current speakers before I add the extra speakers that cost a few hundred extra, but now Im looking to add the floor standing speakers. All Ive for the last 2 weeks has been reading and pricing different speakers. the biggest problem we have here is their is not a lot of places to go and listen to these speakers other then best buy. could you look at the boston acousic cs226 page an give me an opinion on them from the data specs?

I to like the SVS, but for now they are a bit out of my price range Im trying to stay under a 1000.00

 

[JerryLove]

wow guys this awsome I really appreciate your help! I will check these companies out, but I should have mentioned that I am not looking to rebuild the whole system yet. The Boston surrounds I have are pretty nice sounding for me, I am just looking to add some floor standing speakers to the system. I already have a boston center channel lcr130 and I wanted to add to that, but for a good floor standing speaker I am willing to change it if need be. But if I can find some floor speakers that will fit with the center I would like to spend more on them. Any thoughts?

Well, if you are driving distance, I've got a set of excellent Paradigm Studio 60v3's for sale. I've even got a matching center (490v3). I think it's higher than your budget though.

 

[rayneman725]

sorry jerry Im in philly, thanks for the offer though. to bad though because I feel like I am leaning more toward that company.

 

[Ares]

Well I don't have to look at the specs I have seen them in action they are very good speakers just don't push the volume to insane levels and you will be alright. I did notice they didn't have a very wide dispersion but than again I could have been the way the setup was. I know what you mean it all started with my PS3 then came the TV and receiver and speakers the list goes on and on.