Old 2.1 Speakers + New receiver + New rear speakers=Success? (1 Viewer)

Hello, first time here. I have some really old Celestion 5 speakers and a Celestion CS135 subwoofer laying around in my living room that has been unused for a really long time. I'm planning to get a new TV and want to set up a home theater system. Since I am relatively new, I wanted to make sure that I can use these speakers with a modern and new receiver. FYI, the speakers are currently set up to an old ONKYO CD/Cassette/Radio player at the moment which isn't being used either. I would rather use the 2.1 speakers that I have and add on the reciever/rear speakers to complete the 5.1 system.

Some specs for the speakers:
Celestion 5
Impedence 8 ohms

Wattage: 10-90W

Sensitivity: 88dB


Celestion CS 135 Subwoofer:
90W, 8 ohms


Would these work with a new modern receiver such as...

Yamaha RX-V377 5.1

a seemingly popular choice on amazon... i just picked one, but I can pick a more specific one later....

It has 8ohms/100W per channel.. so right now, I am assuming this would work...???


Andd.... would buying any pair of satellite speakers with a similar impedence and wattage as the Celestion speakers complete the 5.1 setup?

Any tips, comments, suggestions would be gladly appreciated!

Thank you.


Edit:
I am also planning to hook up a PC to the system with a 4k TV, if that matters.

That is a passive subwoofer. It is also set up as a "sub/sat" system intended to "replace tower speakers".

In essence, you have "two speakers" that just happen to be in "three separate boxes".

What that means is...that is a 2.0 setup...as far as modern AVR are concerned.

Set any AVR as "no sub" and front speakers "large"(which front large is default if "no sub" is chosen).

Every AVR made is compatible. Watts are "meaningless".

The passive subwoofer isn't going to work with almost all modern systems. The only decent receiver I know of that has a passive sub jack is the receiver that comes with the Onkyo S3500/S3700 HTIB; you could try to get one on eBay or some such site since many people get them and them move up. (The receiver isn't bad, it's the satellite speakers and sub that drives the move-up.)


For every other receiver you'd have to run the right/left from the receiver to the sub and then connect the left/right speakers to the sub. You'll get decent stereo this way, but if you add surrounds and a center you won't be able to use the receivers auto-calibration, so you'll have to get an SPL meter (~ $40) and a calibration disk and do it yourself. Personally, if you're not running stereo I don't think it's worth it to try and use the sub in a 5.1/7.1 system. (Unless you get a receiver like I mentioned above.) If you are just trying to get decent audio, then this is the way to go for your best cost/audio dollar; get that Yamaha and just use it in stereo.


If you get satellites to go with the Celestion 5s you'll have two problems, first, the satellites will have a different crossover that the Cel5's. If you don't have a receiver with individual crossover (and while I like that Yamaha, I don't believe it allows individual settings for crossovers), you'll either have to set the crossover higher and lose response from the Cel5s, or set the crossover lower and lose respone from the sats. (Not a big deal, I run a system like the former). If you get a receiver with individual crossovers, then no problem.


The second problem is the center channel. A satellite as a center will not sound good along side the larger left/right (and that's leaving aside the fact that you shouldn't mix and match L/C/R.) You could skip a center though and just go L/R with satellite surrounds.


Finally, if you go with surrounds, I wouldn't go with satellites. Instead, at the lower end I'd consider something like the Pioneer BS22 or similar.

Al.Anderson said:

The passive subwoofer isn't going to work with almost all modern systems. The only decent receiver I know of that has a passive sub jack is the receiver that comes with the Onkyo S3500/S3700 HTIB; you could try to get one on eBay or some such site since many people get them and them move up. (The receiver isn't bad, it's the satellite speakers and sub that drives the move-up.)

For every other receiver you'd have to run the right/left from the receiver to the sub and then connect the left/right speakers to the sub. You'll get decent stereo this way, but if you add surrounds and a center you won't be able to use the receivers auto-calibration, so you'll have to get an SPL meter (~ $40) and a calibration disk and do it yourself. Personally, if you're not running stereo I don't think it's worth it to try and use the sub in a 5.1/7.1 system. (Unless you get a receiver like I mentioned above.) If you are just trying to get decent audio, then this is the way to go for your best cost/audio dollar; get that Yamaha and just use it in stereo.

If you get satellites to go with the Celestion 5s you'll have two problems, first, the satellites will have a different crossover that the Cel5's. If you don't have a receiver with individual crossover (and while I like that Yamaha, I don't believe it allows individual settings for crossovers), you'll either have to set the crossover higher and lose response from the Cel5s, or set the crossover lower and lose respone from the sats. (Not a big deal, I run a system like the former). If you get a receiver with individual crossovers, then no problem.

The second problem is the center channel. A satellite as a center will not sound good along side the larger left/right (and that's leaving aside the fact that you shouldn't mix and match L/C/R.) You could skip a center though and just go L/R with satellite surrounds.

Finally, if you go with surrounds, I wouldn't go with satellites. Instead, at the lower end I'd consider something like the Pioneer BS22 or similar.

