Potential New Setups / In need of advice

[RoddimusPrime]

Alright, I posted this in my thread under A/V receivers, but I thought this particular post would attract more attention here.

Here is what I am looking at for potential setups:

Klipsch setup 1 (can acquire for $800):
VF-36 Floorstanders (2)
VC-25 Center Channel
VB-15 Bookshelf Speakers
Sub-12 Subwoofer

Klipsch setup 2 (can acquire for ~1100)
WF-34 Floorstanders (2)
WC-24 Center Channel
WB-14 Bookshelf Speakers
RW-10d Subwoofer
*What really increases the price are the bookshelf and center speakers (adds about $220, the other $100 difference are the floorstanders)

Polk Setup (Can acquire for $800)
Tsi 500 Floorstander x 2
CS20 Center Speaker
Tsi 200 Bookshelf Speakers x 2
PSW125 Subwoofer

For a $300 - $350 price range I can acquire the following receivers:
HK AVR 254
Denon 1909

For $400 - $450 I can acquire the following receivers:
HK AVR 354
Denon 2309
Yamaha 863

And I will probably get monster accessories for cables, etc. I already have a Monster Power Processor.

Lastly if I could find for a reasonable comparison on Audiogon or Ebay something like B&W I would consider that as well.

 

[calnbs]

Those speakers are very easy to find and audition. Best way is to listen to them and pick one you like best with music and HT. I found Klipsch good for HT but I was a little turn off for music but that just me.

I don't believe the hype of MONSTER CABLE. Don't waste your money....get your wires, hdmi, cables at www.monoprice.com and put the money you save toward a very good subwoofer. IMHO, your speaker and subwoofer will be the biggest impact to sound so spend money on them, not on wires.

 

[griffinconst]

I agree with Calnbs. Try out those speakers with music you know and a couple movies, then buy the one you like best.
You could try looking for a used B&W or Paradigm system but it will be tough at that price.
I also buy all my cables at monoprice.com. They will have everything you need at a fraction of the cost of Monster brand and that's all it really is, is a brand.

 

[RoddimusPrime]

First I can tell you after auditioning most of those speakers I don't care for Polk. It seemed too high and not enough full/rich sound.

Second, Monoprice has good prices, but does cable difference beyond gauge really matter? Such as plated, insulated, etc. I know there are some high end cables and connectors for sure.

 

[alexwakelin]

Second, Monoprice has good prices, but does cable difference beyond gauge really matter? Such as plated, insulated, etc. I know there are some high end cables and connectors for sure.

Expensive cables are mostly hype. I believe monoprice actually makes some cables for Monster. I have a monoprice subwoofer cable, I paid $5, it looks a lot like a Monster cable that you would probably pay $40 for.

 

[lsiberian]

First I can tell you after auditioning most of those speakers I don't care for Polk. It seemed too high and not enough full/rich sound.

Second, Monoprice has good prices, but does cable difference beyond gauge really matter? Such as plated, insulated, etc. I know there are some high end cables and connectors for sure.

Honestly I like neither setup. Especially for home theater. I don't think Klipsch or Polks play well with other brands.

I would much prefer and Infinity or KEF set. Personally I lean toward KEFs. They have places you can audtion. Just look em up at their site.

Accessories4less currently has a clearance of the iQ series. And there are some great deals to be had.

Kef offers a lot of flexibility because you can use some of their eggs for surrounds if WAF is important.

 

[krzywica]

I just had my buddies new EMP 7.1 system over here tonight as he got it in yesterday and doesn't have a receiver yet. He wanted to hear what the system would sound like and I was quite curious as well as those systems seem too good to be true on the Audioholics store.

http://store.audioholics.com/product/1833/66234/emp-htp-571t-7-1-speaker-system

My initial impressions are.....I WAS BLOWN AWAY!! That system sounds incredible for a system of that price and it looks even better!!

I will try and follow up with a mini review but I have been pretty busy.

Here are some pics.

 

[RoddimusPrime]

By the way JBL is also a good brand for me with my discount. But, I don't know how they stack up against Klipsch/Polk for instance.

 

[krzywica]

In my opinion the above EMP setup will sound much better than any system that you have listed above and can be had brand new for $700 shipped for a 7.1 system.

