PLEASE help me pick some new speakers out

[JasinS]

Ive had my HK avr-130 for a couple years now and I need to replace all of my speakers except my powered subwoofer (maybe keeping the rears also). Im kinda lost when it comes to what kind I should be looking at for this since its kinda low on the whole power thing

heres my unit im using if you arnt sure what im talking about

http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/HKAVR130.html

haha yeah I forgot to mention Im ballin on a budget

 

[JasinS]

any love for a noob?

 

[nav]

Harman Kardon tends to rate their amplifiers rather conservatively. While this isn't an end-all be-all method of comparison (more rating honesty comes up, as well as the fact that there's more in a receiver than an amplifier, power supplies can store more or less charge and will definately have differing efficiencies, et cetera), look at the wattage consumed: 540W. My Yamaha RX-V2500 claims to consume 500W and is rated at 130W x 7. But we're not going to get into the whole wattage rating debate here, I hope .

Anyway: if the speakers have a nominal impedance of six ohms or higher and a sensitivity of -- oh, say -- 89 dB you should be fine. Depending upon your standard listening volume and listening space, that sensitivity figure may be completely wrong, but it's a nice guess, anyway.

What's your price range? Do you know what lines your local dealers carry?

 

[JasinS]

Harman Kardon tends to rate their amplifiers rather conservatively. While this isn't an end-all be-all method of comparison (more rating honesty comes up, as well as the fact that there's more in a receiver than an amplifier, power supplies can store more or less charge and will definately have differing efficiencies, et cetera), look at the wattage consumed: 540W. My Yamaha RX-V2500 claims to consume 500W and is rated at 130W x 7. But we're not going to get into the whole wattage rating debate here, I hope .

Anyway: if the speakers have a nominal impedance of six ohms or higher and a sensitivity of -- oh, say -- 89 dB you should be fine. Depending upon your standard listening volume and listening space, that sensitivity figure may be completely wrong, but it's a nice guess, anyway.

What's your price range? Do you know what lines your local dealers carry?

hey thanks for the reply, I figured it was at least a little underated. Anyways, I would like to spend around 500-1000 between a center and floor speakers... I would really like rears also but Im not sure if its going to be in the budget. Also the room is avg to small, its going in a basement.

 

[billnchristy]

do you want towers/bookshelves dont care?

The Onix XL-S bookshelfs are 219 a pair
The Onix X-CS (due mid sept) is 139

That would leave you enough to do all 5.

http://www.av123.com/products_category_brand.php?section=speakers&brand=55

Here is the audioholics review of them:

http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/loudspeakers/Onixxlsp1.php

 

[alesmith]

Good recommendation, on the X-LS.

One thing that you can use to steer your decision a bit, though some people won't think it matters, is the aesthetics. The Onix are the only speakers in this price range with real wood veneers, which are essential to me. (maybe the small Axiom's are in this range, but I don't hear good things about their veneers, and I have other issues with their aesthetics).

-D

 

[JasinS]

Good recommendation, on the X-LS.

One thing that you can use to steer your decision a bit, though some people won't think it matters, is the aesthetics. The Onix are the only speakers in this price range with real wood veneers, which are essential to me. (maybe the small Axiom's are in this range, but I don't hear good things about their veneers, and I have other issues with their aesthetics).

-D

Yeah the bookshelf/tower thing doesnt really bother me, on the aesthetics side I would rather have a black/silver theme since my floor and such is going to be black once the new floor is down... Ill take a look at the speakers that you guys had mentioned

 

[JasinS]

I guess after looking that I would rather have towers just becuase im using a older bigscreen tv that has some good size to it, those little speakers may look a little odd next to my tv

 

[B5I8]

Would be nice if we knew your budget.

 

[JasinS]

hey thanks for the reply, I figured it was at least a little underated. Anyways, I would like to spend around 500-1000 between a center and floor speakers... I would really like rears also but Im not sure if its going to be in the budget. Also the room is avg to small, its going in a basement.

anything else you guys can think of?

 

[B5I8]

Here's my recommendations:

Ascend Acoustics
Monitor Audio

 

[JasinS]

Do you think it would be worth waiting a while and maybe getting a new reciever or a amp for this one? Or will the speakers you guys picked out sound good/loud without it? It will be used for 75% music and 25% movies btw

 

[JasinS]

ugh maybe i should just break down and buy a new rec, I kinda want a loud stereo in the new house

 

[wilkenboy]

ugh maybe i should just break down and buy a new rec, I kinda want a loud stereo in the new house

I would hold off here a bit. Your choice of speakers will have the most direct, immediate impact to the sound of the system outside of room acoustics. Get the speakers first, then make your receiver decision if you are still not satisfied.

First things first you need to go out with some material you are very familiar with and which will represent your typical listening pattern. Go to the local stores and get cozy, spend as much time as you can doing A/B comparisons and try and figure out the "sound" that you like (ignore price). Then come back down to earth on price and look for speakers in your range that match that magic sound as closely as possible.

For my personal tastes (neutral, plain styling) I would make the following suggestions in the $500-$1000 range:

For the $500 end, the Onix X-LS recommended before would give you 5 identically matched speakers in your L/R/C and surrounds, I nice thing for those DVD-A, SACDs. I have not personally heard them but for the price point its hard to to find other speakers which claim the same performance and have gotten such a nice review by the user community.

Leaning toward the $1000 end would put you into Ascend territory, which will give you better bass extension over the X-LSs which is nice for music. For $900 shipped you can pick up a pair of 340SEs and a 340SE Center, which would absolutely rock. For an extra $100 you can get the stands for the 340 L/R which would being them into "tower" configuration I own a pair of the 170s and the 340 center (driving with a Yamaha 2500) and I'm completely happy. At some point in the future I'll pick up another pair of 340s and move the 170s to surround duty.

A lot of folks around the forum community swear by Axiom at this price range as well, but they have a slightly different sound than the Ascends.

Hope this helps.

~Josh