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Seeking a 5.1 System Purchase Advice

1K views 32 replies 7 participants last post by  zieglj01 
#1 ·
Hello everyone,


I am new to the forums but have been reading a lot of posts for quite some time. I seek your advice on buying a 5.1 system for my upcoming home theater room. The room is in the basement (17x13x8.5) with no windows; only one door exists. I am trying to keep the budget between $1100 to $1500 excluding the sub, which I am willing to pay in the range of $1000. Unfortunately, I don't have a chance to audition any system (I don't live in the States). So I have to rely on advice from other people. I will use the systems to watch movies and some sports.



After checking the local market, I came up with following options:


Q Acoustics 3050i for $1820 (including sub)



Monitor Audio Bronze 2 for $945



Monitor Audio Bronze 5 for $1280


KEF Q (Q150+Q650C+Q350) for $1510


Klipsch (RP-160 + RP-150 + RP-450C). I lost my quotation for this system, but it is priced similar to the US.


As for the subwoofers, I have very little options when it comes to finding a good sub locally. We had a vendor who used to have SVS subs for about 25% more than the price in the US, but they are out of stock. I could get a Klipsch 112SW or 115SW. I could also get the Goldenear Forcefiled 5 for $980.


I could shop online, but shipping cost will be very expensive. In some cases it can by as much as the items themselves. However, I contacted a couple of online vendors in the US:
HSU Research: I inquired about the 5.1 package (4 HB-1, 1 HC-1, and VTF-2 MK5). The price is $1299 plus $630 for shipping. I will have to pay additional 10% for customs and duties.
I also contact RSL and Ascend Acoustics, but never got a reply.

Which system do you suggest? Thank you very much.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Have you listened to any speakers locally? Is that an option for you? If so, that is what i would recommend. Speakers tend to be the most difficult purchase to pin down, because there just isn't a "best". It's all about what you like, how it will be used, and the room it will be in.

In which country will you be making the purchase?

Also, see if one of these is available to you:

https://www.avforums.com/review/xtz-sub-12-17-subwoofer-review.12865

Not a lot of experience with these here in the states, but the few reviews I've seen here have been extremely positive.

https://www.xtzsound.com/product/sub-17-series
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the reply. I live in Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately XTZ doesn’t ship there. The only chance for me to audition the above mentioned speakers is probably with the Klipsch, but then there is nothing to compare against. So to buy locally, I need to stick with list or buy online and pay premium for the shipping cost.
 
#5 ·
I get the speakers and hold off on the sub. Given your limited options, SVS is the best available to you and worth the wait IMO.
 
#15 ·
Update:
Thank you all for the great contribution. I thought I would give a status update.
Q Acoustics: the dealer here only carries the 3010 model.
Monitor Audio Bronze: can be bought without auditioning.
Monitor Audio Silver: I can get the C350 and 100, but they would cost me $2000 for the just the LCR.
Kef Q series: available for purchase without auditioning.
SVS subs are still out of stock locally and there is no definitive date on there return.

US Brands:
A friend of mine can help me ship a set of speakers and a sub for a very reasonable shipping cost through a forwarding company.
I contacted Jon Lane from Chane to get A2.4 for LCR and a couple of A1.5. When I told him that I will be sending them to a forwarding company he was hesitant to sell and stopped responding to my emails. I thought Chane speakers would give me the best bang for the buck.

I am also considering Ascend 340s+170s or Sierra 1s if the price difference is justified. Also HSU’s HB1s+HC1 or even CC8-B are considered. I am not sure wether the Elac will fit as a contender.

As for the sub I am leaning towards HSU VTF3 MK5.

So to sum up, I can buy the Kef Q or the Monitor Audio locally without auditioning or I can go with Ascend or HSU from the US.

What are your thoughts?
 
#16 ·
Though unlikely, you're pretty much stuck with Ascend/HSU if you don't like them. Good luck dealing with a forwarding company if you receive damaged speakers. Kef and Monitor audio are very good speakers so you should inquire about their return policy.
 
