Svs Sbc/scs-01 Vs Emp Htp-351t?

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Which system is better, SVS SBC/SCS-01 ($999) or EMP HTP-351T ($689 Audioholics store current special). I know the SVS system is a good deal and kind of the sound leader at its price point. The EMP price looks really good and I was thinking about recommending this system to my brother, who hasn't bought audiio equipment since the 70's. He would also need a low cost 5.1 receiver to go with it. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

 

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These are 5.1 systems. No body knows about EMP speakers so no response?

 

[gene]

It's really an apples to orange comparison. The EMP's retail for over double the price and include tower speakers for the fronts. You should verify that your brother can accomodate a tower speaker system before making that judgement, else look at the HTB-351 system which is currently at a ridiculous $489 special for the whole system.

We have several reviews of these systems which were originally branded under RBH Sound:

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/floorstanding/rbh-sound-tk-5ct

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/bookshelf/tk-5c

The only differences between the EMP and RBH versions are price and cosmetics.

 

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Thanks Gene. I have been looking over those references which got me interested from the start. It almost looks like one of those deals that are too good to be true, but I know audioholics is a good place to buy from. What would be a good low cost amplifier to drive them? I am thinking something about the $400 price range might work.

 

[gene]

Thanks Gene. I have been looking over those references which got me interested from the start. It almost looks like one of those deals that are too good to be true, but I know audioholics is a good place to buy from. What would be a good low cost amplifier to drive them? I am thinking something about the $400 price range might work.

I'ts actually a stupidly brilliant deal. Its stupid b/c your getting these speakers at a loss to the manufacturer. It's brilliant b/c its a marketing tactic for them to get market penetration without having to launch a massive ad campaign. This deal ends at the end of the month.

For receivers, I'd suggest either a Denon AVR-1709, Yamaha RX-V663 or one of the Onkyo's with Audyssey such as a 606 model for $499.

 

[Holland Hacker]

I'ts actually a stupidly brilliant deal. Its stupid b/c your getting these speakers at a loss to the manufacturer. It's brilliant b/c its a marketing tactic for them to get market penetration without having to launch a massive ad campaign. This deal ends at the end of the month.

For receivers, I'd suggest either a Denon AVR-1709, Yamaha RX-V663 or one of the Onkyo's with Audyssey such as a 606 model for $499.

Boy am I glad you made that recommendation!! Just confirms that what I ordered this afternoon was a solid choice. I ordered both the EMP HTP 351T speakers and a Yamaha RX-V663 from Audioholics.

 

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Will an EMP HTP 351 5.1 setup with one of the recommended receivers work well enough in a large room, say 5000 to 8000 cubic feet. I would guess the subwoofer would be up front near built-in cabinetry. The seating position would be about 15 feet from the front and 10 feet from the rears. The rest of the room is an open layout plan going into hallways, a kitchen and a dinning room. It also has high vaulted ceilings about 20 foot at the peak. I know a large subwoofer(s) would be ideal, but would the EMP subwoofer be good enough to be heard well at the seating position? I think it goes down to 30Hz so I wouldn't be expecting room shaking bass, but a good balance for music (10% use) and home theater (90% usage). Would the other speakers go loud enough too without distortion getting bad?

 

[bandphan]

id recommend a sub upgarde. When I heard the EMP sub it was lacking and that was in a small room. With a solid sub the system should have plenty of dynamics

 

[Tulsajj]

I was considering this purchase as well. So how does the SVS SBC 5.1 system compare to the EMP 351T? Which system is better for music, which System is better for home theater? I would think the SVS would be better for home theater due to the dominating sub, but the EMP has 3 subs (1 in each tower, then seperate powered sub).

What is the difference between 351T and 551T?

If you had $1200.00 for speakers, where would you put your money?

Thanks for you help!

 

[gene]

Will an EMP HTP 351 5.1 setup with one of the recommended receivers work well enough in a large room, say 5000 to 8000 cubic feet. I would guess the subwoofer would be up front near built-in cabinetry. The seating position would be about 15 feet from the front and 10 feet from the rears. The rest of the room is an open layout plan going into hallways, a kitchen and a dinning room. It also has high vaulted ceilings about 20 foot at the peak. I know a large subwoofer(s) would be ideal, but would the EMP subwoofer be good enough to be heard well at the seating position? I think it goes down to 30Hz so I wouldn't be expecting room shaking bass, but a good balance for music (10% use) and home theater (90% usage). Would the other speakers go loud enough too without distortion getting bad?

That's a pretty big room and the open layout is a problem for bass. You need at least 2 subs to better cope with this. The EMP system is more catered towards music than movies. You may want to instead consider a high efficient system from the likes of Klipsch. The audio fidelity won't be as good IMO, but the WOW factor for movies will likely be better especially since you are running with a fairly low powered receiver.

id recommend a sub upgarde. When I heard the EMP sub it was lacking and that was in a small room. With a solid sub the system should have plenty of dynamics

Agreed but something wasn't setup properly in that room. I have heard that sub in a different room and it was a totally different experience for me. Its actually quite a good sub for the price and size.

