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jonathan posted:No. Sounds like he's trying to push the highest markup stuff on you. For starters, I would check craigslist or kijijijijijijjjijij for some used speakers. Check some reviews or post some ads here, and we can tell you if they're a good deal or not. Quality speakers depreciate well but stand up well, so the used market usually has some gems. Another good option for used gear online is Canuckaudiomart.com Ocular, where are you located? I might be able to recommend some shops in your area.
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Jun 25, 2011 18:45
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I'm located in Kingston, Ontario. And thanks a lot to both of you for your help! Edit: you know, another option going back to the OP is just getting a set of Polk speakers off Newegg. I love shopping there anyway and I'm not really an audiophile/not too concerned about sound quality. Everything is reasonably priced it looks like. Just checking into it right now but still will probably end up buying used. Polk is at least somewhat good, correct? Ocular fucked around with this message at 21:49 on Jun 25, 2011 |
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Jun 25, 2011 21:39
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Welp I just ordered a pair of Polk TSI100s and a PSW10 for my meager audio needs. I based the buy off of this thread and some opinions of a friend whose audio expertise far exceeds mine. I will be hooking them up to a crappy Sony STR K660P while I save up for a more recently released receiver. I'm mainly going to be using them for playing music through my PC and the occasional movie. Trip report to come!
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Jun 26, 2011 01:19
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Statutory Grape posted:Welp I just ordered a pair of Polk TSI100s and a PSW10 for my meager audio needs. I based the buy off of this thread and some opinions of a friend whose audio expertise far exceeds mine. I will be hooking them up to a crappy Sony STR K660P while I save up for a more recently released receiver. I'm mainly going to be using them for playing music through my PC and the occasional movie. I bought some TSI300s a few weeks back and love them.
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Jun 27, 2011 19:41
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Ocular posted:I'm located in Kingston, Ontario. If you can get them for a good price, there is no reason not to get them. There are better brands, but if you get yourself a set of larger towers, and a big center channel, you probably wont notice a big difference between your purchase and something triple the price. Once you get into the bigger tower speakers, the law of diminishing returns really begins to take effect. Would you be happier with other more expensive speakers ? Maybe. But if you're coming from TV speakers, or some friends home theatre in a box, or even some high end bookshelf speakers, the larger polk speakers will probably make you grin from ear to ear. Just make sure to set them up properly as far as room position, and run a calibration from your receiver.
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Jun 28, 2011 01:13
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jonathan posted:If you can get them for a good price, there is no reason not to get them. There are better brands, but if you get yourself a set of larger towers, and a big center channel, you probably wont notice a big difference between your purchase and something triple the price. Once you get into the bigger tower speakers, the law of diminishing returns really begins to take effect. Would you be happier with other more expensive speakers ? Maybe. But if you're coming from TV speakers, or some friends home theatre in a box, or even some high end bookshelf speakers, the larger polk speakers will probably make you grin from ear to ear. Just make sure to set them up properly as far as room position, and run a calibration from your receiver. Will do. And thank you so much once more for your help. I already went ahead and ordered to Polk setup, not sure about the receiver for now.
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Jun 28, 2011 06:33
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For some very unusual equipment I use to watch movies, I need a receiver that still has RCA inputs for separate audio channels. A few years ago many had this, can someone recommend a good cheap new unit that still does?
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Jun 28, 2011 14:14
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Ron Burgundy posted:For some very unusual equipment I use to watch movies, I need a receiver that still has RCA inputs for separate audio channels. A few years ago many had this, can someone recommend a good cheap new unit that still does? Harman Kardon AVR 2600.
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Jun 28, 2011 18:01
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How big of a jump in quality/clarity do you get when you decide to get Floorstanding speakers over Bookshelf Speakers? Are higher end Bookshelf speakers (Aperion Audio Intimus 5B for $225 each) better than lower end Floorstanding speakers (in the $200-$250 each range)? I ask because I live in an apartment and I don't really need speakers that will shake the walls and make my downstairs neighbors hate me. I'd imagine some time down the road, I might eventually have my own house where I can play movies as loud as I want, but is it really worth buying floorstanding speakers that won't be fully utilized until 4-5 years from now? I have $500 to buy a 2.0 system - should I get really nice bookshelf or floorstanding speakers?