It could be paired with any of those receivers as the speakers are very efficient. However I would recommend one of the new Yamaha models. Like the RX-V 565, or 665 as they can be had for the same or less than the top end of your receiver budget.

All 3 of the companies you have listed above will have similar quality, you will have to listen for yourself to make that decision.

 

[calnbs]

IMHO Polk won't shine until their LSi series and if I was buying Polk...that would be the model I would get.

JBL are also very well respected in the audio world. Their speakers range from low budget to high end. My uncle had a few older JBL speakers and I thought they sound very nice....I don't know the model though. From my research, JBL Studio L series received great reviews.

 

[RoddimusPrime]

Alright..... well I went to Magnolia Home Theater today and I listed to Vienna, Definitive, Klipsch, and a little bit of Martin Logan.

I can tell you Martins sound good, but I didn't listen to them enough. The Definitive Tech. Speakers were the best I listened to while Klipsch took 2nd place. Vienna was alright, but was too soft and not full enough for my liking.

For Klipsch I am looking at the WF-35 speakers. And the WC-24 Central. Rears aren't as important, but the WB-14 or WS-24's are what is usually paired with it. I would buy a Klipsch Sub 12 or RW10d sub. My report on the WF-35's are that they sound amazing, but sometime a bit high or bright on some notes, but I like how rich and loud they are. They are also sexy looking

For the Definitves I would say they sound even better, but that is because they are more neutral and have a wider range. In specific I was listening to the BP7002BLA models. They just sound better. I was playing Muse between them as well as classical music and I think I could hear more distinguished highs and lows and it wasn't as bright as the Klipsch though I don't think the Klipsch were too bright by any means. The center was a CLR2300BLA and it sounded decent, but the 2 floorstanders were the difference between the two brands. The two rears for the Definitives didn't seem to make too much of a difference. I don't even know which model is better, but the 2 they offer are the SM350BLA and the BP1XBLA.

Either system was running through a Denon 2309 which it or the 1909 are the models I am strongly considering.

Previous to today I have never heard a Definitive Technology speaker, but I was impressed. I wish I could have heard their Mythos speakers with a better quality as it had fuzz in the sound and the other setup wasn't even working. The only other brand I have not heavily looked into is Martin Logan. If I got anything it would be PREFACECH, but the center and sides are very expensive. Although I haven't looked at Paradigms they are probably out of my range unless I can spend roughly half the retail price acquiring them.

Thoughts?

 

[jostenmeat]

The only other brand I have not heavily looked into is Martin Logan. If I got anything it would be PREFACECH with some other brand for center and rear speakers. Although I haven't looked at Paradigms they are probably out of my range unless I can spend roughly half the retail price acquiring them.

Thoughts?

Do not mismatch brand with the center speaker. The best matching horizontal speaker for the Preface is the Fresco-i, but it's pricey.

Are you wall mounting your display? I talked one fellow who was going with these speakers into getting three of them, one as a vertical center speaker. The identical speaker is by far the best choice for center speaker, it will be the best acoustical match, vertically arrayed drivers are best, you will not suffer lobing effects from a horiz mtm, and all the drivers are on the same plane for best panning. If you can, it's a complete no-brainer IMO except for the possibility of having to mount display too high. Otherwise, you can save by not getting some huge credenza, and instead get an affordable rack with a much smaller footprint. Place it anywhere, hidden if you want. Even super long Monoprice HDMI cables are super affordable, and a $80 URC remote system lets you command it all, even as hidden.

What is nice here is that ML sells these individually. Many B&M brands do not. You would find better luck with getting an individual speaker from an ID brand in general. Something to chew on.

 

[RoddimusPrime]

Well, it is quite pricey, but I will look into that option.... again, pricey for that ML center speaker.......

by the way a suggestion for a rack with a link would be cool... haven't even considered that yet.

 

[jostenmeat]

Well, it is quite pricey, but I will look into that option.... again, pricey for that ML center speaker.......

True. Just to beat the dead horse, using a Preface for center speaker will perform better than the horizontal Fresco-i, give you more extension, more power handling, better horiz dispersion, the best possible acoustic match . . . and save you $250 in the meanwhile.

by the way a suggestion for a rack with a link would be cool... haven't even considered that yet.