 

[Tulsajj]

Bump

Has anyone listen to the SVS vs. EMP? It seems a little strange that audioholics is the only website that has any reviews on EMP. I search and I couldn't find anything else...

 

[gene]

Has anyone listen to the SVS vs. EMP? It seems a little strange that audioholics is the only website that has any reviews on EMP. I search and I couldn't find anything else...

its not "strange" as much of it being a relatively new brand with limited distribution.

there are other reviews:
http://hometheater.about.com/od/loudspeakerreviews/gr/empreviewshor.htm

and on other sites like Ultimate AV:
http://www.ultimateavmag.com/speakersystems/808emp/

there are also others if you do some google searching....


Honestly, given your skepticism, I'd recommend going with the SVS system. You will likely be very happy with that system and its well covered in the press. Never purchase something you don't feel confident about!

 

[Tex-amp]

Which system is better, SVS SBC/SCS-01 ($999) or EMP HTP-351T ($689 Audioholics store current special). I know the SVS system is a good deal and kind of the sound leader at its price point

I'd also look at Ascend Acoustics at that price point.

 

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My brother has looked at the speaker packages and doesn’t have a place for tower speakers. The EMP HTP-351 5.1 for $1319 marked down to $489 will work for him. (It has book shelf speakers for the front left and right.) He is looking at the $499 Onkyo 606 receiver from Amazon for $339. The system total is $828 shipped. I suspect there is nothing else this good in this price range? (The Ascend Acoustics look like they run more money.) He is not an audio enthusiast so a relative lack of deep bass would not be a problem for this initial starter system. He could always add a more powerful sub later on. I think this system would be a lot better than equipment he could buy at a retail store for the same money (for example the dreaded Bose). He wants something decent but doesn’t place a high value on audio equipment so this price range works really well.

I know these speakers are better suited for a small or medium room and his is large (5000-8000 cu ft). Will the regular speakers support a volume level high enough that dialog can be heard 15 feet away at conversation level without the regular speakers being overdriven to distortion level by sound effects? (He could always turn the sub down if it distorts.) He is 54 so he will not be cranking music up to 105 dB or anything like that. Lack of low bass in a large room seems a reasonable tradeoff for the low price, if the regular speakers will play loud enough.

 

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Pulled the trigger!

My brother bought the EMP HTP-351 5.1 speaker set for $489, the Onkyo 606 receiver for $339 and some monopirce.com cables for about $30 yesterday (12-17-08). The system cost totals out to about $858, which I think is a great deal for what it is. He should receive everything in 2 to 4 days, or a little before Christmas if all goes well. He says thanks to gene and bandphan and he put a lot of faith on your observations and recommendations, plus my 2 cents.

I will be visiting my brother over the holidays, so maybe I will get to hear the system and report back. If this package works well enough like I expect, then a subwoofer properly sized to a large room may be in the future sometime.

Best wishes and happy holidays to all!

 

[gene]

My brother bought the EMP HTP-351 5.1 speaker set for $489, the Onkyo 606receiver for $339 and some monopirce.com cables for about $30 yesterday (12-17-08). The system cost totals out to about $858, which I think is a great deal for what it is. He should receive everything in 2 to 4 days, or a little before Christmas if all goes well. He says thanks to gene and bandphan and he put a lot of faith on your observations and recommendations, plus my 2 cents.

I will be visiting my brother over the holidays, so maybe I will get to hear the system and report back. If this package works well enough like I expect, then a subwoofer properly sized to a large room may be in the future sometime.

Best wishes and happy holidays to all!

Wow at those prices, that system beats our $3500 Recommended Systems Guide.

I wish it would stay at those prices all year round

Good luck with the setup and I hope he likes it.

 

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As of Thursday (12/18/08) all system components were shipped (i.e. by next day after order). This is great response time by the Audioholics store, Amazon.com and Monoprice.com. If the shipping companies are equally fast, the timing should work out well for the holidays. I should be able to help my brother with anything he does not know by the time he gets the system set up and I get to his town (providing I know the information). I am going to pursuade him to join the Audioholics forum so he can get good answers to any of his questions and join in the fun and participation.

 

[fredk]

The bargain hunter in me is jelous. It sounds like your brother got a heck of a deal!

Tell your brother for all the money folks here saved him, he owes us pictures and a review!

 

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The bargain hunter in me is jelous. It sounds like your brother got a heck of a deal!

Tell your brother for all the money folks here saved him, he owes us pictures and a review!

I have been trying to spread the word in the forums about this EMP deal, but I don't know if many people jumped on it. By the time everyone reports back on how it sounds, the deal will probably be over. I saw it and immediately tried to think of who I knew who would would appreciate a system like this at this low price. If you have any good friends or relatives who would appreciate a system like this, and you would like to see them get a good break, you might want to make a few recommendations yourselves.

As for reporting back, I will try to do that as my brother isn't current on audio nor does he follow the forums, but he does appreciate good sound. Except for my subwoofer, I expect that this system will sound as good or better than mine at 1/3 the cost.

 

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Dec 23, 2008: Everything is reported to be on local trucks for delivery today. My brother is going to wrap everything up and give it to the family for Christmas. It looks like I will be helping to set everything up Saturday.