B&W .. Klipsch and a marital issue ;) (1 Viewer)

[Dave_AF]

Hi All!

My first post. Here is the situation. My wife and I are purchasing a new surround sound system. I tend to like the accurate sounds of the Klipsch and my wife tends to like the softer sounds of the B&W.

Does anyone have a suggestion on a compromise speaker between the two? (Note that I may simply be just kidding myself into thinking I have a choice other than to buy what the wife wants).

Thanks in Advance,

Dave

P.S. If anyone has a recomendation for an online speaker sales place please let me know!

 

[Alex Prosak]

Finding a compromise between a speaker using a horn tweeter and anything that isn't may well be impossible. I suggest just checking out some more brands...Paradigm, PSB.

If you want to try on-line try Diva speakers from av123.com or Axiom speakers at axiomaudio.com. The Diva's are sold strictly over the net. Axiom's can be had over the net and from B&M stores although I don't think there are too many dealers outside Canada. In terms of efficiency, the Axiom's are right up there with Klipsch.

 

[Norman Short]

Well, you could cheat. You could try bringing both home, telling your wife that this way you can see how both sound at home, then perfectly place the Klipsch while not so perfectly placing the B&W. This still might not work, as she still might prefer them just because she did before, even if there was poor imaging and other factors from poor placement. Of course, she might be too smart for this trick too .
You might also think of buying her a pair of B&W for the bedroom or something, getting you both what you like.

 

[Juan_R]

I was going to go with the Klipsch (reference series) but after I heard the Divas I could not go back. I am not saying the Divas are better cause it all depends on what sounds good to you. The customer service from AV123.com has also been awesome.

 

[Arron H]

I second Alex on Paradigm. You might want to check out Paradigm Reference, a very nice compromise IMHO. Next time, you might want to audition several speaker lines and allow your wife to audition only your top two. That's what I did and we ended up going with B&W.

 

[rodneyH]

I really don't hear that B&Ws are "soft", but I guess we are comparing them to Klipsch go in comparison that are "soft", but NOT really compared to other speaks

 

[DanaA]

I have Klipsch Reference speakers and love them, but if it is causing a problem, I'd go along with Juan's recommendation and visit the Swan site on the internet. Swans are just beautiful and I've heard nothing but good things about their sound.

 

[rodneyH]

but wouldnt the swans be even "softer" than B&Ws?? thats my guess, look at Revels if you want a forward sounding speaker, but not as much as Klipsch

 

[Tom Brennan]

Just buy what you want, why'd you even get your wife involved? Is it your hobby or hers?

 

[Chad Isaacs]

Just get the Klipsch speakers and put B&W labels on them.I cant imagine my world with out horns.

 

[Dave_AF]

Thanks for the advice. Another audio enthusiast friend of mine recommended that I listen to the paradigms, it was his contention that they were somewhere in the middle between the two.

I would like to listen to the Diva's as well. Unfortunately I haven't found anyone that sells them locally in Tucson, AZ. I may have to travel up to Phoenix.

On a slightly different note, I think that mail order may be my only option for purchasing some of these speakers. The local store was significantly higher in price (sometimes 50%!) higher than some places on the web. Any online retailers that anybody has done business with?

- Dave

 

[Alex Prosak]

Dave,

The Diva's can only be purchased online. However, check out audioenvy.com there may be someone in your area that would be willing to let you audition them.

There are plenty of decent online stores, check out the ones at Yahoo that have received good ratings. One thing to note is that most of the online stores are not authorized dealers and therefore their equipment does not come with a warranty. If you fell okay with this then you can certainly save a good amount of money. I would feel safer buying a speaker this way than a piece of electronics.

You certainly can't go wrong with Paradigm either. Their Reference line speakers are quite nice. You probably won't find any Paradigm speakers online.

With so many choices out their it makes puchases difficult. Good luck.

Alex

 

[Dave_AF]

Hurrah! Resolution. Through intense negotiation we have decided on the Klipsch.

So, one final review, here is the setup:

2 RF3-II floor standers

1 RC3-II center

1 RS3-II surrounds (pair)

1 Denon 3802

3 more questions! thanks for the help guys!

#1: Subwoofer! Is there any significant advantage to the RSW-10 over the KSW-15? Is there any issue with mixing the reference system with the KSW?

#2: The 6th Channel. I was considering another center speaker for this channel. The couch is pretty much against the rear wall but we have vaulted ceilings. I was considering placing it high and pointing it down towards the sofa. Is this a silly newbie mistake?

#3: Mounting brackets. I need to mount the surrounds on the wall and whatever I choose for the 6th channel. Any suggestions on how to not make mistakes choosing brackets? Any recommendations on what you guys use for brackets?

- Dave

 

[Bill_Weinreich]

Dave,
I have the ref(3) series and havent looked back. I combined them with the KSW12 and blends great. The system can sound a bit bright but I am running a Pioneer Elite VSX26TX. High powered amp and high sensitivity speakers make for short term hearing loss . About the rears, I just mounted mine with large wood screws using the provided keyhole mounts. Just make your measurements carefully.
Enjoy,
Bill

 

[Kevin McCurdy]

Dave,
I'll take a shot at #2 and #3.
#2 Klipsch makes in wall and in ceiling speakers to match the reference series. Take a look here http://www.sounddistributors.com/pro...ipsch+Speakers
#3 I would mount them on the wall as Bill did and also as Klipsch recommends. Make sure you use a wall stud to screw into. Placement is preferably 5 - 7 feet high. The location is really based on your preference, I put mine on the sides in line with the back of the couch. Just in case you have access to a machine shop or have the ability to do it yourself, on my RS-3's I actually bought the heavy duty swivel mounts that Best Buy sells (I think they're rated for 25lbs. each) and had machined aluminum plates made to connect the speaker to the mount and then securely fastened this to a wall stud. This allows me to adjust the angle and tilt.
Enjoy those new speakers.