[sjv7883]

Three friends and I plan on getting a house soon, and of course we plan to throw a few parties. So we are in need of a budget 2 or 2.1 set up for parties as well as for our own enjoyment. I'm thinking of a budget not more than $600. I am also not opposed to buying used.


This set up has one purpose.... to get loud and play for hours on end.


At my parents house, my father has a pair of Klipsch Fortes powered by an older Denon receiver (80wpc iirc). A set up like that would be ideal, as it gets loud and sounds amazing (no sub in this set up). Something like this would be ideal, but I already know that I most likely won't get something as nice as those Fortes with the budget we have.


I was thinking something along the lines of a pair of used Cerwin Vega floorstanders with a 12 or 15 inch woofer. I see them on the local CL going for ~$200. A pair of those and perhaps an amp such as the QSC QX3 with a laptop plugged in directly via 3.5mm to RCA cable would do wonders I think. I could be very wrong on this though. Keep in mind I don't need amazing clarity; people will be drunk and I've seen them get down to Sony bookshelf boomboxes.


I've looked into PA setups and it would be over budget based on also needing a subwoofer to go along with a pair of PA speakers. I was thinking some floorstanding HT speakers with a large woofer and good sensitivity (like the Fortes) would get loud enough (doesn't have to be ear piercing) and have pretty decent low end if powered by a proper amp.


So comment with your opinions and suggestions. I'm open to all ideas at this point. Any advice would be awesome!


Thanks,

Spencer

 

[qguy]

Cerwin Vegas will do you good !!!.

Go for dual 12 or a single 15 inch woofers, their fairly very efficient so an amp with a 100 watts would be enough.


What I noticed is that the headphone output to amp connection is edgy, well at least on my setup. What I did was I got a USB DAC, a .behringer UCA202, its really inexpensive and sounds great for its price.

 

[jdoostil]

Ahhhhh good old college stereo. Some good memories with my old setup...Yamaha RXV-1, Klipsch KLF10s, ans a 10" Klipsch sub


CL is your best bet, and you are definitely going for the right brands. I just saw a pair of KLF20s for $400. You should be able to easily do what you want. Just some advice...bass travels...really far. Make friends with the neighbors as soon as you can!

 

[qguy]

There was an old Acoustic Research speaker AR15HO and the AR12HO, they were loud and very efficient, some were using as little as ten watts on the 15HO

 

[commsysman]

Get bass-reflex speakers with either a 15" or 12" woofer.


Practically any receiver or integrated amplifier rated for 50 watts or more will do the job.


I would get a pair of the JBL JRX115 speakers for $215 each at Amazon; they are superb, and rugged, and portable if you want to go outdoors temporarily.


The Sony STDRH130 has plenty of power and you can pick it up for around $130 or less at various places.

 

[Transmaniacon]

A pair of these: http://www.parts-express.com/bic-rtr-ev15-15-biampable-floor-speaker--303-468


And this receiver: http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/yamrs201bl/yamaha-r-s201-natural-sound-stereo-receiver/1.html

 

[ed1em2]


I'm on the Cerwin Vega side too. Very cheap and a lot of noise.

Pretty decent sound for such a party.

Ask If any booze proof models are available

 

[commsysman]

When the cones are falling out and the voice coils of the Cerwin-Vegas have melted, the JBL JRX115 will still be blowing out the windows and loafing along.


Cheap is cheap.

 

[sjv7883]



Quote:
Originally Posted by commsysman  /t/1520326/2-channel-set-up-for-college-parties#post_24455800


When the cones are falling out and the voice coils of the Cerwin-Vegas have melted, the JBL JRX115 will still be blowing out the windows and loafing along.


Cheap is cheap.

Is that JBL a full range speaker though? I know most PA speakers don't output bass as low as a home theater speaker with a 12" or 15" woofer.

This is the main reason I was leaning towards HT speakers rather than PA speakers.


I have experience with this since at my parents house we have two Klipsch Fortes on an older Denon receiver, and also a powered JBL Eon 15" PA speaker (used with the electronic drumset).

I have played music through both the Fortes and Eon, and even though the Eon could probably get louder, it was lacking in bass compared to the Fortes.


EDIT: I might add that both set ups are in the same room.

 

[Transmaniacon]



Quote:
Originally Posted by sjv7883  /t/1520326/2-channel-set-up-for-college-parties#post_24465537


Is that JBL a full range speaker though? I know most PA speakers don't output bass as low as a home theater speaker with a 12" or 15" woofer.

This is the main reason I was leaning towards HT speakers rather than PA speakers.


I have experience with this since at my parents house we have two Klipsch Fortes on an older Denon receiver, and also a powered JBL Eon 15" PA speaker (used with the electronic drumset).

I have played music through both the Fortes and Eon, and even though the Eon could probably get louder, it was lacking in bass compared to the Fortes.


EDIT: I might add that both set ups are in the same room.

A sub is going to be better at playing bass than a full range speaker, but for your needs you might get more mileage out of a PA speaker. They are built to be portable and rugged, and something with a 15" woofer is still going to give you that chest thump.

 

[MAJORAE]

Pro audio is a good idea, but if not at least get a good amplifier - the qsc.you mentioned certainly qualifies. When I was in college (not that long ago!) I blew the power supplies in a Denon receiver and then again in the Marantz I replaced it with. Even in high school I could beat this stuff up and not have a problem, but the abuse that a good college party can put on gear is shocking. I would really make sure you get stuff that is well designed.

 

[sjv7883]

I just still don't really feel comfortable going with pro audio. Just because I know that PA speakers are meant to be paired with a sub to fill in the bottom frequencies. If I go with PA speakers, I wont be able to afford a PA sub. That's why I was really leaning towards full range home theater speakers like CV's because I know they will fill in the

 

[commsysman]

The JBL JRX115 speakers will put out more bass with their 15-inch woofers than a lot of so-called subwoofers will.


They put out bass like you won't believe!


They are EXACTLY what you want (definitely full-range).

 

[crazyrob425]



Quote:
Originally Posted by sjv7883  /t/1520326/2-channel-set-up-for-college-parties#post_24484115


I just still don't really feel comfortable going with pro audio. Just because I know that PA speakers are meant to be paired with a sub to fill in the bottom frequencies. If I go with PA speakers, I wont be able to afford a PA sub. That's why I was really leaning towards full range home theater speakers like CV's because I know they will fill in the

 

[MBentz]

You can get a pair of bstock Mackie Thump TH15's and a few audio adaptors to plug in a phone or laptop for under $450 from Full Compass. Absolutely no need for a sub. These are by far the best deal you will ever find for this kind of application. To get to the next tier of performance is roughly $3k, and you're only buying yourself another 10dB.

 

[MBentz]

Don't forget to check out the frequency response plots.....pro audio is very different in that real specs are usually available.

 

[Brap]

Ahhh yes -- good old college stereo, fraternity house days. In our "party" room, had a pair of Cerwin Vega S1 speakers with "thermo vapor" barrier (needed that for all the kegger parties!) and a 80w/channel sony integrated amp. Talk about loud, my gosh!! Good times!