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Best Brands for HT Speakers between 10K and 20K (including 2 subs)...

post #1 of 32
9/10/12 at 10:13pm
Thread Starter 
Hi All,
I have approx 20K to spend on speakers for my new HT. Not being well versed in this sort of thing, I was wondering what brands I should narrow my search to. My room is large, 20 X 30. I'd like my side speakers to be on-wall (firing downward) and my rears in-ceiling. The fronts and subs will be behind the screen.
Any thoughts you might have would be SINCERELY appreciated!
Thanks, ECINOC.
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post #2 of 32
9/11/12 at 5:29am
I would suggest the PSB Synchrony One speakers for the front, and the PSB CW383 for the in-wall installations. The Synchrony One C can be used for the center speaker.

You should be able to buy those for around $10K.
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post #3 of 32
9/11/12 at 6:21am
Is that a dedicated HT room? How important would be the looks of the speaker? How loud you would listen ? Do you have amp/receivers etc? 5.2/7.2/... ?
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post #4 of 32
9/11/12 at 10:20am
Here you go...

http://www.jamesloudspeaker.com/index.cfm?page=help
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post #5 of 32
9/11/12 at 10:32am
Take a look at Triad
http://www.triadspeakers.com/products/intropagelcrscenter.html
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post #6 of 32
9/11/12 at 10:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by zieglj01 View Post

Take a look at Triad
http://www.triadspeakers.com/products/intropagelcrscenter.html

Good suggestion.............

3Triad Gold LCR + 4 Triad Gold Surrounds + whatever subs you choose would be in the ballpark.............

I suggest taking a look at this product:

http://www.adam-audio.com/en/installation/products/gtc88/description
http://www.hometheater.com/content/adam-audio-gtc77-speaker-system

Sometime early next year Adam is coming out with enclosed in-walls to match the GTC series.........................Adam monitors are exemplary. I haven't heard the GTC's but really, really want to! BTW, the review is for the GTC 77's..........the 88's have more SPL and extension.
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post #7 of 32
9/11/12 at 6:25pm
Thread Starter 
Hi Jay...

Yes, the speakers are for a dedicated home theater. I am thinking 7.2 at this stage. And no, I have not bought any amps yet. As for how loud, well, I have 2 teenage boys...

-ECinOC
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post #8 of 32
9/11/12 at 9:08pm
If you have $20k budget just for speakers I'd start with a decent design first. AVS has a service for $600 which should be a great start. Spending this much on speakers and not putting something into the room for acoustics is a waste. If you are building the room I would look at construction plans for the room and do it right.
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post #9 of 32
9/11/12 at 9:33pm
+1, The budget needs to be allocated into 4 categories - room acoustics, sub, speakers & electronics - in that order
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post #10 of 32
9/11/12 at 9:50pm
Thread Starter 
Granted, looking first at room acoustics makes sense. And I have seats on 3 levels: floor level, Riser 1, and Riser 2. I have investigated installing bass traps into the front of Riser 1 and will probably get that going soon. (Yes, the HT is new construction.) The walls will be a combination of sound absorbing fabrics and padding with hard surface in a few areas. Of course there is a lot more that can and probably should be done and as a General Contractor believe that anything worthy of doing right is worthy of ripping out and doing again!

That said, it seems like common sense to start with speakers (before subs), then subs, and then finalize equipment. I am not an "audio" person and want to make sure I haven't overlooked a speaker brand that given my limited experience could easily miss.

I sincerely appreciate being told about Adam audio and Triad, both examples of speaker companies that appear to be GREAT but I had not heard of before. Are there others? Please let me know! Thanks, ECinOC
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post #11 of 32
9/12/12 at 3:26am
Genelec, Procella, JBL Synthesis are others to consider but honestly it is a big mistake to look at equipment at this point with new construction. I'd look at.

http://www.erskine-group.com/

http://www.pmiltd.com/

http://www.questai.com/home.php

If you are not going to change your construction then look at this as a minimum.
http://shop.avscience.com/Pro-Theater-Layout_p_44.html

But, once you get a good design and hopefully construct your room for the best performance then you will know the best parameters for your equipment. You are flying blind now.

