Upgrading System. Need Help (1 Viewer)

[iTylerA]

The old stalwart is the BIC DV. They created this market.

would you suggest a set of BIC DV speakers over the Sony set?

 

[ArmSC]

The BIC towers will be twice as expensive so you would have to drop to the DV62's bookshelves to remain competitive as far as price is concerned. The problem with that is now your comparing towers to bookshelves and we all know who wins that battle. This is also a trick question as what sounds good to me might not sound as good to you.

 

[iTylerA]

They are more expensive. $123 each. But in terms of quality if i went with the DV64 floors, DV62CLRS center and DV62si rears would I be happier? Would it give me better quality?

 

[jayleaf]

one thing i haven't seen suggested is used audio equipment. i've found in the past with a little patience i've been able to upgrade my system beyond what i could normally afford using this approach. this site has has buy/sell section for instance, but there are several sites such as audio mart you could try. unless you're uncomfortable with buying used equipment it can be a good way to go.

 

[iTylerA]

I'm not so much budget conscious as I am sound and space conscious. I want something good enough where I won't feel compelled to upgrade it in 2 years like the one I'm doing now. But I also don't have a big space I'm trying to fill. I don't mind paying more if it sobs better avs last longer. That's why I went Denon instead of Onkyo on the AVR

 

[ArmSC]

An AVR is going to be replaced because technology changes. Speakers done right can last decades. It's all how much you want to spend and what meets your needs. The tricky part about all this is I don't know what you think is good. You might love the sound of the BICs...I've only heard the 32's and the are nice little speakers. However, you could not be impressed with them but you might love the Sony's. The BIC' s are going to cost you more but have the matching center. Also deeper playing surrounds might be good for the rear effects for some as they want to hear the low rumble in the background. The Sony speakers I've heard from the ss series sound fine but I've never heard the 7000's. I have had some 1000s for years and they do a fine job but they are no way close in sound to a larger book or tower. For what they are they are not bad at all.

 

[iTylerA]

I'm using the 1000s as rears, so i don't really expect them to compete with anything.

To give you an idea of what sounds good to me ArmSC, I come froma musical/headphone background. I want something that will give me tonal accuracy and clarity instead of just loudness. Think less like Bose and Beats y Dre, and more like Shure and Audio Technica etc.

I keep hearing about this braand.
MartinLogan MLT-2

Otherwise I think it's a standoff between the Sony vs BIC...

 

[ArmSC]

I've never heard that ML set but ML normally does good stuff. Are you even interested in a sat set? It's the opposite end of the spectrum from towers and larger books. If you're looking to go down that road then you're going to have a lot of options.

You really just need to set a budget and get the best speakers within that budget. Otherwise you're going to be looking and looking.

 

[iTylerA]

Receiver is ordered and paid for. Subwoofer will be BIC F12 which will be purchased at a later date. Budget is $500My top contenders are:Sony F7000 fronts, Sony CSB center, and Sony B1000 rearsFluance SX 5.0 set. I looked at the ES set but the fronts don't have much of a low end. I also saw the 7.0 SX set for $509 on Rakuten but I'm not familiar with how that site worksBIC DV series. I don't know much about the company but I keep hearing good things and they're among the top rated at least on amazon.

 

[iTylerA]

Accidental post, please disregard.

 

[iTylerA]

You really just need to set a budget and get the best speakers within that budget. Otherwise you're going to be looking and looking.

Update: I went ahead with the BIC DV series speakers, but now I have a sub question. I keep seeing the HSU brand mentioned. Would you Sam, Tony or anyone else, suggest the BIC F-12, the Polk Audio PSW505 or the HSU STF-1?

 

[Robert_J]

Bass is about moving air. The STF-1 is an 8" driver compared to the 12" of the BIC. All other things equal, the BIC will have twice the cone area of the Hsu and move twice the air.

But not everything is equal. You have to factor in excursion as well. I could easily find an 8" driver that could best a 12" but not at your price point. Until you step up to the next level, pick the sub with the largest driver and biggest enclosure.

 

[iTylerA]

Bass is about moving air. The STF-1 is an 8" driver compared to the 12" of the BIC. All other things equal, the BIC will have twice the cone area of the Hsu and move twice the air.But not everything is equal. You have to factor in excursion as well. I could easily find an 8" driver that could best a 12" but not at your price point. Until you step up to the next level, pick the sub with the largest driver and biggest enclosure.

So what about the STF-2? it's around the same price with a 10" cone.

 

[Robert_J]

It's been a few years since I took a math class but 12" is still bigger than 10" as far as I know.

I can't find a picture of the driver but with the small surround and the cardboard gasket around it, it is definitely a stamped steel basket. That means it is excursion limited to about 16mm but more likely it has an xmax of about 12mm.

The F12 is the left hand driver. It is definitely a stamped steel basket but it has a bump out so that there is a very good chance it has at least 12mm of excursion. Like I mentioned before, all things being equal, the larger driver and larger enclosure win.

 

[ArmSC]

I've heard very good things about HSU but the same can be said about the F12. They play in different spaces as far as budget is concerned. The F12 the king of the budget subs but if you want to spend more more your options grow. You'll probably want to have some other folks to chime in with opinion as I've never heard an HSU sub. However, RobertJ is very knowledgeable about subs and has made a good point...bigger is normally always better when it comes to bass.

 

[Al.Anderson]

I have the STF-1 (and STF-2), they're both great and I highly recommend them. But I got the STF-1 for a small room (12x13). I didn't want to tie up a lot of space in that size room with a humongous sub, the STF-1 suits that use perfectly; but it definitely doesn't have the punch of a 12" driver.

 

[iTylerA]

It's been a few years since I took a math class but 12" is still bigger than 10" as far as I know.

I can't find a picture of the driver but with the small surround and the cardboard gasket around it, it is definitely a stamped steel basket. That means it is excursion limited to about 16mm but more likely it has an xmax of about 12mm.

The F12 is the left hand driver. It is definitely a stamped steel basket but it has a bump out so that there is a very good chance it has at least 12mm of excursion. Like I mentioned before, all things being equal, the larger driver and larger enclosure win.

Great info Robert thanks! General consensus is to go with the F12. So that's what I'll do.

I have ONE more minor question I saw a pair of Vintage Technics SB-L52 speakers in a local shop for like $50 a pair. I'm going to talk it down I'm sure cause I absolutely don't need them, but 2 speakers for $50 gods deal right?

Some specs:
- 10" woofer
- 2.125 cone, horn tweeter
- 40hz-30khz
- 92 dB
- 8 ohm

 

[iTylerA]

Update: I bought the Technics and was gravely disappointed. After getting them set up and calibrated I noticed the tweeter wasn't producing any sound in one of them, which is a shame because the one that was properly working sounded excellent

Robert, sincee you're a good recourse on all things sub, F12 or PSW505?

 

[Robert_J]

It gets a good review from Ed Mullen - http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_12_2/polk-psw-505-subwoofer-4-2005.html But also doing some reading, the 505 was introduced 2005 years ago and was discontinued in 2008. It also gets some decent user reviews at another A / V site by users that have compared them to much more expensive models.

At this price, it's a toss-up.