The Official "What Speakers or Subwoofer Should I Buy" Assistance Thread (3 Viewers)

[JohnRice]

I assumed he wanted them as part of the speakers, but that's a good clarification.

Am I the only one very disappointed by how much Power Sound's prices have gone up? They used to be a great budget recommendation. I suppose HSU is still reasonable.

They have skyrocketed. The sealed Dual 18 used to be $1,400. Maybe less, about three years ago.

 

[Dave Upton]

Their bottom end sub was $499 and is now over $1000. I'm not sure why they're doing it either - unless the plan is to run constant sales.

 

[theJman]

I think all the PSA subs are now using B&C neo drivers so they probably cost a lot more than the previous versions. Curiously, the lower F3 never goes down past 30Hz on any of them, not even the 18's. Unless PSA is bargaining on serious room gain I wonder if they'll run out of steam by the mid 20's, especially the ported models which might have port tune higher than their predecessors. I know Jim Farina left the company so maybe that was part of the changes too.

 

[Craig-F]

Was the subwoofer omitted or do you not want one?

Whoops, I shouldn't have deleted the sub from the wants list!

Craig,

Due to your budget, we will have to limit your system to 7.2.2 or 5.4.2 - you can choose of course which you prefer. I've stretched your budget a bit beyond its max to get you a system that will sound really good. The dual subs are to allow you to get a nice even in room response and more headroom:

For receiver, I'd recommend the Denon AVR-X3600H £1000-£1200
For Atmos speakers: JBL SP8CII £150 (shipped) (x2)
For Left and Right: ELAC F6.2 Debut 2.0 £699
For Center Channel: ELAC C6.2 Debut 2.0 £299
Surrounds: ELAC OW4.2 Debut 2.0 £239 (x4)
Subwoofer: SVS SB-2000 Pro x 2 £1800. If too pricey, then go with SB-1000 @ £1040/pair

Total Speakers: £2666 to £3426
Total Reciever: £1000-£1200 (cheaper in US - might be better to ship)

Thanks Dave, my local AV shop recommended the Denon as well so that seems the way to go. I can get it around the £800-£900 mark. I will now go and look at the various speakers you have recommended. I will pay particular attention re the two options on the subwoofer, my first thoughts are wow the 2000's are a lot of money, but I also see that they could differentiate the experience between a good and a great system.

 

[Dave Upton]

Whoops, I shouldn't have deleted the sub from the wants list!



Thanks Dave, my local AV shop recommended the Denon as well so that seems the way to go. I can get it around the £800-£900 mark. I will now go and look at the various speakers you have recommended. I will pay particular attention re the two options on the subwoofer, my first thoughts are wow the 2000's are a lot of money, but I also see that they could differentiate the experience between a good and a great system.

If £3000 is for speakers only, that also changes things a fair bit. In that case, I'd be going for something like this instead: https://www.xtzsound.eu/product/99-series

 

[theJman]

If £3000 is for speakers only, that also changes things a fair bit. In that case, I'd be going for something like this instead: https://www.xtzsound.eu/product/99-series

+1

XTZ makes very nice products, I've reviewed and owned several models.

 

[Craig-F]

Thanks again for the ideas, so I'd configure the following?:

XTZ 99.36 Fronts
XTZ 99.25 Centre

and leave the rest of the speakers as is?

Sorry for the very basic questions, but I am finding my way

 

[Alex603]

What are you looking for (Speakers, Subwoofer or Both)? Subwoofer

Primary Use: 50% Music, 50% TV & Movies

Desired Configuration: mour BASS

Room Size: 22X25

Is the room open to other areas of your home: kitchen

Do you already have an AV receiver or amplifier? Want to plug them into my Edifier S3000 pros.

What's your budget (low to high): $500

Any special requirements (Wife Acceptance)? Yes

I am new here so I just wanted to say hi and thank you in advance for all your knowledge and support. I have the S3000 pros by Edifier and they sound phonamanal. I saw a review that said I could connect a subwoofer to them however I know nothing on what's compatable and the connections to use.

 

[theJman]

Room Size: 22X25

Do you already have an AV receiver or amplifier? Want to plug them into my Edifier S3000 pros.

What's your budget (low to high): $500

I am new here so I just wanted to say hi and thank you in advance for all your knowledge and support. I have the S3000 pros by Edifier and they sound phonamanal. I saw a review that said I could connect a subwoofer to them however I know nothing on what's compatable and the connections to use.

Looking over the speakers specifications on the manufacturers website I see information about inputs but nothing about outputs. You'd have to verify that they do have a sub out before buying anything.

Assuming there's an 8 foot ceiling you have 4400 ft^3 which is a pretty large space. There really isn't a $500 subwoofer capable of overcoming that much area. If the speakers can accommodate a sub you may have to increase the budget, especially if you want decent movie performance. Music you might be OK though, depending upon the type and how loud you like to listen.

