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Upgrading - current setup inside!

post #1 of 17
6/18/10 at 7:59am
Thread Starter 


Alright. Let me start off by saying that the room is definitely not the best for setting up a home theater. It's roughly 16ft x 11ft (TV on the long wall). On each end of the wall that the TV is on, there's a doorless entry (one to the kitchen, the other to a hallway). Back corner is the front door. Couch is directly against the back wall, centered with the TV, but slightly off center with the entire room.

Now, the equipment (don't laugh!)

Now, for my use, I watch a TON of movies and HD television, so I want to build a system with that in mind. My current system is just okay. The rears are terrible, but they produce at least some sound that grants me a bit of immersion. What I'm looking for is crisp audio, immersion, and punch (obviously).

I have a feeling I'm going to be piecing this together over the next 6 months, but I'd like to set a $1000 limit for now. My current bookshelves are stuck in the front stand, but I'd like to get the new speakers out in the open so they have more room.

I've been looking at some of the Ascend products, since I've heard good things about them.

I know it's generally frowned upon, but if best buy happens to carry any recommended speakers (even if it was only a part of the package), I'd be willing to go there. I've got $100 in gift cards as well as a credit card with them.

Thanks in advance!
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post #2 of 17
6/18/10 at 8:38am
With your room it looks like you'll be putting the L/R fronts right beside the A/V furniture so it doesn't interfering with the doorways. You'll need to make sure to account for purchasing speakers stands as well.

I'd re-use the p5's as your surround and concentrate on your front 3 and sub with your budget. I'd probably say go 200/ea for the speakers and about 300 for the sub. That'll give you a bit of wiggle room for stands or whatnot.

You could get the Ascend 170's as your front 3 and a eD a3s-250 sub for just under 1k.

Here's the recommended sub thread that'll give you a good many options in each price bracket. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1246684 I'd stick with HSU, eD, or Outlaw.

There are plenty of good speakers out there in the 200/ea range. Research and keep reading and you'll quickly be overwhelmed.
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post #3 of 17
6/18/10 at 8:58am
Thread Starter 
What's the opinion on Polk TSI300/400? Eliminates the need to purchase stands, and will free up my P5s for the surround speakers.

From a few minutes of searching, it sounds like people are okay with the speakers, but are always recommending something better. These appeal to me because I can pick them up on my card and get $100 off at best buy.

//Edit: Newegg is selling Monitor 60s for $139 each with 2.99 shipping. I guess the TSI 400s have the exact same tech with a different cabinet. Worth picking up a pair for half the price of the 400s?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-017-_-Product

//Edit2: OOOOOOR I can get the Monitor 70s for $199 each.
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post #4 of 17
6/18/10 at 9:35am
Just fyi, the Polk speakers are known to be "bright", meaning the upper ends are more pronounced and are often deemed "harsh" by some. One problem that can result from a bright speaker is ear fatigue, some people prefer this type of sound, others do not like it. You will find this characteristic with Polk speakers, and horn-loaded speakers like Klipsch and BIC Acoustech.
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post #5 of 17
6/18/10 at 9:37am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Transmaniacon View Post

Just fyi, the Polk speakers are known to be "bright", meaning the upper ends are more pronounced and are often deemed "harsh" by some. One problem that can result from a bright speaker is ear fatigue, some people prefer this type of sound, others do not like it. You will find this characteristic with Polk speakers, and horn-loaded speakers like Klipsch and BIC Acoustech.

Thanks. I tend to keep my treble up relatively high whenever I'm listening because I like the sharpness, so I have a feeling I would be just fine with this.
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post #6 of 17
6/18/10 at 9:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eclyps19 View Post



Alright. Let me start off by saying that the room is definitely not the best for setting up a home theater. It's roughly 16ft x 11ft (TV on the long wall). On each end of the wall that the TV is on, there's a doorless entry (one to the kitchen, the other to a hallway). Back corner is the front door. Couch is directly against the back wall, centered with the TV, but slightly off center with the entire room.

Now, the equipment (don't laugh!)

Now, for my use, I watch a TON of movies and HD television, so I want to build a system with that in mind. My current system is just okay. The rears are terrible, but they produce at least some sound that grants me a bit of immersion. What I'm looking for is crisp audio, immersion, and punch (obviously).

I have a feeling I'm going to be piecing this together over the next 6 months, but I'd like to set a $1000 limit for now. My current bookshelves are stuck in the front stand, but I'd like to get the new speakers out in the open so they have more room.

I've been looking at some of the Ascend products, since I've heard good things about them.

I know it's generally frowned upon, but if best buy happens to carry any recommended speakers (even if it was only a part of the package), I'd be willing to go there. I've got $100 in gift cards as well as a credit card with them.

Thanks in advance!

You're worrying about the room and the equipment but your speaker placement couldn't be worse if you tried . The mains should not be on the ground, and probably shouldn't be in the cabinet either. Get a couple stands to get the tweeters to ear height (and out of the cabinet) and there will likely be a vast improvement in terms of sound quality.
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post #7 of 17
6/18/10 at 9:40am
Yea it sounds like you would be fine with those. You can always go to Best Buy and listen to the TSi series to see how they sound to you, since they are the same speaker in an updated cabinet.

