Wood vs plastic vs in ceiling

Pexx · 04-27-2008, 07:18 PM

Hello everyone, I posted this in another thread but did not get an answer. This is my first time here, so I appreciate any help.

I am trying to set up my first HT. From my limited research I believe I arrived at a decent entry level system with Polk audio stereos (fronts = RTi A1/A3). But I have limited space to install the Front stereos so I am considering two alternatives:
1) Plastic stereos, like B&W VM1 or Bose[/u]
2) In wall or in ceiling fronts with a regular center, all Polk

I would like not to lose much sound quality, and I would like it to sound good with music and movies.

- Do you think the options above are noticiably inferior to the Polk stereos?
- Can anyone suggest smaller bookshlef speakers with similar quality?

Thank you,
Pexx

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Pexx · 04-27-2008, 07:56 PM

Let me add another issue: the front speakers will have to be "shoved" inside the furniture. So I guess there is some loss of quality. If this is the case, will the small satellite speakers or the in ceiling ones sound about the same?

John Gates · 04-28-2008, 08:40 PM

What is your budget?

Sounds like placement room or size is an issue. How big is your room?

Generally, I don't like inwall speakers, and I think in ceiling speakers are terrible for imaging.

I would recommend something mid to small bookshelves hung with wall mounts over in-walls (most of the time).

If you give a budget and other constraints, I'm sure you will get more replies with ideas that will give you the best sound within your budget and space constraints.

Good luck,

John

Pexx · 04-28-2008, 09:22 PM

I have a basic project with front speakers Polk RTi A3 or A1 and a center Polk CSi A4. I am sorry I cannot give you a budget b/c I live in Brazil and prices are way differente (ie I pay much more for the same speaker).

I would like something in the same price range as the polks, a bit more expensive would be fine if they were smaller and with similar sound quality.

Thanls,
Pexx

Dave Moritz · 04-30-2008, 03:50 PM

I would not use in ceiling speakers for any of your front channels at all. If you have to you could use them for your rear channels but never for the front. Polk makes some nice speakers but just remember that the really small satalite speakers will not give you the sound a larger speaker will. But I understand that you have limited space, and you can do only what you can do.

I would not go Bose as that will definantly be a down grade when compaired to the Polk's. If you have a really small room the small speakers may work out nicely but if it is a large room and you do not have much space for speakers. Then you may have a problem when you turn the sound up, as the speakers strain to fill the space with sound they tend to sound strained.

How big is your room?

You could go with some Polk in-wall speakers and match them with a nice subwoofer. But again I would stay away from in-ceiling speakers as the dispersion is not all that great especially when used for the front 3 speakers.

Pexx · 04-30-2008, 08:08 PM

Thanks for the advice Dave. The room is not small b/c it's the living room (25' x 11'), but the HT will be located on a 11' x 11' space. When lessoning to music the front stereos need to fill the whole room.

I guess I will be compromising and getting the Polk RTi A1, which are small and probably have a better sound than in-wall fronts or satellite speakers of the same price range (R$ 350 / pair), right?

Dave Moritz · 04-30-2008, 08:37 PM

It sounds like the space in question is part of the living room which you said was (25' x 11') Even with surround material you will need to treat it as if the entire room is being used for the home theater. The sound will still need to fill the entire room no matter what is playing. What in-walls where you looking at? Are they basically the same drivers? If you do not know if you will be living where you are at in a few years, you may want to go with the bookshelf speakers (Polk RTi A1). The one advantage the in-walls have are the tweeters can be aimed where the tweeters in the bookselfs can not.

To be honest with you I have never owned any in-wall speakers but I am thinking that you might want to go with the bookshelf models. That way you do not have to cut holes in the wall and cover them up if you move. Or you could allways install the in-walls and wire the room for home theater and use it as a selling point if you ever sale the house. The other thing is you might have to mess with putting insulation into the wall and you might get more sound bleeding into the next room with in-walls. So like I was saying you might want to go bookselves, less hastle.

They should give you some decent sound but it may not be as dynamic and full as you would like them to be.

Just out of curiosity what receiver are you going to power these with? I guess I should have asked you this earlier.

Polk has in-wall models from $269.99 a pair all the way up to $2,899.99 a pair beleive it or not.

I was trying to look into the in-walls but they are having problems with there site.

I would go with the biggest speakers that you can place into the space you have for the front left and right with a real good center channel. I would spend the majority of you money on these three speakers and you can cut corners a little on the rear channels. Oh and another reason to not do in-wall in the living room is, what if you or someone else desides to rearange the living room? Then you will have to figure out where to place the speakers again and that could be a problem.

Anyway I am not sure if I helped at all, but I hope it helped in some way?

Pexx · 05-01-2008, 03:16 PM

Sure it helped Dave. Yeah I have given up on the in-whatever and will go with the bookshelfs. Now the question is if the paradigm mini Monitor are better than the Polk RTi A1, do you know?

Dave Moritz · 05-01-2008, 05:40 PM

I would say yes that I feel that the Paradigm's would be better. But speakers are very subjective and if you have a dealer locally. I would try to listen to both and see which one you prefer. Because honestly that is the one that ends up being better for you personally. But I would personally prefer what Paradigm is building over many of the Polk models, maybe not all but most.

If I did not have my Altec A-7's I was considering at one point getting a match set of Pardigm Monitor Series HT speakers and a SVS subwoofer.

Pexx · 05-03-2008, 11:06 AM

That's what I thought. Thank you!



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