A newbie is almost ready to buy... (1 Viewer)

[RandyWebb]

Okay.

I think I may have actually made up my mind.

I've tried to listen to all the speakers that I can find in the area in my price range and I'm pretty settled on:

Mains: Polk Audio RTI28's ($199/PR)
Center: Polk Audio C40 ($249)
Surrounds: Polk Audio RTI28's (open box $150/PR)
Receiver: HK 525 ($620)

As this is my first home theater, I really want to go with speakers that I am able to hear. I'll save the Internet direct companies for my first upgrade.

That leaves me with the Sub (My budget is running a little short). I could go with:

Dayton 10" (Parts Express) $125) -or-
JBL PB12 ($214) -or-
Velodyne CHT 8 ($229)

The room itself is 17X11, but it is open to the kitchen and the rest of the house. I'm more interested in the quality of the sound than the quantity. I'm really sold on the SVS and HSU lines from what everyone here says, but I have to start somewhere and then upgrade.

So please give me your input on the overall system...the pricing... and advice on the sub.

Thanks to everyone here for all the great advice I’ve already received.

 

[MikeLi]

I am not going to push one brand or the other here but you should look at some of the internet packages going right now.

AV123.com
axiomaudio.com
ascendacoustics.com


Each have their followers and each are great companies that treat customers well. You already know the same applies to SVS and HSU.

 

[CurtisSC]

that would be

axiomaudio.com
ascendacoustics.com

 

[MikeLi]

Thank you curtis.. Must be the pain meds this morning and trying to rely on memory instead of taking the time to look it up. Anyway sorry for the typos folks.. they have been fixed and all are very good companies.... My bad!

 

[CurtisSC]

OUCH....pain meds? Mike, is everything OK?

 

[Shane Martin]

Pricing and speakers look good along with the receiver choice. I'd recommend not going with a sub for now until you can buy what you will keep for a while. That way the $100-$200 you put into the cheapo sub to start isn't thrown away. Quality bass is worth waiting for. In a room that size, you won't get much bass out of the cheapo subs and what you will get you won't be happy with.

 

[JerryCulp]

You should see if you can get the Rti38's for that price.
I did at Circuit City.
New Rti38's 2 for $88 ea
Demo Rti38's, 2 for $75 ea and 1 for $79 at a different store.
I've been told the CSi40 is too much for the 28's, but I havent heard that combo myself. I have the CSi30 and it works with the 38's, but if the price comes down enough, I'm going to get the CSi40.

 

[RandyWebb]

I ended up getting a pair of demo 38's for $59 each. I'll probably grab the open box 28's for the $75. It seems that all of the CC's down here are just about out of the series.

It seems weird to have to pay more for the 38's than the 28's, but I don't want to wait and not be able to find them at all, besides $270 for all 4 seems like a great deal.

About the Dayton sub...I thought I read some good reviews...or was that a different model?

 

[Kenneth Harden]

That sub would be OK for the TV in the master bedroom, but not for a HT like that. You have great speakers and that receiver is awesome (I am going to buy it) - save up and a $500 subwoofer will start to be VERY serious. For $500, these should be great:

http://www.svsubwoofers.com/subs_pb1_isd.htm ($600, but its a SVS!!!)

http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S...=0&cc=01&avf=N It has gotten some good reviews and is cheap, like $400 if you look around. And it will match your home theater!!!

 

[Greg Thomas]

I was going say to look around for better deals on the Polks also. Where I am the RTi38's were $90ea new, and that was cheaper than the 28. Check around to another pair of 38's if you can, but if not the 28's are fine.

Can you get a good discount on the center channel? Isn't the CSi30 the perfect match for the i28/i38?

 

[Jack Keck]

I got the 38s and the CSi30 center about three weeks ago and love them. I go ta great price, but nothing like what has been mentioned here.

I also have the original Dayton DLS-10 sub. I obviously don't know if the new one that is mentioned in the original post is as good or better, but for $125 plus shipping, I don't see how you can go wrong. I suppose it all depends on how fast you can save up at least $400 (plus shipping) that you'll need for anything significantly better. By that I mean an Adire Rava, which I have heard in a music system and would recommend, a HSU VTF-2 or lower priced SVS offering. I've never heard the HSU or SVS subs, so all I know is what I read in the forums.

I've been a Polkie since 1979. I have no doubt that you'll be happy with your Polks.

Enjoy.

 

[ChrisLazarko]

Well your choice looks great although they are right about the sub, don't spend such little money unless it was perhaps an open-box sub and it is something like half off. If you are set on getting a sub my opinion would have to be the Velodyne, I think it would add the most to your room and it would be nice and defined.

As for speakers, excellent choice. Reciever is also excellent but unless you need ALL the extra's the AVR-325 might be a better deal for a little less, take a look at it, unless you are dead set on the 525.

 

[Jarvis_R]

Randy,
I agree with Jerry that the CSi30 might be a better match for the 38's than the 40, and save you a couple of dollars in the meantime. I picked up the 30 to go with my 150's and I think I'm going to take it back and pich up the 40 to match.

As far as the H/K 525. I got mine from Onecall for about $570. They've got another special going on now.

 

[Alex Prosak]

I can't help you with the Polk center debate but I'll agree with the others that you should wait for the sub. Save up a bit more and get a good one to begin with, upgrading in that price range is just a losing proposition.

 

[RandyWebb]

I'v just always heard that the Center for home theater is one place you don't want to get cheap...

That said, since I ended up with Rti 38's for the front and then ordered the 40 center online..will it be a good match?

As far as the sub...I figure I can save Up for another month and go with either the HSU VTF-2 or considering the timing maybe the new STF!

 

[JerryCulp]

The center is HUGE in HT! Most of the sounds come from the center and the dialog is almost always coming from that speaker. You need a good one so that voices dont sound muffled or get dimished by effects and music.

I would have said that the CSi40 would have been a good match, the CSi30 better.

Today I got a pair of floor model Rti150's and there is a noticable difference in tone between them and the CSi30. That leads me to believe that the CSi40 may just that much tonally different than the CSi30. The driver size in the CSi40 is larger than in the RTi38 and the same as the RTi50.

Having said that, my guess is that a great center with weaker mains is better than the reverse, and you'll end up being very happy.

Now I'm on the hunt for a discounted Csi40....

 

[Jack Keck]

Uh, that sounds like almost too wise a decision for a "newbie". You should enjoy those speakers for years.