[in867]

My old Toshiba DLP crapped out on me so now it's time to upgrade. In addition to a new 3D TV, I will also need a new AVR and speakers. I'm pretty set on the Pioneer VSX-1020-K, but I need to get some good speakers to really enjoy my new setup. I'm not by any means an audiophile but I appreciate good sound. My speaker budget is anywhere between $600 and $850 for a 5.1 setup. Keep in mind that we watch TV 75% of the time and movies 25% of the time with virtually no music in this room.


There is a lot of wide open space in my house that is not conducive to good audio, so I'm very concerned about buying something that will not be adequate for our configuration. The den where the TV and sitting area is located is not separated by any walls to the living room, and the kitchen is 4' directly behind the couch, and is only separated by a 41" high counter. The den is 18 feet from the front (where the TV is located, to the back of the room where the 41" high kitchen counter / bar is located). The love seat is to the left against a wall, which is 11 feet from the right edge of the sitting area. However the room itself doesn't stop at the sitting area, it is 25 feet wide because the floor plan is wide open into the adjacent room to the right.


Given the fact that my wife and I watch mainly TV and movies, what would you recommend in our price range given our oddly configured house?

 

[m_vanmeter]

I suggest you take a look at the Polk Monitor speaker series from www.newegg.com http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...polk+series+II


or the Infinity Primus series from Crutchfield http://www.crutchfield.com/shopsearc...ty_primus.html


between these two speaker lines, you easily get the best bang for the buck with good speakers at an excellent price.


for you room layout, consider towers for the front L & R and the larger center channel in each of the series. 5.25" bookshelf units will work fine for surrounds.


In a 5.1 setup, the surrounds are really "sides" and the rear speakers are added in a 7.1 setup. You might want to consider stands for the sides. They can be positioned for "movie night" and then moved out of the way the rest of the time.

 

[palehorse]

2x Polk Audio Monitor 70

1x Polk Audio CS2

2x Emotiva ERD-1

1x BIC F12 Subwoofer

= $925 Total


It's worth the extra few dollars.

 

[FLCanuck]

Some good suggestions already.


Here are a couple more for your consideration....


2 x Pioneer SP-BS51 F L/R ($200 MSRP)

2 x Pioneer SP-BS21 R L/R ($90 MSRP)

1 x Pioneer SP-C21 Center ($90 MSRP)

1 x Emotiva Ultra 10 Sub ($289 on sale w/ free shipping)


or...


2 x Pioneer SP-BS51 F L/R ($200 MSRP)

2 x Pioneer SP-BS41 R L/R ($200 MSRP) -- better/larger surrounds

1 x Pioneer SP-C21 Center ($90 MSRP)

1 x Emotiva Ultra 10 Sub ($289 on sale w/ free shipping)


or....


2 x Pioneer SP-BS51 F L/R ($200 MSRP)

2 x Pioneer SP-BS21 R L/R ($90 MSRP) or the SP-BS41s ($200)

1 x Pioneer SP-C21 Center ($90 MSRP)

1 x JBL ES250 12" Sub (often on sale at Amazon for $275-$300)

This system would be better for mainly HT use


or....


5 x NHT SuperZero 2.0

1 x Emotiva Ultra 10 Sub ($289 on sale w/ free shipping)

This would be better for mostly 2.1/multichannel music use


If you have a smaller room, the Emotiva sub will do just fine for both music and movies. If you have a larger room or one that's open to other areas of the house, then the JBL might be a better choice for movies.


....so many choices

 

[automaton]

Worth noting that the BS-41s are on sale for $130 shipped right now through J&R/Amazon. You could go with 4 of those for $260 and let the sub handle the bass. not sure what others think about that option.


I spent the extra money to go from the 1020 to the 1120 and am glad I did. See the thread dedicated to the 1120 for a list of differences. The 1120 was on sale for around $425 at the time, not sure if it will drop that low again any time soon. Also the 1019 is on sale for $300 at Amazon recently if you don't care about 3D.

 

[in867]

Wow, thanks for the quick replies. Couple of noob questions - Would it make a difference to pair Pioneer speakers with a Pioneer receiver? Or is matching receiver and speaker manufacturers irrelevant?


@automation: I tried looking at the 1020 vs. 1120 thread but it's over 50 pages long. The only real difference I saw that might matter to me is the extra power. Right now on Amazon I can get the 1020 shipped for $360 but the 1120 is $490. Wouldn't I be better of putting the extra money into the speakers?

 

[crazyrob425]

The 1120 has more features when you get down to it which make the receiver more future-proof supporting ARC. And I think it supports pass through in standby which is something the vsx-1020-k does not. Means you will not have to keep your receiver on

 

[palehorse]

The 1120 also has one of the best video processors available, pre-outs, and more connectivity should you ever decide to add an external amplifier, home automation solutions, more hdmi equipment, etc.


In terms of features and power, 1120 is directly comparable to other new receivers that sell for $750, or more; so don't let the $490 price tag fool you... it's an absolute steal.

