New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Home theather speakers <$500 - Page 3

post #31 of 95
9/24/06 at 9:14am
Here's what I'd do:
  • buy a decent, inexpensive 5.1 amp (Panasonics come to mind)
  • buy good quality front speakers
  • buy a pair of inexpensive rear speakers (essentially as cheap as you can find) -- the rear channels in HT are nowhere near as critical for sound quality as the fronts
  • do not get a center channel; quality fronts can handle that, particularly given your room size
  • do not get a subwoofer yet; while they are important for HT, you can add one later as your budget or tastes allow... the very low cost subwoofer market is filled with terrible products and is best avoided.

Here's my system recommendation:
  • 2 Onix X-LS speakers as the fronts ($219/pair); alternatives include 2 of the Insignias ($65/pair) or Paradigm Atoms (~250/pair)
  • 2 Dayton Satellites ( http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=300-670 ) for the rears ($32/pair)
  • no center channel
  • no subwoofer
  • one of the Panasonic digital amps.

This can meet your original budget or come slightly above it, and it's a system that will work well for both music and movies.

If your budget has been increased to $800, or if you insist on a sub, the only low cost sub I'd consider is the Onix X-Sub ( http://www.av123.com/products_produc...s&product=12.1 ).
Reply

Head-Fi's Best Sellers

post #32 of 95
9/24/06 at 10:21am
Thread Starter 
No center??? Isnt the center importants?

Edit: BTW
here is what I got from my research, but feel free to change anything:


amp:
http://www.accessories4less.com/cgi-bin/item/ONKHTR330S
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1134703786117
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1138083770470

front left/right(and rear):
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Infin...oductDetail.do
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1138085354138
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1099395865160

center:
not really sure, but here some:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Polk-...oductDetail.do
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Polk-...oductDetail.do
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1118840844386

subwofer:
http://www.pricegrabber.com/rating_g...6571/id_type=M
(I REALLY like that sub, but if enough people tell me its an overkill, I would go with a different one)
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Infin...oductDetail.do

OR

http://www.av123.com/products_produc...s&product=92.1
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Infin...oductDetail.do
Reply
post #33 of 95
9/24/06 at 11:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pcharouz
No center??? Isnt the center importants?
No. If you don't have a center channel, your receiver will redirect the center channel to the mains, which is fine. If you get good main speakers, they will have good dispersion characteristics and you don't need a center channel. In fact, most sideways MTM center channels have terrible off-axis lobing issues, and not using one is superior in small and medium-size rooms. (Note that this advice doesn't apply if you go with cheap mains instead of decent ones. A center channel makes sense if your fronts are low quality crossoverless single-driver speakers, which have terrible dispersion due to their inherent physical characteristics.)

If you want to read more about this, Siegfried Linkwitz has a good page discussing his experiments with a center channel. If you read down to the very end of the page, you'll see that he ended up discarding the center channel and leaving it in the garage:
http://www.linkwitzlab.com/surround_system.htm
Linkwitz is one of the godfathers of modern speaker design.

When you're on a limited budget, a center channel is unnecessary fluff.

Quote:
Edit: BTW
here is what I got from my research, but feel free to change anything:
I only checked the speaker links. None of those links worked for me.

I noticed you linked to the X-LS speaker system. That's a good system, and if you can afford it, it's a good choice. It pushes you over budget though since you'll need an amp.
Reply
post #34 of 95
9/24/06 at 12:32pm
Thread Starter 
I fixed the links, so check again, and the room is pretty large, 400-500 square ft, do you still think I dont need a center channel? If the main reason I am buying speakers is that I cannot understand people talking.

