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Noob in need of help ASAP!

post #1 of 18
12/4/12 at 5:37pm
Thread Starter 
Hello everybody im in need of some good advice. Im extremely new to home audio and am looking for the best budget system I can get. First off, let me start off by saying I am upgrading from a cheap $350 dollar LG HTIB, so anything I get will be a huge improvement. My budget is around a thousand to $1200. This price must include everything (speakers, sub, avr, wires, and any shipping cost) My room size is 12'x18'x9' with a 5'x7' oppening leading into the dinning room. So for avr i was looking at denon 1613 or 1713. Ive actually already purchased Polk monitor 70, cs2, and 40 for rears. However, i havent heard them and now am second guessing my purchase due to the great reviews that the pioneer sp-fs52 pk system is getting. I've heard people say that the polk will go louder. Im not too concerned with how loud the speakers can go, I much prefer more detail. Which of these two systems will be clearer, detailed, and accurate. Also which one will go better with the receivers ive mentioned. Im also open to any other suggestions. As for sub, i havent a clue. If i go withe the pioneer system then ill just stick with that sub until i can afford a better one. Thank you for any responses
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post #2 of 18
12/4/12 at 6:37pm
Just don't spend a lot on wires !!

I think the consistent message you will get is to invest in speakers first and then the electronics as the speakers will influence the sound quality more.
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post #3 of 18
12/4/12 at 6:45pm
Thread Starter 
Hey thanks for the reply. Ive heard monoprice would be the best place for wires, is that correct? What speakers would you say would have better sound quality, polk or pioneer? Ive already purchased the polk from newegg, $510 for al l five speakers, but i can always return them if the pioneers would be better.
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post #4 of 18
12/4/12 at 7:13pm
I bought the Polk M60s on newegg on sale just to try out and I've gotta say I really like them for what I paid. Punchy bass, crisp highs, decent midrange. I'm giving them 200w+ from a Crown XLS1000. I ran them straight through the Denon before just to get an idea though and they still sounded nice. Midrange was a little less present but otherwise fine.

Polk gets a lot of mixed reviews online. Some hate it, some love it. Personally, I think, at the prices u can get Polk for on sale it's hard to beat.

However please DEAR GOD stay away from the lower line bookshelves from them. It is shocking how bad the m30s sound compared to the m60s and they're supposed to be somewhat equal. For towers, the monitor series is solid IMO but for bookshelves, jump up to the RTI line unless the m40s are a bit better than the m30s I have.
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post #5 of 18
12/4/12 at 7:25pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the advice Calvin Moore. So then maybe I should go with the pioneers since the denon is all the receiver i can afford. Ive already purchased the m70's which are bigger than m60's and probably require more power and according to your experience the m60's only sounded ok with a denon
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post #6 of 18
12/4/12 at 7:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gramm Kracka View Post

Thanks for the advice Calvin Moore. So then maybe I should go with the pioneers since the denon is all the receiver i can afford. Ive already purchased the m70's which are bigger than m60's and probably require more power and according to your experience the m60's only sounded ok with a denon

More than likely, the reason I say they only sounded ok on the Denon is because I had gotten used to them having the extra power from the Crown. I'm pretty sure that had I heard them on the receiver from the beginning, I'd be satisfied. I almost left them on the receiver the day I tried and thought about using the Crown to start up a nice DIY sub setup. That option is actually still on the table as I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do for a sub setup.

I can't comment on the Polk vs Pioneer thing too much as I have not tried the Pioneers, though, I would like to. But I kind of feel like the Polk M70s are more desirable to me due to them being more sensitive and I feel like they would provide more in the lower frequencies than the Pioneers given the same power. Also, if ever you decide to add an amp down the road, the Polks will only get better.
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post #7 of 18
12/4/12 at 7:55pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah i had thought of that option but what avr will i need that will allow for an amp. i dont think denon 1613 or 1713 has that capabiliy
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post #8 of 18
12/4/12 at 8:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gramm Kracka View Post

Yeah i had thought of that option but what avr will i need that will allow for an amp. i dont think denon 1613 or 1713 has that capabiliy

