Getting first HT system, need some opinions (1 Viewer)

[Joseph Parisi]

I hope this is in the right forum,

I am putting together my first HT system, and even though I have a couple ideas as to what to get, I'm still looking for opinions. The system I'm looking at getting now is

Main- JBL N38

Rear- JBL N24

Center- JBL N-Center

Sub- Sony SA-WM40

Receiver- JVC RX8010BK

I can get this all for about 900-1000. What I would like to know is if I should go with this, or maybe something else like the Energy take 5.2, or maybe a paradigm system. I want to stay in the same price range, but I might go a little higher if it's worth it.

Also, the room i'm in is about 15x20, so would the above system be too much. Or would some monito 3's and mini-monitors

Thanks

 

[Brian Shannon]

Have you listened to any of these speakers?

 

[Joseph Parisi]

I have listened to the JBL's, but haven't gone out to a dealer to listen to the paradigms. Also, i'm going to use them mostly for movies, but some music too.

little more info, i listened to the jbls at a friends house, he had the same setup except he had a jbl sub, i forgot what receiver, i know i should go out and listen to the other ones before i buy

 

[Paul_Fisher]

I would definately check out Paradigm, you could get 2 pairs of mini monitors for about $550-600, or you could even buy some Titans which are less than the mini's for the rears. Then a CC-370(center) would run about $300, the Sony WM40 would be fine($150), and finally a good receiver for about $400. This total would be around $1400. But I guarantee that if you bought the entire Paradigm setup from a dealer you would get a better discount. At any rate, this system would blow the JBL system out of the water for just a little more money.

 

[Joseph Parisi]

a couple more questions

are the cc370 a big step up from the 170s

will the mini-monitors be enough to fill the room

how important are the surrounds, like, is it worth to get the minis in the front and the back, or would the titans do just fine

and, is it better to keep the speakers on stands, or to wall mount them

 

[Paul_Fisher]

1) Yes, the 370 is much better than the 170. It has the same driver as used in the mini's. Its very important to match the drivers of the front two speakers and the center channel. The 170 is recommended if you are going to use the Titans for mains. The 370 is a great center channel, its very big though, I believe it weighs around 25lbs. by itself.

2) How big is your room? My room is about 12x12 and my mini's fill the room up nicely with much room to spare.

3) You don't really have to have mini's for surrounds but if like to watch alot of movies you will have a seamless soundstage from front to back all the way around. You could definatly use the Titans for surrounds, I personally don't think it would make that much of a difference. That would save you about $100 right there.

4) The mini's I use as my fronts are on 24" stands. My rear speakers are also on stands about 4 feet tall. I don't really like my rears on stands, but as of right now I have no place to mount them. If it were me I would mount them on the wall.

You must go out and listen to the mini monitors, they really are quite wonderful speakers, especially for about $300. You then won't even think about the JBL's anymore.

I hope this helps.

 

[Phil Iturralde]

Welcome to HT Forum Paul_Fisher!!! Auditioning is a good thing so that is a must!

Quote:

The above comments is IMHO, so auditioning speakers is very important,...your ears may not be as picky (semi-pro musician) as mine.
Last thing, I would recommend looking @ Yamaha or Denon, instead of the JVC AV Receiver - notoriously known for a noisy pre-amp - really evident during the quiet moments during a blockbuster DVD movie @ or -10dB below REF Level with a pronounced background HISSsssss while sitting @ your 'sweet spot'. Both Yamaha & Denon are 'dead' quiet during those whispering moments in the DVD movie @ REF Level.
For more JBL S & N-Series INFO & Reviews w/links, see my website Why you should add JBL N & S Series to your audition list!
NOTE: Because my website is 'free', hosted by GeoCities, if too many HT enthusiasts visit, GeoCities will shut it down for an hour or so because it exceeded the specified 'freebie' Data Transfer Rate. Sorry about that, just bookmark it and visit my site an hour later or when everyone has gone to bed!
Phil

 

[Joseph Parisi]

First, thanks for the help,

And I definately want to hear the paradigms. The room i'm in is about 15x20, but its a little weird since at 15 ft theres a 5 foot opening in one of the walls to another room,

One last question, for the main speakers, would it be bad to mount them on the wall behind the tv, like 2-3 ft behind the front of the tv, or should they be aligned with the front

 

[Paul_Fisher]

You really shouldn't mount the mini monitors on the wall for fronts because they are rear ported speakers, which means if you mount them on a wall the bass will sound muddy and boomy. IF you're going to use the mini's as fronts, they definately need to be about a foot away from the wall.

 

[Paul_Fisher]

I do believe the JBL S26's are front ported, so they would be fine mounted directly on a wall.

 

[Joseph Parisi]

if i would to buy the whole setup from one dealer, what are the chances of them throwing in the stands, because aren't then like 60-100 bucks each.

and what kind of speaker wire should i get

 

[Paul_Fisher]

I'm not sure how much the speaker stands would be. I got mine from circuit city for like $40. So you might want to check there.

As for the speaker wire, see if the dealer will throw that in with the speaker deal. You probably only need 16 or 14 guage wire.