The Official "What Speakers or Subwoofer Should I Buy" Assistance Thread (1 Viewer)

[Lennon_McCartney]

Hi all,
My wife and I just purchased a home and the previous owners had speakers installed in the ceiling. The only system I've had before is a 2.1 without a receiver.

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What are you looking for (Speakers, Subwoofer or Both)? subwoofer. What kind of speakers would I need to get in addition for atmos ?

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

Desired Configuration: 5.1


Room Size: 11x13.5

Is the room open to other areas of your home: Yes. Shares a wall with the dining room and the kitchen is down the hall.

Do you already have an AV receiver or amplifier? Yes, Onkyo TX-NR656. Its unopened and was purchased yesterday. Open for returns if there is something better you recommend.

What's your budget (low to high): $200-$400 (for the subwoofer).
Any special requirements (Wife Acceptance)? My wife's acceptance.

 

[theJman]

Welcome to HTF.

There are a number of things in your post that are a bit confusing, so perhaps you can clarify a few points for me...

What are you looking for (Speakers, Subwoofer or Both)? subwoofer. What kind of speakers would I need to get in addition for atmos ?

You seem to be looking for a subwoofer, yet you ask about speakers as well. Are you looking for a sub, speakers, both?

Desired Configuration: 5.1

You mention Atmos above and 5.1 here, but they are vastly different configurations. Which type of system are you actually looking to build?

Room Size: 11x13.5

None of the rooms in the picture you posted are those dimensions. The nearest I can find is the living room, which appears to be about 18x13.5 instead. Is that the room you're referring to?

What's your budget (low to high): $200-$400 (for the subwoofer).
Any special requirements (Wife Acceptance)? My wife's acceptance.

There is seemingly no such thing as "wife acceptance" and "husband acceptance" when it comes to HT equipment, especially subwoofers, so I wish you luck. Be that as it may...

The performance of a subwoofer is dictated by several factors, not the least of which is room size. Assuming your ceiling height is typical for an American home - so around 8 feet - you have approximately 2000 ft^3 to deal with. Some of the $400-$500 subwoofers can work pretty well in an environment like that. Their performance will diminish if the openings to those other rooms/areas are large, but the only way to tell for sure is to try something and see if it satisfies your needs.

 

[Lennon_McCartney]

Thanks for the reply Jman.
Let me clarify:
1.Currently looking for a subwoofer. Curious about the cost of additional speakers to create an atomos setup since the house came with speakers in the ceiling, but that is not possibility now.
2. You're right the living room is about 18x13.5 and the ceiling is 8 feet. The openings to other rooms are large.
3. My wife's approval is mostly on cost. Obviously we are looking for the lowest price without significantly affecting the sound quality. We were looking at the Klipsch R-10SW. Do you think it's up to snuff?

 

[JohnRice]

You posted pics of the in-ceiling speakers, but don't indicate where they are. In-ceiling speakers are OK for surround speakers and can be ideal for Atmos, but are horrible for the front three speakers. I recommend trying to go with traditional speakers in the front. Not that you asked about that. The point is, if you use in-ceiling speakers for the front channels, it'll sound awful, no matter what else you do.

The Klipsch sub is OK, but you'll do as well, and probably better with a BIC F12, which also costs almost 40% less. You can typically get it for around $200. In general, stay away from the big speaker manufacturers for subs. There are better options from specialized sub companies. That BIC has been the low cost leader for a long time. There are also the Dayton SUB-1200 and SUB-1500 to consider.

 

[Lennon_McCartney]

I hope this photo helps. Yes, the speakers are in the front of the room. I could not include the rearmost speaker in this photo, its right at the edge of the picture.


Thanks for all the advice. I'll definitely check out those subs.
Do you recommend BIC for front channel speakers as well?
Any recommendations for a 5.1 system with a $200 budget?
Am I correct in assuming I can have a 5.1.4 system given the ceiling speakers?

 

[JohnRice]

Don’t buy BIC speakers. Only their sub. No! You can’t spend $200 on a sub and get a 5.1 for $200, since you already spent the $200 on the sub.

 

[JohnRice]

A good place to start for cheap speakers are the Pioneer SP22 or Polk Monitor lines.

 

[theJman]

Thanks for the reply Jman.
Let me clarify:
1.Currently looking for a subwoofer. Curious about the cost of additional speakers to create an atomos setup since the house came with speakers in the ceiling, but that is not possibility now.
2. You're right the living room is about 18x13.5 and the ceiling is 8 feet. The openings to other rooms are large.
3. My wife's approval is mostly on cost. Obviously we are looking for the lowest price without significantly affecting the sound quality. We were looking at the Klipsch R-10SW. Do you think it's up to snuff?

As John pointed out, the R-10SW is not the best option. Along with the other subs suggested already, be sure to check out the RSL SpeedWoofer 10S and the Emotiva BasX 12. Both are more expesnive then some of the other choices, but they're very good products.

I hope this photo helps. Yes, the speakers are in the front of the room. I could not include the rearmost speaker in this photo, its right at the edge of the picture.
View attachment 45141

Thanks for all the advice. I'll definitely check out those subs.
Do you recommend BIC for front channel speakers as well?
Any recommendations for a 5.1 system with a $200 budget?
Am I correct in assuming I can have a 5.1.4 system given the ceiling speakers?

As mentioned by others, having the front 3 speakers in the ceiling is about the worst possible configuration you could have. I would suggest you pretend they don't even exist.

$200 will barely get you a subwoofer to work in a room that size, so if you want to add speakers your budget will need to be at least 3x that amount. You can buy tiny speakers - or worse yet, a HTiB - but they will sound thin and weak because the drivers would be way too small.

