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Advice on buying new speakers!

post #1 of 21
10/13/08 at 8:20pm
Thread Starter 
Hey everyone,

Before i start, i should mention that this is my first post here on hometheaterforums and loving every minute of it!

So here is my situation, I will be moving downstairs into my basement once we finish it and ive been looking into buying some new speakers. The room is about 9 X 10 or so, and ill be in-wall wiring the speaker wire next week. I have a few questions about how i should set up the room. I will be upgrading from some cheap "precision acoustics" towers and a yamaha 6030 receiver.

So im curious as to what everyone thinks of bose speakers, specifically the 301 bookshelf speakers, and the acoustimass 10 set. I have a few friends that rave about their quality but the few times ive been in best buy and futureshop they are no where near set up right to actually hear the quality.
Ive also been looking at the new klipsch reference series speakers, which have some reviews that are hard to argue with.

My last problem is while im looking into these, what combination of tower/bookshelf speakers should i get? And is it better to have bookshelves in the front or the back? Im a huge bluray enthusiast lately and so i might look to stretch the system to a 7.1 in the future and with that, where should the other speakers be placed for best results?

Any help would be greatly appreciated,
thanks again!
Alex MacDonald
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post #2 of 21
10/14/08 at 5:20am

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

Quote:
Originally Posted by amacsteeze
Hey everyone,

Before i start, i should mention that this is my first post here on hometheaterforums and loving every minute of it!

Welcome!

Quote:
Originally Posted by amacsteeze
So here is my situation, I will be moving downstairs into my basement once we finish it and ive been looking into buying some new speakers. The room is about 9 X 10 or so, and ill be in-wall wiring the speaker wire next week. I have a few questions about how i should set up the room. I will be upgrading from some cheap "precision acoustics" towers and a yamaha 6030 receiver.

You will be in for a treat.

Quote:
Originally Posted by amacsteeze
So im curious as to what everyone thinks of bose speakers, specifically the 301 bookshelf speakers, and the acoustimass 10 set. I have a few friends that rave about their quality but the few times ive been in best buy and futureshop they are no where near set up right to actually hear the quality.

Search this forum (or any other audio forum) and you will find tons of info on Bose. Bottom line, do not waste your money on them.


Quote:
Originally Posted by amacsteeze
Ive also been looking at the new klipsch reference series speakers, which have some reviews that are hard to argue with.

Some folks love them, some hate them. You really need to go listen for yourself. Only you can decide if you like the sound.

Quote:
Originally Posted by amacsteeze
My last problem is while im looking into these, what combination of tower/bookshelf speakers should i get? And is it better to have bookshelves in the front or the back? Im a huge bluray enthusiast lately and so i might look to stretch the system to a 7.1 in the future and with that, where should the other speakers be placed for best results?

Again this is personal preference. Towers normally go lower, but with a good sub it really doesn't matter. You will want everything below 80hz going to the sub anyway. For you small room, you will not need a massive tower to fill it. However, if you find towers you like, it won't hurt either.

Quote:
Originally Posted by amacsteeze
Any help would be greatly appreciated,
thanks again!
Alex MacDonald

No problem.

Since you are looking at Bose, I assume you have a pretty good budget for these speakers. I would start by going to stores and listening. Find HT stores, not just Best Buy types. Listen to B&W, Klipsh, Polk, etc. Also check out Axiom and SVS online (and others). I highly recommend SVS subs.
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post #3 of 21
10/14/08 at 7:36am

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

Bose=trash

Money goes into marketing, not product quality.
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post #4 of 21
10/14/08 at 8:21am

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

Bose is absolute garbage. The only thing Bose is good for is for listening to classical or instrumental music.

No highs, no lows...it's gotta be Bose

I personally love Definitive Technology speakers. They are great for all spectrums of audio listening...music, movies, normal television watching. It all depends on your budget. Klipsch Reference is not too bad, but if you are going to spend money in that price range, go with Def Tech instead!
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post #5 of 21
10/14/08 at 8:27am

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

Quote:
Originally Posted by bosawx17
The only thing Bose is good for is for listening to classical or instrumental music.

REALLY!!! You learn something new every day.
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post #6 of 21
10/14/08 at 8:32am

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnRice
REALLY!!! You learn something new every day.


Haha...okay, well let me rephrase that...

The only good thing Bose is semi-decent for is....
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post #7 of 21
10/14/08 at 8:59am

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

I would also avoid Bose, if you want something smaller, Definitive is nice!
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post #8 of 21
10/14/08 at 10:19am
Thread Starter 

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Willow
Welcome!



You will be in for a treat.



Search this forum (or any other audio forum) and you will find tons of info on Bose. Bottom line, do not waste your money on them.




Some folks love them, some hate them. You really need to go listen for yourself. Only you can decide if you like the sound.



Again this is personal preference. Towers normally go lower, but with a good sub it really doesn't matter. You will want everything below 80hz going to the sub anyway. For you small room, you will not need a massive tower to fill it. However, if you find towers you like, it won't hurt either.



