Speaker upgrade

[DigitalD]

Hello everyone, I am looking to upgrade my current Polk Tl250 5.1 set up as well as my Infinity PS38 subwoofer. Note that I recently purchased 2 SVS prime elevations for front height channels as I really want Dolby Atmos / DTS X. Current receiver is a Denon X4400h. I plan on spending around $4-5 k on the speakers/sub but not all at once. I’d also like to purchase an amp down the line which will not be a part of the budget mentioned above. I’d like to upgrade small sections at a time. Any idea what I should upgrade first? The Sub? The Front channels? An Amp? Can I use my surrounds if I upgrade the fronts or will this sound horrible/unmatched timbre?
Any speaker recommendations? SVS Ultra Towers? Revel Concerta2s?

 

[snakeeyes]

Are ceiling speakers not an option in your room?

What are the dimensions of the room?

A sub from HSU Research would be where I would start. They are a bit less than SVS or Rythmik.

 

[shadyJ]

I would look at upgrading your front stage three- the front left, front right, and center speaker, and after that, upgrade the subwoofer. Revel Concerto2 and SVS Ultra are both solid choices. Paradigm Premiers are very good as well. RBH Impression Elite speakers are good. KEF Q series is worth looking into. Philharmonic Audio and Ascend Acoustics might have something that will work for you too.

 

[ryanosaur]

You'll get more bang from upgrading your Front 3 first... match them up and you're solid. Beyond that, don't skimp on a good quality Sub! After you upgrade your Front 3, get the best single sub you can, then save and buy a second one later... Or just buy them both at the same time. I <3 my Outlaw X-13s!
But seriously, Shady's suggestions are solid. Also, if they are available near you, I really liked my experience with Monitor Audio Silver Series. But I ordered Philharmonic.
SVS is nice in that they match up between Prime and Ultra lines. So you could do Ulras up front and primes everywhere else.

 

[snakeeyes]

You'll get more bang from upgrading your Front 3 first... match them up and you're solid. Beyond that, don't skimp on a good quality Sub! After you upgrade your Front 3, get the best single sub you can, then save and buy a second one later... Or just buy them both at the same time. I <3 my Outlaw X-13s!
But seriously, Shady's suggestions are solid. Also, if they are available near you, I really liked my experience with Monitor Audio Silver Series. But I ordered Philharmonic.
SVS is nice in that they match up between Prime and Ultra lines. So you could do Ulras up front and primes everywhere else.

Assuming this isn’t a condo and home theater is the goal, I would recommend purchasing the sub or subs before demoing new speakers in your home since bass management is needed for every speaker anyhow, but yes the 3.1 or 3.2 is the core of any surround system and that is where money should be spent first.

 

[ryanosaur]

Both Snake and Shady are right. Just do it all now! But then again, I saved up to get all my speakers at once.

If your overall sound experience is lacking, new speakers up front, first. If you are happy with your overall sound now, but feel it needs more... gravitas... consider the sub first. If your budget allows, get your front 3 plus the single best sub for your needs, and then buy a second later.

 

[DigitalD]

I would look at upgrading your front stage three- the front left, front right, and center speaker, and after that, upgrade the subwoofer. Revel Concerto2 and SVS Ultra are both solid choices. Paradigm Premiers are very good as well. RBH Impression Elite speakers are good. KEF Q series is worth looking into. Philharmonic Audio and Ascend Acoustics might have something that will work for you too.

Thanks for the input. The problem is that I don’t have a local store to preview any of these speakers myself.... I’m basically going in blind based on reviews. So far the SVS seem to have a good return policy which may work for me.

 

[DigitalD]

Are ceiling speakers not an option in your room?

What are the dimensions of the room?

A sub from HSU Research would be where I would start. They are a bit less than SVS or Rythmik.

I have vaulted ceilings so this is not an option for me. The angles would be off for the front/rear ceiling speakers... plus I hear speakers typically sound better in a box/enclosure. I don’t have a dedicated room but a typical living room which opens up to my kitchen... I don’t recall the cubed footage but I’d say 18x22x16 if I had to guess.

 

[DigitalD]

You'll get more bang from upgrading your Front 3 first... match them up and you're solid. Beyond that, don't skimp on a good quality Sub! After you upgrade your Front 3, get the best single sub you can, then save and buy a second one later... Or just buy them both at the same time. I <3 my Outlaw X-13s!
But seriously, Shady's suggestions are solid. Also, if they are available near you, I really liked my experience with Monitor Audio Silver Series. But I ordered Philharmonic.
SVS is nice in that they match up between Prime and Ultra lines. So you could do Ulras up front and primes everywhere else.

I will have to look into the Outlaws! I’d probably have to go with a great sealed sub to save space. Spouse factor

 

[ryanosaur]

I have vaulted ceilings so this is not an option for me

There are some good adapters for cathedral cielings if you decide you ever want to hang speakers for Atmos.

So far the SVS seem to have a good return policy which may work for me.

Yep. 45 days in home. might be just the ticket. At least, if you find they aren't right for you, they are used as comparisons quite frequently in reviews... so if you start reading a bunch of speaker reviews, you might come across a way forward. But many people are happy with them!

 

[ryanosaur]

I will have to look into the Outlaws! I’d probably have to go with a great sealed sub to save space. Spouse factor

The X-13s can make nice end tables! Averaging out your ceiling height, you're probably 4500-5000'3. 2 SB3000 from SVS, placed near field might just do the trick. But I guarantee... if you ask around, you'll want to start looking bigger. Check out the Rythmik EP15HP. Buy one early on, and another down the road. Also, for the price, the Hsu UHP15s... a small swarm of those in that space would work. But there are a lot of variables still. Read some reviews, and check out the Bassaholic article here as you research what might be right for you!

 

[DigitalD]

Thanks everyone!