|
Alfred P. Pseudonym posted:I’d like to go no higher than $2-3k at the moment. I can go higher if anything in the desired range is gonna be garbage though. $3,000 is a good budget for 2.1, you might even want a 3.1 since you are mostly movie/TV. I would aim for <$500 for the receiver, $1,500 speakers, $1,000 subwoofer. Search A4L for a AVR that has enough inputs for whatever devices you are using: https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html Searching for 30 seconds, this seems like it might work for you: https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/yamrxv6a-rb/yamaha-rx-v6a-7.2-ch-x-100-watts-8k-a/v-receiver/1.html I'm always going to recommend Ascend Sierra speakers, because they are the best, and unbeatable value, and a 30 day return policy: https://ascendacoustics.com/ But I would also encourage you to listen to different speakers, because you should always buy what sounds best to you. Subwoofer brands I would consider: https://www.rythmikaudio.com/ https://hsuresearch.com/pages/subs https://www.powersoundaudio.com/collections/subwoofers/products/s2410m-new Fozzy The Bear fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Jan 24, 2024 |
#
?
Jan 24, 2024 19:14
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 17, 2024 15:36 |
|
|
Alfred P. Pseudonym posted:I’d like to go no higher than $2-3k at the moment. I can go higher if anything in the desired range is gonna be garbage though. Is that $2-3k for the L/R speakers + sub + receiver? That’s a solid budget to work with. A lot of people spend $2k on a complete surround setup and still get something pretty great. Depending on how you want to slice it you can get a bunch of great pieces, or a pair/trio of really excellent top-tier pieces and some placeholder stuff. You could also invest the bulk into your speakers and sub and pair them with a cheap/used/two-channel/etc receiver and then upgrade that when you add the rest of the speakers. What kind of aesthetic preferences you got? Would you rather go with floorstanders in the front or do you have a big AV unit or built-in shelving in the way and want to stick with bookshelf? Past 2.1 I wouldn’t go any higher than like 7.2. For me, personally, a really nice 5.2 set would probably be the sweet spot. Maybe 5.2.2 or 5.2.4 or 7.2.4 if I wanted ATMOS.
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2024 19:40
|
|
|
Fozzy The Bear posted:$3,000 is a good budget for 2.1, you might even want a 3.1 since you are mostly movie/TV. I would aim for <$500 for the receiver, $1,500 speakers, $1,000 subwoofer. I would also look at KEF and Monitor Audio and maybe Wharfedale and JBL/JBL synthesis/JBL classic at that budget. SVS subwoofers also need a mention
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2024 19:48
|
|
|
The JBL 6 series or HDI with the compression driver are worth looking at IMO, they're supposed to be great for home theater. Basically the speakers are going to be the trickiest thing to shop for, if you stick to direct companies the sub [maybe check out RSL and SVS as well] will basically scale with budget and there's only really 4 receiver companies left in the sub-$1000 range. AC4L is a good site for that. qirex fucked around with this message at 23:46 on Jan 24, 2024 |
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2024 20:36
|
|
|
trilobite terror posted:Is that $2-3k for the L/R speakers + sub + receiver? That’s a solid budget to work with. A lot of people spend $2k on a complete surround setup and still get something pretty great. Depending on how you want to slice it you can get a bunch of great pieces, or a pair/trio of really excellent top-tier pieces and some placeholder stuff. Leaning toward floorstanders since there’s currently no shelving in the room.
|
|
#
?
Jan 26, 2024 23:31
|
|
|
Alfred P. Pseudonym posted:Leaning toward floorstanders since there’s currently no shelving in the room. rad, what's the vibe? Modern and/or sleek? Understated? Elegantly colorful? Vintage? Timeless? Do you want them to be showy or to disappear? Do you prefer wood tones/veneers? Light wood tones like oak or maple, dark wood tones like cherry or walnut, whitewash? Gloss finish? Black? White? Navy blue? Forest green? Orange?
|
|
#
?
