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New Theater...a little lost

1518 Views 13 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  swgiust, 
M
I'm trying to figure all this surround sound out, and my brain is fried.


I initially picked up a Bose V20 system, and took it back to BB. It was good enough to confirm I wanted a surround sound system, but way too flat. I want the system for 100% movies/TV...particularly blu-ray and HD DVD. I'm looking for that sharp sound, not overall booming loudness...to take advantage of the new audio formats on High Def movies. My room is only 13' by 12', so not particularly big. I have a 60" Pioneer plasma.


I went to Magnolia today, and had the guy show me what he recommended. We looked at definitive technology, which sounded a lot better than the little Bose speakers we had. Then he switched to Klipsch 62s, and they were amazing. Very impressive, and it seemed like they have what I'm looking for. The center channel for the system is too big, so I'll have to figure out something else if these are the speakers I end up with.


Sooo, I guess I'm wondering what you think for a setup with a budget of $3k...including the receiver. I haven't picked that out yet either, but was looking at the Pioneer Elite 92TXH...since 3 HDMI in would be perfect, along with being able to handle the new HD sound formats.


Any inputs on my thoughts? Also, a center channel that I could place nicely above the Plasma?
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C
Check out some of the owners forums and see what they have to say about the speakers they own. It will give you a clearer idea of what your other options may be other than just the Klipsch. I read that the BIC Acoustech was built to compete against Klipsch at a lower price. You might one to check them out too.


I looked hard into the Pioneer Elites but went with an Onkyo 805 and I am very happy with it. Currently they are going for a very good price. Just got to do some price shopping. I was able to get mine for $630. Can't beat that for the options it comes with. Go to the Onkyo owner's thread to read the cons and pros of Onkyo. Keep an eye on H/K as well.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by calnbs /forum/post/12796625


Check out some of the owners forums and see what they have to say about the speakers they own. It will give you a clearer idea of what your other options may be other than just the Klipsch. I read that the BIC Acoustech was built to compete against Klipsch at a lower price. You might one to check them out too.


I looked hard into the Pioneer Elites but went with an Onkyo 805 and I am very happy with it. Currently they are going for a very good price. Just got to do some price shopping. I was able to get mine for $630. Can't beat that for the options it comes with. Go to the Onkyo owner's thread to read the cons and pros of Onkyo. Keep an eye on H/K as well.
Click to expand...

I've been checking...just seems like tons of options, and I can't hear them all in person.


Anyone have personal feedback/experience on BIC Acoustech?
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I did a ton of research on the BIC Acoustech (horn speakers) and their Venturi (normal one) on this website, www.forums.audioholics.com , and amazon.com. Most of the owners were pretty happy with their BICs. A great bang for the buck. Especially for under $1k. Most said that if you like the Klipsch's horn speakers, you should also like the BIC's Acoustech. I tested the Klipsch at Magnolia and the speakers was too bright for me and so I decided against it. If you like forward or bright speakers, you might want to check out the Axioms as well. Tons of information on Audioholics, Axiom forums, and here.


If you can find a dealer near you, take a look at Paradigm and Monitor Audio. Seems like they have a lot of happy customers.


With your budget, you have a great selection to chose from especially ID. I went with ID because I felt that they give the best bang for the buck over stores. Of course, the audition part is a pain in the azz. I went with AV123's 850 Rockets but they are back ordered and I won't be getting them until Feb.08 or even further out. AV123 center might be a problem for you though. I went with Rockets because of reviews that rate them equal to or even better than Paradigm and that says a lot for AV123's price range.


Keep an eye on the Swans and Aperions as well. They were my second runner up. Seems like you can't really go wrong with any of these speakers as they received RAVE reviews from everyone. They all have great policy return. Aperions have free shipping both ways but will be a pain in the butt to put it back in the box. Select a few speakers and just read on the owner's thread for the pros and cons.
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Klipsch is a great speaker for those who like their sound, that was not my case as I find most of them annoyingly bright. But, that is me. They are very dinamic, bright, and voices come out very much alive; great for HT.