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Jun 29, 2011 03:55
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Just wanted to add my $0.02 to the discussion here, as for a while I was really obsessed with finding good audio. I eventually settled on Orb Audio. I got the Mod2 system w/preamp since I use it for movies as well as music, and my god - what good sound. If you want a really sexy looking speaker with great audio, I don't think you could do better. The imaging of the speakers is really stellar - I have never needed a center channel for movies. For music, they are crystal clear. For the basic system, $300 is an amazing price considering you get an amp - if you have a small room, the Mod1 is probably fine for music and movies, though I notice a *bit* more detail/range and punch in the sound with the Mod2's (and you definitely want their sub if you are watching movies). The speakers are modular and the orbs hook up in series - so when I get a receiver some day I can turn my two Mod2's into 4 Mod1's in about two minutes, and all of a sudden I have a set of surrounds. The best thing about the company, I think, is that they only sell direct... so there is no middle-man price jacking. They are also a small company, so when you email for support they are not only prompt, but you could be speaking directly to the president or the engineer that designed the speakers - they all take turns fielding phone calls/email. Everything is made by hand in the USA, too, which really shows... I have the polished steel ones with polished steel stands, and it has all the nice imperfections that only a human hand can leave (like where the sharp edges have been eased by a grinder). I really don't want to sound like a salesman, but the speakers are really great and I have nothing but good things to say about dealing with the company. Not to mention the fact that the speakers really changed the way I listen to music - even now, nearly a year after first buying them, I sit down with a CD and just *listen*... and I'm still hearing nuance and detail that I didn't know was there. If anyone in Toronto is thinking about getting them, shoot me a PM if you want to have a listen.
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Jun 29, 2011 04:11
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Corbet posted:How big of a jump in quality/clarity do you get when you decide to get Floorstanding speakers over Bookshelf Speakers? Are higher end Bookshelf speakers (Aperion Audio Intimus 5B for $225 each) better than lower end Floorstanding speakers (in the $200-$250 each range)? As a very general rule of thumb, think of it this way: the larger the speaker cone and cabinet, the more dynamic range you will get. So tower vs. bookshelf depends on the design and what cone size they are using, not to mention the quality of the components/magnets. Your tower speaker might just be a cheaper set of bookshelf components in a floor-standing box, but you will still notice a bit more range/bass because of the size of the box. All that being said, in most cases you need a sub to compliment bookshelf speakers but towers can sometimes be good enough on their own (as for ones in the $500 range, I can't say for certain). So if you only have $500, and you want 2.0 instead of 2.1, see if you can listen to a set of tower speakers in-store somewhere, in your price range... if they sound fine to you, go for it. Listen to bookshelf speakers as well, but I doubt you will find anything in your range that is good without a sub. FWIW: while I have a set of really nice speakers in my room where I spend most of my time, when I just want to watch a downloaded TV show, I have a set of $100 altec lansing 2.1 computer speakers hooked up to my plasma TV. There's no comparison with the Orb speakers (which i cart to the living room when needed), but unless I have a blu-ray that I want to really enjoy, they do a great job for really cheap 
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Jun 29, 2011 04:49
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What do you think would be the best receiver for the Polk setup that's on Newegg right now. Mine should be arriving soon and I'm still not sure about a receiver.
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Jun 29, 2011 11:04
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Ocular posted:What do you think would be the best receiver for the Polk setup that's on Newegg right now. Mine should be arriving soon and I'm still not sure about a receiver. I like the pioneers. This one seems like a good deal: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882117397 I also like the yamahas. It pretty much comes down to price/features. None of the receivers have good amps in them. They say "110 watts per channel" but in reality, when watching a movie, it's more like 45 watts per channel. Amps that put out 100 watts per channel weigh 60 - 80 pounds. These things weigh 25. So I would get the pioneer based on the features you get, for the price. If you ever want to get into real power to drive the speakers to their full potential you will need a seperate amp/processor.
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Jun 30, 2011 20:46
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What's the sale on Polk stuff on Newegg? I can't find anything.
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Jun 30, 2011 21:38
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I believe most of those sales expired on the 28th.
