|
Bronze Member Username: StangjasonPost Number: 73 Registered: Dec-06 | make it 7.1. I currently have a pair of Polk R300, pair of Polk R150, and a Polk CSR center channel. I was thinking of another reasonably priced pair (under $250/pair) of Polk floor standing speakers if such exists that would be an improvement over my R300s even though I can't complain about their sound now except they might need a touch more bass capabilities. |
|
Bronze Member Username: WattsssupBarrie, ON Canada Post Number: 32 Registered: Aug-06 | If you would like more bass, why not consider putting your $ on a sub? This may give you the improvement to your overall sound you seek. |
|
Bronze Member Username: WattsssupBarrie, ON Canada Post Number: 33 Registered: Aug-06 | If you want to stick with Polk which it would appear that you do, the PSW10 is in your price range (under $250). There are 40+ customer reviews on the site, maybe a good read for you. http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/products/individual/subwoofers/ |
|
Bronze Member Username: StangjasonPost Number: 74 Registered: Dec-06 | Sorry I guess my post was misleading in that I wanted more bass but I'm meant midbass because I've got a JVC sub that I'm happy with. I'm mostly interested in a pair of Polk speakers that will be a nice step up from the R300s. I really can't imagine much better sounding speakers than my R300s(I know spoken like a newb) but if there are any I'd love to add them as front speakers. |
|
Bronze Member Username: WattsssupBarrie, ON Canada Post Number: 36 Registered: Aug-06 | Thanks for clarifying. According to the Polk site, they don't have any floorstanding speakers for under $250. Maybe look at the used market. On another note, if the speakers you have now can't produce the midbass that you would like, maybe you can imagine better sounding speakers than the R300s. Just food for thought. Go have a listen. |
|
Bronze Member Username: StangjasonPost Number: 75 Registered: Dec-06 | Marc, I guess I can imagine better..haha..the R300s do sound very good to me and I'm not displeased it's just that I want to make my system 7.1. I think, often times, people like myself believe there systems sound amazing till they hear something better...example: I loved the way dad's Kenwoods HTIB sounded till I heard my own and now his system sounds not so great any more. btw how bout this speaker? http://shop3.outpost.com/%7B9dD4rTW9eX1ccqQ54ViZsw**.node3%7D/product/4005092 |
|
Bronze Member Username: WattsssupBarrie, ON Canada Post Number: 37 Registered: Aug-06 | Well I don't know that particular speaker but judging by the specs of the R50 side by side with your R300s, they don't appear to be much different. They both seem to employ the same parts and design with a slightly different frequency response. I don't know that they would provide you with better results than what you're getting from the R300s. The only real difference appears to be the added 6.5" midrange/woofer in the R50 which doesn't necessarily mean better results. In fact I would suspect they'll probably perform quite simularly to the R300s, but again I haven't heard them, so I can't say for sure. I would suggest heading over to a dealer and having a listen. If you can't get to a dealer and you would like to get similar speakers to what you have now, it wouldn't be a huge investment to bring them in at that price. But if you're looking for a significant "step up" in sound quality, then you should really have a listen before you buy, and judge for yourself. |
|
Silver Member Username: GavdawgUpstate, New York Post Number: 820 Registered: Nov-06 | What are you looking to accomplish by going the 7.1 route? Do you have a large room? Very few movies today are mixed in 7.1, which means that the additional channels are added by your processor, and are not in the mix. What are you classifying as midbass precisely? Give me an example. If you don't have your subwoofer crossed over properly, it could be mucking things up. My advice to you is to give us a little more info instead of wanting to replace your speakers right away, which may be a waste of money. Also, what are you using for a receiver? |
|
Bronze Member Username: StangjasonPost Number: 76 Registered: Dec-06 | System: H/K 635, 2 Polk R300, 2 Polk R150, 1 Polk CSR center. Room: Open floor plan with kitchen and dining area attached to the TV area so the room is large but the listening area isn't quite as large. The TV is in corner and the center channel is about 15ft away from the center listening position on the couch. It's tough to describe but the rear channel speakers are just barely in front of the center listening position on the couch but facing just behind it. I think I have just enough room to put all three speakers lined along the wall without the rear speakers behind the listeners but I'm not sure this is good practice for a 7.1 surround sound system. |
|
Bronze Member Username: WattsssupBarrie, ON Canada Post Number: 39 Registered: Aug-06 | Gavin asks a good question Stangj...why go the 7.1 route? Because you can? Or are you trying to improve the sound? Are you wanting more speakers or better sound? |
|
Bronze Member Username: StangjasonPost Number: 77 Registered: Dec-06 | I'm having a hard time explaining it but I think I need more speakers to make the sound more encompassing rather than being able to pinpoint which speaker is making the sound. In other words when that race car zooms behind me from the rear left to rear right channel I want to hear the car behind me also rather than in the left channel then all of a sudden in the right channel. Also the same for the fronts. I just think the room is just a touch too big maybe and my speaker locations are probably a little bit less than ideal so the more speakers the more holes I may be able to fill up. |
|
Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 8369 Registered: Dec-04 | "also the fronts" OK, hang on Jason. Now we are getting to the heart of the matter. Knowing that the extra rears are just an extension of mixed mono for the 6+7 channels, you might be barking up the wrong tree here. Back up and look again at your source. How is your H/K configured for movies? |
|