Jan 26, 2024 23:45
|
|
|
What do you all think about reliability when it comes to powered speakers vs passive with separate amp? My expectation has been a decade plus for separate amp, but I've gotten much less out of powered speakers. Is this common? I had a pair of powered Klipsch bookshelves, the dac died within warranty and they replaced with a better set. Now, after 3 to 4 years, the second speaker is making noise and support says I need a new amp. The noise is not enough for me to drop $300 on a replacement amp, but I am questioning the powered speaker concept from a reliability perspective. The speakers themselves are still perfect and I love them. I just wonder if I would be ahead with a separate amp and dac.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 01:59
|
|
|
Passives should definitely have a longer lifespan in general I think. I have a set of floor-standing passive speakers that are pushing 40 years old at this point and have been in active use the vast majority of that time.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 02:28
|
|
|
Dyscrasia posted:What do you all think about reliability when it comes to powered speakers vs passive with separate amp? Yes. Powered speakers have always had this problem—the amplifiers in them are subjected to much greater heat and physical/mechanical stress from being stuck inside a particleboard speaker cabinet that vibrates instead of a ventilated chassis that’s relatively isolated from the speakers. The total product is also usually built to a certain spec and price point—while there are plenty of professional and enthusiast-grade powered speakers and monitors that cost $1000+ or multiple thousands of dollars, the vast majority exist at the <$1000 price range with many of them coming in at <$500 MSRP or less. Everybody’s favorite JBL LSR 305 cost $150 each. That’s $150 for the speaker and the amplifier combined, and that’s at like the high point of the market. Get to your Edifiers and your Mackie “entertainment speakers” and PC speakers at $150 for a pair and you’re talking about a cheap board running hot. Fortunately, getting replacement amps/etc is often really easy and relatively inexpensive, which is arguably a benefit (although it can’t beat plugging passives into a new external amp or keeping your old amp and upgrading your speakers for ease and accessibility). In many cases you can also just get an aftermarket amp board or two (I would get a pair to match even if only one of my monitors were dead) from a Dayton Audio or an ICEPower, etc. But yeah, what you’re describing is a big reason why self powered non-portable speakers haven’t really caught on as much outside of the computer audio space as so many people have predicted over the years that they would.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 06:08
|
|
|
Thanks, as I've been looking around, stereo amps are way over my price point, more than the whole package I've got altogether. I may dig into the rabbit hole of amp repair but I'm not sure yet. I've got a minor annoyance, not a problem. It's Klipsch r-51pm that I have, so the replacement amp is 75% of a fresh pair.
Dyscrasia fucked around with this message at 08:31 on Jan 27, 2024 |
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 08:28
|
|
|
Dyscrasia posted:Thanks, as I've been looking around, stereo amps are way over my price point, more than the whole package I've got altogether. I may dig into the rabbit hole of amp repair but I'm not sure yet. I've got a minor annoyance, not a problem. have you looked at used gear? What are you trying to connect/play audio from? You can probably get a receiver or amp of some workable sort for less than $50, possibly for free, if you know how to look.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 08:29
|
|
|
trilobite terror posted:have you looked at used gear? What are you trying to connect/play audio from? You can probably get a receiver or amp of some workable sort for less than $50, possibly for free, if you know how to look. No luck so far, but I'll dig deeper. These are my pc speakers, USB only input. I am just a fan of the Klipsch sound. Really, I was just surprised by the lack of reliability, if problems after 4 years count as such. Dyscrasia fucked around with this message at 08:34 on Jan 27, 2024 |
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 08:32
|
|
|
Dyscrasia posted:No luck so far, but I'll dig deeper. These are my pc speakers, USB only input. I am just a fan of the Klipsch sound. Really, I was just surprised by the lack of reliability, if problems after 4 years count as such. just grab an Apple USB C dongle for $9 (plus a USB C-to-A adapter if you need it) and a 3.5mm-to-RCA cable and you can use just about any receiver from the past ~60 years
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 08:53
|
|
|
I could be totally wrong, but would something like this $99 headphone amp be enough for PC speakers? https://jdslabs.com/product/atom-amp/ Do not take this advice as gospel, I'm pretty sure it doesn't even work on my Bose PC speakers.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 12:11
|
|
|
Quaint Quail Quilt posted:I could be totally wrong, but would something like this $99 headphone amp be enough for PC speakers? That’s a headphone amp + preamp. It cannot drive passive speakers, but it can work as a preamp and volume control for a pair of self-powered speakers or audio monitors or in front of a power amp.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 15:50
|
|
|
I'm tired of the lovely sounds we get out of the VIzio soundbar, dialogue in tv and movies is often very difficult to make out. So I hit up Craigslist to find some real speakers and a receiver second-hand. Aesthetics matter here, my wife doesn't want "ugly plastic" looking speakers in the living room, so the preference is for older speakers with wood cabinets. I have no idea about quality though. These seem like a good deal to me and they're tall enough to sit right on the floor: https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/ele/d/san-diego-sony-ss-u221-vintage-tower/7703944361.html Is this gonna be crappy before I add a center speaker and a subwoofer? I also need advice on what to look for and what to avoid in a receiver. We have a 4K TV and we run everything off of a Roku Ultra, which is mostly Plex plus some other streaming apps. Those speakers say 200W max rating, which I presume is per speaker, meaning the receiver ought to be capable of 400W+ maybe more with a sub and a center channel?