Note that the less you spend on speakers the more you need to spend on a subwoofer. Reason being is it will have to play up higher into the frequency range, say 100-120Hz, because small/inexpensive speakers typically can't handle the ubiquitous 80Hz crossover point. For a sub to sound clean at that frequency requires good parts and solid engineering, something that isn't feasible in a $200 product.

 

[Lennon_McCartney]

Okay, looks like I'll wait on setting up the home theater. Does the Pioneer SP22 or Polk Monitor lines recommendation hold true for the center speaker as well? Could I get away with using the rear two ceiling speakers for a 5.1 system?

 

[theJman]

Having sound radiating from completely different planes is not ideal, but you can typically get away with that if the ceiling speakers are only performing surround duty as they provide just a small portion of a 5.1 soundtrack. You're likely to notice something a bit odd with the soundfield, but that also depends upon how sensitive you are to things like that.

 

[JohnRice]

Okay, looks like I'll wait on setting up the home theater. Does the Pioneer SP22 or Polk Monitor lines recommendation hold true for the center speaker as well? Could I get away with using the rear two ceiling speakers for a 5.1 system?

If I understand your questions correctly. Yes, the center should be from the same line, and yes, the rear ceiling speakers are ok, though not the best, for the surround speakers.

 

[Relic1Golf]

I'd like to read some thoughts/ideas on truly powerful sub-bass. What you need to do to get <30 Hz output at 95+ dB when called for, even sub 20Hz content you can really feel. What would be the best driver size, amplifier power and sub-woofer design for the average HT to achieve equal output from the sub-bass.

for that price, I would say either the SVS PB/PC4000, PSA v1500 or 2 or 3 smaller subs. If youre inclined to start a DIY project you could build this monstrosity and hide it behind the couch.
https://www.danleysoundlabs.com/products/subwoofers/specialty-subs/dts10/

 

[Layne]

hello folks, new here and though I'd jump in. I'm working on a basement HT at the moment, I'm in the construction stage and still have a ways to go.
So while I'm nailing and cutting I thought I'd start researching components. I currently have no equipment so I'll need it all, I'm looking at a $10,000 - 12,000 budget for all of the HT excluding the building supplies. I figure since I need projector, seating, wiring, cabinet and so on that the budget I list below would be a good starting point for sound and reciever. I'm of the thought that I'd prefer to spend more on the sound than the picture.

The basement room is issolated with no windows and i'm building a box in box but it does have an issue with the ceiling. The front 14' of the room has about 7 1/2' ceilings pre sheetrock and the back 10' has an 8' ceiling. I figure I'll build a riser at the start of the 8' ceiling for the second row.

I like the Marantz recievers and the golden ear speakers but thought I'd get some advice from folks that know a lot more than I about HTs.

thanks in advance for the info...

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

Primary Use: 20% Music, 80% TV & Movies

Desired Configuration: 7.1.4 Atmos, expandable if possible.

Room Size: 13x24

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

Do you already have an AV receiver or amplifier? No

What's your budget (low to high): $6000-7000

Any special requirements (Wife Acceptance)? Nope

 

[theJman]

With the budget you have consider Seaton Sound. Their website leaves something to be desired, but the speakers and subwoofers they build surely don't.

 

[JohnRice]

Nobody will criticize going Marantz, and I hear great things about Golden Ear speakers. I say, pursue that track of thinking.

 

[Dave Upton]

With the budget you have consider Seaton Sound. Their website leaves something to be desired, but the speakers and subwoofers they build surely don't.

Jim is correct - for your money, Seaton will be a LOT better than Golden Ear, particularly for cinema use. JTR also builds a fine product. Jeff at JTR or Mark at Seaton are great to talk to on the phone, and can help you spec out a system.

 

[Layne]

Thanks guys I’ll check out seaton...

 

[Sam Posten]

With a $7k budget I'd consider the Paradigm Reference line.
https://www.paradigm.com/products-current/collection=reference/model=prestige-95f/page=overview

 

[Brandon.Smith]

Hello HTF members,

I've been scouring the internet the past couple of weeks reading reviews and forums to learn about the best budget audio options to build my first home theater. I'm hoping to hear back from experienced members about what I have come up with so far and if it can be improved in anyway. The goal is to have the best audio experience for watching movies for under $1250.

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

Primary Use: 90% Movies, 10% music

Desired Configuration: 5.1

Room Size: Around 20x15, with the back opening into the kitchen/dining room area.

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

Do you already have an AV receiver or amplifier? No

What's your budget (low to high): I'd like to stay under or around $1250. If significant gains can be had by spending slightly more I'd welcome the discussion, but really shooting for that 1250.

Any special requirements (Wife Acceptance)? Nope


Here's what I've come up with so far:

Speakers: Pioneer SP-PK52FS 5.0 package ~ $438 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IRH0QMA...v_ov_lig_dp_it

Height speakers: Pioneer SP-T22A-LR add on speaker to add in height channels for a 5.1.2 set up. ~$199 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0148NPHO8...v_ov_lig_dp_it

Sub: BIC America F-12 ~$220 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015A8Y5M...v_ov_lig_dp_it

Receiver: Denon AVRS730H ~$350 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...8f23906f3f424e

All this totals up to about ~ $1200

Special note - Having the height speakers for the 5.1.2 system is not a must. From my initial research, I thought the pioneer speaker system was offering the best value for the money and decided to go with their 5.0 system. After more research I found they offered the height speaker add on and figured it would be a good add for the money being spent.

What do you guys think? Can you come up with a better system for the price? Should I choose different speakers, different sub, different AV? Let me know your thoughts, and ultimately how I can get the best sounding system for around $1,250.

 

[Sam Posten]

At that price range I’d think about the pioneer Andre Jones with built in heights. I’m not familiar with Bic subs others can comment on that. I’d consider the entry level in command from Denon if the 730 does not have Audessey