|
jet_dee posted:Yes, we're drilling the holes for the plates and fitting them up tomorrow. I will see how far I can move the TV to the left without hitting the door, which opens towards the TV. Unfortunately the speaker wire can't be pulled, and I wonder if it will snap if I try pulling it too hard (then I'd be hosed because we'd have to go buy more speaker wire!). I meant just mount the wall plate where you can, and just use a longer wire from the wall plate to the speaker. Unless you don't want visible wires.
|
#
?
Oct 7, 2011 21:40
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 17, 2024 06:39 |
|
|
jonathan posted:I meant just mount the wall plate where you can, and just use a longer wire from the wall plate to the speaker. Unless you don't want visible wires. Ah I see. I'd be fine with giant floorstanding speakers (mmm, B&W 800 Series...) but unfortunately this is my mum's house, and her home cinema, so what she wants, she gets. No visible wires...
|
|
#
?
Oct 7, 2011 21:48
|
|
|
Wow, I didn't realize all these home theater in a box setups would be so useless as far as inputs go. 1 HDMI input, yes, because no one has ever owned a video game console. Suggestions for a <$600, 4 (or more) HDMI input, home theater in a box?
|
|
#
?
Oct 7, 2011 23:14
|
|
|
You could just get something like this for a lot cheaper if you want to keep the current 5.1 system: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011001&p_id=8202&seq=1&format=1
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2011 00:22
|
|
|
I went out and listened to some speaker choices! a.) The Pioneer fronts that were recommend in the thread sounded muddy/low to me. I didn't like the sound. b.) I listened to the following kilpsch RF82II, RF62II, and WF-35, VF-35, KF-28, KF-26. Sounded okay, the highs were nice. c.) Polk RTi A5, RTi A7, TSi400. I really liked the mid-range sound on the RTi A7 d.) Paradigm Monitor 7, 9. These are really nice sounding me, the Monitor 9's are very nice. 1.) I like the two bass speakers on the floor speakers, just more full bass sound. Is there any other options I should look at for those? Would I even need a sub with this setup? 2.) How much better sounding are the paradigm studio 100 compared to the signature and monitor lines? 3.) I'll mostly being using 5.1 setup for movies. Very little music listening. Is it worth getting into studio 100 price range? 4.) What center speakers would match up with the Paradigm monitor 7,9 and Studio 100? 5.) I see that new versions of the paradigm speakers are released, is there a huge jump in quality between all the different versions? 6.) For surround/rear is bi-directional better? Or are regular bookshelves just as good? 7.) How do Marantz receivers compare to the Pioneer, Denon? Better quality or really just paying for the brand name? 8.) I was price quoted on monitor 9 pair for $1200, I believe their this years line? Is that to high? I should of just bought the Pioneer 5.1 system suggested without listening to anything. I would have never known how anything sounds and been happy with it!
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2011 20:44
|
|
|
SmutAnEggs posted:1.) I like the two bass speakers on the floor speakers, just more full bass sound. Is there any other options I should look at for those? Would I even need a sub with this setup? Yes, for any serious movie watching, you will want a sub. I also advocate sub use for two channel listening. With a decent sub properly integrated, you may be perfectly happy with some of the smaller speakers as opposed to the towers. SmutAnEggs posted:2.) How much better sounding are the paradigm studio 100 compared to the signature and monitor lines? The line goes Monitor-SE-Studio-Sig. Often as new components are introduced at the top, Paradigm then bumps the older part down one line. I think each level is a step up, but each person will have a different value/price perspective, so best to have a listen for yourself if you can. SmutAnEggs posted:3.) I'll mostly being using 5.1 setup for movies. Very little music listening. Is it worth getting into studio 100 price range? The studio line will represent a sizeable increase in price if you choose to use them in all channels. Optionally you might go with a Studio or SE front line up, and fill in the other spots with cheaper models such as the monitor line. SmutAnEggs posted:4.) What center speakers would match up with the Paradigm monitor 7,9 and Studio 100? Center 1 to match the Monitor 7/9, Center 3 to match the Monitor 11, Studio CC-690 for the Studio 100 SmutAnEggs posted:5.) I see that new versions of the paradigm speakers are released, is there a huge jump in quality between all the different versions? Usually incremental increases, see #2 SmutAnEggs posted:6.) For surround/rear is bi-directional better? Or are regular bookshelves just as good? It would depend on the room and your personal choice. SmutAnEggs posted:7.) How do Marantz receivers compare to the Pioneer, Denon? Better quality or really just