If you liked Klipsch you will not go wrong with them. Just make sure you audition for more than 15-20 minutes. The Pioneer receiver is a good option due to its features, you might also want to consider Denon and Onkyo.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PR Audio /forum/post/12806697


Klipsch is a great speaker for those who like their sound, that was not my case as I find most of them annoyingly bright. But, that is me. They are very dinamic, bright, and voices come out very much alive; great for HT.


If you liked Klipsch you will not go wrong with them. Just make sure you audition for more than 15-20 minutes. The Pioneer receiver is a good option due to its features, you might also want to consider Denon and Onkyo.
Click to expand...

If the Klipsch are annoyingly bright, which speakers did you end up on?


And, what does bright mean?
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I ended up with PSB Image Series (T45 mains/C40 center/B25 rears). It was a close call between T55 and T45, but since I am running a sub I understood that I didn't need the T55 extra bass extension, and saved some $$$. After two months with the speakers I'm sure it was a good decision.


By bright I mean that they tend to exagerate, or better said, bring forward the high notes. Some people like the fact that this helps with Klipsch being a very clear and detailed speaker. But, after 15-20 minutes of auditioning they kind of made me tired of hearing them. Other people find this great and love the dynamism.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mookie b /forum/post/12813761


If the Klipsch are annoyingly bright, which speakers did you end up on?
Click to expand...

Want to clarify, that they were annoyingly bright for MY TASTE. This might not be your case, and don't feel "cohersed" by my comment. Lots and lots of people love them.
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For speakers i would recommend the PSB Image B25. Stereophile called them the best speaker for under 500. For the receiver i would go with the Denon AVR-3808CI. 4 HDMI Dobly True HD and DTS HD, every thing you would want and more then enough power for the B25's. That set-up would be under 3k.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by c_hochhalter /forum/post/12815896


For speakers i would recommend the PSB Image B25. Stereophile called them the best speaker for under 500. For the receiver i would go with the Denon AVR-3808CI. 4 HDMI Dobly True HD and DTS HD, every thing you would want and more then enough power for the B25's. That set-up would be under 3k.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the input guys...still trying to decide, but the information is huge...thanks again.
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I like Klipsch's sound. But I also like B&w Paradigm and several other brands you just have to listen to a few different brands and analyze what is important to you.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by remodeler /forum/post/12818567


I like Klipsch's sound. But I also like B&w Paradigm and several other brands you just have to listen to a few different brands and analyze what is important to you.
Click to expand...

Totally. I found a Paradigm dealer today, and now I can't get those out of my head. I felt they were more impressive than the Klipsch ones...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mookie b /forum/post/12818643


Totally. I found a Paradigm dealer today, and now I can't get those out of my head. I felt they were more impressive than the Klipsch ones...
Click to expand...

Now you know you liked Paradigm better than Klipsch. So, you will most likely like offerings from:


PSB Image Series

Monitor Audio Bronze or Silver Series

Energy RC Series


Like I mentioned in one of my post I went with PSB, someone else posted about PSB B25. Don't know if you prefer floorstanders or bookshelves as mains. But, in the lower side of your budget there is PSB Image, which I highly recommend, but, if in the budget I would go with the T45 or T55 floorstanders as mains, as the T45 has a better soundstage and image than the B25, and the T55 adds more bass extension.


In the higher end of your budget there is Monitor Silver Series, they are very nice sounding, and a must audition.


There are also options from ID companies, but in my case I don't consider them as freight to my location, when quoted by them, is ridiculously expensive, plus I don't like the fact that I have to pay freight back if I don't like them. Only a couple will pay freight both ways, one of them being Aperion. There are hundreds of threads here where you can find info on them, just do a search on: Axiom, Aperion, Ascend, AV123, Elemental Designs (ED), SVS, Salk (over your budget), and Swan.
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The Paradigm Monitor series has a similar sound to the Klipsch but uses a more traditional tweater arrangment. I have listened to them and think they

are a great choice for HT. They will give you the volume and dynamic range

you need for a good HT experience. Paradigm's center channels are also large

but they are worth getting into your system.
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