Updating speakers - advice needed (1 Viewer)

[Nic_II]

So here's the thing... I had to move to a new apartment due to a new job and have no dedicated home theater room. I'm now seriously thinking about updating my old speakers (some Jamo's package I got at a ridiculously cheap price years and years ago had 2 x Studio 160, Center 40 and 2 x Surround 40). The a/v-receiver is at least a bit newer, Yamaha's RX-V459 (RX-V461 replaced it recently but is pretty much the same machine). I wouldn't necessarily want to buy a new receiver since I don't really need HDMI, 7.1 sound or on-screen display. Basically the RX-V459 has all the features I need so this is a question of power. It has an RMS of 6 x 90W @ 8 ohms, max power of 130W and dynamic power of 120/155/190/235W @ 8/6/4/2 ohms.

Since this is an apartment building and I have neighbors, this is not a system that's going to get a huge workout. With the current speakers, I usually use a volume level of somewhere between -40dB and -30dB. However, there are always times when I do want to watch an action film using a bit more volume than usual. By the way, due to various reasons, I would like to do without a dedicated subwoofer.

I've been searching for the best price/value-speakers and recently a local dealer made me a good offer on a Wharfedale package that would have Diamond 9.5's as main speakers, Diamond 9.CS as a center and Diamond 9.DFS's as surround speakers. I've heard good things from the 9.5's and believe that they might sound nice even without a subwoofer. The sensitivity of the speakers is 88dB for the 9.5, 89dB for the CS and 86dB for the DFS.

In addition to any general comments to this set-up I'm considering, I'm looking for the following info:

1. Most of the speakers I've seen/heard are 8 ohms. The Wharfedale's are 6 ohms. Is this a good or a bad thing or does it make no difference?

2. The Yamaha has a switch where you can choose the speaker impedance between 8 and 6 ohms. This has been a topic of much discussion. Professional reviews often mention that, despite the option, the Yamaha should be left at 8 ohms, even when using 6 ohms speakers. On the other hand, many people have said that it's advisable to use the 6 ohms option since "it's there for a reason" and apparently can improve the sound. Without getting too technical about it, which one should I use and what are the advantages/risks with each?

3. Based on the info above of the receiver and the speakers, would this be a significant upgrade over the old ones or is there a bottleneck (possibly the receiver?) within this system?

I have, of course, looked into upgrading the receiver, as well, but it seems to me that, at the price point I'm looking at, there haven't been any significant improvements. The power levels are about the same and the only major changes are the inclusion of HDMI and 7.1 sound. It seems that to get any major improvements on that front would mean spending more than I am willing at the moment.

All comments are appreciated.

 

[Brian D H]

You can get great bang for your buck from some of the online speaker companies: AV123, HTD, etc. Personally I have the HTD (Home Theater Direct) Level 3 speakers and love them.

For more responses you'll want to re-post this on the Speakers Forum.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Hi Nick. Let my give my opinion (it's worth what you pay).

1. Most audiophile quality speakers tend to be in the 6-4 ohms. It's not a problem as long as you are not trying to have huge volume to mimic a concert hall. But it does mean you should look and good amps so sticking with Yamah/Dennon is a good choice.

2. Leave it at 8 ohms. I was told that this makes the protection circuit more sensitive. It should have zero impact on the sound except that the unit will be more prone to shut off if you crank the volume.

3. The Warfdale are well respected speakers. I DO NOT think you will notice much difference for movies, but you may notice a improvement with music.

So I think Yamaha and Warfdale are good choices.