New Yamaha RX-V663-Need new speakers now..

[metroboy83]

Hi there,

I recently purchased a Yamaha RX-V663 receiver. I was looking at the Yamaha 7.1 speaker setup (RSW-300 Sub, NS-555 Fronts, NS-333 Rears & NS-444 Centre.

Just wondering on some thoughts on it, as im preferably after a system thats 7.1 (future proofing)

Also because i can get these for a good price, but should i look elsewhere for a similar brand, but considering my budget, i live in Australia and i can get the 5.1 set for $1,490 & extra $299 for the extra pair of NS-333's.

Any suggestions would be helpful, as i have the money ($2000 budget for speakers) ready to purchase.. Cheers

 

[blued888]

Audition whatever brands you can at B&M stores or audio specialty stores. It would also help if you mention your preference for your mains, would you prefer floorstanders over bookshelves?

 

[metroboy83]

Hey thanks for the reply.

Yes i would prefer floorstanding speakers as my pref. for fronts.

Unfortunately i live in the country area, and the nearest HiFi store is about 100km away, so i think its best if i get opinions over the net...

I like the look of the Yamaha set, and have heard only a few good things about them.. If you could point me in the right direction, it would be appreciated.

 

[PENG]

It may be better to focus on the front speakers and spend as little as possible on the surrounds for the time being. That way you can get nice enough front speakers to match the quality of the 663. Surround channels provide the sound effects that are important for movies but you mayfind it not too important for music.

Your 663 has pre-outs and the latest HDMI 1.3a features, so it is relatively future proof. Depending on your utlimate goal, with a $2,000 budget it may be difficult to future proof a loudspeakers system especially if you are talking about a 7.1 system.

As for recommendations on speakers priced within your budget, please tell us what you intend to use the system for, example: 30/70 music/H.T.movies. Information about the types of your favourite music, how loud you would like to play your music, and the dimensions of the room are also important.

 

[metroboy83]

Thanks Peng for the feedback.

Regarding the speakers, so should i steer clear from the Yamaha's? Im just tossing up in brands atm and dont know what else i should be looking for.

Ok iv just built a 6x5m home theatre room in my garage. not big but enough for me.

My TV is a wall mounted 42" LG 1080p Plasma. I use my PS3 to run all my DVD/Bluray needs.

So what you mean to say is focus on the essentials. like fronts/centre sub and buy cheaper rears? i guess i want to clarify if the Yamaha "package" shouldnt be the go but rather spend individually?

Oh yes this would strictly be predominately a movie/ PS3 game setup. the odd bit of tracks played but i have another room for music.

 

[Nomo]

While I haven't heard the 555s or the larger 777s, I am using the 333s as my 4 surrounds. They are OK in that role. The 444 center I was using for a while was easily bested by the Polk center I currently have. If the sound of the 555s is similar to that of either of the Yamahas I mentioned then I doubt they would be a good fit as main speakers. At least not for me.

 

[PENG]

Regarding the speakers, so should i steer clear from the Yamaha's? Im just tossing up in brands atm and dont know what else i should be looking for.

I am not familiar with those Yamaha speakers but I am sure other members such as Nomo may be able to help you.

It is good to know you have another room for music because that makes it easier to recommend something within your budget. I just listened to some Polk Audio RTiA and Energy RC speakers yesterday and I was quite impressed with their relatively neutral sound. As long as you have a good sub, for H.T. stuff you don't need towers, but since you like towers you may want to consider something like the RTiA5 and the Energy RC-30. If you like British speakers, B&W and KEF are quite decent.

People tend to recommend to others speakers they own and like so if you rely on forum member recommendations you will end up with quite a few speakers to consider. Unlike electronics components, speakers do sound quite different from one another. That is not a big problem for me because I simply want speakers that are designed to reproduce sound faithfully. So if they sound like live music, that will be fine for me.

When I was shopping for speakers I went online and visited book stores to read as many professional reviews as possible in addition to browsing through forums such as this. At the end of the day I ended up with a short list based on the consistent part of things mentioned in all sorts of reviews and manufacturer's specifications

 

[blued888]

If the Infinity Primus P362 goes on sale at Fry's again for $99 a piece, you can get 7pcs for a 7.0 system for $693 + tax. Yes, you can use the floorstander as a center _IF_ you have your TV wall mounted/elevated. Seeing as you have a 6m x 5m floor area for your garage home theater, I don't think space would be an issue for these speakers.

EDIT: As I was writing the first paragraph, I forgot that you stated you live in Australia so it's probably almost impossible to get the Infinity P362 for the $99 sale price.

For JBL I heard some of the L Series, namely the LC2 and L880 (Or you could get the L890s if you want more bass extension due to the 8" woofers compared to the 6" woofers of the L880). They sounded sort of similar to the Infinitys but I found the highs a bit on the harsh side (This is subjective, you might find them to your liking so it's really best to audition speakers before buying), I figure that might be due to dual tweeter design (They have an additional ultra-high frequency tweeter in additional to the normal tweeter).

For UK brands, the only brand I know of is Wharfedale (Diamond 9 series). I frankly didn't like them because they sounded too "laid back."

For your subwoofer, I don't know what brands you can get in Australia. If you live in the US, people would suggest brands such as Hsu, SVS, Elemental Design.

Matching the brand of the subwoofer is not important. But matching the 3 front speakers is important. Surrounds can be a different brand from the fronts IF you're going to be mainly using the system for HT. If you're going to listen to music and have all speakers replicate the stereo sound, it will come out unbalanced.

 

[metroboy83]

Thanks guys again for the feedback

To Peng: Floorstanders dont need to be the end all, its just that i havent seen fronts like bookshelves that look "powerful" if you know what i mean? But thats my opinion so i cant judge for looks i guess..

