Need help picking out some floor standing speakers. (1 Viewer)

[Ryan_Ket]

Hello all, I have done some posting over on AVS, but this is my first post over here. Well I recently upgraded my TV and am now in the world of HD. Since my current component and speaker setup is severely lagging behind todays technology(10 year old Technics reciever, hand-me-down 10 year old Bose system), I figured it was time to go ahead and upgrade my entire HT.

Ive decided I want to build a 7.1 system as my dedicated HT room is rather large. For now, I really only want to spend around 1000 on speakers. So I have decided that instead of settling for a cheaper complete system in my price range, I will build it as I go and buy higher quality pieces.

What Im looking for are two floor standing speakers to start my system off and possiby a matching center channel if my budget will allow it.

A few I had been looking at:
Axiom M50/60
B&W 602/603
Paradigm Monitor 7/9/11
Athena F1/F2
Klipsch Reference series?
Boston Acoustic VR1/VR2/VR3

I have heard the B&W's and a certain model of the Klipsch, but have done no extensive listening to any of them. Im not a huge audiophile, so I am not going to pick up on every little detail of the sound. What I want is a more nuetral sound maybe erring on the side of a little bright. I watch a lot of movies and listen to all types of music so I need a well rounded speaker. Strong bass is important, but sound quality takes precedence as I will be adding a beefy sub down the road. The aeshtetic qualities are of some concern, but are by no means a deal breaker. I also want the towers to be easily matched with a quality center channel, I want a system that will be easy for me to add to down the road.

I know this post was a little long, I wanted to present all the information though. Any thoughts from you experts out there would be much appreciated. I want to try and narrow my list down to 3-4 speakers to go and test out. Also, should I look into internet or foreign brands like Swan, JM Labs, etc.?

Thanks in advance for any responses!

 

[JediFonger]

you'll be glad to know that most people's hearing (even on this board) is terrible. so don't worry! you're in the majority. one of my reasoning for getting B&W is simple.

the people who are mixing the soundtracks for film and music are doing so on B&W studio monitors... so... i buy the brand that most of them are mixing on. =).

but, don't take my word for it. grab your fav tracks and start demoing!

 

[Eric_Bender]

You can't go wrong with the B&Ws, Paradigms or the Bostons. Make sure you listen to them extensively. Try to demo units at home side by side and find out which ones you think sound the best in your room.

 

[Yong Chan]

Add Onix Rockets to your list. Go to the forum on their website to see if there is anyone in your area that will let you audition their speakers. You will find nothing but praise on this site regarding Onix.


YC

 

[Jay_Via]

I thoroughly enjoy my Pinnacle BD1000s

 

[AlanZ]

Ryan: You're definitely doing things the smart way, IMO. Starting with your mains is a great idea. I've never been a huge proponent of spending a lot of money on surrounds, so I'm glad to see that you're allocating most of your budget to your front stage. Being that you have a large room, I'll throw out a vote for the Paradigm Monitor 11s. I used to own Monitor 5s and really enjoyed them....until I moved into a new home where the living room was very open with lots of space. The 5s were just swallowed whole! I went out and replaced them with Monitor 11s and the difference was absolutely amazing. The 11s are incredibly dynamic, and the multiple drivers will fill your space with sound effortlessly. In a room that size, they would be a wonderful foundation for a 5.1 system.

Just my $.02....good luck!

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Ryan,
It certainly seems that you’re looking at some of the better brands, which is good because sound quality is important.

However, there is something else that people often overlook, getting a speaker that sounds balanced in your particular room. Basically, in a large room like yours, your speakers need more bass output than they would in a small room. The size of your room vs. the dealer’s is something you need to keep in mind when demo’ing speakers.

For more on this, you might want to take a look at my house curve article, especially the second part.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt