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Need some advice for my setup

post #1 of 7
11/25/12 at 10:10pm
Thread Starter 
Hey guys,

I'm new around here, and I'm looking to get some advice. Seems like there are tons of knowledgable members around here! I'm trying to setup my sound while taking advantage of some Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals.

I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to speakers and receivers, but I just got a new 60" LED TV and would like to hook up some nice sound around it.

Here are some basics:

1. Budget:around $500-750
2. How many speakers: I'm open to this... I just want good sound that can be felt throughout the room.
4. Any speaker size limitations: not really; I'm open to towers and all kinds of stuff.
5. Main use: a little bit of everything: movies, PS3, and music (rap, pop)

Best Buy has the Klipsch Floor Speakers for sale and they are getting some great reviews:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Klipsch+-+Icon+Dual+8%22+2-Way+Floor+Speaker+(Each)/2138273.p?id=1218310758886&skuId=2138273

Normally $450 per speaker, but it's discounted to $225. I was thinking about grabbing two of these.

Ideally, I'd like to pair them with this Subwoofer:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Klipsch+-+8%22+350W+Powered+Subwoofer/9502629.p?id=1218115621097&skuId=9502629&ky=2oh0NrwOl4j1qjMx3Oy2gXfVGhMUl0WiJ&utm_campaign=bazaarvoice&utm_medium=Default&utm_source=RatingsAndReviews&utm_content=Default#tab=overview

It's $370 so a bit pricey for me. I might go for this one that's cheaper, or another one you guys would recommend.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Polk+Audio+-+10%22+200W+Powered+Subwoofer+-+Black/8826103.p?id=1207352528863&skuId=8826103&st=Cyber_Sale_Home_Theater_101354&cp=1&lp=13#tab=overview

Anyways, I would still need a receiver. I'm hearing a lot of talk about Yokohama receivers. Are there any in particular I should get? What's going to allow my speakers to live up to their potential while not costing me a lot?

Also, does anyone know what I should ideally pair up those floor speakers with? I don't want to spend too much. Since I don't know what the sound is like, does anyone have any recommendations? Do I need a soundbar or additional side speakers, or would two floor speakers work with just one nice subwoofer? Or could I even go without the subwoofer?

Thanks in advance. Looking forward to your answers.
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post #2 of 7
11/26/12 at 6:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by adizlaja View Post

Hey guys,

I'm new around here, and I'm looking to get some advice. Seems like there are tons of knowledgable members around here! I'm trying to setup my sound while taking advantage of some Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals.

I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to speakers and receivers, but I just got a new 60" LED TV and would like to hook up some nice sound around it.

Here are some basics:

1. Budget:around $500-750
2. How many speakers: I'm open to this... I just want good sound that can be felt throughout the room.
4. Any speaker size limitations: not really; I'm open to towers and all kinds of stuff.
5. Main use: a little bit of everything: movies, PS3, and music (rap, pop)

Best Buy has the Klipsch Floor Speakers for sale and they are getting some great reviews:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Klipsch+-+Icon+Dual+8%22+2-Way+Floor+Speaker+(Each)/2138273.p?id=1218310758886&skuId=2138273

Normally $450 per speaker, but it's discounted to $225. I was thinking about grabbing two of these.

Ideally, I'd like to pair them with this Subwoofer:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Klipsch+-+8%22+350W+Powered+Subwoofer/9502629.p?id=1218115621097&skuId=9502629&ky=2oh0NrwOl4j1qjMx3Oy2gXfVGhMUl0WiJ&utm_campaign=bazaarvoice&utm_medium=Default&utm_source=RatingsAndReviews&utm_content=Default#tab=overview

It's $370 so a bit pricey for me. I might go for this one that's cheaper, or another one you guys would recommend.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Polk+Audio+-+10%22+200W+Powered+Subwoofer+-+Black/8826103.p?id=1207352528863&skuId=8826103&st=Cyber_Sale_Home_Theater_101354&cp=1&lp=13#tab=overview

Your balance of costs between the main speakers and the subwoofer is suboptimal . An 8" subwoofer is generally a joke.

You are basically talking about spending about $900 on speakers.

The best price/performance in speakers is related to subwoofers. If you have a competent subwoofer you don't need floor standing speakers. Some good but fairly humble appearing bookshelves can do the job.

I can better explain the sonic benefits of $500+ spent well on a better subwoofer, as opposed to $200, than the same thing for main speakers. There are some very credible bookshelves being sold for nearly fire sale prices - Infinity Primus P163.

http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Primus-Two-way-Bookshelf-Satellite/dp/B0045NCB32/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353939569

Polk seems to have some good subwoofers in the $500 range. For web sellers, Hsu is a good place to start. This is a competitive area, so good choices abound. Others may chime in with alternatives.
Quote:
Anyways, I would still need a receiver.

