Pioneer's Speaker Genius Hits Low Price Point - Page 4

Originally Posted by earthling121

Could I ping the learned members here for some advice? I am in the process of building my first HT system and after going through many threads in these forums over the last 15 days to say the least I am confused.

To make things simple I have decided on a pioneer 1120K receiver. Also my living room is huge (30'*20') and if I want a true 5.1 system the rears will have to be floor standing. I am struggling between a 3.1 vs 5.1 system. I definitely want the front speakers to be standing, need a good center and also a sub. My budget unfortunately is maybe 700-800 bucks. The pioneers fit in very nicely in this range. I am also evaluating polk monitor 70's and klipsch rf10's.

Could anyone please give me some advice on what a good 3.1 or 5.1 should include? My personal sense is that having integrated speakers in one big box would be more economical than buying the stuff piecemeal.

Thanks in advance

Originally Posted by vraxoin

The following setup would be just within your budget:

4 x Pioneer SP-FS51-LR (LR)
1 x Pioneer SP-C21 (C LS RS)
1 x Lava LSP12 (SUB) w/15% off AVS member code AVS Lava Thread

As you've already admitted, that is a very large room, so realistic expectations are in order. However, a modest system like this should still be quite enjoyable. A 2nd sub or much larger sub could be something to save for in the future.

Originally Posted by YOTR

I agree with you completely. I almost find myself trying to find what is wrong with these speakers. I normally don't shop at BB much and would normally never consider buying speakers from them (overpriced and very limited when it comes to selection).

Originally Posted by earthling121

Thanks a ton for your response. Could you give me some names of some high quality subs that come to mind? i may have some flexibility in tweaking the budget and/or wait for promotions. Also are the pioneer towers better than klipsch or polk monitors?

Thanks again

Originally Posted by earthling121

Thanks a ton for your response. Could you give me some names of some high quality subs that come to mind? i may have some flexibility in tweaking the budget and/or wait for promotions. Also are the pioneer towers better than klipsch or polk monitors?

Thanks again

Originally Posted by zieglj01

This is strange for a $89 per pair speaker. I managed to get the
terminal plate off - It has the look of 2nd order crossover. 2 coils,
2 capacitors (poly cap on the tweeter) and 2 resistors. There is
also a brace in the center - from the front baffle to the back wall.
I do not understand the pricing of this speaker. You can tell that
they were trying to make this a good speaker.

Originally Posted by Walkamo

I can tell you that it was a real challenge to hit the $89.00 price point. My original plan was to get to $79.00, however Andrew told me that he needed more money to get them to sound they way he needed them to... I just made our Margin extremely lean on most models...

Andrew had to leave early today, however he will begin answering questions here tomorrow... I also asked him to provide me with some measurements for each model. I will post them once I get them tomorrow hopefully...

My next project is to create very nice high quality HDMI 1.4 cables that don't break the bank (Not $10.00 cables), but cables that truly are different and many of them will be active (Super Thin) but are cheaper than the major brands... And try and eliminate all of the BS marketing that goes on with cables.... At Cedia I saw a certain company try and make the case that you need a 35Gbps cable for "Future HDTV Formats" : By future I am assuming they are talking about made up formats....



Chris

Originally Posted by Walkamo


I can tell you that it was a real challenge to hit the $89.00 price point. My original plan was to get to $79.00, however Andrew told me that he needed more money to get them to sound they way he needed them to... I just made our Margin extremely lean on most models...

Andrew had to leave early today, however he will begin answering questions here tomorrow... I also asked him to provide me with some measurements for each model. I will post them once I get them tomorrow hopefully...

My next project is to create very nice high quality HDMI 1.4 cables that don't break the bank (Not $10.00 cables), but cables that truly are different and many of them will be active (Super Thin) but are cheaper than the major brands... And try and eliminate all of the BS marketing that goes on with cables.... At Cedia I saw a certain company try and make the case that you need a 35Gbps cable for "Future HDTV Formats" : By future I am assuming they are talking about made up formats....

Chris

Originally Posted by palehorse

Did you happen to see my bipole/dipole question right after your first post here?

Originally Posted by Walkamo


Hi Palehorse,

Sorry I did not see your original question.. Right now I do not have anything planned for a dipole or bipole, however if these current speakers are successful I will be able to work on additional styles of speakers. I will talk with Andrew about your idea and see what he can come up that is thin and affordable.

