which speakers?

[[B]attery]

i recently bought an Onkyo HT-R520 and now i'm looking for speakers. i was wondering which would be better from these or if i should get something else all together. i mostly listen to music. i'm looking to build a 5.1 or 6.1 system. prices are in USD.

Infinity TSS-750
$480 5.1
or
Athena AS-B1
Athena AS-C1
Sony SA-WX700
$520 5.1
or
Ventriloquist VT-12
Sony SA-WX700
$520 6.1
or my friend has offered to sell me his 4 JBL N24's and his JBL NCenterII with stands for $300

 

[Tomorrow]

i recently bought an Onkyo HT-R520 and now i'm looking for speakers. i was wondering which would be better from these or if i should get something else all together. i mostly listen to music. i'm looking to build a 5.1 or 6.1 system. prices are in USD.

Infinity TSS-750
$480 5.1
or
Athena AS-B1
Athena AS-C1
Sony SA-WX700
$520 5.1
or
Ventriloquist VT-12
Sony SA-WX700
$520 6.1
or my friend has offered to sell me his 4 JBL N24's and his JBL NCenterII with stands for $300

Go with THIS version of your Ventriloquist option. Order straight from Hsu and get the great STF-2 plus the VT-12 with free shipping and 20' sub cable. The sub will blow you away. If you ever decide to upgrade your speakers, you'll still have a fine sub to mate with them.
http://www.hsustore.com/vt-12-stf-2.html

The setups you list are decent for a small - small/midsized room, btw. Good hunting.

 

[[B]attery]

well, i can buy the Ventriloquist VT-12 for 300 bucks from hsu and i can the Sony SA-WX700 from circuit city for 220 bucks. is the STF-2 a better sub than the WX700? from what i see...

WX700 = 10" 250w response=20Hz crossover=50Hz-200Hz
STF-2 = 10" 200w response=25Hz crossover=30Hz-90Hz

and the overall system would be less with the sony. am i missing something there? the Ventriloquist VT-12 and STF-2 would cost $560.

 

[mulester7]

well, i can buy the Ventriloquist VT-12 for 300 bucks from hsu and i can the Sony SA-WX700 from circuit city for 220 bucks. is the STF-2 a better sub than the WX700? from what i see...

WX700 = 10" 250w response=20Hz crossover=50Hz-200Hz
STF-2 = 10" 200w response=25Hz crossover=30Hz-90Hz

and the overall system would be less with the sony. am i missing something there?

.....Battery, I'm going to step out on a limb here, and say HSU subs would be the way to go over any Sony sub offering....but, I'll also say I walk in profound ignorance concerning Sony subs....your ears should decide....

 

[[B]attery]

no local dealer has any HSU subs for me to hear, but i could go listen to the sony sub. i'm just looking at the specs and trying to draw a comparison. so could anyone tell me why the STF-2 is better than the SA-WX700?

 

[mulester7]

WX700 = 10" 250w response=20Hz crossover=50Hz-200Hz
STF-2 = 10" 200w response=25Hz crossover=30Hz-90Hz.

....ok, so you've got no places close to go hear an HSU....hmm.....well, Battery, looking at what you have given as specs for the two, I would say the HSU LFE'd at 80, will be right at the top of it's range of 90 and be shouting....probably best for home theater on that, but HSU has a very good rep for music too....the Sony sub, is made by a company with a deep reputation, and I would give it a listen asap and you say that is possible....it has more power, claims down to 20, and it's range is up to 200....it stands to be more sweeter sounding at 80 than shouting, and could stand to be better for music.....

.....Battery, if you can go hear the Sony, and it pleases you for home theater, I would probably go with it....then again, HSU has a very good rep for music and home theater too, so I don't know, and it will have to be your call.....

 

[mulester7]

.....some of you don't think 50 cycles is low....hey, get your system to a moderate-level sometime on music that has good bass, and turn off everything except your sub top-cut at 50....you rarely catch a pitch, and the air just shakes....you guys who think 50 ain't low need to try this....one by one, with the whole system cranking at moderate-plus, disable each of the main's regiment at the back of the receiver by taking loose it's plus wire and bending it down, leaving it hanging....kill the center speaker last, and just listen to the sub dialed in at 50....I dare ya'.....if you know where in the song you are, that will have to be accomplished with DVD picture, I assure you....on music CD, you don't have a key tonality perspectus at all, and not a clue where you are in the song....you'll gain a whole new perspective on whether 50 cycles is low....only every now and then, do you even hear any voice at 50....disable the mains and surrounds first, then the center....what?....it's set to 80 LFE and you don't want to change anything?....try it never touching the remote....leave it at 80....you're still not even close to being able to tell where you are in the song, or what key you're in, past a two or three tone tonality, very faintly........I quit.........

 

[Takeereasy]

The stats on that Sony sub are bull. Plain and simple. The stats for that HSU are more than accurate, they are conservative. Take the HSU and don't look back. They have a trial period. If you really want to have some fun take the HSU into CC and demo it next to that Sony, you'll be glad you bought the HSU sub.
I've had JBL N24's and I am totally unimpressd with them, but for $300 they are OK. Only thing is you can get them new for about the same cost without the stands. I think that the best deal you'll get in your price range is the ventriloquest set up with the STF-2. I do think that the Athenas are better speakers, but the better package is HSU.

 

[[B]attery]

finally, someone with an actual reason why the sony sub isn't as good. thank you Takeereasy.

 

[jcPanny]

HSU system

HSU STF-2 + ventriloquist = $600. I think this is your best option.
If this is not in your budget, Get the Athena Audition or Bic Venturi bookshelf speakers and a $200 sub like the Cadence X-sub.

I would consider buying any audio gear from Sony other than posibly a CD or DVD player. They are not a speaker company. In contrast, HSU and SVS specialize in subwoofers and both build a great product for the money.