New speakers suggestions

[mlail]

Now that one of my JBL floor standing speakers has finally died, I am ready to replace my speakers. I know this reads funny but let me explain what I have first.

My receiver is a Yamaha RX-V2700
Front channel speakers are JBL G-400
Focal -JMlab Sib (cub) 5.1 kit

TV is a Mitsubishi WD65"
DVD is a OPPO DV-981-HD

Oh yes I have in the closet 2 Bose 201's (not in use)

I believe that I want to move the Focals to the Master Bedroom on an old Sherwood receiver RV-5030A. This makes room for new speakers in the great room.

Now I have two problems, the main TV room with 10' ceiling is not rectangle or square. It is more of an "L" shape with the kitchen connected by 8" walls. So the sound is less than optimal.

My budget is somewhere around $3000 but I might be persuaded in spending a little more.

Our use of the receiver is playing local radio stations and watching movies.

I like the DT Mythos STS Super Towers but I fear these are way out of my price range and I cannot find a local store where I can listen to them.

Oh yes, my wife is on board with whatever I come up with . As long as I keep things reasonable.

For those who ask, I am not using the Focals by themselves because they cannot provide a good enough sound in my listening area. I have also read the standard articles for beginners.

I would really appreciate your thoughts and recommendations?

Thanks,
Marshall

 

[zumbo]

Two pair of these:
http://www.yawaonline.com/mbquql63tosp.html

One of these:
http://www.yawaonline.com/mbquqlcespea.html

And sub deal just posted by member InTheIndustry in another thread:
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/accessories/549694429

3k

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I cannot find a local store where I can listen to them.

What have you auditioned?

Is that $3K for all the speakers in a 5.1 system?

I can vouch for KEF, PSB, NHT, Definitive Technology, & Revel speakers.

 

[mlail]

I would love to keep the price down to 3k for all 5 speakers but I expect that I cannot and still like what I hear. Not that I am a true audiophile, I just want to end up with one day 5.1 and actually hear sounds from all the speakers in movie playback and be play music that sounds better than what I have. I know this is vague but it should be doable.

I like DT Mythos but they are pricey! So far everyone is selling them at list. I will look at the others. Unfortunately we only have Best Buys that have a in house listening room...

What have you auditioned?

Is that $3K for all the speakers in a 5.1 system?

I can vouch for KEF, PSB, NHT, Definitive Technology, & Revel speakers.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I would love to keep the price down to 3k for all 5 speakers but I expect that I cannot and still like what I hear. Not that I am a true audiophile, I just want to end up with one day 5.1 and actually hear sounds from all the speakers in movie playback and be play music that sounds better than what I have. I know this is vague but it should be doable.

I like DT Mythos but they are pricey! So far everyone is selling them at list. I will look at the others. Unfortunately we only have Best Buys that have a in house listening room...

Sounds like you are on the path to becoming a true audiophile.

I think before you buy anything else, you should check out The Audio Critic online. It is very interesting and informative. After you read The Audio Critic for a few days, you will be "half" a true audiophile from the knowledge you gain alone.

Then read about speaker measurements here on Audioholics.

Then your next step is to call the speaker dealers in your area to audition and gain true audiophile experience.

You are on your way to becoming a true audiophile.

At one point, the DefTech Mythos STS were on sale for 50% off on amazon/onecall.

Some speakers go on huge sales from time to time.

I think $3K for 5 speakers is a very good amount.

For example, I think the NHT Classic Four towers (NHT's flagship model) are audiophile-grade speakers for $900 each. So 2 would be $1,800, which gives you $1,200 for the other 3 speakers.

At one point, I recall the NHT Classic Four was on sale for $600 each.

 

[mlail]

The kicker is that our anniversery is today and waiting 6 months or so might jepordize how much we are willing to spend. I need to continue watching for good sales. I just need to learn which companies are the best and which models... I need to slow down so we don't end up with something we don't like.

Sounds like you are on the path to becoming a true audiophile.

Some speakers go on huge sales from time to time.

I think $3K for 5 speakers is a very good amount.

