Which speaker set and receiver? (1 Viewer)

[ECRacer]

Hey guys, I appreciate all the replies on my earlier thread about the soundbar. Today I went and listened to a friends 5.1 system while over watching the game and I am hooked on getting a 5.1 system. I am pretty sure these are what I narrowed it down to.

Onkyo TX-SR308 for $200 or Denon AVR-391 for $189

Klipsch HD-500 or Energy Take 5.1 either one for $440

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[wnnabepro]

Denon AVR-391 and the Klipsch HD-500!!! I have installed a lot more Denon then I have Onkyo and Klipsch is just AWESOME!!! Just my two cents!!!

 

[ECRacer]

Another option for speakers would be the Klipsch HD-1000 for $500. Any thoughts about these as compared to the other two.

 

[Jason Charlton]

Did your friend's system consist of Klipsch speakers? If not, have you had a chance to do some extended listening to Klipsch speakers? They are popular speakers, and a very reputable brand, but they do have a somewhat unique sound due to their horn tweeter design that some folks find excessively harsh and fatiguing.


Purchasing speakers without listening to them first is a somewhat risky proposition, however it's somewhat mitigated if you're coming from the realm of TV speakers only - anything will be a vast improvement.


Overall, I think you're taking the right approach by getting a separate receiver and speaker system - either system should serve you well.


Good luck, and hope you enjoy your new system, whichever one you choose.

 

[ECRacer]

I actually have listened to Klipsch before but they were the much larger ones like almost a shoebox size and they sounded good. The ones I just listened to were way out of my price range that my friend got from Theater Xtreme. The biggest disappointment was listening to the 2.1 Bose setup at Best Buy and that was what made my mind up to try and make a 5.1 work even though my living is setup non ideal.

 

[wnnabepro]

Don't go with Bose!! BOSE SUCK!!! They are over priced, they don't sound good at all and there systems have no room for addition's!! I have had customers buy there system cause some idiot of a sale's person convinced they that Bose was the best thing since sliced bread and I installed it just to have me come back about a month later and replace there whole system with some "real HT gear"!! Just my two cents. . . .

 

[ECRacer]

I think the average uneducated ears and most peoples first thoughts of a Bose are "Wow, that sounds incredible!" If you take the time to research and listen, you will be able to tell that it is not that great sounding especially for the price. I really never had intentions of buying a Bose and was instead going to buy some really good bookshelfs and a sub for a 2.1, but I am hooked on getting a 5.1. I am still trying to decide on which receiver and set of speakers yet.

 

[ECRacer]

Can anybody else offer advice on these systems? I am leaning towards the Denon receiver but not sure on the speakers yet. I can't find anywhere to listen to the Energy Take Classic 5.1s. Anbody that has them, I would love to hear your opinions of them.

 

[gene c]

I would choose the Energy's over the Klipsch 500 but that's me. You may like the Klipsch better. I have heard the Take 5 system at a co-workers house but haven't owned it myself. It was a couple of years ago but I was pretty impressed with it. I do own a pair of Energy C-50's though. I didn't much care for the 500 I've listened to at BB but that's not an ideal place to audition a speaker system.


BTW, Klipsch bought Energy's parent company a year or two ago.

 

[CB750]

If you look at both systems they do look similar but not identical. Since Klipsch now owns Energy their must some differences between the two. It appears that the Energy Take 5's may be a discontinued item as you cannot find them in retail stores anymore. It seams that the speakers with a $600 MSR are now available from Amazon, New Egg and others for $400. Which is lower than the Klipsch HD 500 which sell for $530. For what it is worth both have excellent customer reviews on Amazon.


I had listened to the Energy Take 5 and liked them over other Klipsch (not sure if it was the 500) as I found the Klipsch to lively for my ears. But you might like the Klipsch better, but in my opinion the $400 price for the Energy take 5 would be hard to pass up.

 

[ECRacer]

Yeah like I said, the Klipsch system I listened to was the larger speakers that are sold individually at Best Buy. I know that they both have gotten great reviews but I figured I would ask you guys since you guys are the experts.

 

[CB750]

Jared


Truth is their are no experts when it comes to speaker selection. What you will find is a lot of folks who have taken the time to find the system that works best for their ears and their budget

 

[ECRacer]

Well, I bit the bullet today and spent some money. I went with the Denon 391 and the Energy 5.1 system. Thanks guys for all your help and advice andI will let you guys know how it goes once I get it setup.