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Jun 30, 2011 21:52
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coolskillrex remix posted:I dont get the huge boners over polk monitors, ive heard them, theyre very bright and arent that great. To get back to this, there are some things going for Polks. They're very cheap for floorstanding speakers. They're readily available practically always. They're decent for movies and games where high fidelity is not absolutely necessary. With floorstanders you don't miss a subwoofer as much. Most importantly people should make their own choices based on what they can themselves hear. I hope I've made it clear enough that you should always listen before buying. Floorstanding or bookshelf? There's a difference between the two types that's not easy to describe. How would you describe the difference between a violin and a cello, or say which is technically the better instrument? I personally like floorstanding speakers more. The technical differences are easy to spot, differences in sound less so. For music I'll always recommend a pair of as good floorstanders as you possibly can get your hands on. Movies, it's a harder choice with many valid setups. I can (and have, for years) live without a subwoofer if front left & right are good floorstanding speakers with enough bass depth. On the other hand, a good subwoofer can bring those low waves forward like nothing else. 5 satellites and good sub is a totally valid system, as long as it's properly set up. It's summer: go and listen to live music! Gather memories for long and cold winter! I personally aim to visit as many church concerts as I can during this summer. Gospel, Bach, local talents. Churches are fantastic acoustic spaces. That's one instrument you can't get at your home so go out and enjoy it while you can.
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Jun 30, 2011 22:18
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The only "bad" thing that Polks have for them is that they aren't a very sensitive speaker. The Monitor 70's are listed as 90db. While better than a bookshelf speaker, that is also a lot lower than even the Synergy line of Klipsch stuff. What does this mean ? Well if you're trying to listen to a movie or music at high levels (lets say reference level) you're going to need a receiver/amp that puts out some good wattage to keep from damaging your speakers/amp. It's not really a huge issue. Anyone who buys a monitor 60 or 70 is going to be happy with the sound. I've heard them. I don't like them as much as I like my klipsch stuff, but maybe it's just because the higher frequency isn't as bright. I just went and looked at the prices on newegg.ca, and I think I'm going to buy a 5.1 setup for my parents. The prices really are good. jonathan fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Jun 30, 2011 |
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Jun 30, 2011 23:11
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My Polk setup from Newegg arrived yesterday. Haven't had the chance to set it up but man do those speakers look nice. As for the receiver, I actually ended up getting a good deal on an Onkyo TX-NR509. Local sound place had it for cheap so I just grabbed it, decent reviews on Newegg if that means anything. I'm sure it'll be a pleasant receiver nonetheless. Thanks again for all the advice in this huge purchase, made it a lot easier. Will update once I head the setup in its full capacity. edit: the Cherry is so friggin' nice.
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Jul 1, 2011 03:10
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haximus prime posted:I believe most of those sales expired on the 28th. They're still on sale, but not as good a deal.
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Jul 1, 2011 04:26
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Hey guys just found a guy selling this on craigslist: Onkyo HT-S5300 I'm looking for a home theater system to get me through till my next tv about a year or two. I have a 46in Panasonic plasma from last year. The system doesn't have a center channel or sub included. I was looking at buying polk speakers to take cate of that. The guy is asking for $280 for the system. But I think that is probably too much for a used HTIAB without all the speakers. What do you think is a fair price?
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Jul 4, 2011 16:13
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Nerf Herder posted:What do you think is a fair price? Whatever you're willing to pay for an used Onkyo receiver + $20 for the speakers if they're the speakers that came bundled with the receiver. You can get a Onkyo HT-3400 (a 5.1 system) for under $300 from Amazon and I'm guessing it's perfectly competent for your current needs. If you want that particular receiver, HT-5400 is the updated model and it's little under $500 with bundled 7.1 speakers.
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Jul 4, 2011 21:37
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Hopefully this is the right place... I'm setting up my first home theater, and wanted some feedback on what I've been eyeballing. Finishing my basement, and I've got a small 10x14 room for a little home theater/gaming room. Its kind of small, so I don't think I have to go crazy on the speakers, but I do have it prewired for 7.1, and I'd like to have all 7 speakers for gaming. Receiver: Onkyo HT-RC360, its $40 more than the 260 recommended in the OP, has a few nicer features. Center and Fronts: Klipsch RF-42 and RC-42. I feel like its worth it to get decent center and front speakers, but anything more than this is overkill for such a small room? Ceiling and rears: I think I can go cheap here, I see monoprice has a line of in-ceiling/in-wall speakers that the avs forum seems to think don't suck. I was looking at the 6 1/2 ones, I don't think I need the 8 inch. They have a lot of different options for the 6 1/2 inch ones though, and I may have picked out ones that are overkill for surrounds. They are so drat cheap though, what the hell, about 35 apiece. Center surrounds (ceiling) http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10837&cs_id=1083702&p_id=4619&seq=1&format=2 Rears (wall) http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10837&cs_id=1083702&p_id=7607&seq=1&format=2 For the sub, that $100 polk PSW10 seems like it would do just fine. Looking at $1400 for the whole deal, if I cant find somewhere to get the Klipsch for less than MSRP. Am I crazy for mixing klipsch and monoprice speakers?
