[sixfoot]

I've been in the market to replace everything I have to modern technology. I was told to decide on the speakers before picking the receiver. This is where I need your help please.


I currently have these speakers - Sony SA-VE325 ( http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/mod...25&region_id=1 ), which have done me quite good on my 5.1 setup.


Attached is a crude drawing (but width & height is too scale) of my room. My room is 213 inches (17.75 ft) wide by 172 inches (14.33 ft) tall. The room is pre-wired for 4 satellites indicated by the red dots. These satellites sit about 1 foot in from their closest wall and are angled down at a 45 degree angle. They are also about 8 ft above the ground.


I need to take advantage of this pre-wiring for the satellites and can't run any more satellite wiring. Notice, none of the satellites are behind the seating area (indicated by MS - Media Seats); they are off to the side.


So can I even take advantage of 7.1? Would I see any benefit?


Thanks in advance.

-------------------------------------

 

[sixfoot]

BTW, I'm not looking for top-of-the-line or anything. Heck, maybe my satellites are fine and I just need a two new front speakers (assuming 7.1 will work for me). Just looking for ideas. Thanks.

 

[jsil]

Take a look at the new marantz 4300.

 

[jostenmeat]

Thanks for following that advice.

When you say height, you really mean length, right? Assuming 14.3 ft long....


First of all, the layout: Its generally recommended that you set your room up length wise for acoustics, but seeing how the prewiring has you setup "width-wise", so be it.


Then, if that seating is against the back wall, forget 7.1. However, you will get better acoustics by moving the couch forward. The general starting point for seating is 38% of lentgth. So .38 x 14.33 = 5.45 ft from the back wall. THEN, as a bonus you have space for rear speakers. Would work quite well. (Leaving momentarily to find your amp thread . . .)


OK, 15 minutes and 2 posts later, I'm back, hehe. So, a 67" TV? If you are 5.45 ft from rear wall, that means 8.88 from front wall. Let's subtract, say, 1.5 ft more for the display . . . 7.38ft from display. Take this calculator , plug in the #s, and you get 36.5 degree viewing angle. THX recommends 36, so that's very good, IMO. (I personally use 42 deg atm). Best of both worlds.


Hope this helps. Oh, I really like Ascend 170 SE at $350 a pair, and they are wall mountable. I don't own them, but they're my fav that I've heard at the price. Only knock I can come up with is they are a bit inarticulate in the lower register, otherwise fantastic imaging and soundstage for the oney. IMO.

 

[sixfoot]



Quote:
Originally Posted by jsil /forum/post/14558600


Take a look at the new marantz 4300.

I assume you're kidding.

 

[sixfoot]



Quote:
Originally Posted by jostenmeat /forum/post/14558887


Thanks for following that advice.

When you say height, you really mean length, right? Assuming 14.3 ft long....


First of all, the layout: Its generally recommended that you set your room up length wise for acoustics, but seeing how the prewiring has you setup "width-wise", so be it.


Then, if that seating is against the back wall, forget 7.1. However, you will get better acoustics by moving the couch forward. The general starting point for seating is 38% of lentgth. So .38 x 14.33 = 5.45 ft from the back wall. THEN, as a bonus you have space for rear speakers. Would work quite well. (Leaving momentarily to find your amp thread . . .)


OK, 15 minutes and 2 posts later, I'm back, hehe. So, a 67" TV? If you are 5.45 ft from rear wall, that means 8.88 from front wall. Let's subtract, say, 1.5 ft more for the display . . . 7.38ft from display. Take this calculator , plug in the #s, and you get 36.5 degree viewing angle. THX recommends 36, so that's very good, IMO. (I personally use 42 deg atm). Best of both worlds.


Hope this helps. Oh, I really like Ascend 170 SE at $350 a pair, and they are wall mountable. I don't own them, but they're my fav that I've heard at the price. Only knock I can come up with is they are a bit inarticulate in the lower register, otherwise fantastic imaging and soundstage for the oney. IMO.

