Hi all,
I’ve been without a HT system for quite some time and am now back in the market for a new one. I was up-to-date on audio products a decade ago, but haven’t kept up since.
A brief history: I’ve had three previous HT speaker systems: 4 B&W DM302s with matching center and a Velodyne sub powered by a Denon receiver (nice sound, but the center was weak and the system struggled at high volumes), 4 Paradigm Mini Monitors with matching center with the same Velodyne sub and Denon receiver (very nice overall, but a bit bright at times) and 2 bi-amped PSB Stratus Goldis with matching Stratus C6i center and 2 Paradigm Mini Monitor rears with no sub and separates (gorgeous sound with some nice warmth).
This new system will be mostly for HT (I have a separate primary music system) and I’m thinking of going with 5 smaller speakers on stands and an SVS PB12-NSD sub due to the “bang for the buck” factor of small speakers and the SVS. (I haven’t heard the SVS sub, but it gets rave reviews, yet I’m open to other suggestions.) Floor standers are a possibility, albeit arguably superfluous since this will primarily be for HT, and decent floor standers aren’t cheap.
Some information about my current HT room and proposed system: The HT will be along a 10’ wall and face an 18’ long room with 12’ vaulted ceilings. The room is open on one side to another room that is 12’ wide and 18’ long with 8’ ceilings. The rooms have wood floors with some area rugs. Pre/Pro will probably be a Marantz AV7005 (it seems like a good value) and I have two H/K PA5800s for amps, although I’ll most likely only use one if I opt for smaller speakers.
I haven’t listened to any of the following speakers yet, but here are the packages I’m preliminarily considering:
5 Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1s (I assume they sell them individually? They have rave reviews and the quality and value looks impressive, but the small woofer makes me a bit nervous.)
5 Dynaudio Excite X12s (I’ve always liked everything about Dynaudio.)
5 Dynaudio DM 2/7s (The real wood veneers of the Excites would be nice, but the DM 2/7s appear to play louder and have larger woofers.)
4 Focal Chorus 806 Vs and the CC 800 V (It seems the cabinets and crossovers are superior to the 700s.)
4 Focal Chorus 706 Vs and the CC 700 V (I wonder how inferior the 700s actually are for HT.)
4 Vienna Acoustics Haydn Grand SEs and the Maestro Grand center (I love the veneers of these speakers, but they are considerably more expensive than the other speakers I’m considering and I question if they’re worth it for home theater.)
I’m interested in your opinions on these speaker packages and am open for suggestions on other speaker packages. I’m a big “identical drivers” fan and I’m only interested in speakers made in the US, Canada, and Europe. My budget is somewhat flexible, but I’m looking for value. Thanks in advance.
Edited by Justin Doring - 11/8/12 at 4:48pm
I’ve been without a HT system for quite some time and am now back in the market for a new one. I was up-to-date on audio products a decade ago, but haven’t kept up since.
A brief history: I’ve had three previous HT speaker systems: 4 B&W DM302s with matching center and a Velodyne sub powered by a Denon receiver (nice sound, but the center was weak and the system struggled at high volumes), 4 Paradigm Mini Monitors with matching center with the same Velodyne sub and Denon receiver (very nice overall, but a bit bright at times) and 2 bi-amped PSB Stratus Goldis with matching Stratus C6i center and 2 Paradigm Mini Monitor rears with no sub and separates (gorgeous sound with some nice warmth).
This new system will be mostly for HT (I have a separate primary music system) and I’m thinking of going with 5 smaller speakers on stands and an SVS PB12-NSD sub due to the “bang for the buck” factor of small speakers and the SVS. (I haven’t heard the SVS sub, but it gets rave reviews, yet I’m open to other suggestions.) Floor standers are a possibility, albeit arguably superfluous since this will primarily be for HT, and decent floor standers aren’t cheap.
Some information about my current HT room and proposed system: The HT will be along a 10’ wall and face an 18’ long room with 12’ vaulted ceilings. The room is open on one side to another room that is 12’ wide and 18’ long with 8’ ceilings. The rooms have wood floors with some area rugs. Pre/Pro will probably be a Marantz AV7005 (it seems like a good value) and I have two H/K PA5800s for amps, although I’ll most likely only use one if I opt for smaller speakers.
I haven’t listened to any of the following speakers yet, but here are the packages I’m preliminarily considering:
5 Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1s (I assume they sell them individually? They have rave reviews and the quality and value looks impressive, but the small woofer makes me a bit nervous.)
5 Dynaudio Excite X12s (I’ve always liked everything about Dynaudio.)
5 Dynaudio DM 2/7s (The real wood veneers of the Excites would be nice, but the DM 2/7s appear to play louder and have larger woofers.)
4 Focal Chorus 806 Vs and the CC 800 V (It seems the cabinets and crossovers are superior to the 700s.)
4 Focal Chorus 706 Vs and the CC 700 V (I wonder how inferior the 700s actually are for HT.)
4 Vienna Acoustics Haydn Grand SEs and the Maestro Grand center (I love the veneers of these speakers, but they are considerably more expensive than the other speakers I’m considering and I question if they’re worth it for home theater.)
I’m interested in your opinions on these speaker packages and am open for suggestions on other speaker packages. I’m a big “identical drivers” fan and I’m only interested in speakers made in the US, Canada, and Europe. My budget is somewhat flexible, but I’m looking for value. Thanks in advance.
Edited by Justin Doring - 11/8/12 at 4:48pm