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 19:48
|
|
|
Don’t worry about watts, a $299 AC4L/Costco receiver will be able to play way too loud unless you get weird speakers or have a huge room. If you’re shopping used make sure you get something that was sold as a proper standalone receiver and not part of some cheapo box set. Speakers from that era aren’t the best for home theater, that “vintage sound” can be a byword for fuzzy and not super clear. Totally depends on the model and your room though. qirex fucked around with this message at 20:01 on Jan 27, 2024 |
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 19:58
|
|
|
The room is on the larger side with high ceilings that match the roof pitch and hard floors. What should I be looking for in speakers then? Am I better off shopping new? Budget is around $500 for the whole setup so I kind of assumed that pushes me into used, especially if I want a wood veneer cabinet not white/black. are either of these newer/better than those Sonys? https://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/ele/d/polkaudio-tower-floor-standing-speakers/7705309107.html these woofers are 6.5" compared to 10" on the Sonys https://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/ele/d/san-diego-jensen-tower-floor-standing/7707061231.html I think these woofers are 8" ? bawfuls fucked around with this message at 20:17 on Jan 27, 2024 |
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 20:10
|
|
|
susan b buffering posted:Passives should definitely have a longer lifespan in general I think. I have a set of floor-standing passive speakers that are pushing 40 years old at this point and have been in active use the vast majority of that time. My Klipsch Heresy's have been blasting vinyl since 1983, with more or less weekly use and still going strong.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 20:58
|
|
|
bawfuls posted:The room is on the larger side with high ceilings that match the roof pitch and hard floors. Both are certainly better than the Sony speakers. I'd probably go with the Polk. Be sure to give them a listen before buying them.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 21:03
|
|
|
I got the Monoprice MP-T65RT with the ribbon tweeter that I ended up A/B with my newer Jamo 809s and both I got on sale for ~$130 and $299, respectively. They both sound good but the Monoprice speakers are louder at lower levels, and it's hard to not just say they just sound better for the money. I kept both because I wanted to direct more sound to both seated sections of my kitchen and living space. They both sound better at higher amplification, and can really compliment each other. Just my anecdote about speaker enjoyment. Wasabi the J fucked around with this message at 21:14 on Jan 27, 2024 |
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 21:11
|
|
|
Wasabi the J posted:I got the Monoprice MP-T65RT with the ribbon tweeter that I ended up A/B with my newer Jamo 809s and both I got on sale for ~$130 and $299, respectively. “Louder at lower levels” doesn’t necessarily mean “better”, it just means “lower impedance”. That’s not to say that the Monoprice speakers aren’t better, that line of Jamos is often on sale for like $150 for a 5.1 bookshelf set.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 21:26
|
|
|
Oh yeah I got them a while ago; those sales are newer.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 22:02
|
|
|
Wasabi the J posted:Oh yeah I got them a while ago; those sales are newer. I dig, I’m just saying that it gives you a (very very) rough estimate of the margin on the speakers and their parts
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2024 22:45
|
|
|
I need to upgrade my ancient as all hell receiver now that I have a Panasonic 820. My speakers are good but my receiver is from the time before HDMI was a thing. It’s a 5.1 setup so I’m wondering what are some decent receivers I can take a look at with prices that wont break the bank?
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2024 22:38
|
|
|
Dr. VooDoo posted:I need to upgrade my ancient as all hell receiver now that I have a Panasonic 820. My speakers are good but my receiver is from the time before HDMI was a thing. It’s a 5.1 setup so I’m wondering what are some decent receivers I can take a look at with prices that wont break the bank? does the receiver have an optical in port?