 

[jw87c]



Quote:
Originally Posted by in867 /forum/post/19533869


Wow, thanks for the quick replies. Couple of noob questions - Would it make a difference to pair Pioneer speakers with a Pioneer receiver? Or is matching receiver and speaker manufacturers irrelevant?

IMHO, it makes no difference.

 

[jake227]



Quote:
Originally Posted by jw87c /forum/post/19534309


IMHO, it makes no difference.

Totally agree. In fact, when I read your post my response was going to be exactly the same as Vanmeter's response. Nothing against Pioneer, but for speakers, Polk or Infinity would probably be a better choice.

 

[sholling]



Quote:
Originally Posted by in867 /forum/post/19533869


Wow, thanks for the quick replies. Couple of noob questions - Would it make a difference to pair Pioneer speakers with a Pioneer receiver? Or is matching receiver and speaker manufacturers irrelevant?

As long as the receiver meets the needs of the speakers (impedance and power) then it doesn't matter. After that it's a matter of features. I personally prefer Audyssey equipped receivers (Denon or Onkyo) but that's personal taste.


For you're use I'd look at two Infinity Primus P162 bookshelves as mains, a PC250 center, and two P152 bookshelves as surrounds (~$470), and a pair of $200 12" subwoofers. I'm not an expert on $200 subs but I'd research Dayton's SUB-120 and Bic's F12 and see what feedback you get.

 

[in867]



Quote:
Originally Posted by palehorse /forum/post/19533075


2x Polk Audio Monitor 70

1x Polk Audio CS2

2x Emotiva ERD-1

1x BIC F12 Subwoofer

= $925 Total


It's worth the extra few dollars.

palehorse, where did you find these for $925? My research came up with $251 more:


2x Polk Audio Monitor 70 - $509 (Newegg - Cherry Series II)

1x Polk Audio CS2 - $180 (Newegg)

2x Emotiva ERD-1 - $289 (Emotiva)

1x BIC F12 Subwoofer - $198 (Hi-Tech Media)

Total = $1,176

 

[sholling]



Quote:
Originally Posted by in867 /forum/post/19534703


palehorse, where did you find these for $925? My research came up with $251 more:


2x Polk Audio Monitor 70 - $509 (Newegg - Cherry Series II)

$90 off each using the discount code found on the page (expires 11/24). You can shave off another $100 going with Polk Monitor 30 for surrounds - if you can leave room for the port to work.

 

[in867]

@sholling: I'm including the $90 off discount, any other ideas?

 

[sholling]



Quote:
Originally Posted by in867 /forum/post/19535014


@sholling: I'm including the $90 off discount, any other ideas?

The monitor 70s are $326/pr shipped with the discount. With the Monitor 30s as surrounds I'm getting $826 total on my calculator


Or you can go with the Infinity solution and 2 subs for less than $900.

 

[palehorse]



Quote:
Originally Posted by in867 /forum/post/0


@sholling: I'm including the $90 off discount, any other ideas?

PM sent. The CS2 often drops for $50 less as well.

 

[mde8965]

If you want the Polks, go to the eBay store - Polk Audio Direct. You should be able to get the Monitor 70's for $300 or less, the CS2 for around $100 and some Monitor 30 surrounds for around $100.


You are buying direct from Polk in this store...And the warranty information is included (usually 2 year limited)


Check it out...

 

[in867]

Thanks sholling and palehorse.


It seems there are recommendations for 3 subs: the BIC F12, the Emotiva Ultra 10, and the JBL ES250. Anyone care to comment on the differences?


Also, the folks on Slickdeals seem to think the prices will decrease on Black Friday. Maybe I'll wait until then to see if I can save a few more $$$.

 

[sholling]



Quote:
Originally Posted by in867 /forum/post/19535171


Thanks sholling and palehorse.


It seems there are recommendations for 3 subs: the BIC F12, the Emotiva Ultra 10, and the JBL ES250. Anyone care to comment on the differences?


Also, the folks on Slickdeals seem to think the prices will decrease on Black Friday. Maybe I'll wait until then to see if I can save a few more $$$.

I can't tell you how the subs sound but the Emo is a 10" sealed sub and isn't likely to fill much more than a very small room. The vented 12" subs are likely to have more output.


Just keep in mind that the Monitor 70s and the whole Monitor line are discontinued and all that's left are what's left in the warehouses. Once they're gone they're gone. That's a good price on the Monitor 70 but the Monitor 30 sometimes drops to $90/pr.

 

[sholling]



Quote:
Originally Posted by in867 /forum/post/19535171


Thanks sholling and palehorse.


It seems there are recommendations for 3 subs: the BIC F12, the Emotiva Ultra 10, and the JBL ES250. Anyone care to comment on the differences?


Also, the folks on Slickdeals seem to think the prices will decrease on Black Friday. Maybe I'll wait until then to see if I can save a few more $$$.

It looks like the Monitor 30s are on sale now to. That puts you well under $800 for the set.