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Starting my first home theater setup, need advice!

post #1 of 27
2/12/13 at 8:46pm
Thread Starter 
First, let me start by saying I'm on a budget so I really need entry level type advice. I just bought a Denon AVR 1913 for $299 at BB, price matched Fry's plus open box. I also bought a JBL SUB150P subwoofer for $149 off Newegg. Then I bought, DON'T LAUGH, the Sony SS F6000 tower speakers that Fry's has for $107 a pair...it was too cheap a deal to pass up and it will do for me for now. They actually don't sound too bad at all, I'll upgrade them eventually. This is in my living room which opens up to the kitchen, the living room is 22' x 20'. System will mainly be used for TV and movies and occasionally music. I'm not sure if I want to go with 7.1 or 5.1 just yet.

What do you recommend for a center channel and surround rears? You kind of see my budget above so I'm probably looking for something along the lines of $200 or less for a pair of surrounds. Not quite sure what's reasonable for a value center channel speaker.

Setup so far:
Receiver - Denon AVR 1913
Sub - JBL SUB150P
Fronts - Sony SS F6000 towers
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post #2 of 27
2/12/13 at 10:35pm
You did good, until you got to those Sony towers.... Doesnt really matter what the price is, theyre junk. I would take them back.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PAIR-Monitor-50-BLACK-Tower-Speakers-Polk-Audio-/360587744004?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item53f4b45304

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EACH-CS1-BLACK-Center-Channel-Speaker-Polk-Audio-/390532638149?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item5aed8f25c5

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PAIR-OWM3-BLACK-Multi-application-speakers-POLK-AUDIO-/230925283593?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item35c4383109
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post #3 of 27
2/13/13 at 7:01am
Thread Starter 
HA! So the Sony's need to go back huh....would it be weird to get the polk center to go with these Sony's though? I was told something about trying to match center and towers for true sound reasons(?). Those OWM3's are pretty big for surround rears, 10" x 7", maybe they just sound big? Thanks for all the links to stuff, I like the price and review on that CS1.
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post #4 of 27
2/13/13 at 7:09am
The Polk center will sound completely different then the Sony towers, so a match isnt possible. There really isnt a point i trying to hodge-podge a mis-matched system together, you end up spending more in the long run when you have to buy everything over again.

The surrounds are pretty thin, and wall mountable.

The Polks are decent quality budget speakers available for really cheap....
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post #5 of 27
2/13/13 at 7:24am
Thread Starter 
Man you're making me want to return these sony's now. I noticed the OWM3's you linked are factory refurbished. Amazon has them brand new for 99.99, would you have any reservations going refurbished to save 20 bucks? Sorry for the dumb questions, I'm a newbie to all this.
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post #6 of 27
2/13/13 at 7:26am
I agree with the Polk Monitor suggestions. I feel that they offer a slightly better quality for the money you spend than the Sony speakers.

If you do plan on watching many movies, you really want to get a matching center; it can make a big difference.

As for the OWM3's, they are incredibly shallow, so wall-mounting or corner-mounting works great.
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post #7 of 27
2/13/13 at 7:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas10 View Post

Man you're making me want to return these sony's now. I noticed the OWM3's you linked are factory refurbished. Amazon has them brand new for 99.99, would you have any reservations going refurbished to save 20 bucks? Sorry for the dumb questions, I'm a newbie to all this.

Keep an eye on the OWM3's at newegg.com. They frequently go on sale (new) for $69.99 a pair. (If you don't mind white)
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post #8 of 27
2/13/13 at 7:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas10 View Post

First, let me start by saying I'm on a budget so I really need entry level type advice. I just bought a Denon AVR 1913 for $299 at BB, price matched Fry's plus open box. I also bought a JBL SUB150P subwoofer for $149 off Newegg. Then I bought, DON'T LAUGH, the Sony SS F6000 tower speakers that Fry's has for $107 a pair...it was too cheap a deal to pass up and it will do for me for now. They actually don't sound too bad at all, I'll upgrade them eventually. This is in my living room which opens up to the kitchen, the living room is 22' x 20'. System will mainly be used for TV and movies and occasionally music. I'm not sure if I want to go with 7.1 or 5.1 just yet.

What do you recommend for a center channel and surround rears? You kind of see my budget above so I'm probably looking for something along the lines of $200 or less for a pair of surrounds. Not quite sure what's reasonable for a value center channel speaker.

Setup so far:
Receiver - Denon AVR 1913
Sub - JBL SUB150P
Fronts - Sony SS F6000 towers

Heya,

If you switch to polk monitors (and that's a good recommendation), I would suggest you put quite a bit into your center channel. People often skimp on the center and put more into their mains when starting out. But if you're going to listen to TV/Movies and less so much straight music, the center channel is very important in movies. I would say try and get a Polk CS2 for that duty at your budget. As for surrounds, something small and inexpensive, you don't need much for surrounds as they really don't contain/render nearly as much information in movies. Maybe some Polk Monitor 30's on sale (usually go on sale at NewEgg).