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Jul 14, 2011 01:57
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Baddog posted:Am I crazy for mixing klipsch and monoprice speakers? In general, it's not super critical to use matching speakers for the front and surrounds. However, the tweeter has a big effect on the particular sound of a speaker, and given that these two speakers have radically different tweeter designs (horn vs dome), the difference in their sound may be more apparent. I don't know if it's something you'd notice or not, but just something to consider.
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Jul 14, 2011 03:57
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Any thoughts on these Infinity Classias? http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/accessories/548499590/infinity-classia-cc225bk http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/accessories/542899516/infinity-classia-c336bk Seems like a really good deal. I'm looking at a 3.0 system (and receiver), and the budget is ~$800.
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Jul 14, 2011 17:31
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Well I pulled the trigger on a Onkyo TXNR509 today from Newegg for $279.99 it promises to play music from my home network and that's what really made it stand out. The price was right and reviews are good. Also picked up some Energy Classic 5.1 speakers, they have a ton of raving reviews all over the net. I'm hoping they live up to the hype. As far as I know there is no where around here where I can listen to speakers before buying them (I'm not going back in Best Buy again, they suck) so I have to cross my fingers. Also got from monoprice: 100ft 12AWG Enhanced Loud Oxygen-Free Copper Speaker Wire Cable 10 PAIR OF High-Quality Copper Speaker Banana Plugs - Closed Screw Type [JX-74043] Speaker Stand - Black (SS-01) - Set of 2 10ft Premium 2 RCA Plug/2 RCA Plug M/M 22AWG Cable - Black Speaker Wall Mounting Bracket - Black (Max 7.5LBS) - Set of 2 Grand total for everything is right at $800, now I just have to wait for it to get here and wire my walls and hang the speakers. I guess I'll grab a wall plate for the two audio connections behind the stereo to make it look nice.
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Jul 15, 2011 03:21
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_aaron posted:Any thoughts on these Infinity Classias? I never thought them to be worth $800, but at this price they're a good buy. They're very nice looking and at a quick glance seem solidly built, I'll give them that. Looks like they're ending that particular line, so if you want matching rears or subwoofer (neither of which are particularly important soundwise, but may look nice together) you should probably get them now. Citycop posted:Also picked up some Energy Classic 5.1 speakers, they have a ton of raving reviews all over the net. I'm hoping they live up to the hype. The problem with buying speakers blind (of deaf) is the utter lack of reliability in reviews. You can dig up glowing reviews about just about any speaker and system ever made. Just look at the 2.0 and 2.1 computer speaker review at Amazon and try finding one pair that has average reviews of less than 4 stars. A large part of this is preference: some people like one type of system, some another and neither are wrong. Very few people want to admit they got crap, and magazines know who are buying the ad space. This is not to say that the set you bought is a lemon. Most likely you'll like it and it will certainly be better than TV speakers. Be prepared to fiddle a little with the subwoofer to get a decent sounding system. The satellites can't go low enough so you need the sub to get a good listening experience. Baddog posted:Receiver: Onkyo HT-RC360, its $40 more than the 260 recommended in the OP, has a few nicer features. I should really update that recommendation list or at least remove any particular models. quote:Center and Fronts: Klipsch RF-42 and RC-42. I feel like its worth it to get decent center and front speakers, but anything more than this is overkill for such a small room? Larger speakers do not equal more volume. Your amp, which feeds power to speakers, is the thing that mostly dictates how loud the sounds will actually be. Speakers are just machines that transform electricity into sound and heat. What's the deal with bigger speakers then? You build a violin to certain measurements to ensure good sound. Same with cello, except you have to build a bigger instrument to hit the lower frequencies. Speaker is a sort of "generic instrument". It has to reproduce both violin and cello, and do them both well. Smaller speakers have no problem in the highs, but lows are really hard unless you build the speaker enclosure (or "box") large enough. Instruments such as bass or tuba will simply lose some of their sound if your speakers won't reproduce low enough sounds. Quality of the sound you hear will still depend upon many things, such as quality of the elements, quality of signal both in and out of the amp, audio source quality and so on. Personally I think nothing can beat a good pair of floorstanding speakers. I've listened to these in a 20x12 room, and didn't feel the need to get further away from them. Is it overkill to get bigger speakers? Maybe, maybe not. It's more a question of quality and intended use than volume.