paying for the brand name? All three are quality brands, one difference is that Marantz and Denon use the Audyssey room correction system, whereas Pioneer uses their own proprietary version. SmutAnEggs posted:8.) I was price quoted on monitor 9 pair for $1200, I believe their this years line? Is that to high? That seems a little high, don't be afraid to ask for a discount, quite often Paradigm dealers will move on the price for you. You shouldn't pay full msrp. By the sounds of it, you are the perfect candidate for the Paradigm SE line, they take the tweeter from the Studio line, add it to select Monitor line models, and give them the real wood veneer. If you like Paradigm, you may also like PSB, another great Canadian speaker maker. A cheaper option you may like is the Infinity Primus line. On sale at Audioholics atm. For your sub, you don't have to feel locked into matching your mains, often you will find a better sub for the money from a different manufacturer. Internet direct dealers have some great subs; Hsu, SVS, Elemental, Rythmik, etc.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2011 06:32
|
|
|
Just bit the bullet on an Onkyo TX-NR509, 2 Polk Monitor50 II speakers, and a Polk CS1 II center channel. And a new TV stand. And speaker wire. Thanks a lot for emptying my wallet, goons. I'll let you guys know how it sounds once it arrives (hooray abusing student prime!).
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2011 04:36
|
|
|
Laminator posted:Onkyo TX-NR509 I just got that receiver too, and I'm loving it! I'm using it with my cable box, xBox 360, DVD player and even to play music from my main PC. On that note, I do have a question from a first-time home-audio owner. How the hell do I know what "audio mode" I want to use? I've been docking around with them, but I'm most of the time leaving it on the one that sounds the fanciest  , like "dolby pro logic II"... and something tells me that this is not the best approach.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2011 16:09
|
|
|
Alfajor posted:I just got that receiver too, and I'm loving it! I'm using it with my cable box, xBox 360, DVD player and even to play music from my main PC. My Yamaha receiver comes with a large number of DSP (Digital Sound Processing) modes, such as "Spectacle" and "Munich Music Hall"  I then discovered that I could turn the DSP off and have my receiver output, unprocessed, the Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks that are included on my Blu-rays. To me it's just a gimmick, but other people might find they improve the listening experience. Have a flick through each of them to learn what they do. Different modes work better for different types of programs, such as sitcoms, films, news, etc.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2011 16:15
|
|
|
Alfajor posted:I just got that receiver too, and I'm loving it! I'm using it with my cable box, xBox 360, DVD player and even to play music from my main PC. Here is what I do: If i'm listening to a surround sound source, I just leave the receiver on the "auto" mode. It will sense a surround signal and just use that. Adding extra processing to surround sources like a dvd or blu-ray doesn't do much for the content and may hurt it. If it's a stereo source coming in, such as a cd, mp3, or plenty of older movie rips or anything from netflix/youtube etc, I will use either Dolby Music, or Dolby Movie or sometimes just leave it in auto (stereo). For music, Dolby music adds a bit of "echo" to the rear speakers, and pumps vocals through the center channel. It most cases it makes the music fill the room better, and makes the sound stage more accurate. Same with Dolby Movie, which decodes the prologic bits hidden in the stereo track, as well as pumps the dialogue through the center channel. Both of these work well, but not always perfect. All the other ones are kind of filler and rarely sound better. There is also the equivalent DTS Music and DTS Movie modes on my pioneer. They sound just like the dolby ones.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2011 19:16
|
|
|
Alright, good to know, thanks guys. I mainly wondered this as I played RockBand on my xBox and I didn't know if the sound was coming in multi-channel format from the game, or if the receiver was doing the processing. I'll keep dicking around until I find what I like, but it helps to know what other people do and think.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2011 16:28
|
|
|
I need a good Center channel speaker that can fit into a 12.75 inch wide opening (height can be 5.5"+). I'd like to spend less than $150. To be paired with Polk Monitor 60 fronts. Any recommendations? But I'm open to anything, I just need to fit the size and all the generally recommended centers are large. Stark fucked around with this message at 14:37 on Oct 21, 2011 |
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2011 03:44
|
|
|
What's the cheapest non-lovely subwoofer I can get, and how do I connect it to my reciever?
