Speaker system for 5.1, around $3000. ? (1 Viewer)

[Thomas S]

Hi! I am running a Yamaha DSP Reciever with DD and DTS. I run seperate power amps: Bryston 6B SST for the fronts and a NAD 2600A for the two rears. I also have a powered sub: Velodyne Servo F1500. I am looking for three fronts(L,R,CENTER) and two rears. I use a Sharp Z10000 DLP Projector so shielding is not critical. My old and dated Polks are just that. I like the idea of B&W or Definitive Tech with bipolar rears but would like to hear all your opinions. Thanks!

"The beauty is in the details............"

 

[DavidCooper]

If you like the sound of B&W's especially the nautilus line. I would seriously check out Swan's. In your budget I would look at the C3 center along with the 5.2's for mains and either R3's or 2.1's for surrounds.

www.theaudioinsider.com

 

[Eric:F]

for your budget, you owe it to yourself to check out these:
http://www.salksound.com/htshome.html
add an svs or hsu sub and you are good to go.
i have the HTS-MTMs and Jim Salk customized the xovers to my set up. Jim is a pleasure to work with and has a $ back guaranty.
best,
eric

 

[Alex Prosak]

B&W makes great speakers but I personally think they really missed the boat with their "bipolar" rears. They took an old design of theirs and slapped something together just to have something on the market.

A couple of other speakers manufacturers that make bipolar/dipolar rear speakers are Onix, Paradigm, PSB, and Axiom. If possible, listen to all of them and then decide. Personally, I went with Onix Rockets.

 

[Mark Dill]

B&W's dipolars, the DS6 and the SCM8, are THX certified, you know. They are pretty expensive though, you can probably do equally well for the money with another brand.

Just had to counter the point that B&W just slapped something together for surround speakers because it just ain't true.

 

[Alex Prosak]

Sorry Mark but with regard to DS6, I disagree. It's the same thing as the older model but with a tweeter added to the mix. If run in the dipolar mode, the tweeter is cut out of the mix thus severely limiting the frequency response. With regard to placement of rear speakers, dipolar and standard direct firing speakers have different requirements. Optimally, you should be sitting in the null with dipolar speakers but direct firing speakers should be behind you, not along side you. In my opinion, B&W saw that other manufacturers were coming out with different designs, they didn't have anything to combat the other designs so they took an old speaker and slapped a tweeter in it. I did e-mail B&W regarding their dipolar speakers prior to the reintroduction of DS6 and was told they normally spend 3 years developing new speakers but they had nothing planned or in development for any dipolar speakers and were taking the old DS6 off the market. To me this just confirms my opinion. FWIW, THX certification doesn't mean squat to me, I make my purchases based on sound, not a stamp.

 

[Ted Pugh]

Look at the Definitive Tech BP7002's, CLR 2500 and the BPVX for surrounds. Retail is around $4200 but street pricing would be close to $3000. A little extra time in setting them up but they are super for home theater and I think you will enjoy the sound field they have. JMHO

 

[Mark Dill]

Thanks for the info, Alex - that is interesting stuff. I wonder if the same applies to the DS7 that B&W is offering now or if they did more research this time.

I have heard good reviews on the DS6 saying that, despite the lack of high frequency response, it is very good at what it is trying to accomplish - a wide surround effect with no discernable speaker location. Tweeters are so directional anyway, isn't it impossible to keep the dipolar-type sound and have good high frequencies?

I have been considering purchasing DS6 or DS7 for surrounds. What are some good dipolar alternatives from other mfrs?