For example, I think the NHT Classic Four towers (NHT's flagship model) are audiophile-grade speakers for $900 each. So 2 would be $1,800, which gives you $1,200 for the other 3 speakers.

At one point, I recall the NHT Classic Four was on sale for $600 each.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

btw: What do you think about Klipsch sound? A lot of people find it very good match for HT. Some do find it's sound a tad harsh - you'd be the judge of that, since these should really easy to find a local audition
So my 2c are:
Klipsch RF-62 II 5.0 system + Epik Empire sub
http://www.klipsch.com/na-en/products/rf-62-ii-1-overview/
http://www.epiksubwoofers.com/empire.html

Energy RC-30 used to be $200/ea but they gone now

 

[AVRat]

Is this the room (new/old house?) that's about 20 x 24 x 10, using 12 x 15 area? If so, I'd spend about $1K on the sub alone, (HSU VTF-15H, Epik Empire?). For the remaining $2K, a PSB T5/C5/B5 setup would work very well.

Any chance you could post some pics of the area layout?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

How about some famous brand Martin Logan Source Front Left & Right for $700 off each ($1,400 off for 2 speakers, plus free shipping):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XSBJRW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=A2763VQ7SN6URD

Martin Logan Encore TF Center Speaker for $300 off:

http://www.amazon.com/MartinLogan-Encore-TF-Center-Channel/dp/B00280M774/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1301589725&sr=1-9

Martin Logan Motion 2 surround speakers:

http://www.amazon.com/MartinLogan-Motion-Bookshelf-Speaker-Piano/dp/B0035FZ11K/ref=sr_1_15?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1301591141&sr=1-15

 

[mlail]

I was going to attach a rough diagram but the system only gives me errors.

The room is a "L" shape. Take the top of the L and tip it to the right.

The long part of the L is 28' 7" long
The far right of the L is 9' 9" wide

The base of the L which is now facing down is 15' 4" long
From the top to the bottom it is 24'

Make sense?

Now the kicker is the wall that makes the room into an L is only 8' tall. The ceiling is 10'

All - We went out last night to a Best Buy wanting to listen to floor standing speakers. The Best Buy we visited did not have a listening room. On top of this all of the speakers were low end. I say low end not because I am a audiophile but because the most expensive one was $150. Hey I am not rich either but when I purchased my JBL's about 20-25 years ago they cost about $250 each. Maybe speakers have gotten cheaper!

So we now plan on visiting another Best Buy that I know has a listening room. I just hope they have some decent speakers.

My taste has been to buy 3 way speakers for the floor standing. In this room, two way just have not been able to fill the room.

BordSysAdmin - Klipsch sound is not out. I will see what Best Buy has and have a listen.

So how does someone get speakers from sellers to audition? I cannot imagine them eating the costs of shipping but I cannot see paying for it either. Hey from what I have seen in several websites they want $49 to ship each speaker. $100 to see if a set of speakers will work is a quick way to dump a lot of dollars. Unless I get lucky and the first pair are perfect. I am never that lucky!

AV Rat - I can email the pic, just need an address...

AcuDefTechGuy - Martin Logans that I listened to were too directional. Only one seat in the house would hear decent sounds. Maybe it was only one model but the electrostatic versions were what I listened to?

 

[Jeff R.]

I vouch for the Quarts

Two pair of these:
http://www.yawaonline.com/mbquql63tosp.html

One of these:
http://www.yawaonline.com/mbquqlcespea.html


I can vouch for the Quarts. Heck I live in Charlotte area. You can come check mine out if you want!!

Jeff

 

[mlail]

Jeff,

You must know how hard it is to find a place to audit speakers!


Not being a fan of 2 way speakers I looked at MB QUART QLS-1030 6.5" 3 WAY TOWER but purchasing two of these would depleat my budget. Budgets really bite!

I still need to research on where I can place a center channel speaker. I think that I can move the RPTV back a few inches and put the speaker on the console (in front).