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 05:47
|
|
|
GreenBuckanneer posted:What's the cheapest non-lovely subwoofer I can get, and how do I connect it to my reciever? That depends a lot on your definitions of "non-lovely" and "cheap" and on how big the room is. A lot of the internet direct boutique brands like Hsu or Elemental Designs have stuff under $400 that sounds pretty good. There should be an "LFE Out" jack on your receiver, connect an RCA cable to it.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 16:33
|
|
|
qirex posted:That depends a lot on your definitions of "non-lovely" and "cheap" and on how big the room is. A lot of the internet direct boutique brands like Hsu or Elemental Designs have stuff under $400 that sounds pretty good. Yeah I have one RCA jack that says Subwoofer. Hrm well the room is.... maybe 12'x10'x12' I suppose, if it works and doesn't blow up. I don't need the floor to shake or anything like that. And cheap being like under $200 or around $100> ideally
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 16:46
|
|
|
This thread has created a monster. My CS2 is now on the way. Yumm center channel goodness.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 02:18
|
|
|
GreenBuckanneer posted:Yeah I have one RCA jack that says Subwoofer. This is a popular <$200 sub: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-633 I have an earlier, down-firing version. It's decent enough for movies, though a bit too boomy for music (though this could probably be improved if I had better room acoustics). They also have an 8" one for only $90.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 13:45
|
|
|
The Flying Milton posted:This thread has created a monster. My CS2 is now on the way. Yumm center channel goodness. It's a great budget center channel, I got mine on sale for like $89 with free shipping and I've been very happy with it. It's bloody huge though, make sure your stand/media center can fit it. After doing the "build in parts" approach for my home theater setup, I wish I had bought the center channel along with the towers instead of a sub first.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 16:57
|
|
|
GreenBuckanneer posted:Yeah I have one RCA jack that says Subwoofer. anarchy tapped horn flat pack + dayton plate amp
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 20:58
|
|
|
Hoping I can get some suggestions for a decent home theater setup around $500. My goals are pretty modest: - 3.0 or 3.1 for optimum music and TV play. - CD/DVD/Blu-Ray player included in the price range. Most of what meets that criteria are the bundled home theater systems. Problem there is they are all 5.1. While upgrading to 5.1 would be nice someday, its a bit impractical for me at the moment. I've been putting together combos with the speakers mentioned by Jonathan, but keep ending up going over budget. If anyone can point me in a good direction or make any recommendations it would be much appreciated!
|
|
#
?
Oct 17, 2011 02:27
|
|
|
This will be gone in a few hours, but woot has the Pioneer BS41 bookshelf speakers for $100/pair shipped right now.($50 off amazon's price)
|
|
#
?
Oct 17, 2011 02:49
|
|
|
What are good bookshelf wall mounts? I need two for speakers with a size around... 7"x7"x10" and prolly 7lbs. and one for a center speaker that's 4"x4"x4" and prolly 3lbs.
|
|
#
?
Oct 17, 2011 02:54
|
|
|
HarryPurvis posted:Hoping I can get some suggestions for a decent home theater setup around $500. My goals are pretty modest: Uhh so im assuming you dont have a receiver? blu ray player + receiver is like $300 right there..
|
|
#
?
Oct 17, 2011 06:33
|
|
|
After installing some rear in-wall speakers from Monoprice on the weekend at my place, my dad was really impressed and wants an entry level receiver for surround sound himself. From reading this thread it looks like the Denon AVR-1712 is good bang for the buck, but I don't think he even needs 7.1, 5.1 would be sufficient... so is there a definitive "best bang for the buck 5.1 receiver"?
|
|
#
?
Oct 17, 2011 19:37
|
|
|
Misanthrope posted:After installing some rear in-wall speakers from Monoprice on the weekend at my place, my dad was really impressed and wants an entry level receiver for surround sound himself. The Denon 1612 is basically identical to the 1712, but with 5 channels instead of 7, fewer legacy connections (for older gear) and a slightly less fancy auto-EQ. The 1612 also has a USB port in front for an iPod/iPhone which the 1712 does not. Other good choices would be the Yamaha RX-V471 and Pioneer VSX-821. Newegg also had the Pioneer VSX-1021 on sale a few days ago for $320, which is a great deal if your dad wants to stream music from an Apple device (built in Air-Play). Otherwise I'd just wait for one of the first three I mentioned to go on sale.
|
|
#
?
