Need help with which new speakers to get (1 Viewer)

[stud_wit_style]

Hello all,

Back in June of 2009 everyone here help me pick out a new sub. I went with the SVS PB12-Plus and its amazing. Since everyone here obviously knows a heck of a lot more about this stuff than I do...and you have proved to me you truly do know your stuff with the sub I got. I need help with new speakers.

The current setup I have as follows:

Reciever: Onkyo TX-SR606
Center Channel: Kef Q9c
Front: Kef Q7
Rear: Kef Q1
Sub: SVS PB12-Plus (I LOVE this sub!!!)
TV: Sony XBR4 52"

I'm looking for new Front(floor standing), Rear, and Center Channel speakers. My budget is $3,000 give or take a little.

Room size:
18'-6" x 12'-4" x 8' (approx. 1,820 ft^3)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Thank you.

 

[gene c]

Start by reading this thread, How-to-buy-speakers?/DaveF. But read the whole thread. Every word (especially mine ). His budget turned out to be about the same as yours.

 

[stud_wit_style]

So it sounds like SVS won that battle...lol. Any other opinions out there?

I'm also considering a new receiver....any suggestions?

 

[gene c]

So it sounds like SVS won that battle...lol. Any other opinions out there?

It did for him, but there are many choices out there for people to select from.

I'm also considering a new receiver....any suggestions?

Budget, 5.1 or 7.1, speaker impendence, beer or lager, related equipment (BluRay player?), music-movies-both?

It's best to decide on the speakers and related equipment first first to make sure the receiver is compatible with everything else.

 

[stud_wit_style]

Budget is $1,500 (give or take a little). I want 7.1 and the feature that allows you to automatically set the sound up. I believe its called something like Audyessy (sp) on the Onkyo.

I have the OPPO BDP-83 blu-ray player, DirecTV-HD, PS3.

95% movies, 5% music

Everything is connected via HDMI into the receiver then one HDMI from receiver to the TV. I would like to do the same set-up. I'm assuming that i can do that with most newer models with my budget.

 

[gene c]

You can get a whole lot of receiver for $1500.

Denon 3310 or maybe 4310.

Onkyo 876 or 3007.

Yamaha 3900.

Pioneer Elite SC-25.

Harman Kardon 7550 (not quite $1500 yet but it's coming down quickly).

I'm a Pioneer Elite fan but that Onkyo 876 is a lot of receiver. Edit: the 906 might be available for around $1500 too. Main up-grade is the Torridal power supply.

Or, go for broke and get the $3999 NAD/T-785.

 

[Jason Charlton]

$1500 is a lot for a receiver... personally, I would probably dial that back a bit - pick up something like the Onkyo 707 for around $600 or the 807 for $800 (both at Amazon) and add the leftover cash to the speaker budget.

An extra $700-900 worth of speakers is a better investment, IMO, than an extra $700-900 worth of receiver.

Just a thought.

 

[gene c]

I thought about that too but he already listed a $3000 budget for speakers which would get him an SVS-MTS system and he already has an SVS PB12-Plus sub and an OPPO 83 so what the hell, why not a $1500 receiver? Somebody has to buy them. Here's a factory refurbished (with warranty) 876 in silver for $799 + shipping. They have one left. You better buy it before I do.

 

Hopefully, I'm not too late to the thread...some responses:

Quote (stud_wit_style):

95% movies, 5% music

When the movies are playing, do you like to crank up the volume? If so, make sure the speakers have good efficiency/sensitivity ratings (make sure you compare anechoic-to-anechoic), moderate-to-high power handling, and fast dynamic responses. This will make sure any scenes where there are major shifts in dynamic range (aka, volume) are clear and have the impact the director intended without compressing the signal.

Load on the receiver might be an issue, as well. For instance, the SVS MTS-01 speakers run below 4 ohms from 2kHz on up, although electrical phase angle is +/- 25 degrees that whole range (that is really good). On a side note, the MCS-01 hits a minimum of 2.7 ohm and stays very low for a wide frequncy range, so if you go that route, make sure the receiver can handle it.

As for SVS specifically, I don't know how they sound...yet. I will gladly tell you once I pick them up. I also plan on hauling the MTS-01s to the local audio dealer and having a heads up against the Paradigm Studio 60 v5, which is my current favorite under $2,000 a pair for fronts. For what it's worth, if I were going for a full 5.0 system with SVS, I would get MTS-01 (not SBS-01s, or even the MCS-01 if I could avoid it) all around. And you get 5% off for being a previous customer.

Gene mentioned picking speakers and such before the receiver - absolutely right and worth mentioning again.

Quote (gene c):

I'm a Pioneer Elite fan but that Onkyo 876 is a lot of receiver. Edit: the 906 might be available for around $1500 too. Main up-grade is the Torridal power supply.

That upgrade is an important one. I have auditioned a lot of Onkyo/Integra receivers (plus many Denon, Cambridge Audio, Pioneer, and some NAD receivers), and toroidal power is a big upgrade in sound quality. The other big one (assuming solid state and high-power) is dual push-pull, which greatly eliminates the associated distortion of a single push-pull design. Pioneer Elite or Onkyo/Integra would be top of my list - both do movies and music well, at least in the higher-up models. Disclosure: I own an Integra DTR-8.8

Other option would be to go with separates. Buy a lower model receiver that acts as preamp and processor and get a good 5-channel amp (Emotiva comes to mind for excellent value).

Hope this helps.

 

I went from a low end Onkyo to a B&K AVR 307 . retail $3500 for a grand, sounded like I got new speakers....I would upgrade that first, you may be satisfied? Im not saying buy an old or new, just dont skimp on a receiver if you like the hobby. Spend the most on clean power IMO.