Click to expand...

Delete your first paragraph.

Room auto correct will work with this.

Crossover for this sub/sat is irrelevant.

I always recommend to people with vintage speakers they don’t want to part with to just get more of the same. Most manufacturers offered (and still do today) smaller versions of larger speakers that have the same tweeter and a smaller version of the woofer. So the two will have excellent timbre matching, which is what you want with home theater speakers.


Celestion made a smaller version of the 5, the model 3, that should compliment your current speakers nicely. It shouldn’t be hard to snag a pair on ebay. While you’re at it, get a second pair and use one of them for a center-channel speaker.


It’s probably best to set the Celestion “subwoofer” aside. You don’t need the extra extension it would provide to the 5’s as your AVR will be rolling out the bass anyway. Instead get a standard powered subwoofer.


Regards,

Wayne A. Pflughaupt

schan1269 said:

Delete your first paragraph.

Room auto correct will work with this.

Click to expand...

It used to be that the receiver had to have the speaker attached to a speaker port to calibrate it; but hey, I haven't played with a receiver released in the last couple of years.


So you're saying he can connect his right and left speaker to the sub, then run the actual right and left speaker from the sub and have a receiver calibrate all three speakers?

Yep.

Thanks for the replies!

Okay, so i just got a lot of information thrown at me.. So let me see if I'm understand you guys correctly..

1. My subwoofer is not a real subwoofer, cause it doesn't have an amp built into it.. which makes sense since there is no power cord coming out of the sub. (sub gets power from receiver.. which is not as powerful as a real sub)

2. Satellites for rears are not as a good of a choice, since the the front L/R are bigger bookshelf speakers, and thus have different crossover than what you would find in the smaller satellites.


3. I forgot about the Center, didn't mean to imply I was going to buy satellites for the center.


4. Any modern AVR would work, its just a matter of quality and preference.



So with the new information that you guys have given me, I guess here would be my next plan.

1. Buy separate "active" subwoofer. Do specs matter aka crossover with the current speakers?

2. Buy rear bookshelves to match the front speakers.. i.e the Pioneer SP-BS22..


3. Buy Center, something like the Pioner SP-C22


Lastly... how would this current set up compare(in terms of quality) to a package that comes with the receiver and speakers, i.e :
http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-S3700-5-1-Channel-Theater-Receiver/dp/B00LU0GPAI/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1448571161&sr=1-6&keywords=home+theater+system
or another pretty popular set up is the
Energy Take 5.1 Classic speakers hooked up to a decent receiver?

Reason for this question is, with the current things I would need to buy, it is looking to be about the same cost or more as buying a kit. If the quality is about the same, I may be thinking about just buying a kit, as all the components would be compatible(crossover and whatnot) with each other already.

Thanks!

1. No, that is a real subwoofer. It is just passive. And a "bridge".

2. Why not find more Celestion?

3. Ideally...the center matches the front two. Satellite is just a speaker size.

4. Pretty much.

Lastly...(I'll combine all answers)

What I would do...

Buy a pair of "whatever Celestion you can find". If those are towers, move this entire set to the rear speakers...and utilize it at 40hz.

Yep.

Click to expand...

I gave it some thought and I don't see how it possible for the receiver to control three devices from two outputs. At best it's going to control the left/right. So if you turn then turn up the sub you also turn up the L/R and screw up the balancing with the other channels.

So with the new information that you guys have given me, I guess here would be my next plan.

1. Buy separate "active" subwoofer. Do specs matter aka crossover with the current speakers?

2. Buy rear bookshelves to match the front speakers.. i.e the Pioneer SP-BS22..

3. Buy Center, something like the Pioner SP-C22

Click to expand...

I agree with Sam on the non-quotedfirst 4 items.


For the above, no, you don't have to match the sub to the speakers, including crossover.


The Pioneers would not be my choice, I just mentioned them because they are a low-cost better option to satellites, and I jumped to the conclusion that you were going with sats for cost reasons. But whatever you get, you really want to match the center to the Celestion, preferably with another Celestion. (I have the Pioneers for my HT system and they are decent, but not great. Better than satellites and serviceable for movies, but only okay for music.)

Lastly... how would this current set up compare(in terms of quality) to a package that comes with the receiver and speakers, i.e :
http://www.amazon.co... theater system
or another pretty popular set up is the
Energy Take 5.1 Classic speakers hooked up to a decent receiver?

Click to expand...

That system is a great starter system and much better than the alternative for someone who might be considering a HTiB or a soundbar. However, unless your Celestions are damaged, the Celestions will provide better sound as the satellites with that system are not great.


BUT - that receiver is one of the few that has a passive sub output AND individual crossovers. So if you're trying to get going at a minimal cost using the speakers you have, that would be a decent way to go. You could either skip a center or grab another Celestion. If you're happy with the satellites it'll give you a full cycle of service. If not you get a receiver to drive the speaker you have plus sub in stereo. The only drawback is when you are ready to move on, you'll be back to having to get a different sub *and* a new receiver.