Oct 17, 2011 22:56
|
|
|
Picked my gear up from UPS today, got it all hooked up and I'm pretty drat happy. Speakers sound great and look good too. Thanks all 
|
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2011 04:19
|
|
|
So I got my HD555s pluged into the headphone jack of my receiver, but it's got this buzzing feedback that's a little annoying when the sound is quiet, what's up with that? Edit: manual says something about reducing treble, that did it. Also where can I buy a replacement remote for an SA-DX930? Everywhere I've looked is out of stock. GreenBuckanneer fucked around with this message at 19:03 on Oct 18, 2011 |
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2011 04:32
|
|
|
Trying to do a budget set up, and then realized I bought 4 way speakers for a turntable. Am I better off returning them for some 2.1s? Will be hooked up to a vintage (70s/80s era) receiver. I bought these. Really good deal it seemed. http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-F6000-Floor-Standing-Speakers-Woofer/dp/B000OG4E20/ref=pd_cp_e_0 cheese eats mouse fucked around with this message at 23:07 on Oct 18, 2011 |
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2011 23:05
|
|
|
cheese eats mouse posted:Trying to do a budget set up, and then realized I bought 4 way speakers for a turntable. Am I better off returning them for some 2.1s? Will be hooked up to a vintage (70s/80s era) receiver. From the reviews they seem like a good speaker for the price, but don't compete with $1000 range speakers. If thats all you want to spend on speakers it seems like they are a good buy. For that price you could always resell them on craigslist.
|
|
#
?
Oct 19, 2011 01:08
|
|
|
The Gunslinger posted:It's a great budget center channel, I got mine on sale for like $89 with free shipping and I've been very happy with it. It's bloody huge though, make sure your stand/media center can fit it. After doing the "build in parts" approach for my home theater setup, I wish I had bought the center channel along with the towers instead of a sub first. It fits but it's a little off center. I need a new TV stand. Planning ahead I'm torn between my fronts and a sub. I'd like to match the fronts to my bookshelf set and center. I've heard the Series 2... series has been discontinued so it might be better to get them first.
|
|
#
?
Oct 20, 2011 16:34
|
|
|
I posted about this in the vinyl thread but I think this crowd might have some good insights too. I recently came into possession of a Nakamichi 'Receiver 2' along with a Turntable and I'd like to build a music-only system around them: quote:It's a Nakamichi 'Receiver 2', circa 1990- which I can't find much on aside from the fact that people are selling them for anywhere from $120 to $350 online- which isn't bad at all for a piece of kit that cost $650 new. It's in fantastic shape (To think that we once tried to offload it for $30 in a tag sale a decade ago). My dad gave me that receiver outright and it sounds pretty great. Only complaint is that it's 2.0/4.0, without a subwoofer output. It's 55W but I have no idea if that's necessarily going to be a bad thing. The top of the line ('Receiver 3'- $950 new) had 75W so I'm not sweating that too much ATM. Basically, my same question stands. I've been told that I can run the receiver's Pre-out and in through a subwoofer with a high gain pass through- or simply plug a y-splitter to the Pre-out and plug that into a sub. Are these options both viable (low price is a factor)? And if I want to keep the system 2.0, should I go for floorstanding? Are the Mordaunt Shorts I mentioned good options or are there better suggestions? I really like them in brown calvados finish (at this point, I think they're by far the most attractive speakers I've seen in their price range that have some reputation for quality), but the only Mordaunts I've listened to are somewhat out of my range ($500-600 tops) so I've been basing my thoughts on reviews- which have been generally really good. Mordaunt Short Carnival 6's Carnival 2's trilobite terror fucked around with this message at 12:51 on Oct 21, 2011 |
|
#
?
Oct 21, 2011 12:48
|
|
|
Electric Bugaloo posted:I posted about this in the vinyl thread but I think this crowd might have some good insights too. Most subs that are above entry level have speaker level inputs which is how most people wire them up for music listening. Basically you wire the amp to the sub, and then from the sub to the speakers. The sub then grabs the signal from the amp, and with the crossover adjustment on the sub, filters out all the high frequency stuff.
|
|
#
?