 

[Alex603]

I thought they didn't have a subwoofer out but then I read this review that said that it did. Which has me all confused. I have reached out to the manufacturer and I'm waiting on a reply

From AV fourms s3000 pro review,
"The first is bass extension. Unlike the cheaper S350DB, the S3000 Pro doesn’t have a sub supplied (although you can add one). It honestly doesn’t matter though because the S3000 Pro has sensational bass. This is one of the most affordable products I can remember that can showcase the benefits of active speaker bass. With the amp directly coupled to the driver and the crossover shaping exactly what that amp receives, the Edifier kicks like a mule (although a slightly blunt force mule if they are too close to the rear wall). The starship chase at the start of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is visceral on a level that simply isn’t usually the case at this sort of price point. There is depth, control and detail and it makes soundtracks come alive regardless of whether you’re dealing with a good ole fashioned explosion or something more considered."

 

[Alex603]

looks like i found my answer from Edifiers support page. however i am still a bit lost.

Our 2.0 speakers are not intended for use with a sub, and they do not have a sub out. There is, however, a workaround that can help depending on what sub you have. If your sub has an adjustable crossover and RCA inputs, you can use an RCA splitter for each of the inputs and then connect the other splitter cables to the sub inputs. This will only work with Aux-in and not with Bluetooth, or S/PDIF.

 

[theJman]

looks like i found my answer from Edifiers support page. however i am still a bit lost.

Our 2.0 speakers are not intended for use with a sub, and they do not have a sub out. There is, however, a workaround that can help depending on what sub you have. If your sub has an adjustable crossover and RCA inputs, you can use an RCA splitter for each of the inputs and then connect the other splitter cables to the sub inputs. This will only work with Aux-in and not with Bluetooth, or S/PDIF.

That's commonly referred to as a kludge.

Basically you would be sending the exact same signal to the speakers and the subwoofer simultaneously and then use the subs crossover dial as a low pass filter of sorts. That's half of how a traditional crossover works though because it does both low and high pass. The manufacturer says those speakers can play to 38Hz but they don't quote how far down that is (-3dB, -6dB, something else perhaps?). Because of that you'll have to measure the speakers to see what they can actually do. Unless you know their true response and can get an accurate frequency curve the setting you use on the subwoofer would be pure guesswork.

 

[Alex603]

i feel like a 500 dollar sub would be sufficient. the only reason i say that is because the bass coming out of the two 6.5 inch woofers on each speaker of the s3000 pro is enough to vibrate the walls opposite of the speakers as low as 50% volume and even make things fall off the wall like my clock at around 70% volume which was insane. The bass has so much more detail and fullness with ultra HD tracks on amazon, if two 6.5 inch woofers can do that i would think a 12 inch 500 dollar sub would be capable of more especially sub bass frequencies although i am no expert and i could and probably am missing something here.

 

[UKpup]

I realized I put this in the wrong place last time.

Hello all;

I'm finishing my basement and would like your help picking my equipment.

A bit of backstory:

I'm putting MLV on my ceiling (man, that stuff is heavy! ). I'm also putting up RSIC clips and hat channel. In the end, I should have a completely de-coupled area from the living area.

Thanks!

What are you looking for (Speakers, Subwoofer or Both)? Both. I've looked at Klipsch speakers and also SVS subs.

Primary Use: 95% TV & Movies; 5% Music

Desired Configuration: No sure really. I think I'd like to get Atmos high on the walls since I don't want to poke a hole through the MLV.

Room Size: 45x15. Although the theater part will be 20x15. The rest will open to a gaming, exercise area.

Is the room open to other areas of your home: No

Do you already have an AV receiver or amplifier? Np

What's your budget (low to high): $3000-4000

Any special requirements (Wife Acceptance)? Not really. I plan on making the area under the stairs my AV closet

 

[theJman]

Room Size: 45x15. Although the theater part will be 20x15. The rest will open to a gaming, exercise area.

The name UKpup suggestions England but your room size is more indicative to what we have in the States. Are you across the pond by chance? Geographic location factors heavily into the suggestions you'll receive; certain companies only sell in certain areas so there's no value in providing options not available to you.

 

[UKpup]

The name UKpup suggestions England but your room size is more indicative to what we have in the States. Are you across the pond by chance? Geographic location factors heavily into the suggestions you'll receive; certain companies only sell in certain areas so there's no value in providing options not available to you.

UK as in University of Kentucky. You're not the first to say that and I probably need to pick another screen name. Sorry for the confusion!

 

[theJman]

OK, now that we have that cleared up...

You didn't mention how many speakers you're looking for so I'll go with a 5.1 or 5.2 system and leave the Atmos part out for now. Sort of, one of my suggestions does include heights.

Assuming your ceiling is 8 feet the room is 4800 ft^3, so it's pretty sizable. For speakers the entire volume of space isn't as critical when choosing their size and capabilities; it matters of course, but there is more latitude in that decision. Subwoofers are another story however as they 'see' the entire physical area and will try to fill it, despite the fact your HT portion is only half the room. You'll likely find you need a larger sub - or perhaps duals - to get satisfactory bass.