Bronze Member Username: StangjasonPost Number: 78 Registered: Dec-06 | If it'll play DTS I set it for that if not it plays Dolby Digital. I'll admit it sounds a lot better than it before I learned to set it up this way but I'm just thinking with the extra rears the surround effect will improve. Even if I spent $50 for more Polk R150s to run in 7.1 I couldn't hurt my sound right? I'm also contemplating buying some Polk RTi6 for fronts if they'd be an improvement over the R300's. On a side thought are the Rti6's a good timber match? |
|
Silver Member Username: GavdawgUpstate, New York Post Number: 829 Registered: Nov-06 | First thing I myself would do is get rid of that subwoofer, and make a move up the foodchain. How important is it that you stay under $250? I have found a subwoofer that should perform admirably in your situation, but it is priced at $279, with another $15 for shipping. http://www.htd.com/cabinet-speakers/powered-subwoofers/Level-TWO-Powered-Subwoof er IMHO, the flaws with the bass that you are describing are not in the speakers, but in the underperforming subwoofer that you are currently using. As a result, the blend is not as smooth as it could be. Even if you bought better speakers, you would still be inhibited by that subwoofer, and a lack of a smooth, defined bottom end. Better speakers would certainly make this obvious to you, and you would be looking to upgrade your subwoofer AFTER you changed your speakers. That is why I myself would change the sub, and then the speakers. Also, if you find that it really IS the speakers that you are disappointed with, and do not want to keep the sub, HTD will refund your money including shipping, AND send you a prepaid shipping label to send you the subwoofer back to them. You will be refunded everything if you don't like it or do not think it works. |
|
Silver Member Username: GavdawgUpstate, New York Post Number: 830 Registered: Nov-06 | for the surround effects, you may want to look into multipolar surround speakers. They may be to your liking as they are less pinpoint, but the sound appears to be coming from everywhere. These are frequently $200 to $300 each |
|
Silver Member Username: GavdawgUpstate, New York Post Number: 831 Registered: Nov-06 | Jason, how are your surround speakers currently aimed at your couch? |
|
Bronze Member Username: StangjasonPost Number: 79 Registered: Dec-06 | The speaker are aimed ever so slightly toward the center listening position but I have been thinking about playing with their position a bit more. |
|
Silver Member Username: GavdawgUpstate, New York Post Number: 832 Registered: Nov-06 | How far away from the couch are they? |
|
Silver Member Username: Rysa3Houston, Texas Post Number: 198 Registered: Nov-06 | Hmm. Didn't read the whole thread. A few caustic points to throw out-- I have never heard a consumer JVC sub for home theater that I would want anyone to be happy with. Subs are not JVCs strength at all. The sub issue is a problem to your overall HT audio result. Also, I havent seen "multipolar" surrounds--only dipolar and bipolar. " Throwing sound everywhere" is fraught with problems, starting with wave cancellation leading to all sorts of null spots in the room. Bad idea. 7.1. Well. There are so few 7.1 DVDs out; unless you have a very long room-- whats the point here? Just harder to set up. How bout focusing on an excellent 5.1 system with a good sub ( or two). Just be able to crush the walls and be done with it. Concert DVDs almost never sound optimal in a 7.1 environment, especially without direct radiating speakers--instruments dont sound right or natural. OK thats it--good luck. Except for defining your crossover frequency for your receiver--is it at 80 HZ? That would be an important consideration with regards to all of your speakers and lower frequency concerns. |
|
Bronze Member Username: StangjasonPost Number: 80 Registered: Dec-06 | Front left and right are about 14ft and the center channel just about 13ft |
|
Silver Member Username: GavdawgUpstate, New York Post Number: 834 Registered: Nov-06 | "Also, I havent seen "multipolar" surrounds--only dipolar and bipolar. " Throwing sound everywhere" is fraught with problems, starting with wave cancellation leading to all sorts of null spots in the room. Bad idea. " I meant dipolar and bipolar. Marc, have you ever heard of Mirage? They make PLENTY of multipolar speakers, and they are also designed to be used in a surround environment. The speakers with "omni" in the name being the example that I can think of. I agree, and have pointed out, that the sub needs to go. |
|
Bronze Member Username: StangjasonPost Number: 81 Registered: Dec-06 | yeah the sub will be a done deal by Christmas especially now that I've started listening closely and picking out its flaws. |
|
Silver Member Username: Rysa3Houston, Texas Post Number: 199 Registered: Nov-06 | Shape of a speaker and phase characteristics are not the same. Dipolar and bipolar speakers throw sound that is purposefully in phase or out of phase. Mirage Omnis are spheres in shape, but dont through sound in different phases. Anyway, the solution here is to swap out the sub for a better one, which doesnt need to cost a lot of money and of which there are many decent choices. Crossover is likely 80 HZ on the receiver and as long as the mains and surrounds extend to about 60 HZ that should do it; with a decent high, mid, and low frequency representation. |
|
Silver Member Username: GavdawgUpstate, New York Post Number: 845 Registered: Nov-06 | good points, marc. I failed to mention that the Mirage is a spherical radiator. However, the older OM series were not if I remember correctly. Oh well, not important here. |
|
Silver Member Username: Rysa3Houston, Texas Post Number: 200 Registered: Nov-06 | Good point on the mirage. Although I have seen and heard the speaker, I never actually looked at one at one past the outside grill. |
|
Silver Member Username: GavdawgUpstate, New York Post Number: 856 Registered: Nov-06 | A great photograph of the Mirage OM-7 in Stereophile, the speakers I wrote about. It came to my attention reading this that these were built to be omnidirectional as well. http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/949/ |