Very best,
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post #9 of 27
2/13/13 at 7:38am
Thread Starter 
I saw that actually but everything else will be black and the walls they were going to go on aren't white.....unless I ceiling mounted them. Hmmm, you think that would look weird to have everything black but then whites on the ceiling?
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post #10 of 27
2/13/13 at 9:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas10 View Post

I saw that actually but everything else will be black and the walls they were going to go on aren't white.....unless I ceiling mounted them. Hmmm, you think that would look weird to have everything black but then whites on the ceiling?

Depends on the room. The white worked well in mine because the trim is white, the ceiling is white and the doors are white. My main speakers are black, but they are next to the TV, so they look good there. The rear speakers, being white, look good where they are because they blend with what's around them.
I'd say it's a personal thing. smile.gif
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post #11 of 27
2/13/13 at 9:31am
Thread Starter 
I went ahead and bought the Polk OWM3's from Newegg for $69 for my surrounds. However, I noticed those monitor 50s from Polk are refurbished too, thought they were new. What do you guys think of the Pioneer FS52 towers, some folks liked them better than the Monitor 60s, other threads and research etc. They're only 125, so 250 for brand new versus 200 for refurbished Polks. If I decided to go this route what center would be best?
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post #12 of 27
2/13/13 at 9:44am
Just stick with the matching Pioneer center, the C22. They are very good budget speakers, and a lot of people really enjoy them.
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post #13 of 27
2/13/13 at 9:54am
I compared the Polk m40s directly against the Pioneer first generation towers (FS51?), about 1.5 years ago and I liked the Polk much better. I felt like the Pioneers were muffled somewhat. I haven't heard the new Polk M series and haven't heard the new Pioneer. Lot of people like the Pioneer, however
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post #14 of 27
2/13/13 at 11:16am
Either one (polk, Pioneer) will be fine. Just get the matching center.

I wouldn't worry about refurbs though, they're speakers not complicated electronics.
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post #15 of 27
2/13/13 at 11:22am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all the advice guys, here's what I just did: Bought the Pioneer sp-c22 from TigerDirect for $67.99 and also picking up the Pioneer FS52's for $97 each, had them price matched! So my setup will be, with cost:

Denon AVR 1913 $299 (actually paid $239 after BB reward points I had)
JBL SUB150P $149
Pioneer SP-C22 $67.99
Pioneer SP-FS52 (2 towers) $97 each
Polk OWM3 (2 rears) $69 for pair

$750ish after tax total

How'd I do?
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post #16 of 27
2/13/13 at 11:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas10 View Post

Thanks for all the advice guys, here's what I just did: Bought the Pioneer sp-c22 from TigerDirect for $67.99 and also picking up the Pioneer FS52's for $97 each, had them price matched! So my setup will be, with cost:

Denon AVR 1913 $299 (actually paid $239 after BB reward points I had)
JBL SUB150P $149
Pioneer SP-C22 $67.99
Pioneer SP-FS52 (2 towers) $97 each
Polk OWM3 (2 rears) $69 for pair

$750ish after tax total

How'd I do?

I think you jumped the gun a little.

I would have waited and shopped more.

The M50's (pair) for this price is really good. And then I would invest into a very good center channel for movies, like the matching CS2. And then just wait and shop for some matching M30's in black as well. You'd have a really nice setup with all matching parts, elegant, and it would grow with source equipment in the future.

Very best,
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post #17 of 27
2/13/13 at 12:10pm
I used to own Polk Rti series and have spent considerable time with the Monitor series and the Andrew Jones designed Pioneer speakers and I actually prefer the Pioneer's myself. I think you did really good for the money and would just stick with what you have. The Pioneer speakers, IMHO, are a great entry level speaker. Keep them and enjoy them and then consider a better upgrade down the road. Moving from the Pioneers to the Polk monitor series is more of a lateral move than a step up IMHO. For a step up you are probably looking at $700-1000 for a pair of speakers.
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post #18 of 27
2/13/13 at 12:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MalVeauX View Post

I think you jumped the gun a little.

I would have waited and shopped more.

The M50's (pair) for this price is really good. And then I would invest into a very good center channel for movies, like the matching CS2. And then just wait and shop for some matching M30's in black as well. You'd have a really nice setup with all matching parts, elegant, and it would grow with source equipment in the future.

Very best,

Thanks for the advice, I just don't like going refurbished. Had a bad experience before and I was able to get the Pioneers brand new for a couple bucks less. I'm going to mount the polk rears on the ceiling which will be pretty hidden from everything else. I'll look into upgrading the center and towers down the road, I actually went just over my budget as it was. Tried to stay under 700 total, spent 50 over.
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post #19 of 27
2/13/13 at 12:41pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ack_bk View Post

I used to own Polk Rti series and have spent considerable time with the Monitor series and the Andrew Jones designed Pioneer speakers and I actually prefer the Pioneer's myself. I think you did really good for the money and would just stick with what you have. The Pioneer speakers, IMHO, are a great entry level speaker. Keep them and enjoy them and then consider a better upgrade down the road. Moving from the Pioneers to the Polk monitor series is more of a lateral move than a step up IMHO. For a step up you are probably looking at $700-1000 for a pair of speakers.

Thanks man, from everything I've read on here and elsewhere I think I'll be pretty happy for now. Stayed close to budget as well.
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post #20 of 27
2/13/13 at 12:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas10 View Post

Thanks for all the advice guys, here's what I just did: Bought the Pioneer sp-c22 from TigerDirect for $67.99 and also picking up the Pioneer FS52's for $97 each, had them price matched! So my setup will be, with cost:

Denon AVR 1913 $299 (actually paid $239 after BB reward points I had)
JBL SUB150P $149
Pioneer SP-C22 $67.99
Pioneer SP-FS52 (2 towers) $97 each
Polk OWM3 (2 rears) $69 for pair

$750ish after tax total

How'd I do?

Good job man! You now have a very solid budget setup
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post #21 of 27
2/13/13 at 12:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay1 View Post

Good job man! You now have a very solid budget setup

Thanks Jay, thanks for all your help too. If I wasn't scared of refurbs I probably would have just bought all the stuff you first listed. Maybe another dumb question but those OWM3's I got for the rear, if I wanted to do 7.1 soon should I just buy 2 more of those?
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post #22 of 27
2/13/13 at 1:18pm
Yes.
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post #23 of 27
2/13/13 at 1:36pm
Hi All,

I am putting together some equipment for my new home theater.

For a receiver I am using Onkyo TX-NR818

Front Speakers: Paradigm Monitor 11 v6
Center: TBD??
Rear: Might be picking up Paradigm Monitor Mini v6
Subwoofer: TBD??

I am looking for a 5.1 setup.

My 2 questions:

1. Do you all feel the Paradigm Monitor Mini v6 will make good rear speakers in this 5.1 setup?
2. I have been looking for a matching Paradigm CC-390 v6 center channel. So far no luck. I spoke to a local shop here and they said there would be no issue using the current Paradigm Monitor Center 3. What is your thought on this?

Thanks!
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post #24 of 27
2/13/13 at 2:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hitmanxxx View Post

Hi All,

I am putting together some equipment for my new home theater.

For a receiver I am using Onkyo TX-NR818

Front Speakers: Paradigm Monitor 11 v6
Center: TBD??
Rear: Might be picking up Paradigm Monitor Mini v6
Subwoofer: TBD??

I am looking for a 5.1 setup.

My 2 questions:

1. Do you all feel the Paradigm Monitor Mini v6 will make good rear speakers in this 5.1 setup?
2. I have been looking for a matching Paradigm CC-390 v6 center channel. So far no luck. I spoke to a local shop here and they said there would be no issue using the current Paradigm Monitor Center 3. What is your thought on this?

Thanks!

The Mini monitors would make good surrounds. They might be on the large side, but would definitely work.
The V7 monitors are a completely new design from the previous models... It *might* work, but it's not going to be an exact match. I'd recommend to keep hunting for a CC-390.

You could always upgrade the v6's to the v7's though, and solve your problem. tongue.gif
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post #25 of 27
2/13/13 at 5:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nalow View Post

The Mini monitors would make good surrounds. They might be on the large side, but would definitely work.
The V7 monitors are a completely new design from the previous models... It *might* work, but it's not going to be an exact match. I'd recommend to keep hunting for a CC-390.

You could always upgrade the v6's to the v7's though, and solve your problem. tongue.gif

Ok thanks for the feedback - will keep looking for CC-390. What would be your thoughts on a CC-290? There seems to be a few of those available that i can fetch.

I'm pretty happy right now with the Monitor 11 v6 plus I got these at a good price.
Don't have the money to buy the latest Monitor 11's. smile.gif
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post #26 of 27
2/14/13 at 10:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hitmanxxx View Post

Ok thanks for the feedback - will keep looking for CC-390. What would be your thoughts on a CC-290? There seems to be a few of those available that i can fetch.

I'm pretty happy right now with the Monitor 11 v6 plus I got these at a good price.
Don't have the money to buy the latest Monitor 11's. smile.gif

Don't have any direct experience with the CC-290, but it looks like a solid center channel. Definitely the smaller brother of the CC-390, but that choice is up to you. The CC-390 is a huge speaker.
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post #27 of 27
2/14/13 at 10:48am
I've heard the CC-290 and it has the same "shortcoming" (to my ears) as the CC-590 (which I've also heard): A small, dedicated midrange driver that "localizes" dialogue and makes midrange audio sound generally a bit "small".

Although I haven't heard the CC-390, it has a very similar design to the most awesome CC-690... cool.gif ...so I would expect it to deliver the same sort of "broader" and fuller sound (vs. the 290) as the 690 (vs. the 590).
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