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Jul 15, 2011 13:56
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Hob_Gadling posted:
Thanks for the correction, I definitely kind of always went along with bigger=more power, instead of bigger=more fidelity. But aren't the larger speakers generally capable of handling more power from the amp, and isn't that capability a decent amount of the price difference?
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Jul 15, 2011 16:47
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_aaron posted:Any thoughts on these Infinity Classias? I know I need to listen to them (and I don't see any dealer for these anywhere around here), but wow, the specs on these blow the Klipsch rf-42's out of the water, and $230 less for all three.
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Jul 15, 2011 17:15
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Baddog posted:I know I need to listen to them (and I don't see any dealer for these anywhere around here), but wow, the specs on these blow the Klipsch rf-42's out of the water, and $230 less for all three.
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Jul 15, 2011 17:58
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Baddog posted:I know I need to listen to them (and I don't see any dealer for these anywhere around here), but wow, the specs on these blow the Klipsch rf-42's out of the water, and $230 less for all three. How so ? The sensitivity on the Klipsch speakers are 4DB higher (You need more than double the wattage to run the Infinities). The power handling is higher. The frequency response isn't listed on the Infinities but the Klipsch are +-3DB. I doubt the Inifnity comes anywhere near that given they don't advertise it. The Infinity go down to 40hz versus 53hz, but if you're running these with a sub you will be cutting both speakers off at 80hz or so anyways. Those Infinity speakers are a good buy, and a good speaker, a little better than the polk speakers mentioned earlier going by the numbers. I am willing to bet you would hear a noticeable difference between the Infinity and a Reference Klipsch though. The Klipsch will probably offer more detail in the mid and higher frequencies, and won't have trouble playing at reference volume when pushed by a nice amp.
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Jul 15, 2011 18:36
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_aaron posted:All three points you brought up there are why I am simultaneously excited about them but still on the fence - I just don't know where I can actually try them out. (Also, Amazon seems to have lowered their price on those speakers today: $550 for the trio) I think that's because those on Amazon are being sold by vanns. Vann's has the surrounds for sale as well, at a good price. I kind of have to have ceiling surrounds though. The sub is still $700 everywhere.
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Jul 15, 2011 18:57
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jonathan posted:How so ? The sensitivity on the Klipsch speakers are 4DB higher (You need more than double the wattage to run the Infinities). The power handling is higher. The frequency response isn't listed on the Infinities but the Klipsch are +-3DB. I doubt the Inifnity comes anywhere near that given they don't advertise it. I'm definitely a novice here, thanks for making me look up sensitivity, I had no idea that a difference of 4 in sensitivity meant so much. 91 vs 95 didn't jump out at me at all. The frequency response (response is just the range listed with the db qualification, right?) of the infinity is (±3dB): 40Hz – 30kHz; 35Hz – 40kHz (–6dB) while the klipsch is 59Hz-24KHz ± 3dB. Good point on the subwoofer cancelling out the need for the low frequencies though, but the difference in ranges seemed very significant to me? Also admit I was looking at the number of drivers - 3 woofers and 1 midrange for the infinity vs just 2 woofers for the Klipsch, although I guess that doesn't necessarily make any difference at all.
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Jul 15, 2011 19:33
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Baddog posted:But aren't the larger speakers generally capable of handling more power from the amp, and isn't that capability a decent amount of the price difference? That depends on the individual speaker elements. The element will be able to handle the same amount of power regardless of the enclosure.