Two pair of these:
http://www.yawaonline.com/mbquql63tosp.html

One of these:
http://www.yawaonline.com/mbquqlcespea.html


I can vouch for the Quarts. Heck I live in Charlotte area. You can come check mine out if you want!!

Jeff

 

[Beatmatcher247]

Would you consider doing bookshelves or you set on floorstanders?

If you get a decent street price I would think that
4x Focal Chorus 807V's
1x Focal Chorus 800 center

would all come under your budget.

When I auditioned these I actually liked the sound of these focal bookshelves better than their floorstanding tower offerings in the $3500-$6000/pr. range. I enjoyed the overall soundquality of these speakers more than the towers, although the soundstage didn't seem to be as deep or wide. The detail and imaging really trails off when you get off axis from the sweet spot. Proper toe-in with these is really important.

If anything get out and give them a listen. If I would've been looking at a budget similar to yours, these are what I would have gone with. They have some impressive mid-bass for a bookshelf speaker with their 7" driver.

http://www.stereophile.com/budgetcomponents/1107focus/index.html

I'm a pretty novice mid to higher end stereo listener so always please let your ears be the guide and don't take my word it without hearing them for yourself.

 

[Jeff R.]

You can always skip the center channel. Check out all the posts on this site that debate the need for a center channel.....just something to think about.....

 

[mlail]

Well we went to Best Buy listening room and auditioned many B&H and DT speakers. We even listened to a set of Energy speakers. I didn't know that Energy speakers were made by Klipsch. We are going back for another review but the DT BP-8060's sounded nice. The only down-side to any of the DT speakers that have a built in amp is the separate controls for the subs built in. Lets say you are listening to music. Well I have a different sub listening level for music than I do movies. In the DT's I would have to change both speakers for the preferred levels for that type of media. With the sub in one box, it is one adjustment not two. I'm not sure this is a big deal but it is something to consider.

The Mythos STS speakers must have had the subs cranked because they sounded bad. The next visit I will turn down the subs and give them another try.

Beatmatcher247 - Yeah, I am pretty certian that we want 3 way floor standing speakers. I bought a set of Focals because they sounded great in the showroom but one I set them up, they couldn't fill the room.

Jeff R. - Funny that you pointed this out. Just last night we watched a movie and the remote didn't change the receivers settings. So we watched the movie hearing the voices coming out of the front mains. It was not bad.

When we auditioned a expensive set of Bell and Howell speakers, I noticed that the center channel was very large for a center channel. In fact too large for our entertainment unit. But I can hear the benifit to the larger center channel speakers. I guess that we still need more options and auditions.

 

[walter duque]

The Mythos STS speakers must have had the subs cranked because they sounded bad. The next visit I will turn down the subs and give them another try.

I would stay away from powered speakers.

 

[mlail]

Also the B&H are actually B&W

Walter - Why?

 

[walter duque]

Also the B&H are actually B&W

Walter - Why?

Ten years ago when I bought mine I was impressed. Don't get me wrong, they do sound good. They go down to 20 hz. I also run 2subs, one goes down to 18 hz and the other to 22hz. I have them set to crossover at 80 hz, so it was a waste of money to get them powered towers, unless you're never planning on adding a sub or two then I guess it would be OK. With external subs added it seems like I am not getting my monies worth out of the towers. If you ever want to bi amp you're limited.

 

[zumbo]

Not being a fan of 2 way speakers I looked at MB QUART QLS-1030 6.5" 3 WAY TOWER but purchasing two of these would depleat my budget. Budgets really bite!

No offense to Jeff, as I have never heard the 1030's.

The 830's fit the budget right on the money.

Also, the 830's are 2.5-way. Not 2-way. (2)mids(1)tweet. The 1030's just add a 5.25". There is plenty of mid in the 830's, and the added 5.25" is not needed.(IMO)

The company dropped the 1030 design after the QLS series, and continues to offer the 2.5-way as the top-of-the-line model to this day.

The current model is 4k per pair.
http://www.german-maestro.de/US/ms_f_one.htm

 

[zumbo]

Graph comparing the 830 to the current 4k Linea S.