Can I use a normal(Front left/right) speaker instead of a center channel? Since they are cheaper.
Reply
post #35 of 95
9/24/06 at 5:51pm
Yes you can use a normal speaker. I would get a center channel in your situation. 20-23 feet per side is far too wide without a center channel if you have more than 1 person listening. I'm afraid that I'll have to part from conventional audiophile reasoning when it comes to critical listening with more than one or two persons. When there are enough people that people are sitting directly in front of the left or right speakers, or even beyond the boundary, a center channel would help.
Reply
post #36 of 95
9/24/06 at 6:23pm
Thread Starter 
I am down to:

Reciever:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1138083770470

front/rear, left/right:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1138085354138

center:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Polk-...oductDetail.do

sub:
http://www.pricegrabber.com/rating_g...6571/id_type=M


what speaker wires should I get?
Reply
post #37 of 95
9/24/06 at 7:39pm
Why don't you get another insignia for the center channel? That way you have the same sound all around. Get whatever wires you can afford. Radioshack 16ga or 18ga should be good enough for now. I don't know if they carry any lower than 16ga.
Reply
post #38 of 95
9/24/06 at 8:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pcharouz
I am down to:
definitely don't mix brands for the LCR speaker array. your center speaker should match your L/R speakers as closely as possible, or you'll get serious discontinuity.
Reply
post #39 of 95
9/24/06 at 8:13pm
Thread Starter 
is this fine? and you said "for now" but I really dont plan on changing it, since I need to put it on the wall and stuff.
speaker wire:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Nexxt...oductDetail.do

So I can use that insignia as a center? Does it matter that it doesnt have a tweeter(I dont know exactly how you call it, but the speaker that does highs)?

and if I buy another pair of those, should I do 6.1, or keep it 5.1 since most of the source is 5.1?
Reply
post #40 of 95
9/25/06 at 12:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pcharouz
So I can use that insignia as a center? Does it matter that it doesnt have a tweeter(I dont know exactly how you call it, but the speaker that does highs)?
The Insignias do have tweeters, they're just in the center of the midrange driver. This is called a coaxial design.

One Insignia would make an excellent center speaker -- better in fact than a sideways MTM.
Reply
post #41 of 95
9/25/06 at 12:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pcharouz
is this fine? and you said "for now" but I really dont plan on changing it, since I need to put it on the wall and stuff.
speaker wire:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Nexxt...oductDetail.do

So I can use that insignia as a center? Does it matter that it doesnt have a tweeter(I dont know exactly how you call it, but the speaker that does highs)?

and if I buy another pair of those, should I do 6.1, or keep it 5.1 since most of the source is 5.1?
High end speaker cable isn't going to yield a big enough difference with that system to justify the price. If you want something really good for the price pick up yourself some AR Pro II speaker cable from Best Buy. I have both the 12awg and 16awg and it offers a good price to performance ratio. Canare's 4S11 speaker cable is another great bargain.
Reply
post #42 of 95
9/25/06 at 4:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pcharouz
is this fine? and you said "for now" but I really dont plan on changing it, since I need to put it on the wall and stuff.
speaker wire:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Nexxt...oductDetail.do

So I can use that insignia as a center? Does it matter that it doesnt have a tweeter(I dont know exactly how you call it, but the speaker that does highs)?

and if I buy another pair of those, should I do 6.1, or keep it 5.1 since most of the source is 5.1?
Yes, use the insignia as a center, Wodgy is right on the money. That speaker wire is fine. You're going to need really long runs and if you buy anything semi decent, it's going to cost you a big wad of cash that I don't think can be justified.
Reply
post #43 of 95
9/26/06 at 6:56pm
Thread Starter 
Ok, I will use the insignia as a center.

two more questions:

1. What amp 7.1 channel amp in 300-400$ range should I get?(to power the insignias)

2. What would I do for outdoor speaker/s? Could I use the extra insignia I will have if I buy 3 pairs? Can I power the outdoor speakers from the living room amp? Do they sell any switches, so I can chose if I want sound playing out/in/both?
Reply
post #44 of 95
9/26/06 at 7:16pm
for less than $300, you can get a highly recommended panasonic digital amp... either the SA-XR55 or the SA-XR57. if you're not going to use HDMI, then look for the XR55 and save yourself $50.

honestly, it's one of the best bargains in AV. the sound quality is hard to beat for less than $1000.
Reply
post #45 of 95
9/26/06 at 7:56pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, anybody else agrees on the "panasonic SA-XR57"(IMO, more future profing)? I trust you, but I want more than one persong to tell me.

And what would I do for outdor speakers?
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home

Head-Fi's Best Sellers