Really depends on how u plan to use it man. I use my setup for mostly music so stereo is fine for me. I set the receiver to multi channel stereo and used the surround back preouts for my amp. Worked perfectly and I only have the 1312 as of now. (Another deal I found and jumped on for the heck of it)
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post #9 of 18
12/4/12 at 8:10pm
You will have to decide/make your own decision - if someone recommends the Pioneer, there will
also be someone ready to jump in and vote for Polk .>> Also, some will make comments about the
Pioneer speakers based on the phase 1 series, and never having heard the phase 2. If you set the
overall loudness and bass level aside, the Pioneer phase 2 speakers are really nice, and with a nice
clear, and open detailed sound - and they do have some nice bass for their size. They do not have a
dark sounding midrange, and their new tweeter with the waveguide is real nice. I can also play them
loud in a big open room, with a nice receiver. > If you have a subwoofer, then the overall bass issue
is not a big deal.
Edited by zieglj01 - 12/4/12 at 8:50pm
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post #10 of 18
12/4/12 at 8:21pm
Thread Starter 
thanks for the input. im the type of person that likes to hear every detail when watching movies and listening to music, as opposed to someone that just wants to "rock out" with some loud speakers. i jumped on the polks after viewing many good reviews and with neweggs cyber monday deal. however now after seeing cnets review on the phase 2 pioneers, im really second guessing my decision. like i said though anything i get will be a vast improvement from lg htib. when you say you can play them loud with a nice receiver, what do you mean? does a denon 1613 or perhaps a refurbed 1912 count as a nice reveiver?
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post #11 of 18
12/4/12 at 8:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gramm Kracka View Post

when you say you can play them loud with a nice receiver, what do you mean? does a denon 1613 or perhaps a refurbed 1912 count as a nice reveiver?
The Denon 1912 would be a nice one.

My preference would be the 891
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/DENAVR891/DENON-AVR-891-7.1-Channel-105W-A/V-1.4-3D-Ready-Receiver/1.html
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post #12 of 18
12/4/12 at 8:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gramm Kracka View Post

Hello everybody im in need of some good advice. Im extremely new to home audio and am looking for the best budget system I can get. First off, let me start off by saying I am upgrading from a cheap $350 dollar LG HTIB, so anything I get will be a huge improvement. My budget is around a thousand to $1200. This price must include everything (speakers, sub, avr, wires, and any shipping cost) My room size is 12'x18'x9' with a 5'x7' oppening leading into the dinning room. So for avr i was looking at denon 1613 or 1713. Ive actually already purchased Polk monitor 70, cs2, and 40 for rears. However, i havent heard them and now am second guessing my purchase due to the great reviews that the pioneer sp-fs52 pk system is getting. I've heard people say that the polk will go louder. Im not too concerned with how loud the speakers can go, I much prefer more detail. Which of these two systems will be clearer, detailed, and accurate. Also which one will go better with the receivers ive mentioned. Im also open to any other suggestions. As for sub, i havent a clue. If i go withe the pioneer system then ill just stick with that sub until i can afford a better one. Thank you for any responses

That's a pretty good set up already. If you want better speakers I would suggest HTD or HSU, but that will cost you more.
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post #13 of 18
12/5/12 at 7:27pm
Thread Starter 
ill be using it mostly for ht and games with some music
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post #14 of 18
12/5/12 at 7:29pm
Thread Starter 
another thought i had was maybe going with energy take classic with a different sub than what comes with it. maybe energy s10.3, or hsu stf2. this way i can get everything i need and stay within my budget. what do you guys think of this setup?
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post #15 of 18
12/5/12 at 7:34pm
Infinity P363 x2 fronts ($220 on sale at Fry's)
Infinity Primus center ($200) (though IMO, it's worth trying without the center and with the receiver in phantom mode first. Sometimes the center improves things dramatically and sometimes makes them worse)
Infinity P162 x2 (or x4 if you want to go 7-channel) ($150) (or $300)
Onkyo or Denon AVR from Accessories4less (<$300)
Pair of Dayton 12" subs from Parts Express ($300)
Speaker wire from MonoPrice (trivial)

You are at $1170 for 5.2.
If you can skip the center, $970 for 4.2 and $1120 for 6.2

Since you already have 2 surrounds, you can cut $150 from that.

If you prefer: You can replace the Infinity's with the comparable Pioneers.
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post #16 of 18
12/5/12 at 10:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gramm Kracka View Post

another thought i had was maybe going with energy take classic with a different sub than what comes with it. maybe energy s10.3, or hsu stf2. this way i can get everything i need and stay within my budget. what do you guys think of this setup?

Not recommended
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post #17 of 18
12/6/12 at 7:59pm
Thread Starter 
it seems like a lot of people recommend those speakers on this forum. but, i can not find the p363 on frys.com and everywhere i check they are 400 for the pair. how would these compare to polk rti8? there is a local store that regularly puts these on sale for 350 a pair. i was thinking maybe starting with the fronts and center first and then pick up the rears later.
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post #18 of 18
12/6/12 at 8:09pm
You can substitute 362's for 363's; they are the same speaker.

Not on sale; you can get them at $400/pr http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Primus-P363-Three-way-Floorstanding/dp/B0046A8R3M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1354853295&sr=8-3&keywords=infinity+primus

I believe they compare favorably to the Polk's; though Polk fans will likely feel differently.
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