The best speaker for home theater for $0 - 10000? (1 Viewer)

[Ryan Peddle]

Just curious to see what the consensus on the best speakers for HT use. Lots of people have Paradigm, but they certainly aren't the best. What about Martin Logan?
B&W? What about Sonus Faber?
What make a speaker ridiculously good sound producer?
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Oops, I dropped my eardrums.
Could you pick them up for me?

 

[BryanZ]

Best is completely subjective. For example, I do not care for horn speakers. So that would take Klipsch out. Other people love Klipsch so they would consider them to be the best. Another thing depends upon what is driving the speakers. MLs driven by the cheapest Awia receiver will sound like junk. The room and room size are other factors. MLs in a 10' * 10' rooom will sound terrible. Or if the room has a bad shape (8' * 8' * 8'). There are no "best" speakers out there but there are some pretty good ones.
If I had the space and money, for $10K, I'd get 7 nOrh marble 7.0s and the SVS CS-Ultra package. To me, that would be a killer HT setup.

 

[Chad Isaacs]

I have klipsch and svs...I love it!!
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[Bob McElfresh]

I like bipolar speakers because they can do a great job of making a living room sound much bigger, like a movie theater. I bought Definitive Technologies bipolars for this reason. You might even say they built their reputation on HT rather than music.
If I had 10,000 to spend, I'd probably go with the Martin Logan panel speakers. This would give a great music as well as HT system. (Backed up with some SVS subs of course )
Note: most of the speaker brands you mentioned are music-caliber speakers. You can get away with some fairly inexpensive speakers and have a great sounding HT system IMHO.

 

[MatthewJ S]

lotsa dynamic range for HT ! So,high efficiancy speakers may be preffered IMPACT, IMPACT ,IMPACT!

 

[RAF]

M&K.
'nuff said.
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RAF
[Demented Video Dude since 1997]
[Computer Maven since 1956]
["PITA" since 1942]
Link Removed

 

[Kevin. W]

Don't we first have to have the best ROOM for Hometheatre before we can decide on the best Speaker? I betcha your Paradigms would sound a whole lot better in the Perfect HomeTheatre room. Currently most peoples HT's are in the basement or a part of the house that I guarantee is not sonicly sound. It is definitely that way for me. Also I would have to look at what is driving my speakers before I could decide. Would my Denon 1801 drive Martin Logins as well as it does my Paradigms? Currently I am in looking at getting an AMP to power my fronts.(Rotel RMB1066) This should hopefully open up my speakers and reveal anything that the Denon may have been hiding.
Kevin

 

[MarkO]

Im using 4 Sonus Faber Concertinos and the Picolo Solo. Love em

 

[Len Cheong]

One day,I'll have 11000 and pick up the following used:
Aerial 10T - 4500 for the pair
Aerial CC5 - 1500
Aerial SR3 - 2000 for the pair
Aerial SW12 - 3000
Normally, all for 20k

 

[Scott Simonian]

Damn, Len beat me to it.

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Yes, these are bruises from fighting. Yes, I am comfortable with that. I am enlightened.

 

[Bob_A]

Definitive Technology should definitely be up there...(5) bp2000TL's and a dual SVS-Ultra package would be totally killer for under 10k!!! The great thing about these 2000TL's is that they have a huge soundstage, tremendous clarity, and excellent power handling.
quote: If I had 10,000 to spend, I'd probably go with the Martin Logan panel speakers. This would give a great music as well as HT system[/quote]
Bob sometimes I wonder if you are listening to the same speakers as me These 2000TL's are truly wonderful for music (just as good with music than with movies IMHO)! Do you really still find them deficient? How do you have them set up?
[Edited last by Bob_A on August 30, 2001 at 01:10 AM]

 

[Brian Corr]

For pure home theater use, M&K.
And it goes without saying that you need adequate power and a decent room set-up to fully recognize ANY speakers potential.

 

[Peter Johnson]

If it was me..
I would get 5 nOrh marble 7.0's and a pair of SVS subs...
Sorry, but M&K, Kilpsch, Def Tech, Paradigm are IMO, not in the same league...
M&K is OK for HT, but are straight up bright for music, IMO.
I am sure my opinion differs from most..but..oh well.

 

[Miles_W]

Well Ryan you know what side of the fence I come down on...

anytime you need reminding why... just give me a call!
and set up a time to come over
Miles
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Miles
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DarkSide Member since(93)

 

[Mike Burke]

Well my vote goes to a speaker setup that seems to be little known/given a chance. The Revel Performa Series is an AWESOME speaker setup!!
F30 mains $3500.00
C30 center $2000.00
M20 bookshelf $2000.00
S30 surrounds $2200.00.
And a forum favorite SVS subs ($$?)
You could do a 7.1 setup for

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Bob_A: sorry if my post was confusing. I was mixing 2 ideas:
- DefTech bipolars are highly-respected for HT use
- A less-accurate/less-expensive speaker can do a great job for HT, even if it has flaws for music.
I did not mean to imply that DefTechs were not good music speakers.
(I would'nt know about their musical ability. The steady diet of BackStreet Boys and N*Sync that my daughters torture them with gives me little to work with.)
Ryan: A salesman once told me:
"Music speakers are about accuracy, but HT speakers are about Impact"
This is why answering your question is difficult.

 

[Bob_A]

quote: If it was me..
I would get 5 nOrh marble 7.0's and a pair of SVS subs...
Sorry, but M&K, Kilpsch, Def Tech, Paradigm are IMO, not in the same league...[/quote]
Have you even heard a setup of Def Tech bp2000TL's for home theater? They should stomp all over the nOrhs when used with some SVSubs...you are right, not in the same league
[Edited last by Bob_A on August 30, 2001 at 11:40 PM]

 

[KeithR]

Alright Bob A,
we know you are a deftech fanatic...no need to criticize other's viewpoints.
btw, have you heard nOrh 7s or 9s, before you criticize PJ?

 

[Bob_A]

quote: Alright Bob A,
we know you are a deftech fanatic...no need to criticize other's viewpoints.[/quote]
I recommend my speakers to others but I don't go around criticizing other speakers...don't talk to me about criticism when some of these nOrh guys (dare I say fanatics?) talk about their speakers being in a different class than many others, even though they probably have only heard many of these speakers in a quick store audition. I never stated anything as FACT...I gave my viewpoint as well...why are you responding to me? I said the 2000TL's SHOULD (ie PROBABLY) stomp over the 7's/9's for a HT setup...looking at the designs of the speakers, how many people would disagree with me? Not many most likely. The 2000TL's have much much better power handling, they play much deeper, and they are bipolar...not difficult to imagine my they (with SVSubs) would stomp over nOrhs in a HT setup.
[Edited last by Bob_A on August 30, 2001 at 05:42 PM]
[Edited last by Bob_A on August 30, 2001 at 11:42 PM]

 

[Mickey Brown]

I would suggest Paradigm Studio 40's, Studio CC, a PW2200 or SVS sub. This package will run you less than 2k. Personally, I don't geel that surround speakers are not as important as the front 3 and sub. I upgraded my rears from Paradigm Atoms to Studio 20's and really didn't notice a $350 difference.
And the Atoms were much easier to mount on the walls!
As far as saying that M&K, and Paradigm speakers are not in the same league as a marble n0rh setup, that is just a troll in sheeps clothing. Perhaps PJ should be a bit less hypocritical.