Yup, but this is not necessarily a place to blow your wad, especially given your total system budget.
Quote:
I'm hearing a lot of talk about Yokohama receivers.

Hmm voices in your head? ;-)

I can't even google one instance of Yokohama receiver!

You sure you don't mean Yamaha?
Quote:
Are there any in particular I should get? What's going to allow my speakers to live up to their potential while not costing me a lot?

I see two logical paths for receivers. One is to go with the bottom end of any good manufacturer's AVRs which run $200-300. Yahama, Pioneer, Onkyo and others can be very competitive.

The other is to look for receivers in the $450 and up territory, whose additional price can be justified on the basis of the superior automatic system adjustment facilities that they have.

The king in this area is probably Audyssey XT-32. This choice will cut your brand options down because Yamaha and Pioneer have their own brands which don't seem to really compare.

Also remember that room acoustics and speaker placement are very important. When you start optimizing your system you may want to learn about things like Bass traps and the like... Money, money, money! You asked! ;-)
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post #3 of 7
11/26/12 at 7:55am
Thread Starter 
First of all, thank you very, very much for the thoughtful response! Very helpful man! smile.gif
Quote:
Originally Posted by arnyk View Post

Your balance of costs between the main speakers and the subwoofer is suboptimal . An 8" subwoofer is generally a joke.
You are basically talking about spending about $900 on speakers.
Good point. Didn't really know what a good amount was to spend on a subwoofer.

Quote:
The best price/performance in speakers is related to subwoofers. If you have a competent subwoofer you don't need floor standing speakers. Some good but fairly humble appearing bookshelves can do the job. I can better explain the sonic benefits of $500+ spent well on a better subwoofer, as opposed to $200, than the same thing for main speakers. There are some very credible bookshelves being sold for nearly fire sale prices.
OK, so I'm better off getting a good subwoofer and passing on the floor speakers? Should I go with that $340 sub-woofer from Best Buy I posted, or is there a better deal out there. I'm not sure which one to get to be honest.

Quote:
Infinity Primus P163.
http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Primus-Two-way-Bookshelf-Satellite/dp/B0045NCB32/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353939569
So a good subwoofer + a couple of these bookshelf speakers should give me the majority of my system. Do I need anything else? What's missing here or would this be enough sound? It seems we need a soundbar or something at the front, or would you place the bookshelf speakers in a way so you could skip on the other stuff?

Quote:
Polk seems to have some good subwoofers in the $500 range. For web sellers, Hsu is a good place to start. This is a competitive area, so good choices abound. Others may chime in with alternatives.
Do I need to go into the $500 range? I'm fine spending $500 on a subwoofer if you think it will be the key to my sound system and if you think $500 is much better than $300 or less for a subwoofer. I'm just a little worried about the stuff I'll put around the subwoofer while still keeping my costs modest.

As far as HSU goes, are their lower priced packages something I should go for to make the overall purchase simpler, or are only their subs good? Here is the packages page (bottom has the cheaper stuff): http://www.hsuresearch.com/packages.html

Quote:
You sure you don't mean Yamaha?
LOL... yes, yes, I sure did. haha

Quote:
I see two logical paths for receivers. One is to go with the bottom end of any good manufacturer's AVRs which run $200-300. Yahama, Pioneer, Onkyo and others can be very competitive.
The other is to look for receivers in the $450 and up territory, whose additional price can be justified on the basis of the superior automatic system adjustment facilities that they have.
The king in this area is probably Audyssey XT-32. This choice will cut your brand options down because Yamaha and Pioneer have their own brands which don't seem to really compare.
Also remember that room acoustics and speaker placement are very important.
I think I might go with the bottom end option from a good manufacturer. I kinda wish I snatched up the deal on Amazon for the Yahama receiver. It was originally $499 but was down to $299 the other day. Missed it. Any specific receivers in the bottom range that are best value?
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post #4 of 7
11/26/12 at 9:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by arnyk View Post

Hmm voices in your head? ;-)
I can't even google one instance of Yokohama receiver!
You sure you don't mean Yamaha?)


LoL, good one!
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post #5 of 7
11/28/12 at 11:19am
Thread Starter 
Bump. Any other advice guys?
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post #6 of 7
11/29/12 at 4:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by adizlaja View Post

Bump. Any other advice guys?

If you want some action, do something actual and report back. ;-)
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post #7 of 7
11/30/12 at 7:36pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by arnyk View Post

If you want some action, do something actual and report back. ;-)

Well, I did respond back in my detailed post asking further questions regarding the comments that were made.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1441390/need-some-advice-for-my-setup#post_22626782

I will go to Best Buy to get a feel for the different sounds.

If anyone has any other setup tips, I'd love to hear back. smile.gif
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