Sure. These are what I use, from the stores I bought them from.

modular rack, $199 shipped

URC RFS200 PowerPak Bundle w/ MasterControl RF20 and PowerBlaster, $82 shipped

Monoprice HDMI of choice, roughly $50 for length anywhere from 25 to 50 ft. I've used 15, 25, and 35 ft very successfully.

The above totals to about $230, all shipped, and you no longer have distracting lights up front. You could have a very clean looking install. The large credenza or numerous components would no longer ruin your imaging. You wouldn't worry about unwanted furniture resonances or diffractions. The best part is this route will most likely cost you less, and not more, believe it or not.

 

[RoddimusPrime]

I like the response you gave me..... thanks.......

but, on a last note wouldn't a third floor speaker be kind of odd in the middle,... and wouldn't it also raise the TV height from where it should be? I wish there was some calculator for TV height from a sitting position.

 

[jostenmeat]

I like the response you gave me..... thanks.......

Welcome.

but, on a last note wouldn't a third floor speaker be kind of odd in the middle,... and wouldn't it also raise the TV height from where it should be? I wish there was some calculator for TV height from a sitting position.

I think three towers look super clean. If you search hard enough you can find photos, even in a member system here. I talked a different AHer into doing the same, but he never posted a photo of the upgrade. He did say that I was right in that it was an enormous improvement. Both of the above are using a large screen with front projector.

It will depend on your own preference. Some would say eyes at 1/3 from bottom of display, and others would say directly at center. However, I think the real thing to measure is angle. (Ya know, even if my eyes were at bottom of screen, if I sat 20 ft away, then the angle is not very great).

So, maybe you should share with us the size of display, the height of your eyes, and the distance between eyes and display. You might consider doing some sort of mock up, maybe something pinned/taped to the wall, cut to size, to get a real world idea. HTH.

 

[RoddimusPrime]

I couldn't find a picture with a floorstander as a central speaker... do you have a link? thanks

 

[RoddimusPrime]

Anyone ever use a floorstander as a central?

I have considered it, but it would to look right.

 

[pvsat]

Alright, I posted this in my thread under A/V receivers, but I thought this particular post would attract more attention here.

Here is what I am looking at for potential setups:

Klipsch setup 1 (can acquire for $800):
VF-36 Floorstanders (2)
VC-25 Center Channel
VB-15 Bookshelf Speakers
Sub-12 Subwoofer

Klipsch setup 2 (can acquire for ~1100)
WF-34 Floorstanders (2)
WC-24 Center Channel
WB-14 Bookshelf Speakers
RW-10d Subwoofer
*What really increases the price are the bookshelf and center speakers (adds about $220, the other $100 difference are the floorstanders)

Polk Setup (Can acquire for $800)
Tsi 500 Floorstander x 2
CS20 Center Speaker
Tsi 200 Bookshelf Speakers x 2
PSW125 Subwoofer

For a $300 - $350 price range I can acquire the following receivers:
HK AVR 254
Denon 1909

For $400 - $450 I can acquire the following receivers:
HK AVR 354
Denon 2309
Yamaha 863

And I will probably get monster accessories for cables, etc. I already have a Monster Power Processor.

Lastly if I could find for a reasonable comparison on Audiogon or Ebay something like B&W I would consider that as well.

Roddimus..... this is a feedback on the polk set you had mentioned.

i have owned Polks for the last five years and recently upgraded my system to the POLK TSI 500. they are actually huge compared to the other speakers and have very good mids and highs. I am using them with a CS20 center and a HSU STF2 subwoofer and they blend amazingly well to give a huge front sound stage in my 12*20 room. Right now i am using a Pioneer recevier which provides around 70 true watts to each channel and it gets pretty loud at reference level. I am planning to step up to a HK AVR 354 and emotiva amp as i have heard good reviews on that.

They polks also shine when it comes to music. I have heard klipsch but preferred the tweeters on the polk....again no offense to people who dint like polks...but what you drive your speakers with makes a big difference...I am a bassist/drummer and for my ears the polks produce everything perfectly and I guess thats what counts.

system

Polk TSI500*2
Polk CS20
HSU STF2 subwoofer