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2024 23:02
|
|
|
I just got a Pioneer VSX-LX305 a couple months back, and its been great. It's technically 7.2, but I'm really using it for 5.1.2.
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2024 23:24
|
|
|
trilobite terror posted:does the receiver have an optical in port? It does and I’ve tried it but I get no audio unless it’s set to stereo PCM on the player instead of bitstream. It’s an old, old receiver, it’s a Kenwood VR-208. I was planning on getting a new receiver in a few months, this might just move the time table up
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2024 23:25
|
|
|
Dr. VooDoo posted:I need to upgrade my ancient as all hell receiver now that I have a Panasonic 820. My speakers are good but my receiver is from the time before HDMI was a thing. It’s a 5.1 setup so I’m wondering what are some decent receivers I can take a look at with prices that wont break the bank? Denon S660H is basically the least expensive hdmi 2.1 receiver that does 5.1 surround sound. The Denon S650H is the previous model. It's a few years old, but it's basically the same thing. AlternateNu mentioned the Pioneer LX305 which is also great. It is the least expensive AVR with Dirac. Or just look on your local craigslist / facebook marketplace / whatever and see what's available.
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2024 23:41
|
|
|
I ended up ordering a Denon S660H cause it meets everything I’m looking for
|
|
#
?
Feb 2, 2024 00:34
|
|
|
trilobite terror posted:“Louder at lower levels” doesn’t necessarily mean “better”, it just means “lower impedance”. Sounds like you’re confusing impedance and sensitivity. Other than that, you’re right. Louder doesn’t mean it sounds better. But it’d you’re short on cash you might want to skip the low-sensitivity speakers so you don’t have to spend as much on amp wattage.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2024 14:40
|
|
|
Hippie Hedgehog posted:Sounds like you’re confusing impedance and sensitivity. poo poo, you’re right 
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2024 17:15
|
|
|
Is the deformation/damage to the right tweeter in this image likely matter at all? https://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/ele/d/polkaudio-tower-floor-standing-speakers/7705309049.html I guess the answer is probably "listen to them and find out" but if it's an obvious likely issue then I won't bother driving out there in the first place.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2024 18:17
|
|
|
bawfuls posted:Is the deformation/damage to the right tweeter in this image likely matter at all? I wouldn’t
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2024 18:33
|
|
|
The biggest problem with a damaged tweeter dome is that it’s quite possible the voice coil behind it is also damaged.
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2024 18:46
|
|
|
Comedy option: Ask for a frequency response graph
|
|
#
?
Feb 3, 2024 18:55
|
|
|
Today I picked up a (different) pair of Polk R50 speakers that don't have tweeter damage, and an Onkyo TX-NR636 receiver on the cheap. My first setup was to leave the Roku plugged into the tv and use the tv's optical audio out. That sounded like poo poo immediately, with very muted dialogue. So I switched to running the Roku through the receiver first and that fixed everything. This leads me to suspect that the main audio issue I was having with my soundbar was coming from using the optical input, as it lacked an HDMI input and I never tried RCA cables. Oh well, this new setup sounds much better, was very cheap, and will be easy to expand down the line if we want to. Edit: once the receiver was on awhile and heated up, it started buzzing. Not the speakers, but a buzzing noise from the receiver itself. Google suggests this could be the transformer. Low price AND a project, what a thrill! bawfuls fucked around with this message at 06:58 on Feb 5, 2024 |
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2024 04:57
|
|
|
I got a Minirig 3 2.1 set used yesterday for office usage even on the the TWS/AptX mode the overall SQ IMO is only slightly worse than my Evo 4.2 + topping PA5 II + SMSL D6S, my mind is blown considering the overall cost and portability im not gonna bother with any fixed stereo hifi anymore
|
|
#
?
Feb 12, 2024 11:09
|
|
|
I'm sorry if this request is antithetical to the spirit of the thread, but can anyone recommend a sound bar?
|
|
#
?
Feb 12, 2024 18:14
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 17, 2024 15:36 |
|
|
Opulent Ceremony posted:I'm sorry if this request is antithetical to the spirit of the thread, but can anyone recommend a sound bar? Buy a used one, or at the very least don't get sucked into the idea that a new one will support 7 channel surround, atmos, or whatever other stuff they market them to do. Get the cheapest 2.0 or 2.1 from a recognizable brand that fits your space and input/output needs.
|
|
#
?
Feb 12, 2024 18:27
|
|