I think the Monitor 60s would be plenty for you, since you are getting a subwoofer too. Pair that with the CS2 center and you will be good to go.
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post #8 of 17
6/18/10 at 9:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cacophony777 View Post

You're worrying about the room and the equipment but your speaker placement couldn't be worse if you tried . The mains should not be on the ground, and probably shouldn't be in the cabinet either. Get a couple stands to get the tweeters to ear height (and out of the cabinet) and there will likely be a vast improvement in terms of sound quality.


I would do this as well just to hear the difference that placement can make. You should do this before you go out and audition new speakers to replace your current speakers. Your speakers (tweaters) should be at ear hight when your seated in your listening position to hear their full potential.
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post #9 of 17
6/18/10 at 9:50am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by cacophony777 View Post

You're worrying about the room and the equipment but your speaker placement couldn't be worse if you tried . The mains should not be on the ground, and probably shouldn't be in the cabinet either. Get a couple stands to get the tweeters to ear height (and out of the cabinet) and there will likely be a vast improvement in terms of sound quality.

I originally heard that turning the speakers around so they were pointing inside the cabinet would make the entire stand resonate and in effect making it a single giant speaker. That didn't work out for me too well.

(completely kidding)

My wife told me thats where the speakers need to go until we get new ones, and since she let me spend $1700 on a TV, I kind of have to just say "okay love". They used to be up higher with the previous setup, but I still wasn't too impressed with the quality. They weren't bad, but nothing amazing.
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post #10 of 17
6/18/10 at 9:52am
oh the WAF...
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post #11 of 17
6/18/10 at 9:55am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Transmaniacon View Post

oh the WAF...

I can only assume that the W means wife and the other letters stand for something that I shouldn't call her.
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post #12 of 17
6/18/10 at 9:56am
Haha no its nothing bad, Wife Acceptance Factor (WAF)
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post #13 of 17
6/18/10 at 10:03am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Transmaniacon View Post

Haha no its nothing bad, Wife Acceptance Factor (WAF)

got it

She is actually the one pushing for the new speakers. Her father has a terrible 7 or 8 speaker setup (yes, worse than mine) that has he uses in stereo. It's really just a massive combination of random satellite speakers he picked up at garage sales over the years. It gets LOUD and sounds like it's coming from everywhere, but that's about it.

I'll give it a couple more days, and I got a PM about someone selling their Ascend setup, but I'm really digging the Monitors. I'll stop by BB today to check out the TSI 400s.
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post #14 of 17
6/18/10 at 10:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eclyps19 View Post

got it

She is actually the one pushing for the new speakers. Her father has a terrible 7 or 8 speaker setup (yes, worse than mine) that has he uses in stereo. It's really just a massive combination of random satellite speakers he picked up at garage sales over the years. It gets LOUD and sounds like it's coming from everywhere, but that's about it.

I'll give it a couple more days, and I got a PM about someone selling their Ascend setup, but I'm really digging the Monitors. I'll stop by BB today to check out the TSI 400s.

I love my Monitor's. Also have a set of Infinity Primus 162's that are good. Heard lots of good things about the Primus floorstanders as well. They are normally said to be more "neutral" or "mellow" than the Polks. I cant tell the difference myself, but I do know the floorstanders have much more bass than the polks.

Might see what kinda prices you can get on those as well. But I still love the Monitors too (Own the Monitor 40's, 60's, CS2, CS1 and set of R50's). . Happy upgrading.....

BTW how is that TV doing? Looking at the Plasma market and wondering if you have had any of the issues other Panasonic owners have with the black levels getting lighter over time....
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post #15 of 17
6/18/10 at 10:29am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by EndersShadow View Post

BTW how is that TV doing? Looking at the Plasma market and wondering if you have had any of the issues other Panasonic owners have with the black levels getting lighter over time....

The TV is doing fantastic. I upgraded from a 42" Westinghouse LCD (yuck!) and will never go back to LCD. I will admit, the black levels are not not quite as good as they were when I first plugged it in, but they are still fantastic and look extremely black unless the room itself is pitch black. Even then, the color and picture is phenomenal. For the price (I paid a little over $1600 + shipping), you can't beat it.
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post #16 of 17
6/18/10 at 10:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eclyps19 View Post

The TV is doing fantastic. I upgraded from a 42" Westinghouse LCD (yuck!) and will never go back to LCD. I will admit, the black levels are not not quite as good as they were when I first plugged it in, but they are still fantastic and look extremely black unless the room itself is pitch black. Even then, the color and picture is phenomenal. For the price (I paid a little over $1600 + shipping), you can't beat it.

Yeah I had that exact model on my list (as well as the 65" S2). I can get the 65 for around 2k which I consider very very good.. Thanks for letting me know.
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post #17 of 17
6/18/10 at 2:43pm
Thread Starter 
soooo just got back from best buy. the TSI400 wasn't bad, but it was right next to the Klipsch VF-35, and tbh, that sounded way better. Unfortunately I can't seem to find it at a price I'm willing to pay at this point in time. I'm still looking around.

I'm thinking it sounded better to me because it had more bass, whereas the Polk had good sound, but lacked the thump. There wasn't a sub attached to the speakers when I was listening to them, so I can't really compare the difference with a sub going as well.

hmmmm........
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