need advice on ht system (1 Viewer)

[brankulo]

i was pretty much set for onkyo HT-S9100THX. but now that i think more about it i think i need something else. i will need to mount rear and side satellites on the wall. ones that come with onkyo set are pretty big. i would prefer something more subtle at least for the satellites,with white finish. is there a ht system comparable to this onkyo one, price wise and quality wise, with smaller rear and side speakers in whit? actually i dont really mind black receiver, and front, center, sub.
thanks

 

[David Willow]

Hi Brankulo,


Since no one has answered you yet, I will take a shot......


With Home Theater in a Box (HTiB) systems like the S9100 you will be very limited with the speaker selection (the speakers are the weakest part of the Onkyo). Finding anything smaller and the color you want for the same price will be very, very difficult. You already found the best HTiB for the price, so any other HTiB will be a step down.


You could possibly find a receiver and buy the speakers separately, but for the same price you will still have problems finding smaller surrounds that still sound decent.


If you are able to increase your budget, Orb Audio makes some nice smaller speakers. You could also consider in-wall speaker for your surrounds.

 

[brankulo]

my wife already thinks the budget for ht is outrageous, so i will not by able to pony up any more $$. with my onkyo selection, what are my options of wall and ceiling attachment of satellites? i was thinking spraying the housing of 4 satellite speakers white. it might reduce my chances of selling it in the future but, oh well. and yes, i like orb speakers, but way out of my budget right now.

 

[brankulo]

what about these speakers? any good? what receiver would i pair it with. if i wanted 7.1 system, would i just buy another 2 satellites?

 

[David Willow]

Originally Posted by brankulo


For the receiver, check out the Onkyo 508 - you can get it for about $250.

 

[brankulo]

Let me ask you this, is there a substantial difference between experience from 5.1 and 7.1 systems?

 

[David Willow]

It is really room dependent. If you have space behind your listening position, then 7.1 will work well. If you are against or near the wall, then 5.1 is better.

I wouldn't worry about 7.1 at first even if you have the room. Invest in 5.1 to start. There's really no movies that are 7.1. Even the few that are listed as 7.1 started as 5.1 in theaters.

BTW - Any 7.x (or 9.x and 11.x) receiver will handle 5.1 fine.

 

[brankulo]

ok, thanks

do you think that it will be sufficient for 14 x 28 room. half of the room is living room half is dining but it is all open as one big space. seating for tv is in the middle.

also if i buy later on this speakers for the front and use ones in the set as my rear and side, will it work?

is the receiver you suggested above comparable to the one that would come with onkyo set?

thanks

 

[David Willow]

You should be fine. Don't expect earth shattering sound from the sub, but it should be enjoyable. Maybe later you can add a better sub.


As long as you keep the front sound stage voice matched (timbre matched), you can get away with using slightly different speakers for the surrounds. Your plan should work.


I'm not sure which receiver comes with the Onkyo package. I suspect it is a 608. There does not appear to be much difference between the 508 and the 608. The 608 is THX certified (not a big deal) and has a better onscreen GUI. It also has a slightly better amp (again, not a big deal).

 

[brankulo]

i also found this. sub, speakers, speakers come in white. what do you think?

 

[David Willow]

Lot's of Polk fans around (I believe I listened to Polks before, but I couldn't tell you what I thought).


I think the sub will be the weak point in either package. Which one would be better is hard to tell since I have no real experience with either. The Def Tech claims to go down to 22 Hz, but I'm not buying it. With an 8" driver and a small enclosure, I would believe Polks' numbers (38 Hz). I'm guessing they will both perform the same.


IMO, if you got the 5 speakers now (either package) and saved for a better sub, you would be happier. This sub from SVS can be purchased for under $500 and will truly play lower (and louder) than either of the subs in the mentioned packages.

 

[gene c]

That Polk PSW-111 sub is only rated down to 38 hz. By comparison, the DefTech in the Pro Cinema 600 is rated to 22 hz, which does seem a bit optomistic but that's the rating.


The ProCinema would be much better but as Dave said, out of your price range with a receiver purchase.


Sometimes those Polk speakers can be found without the sub, then you can get a better sub from some place like PartsExpress. My brother has the BIC 1220 and it's adequate for his needs. Look for a sub that rated at least down to 30 hz but the lower the better. And I know these ratings can be optomistic, and a lot depends on room acoustics and where the sub is placed but you have to use something as a guidline. If you're still un-sure give PE a call/e-mail. They're quite knowledgable and helpfull.

 

[CB750]

After reading lots of good reviews of the Def Tech Pro Cinema line I did listen to them. I liked the 1000 series best followed by 800. I felt their was a real fall off with the 600's They just did not produce as much sound as either the 1000's or 800's. Naturally that should be expected because they are less expensive and have smaller drivers and smaller sub. Speaker selection is very personal, you might like the 600's if you have a small room. But I felt that they just wouldn't work well in my 15' x 22' family room that backed up to my open Kitchen of the same size.

I never listened to the Polk's so I cannot comment.


I ended up with B&W M-1 system which I am very happy with and come in black, silver, and white but they would be out of your price range.


Given your budget I would go with a better 5.1 system as opposed to a 7.1 of the same price. You can always add the two rear speaker's at a later date.

 

[brankulo]

dont tell my wife, but i am going to get dt pro cinema 1000 (2 fronts and center), 800 sides, and possibly pb10 nsd sub. and onkyo 508 as suggested. still think the sub is pricey, is there something cheaper i could use instead?

thanks

 

[Robert_J]

Originally Posted by brankulo

pb10 nsd sub. ...... still think the sub is pricey, is there something cheaper i could use instead?

thanks

There are a lot of cheaper subs on the market but you will be sacrificing quality though. Internet direct companies make the best value subwoofers. They have been measured by independent sources. The designs have been scrutinized by experienced DIYers. The only option that gives you a better value is building it yourself.