And yes that would be a great idea reading reviews from others. thats also why i went here for advice. I actually used to be a Cali Man b4 blued888. Been downunder for only 3 years now

I will check out the JBL, Polk and Energy speakers online. Since im ditching the Yamaha's, my main focus right now is the fronts, centre & sub. Now should i get 2 smaller subs hooked up, or 1 large 12" or 15" sub? While im looking around i can get a fair idea on what to look for. Cheers guys

 

[metroboy83]

What do you think guys. I've had a search and a few phone calls later..

Fronts: Paradigm. Titan Monitors
http://www.paradigm.com/en/paradigm/fronts-monitor-titanmonitor-model-2-4-1-2.paradigm

Centre: Polk Audio CSi A6 Black
http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/products/center/csia6/

Sub: Yamaha YST-RSW300B Sub
http://www.yamahamusic.com.au/products/avit/speakers/YST-RSW300.asp

Or.. Sub: Energy ESW-V10
http://www.energy-speakers.com/v2/products/product-page.php?id=342

 

[PENG]

What do you think guys. I've had a search and a few phone calls later..

Fronts: Paradigm. Titan Monitors
http://www.paradigm.com/en/paradigm/fronts-monitor-titanmonitor-model-2-4-1-2.paradigm

Centre: Polk Audio CSi A6 Black
http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/products/center/csia6/

Sub: Yamaha YST-RSW300B Sub
http://www.yamahamusic.com.au/products/avit/speakers/YST-RSW300.asp

Or.. Sub: Energy ESW-V10
http://www.energy-speakers.com/v2/products/product-page.php?id=342

The Paradigm Titan monitors would be a great choice but you should use them with a matching centre speakers such as the CC-190.

 

[blued888]

You should "timbre-match" all your fronts so they preferably have to be the same brand.

 

[metroboy83]

Ok so for the fronts, from both your experiences, Paradigm or Polk for front stage (minus sub)

And also what did you guys think of the Yam & Energy subs i mentioned? Do you have any other subs i can search for? Cheers!

 

[blued888]

There are possibly some cases wherein mixing brands for the fronts would work but you would generally have to hear that by yourself to be able to make that decision, you can't look at the speaker specifications through the internet alone. So having the same brand/model lineup for all the fronts would save you a lot of trouble.

For the subs, I can't speak for Yamaha or Energy. I've had a Yamaha sub before but it was the very low end of Yamaha during that generation. It had a 6.5" woofer and had a 55w RMS amp and the sound would easily distort/get muddy-sounding during some scenes.

What other subwoofer brands would you able to purchase locally?

EDIT: As for having 2 subwoofers, I am unable to comment on that but I am also considering that in the future. It would be nice if you can find some store or a friend who has a dual subwoofer setup, that way you can easily discern what the difference is with having only one subwoofer.

 

[metroboy83]

Ok it looks like i would probaby get the centres then from Para.

I just called the nearest hifi store. They stock the Para Titan monitors & CC centre.

Fronts: Paradigm Titan Monitors x2 - $1299. Stands $199
Centre: Paradigm CC-190 - $399

The owner told me its a pefect combo, and he highly recommends the Para's for both movies & music. Im pretty set on this now and they look really great too.

Ok for sub choice now. I would probably just get one sub for now because my budget has already been exceeded.

Paradigm PS-1000
http://www.paradigm.com/en/paradigm/subwoofer-ps-ps1000-model-5-10-4-4.paradigm

Polk Audio PRO 500
http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/products/subwoofers/dswpro500/

Yamaha YST-RSW300
http://www.yamahamusic.com.au/products/avit/speakers/YST-RSW300.asp

This is what i can get from my retailer. Prices between $600-$1300 which i can afford.

Remembering its a 6x5m room with the Plasma mounted on the longer wall. Purely for movie bass and definitely a big action fan So basically great bass, less distortion and good response.

Your more than welcome to add a sub choice which i can also look at. (i'll confirm avail. with retailer as they can import from US)

Thanks guys

 

[blued888]

Your more than welcome to add a sub choice which i can also look at. (i'll confirm avail. with retailer as they can import from US)

Thanks guys

Are they limited to certain brands when importing from the US or they can import you anything as long as you pay the "proper" price?

I would suggest getting either SVS (www.svsubwoofers.com), Hsu (www.hsuresearch.com), or Elemental Design (www.edesignaudio.com) if they aren't limited to specific brands.

Btw, does Australia use 110v or 220v for outlets?

 

[metroboy83]

No its just a matter of enquiring first, but they can get pretty much anything as long as its available from the wholesalers.. In terms of price, i try and haggle the unit price so it all evens out

Im going to check out those subs now. Are they within the $600-$1300 price range? US & Aus dollar are pretty similar these days anyway..

In Aus, we use 240v power outlets, but i used to be a Front Office Hotel Manager so i have the transformers needed

 

[blued888]

With a $600-$1300 budget you can either get one mid/high-end sub or two low/mid-end subs. I believe when you get something from SVS or Hsu they can make the amplifier use 220v instead of the usual 110v for the US market. I am unsure how shipping would cost from the US to Australia though.

 

[metroboy83]

Hey blue, before i research all 3, have you audtioned them yourself? just so i can get a personal opinion from you. As you know home theatre bass is what i am after. Cheers

 

[blued888]

@metroboy83

Nope, but I've ordered an eD A2-300 for myself. My order was based on internet reviews and my budget. My brother, who resides in the US, will ship it to me when it gets delivered to him (All their subwoofers are made to order). I will probably have it sometime mid or end of September.

http://www.edesignaudio.com/product_info.php?products_id=407

You can also post your subwoofer preferences (i.e. budget, usage, room size, single or dual setup, etc) in the subwoofer section of this forum. You might get more feedback from there.