Need help with set-up (1 Viewer)

[TermsAndConditions]

I'm looking to buy my first home sound system. I have a subwoofer picked out already (Theatre Solutions SUB12F). Its a 350 watt RMS and a 500 watt peak, and is self powered and active. costs about $160.00 on amazon.

My question is basically where do I go from here?
What kind of speakers would go well with this? does the RMS of the speaker relate to the RMS of the woofer in any way?
IM also looking at Genius Hi-Fi speakers, those any good?

I'm also on a pretty tight budget, but still want decent SQ as well as deep, heavy bass.

::Also, the subwoofer says it powers itself, and up to 2 speakers. so do i need a reciever?

 

[ArmSC]

My question is basically where do I go from here?
What kind of speakers would go well with this? does the RMS of the speaker relate to the RMS of the woofer in any way?
IM also looking at Genius Hi-Fi speakers, those any good?

What is your over all budget? That is the first step. Next step is getting the basics covered.

[*]Get an AVR. Which one depends on budget, inputs, features ect.
[*]Get some speakers. You can start with just two but it sounds like you want a 5.1 setup to being with. Cool, now you just have to make sure you get speakers that can you guessed it, fit the budget. Your speakers should be the most costly item(s) in your budget as they will probably last the longest and if you get it right the first time you shouldn't have to replace them. Keep in mind to budget for stands if you want bookshelf units and don't plan on using existing furniture to put them on.
[*]Get a subwoofer to give you that low end that really pulls everything together. I think I would skip the one you picked out and look at the BIC F12 as it's only $25 more and is generally considered the best sub for entry level systems.
[*]Don't forget the wire, interconnect cables ect.
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When picking speakers consider some of the following items.

[*]RMS wattage doesn't matter. You're only going to use probalby 32watts max under normal listening conditions
[*]Look for speakers with higher sensitivity 90 is better than 85 as it will take less power to make them louder.
[*]Match the front three speakers in a HT system so they are timbre matched. That means they are from the same manufacturer and from the same series. The rears don't have to be the same series but it won't hurt if they are.
[*]If you have the space for bigger speakers get them...bigger sound needs bigger speakers.
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Do you need an AVR...Yes you do.

I've never heard of genius speakers but according to amazon they are all powered speakers. Not what you want when building a HT setup with a real AVR.

 

[TermsAndConditions]

Thank you ArmSC, your post really helped me out.

Ive heard good things about the BIC f12, so i was kinda considering it before, definitely considering it now. But do you know how that compares to the BIC 12" 430 watt powered sub. it downfires so I was attracted to that one as well.
So for me it's between those 2 subs

For speakers, I'm just getting 2. I can't decide on Boston Acoustics A26's or some fluance's (each speaker has like 2 speakers on it) idk.
Both are $200, any opinions on either of those?

And for the AVR, I'm thinking about the Pioneer VSX 522.

 

[Robert_J]

it downfires so I was attracted to that one as well.

Why? Pets or little kids I can understand. Other than that, there is no reason for having a downfiring sub.

each speaker has like 2 speakers on it

Each speaker has 2 drivers. 1 woofer and 1 tweeter.

I can't decide on Boston Acoustics A26's or some fluance's

Have you heard either one?

 

[TermsAndConditions]

Why? Pets or little kids I can understand. Other than that, there is no reason for having a downfiring sub.

Each speaker has 2 drivers. 1 woofer and 1 tweeter.

Have you heard either one?

I just liked my downfiring subwoofer in my car because it amplified the bass a bit.

I have not heard the Boston Acoustics or Fluance

 

[Robert_J]

There are many ways to "amplify" the bass in a home setting. Corner loading is the most prevalent. For the higher end subs like SVS, they take the time to find the exact height from the baseplate that will give the best response. Low end subs put 4 legs on the downfiring sub and sell it.

How do you know you will even need a little boost on the low end? If you like bass heavy systems then don't buy retail. Save your money up and build a great sub.

If you haven't head either speaker, how were you going to make your decision? Reviews? That's like trusting restaurant reviews. Everyone likes different things. Everyone hears differently. I lean towards soft dome tweeters. Hard dome and horn tweeters sound harsh to me. That's why I went with the Dayton DIII design on the Parts Express site.

 

[ArmSC]

Terms - you're welcome for the help. I'm glad I was able to point you in the right direction. As far as picking speakers RobertJ is right you have to go listen to them. Take a trip to a local store and go listen to some speakers. Also what is your budget for this project? You do realize that those Boston Acoustic speakers are $200 each at amazon. That's $400 for the set...which is a nice investment but I think for that kind of money I would listen to them.