Yea, length (i'm used to digital pictures)


Yea, no choice with the layout - have to go width-wise.


So move my media seating away from the wall? That's a tough one to sell to my wife. I assume I'll get better acoustics because of the waves bouncing. I don't think I can move the seats closer. We're currently at 11.5 ft from the TV. Moving up 5.45 ft will put us at 6 ft from a 67" screen. Plus my wife will say "What about all that wasted space behind the seats?" Although I agree with you in principle, the reality is this room is not just for TV viewing. I do greatly appreciate you taking the time to figure all this out and making good recommendations.


So I will get no benefit from 7.1 since there are no speakers behind the seating? Any benefit from using my 4 pre-wiring stations at satellites and having two front speakers to go on the side of the TV? Is that what you were recommending with the Ascend speakers?


Thanks again.

 

[jostenmeat]



Quote:
Originally Posted by sixfoot /forum/post/14561770


So I will get no benefit from 7.1 since there are no speakers behind the seating? Any benefit from using my 4 pre-wiring stations at satellites and having two front speakers to go on the side of the TV? Is that what you were recommending with the Ascend speakers?


Thanks again.

forget 7.1. If using the prewired, the fronts for the fronts, and the sides, well, for the side surrounds. Try to get them at 90 degree to your head, at least. What I mean is try not to have them forward of you, and if they are, just try to minimize that.


I would think about the possibilities of bipoles for the sides in that situation. They cost a bit more, typically, after all each speaker has double the woofers and tweeters. More coverage, but this a personal taste call. I've never tried them, but it would be fun to. Since I already have speakers, who knows if and when that will ever happen. This for HT. bipoles are rarely or never recommended for m-ch music.


Re sitting next to the wall. Reflections from it may "smear" the signal coming directly from the speakers. Some people try to get a min distance away, say 5-6 ft so that the reflections sound more like ambience rather than a smear. For music. generally, for HT, deader is better. (not "live" acoustically speaking). Also, bass waves collect at boundaries (walls) and especially at the joining of such boundaries.


Put on some test tones or bass heavy music, and listen to it with ears at the walls, or ears at the ideal position. You will easily notice the difference. The walls usually sound muddier or something.


That all being said, its always a balancing act with your own needs, and from here, its just a choice of compromises. Room treatments can and will help a lot, but Im afraid they cost more than you are willing to spend. Also, since its your living room perhaps, its a no-go.


OTOH, you can always bring out the treatments from a closet for a 2hr movie, and put them away after as well.


Hope this helps, you're welcome, and enjoy your system.


-jostenmeat

 

[sixfoot]

Wow, thanks again. I have so much to learn.


So assuming I stay 5.1 and use your suggestion of the fronts as fronts and sides as sides, what new speakers should I get? Are my current ones pathetic?

 

[jostenmeat]

Well, this is all relative man. Some people's floor are another's ceiling. That being said I've never heard anyone rave about Sony speakers. I've seen a Sony sub, and ummmm . . .


OTOH, I've seen CR give Sony top rating before... but CR gets little to zero respect at places like this.


Speakers . . . the best thing is to go find some and listen. Now, it won't sound the same as it will in your room. Depending where you go, it might sound better than in your room, or worse.


Very generally speaking, I think of roughly the $300 mark as being a high value point. The diminishing returns has not even kicked in at the slightest, IMO, again generally speaking. This comes from someone with stereo speakers that msrp at 11k.


Anyways, a few that come to mind are PSB Image bookshelves (about to be superceded), Monitor Audio Bronze, and the Ascend I mentioned. They all fall around $280-350 I think*.


I've heard excellent things about Behringer Truth monitors and KRK monitors at a slightly lower price.


You MUST state a budget.


At $500 i guess I think of Usher, something ive never heard. Maybe Ascend 340s. At 2k I think of Salk towers, maybe some Dynaudios. At 3-4k I again think of Dyn as well as BW. I've heard a lot, BUT, speakers I've never heard include magnepan, dali, bic, paradigm, dmc, av123, axiom, aperion, salk, vandersteen, energy, totem, mirage, thiel, and the list goes on.


Id personally really like to hear vandersteen, salk, and thiel from that list. many others im forgetting. thiel is carried by my local dealer, great guy, just havent heard them yet.

 

[sixfoot]

Ok, let's say $500 total for the satellites, front, center and sub. Yes, I know that is not much, but my untrained ear probably can't tell the difference between a $2000 speaker and a $200 speaker.

 

[batpig]

Energy Take Classic - $509 with free shipping on Amazon right now, and Amazon is an authorized Energy dealer so you get full warranty.


You get four satellites for the corner that are easily wall-mountable, center channel, and a nice subwoofer. You won't beat the sound for the price in a sub/sat package, which is what your room dictates.


Read some reviews to reassure yourself, then buy them and be done with it. They are a great product.

 

[sixfoot]

batpig, thanks for the suggestion. You think the difference between your recommendation and my current Sony's is like night & day (to a non audiophile)?

 

[batpig]

I haven't heard your speakers, but I would bet that the Take Classic setup will blow it away. You don't have to be an audiophile to hear better speakers, and $500 for a 5.1 setup is far, far, far from "audiophile". You can't find better sound in a complete 5.1 setup for $500 IMO, and in the opinion of the many reviews.

 

[sixfoot]

Thanks. Looks like that was a 12 hour sale or something as they are now $599. Do these go on sale often? Not too many retailers of this product.

 

[sixfoot]

Anyone know how often this set goes on sale? Also, is there any truth to Energy going out of business?

 

[afrogt]

Energy, Mirage and Athena were bought out by Klispch. The Athena brand is being discontinued but there is no indication that Energy or Mirage will suffer the same fate.


If you don't mind silver, a nice alternative to the Take 5 system is the Act 6. Great price can be found here.

http://www.shop.com/Energy_ACT6_Home...l?sourceid=298


Nice review here
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/spe...get-page4.html

 

[sixfoot]



Quote:
Originally Posted by afrogt /forum/post/14713928


Energy, Mirage and Athena were bought out by Klispch. The Athena brand is being discontinued but there is no indication that Energy or Mirage will suffer the same fate.


If you don't mind silver, a nice alternative to the Take 5 system is the Act 6. Great price can be found here.

http://www.shop.com/Energy_ACT6_Home...l?sourceid=298


Nice review here
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/spe...get-page4.html

Thanks, I actually have silver now, but would prefer to go with the piano black of the Take Classic as it matches my new TV. These are half the price of the Take Classic. Can anyone speak to how this compares to the Take Classic set?

 

[batpig]

I would bet that the Take Classic sound a bit better but they should be fairly close, energy makes a great product and all their speakers sounds good. The biggest difference will probably be the superior center channel, dialog should sound better from the Take's dedicated center whereas the Act system uses an identical little sat for the center. If you're OK with the silver, you could get the Act6 setup and just upgrade the center (there are cheap Take LCR speakers on ebay all the time).


For me, the significantly better looks of the Take Classic are worth the price.


If you are on a severe budget just keep your eye on Amazon for a price cut. The Take Classic is also appearing at Circuit City's, so keep an eye out there.

 

[Johnsteph10]

If you're only willing to spend $500 for a 5.1 setup -- much less a 7.1 -- I would say you need to save up more money.


You likely won't get anything for that price that would be a decent upgrade from even your old speakers.

 

[mitch5669]

i posted this for another person thats looking for a decent 5.1 system

well for about 500 i would go with these



two pairs of the bic dv62si
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-DV...2113406&sr=1-1

a bic dv62clr-s center
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-DV..._ce_av__text_b

and a bic v1020 sub
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-V1020-Down...ref=pd_sim_e_3

its about $520 for this system


i have everything exept the sub and they sound great, to me and many others

just so you know, these are not wall mountable, so you would have put them on shelfs, or stands