#17 ·
Though unlikely, you're pretty much stuck with Ascend/HSU if you don't like them. Good luck dealing with a forwarding company if you receive damaged speakers. Kef and Monitor audio are very good speakers so you should inquire about their return policy.
Unfortunately, the return policy here for such equipment really sucks. Usually returns are accepted only if the merchandise is faulty and the return window is less than a week. They are mainly special order from the manufacturer to the dealer after the customer pays for them. So I will be stuck with the speakers in any case.
 
#18 ·
It's a difficult situation to be in. You're pretty much locked in with whatever you get. The MA Silver are a level above everything else on your list and also most expensive. Kef are well rounded speakers that will do equally well for both music and movies. If you really want to take a chance with a forwarding company, Ascend is the safest bet.
 
#20 ·
In a 17x13' basement room the VTF-3 would be overkill; I'd just get the VTF-2 which should be plenty already.

You said your usage is simply "sports and movies"---in which case you do NOT need to shell out big bucks for stuff like the MA Silver and Ascend Sierras.

To be honest with you, given that you have to pay a forwarding company a big chunk of money to ship AND you have to pay import duties/customs, I would keep it simple and just order 5 x NHT SuperOnes from Amazon.com for about $100 apiece (they are sold for $175 each from the NHT website).
Thanks Zorba. I selected the VTF-3 based on HSU technical support’s recommendation. As for the NHT, I haven’t considered them before. Amazon can ship them directly to me for an additional $90 per speaker. That includes shipping, taxes, and import charges. I will read more about them.
 
#22 ·
I just wanted to give an update on my search so far. First based on @Zorba922 recommendation, I have already got the HSU VTF-2 sub.

After doing a lot of research in the last couple of months, it is still hard to pick the right speakers without auditioning. Anyway, to summarize, we have local dealers for KEF and Monitor Audio. Both don’t offer any audition. I posted in the UK avforums website asking to compare both brands. Almost everyone picked the KEF Q series. I can have a set of 5 speakers comprising of Q150, Q350, and Q650 for about $1450. Also available all the the three towers from the series.

Another options I am considering is to order online if the sound quality plus being neutral and non-fatiguing is superior to the KEF Qs. By the way, I am not planning on any upgrade for the next 10 years at least.

Ascend 340 for LCR and 200 for surrounds. That’s about $1000 plus ~$500 for shipping, totaling ~$1500.

Emotiva B1+, C2+, and E2 for surrounds. That’s about $1000 plus ~$500 for shipping, totaling ~$1500.

Other options is higher step up sets:
Polk Audio Lsim 703, 706c, and 702 F/X. With the discount from Adorama, they cost $1200. Shipping is about $800, making the totaling $2000.

Buchardt Audio S300 MK2 for LCR, which are about $1550 including free shipping. Buchardt recommends having ELAC as surrounds so I am thinking of adding the ELAC Debut on-wall speakers for $400 including shipping. That will set the price for $1950.

I also need your advice on the AVR receiver. I have the option of picking the Denon X4500H or the Marantz 7013 for an additional $133. Which one do you recommend?

Thanks again everyone.
 
#23 ·
For your sports/TV usage, I'd say it's a tossup between the Ascends and Emotivas, can't go wrong with either. If you like the ability to play super loud, the Ascends will be better. If you want extra insurance against listening fatigue or if you want to enjoy very satisfying detail even at low/moderate volume, the Emotivas.
 
#28 ·
Assuming that they are not damaged in shipping (the Chane A2.4 I received was packed quite well so I tend to doubt it) I think that the Chanes are among the safest bets for ordering unheard, along with the Ascends. I'd say go for it...I worked in Saudi for 5 years and the whole region is mostly an audio desert...tiny selection, low quality at inflated prices.
 
#29 ·
Zorba922 said:
Assuming that they are not damaged in shipping (the Chane A2.4 I received was packed quite well so I tend to doubt it) I think that the Chanes are among the safest bets for ordering unheard, along with the Ascends. I'd say go for it...I worked in Saudi for 5 years and the whole region is mostly an audio desert...tiny selection, low quality at inflated prices.
Actually Chane was my first choice but Mr Lane refused to ship to forwarding companies.
 
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