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Jul 16, 2011 18:05
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Baddog posted:Hopefully this is the right place... I'm setting up my first home theater, and wanted some feedback on what I've been eyeballing. Finishing my basement, and I've got a small 10x14 room for a little home theater/gaming room. Its kind of small, so I don't think I have to go crazy on the speakers, but I do have it prewired for 7.1, and I'd like to have all 7 speakers for gaming. For $1400 you can get ridiculously good stuff B2031Px3. done what gave you the idea you should get in ceilings? they suck and are for housewives who dont want to see speakers http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/321817-REG/Behringer_B2031P_B2031P_2_Way_Passive.html pair http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-B2031P-Passive-Monitor-Single/dp/B0002Z82NA center http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Speakers/Home+Theater+Speakers/SP-BS21-LR rears (can buy these from bestbuy) Get a denon 2112 or 1712. 2112 only if you have component devices (so it can upconvert it to hdmi and have just one cable exiting receiver). call electronics expo.com and theyll give you the best price over the phone Spend the rest of your budget on a sub. If you get the 2112 that should be $440 shipped, rest of the stuff is $480... so you have $500 for a sub? Home theater is NOTHING without a good sub. Look, i love 2 channel music, and i run 2 channel music without a sub and believe in buying nice capable floor standers, but for primarily home theater setups the sub is everything. Home theater probably been my number 1 hobby for 7 years now and ive heard a lot of setups, so dont think im speaking out of my rear end here. If you can, try to get the denon 1712 (not sure what electronics expo quotes over the phone for that) so you can spend slightly more on a sub. subs: http://www.rythmikaudio.com/FV12.html first choice http://www.epiksubwoofers.com/legend.html http://www.edesignaudio.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_41&products_id=102 budget limited http://www.edesignaudio.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_41&products_id=951 http://emotiva.com/ultra_sub12.shtm coolskillrex remix fucked around with this message at 19:26 on Jul 16, 2011 |
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Jul 16, 2011 19:10
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coolskillrex remix posted:For $1400 you can get ridiculously good stuff Ceiling decision was kind of forced by the room shape, its not a true rectangle, more of a cross, with little side areas. Didn't want to bury the side surrounds in there. The monoprice speakers for the ceiling 6th and 7th channels don't seem too bad a choice? I'm almost about to buy the infinity classia whole bundle, 5 speakers, for $800, and then that will leave some more dollars for a decent sub. coolskillrex remix posted:
Thanks for the input, I definitely had just been thinking "small room, I don't need a ton of power to make it all shake".
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Jul 16, 2011 23:52
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coolskillrex remix posted:Get a denon 2112 or 1712. 2112 only if you have component devices (so it can upconvert it to hdmi and have just one cable exiting receiver). call electronics expo.com and theyll give you the best price over the phone The price on the 2112 went up a bit, but they are still doing $430+19.98 shipping. $450 for that receiver did seem like a pretty good deal, got it, thanks man. Pricing out those subs -Rythmic FV12 is $619 with shipping -Epic legend is $574 -avs forum seems to like Hsu as well, their VTF-2 MK3 is $572, the STF-2 (w/o the variable switch which I think might be overkill for mostly movies/games) is $392. The STF is also just a 10 inch though, looks like its just not in the same class as the others. -And the installer I'm using wants to sell me a velodyne impact 12 for $400. Even though its a 12", the specs seem more like the 10" Hsu STF-2. Thoughts on the Hsu and Velodyne? I do kinda like the concept of the epic legend having dual 12" in parallel, and just looking around sealed seems to be nicer than ported. I'm kind of reaching a choking point on the amount of money I'm spending at this point though, haha. Its a relatively small difference compared to the total price of all the equipment I'm putting in though. If the epic legend is going to really sound a good deal better than the $400ish subwoofers, its probably worth it.
