There are many quality speakers and subs out there. For speakers, take a look/give a listen also to: B&W, Dynaudio, JMLab, Monitor Audio, Paradigm and PSB. All of the aforementioned speaker companies make subs as well. Also there's Hsu, Martin Logan, Outlaw Audio, SVS and Velodyne.
Paradigm speakers are not sold by any authorized dealers on-line. If you want to buy new from an authorized dealer, go to the Paradigm website's dealer locator and enter the zip code of some nearby cities, e.g., Owensboro, Bowling Green, Lexington, etc. It may be time for a short road trip.
Steve - Considering that I have only owned the 20's and have only auditioned the others once or twice and notwithstanding what I heard on those few occasions, I will defer to your extensive first-hand experience. I think we can agree that Paradigm makes one sweet speaker line in the Studios. :)
I don't recommend those tiny little cube speakers. They are incapable of producing decent lower midrange. You really want main speakers with at least a 5 1/2" to 6" woofers. You can get very good speakers that are relatively small but very robust for their size. I also don't generally recommend...
I did not mean to say that all bookshelves image better than their tower counterparts. What I was trying to say was that 20's and 40's, specifically, image better than 60's. I stand by that statement. I've auditioned all of them and that's what I heard. The 20's and 40's tend to disappear; the...
Hi Micah; welcome to the forum. It would help everyone if you were able to give us your budget or at least a range. Also, you mentioned a 6.1 receiver; is that what your speaker system will be? Finally, do you want floorstanders or bookshelves as your mains?
Most recommendations I've seen are around 18" minimum. Try them at that distance and gradually move them toward the monitor. If you don't see any change in PQ by the time you get them a foot away, you're safe at a foot.
I'd go with the VSX-1015TX. It's not that much more money and you'll end up with the latest, most up-to-date model with virtually all of the latest gizmos.
I don't know anything about fotoconnection.com specifically except what I read on their website. It is evident that they are not an authorized Pioneer dealer. As a consequence, Pioneer will likely not honor their own warranty on the unit. fotoconnection.com does claim to offer a 30 day store...
I've never purchased from an online dealer but onecall.com enjoys a very good reputation. Another to consider is jandr.com. I think you are wise to purchase from an authorized dealer. By the way, given your budget, I don't think the previous posters are steering you wrong. The two Pioneers...
I'm partial to Paradigm, though the other speakers you mentioned have their followings as well. I'm not familiar with the Infinity speakers you already have, but since you already have/plan to use the Infinity center channel speaker, I'd lean toward sticking with Infinity. It's important that...
I'm no expert but I'll give it a stab. True video upconversion, as I understand it, coverts incoming signals to a higher resolution. It is only available on a few very high priced receivers. Video upconversion, in the current audio vernacular and as it is used here, is more correctly...
Hi Steven. Those two receivers are both very nice units and you probably couldn't tell the difference between them soundwise. Within similarly priced receivers, my advice is usually choose the one which has the features you want and need as well as the one you feel most comfortable with after...
Maybe they did sound good to you but exactly how did you audition them? Was it in an average size room or was it in one of those displays at the end of an aisle in a "big box" store? In an average size room, those little cubes just can't move enough air to sound good, IMO. You need speakers with...
I don't know about overkill -- many hold the opinion that you can never have too much power. But you would be approaching the point of diminishing returns. In reality, 300 watts vs. 165 watts is only a difference of about 3 dB. And for that you would be paying $900. Only you can decide if it's...
Jacob - Another thought: If you are enthralled by the Paradigm sound and you want to save some money, do yourself a favor and audition the Studio 20's. IMO they sound better than the 40's -- not quite as full but noticeably better imaging and soundstaging. If your are going to have a sub, you...
"If i could get the Studio 40's for $1000 It would make the decision pretty easy." Jacob - Almost any Paradigm authorized dealer should be willing to discount the Studio 40's around 15%. That would put them at $1,020 + tax. So, I don't think that they are out of your reach. It will take some...
Look at the REL Quake; it may be what you're looking for. It's a small, downfiring sub made by a reputable British manufacturer noted for their subwoofers. I've never heard it but I've read in several places that it is powerful for its size and is musical (read accurate). Don't know how much it...
I think you're steering him in the right direction. To the list of speakers to audition, I'd add JMLab, KEF, Klipsch, Monitor Audio and PSB. Here's a link for him: http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_1_1/v1n1spk.html.
From everything I've read and heard, the Pioneer VSX-1014 is one of the better bargains in mid-fi receivers. Regarding speakers, my recommendation is that you set aside a day (preferably a week day), grab two or three of your favorite CD's and head out to every audio store you can find in...
Jeremy - If you're still tuned in to this thread, here's some additional "educational materials" for you: http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_1_1/v1n1spk.html
Welcome Jeremy. Given that you and your family "don't know much about sound", my suggestion is to first educate yourselves a little before you begin blindly following someone's advice to go out and buy this, that or the other (no disrespect to John S; the gear he suggested is great gear but it...
Adil - I see by your website that you are an A/V installer. I recently built a new house and had it pre-wired (structured wiring, alarm, audio, etc.). During the process, I discovered that most audio manufacturers do not list A/V installers on their websites as authorized dealers even though, in...
I've never purchased anything from parkaveelectronics. But, I have an opinion to offer anyway, for what it's worth. If you go to their website, you will see that they advertise many well-known brands (Denon, Yamaha, Harmon Kardon, Onkyo, Pioneer) at very low prices. If you go to the...