So i spent a pretty good part of the day searching posts and what not trying to determine what speakers to get for my new receiver. From what i have read some speakers do better with different receivers. Therefore i havent taken the leap and bought new speakers yet. So here are my plans thus far: --HSU VTF sub I havent gotten very far as you can see. So this is what i am up against. Room is 20L X 15D X9H and i will use the speakers 70% music and 30 HT. What kind of (5.1 system) speakers do you think would work with my receiver at about $1200 (not including the sub). Have looked at everything and just cant figure it out. HELP!!!!
P.S. i am a little flexible on price but value value ;)
Onkyo is neither the best nor the worst. A few speakers worth trying are the Paradigm Mini Monitor, Onix X-LS (Internet Direct, but they pay shipping both ways if you aren't satisfied), NHT Classic Zero , Two, and Three, and Klipsch RB-61. If nothing else, these speakers should give you a decent idea of what is on the market, and we might be able to provide more selections based on what you like.
Thanks for the replys-->bought the receiver and then decided i needed better speakers. Currently have a pair of older Cerwin Vega RE 30 (12" three ways) and they sound pretty good but wanted to have a great system to both play music on (70%) and movies (30%). I am a former musician and enjoy really great sounding music of all kinds. Thought the Upper Crust Onkyo would do that for me-->but it sounds like i am just getting the average with lots of features. I looked at the Ascends and bought the 340's L/C/R and 170 BR/BL and a HSU VTF-2 MK3 sub (5.1 system). Hopefully this gives me what i need.
Do you guys think this is an average setup? For music, for movies what would you rate it from 1-5? 5 Being exceptional and 1 no so much. Any suggestions to improve without having to be independently wealthy. And last question--does the CD player really make that much of a difference when it comes to quality of sound. Sorry for the long post and thanks Henry
Don't worry what we think of it. If you enjoy what the system reproduces for you, that is all that matters. In my opinion though, you have a pretty solid system for the money. It won't compete with an exotic setup by any stretch of the imagination, but it shouldn't embarrass itself either.
"Thought the Upper Crust Onkyo would do that for me-->but it sounds like i am just getting the average with lots of features."
Features on the Onkyo are very good, and it is in general easy to use. However, generally speaker the quality of the power supply is what seperates the men from the boys in receivers. The Onkyo's isn't bad, but it isn't great either. If your speakers aren't particularly demanding (which they aren't), it won't be a huge problem. However, if at some point you want to upgrade, something to consider would be using the Onkyo as a pre-pro and obtaining an outboard amplifier.
"And last question--does the CD player really make that much of a difference when it comes to quality of sound. "
Indeed it does. The quality of the DAC (digital to analog converter) and transport will affect sound quality. However, I'm of the opinion that a relatively inexpensive (read $2-300) will do an adequate job, and that your speakers will be a much weaker link until you get into much higher end speakers & amplification. Others will of course disagree.
Whichever speaker you choose, you should check the specifications for a few qualifying numbers. Pairing with a receiver will require a speaker with an impedance curve that does not drop below six Ohms minimum. The speaker should have minimal phase shift at all frequencies (ask the salesperson they should know what this means). A sensitivity (or efficiency) spec as high as possible should be the desired goal (88dB [or higher] should be considered minimum). Any speaker that suits your taste with those specs should be considered. Any speaker that does not meet those specs should be automatically disqualified. Any shop that cannot provide you with those bits of information should be disqualified as a potential place to do business. Find a shop that can supply the information I've stated is required and you can buy from any dealer that knows their equipment that well. That more than likely leaves out the Big Box stores.
the reason that i ask is that i am really a stickler for accurate sound reproduction. Was under the impression from what i had read that ASCEND speakers where certainly better than the speakers i would find at Best Buy/Circuit City. In my previous life i was in a symphonic band and really appreciated/understand the correct blend of high/low/mids to make music work. However as you probably know; having the ear for music doesnt mean i have alot knowledge about what brands/systems do what. For instance--didnt really understand the Ohms rating or what it did, That certain speakers require more power and etc....I want to hear all the nuances (Spell Check) of the music just as it was originally played--not dolled up.
I do have a dedicated power amp though--a Sansui B-2102 from 1988. but how do you get 5.1 channels to feed through that? or would i need an amp for each channel? just use Sansui for Stereo/music?
"Was under the impression from what i had read that ASCEND speakers where certainly better than the speakers i would find at Best Buy/Circuit City."
Ascend certainly makes a solid speaker for its price point. Wait and see what you think of its sound before you worry about it; and of course compare them to some other speakers at similar price points.
" For instance--didnt really understand the Ohms rating or what it did, That certain speakers require more power and etc...."
The Ohm rating is the (nominal) impedance of the speaker. Lower impedance speakers require more current to drive them than higher impedance speakers. This requires a stronger power supply in a receiver/amplifier.
" but how do you get 5.1 channels to feed through that?" You can only get the front two.
" or would i need an amp for each channel?" Yup; they do make multichannel amps though.
Keep in mind, this is only if you feel the performance is lacking in your Onkyo, and you may well be more than satisfied with the system overall.