[vinniemeatball]


I currently have a 5.1 system.   I have the Klipsch Quintet III for my front's, surround and center.   I have a Klipsch SUB-10 for the subwoofer.  

 

My main use is movies / tv.    

 

I'm thinking about upgrading with floor standing speakers and moving 2 of the Quintets to make a 7.1 system. 

 

Does this make sense to do that ?   I'd like to achieve a more theater like experience. 

 

If I go that route i'm wondering what floor standing speakers I should look at.   

 

My room is approx 13 x 20.    The fronts are approx 12' from the main viewing area. 

 

I'm not looking to spend more than about $400 for a set.   I was reading up on the reviews of the Pioneer FS-52.   I've also found the Polk ebay store and i'm reading good things about the RTI8.

 

My receiver is a Onkyo HT-RC360

 

Thanks for the help

 

[Jack D Ripper]


The main problem with what you are planning on doing is that the front three speakers should be voice matched.  Ideally, they would be identical to each other, but many people can not or will not put the same speaker in the center as they want for the front right and left.  So the next best is to have a voice matched speaker, which is from the same manufacturer and designed to sound close to the same as the other speakers in their lineup that are voice matched.

 

The other thing is that it is usually more sensible to go with bookshelf speakers than tower speakers, when one is using a subwoofer.  Although, one should be looking at bookshelf speakers that go lower than your Quintet speakers, so that one can use the THX recommended crossover point of 80 Hz (which means that the -3dB point of the bass end of the frequency response should be about 60 Hz or so, or lower.  Typically, this means that the woofer is going to be at least 5", though there may be exceptions to that general rule.

 

Here is more on this idea of bookshelf speakers vs. towers:

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack D Ripper 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Fitzmaurice 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by 23109VC 


if I had bookshelf speakers...since they are smaller, wouldn't they sound wimpier and not fill up the room very well?

That's the assumption commonly made by those who assume that there is an inherent benefit to floor standers. That assumption is incorrect.

Floor standers have exactly one advantage over book shelves, and that's better low frequency response. That advantage disappears if you have subs, because then the floor standers aren't working in the lows anyway.

As to whether floor standers without subs are preferable to bookshelves with subs, the simple answer is no. In terms of low frequency extension and output the average floor stander falls well short of the average sub. So short that for serious HT use most floor stander users have to use subs anyway. More important is the issue of placement. For best results sources that operate above 100Hz and those that operate below 100H, ie, mains versus subs, will almost never work best sharing the same foot print. With floor standers putting the high and low frequency sources each where they work the best isn't an option.

 

I agree.  I think it is generally a waste of money to go with floorstanding speakers when one is going to have a subwoofer anyway.  The times when it is not a waste are generally at the cheap end of things, in cases where the floorstanding speakers cost no more than the cost of a pair of speaker stands over the cost of the comparable bookshelf speakers.

 

Occasionally, one encounters someone who claims that they like to listen to music without the subwoofer and just use their tower speakers, because they say the bass is too "boomy" with the subwoofer on.  Typically, when one checks into the matter, one finds that the person has boosted the subwoofer up well above the proper setting for matching the main speakers, because the person likes boomy bass with movies.  Of course, the proper solution is to set the subwoofer level properly for the main speakers and then one will get the right amount of bass with one's music, and it will go as deep as the subwoofer can go, if the music requires it.

 

Also, many times people do not compare things properly, as they compare expensive towers with cheap bookshelf speakers from the same line.  The thing is, instead of spending that extra money on towers, one could spend the extra money on a higher line of bookshelf speakers, thus getting better sound for the same price.  If you are looking at towers for $1000, the proper thing to do is to compare with bookshelf speakers for $1000.  Or, to be more exact, one should compare speakers for the front three positions at the same total price to decide which is best, as the center should match the front right and left speakers (ideally, they will all be identical speakers). 

 

So, for people who properly set up their gear, bookshelf speakers are a smart choice when there will be a subwoofer.

 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack D Ripper 

 

...

 

Quote:

 
Originally Posted by 23109VC 

 

...

i do like bass in my music.  so I suspect that I woudl probably tend to like the larger floor speakers that have better midrange vs bookshelf speakers.. but i will need to go to a stereo shop and demo stuff. 

 

...

 

 

With speaker lines that are "voice matched", the bookshelf speaker and the tower speaker will have the same or nearly the same midrange.  The tower speaker gives you deeper bass, not necessarily anything else.  Since you will use a subwoofer, it is not necessary or particularly helpful.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by 23109VC 

 

if I was looking to spend about $300 for a pair of speakers... and was lookign at used ones - would it make a difference going bookshelf vs floor standing?  ...

 

With used, it all depends on what you happen to find in your area.  Normally, here is the sort of thing to expect when comparing bookshelf speakers with tower speakers:

 

Polk Audio Monitor 50 Series II BLACK Tower Speakers [NEW/PAIR]

 

RTi4 CHERRY Bookshelf Speakers Polk Audio [NEW/PAIR]

 

Here you can look at the specifications:

 

http://www.polkaudio.com/products/monitor50

 

http://www.polkaudio.com/products/rti4

 

Notice, the tower speakers are a little more money, but the price is close.  The bookshelf speakers, though, are from a higher line, and will sound better for the frequencies they cover.  So you will get better midrange and better treble for less money (excluding the cost of speaker stands, if needed, though these bookshelf speakers can be wall-mounted).  You give up a little bass, but that will not matter if you use a subwoofer and proper bass management.  Assuming that the specifications are exactly correct, with enough power, you could get slightly more volume from the tower speakers, but a very insignificant difference (0.8dB, which would be barely detectable).  You also get a much nicer finish on the bookshelf speakers in this instance, though that obviously is not going to make any difference for how the system sounds.

 

In my opinion, it would make a lot more sense to buy the bookshelf speakers.

 

But, again, if you are looking at used, it will all depend on what you happen to find, and the particular deals available in your area.  It might turn out that you can get a great deal on floorstanding speakers, but normally, with a subwoofer, you get more for your money with bookshelf speakers, because you are not wasting money on bass capability that you are not going to need due to using a subwoofer.

 

 

So, I recommend that you look for three bookshelf speakers that match each other, or a pair of bookshelf speakers and a voice matched speaker that fits in your center position.