[matt7177]

Hello all,


I just moved into a new house with a dedicated home theater and am looking for some suggestions on a receiver and speakers for it. The room is 15'x22' and is completely closed off with a standard 30" interior door.


I plan on using the new setup for 75% movies/sports and 25% music. The room is pre-wired for 5.1 and in a way that I must have wall mountable rear satellites but I have no other cosmetic restrictions.


I would like to stay around $1200 (both speakers and receiver) but am open to going a little over if needed for my room size. I do already have a rebranded Infinity 12" powered sub (300 watt) that I plan on using unless I am told otherwise here.


Receiver requirements are to have network connectivity and at least 2 zones. While I have no bias for speakers, I do love Denon receivers and have had my eyes on the 1912 for a while but am not opposed to the slightly cheaper Onklyo options.


Sorry for the long post, but wanted to make sure I included all the details. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[shadyJ]

In my opinion, the best bang for the buck speakers are the Infinity Primus lines. You could do a Primus setup and AVR for 1200. Another good speaker line is the Hsu Research HB-1 and HC-1 speakers. You could do a 5 channel setup of that with AVR for 1200 as well.

 

[matt7177]

Thanks for the feedback, Shady. So for the Primus series, it looks like the best options are the P363 for fronts and the PC351 for center. Would you then recommend a set of Primus bookshelves (like the P153?) for rear surrounds? That set looks interesting.


Another interesting option that came up today appears to be Newegg's deal on Martin Logan Motion 10s for $199.


Unfortunately, they don't have a center on special, but are these significantly better than the Infinity Primus line or HSU? Also, would they require a better AVR than the Denon 1912/Onkyo 609 category? Its says they are compatible with 4, 6, or 8 OHM rated amplifiers but they have a 4 OHM impedance.

 

[Knucklehead90]

Those Martin Logan 10s are rated at 90db efficiency so they should not present a problem for most AVRs even at 4 ohms. I doubt they dip below 4 ohms much if at all - and maybe never dip to 4 ohms - or they would not claim compatibility with amps that aren't rated for less than 8 ohm speakers.


Look at it this way - some audiophiles will turn their nose up at any speaker rated as an 8 ohm load. Martin Logan knows this and rates their speakers @ 4 ohms. What puts off many audiophiles is that NewEgg and Amazon are now peddling Martin Logan speakers. Price does seem to reflect the fact that you won't be getting the quality of the Martin Logan's of old.


The center channel for those 10s won't be nearly as cheap as the L/R speakers. Something to keep in mind.

 

[matt7177]

Thank you, that helps a lot on the power question.


I definitely understand the center will be more on the Martin Logan line; if I am looking at it correctly, it looks like the best matched center is the Motion 8 which is $399. Then to complete the system with rear surrounds it would be another $400 for a pair of Motion 4s.


So that would make the total for the Martin Logan system $1200 alone and I would still need a receiver. A comparable Infinity Primus system would be about $425 cheaper (or about the price of the AVR).


Do you guys think the Martin Logan line is worth the extra money? Its more than what I was planning for but I would do it if its going to be a big upgrade over the Infinity line or comparable. The discount on the fronts alone still represents a savings of 25% of the normal total system cost.


For comparison here is what I am looking at:


Martin Logan:


Front - 2x Motion 10

Center - Motion 8

Rear: 2x Motion 4


Infinity Primus:


Front - 2x P363

Center - PC351

Rear: 2x P163

 

[Knucklehead90]

I've not heard those Martin Logans you are looking at but I have heard other ML speakers. Very impressive but those were the electrostatic speakers which are very different than the Motion series.


I have heard the Primus speakers but not the towers. They are very good - especially considering the money they cost. I really like the tweeter in the Primus speakers. I use a pair of Infinity TSS-800 speakers that have the same tweeter - connected to a Denon 589 AVR for day to day TV/radio/computer use so I don't have to fire up the big stuff and put wear and tear on that. Those are very good sounding speakers considering their size - I use a DIY 12" sub with them. There are a crap-ton of happy Primus speaker owners on these forums. You might want to read some of the reviews the owners have posted to get some idea of how good they are.

 

[ack_bk]

If you can get the Motion 10's for $199, then I would jump on this deal. I don't own the Motion's but I have heard the 12's and they are very nice speakers. I have also heard the Primus speakers and would prefer the Motions (but that is my opinion).


I would grab the front three, use your existing sub, and then buy the Denon 1912. You can add surrounds later and they don't necessarily have to match the mains.


I don't know how long that Newegg deal will last, that is a very solid offer.

 

[MameJunkie]

Is considering ML also. And based on the various threads, the general feeling is that this is a good deal. These are much better for music than they are for HT. Not so say they are not good for HT.


Someone also mentioned that the listening area or sweetspot for these are also very narrow. Can someone comment on this?

 

[Knucklehead90]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MameJunkie /forum/post/20842737


Someone also mentioned that the listening area or sweetspot for these are also very narrow. Can someone comment on this?

The electrostatic speakers (all brands) tend to have a narrower sweet spot as compared to standard types of speakers. Which is why they are so popular for 2 channel listening. HT? They don't do so well for a large room and widely dispersed seating. I have no idea how well that new 'folder motion' tweeter ML has disperses sound. Since they are sold and promoted as HT speakers they should be fine. ML has never promoted their electrostatics as HT that I'm aware of - they do make a center speaker for them however.

 

[ack_bk]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Knucklehead90 /forum/post/20842776


The electrostatic speakers (all brands) tend to have a narrower sweet spot as compared to standard types of speakers. Which is why they are so popular for 2 channel listening. HT? They don't do so well for a large room and widely dispersed seating. I have no idea how well that new 'folder motion' tweeter ML has disperses sound. Since they are sold and promoted as HT speakers they should be fine. ML has never promoted their electrostatics as HT that I'm aware of - they do make a center speaker for them however.

That's correct the Motion speakers discussed here are not electrostatic. I actually think the folded ribbon tweeters I have heard are good for home theater and I am not sure about that comment concerning narrow field. I would be surprised if this was an issue for these speakers. I have found the folded ribbon tweeters I have heard to have very detailed and enveloping sound.

 

[matt7177]

Thanks for the input and replies. I heard Magnolia carries the Motion line so I went to my local Best Buy today to give them a listen. They didn't have the Motion 10s in the room, just the 12s so I listened to those and I was very impressed.


The Magnolia guy put on both music and a few blu-ray clips and the clarity was outstanding with both. For comparison, he put on some $1000 Def Tech towers and I thought the Motion 12 kept up with them well. I could hear the difference on the lows (he didn't have sub on) with the Def Techs, but the Motions really sounded pretty close otherwise, especially for the movie clips.


I wish I could have compared against the Primus or some other mid range lines, but I figure if they can complete with the Def Techs then they should be pretty good. I went ahead and ordered two Motion 10s and since they are on pre-order, I figure I have about a week to cancel if something better comes along or I change my mind. Figured it was best to jump on the deal before they sell out.


Does anyone own the Motion line that can comment on the rear surround choices? Seems like the Motion 4s are the most common but there are several other options.

 

[joeld52]

i went to BB and listened to Def Tech an ML Motion 12s and preferred the later. MLs sounded more clean and realistic.