Starter setup

[motoxpress]

I am looking to get a setup for my family room that will serve 50% movies/ 50% music. I have a budget of around $300-500 for speakers to go with a HK receiver and an HTPC. What would you recommend?

Many years ago, I had a system with a set of JBL towers I really liked but, for my budget, I don't think I could get towers that served music and movies well.

-mx

 

[Davemcc]

Are you dead set on going 5.1 or 7.1 right away? A full setup like that for $3-500 may have to sacrifice sound quality for the price point. If you spend that money on two main speakers, you could have a much higher quality sound for music, then add speakers later to complete the full theater system over time. This budget should get you a pair of towers that will be good for music and movies.

 

[John Bailey]

I think Davemcc has given you good advice. Keep in mind, I'm a 90%/10% music/movie guy. You can find some very good speakers in that price range if you stay with stereo for the time being, even towers. Some, me included, prefer the sound of stereo, even for movies. Later, after saving, you can add to your array of speakers.

John

 

[3db]

Listen to Davemcc on this. Three hundred clams for a complete 5.1 speaker system will only get you crap. Start off with two good front speakers and build it from there once you've managed to save again.

If you can double your budget now and want the whole 5.1 package now, take a look at this;

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/satellite/energy-take-classic-review

 

[motoxpress]

Absolutely. I am totally fine in starting with a stereo setup. I had thought that I would possibly consider a set of towers and a center channel just to have the dialog in movies be more clear. Is that reasonable? I am mostly concerned at having an upgrade path. If I get the towers now, can I add to them to expand it to 2.1, 5.1 or 7.1?

-mx

 

[rufas2000]

Absolutely but I would suggest planning out your upgrade path before buying your front speakers if possible, in essence figure out which center and rear speakers you want to get also. The sound will be more uniform (i.e. better) if all the speakers are from the same series. They do not necessarily have to be the same size though. I'm sure others more knowledgeable than me will chime in with their thoughts.

 

[3db]

Absolutely. I am totally fine in starting with a stereo setup. I had thought that I would possibly consider a set of towers and a center channel just to have the dialog in movies be more clear. Is that reasonable? I am mostly concerned at having an upgrade path. If I get the towers now, can I add to them to expand it to 2.1, 5.1 or 7.1?

-mx

Thats correct. Start off with towers or bookshelves and use them as your mains. If the towers or bookshleves image really well and produce a good center channel effect, than I would save up for the sub next (which is generally going to be your most costly purchase out of all the speakers) , surrounds and then center channel. The only danger about this route is that the model may change ( new improved version of an exisiting model) between your exisiting mains and the center channel and you may not get exact timbre matching. I was caught in the manufacturer model upgrade but luckily for me, the timbre matched between my exisitng center and upgraded towers. ( I was in the middle of replacing my entire Technics speakers with PSB).

 

[motoxpress]

Cool. So, what do you recommend for towers in this range? I have heard a lot about BIC but, they seem geared for HT more than music. Any others?

-mx

 

[3db]

Cool. So, what do you recommend for towers in this range? I have heard a lot about BIC but, they seem geared for HT more than music. Any others?

-mx

If you plan on using your systemm for music, make sure you get speakers that do well with music as thats more diffiuclt to do than HT. I can't comment on the BICs as I;ve never heard them.

I'll refer you to Mazer as he's way better dialed into whats going on the web sales in the US than myself here in Canada.

I know PSB and Axiom make tower speakers in your price range, with Axiom being an internet direct company. I think too that I saw that PSB had an authorized web site as well but I'm not sure.

 

[jcPanny]

AV123 floorstanders

AV123 has some very reasonaly priced floorstanders, the X-sls and X-mtm. There are also getting reading to upgrade the x-series line so look for deals on the b-stock and forum pages of their site.

 

[mojo_13]

Also fry's has the polk rti8's for $300 a pair and you could get a csi3 for $150 and have a pretty nice LCR setup. If you really wanted to do 5.1 right now you could get the r50's and a set of r150's from frys along with a CSR center and get a velodyne vx-10 or a bic H-100 for your sub. I would probably stick with fronts and a center first and upgrade tho.

 

[motoxpress]

What about the Polk Audio RTI10? JR has them for $250 ea. How do they compare to some of the mentioned speakers?

-mx

 

[motoxpress]

Are the RTi10s a big step up from the 8s? The Frys deal is better in terms of price and shipping.

-mx

 

[mazersteven]

AV123 has some very reasonaly priced floorstanders, the X-sls and X-mtm. There are also getting reading to upgrade the x-series line so look for deals on the b-stock and forum pages of their site.

They already have up-graded the x series. It's called the x-Encore series. The x-mtm's are sold out. So are the x-sls towers and x-ls bookshelf speakers. Only ones left are the x-cs bookshelf speakers.

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

If the mtm Encores sound as good if not better then the original x-mtm's, with the up-graded crossover, and tweeter. Then this speaker should sound awesome.

 

[mazersteven]

What type of music do you listen to? What size room? How far from speakers will you be sitting?

 

[motoxpress]

Good questions. The room is a 12 x 12ft sunken family room with an opening on one end into an eating area. The distance from speakers to couch is 8-9 ft.

Type of music is mostly classical, jazz, soundtrack-type with a little variety mixed in (I have a teenager now ). Of course, it will also be used for HT.

-mx

 

[motoxpress]

I should mention that we are coming from a sad AIWA bookshelf system so, almost anything I get at this point will sound like angels singing.

-mx

 

[mazersteven]

How are you going to power these speakers?

 

[motoxpress]

I am looking at the Yamaha V661 actually. I wanted to get an AVR with a balance of features and good sound quality and this seems to meet those objectives. I realize it will be overkill for my initial setup but, I plan to grow it into a 7.1 setup.

-mx

 

[mojo_13]

So are you looking at just getting a LR set of speakers now with the $500?