No problem.

Since you are looking at Bose, I assume you have a pretty good budget for these speakers. I would start by going to stores and listening. Find HT stores, not just Best Buy types. Listen to B&W, Klipsh, Polk, etc. Also check out Axiom and SVS online (and others). I highly recommend SVS subs.

I appreciate the suggestions everybody, and i should mention that right now i work at best buy here in alberta, and as such i get a signifigant discount on anything in future shop or best buy stores. I have no problem with spending a big chunk of cash on these speakers, because i cheaped out last time and i learned my lesson pretty good.

i looked at the SVS subs and im wondering if there is anywhere that sells them in a store, so that i can have a listen to them before i invest in them?

Check these 2 surround speakers out and maybe someone can tell me if there is a big difference between these two;

Future Shop: Audio: Home Speakers: Polk Audio Surround Bookshelf Speaker (FXIA4) - Black

Surround Speakers : QS4 - Axiom Audio

Both seem like what im looking for but the polk speakers i can have almost half price on, so my predicament grows, are the axiom ones worth the difference?
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post #9 of 21
10/14/08 at 10:50am

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

Quote:
Originally Posted by amacsteeze
i looked at the SVS subs and im wondering if there is anywhere that sells them in a store, so that i can have a listen to them before i invest in them?
They are only available internet direct. By cutting out the brick and motar retailer, you are getting much more product for your money. If SVS were sold in BB or FS then you would expect to pay at least twice as much. If they were sold in a home theater specialty store, then they would probably cost four times as much. Ron (the S in SVS) and Tom (the V in SVS) met here on the forum when Ron wanted to build his first DIY sub. These guys are enthusiasts like us. Their engineers are enthusiasts. They don't farm out customer service to some guy with an accent (unless it is a New Jersy accent). Even those guys are nuts about home theater.

-Robert
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post #10 of 21
10/14/08 at 5:14pm

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

I'm very happy with my SVS sub that I've had a few years now. Good, company, great people.

I can't speak for the Polks, because I don't have much experience with them, but I have the QS8's and they are excellent surround speakers. Axiom recommended I buy the QS4's because of my small room, so I imagine they sound very similar to the 8's. If you go to the Axiom website, there should be somewhere, in the forums I think, where you can contact people who live near you to give them a listen.
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post #11 of 21
10/15/08 at 4:58pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

Okay awesome guys, I have another question, i dont wanna jump my cost up by buying a receiver that will let me run 2 subwoofers on it. If i use a Y-splitter the split my subwoofer out into 2, can i run 2 subs into that and have it work the way i want it to?
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post #12 of 21
10/15/08 at 7:17pm

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

My Pioneer VSX-1014 only has 1 LFE/sub output but I connect it to a 2 channel pro amp using a "Y" adapter. The adapter cost about $3 at Rat Shack.

Are you planning getting the SVS subs or a lesser quality model from your retail store? Because one really good sub is better than a pair of poor ones. If you are really wanting a pair of subs, get a good one now and then another good one later. As far as I'm concerned, you can't have enough subs.

-Robert
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post #13 of 21
10/16/08 at 8:23am

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

i looked at the SVS subs and im wondering if there is anywhere that sells them in a store, so that i can have a listen to them before i invest in them?
-I think they have a canadian retailer. Sonic Boom Audio- it can be found on svs's website under international dealers.

If i use a Y-splitter the split my subwoofer out into 2, can i run 2 subs into that and have it work the way i want it to?
-you can use a "y" cable or you can daisy cahin your subs. If you keep them close to each other you will have less trouble phasing them with each other.
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post #14 of 21
10/16/08 at 8:56am
Thread Starter 

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert_J
My Pioneer VSX-1014 only has 1 LFE/sub output but I connect it to a 2 channel pro amp using a "Y" adapter. The adapter cost about $3 at Rat Shack.

Are you planning getting the SVS subs or a lesser quality model from your retail store? Because one really good sub is better than a pair of poor ones. If you are really wanting a pair of subs, get a good one now and then another good one later. As far as I'm concerned, you can't have enough subs.

-Robert

Well i like the SVS subs, the reviews are awesome, but in sound quality and loudness, do i want a cylinder or box sub?
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post #15 of 21
10/16/08 at 10:33am

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

Quote:
Originally Posted by amacsteeze
in sound quality and loudness, do i want a cylinder or box sub?
Shape of the enclosure has very little to do with the quality of the sound. Since the ported boxes and cylinders are similar in size, the output (loudness) should be similar as well. You should pick the one that best fits your room.

-Robert
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post #16 of 21
10/16/08 at 7:07pm

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

In a 9x10 room I can't imagine you needing more than a single SVS Ultra and there are several other subs that will fill a room of that size with some frightening bass.

In a 12x24 room I am running a single Ultra and it makes the walls breath....seriously, unless you have very high cielings and openings everywhere I really think you are looking at overkill with two subs.