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Jul 18, 2011 18:35
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Just liked to say I just went from Polk TSi 100's to some vintage Acoustic Research AR-4x's and I'm never looking back. The difference is just unbelievable. I had them paired with an HSU STF-2 so the polks even had a little help in the low end. I knew the Polks were a weak link, I just didn't think a big upgrade could be had for half the money of the TSi100's. I went from a Denon AVR-1909, Polk TSi100's, HSU STF-2, Boston Center and Surrounds, to Marantz 2245, Acoustic Research AR-4x, HSU STF-2 and the latter is cheaper, and far better. My neighbors are not so keen, the girl below me knocked on my door within 30 minutes of getting the AR's. I gave the bostons to a friend when I got the Marantz. I guess what I'm saying is, sure HTR's have lots and lots of nice features, and speakers like polk's are easy to get, but a much better performing, more pleasing, less expensive sound setup can be had with used equipment. Baddog posted:Thoughts on the Hsu and Velodyne? I've got the STF-2. Its good for movies and acceptable for music. It can hit the low notes, but it rolls them off a bit. Doesn't handle fast music very well (as to be expected). Placement is very important. The bass is pretty amazing in the opposite corner, but I'm not gonna watch a movie standing in the corner of the room. If you have the cash, I would bite the bullet and get their VTF series. Im constantly messing with the volume on mine. It will "thwap" with some really intense scenes. Needless to say, I like it quite a lot, and don't plan on parting with it anytime soon. I like it alot more now that I have some front speakers that can produce some lows, as before I had a gap between the woofer and the speakers. proton fucked around with this message at 21:05 on Jul 18, 2011 |
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Jul 18, 2011 20:55
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Baddog posted:The price on the 2112 went up a bit, but they are still doing $430+19.98 shipping. $450 for that receiver did seem like a pretty good deal, got it, thanks man. I unfortunately dont know what type of output to expect from each of the subs (havent seen many measurements from users). Ported rythmiks sound very good. Ported have a lot more output... just by porting a sub youre getting +3db which is in essence DOUBLING the SPL headroom. Ported drops off after the tuning point sharply, sealed rolls off more gradually, two big differences. Badly designed ported subs sound bad... but it isnt inherent characteristic of ported subs to sound bad. The ed a3-300 is the most powerful woofer and amp, but i dont necessarily trust their design capabilities, subs arent that hard to design but from what i can tell they develop drivers for car audio then just slap them into enclosures for home theater, the frequency responses arent always that great unfortunately. Rythmik knows what theyre doing, but they roll off their subs around 80hz. They will sound good and offer great output though, theyre some of the safest bets in subwoofers today. epik legend is sort of close to the same size as the rythmik. I can tell you right now that the epik is fairly small for two 12"s. If you put a driver (or two) in a small enclosure then youll get more efficiency in the higher hz. Think 25-100hz. So it will start to roll off sooner but youll get a lot of volume at the midbass. IF they had put the drivers in an enclosure 1.5-2x as big it would extend deeper, but lose SPL at from 30-100hz. Basically my point is the epik probably trades deep bass extension for a ton of spl above 25hz. I bought a hsu vtf2 mk3 when those came out 5-6 years ago. Sold it in december when i got my danley dts-20. HSU makes clean sounding subs that are reliable, i just struggle to compare them to newer subs. Typically what i see is manufacturers constantly bringing out more bang for the buck, so the hsu should be left in the dust. Cant say definitively, its got one of the largest cabinets which is a plus. Cant go wrong with any of them really. Something to think about is doubling the drivers (like in the epik legend) is not AS amazing as its made out to be. Double the drivers? Add 3db (which is like doubling the volume). Add a port? Add 3db. Thats why they had to add another 12". IMO Rythmik -> Epik -> Hsu/eD. If you cant afford the sub right now save up for a month or two coolskillrex remix fucked around with this message at 21:55 on Jul 18, 2011 |
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Jul 18, 2011 21:53
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adding 3db will not double the volume. Adding 3db requires twice the power. I have no idea if adding a second sub doubles the volume or just adds 3db though. Generally people with multiple subs aren't trying to go for louder bass, they're trying to get into the below 20hz range. Most 10" subs can already go well above an unbalanced sound and go "too loud". It's the setups with the big wattage 15" or dual 12" type setups that go really low. If you're looking at $400 range subs, don't forget the Emotiva 12" ! quote:Power Output: 300 watts RMS, 500 watts peak http://emotiva.com/ultra_sub12.shtm jonathan fucked around with this message at 02:47 on Jul 22, 2011 |
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Jul 22, 2011 02:43
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Was checking out some pawn shops down in the ghetto the other day, and found a dedicated amp and some other stuff for the Buttkicker. Anyone know if these 1000watt buttkicker amps are any good ? They were going to get it go for $75 or something, and didn't know what it was. I think it was this kit: http://www.thebuttkicker.com/home_theater/products/htsep.htm
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Jul 22, 2011 02:50
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