What area do you live in? There are other good designers but some only work locally that is why I ask.
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post #12 of 32
9/12/12 at 3:37am
Danley, all the way.

http://www.danleysoundlabs.com/

The DTS-10 tapped horn sub kit is back on for a limited time. If you are even remotely handy, these are very easy to assemble. There is no way you could come close to this performance for 4-5X the price.
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post #13 of 32
9/12/12 at 5:45am
JTR or seaton speakers - both raved for their HT capabilities & for both speakers & sub
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post #14 of 32
9/12/12 at 7:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by flyng_fool View Post

Danley, all the way.

http://www.danleysoundlabs.com/

The DTS-10 tapped horn sub kit is back on for a limited time. If you are even remotely handy, these are very easy to assemble. There is no way you could come close to this performance for 4-5X the price.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jaymalya View Post

JTR or seaton speakers - both raved for their HT capabilities & for both speakers & sub

All great choices for dynamic HT and music reproduction.

Cheers!
-- Bill --
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post #15 of 32
9/12/12 at 7:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobL View Post

If you have $20k budget just for speakers I'd start with a decent design first. AVS has a service for $600 which should be a great start. Spending this much on speakers and not putting something into the room for acoustics is a waste. If you are building the room I would look at construction plans for the room and do it right.

I was going to recommend the exact same service. After you get a professional to help layout your room, for speakers I would consider:
Triad
JTR
Danley

If we are mostly talking home theater here. I would not do in-ceiling rears, I would do in-wall and the Erskine group can assist with these types of questions, along with how to treat the room.

When designing a room you need to decide upfront if you are trying to soundproof or not. Lots of good info here:
http://www.soundproofingcompany.com/

I would also visit this subforum. Lots of good ideas for room layout, speakers, sound isolation/treatment:
http://www.avsforum.com/f/19/dedicated-theater-design-construction
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post #16 of 32
9/12/12 at 7:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaymalya View Post

JTR or seaton speakers - both raved for their HT capabilities & for both speakers & sub

+1

JTR Captivors and Seaton Submersives are considered some of the best subs one can buy for HT. The Submersives have better aesthetics if that is an issue.

Be sure to research and ask questions in the AVS subwoofer forum for more info and to explore alternatives.
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post #17 of 32
9/12/12 at 10:39pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you all for your comments. You have given me A LOT of things to look into. So far I have been VERY impressed with the Adam Audio reviews for their GTC series. Triads sound amazing as well. While "best" is a subjective term, I wonder if the GTC line is comparable to the JTR's and the Seatons? The Adam Audio review was very strong. That said, I'm not sure Adam's subs are equal to either the above mentioned JTR Captivors or Seaton Submersives. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

As for speaker placement for my rears, unfortunately my room cannot accomodate in-wall rears due to an uneven back wall. They will have to be in-ceiling if they are to be equal distance from the screen. Even if this wasn't important, I still could not accomodate in-walls - there simply isn't space for them on one side of the room.

Yes, I am putting in effort to soundproof the space. I have used (and please don't laugh at me if this is just worthless marketing B.S.) THX approved drywall through-out. I used two varieties, one 5/8's thick and the other is over an inch, heavy as h*ll, and expensive to boot. In addition I've used some reddish and bluish soundproofing putty to seal an extra layer of drywall in some ceiling areas. In these areas there will be an air-pocket separating drywall layers. All in all, I think I've done an amazing job, especially when you consider I have no idea what I'm doing! Of course it's probably all wrong. I know that. But at least me it's mine all wrong and say what you will, there is a certain satisfaction in that (for me, anyway.) Like Frank, I can say, "I did it my way..."

I will certainly look into all your suggestions and do sincerely appreciate any comments on anything I've written here. I really do. You are all truly a bunch of good eggs.

-ECinOC
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post #18 of 32
9/12/12 at 10:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ECinOC View Post

Thank you all for your comments. You have given me A LOT of things to look into. So far I have been VERY impressed with the Adam Audio reviews for their GTC series. Triads sound amazing as well. While "best" is a subjective term, I wonder if the GTC line is comparable to the JTR's and the Seatons? The Adam Audio review was very strong. That said, I'm not sure Adam's subs are equal to either the above mentioned JTR Captivors or Seaton Submersives. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

If you are serious about subs, then you should be asking questions in the AVS subwoofer forum. Lot of the sub enthusiast do not follow the AVS speaker forum.
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post #19 of 32
9/12/12 at 11:01pm
These threads may help, too:

http://www.avsforum.com/t/759877/seaton-sound-submersive1
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1186832/jtr-captivator

And then this test database for subs:

http://www.data-bass.com/systems
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post #20 of 32
9/13/12 at 5:14am
If you look at the data-bass results, you'll notice that the Danley DTS-10 is at the top of the heap. biggrin.gif Of course I'm not trying to push the DTS-10 on you or anything.tongue.gif