I am sure there are those that will disagree, I could not be happier with my choice. Sure it is not cheap but I feel it is the one piece of HT equipment that will out last all of my other components. The trial and return policy is easy to work with, the staff is very helpful. Contact them and get their recommendations.

I have no illusions that SVS is the ONLY good sub manufacturer but I keep looking at Elemental Designs, Home Projects, HSU, Velodyne, Av123 and others and have not for one second regretted my choice.
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post #17 of 21
10/16/08 at 8:54pm

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

Yes, a single SVS Ultra is enough for most. But I frequent DIY subwoofer and speaker sites. There are guys like the pic below that don't think a single sub is enough.

-Robert

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post #18 of 21
10/17/08 at 3:13pm

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert_J
Yes, a single SVS Ultra is enough for most. But I frequent DIY subwoofer and speaker sites. There are guys like the pic below that don't think a single sub is enough.

-Robert

I guess I can't understand how anyone could stand those SPLs for any length of time....well, at least without becoming deaf.
To each their own I guess.
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post #19 of 21
10/17/08 at 3:24pm

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

I agree that bose = trash....
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post #20 of 21
10/17/08 at 3:30pm

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

Quote:
Originally Posted by SHS
I guess I can't understand how anyone could stand those SPLs for any length of time....well, at least without becoming deaf.
To each their own I guess.
It's not about SPL, but extension and sound quality. To keep distortion at a minimum, you can't push your sub to it's limit. So you get a bunch of subs and let them all share the load. Now that guy just likes to build subs. If I had the time and money, I'd be just like him. I'm currently working on enclosures for 7 different drivers.

-Robert
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post #21 of 21
10/18/08 at 1:09am

Re: Advice on buying new speakers!

Hi Alex,

Me and many others think Klipsch speakers have a rather "forward" overall sound quality (and not just the mids & highs but even their bass output has lots of punch [Cerwin-Vegas share this design goal], though to accomplish this without raising the price, depth of bass is sacrificed when compared to other speaker brands of similar size). So while *I* like most of their products especially the Reference & Heritage series, most people either 1) think they sound great or 2) others are totally turned off.

Also, like most horn-loaded speakers, they are quite merciless when it comes to revealing flaws in recordings so badly recorded CDs, MP3 files (i.e. really low bitrate) or vinyl can drive a person nuts. So if you also listen to a lot of music, then I would REALLY make sure to audition them for at least 20 minutes or 2 to 3 full tracks from your favorite CD, not an "audiophile" CD or one the salesperson provides but a CD you regularly listen to.

I also like Definitive's speakers, and while they are bit on the bright side they don't have that shrill and irritating quality so many "accurate" speakers have..........and that includes Polk Audio. I don't like Polks at all: to my ears they are too bright and "dry" and only well-recorded music sounds good through them (unfortunately most rock, pop and ska music - what I listen to - is not always recorded all that well). Movie soundtracks on the other hand should be fine with them, partly because soundtracks aren't continuous in nature like music is.

If you do happen to choose a Bose speaker, I would go with the 201 instead. That's because the 301 includes a second rear-mounted tweeter that faces out at an angle and if the speaker is not positioned just right (tricky to do even in a large living room) that will negate the reason it's placed there which is to provide some reflected sound. Plus, since the 301's redesign a couple years ago IMO its bass output has become a bit too boomy for my taste. But overall, while a bit overpriced I think it sounds decent and while its high frequency output is not "tinkly" clear like so many other modern speakers which seem to be striving to be studio monitors, unlike those same speakers they aren't overly analytical & fatiguing to listen to with most rock & pop music.*

And just like most other loudspeakers with 6.5" woofers crossed over at the standard 80Hz, the 201s should have no problem properly reproducing frequencies all the way down to that point. In my opinion & based on personal experimentation with speakers with 5.25" and 8" woofers, those tiny satellites out there with (for example) one or two 3 inch "woofers" cannot do justice to music/movie effects in the 80Hz region. I believe this is why so many such systems sound thin and weak, especially with music, no matter how good the subwoofer is. ---> Actually, my personal minimum woofer size for a satellite is 6.5" or a really good 5.25". All my sats use 8" woofers.

BTW personally I would stay away from their Acoustimass series. The only speakers I like from Bose are the 201, 301 and 901.

What sub to use in a 9 x 10ft room? Personally I wouldn't use anything larger than one with a 10" woofer. I've heard 12" subs rattle that crap out of windows in 16 x 20ft rooms!

Multiple subs? Jeez, setting up just ONE sub in a room can be (excuse my slang) a major b*tch. So multiple subs can have you pulling your hair out, unless they are stacked together. So I agree with others here that 1 is plenty, especially for a small room like that.

* this will offend some people but it actually takes skill to design a speaker that doesn't have any irritating qualities. So while I think Bose may lack super-revealing high frequencies and ultra-clean tight bass, at least they are easy to "get along with".
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