Chris

Originally Posted by afrogt

Went to my local BB after work today. Took in my own CD's and the salesguy let me play with speakers as long as I wanted. The BS21s were positioned next to Polk T15s, Polk TSi100 and a Klipsch bookshelf speaker, maybe the Icon VB-15.

My observations:

1. First thing you notice is the build quality. These are well made solid speakers, the curved shape is like my Jamo E660 and E680 towers. Also similar to the Polk RtiA1 or A3 bookshelf speakers. Much better build quality than the Polk T15.

2. The metals grilles are unique. Doesn't look like they come off either. Neither a plus or minus. Distinct styling stands out from the other boxy speakers. At 12 3/4" they were taller than both Polk speakers.

3. Speakers have a low sensitivity of 84db. This was noticeable when switching back from the Polks and Klipsch which are much more sensitive. No way to equalize the volume between different sets. I'm sure the uninformed listener may prefer the other brands just based on initial loudness. The Pioneers are also 6 ohm speakers if that matters. My Jamos are 6 ohm and my Denon receiver doesn't have a problem with them. My HK doesnt either.

4. Sound is more neutral and balanced on the Pioneers. The Polks and Klipsch are bright! I still don't like the horn tweeters on Klipsch. When switching back and forth on music both the other brands annoyed me with their highs!

5. The BS21 didn't blow me away but for $89 I liked them better than the competitors. I wished I could have tested them against the Energy CB-5 in the Magnolia Audio room. Electronics Expo puts them on sale for under $100/pr on occasion. Pretty solid bass for a 4" driver on the BS21. Probably due to the large enclosure.

6. The Pioneers only have a 1 year warranty while the others have a 5 year warranty. I guess you have to make some concessions in order to build a $89/pr of speakers.

7. The FS51 towers sound really good. My only complaint is their height. At 31" they're kinda short so I had to squat down to get the tweeter at ear level. Still when switching back and forth between the FS51 and Klipsch and Polk towers, I liked the Pioneer better. I guess I just dont like a really bright speaker. The FS51 comes with an attached base plate so they're very sturdy. Should have no worries about kids knocking them over.

8. I think the real steal of the bunch is the C21 center. That's a big speaker and comes with dual 5.25" drivers for $79. The sound is nice and clear too. I managed to have the FS51, C21 and BS21 all powered on all the same time in All Channel Stereo using the Yamaha receiver connected to the speaker selector switchbox. I turned it up pretty loud and a few people came over to listen to War's Greatest Hits. I didn't have a subwoofer switched on but there was plenty of bass from the small towers.

9. The BB demo CD was a CD-R which must have been burned from low bitrate MP3's. the sound quality was way worse than my CD's and really takes away from the capabilties of the speakers. Bring your own music if you want to get the best from the speakers!

0. If you like an overly bright detailed speaker, the Pioneers may not be for you. Give them an honest listen before deciding. I like them.

Originally Posted by afrogt

Jamo E680 fronts are 40.5" tall and my E660 surrounds are 35" tall. Much better heights than the Pioneer tower.

Even the extra 2" from your RC-30s would probably help.

I wonder if Pioneer will come up with a taller tower with maybe 4 5.25 drivers? Although at $199/pr the current speaker is hard to beat.

The build quality is good, they have some weight to them (my RC-30's don't feel much heavier than them)

Originally Posted by afrogt

Weird because the specs say the Pioneer is 22.3 lbs and the RC-30 is 41lbs. does the height of the rc-30 include the platform and spike kit?

Originally Posted by YOTR


I agree the center is a steal at that price. I keep wondering what they comprised as it looks like they could have easily charged $150 for it.

Originally Posted by NYOKIE

would you all that have heard these say they would be a better sounds than a used acoustimass 16 6.1 i can get from a friend for about the same price?
im thinking 2 towers 2 bookshelves and 1 center, ive already got a decent sub

Originally Posted by NYOKIE

excellent ill have to go give them a listen, anything will beat the mixed up mess i have hooked up to my denon avr 2807 now im sure.
is there a mounting option on the book shelves or have to go with stands?

Originally Posted by NYOKIE

would you all that have heard these say they would be a better sounds than a used acoustimass 16 6.1 i can get from a friend for about the same price?
im thinking 2 towers 2 bookshelves and 1 center, ive already got a decent sub

Originally Posted by sylar911

Can anyone comment on how these speakers would match up with Pioneer VSX 1120 amp. This is the combo I am thinking of buying.

Anyone's thoughts or opinions would be apprecited.

Originally Posted by drewTT

hmmm...looking at the towers. the low sensitivity and low power handling doesn't really appeal to the head banger in me but the price is very nice.