And the kit is back on sale. Retail is 4K passive, 5K with plate amp. Last time the kit was 1K plus shipping and then you have to supply an amp. It's CNC machined and very easy to put together, if I can do it then any bonehead can.
Edited by flyng_fool - 9/13/12 at 5:19am
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post #21 of 32
9/13/12 at 6:49am
While the DTS-10 certainly has its bragging rights for max SPL, I would imagine in a room the size of the OPs that dual Submersives or Captivators would work better than one DTS-10 for a HT build. Unless of course the goal is to build a giant one seat man cave. wink.gif

To the OP: Dual subs can help to provide a flatter frequency response and more uniform bass response across a wider seating area.
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post #22 of 32
9/13/12 at 12:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cel4145 View Post

While the DTS-10 certainly has its bragging rights for max SPL, I would imagine in a room the size of the OPs that dual Submersives or Captivators would work better than one DTS-10 for a HT build. Unless of course the goal is to build a giant one seat man cave. wink.gif
To the OP: Dual subs can help to provide a flatter frequency response and more uniform bass response across a wider seating area.
Then get two DTS-10's! biggrin.gif
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post #23 of 32
9/13/12 at 10:31pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by flyng_fool View Post

Then get two DTS-10's! biggrin.gif

I had planned on having two subs. Is it over-kill to have 2 DTS-10's for a room 20' X 30'?
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post #24 of 32
9/14/12 at 12:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ECinOC View Post

Hi All,
I have approx 20K to spend on speakers for my new HT. Not being well versed in this sort of thing, I was wondering what brands I should narrow my search to. My room is large, 20 X 30. I'd like my side speakers to be on-wall (firing downward) and my rears in-ceiling. The fronts and subs will be behind the screen.
Any thoughts you might have would be SINCERELY appreciated!
Thanks, ECINOC.

Hi ECINOC,
You are fortunate to have a dedicated space to work with. You should check out the dedicated HT build threads as there are many fine examples there and some great ideas. I built my HT "my way" too and for the most part I am happy with the results and sound. If you live close to any forum member who has built an HT you like, you should try and go visit. Hearing and seeing them in person is a real eye opener.
Best of luck to you and enjoy the journey. cool.gif
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post #25 of 32
9/14/12 at 4:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ECinOC View Post

I had planned on having two subs. Is it over-kill to have 2 DTS-10's for a room 20' X 30'?
Having two subs is not necessarily for getting more output, although you do get some, it is primarily for evening the response throughout the listening area so you don't have weak bass at some seats and overwhelming bass at others.

Either sub would work, however the Submersives are more plug and play, while the DTS-10 require some playing with the EQ to get them to have a nice flat response. Audyssey alone doesn't seem to be able to do this well. But if you got an Antimode 8033 then it could do it for you. But then again, it's another expense. The neat thing about the DTS-10 is that it is only 16" wide. It would easily fit behind a screen. The bad thing is that the other dimensions are 45" and 67". It is very, very large. If you don't care about its size or if you can hide it then it's not a problem.
Edited by flyng_fool - 9/14/12 at 4:44am
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post #26 of 32
9/14/12 at 6:36am
Or get two funk audio subs (18")
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post #27 of 32
9/14/12 at 6:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaymalya View Post

Or get two funk audio subs (18")

I'm totally addicted to my dual Funk 18.0 subs. Absolutely intoxicating. Mesmerizing.
Edited by AcuDefTechGuy - 9/14/12 at 6:51am
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post #28 of 32
9/14/12 at 2:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AcuDefTechGuy View Post

I'm totally addicted to my dual Funk 18.0 subs. Absolutely intoxicating. Mesmerizing.
No doubt about it, Funks are funktastic!biggrin.gif
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post #29 of 32
9/14/12 at 2:59pm
My vote has to go to the Klipsch THX Ultra2 7.2 system:

I personally have all Klipsch, and the horn sound is incredibly theatrical.

http://www.klipsch.com/thx-ultra2-home-theater-system

I would add two SVS PB-13's as well:

http://www.svsound.com/view-all?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=12#.UFOoXbZ5mSM

This setup will absolutely whipe the floor with anything in its price range (imho).

cool.gifbiggrin.gif
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post #30 of 32
9/14/12 at 3:50pm
MKTheater liked the SHO-10's a lot better.
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