Oct 21, 2011 19:06
|
|
|
So I guess I'm in a pickle. Someone turned my receiver on and a pop came out of the speakers, then a puff of smoke apparently came from the top. When I turn it on the pop happens and the unit turns off. Guess I'm hosed?
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2011 01:53
|
|
|
I have no idea if this is where I should post my question, if not please direct me to the correct thread, thank you. I want to buy a 2.0, 2.1 or 3.1 speaker system for my computer workstation, mainly for music and games. My budget is around $200. I'll be using my motherboards' inputs as defined here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128494 What is your recommendation? Thank you.
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2011 02:05
|
|
|
The Flying Milton posted:So I guess I'm in a pickle. Someone turned my receiver on and a pop came out of the speakers, then a puff of smoke apparently came from the top. When I turn it on the pop happens and the unit turns off. Guess I'm hosed? Email pioneer, theres no way that wouldnt be covered under warranty.
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2011 04:28
|
|
|
coolskillrex remix posted:Email pioneer, theres no way that wouldnt be covered under warranty. I did so here's hoping. I tried it this morning. It turns on but the center channel volume is really low. I think it has something to do with that. Worst case I'll go raise he'll at best buy.
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2011 15:40
|
|
|
This is a more pointed question that probably doesn't exactly go in the quick questions thread. I currently have a 3.1 system with Paradigm Studio 20 bookshelf speakers, a Paradigm CC 490 center channel, and a Rythmik subwoofer. I'm eventually looking to upgrade to a 5.1 system. The issue centers around whether I should be choosing a dipole surround or a monopole surround set. Theoretically, I would be targeting either additional Studio 20 speakers (monopole, bookshelf) or ADP 590 speakers (dipole) for the matching timber. These would then be mounted toward the wall, approximately 6 feet high. Keep in mind that I have an 11 x 17 x 8 foot room, with the couch located in the center, facing the long wall (to maximize sound quality, etc.). I tend to use my existing home system 50% music, 50% movies/games. So, what would people who have had experience here say? Are there any other surround speakers that I should also be looking at?
|
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2011 01:29
|
|
|
ntan1 posted:So, what would people who have had experience here say? Get both, try them out, return the ones you don't like. For music surrounds don't bring nothing to the table. For movies they're nice but bring relatively little: I don't much care about the quality of my surrounds. For games they might be important, but you have to judge that for yourself. From your choices I'd choose largely based on what looks better in the room. ADP 590 is a nice speaker for surround purposes: what bothers me is the price. You'd be spending as much or more money in your surrounds as your fronts. If money is no object get them: if it is, get a pair of Cinema 70's for comparison and see if you can hear any appreciable difference.
|
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2011 01:43
|
|
|
Hob_Gadling posted:From your choices I'd choose largely based on what looks better in the room. ADP 590 is a nice speaker for surround purposes: what bothers me is the price. You'd be spending as much or more money in your surrounds as your fronts. If money is no object get them: if it is, get a pair of Cinema 70's for comparison and see if you can hear any appreciable difference. You're right, while money is no actual problem for me, that was one of the things that I had been considering. To a certain extent, it makes sense to wait out until a deal on Paradigm studio 100s come around and then move the Studio 20s to the back as surround, but I don't feel like it's time just yet. Over the years, I've noticed that I am extremely finicky about quality of sound equipment - I've tested monitors before and experience shows that I will likely hear an appreciable difference with Cinema 70s. I think I'll drop by a local store and see the difference in sound stage with both the ADPs and 20s in the back and see if I notice a large difference in those.
|
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2011 02:02
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 17, 2024 06:39 |
|
|
Hey guys, I've got a Onkyo 7100 system from a few years back. What's the best upgrade I could do for my system as far as 2 new front speakers and a new center channel speaker for under $300? This is the system I have: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882120123 It still sounds great (even though the HDMI takes 10-15 minutes to work), but I know I can probably do better than what I have speaker wise. I listen to a -lot- of music, watch some movies, and occasionally do a bunch of gaming. Music is where I'll get the biggest audiophobe boner from.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2011 09:30
|
|