What did you think of the Klipsch speakers? Until recently most considered their horn tweeter to be sharp and irritating, but it seems more recent models have toned that down some and they're easier on the ears. Even if you found them to your liking here are a few other potential options:

Aperion Audio Novus. This system has a pair of heights so it might actually start you on the Atmos journey.

Chane A Series. Not the prettiest speakers you can get, but they do provide world-class sound for well under a world-class price.

PowerSound Audio Tower System. If you want to replicate that movie theater sound in your home these are going to get you really close.

Because of your room size ported subwoofers are going to be the better option.

PowerSound Audio V1812. If you go with the PSA speaker system you should take a look at their subwoofer as well. It's not required you stick with a single brand for everything, but there may be a discount if you do.

Rythmik FV15, FV18. Rythmik is the king of sound quality but they have strong output as well. You might be able to get away with using their FV15. The FV18 is probably more suited to the task at hand though.

You mentioned SVS. The PB16 is probably the only one with the capability of working properly in a room the size of yours, their other models might struggle to cope with the amount of space. That's a big, pricey subwoofer however so it may ultimately fall outside your budget.

 

[UKpup]

OK, now that we have that cleared up...

You didn't mention how many speakers you're looking for so I'll go with a 5.1 or 5.2 system and leave the Atmos part out for now. Sort of, one of my suggestions does include heights.

Assuming your ceiling is 8 feet the room is 4800 ft^3, so it's pretty sizable. For speakers the entire volume of space isn't as critical when choosing their size and capabilities; it matters of course, but there is more latitude in that decision. Subwoofers are another story however as they 'see' the entire physical area and will try to fill it, despite the fact your HT portion is only half the room. You'll likely find you need a larger sub - or perhaps duals - to get satisfactory bass.

What did you think of the Klipsch speakers? Until recently most considered their horn tweeter to be sharp and irritating, but it seems more recent models have toned that down some and they're easier on the ears. Even if you found them to your liking here are a few other potential options:

Aperion Audio Novus. This system has a pair of heights so it might actually start you on the Atmos journey.

Chane A Series. Not the prettiest speakers you can get, but they do provide world-class sound for well under a world-class price.

PowerSound Audio Tower System. If you want to replicate that movie theater sound in your home these are going to get you really close.

Because of your room size ported subwoofers are going to be the better option.

PowerSound Audio V1812. If you go with the PSA speaker system you should take a look at their subwoofer as well. It's not required you stick with a single brand for everything, but there may be a discount if you do.

Rythmik FV15, FV18. Rythmik is the king of sound quality but they have strong output as well. You might be able to get away with using their FV15. The FV18 is probably more suited to the task at hand though.

You mentioned SVS. The PB16 is probably the only one with the capability of working properly in a room the size of yours, their other models might struggle to cope with the amount of space. That's a big, pricey subwoofer however so it may ultimately fall outside your budget.

theJman, thank you so much for the information! I'm looking into the list you gave me. The last time I was in the market for something like this was the late 80s. I bought M&Ks back then and they were great. I still have the satellites.

As for the Klipsch, honestly, until recently I wouldn't have looked at them. You find them on Slick Deals all the time (not the ones I've been looking at, but still great prices at times). The reviews lately have been really good though. I must say I haven't heard them in a couple of years and wanted to ask you all before I started going for test drives.

 

[Alex603]

What are you looking for (Speakers, Subwoofer or Both)? subwoofer

Primary Use: 100% Music

Desired Configuration: 2.1

Room Size: 20X14 however this set up is for near field listening

Is the room open to other areas of your home: yes Kitchen

Do you already have an AV receiver or amplifier? n/a

What's your budget (low to high): $400

Any special requirements? I plan on using my New vanatoo transparent zero speakers for my new desk set up for near field listening and would really like to add a sub to take advantage of the optional 80hz or 120hz Crossover to the sub. I was looking at the RSL speedwoofer 10S but not sure if it might be t0o powerful for these speakers. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Ease of use and simple set up are important to me. it would be cool too reach 20 or 30 hz

I was originally going to get a sub for my edifier S3000 pros however after rearranging my living room they have more bass then ill ever need. plus i would need a sub way out of my budget to fill my room size so with this near field setup, i am hoping there will be more options within my budget.
20200218_212011 by Alex Littig, on Flickr
20200218_212022 by Alex Littig, on Flickr

 

[theJman]

What are you looking for (Speakers, Subwoofer or Both)? subwoofer

Primary Use: 100% Music

Desired Configuration: 2.1

What's your budget (low to high): $400

Any special requirements? I plan on using my New vanatoo transparent zero speakers for my new desk set up for near field listening and would really like to add a sub to take advantage of the optional 80hz or 120hz Crossover to the sub. I was looking at the RSL speedwoofer 10S but not sure if it might be t0o powerful for these speakers. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Ease of use and simple set up are important to me. it would be cool too reach 20 or 30 hz

I'm very familiar with the SpeedWoofer 10S - having reviewed it about 1 1/2 years ago - and I don't believe it would overpower your speakers. AAMOF, it's designed specifically to integrate with smaller speakers. In the $400 range it's pretty much the king of quality and quantity.