Help please! - Too many speaker choices! (1 Viewer)

Hello,

I am just beginning to build my home theater (14' x 12') and I really need some help. I've just purchased the following equiment:

CRT Projector - Sony VPH 1272Q
Receiver - Denon 3803
DVD - Sony DVP-CX985V
Video Processor - Lumagen Vision (yet to be purchased)

And now I'm looking for speakers (6.1 channel). I was looking at the following from Polk:

Front - RTi8 or RTi10
Center - CSi3
Sub - PSW404
Surround/Rear - RC65i

And then I saw the review on the Acoustech 5.1 from BIC. And their price! Now I'm starting to second guess the system from Polk.

Any advice (Polk vs. Acoustech) or any other speaker system recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I would like to keep the total speaker cost near $1,500.

Thanks!

- Bill G.

You might want to consider these three online companies, all with outstanding reputations.

Axiom

Rocket ELT

Ascend

All three have 5.1 speaker systems well within your price range.

Remember that online companies cut out distributer/dealer costs and can pass the savings on to the consumer.

I noticed that you wanted 6.1. These companies have outstanding reputations for customer service too and I'm sure would be able to find you a 6.1 system within your price range.

Thanks Dana. I'll take a look at your recommended suppliers.

I would like to hear more about the Acoustech 5.1 system. Is there anyone that has actually heard it? Are they as good as the reviews say?

What about the Polks I mentioned above. Are they a decent choice or should I rethink my $1,500 limit and put more $$$ into the speakers?

Yes the Polks are a great set up. Have you had a chance to listen to them?

Hey Bill, how about clicking the link below. You will find some really nice reading on the Polk Forum.

http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/

Bill,
A couple things...
First, I would suggest you consider a regular box type speaker like the RTi4 or RTi6 instead on the in-wall RC65i. This will give you better placement flexibility. You would be surprised how much sound difference there can be in a room by moving a speaker a few feet to the right or left.
Second, if budget allows you might want to step up to the CSi5. I think it would be a better chioce.

Don't forget Swan speakers. they are very very nice! and priced good to!

Thanks TylerZ.

I was looking at the RC65i because the room is fairly small and I thought the flush mounted surround speakers would help prevent making the room feel even smaller. I'll look more at the RTi4.

Do you have a recommendation for the fronts - RTi8 or RTi10?

Frank, no I haven't had a chance to listen to them yet. I am going speaker hunting this weekend. I'll let you know what I find.

Bill,

Definitley step up to the CSi 5 and out of the inwall's to the RTi 4's. If you can afford it try to get into the RTi 10's instead of the 8's speakers just have a much better sound, and even more of a reason considering the power you are pushing them with. The 3803 really rocks with polk speakers. I've actually got the LSi series stuff from polk and I'm ordering the 3805 in the next few day's. If you can increase your budget on speakers maybe look twoard the LSi series (Polk's flagship speaker series).

Bill

Bill,
Sent ya a PM.

F.Z.

If you have a costco near you I would give the Acoustech a try. The review I read was very good as were the comments by the few who have posted that own them. If you don't like them, costco has a great return policy so nothing lost. Besides, hard to beat the $699 price. Just a thought

Leigh,

I just looked at the Costco website and they don't show the Acoustech speakers. Plus I am not a Costco member.

Is there anywhere else I can find them? The bicamerica website doesn't tell me how/where I can find them either.

that's pretty subjective. many prefer the 8s to the 10s, actually. you gotta listen, billg, preferably at home.

another reason to not get those in-walls unless you just hafta is that they can be very limiting, down the road, should you move, decide to move your ht setup to another room, etc.. the RTi4s can easily be used well into the future, in another room and/or setup, as either front speakers or surrounds; you'll have much more flexibility with 'em in the long run.

Bill,
With your room size of 14' x 12' I think the RTi8's would really fill it with sound nicely. Personally I think the 10's would be a little over the top for your room.

I've seen/heard the Acoustech speakers at my local Costco. Very, very good value for the money. The construction of these speakers is very good. The drivers look like something ripped directly from the Klipsch RS series - copper-colored drivers, horns, etc.

It's hard to describe the sound, due to the large warehouse "listening area" at Costco. But, from what I could hear, they did sound great.

Then again, I also love the new Polk speakers, too. I've been back to Curcuit City a few times to listen the RTi6 speakers. The only problem with Polk is that if you desire to find the speakers from an on-line discount vendor, you'll probably forfeit the warranty. So, essentially, you're best to see if you can strike up a deal locally.

Back to Costco. Even if you're not a member, you could just head over and tell them that you're interested in joining, but would like to look around first. They'll let you in. If you decide you like the Acoustech speakers, have a friend with a membership buy them for you. From what I could see, the boxes are all marked: "1 of #", etc. - so make sure you get all of the pieces of you do decide to buy them.

Wayne,

Do you know if Acoustech sells individual surround speakers for this system? I would like to go with a 6.1 configuration.

Bill,

I'm not sure. I think BIC just recently launched the Acoustech line, so it's hard to see many vendors that are carrying them yet.

You might try sending an E-mail to BIC to see what they can provide you with.

The boxes that I saw clarly had "BIC America" printed on the side of them.

I sent BIC America an e-mail a few days ago and still haven't heard a response. Their website isn't much help either.

The BIC website sucks. Call the toll free number, I talked to a lady there when I saw the Acoustechs at Costco but couldn't find anything on their site (about a month ago) and she indicated that they would have information on dealers "soon". She offered to fax me some information, but it turned out just to be a copy of the review from Audiophile Audition. BIC has registered acoustechspeakers.com but it hasn't gone live yet.

I heard that CompUSA will be selling them at $1200 for the 5.1 package. Costco is only selling them as a 5.1 set, but based on the review at Audiophile Audition it appears they will have individual pricing at other dealers.

I bought a set of these from Costco last month and I am very pleased, especially given the $700 price. Now that I have finished messing around with placement and receiver settings and sub calibration and so on, they sound great with my Yamaha HTR-5650.