[Chrisa1985]

Hi all looking for some advice on speaker selection for a new media room in planning. It will be a dual purpose room for music listening and movies/tv watching. The room is about 14x14 so I don't have a ton of extra room.

I've thought about mounting bookshelfs with an omnimount to get the sound where I need it.

Looking to spend as close to $1000 as I can for the five speakers and the sub.

Thoughts?

 

[dsrussell]

There are many speakers to choose from, so I'll just give you my favorite and let others give you theirs.

$225 / pair (includes shipping) EMP Tek R5Bi bookshelf speaker (formally E5Bi): http://emptek.com/r5bi.php (I own these). Buy a third R5Bi for your center channel (can be turned on its side) for $112.50 and you are at $337.50 for your front stage.

$125 / pair (includes shipping) EMP Tek E3b mini-bookshelf speaker: http://emptek.com/e3b.php Using these for your rear speakers and you are now at $462.50, leaving you over $500 for a subwoofer:

$500 SVS PB-1000 10-inch ported sub: http://www.svsound.com/subwoofers/ported-box/pb-1000

You will need speaker stands and/or mounting brackets, cabling and speaker wire.

Note: Just realized that this is your second thread (not a good idea) since I'm posting the same thing twice.

 

[Chrisa1985]

I apologize for the other post, but the topic is entirely different ( at least i thought so).

Any opinion on floor standing vs bookshelf for the fronts?

 

[dsrussell]

If you are not going to add a subwoofer, then a good tower is the way to go. Adding a subwoofer makes a tower, especially inexpensive towers, expendable. After all, you'll be crossing that tower (and bookshelf speakers) at 80 Hz, which is a waste of a tower's lower performance capability. You are spending extra money on a tower for something you aren't taking advantage of. As always, it is your choice to make.

 

[Chrisa1985]

Would the recommendation stay the same if I need lower listening levels during week nights? Kids rooms are right next to the media room.

 

[dsrussell]

Kids can easily adapt to noise. My son plays movies at reference levels, so just ask my grandchildren . I'd train them on the weekend, however.

A good speaker is a good speaker, be it floor standing speakers or bookshelf speakers. Playing either at the same sound pressure levels (low or high volume) gives you the same results, so I'm not sure what you meant.

There are a slew of very good inexpensive speakers, like those I listed in your other thread and those others have listed. EMP Tek just being one. And while I think they are one of the very best speakers "I" had auditioned for the price ... or anywhere near the price, you may feel differently. What we like in sound is extremely subjective.

Andrew Robinson's video review:

My review: http://www.avsforum.com/forum/dbtreview.php?do=view_review&id=4850&ri=review