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Looking for some help with a new system (1 Viewer)

Kebtiz

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Eric
Hello all, I'm new to the site. Ok, for starters the room the system is going in is going to be a dedicated home theater room, the room is roughly 12'x20' with an 8' drop ceiling, thin carpet over concrete floor, sheet rock walls and single entrance on wall opposite TV (currently 40" Sony Bravia, considering getting a projector.) My goal is to get the best 7.1 sound for under $1000, here is what I have come up with so far: Receivers - Sony 7.1 STR-DN1000 110w x 7 or Onkyo 7.2 HT-RC160 80w x 7 The two best rated 7.1 capable around my price range, Front R/L - Polk Audio Monitor 40 (20-125w/channel, 2-5.25" mid-woofers and 1-1" tweeter 47hz-25khz) or Polk Audio Monitor 30 (20-100w/channel 1-5.25" mid-woofer and 1-1" tweeter 55hz-25khz) Having trouble deciding between these because if my understanding is right, the Sony system would overpower the 30s, but (if I understand correctly) the Onkyo wouldn't be able to use the 40s to as much of their potential and I was wondering if they would be worth the extra $20 over the 30s when used on the 80w system. Subwoofer - Polk Audio PSW10 (10", 50w continuous 100w peak, 35-200hz) Center and Surround option 1 - Energy Take Classic 5 (4 satellites and 1 center each with 3" woofer and .75" tweeter) 20-100w RMS continuous 110hz-20khz Center and Surround option 2 - Klipsch Quintet III (1-3.5" mid-woofer, 1-.75" tweeter, High Frequency Horn: 90° x 40° XT Micro Tractrix Horn 120hz-23khz) (Satellite 50-200w, center 75-300w)
I wondered if even 110w wasn't underpowered for these specific speakers. Center and Surround option 3 - surround same as Front R/L 4-Polk 30s or 40s and Polk Audio CS1 (20-125w/channel, 2-5.25" mid-woofers and 1-1" tweeter 55hz-25khz) Price Breakdown:Sony STR-DN1000 - about $320Onkyo HT-RC160 - about $340Polk Audio Monitor 40 - about $130Polk Audio Monitor 30 - about $110Polk Audio CS1 - about $90Polk Audio PSW10 - about $100Energy Take Classic 5 - about $200Klipsch Quintet - about $250

I would like some opinions on my choices and/or some possible components I may not have found in my search that you guys have had good experiences with, or bad experiences with some of my choices.
 

gene c

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I have to admitt that I really glossed over your post (doing three things at once and watching football) but here's what I suggest:

The Onkyo 160 or 607

The Polk Monitors (whichever ones you like) from Newegg.com

The Dayton-SUB-100 from Partsexpress (on sale for $110 shipped) or the Dayton-SUB-120 ($135). Both are out of stock but due in 3-02-10 and well worth the wait. DON'T GET THE POLK PSW10!! It's really not that good compared to the Daytons. Trust me . I've had both.
 

Ed Moxley

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I agree with gene. I'd definitely go with the Onkyo, over the Sony. Sony makes great tvs and blu ray players, but their receivers leave a lot to be desired. Also, if you could swing the extra $60, it would be worth getting the Onkyo 607, seen here: http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-SR607-7-2-Channel-Surround-Receiver/dp/B001VEI2KO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=aht&qid=1264374241&sr=1-4
The center channel needs to timbre match the fronts, so if the fronts are going to be Polk speakers, the center does too, and from the same series. Polks are known for their speakers, not their subs.
Good luck!
 

Kebtiz

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Eric
Thank you both for your input, Dayton Sub and Onkyo 607 it is, more power and features on 607 seems worth the $60. Also, I have read that you want slightly more bang from your front channels, so I was wondering if a set of Polk 40s in the front and 2 sets of Polk 30s in the surround/back would sound any better/different than going 40s all around?
 

gene c

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Also, I have read that you want slightly more bang from your front channels, so I was wondering if a set of Polk 40s in the front and 2 sets of Polk 30s in the surround/back sound any better than going 40s all around?

Two sets of 30's in the back would be more than enough. The fronts, center and subwoofer is where you want to spend your money. In fact, one set of 30's in the back and spending the money saved on an even better sub woofer would sound best. A better 5.1 system will sound better than an O.K. 7.1, unless you really want a 7.1 system.
 

Kebtiz

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I suppose that would be the way to go, build the 5.1 for the same price as my 7.1 and leave room for upgrades. And would you happen to know the difference between the Polk 40 and 50s, they have the same mid-woofers and tweeter, one is just in a tower setup and costs a lot more, like is there audible difference or are you paying nearly 50% more for the wood?
 

Ed Moxley

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I didn't see the Polk 40s and 30s at their site. Are these older speakers?
Make sure they aren't 4 ohm speakers. The Onkyo 607 is not 4 ohm certified, so 4 ohm speakers could be a problem. Also, don't close in the Onkyo, in an entertainment center. They tend to run kinda hot if you do that. It could go into "Protect" mode and shut down. On a tv stand or in a rack, on the top shelf, should be just fine.
Good luck! Let us know how you like it when you get it and get setup............
 

gene c

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And would you happen to know the difference between the Polk 40 and 50s, they have the same mid-woofers and tweeter, one is just in a tower setup and costs a lot more, like is there audible difference or are you paying nearly 50% more for the wood?

The 50 is probably just a 40 in a tower cabinet. The cabinet is the most costly part of a speaker (except plastic ones, I'm sure) so you are paying extra mostly for wood. But towers do go a bit lower than bookshelves, but that shouldn't matter if you use a sub woofer. And some feel the dual woofers can perform better in the 80-150 hz range. Still, people really like towers (so do I) and are willing to pay the extra cost. But again, the extra money can be better spent elswhere.

The smart thing to do would be to get the 40's, CS1 or CS2 center, one pair of 30's and the best sub woofer you can afford. But this comes from someone who spent extra on towers so...
 

Kebtiz

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They are 8 ohm speakers. And the receiver has a shelf all to itself, about 15" on each side and 3" on top, the room also stays fairly cool at 65-68 degrees F.
Aside from just the tower I found out that the vent placement is different, back top on 40s and front bottom on 50s. Also the vent hole is 2.4" dia on 40s and 3.5"dia on the 50s, that might explain the 5hz lower min they rate the towers at. I do think that the towers would look significantly better than a hanging front bookshelf.
But now my biggest consideration is that the bookshelf style, I think, would work better if I decided to buy some big towers (monitor 60 or 70 for example) later because it could hang as either a rear or side in a 7.1 whereas the 50 tower would be grounded and potentially buried by couches in the back of the room.
Thank you both for the info, now I think its just a matter of weighing the pros and cons of each speaker in the short and long term.

Here are some quick spec links
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290094 Polk 30s
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290010 Polk 40s
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290013 Polk 50s
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290018 Polk 60s
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290016 Polk 70s
 

gene c

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Aside from just the tower I found out that the vent placement is different, back top on 40s and front bottom on 50s.

Not a great idea to hang a rear ported speaker on a wall. Covers up the port. But, you could stick a sock or piece of foam in the vent hole. The result is tighter bass but not as deep, or so I'm told. And don't wait too long. These are on closeout and when they'er gone, they're gone.
 

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