Audiophiles - Speakers in Great Room

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Chairman

Chairman

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Wondering what types of speakers people recommend for in ceiling and stand alone? What type of stuff are people getting for their 5.1 surround sound? Thanks.
 
Expensive sounds Chairman.  I bet it pisses you off when someone plays audio thru the 5W TV speakers :)
 
I'm just dabbling into the speaker world now and like everything else prices can get out of control real fast!
 
I've had about 4 different home theater speakers setups including Onkyo, AVS123 Rockets, B&W CM9's but vastly prefer my current MartinLogan electrostats. I have the $5,000 Theos but to be honest the $2,200 ElectroMotion ELS's are one of the best bang for the bucks in the speaker world.
 
SubSolar said:
I've had about 4 different home theater speakers setups including Onkyo, AVS123 Rockets, B&W CM9's but vastly prefer my current MartinLogan electrostats. I have the $5,000 Theos but to be honest the $2,200 ElectroMotion ELS's are one of the best bang for the bucks in the speaker world.
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What kind of A/V receiver do you have or would you recommend. I see ones that fall under 1,000 or ones that are in the 2,000 - 3,000 range. The higher cost usually translates into more power per speaker?
 
I have a Denon 3313. It's been replaced by the X4000. Don't get into the power wars, you only need more power if you are listening really loud and your current receiver/amp is distorting. It's the same with expensive wires and cables, snake oil.
 
I like the brighter sound of Canadian manufacturers more than the warmer sound of the British manufacturers.  I currently run a set of Axiom speakers for my home theater with a HSU VTF3-MK2 (older model) subwoofer.

I have had these speakers for about 7 years and love them.  HSU research is local (Anaheim) so it a plus since you can go to their office and listen to their different subwoofers to determine if it is right for you.  These subs really do well with music and home theater since you have some ability to 'tune' it to your preference.

 
Thanks for the post.  I am also looking for speakers for the great room.  Specifically, we watch movie and do lots of Karaoke.  I'd like to know if anyone know what would be the best bang for your buck on the Karaoke speakers.
 
I agree with davenlei that the Internet Direct companies give you a much better value for subwoofers than the traditional speaker manufacturers. Companies like SVS, Hsu, PSA and Rythmik.
 
Limbay said:
Specifically, we watch movie and do lots of Karaoke.  I'd like to know if anyone know what would be the best bang for your buck on the Karaoke speakers.
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Do you play mahjong too?

(just kidding... that was a cross-thread joke)
 
In wall/ceiling is fine for the back channels.  But IMNSHO, you need real speakers for the front and a real sub.  Hsu is great bang for the buck as mentioned above for subs, but I prefer JL Audio, albeit at a more expensive price point.  Floorstanders or monitors is personal choice.  The audiophile forums mention "WAF", which stands for wife acceptance factor.  Martin Logan electrostats are awesome but need tons of room and can overwhelm the decor of a multipurpose room.  You should go demo speakers and electronics with music you know well. 

Fwiw, I use Vandersteens with Arcam electronics.  My front end is Oppo.  My HDTV is Pioneer Elite Kuro.  It was a sad day when Pioneer stepped away from TVs, they were far and ahead the best consumer HDTV maker.
 
OCgasman said:
In wall/ceiling is fine for the back channels.  But IMNSHO, you need real speakers for the front and a real sub.  Hsu is great bang for the buck as mentioned above for subs, but I prefer JL Audio, albeit at a more expensive price point.  Floorstanders or monitors is personal choice.  The audiophile forums mention "WAF", which stands for wife acceptance factor.  Martin Logan electrostats are awesome but need tons of room and can overwhelm the decor of a multipurpose room.  You should go demo speakers and electronics with music you know well. 

Fwiw, I use Vandersteens with Arcam electronics.  My front end is Oppo.  My HDTV is Pioneer Elite Kuro.  It was a sad day when Pioneer stepped away from TVs, they were far and ahead the best consumer HDTV maker.
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Ah, the Kuro....

 
irvinehomeowner said:
Limbay said:
Specifically, we watch movie and do lots of Karaoke.  I'd like to know if anyone know what would be the best bang for your buck on the Karaoke speakers.
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Do you play mahjong too?
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Of course we play recreational MJ along with singing,  :D MJ and karaoke are inseparable social activities.......for Asian.
I was told that the normal HiFi speakers are great at reproducing sound but may not be optimal in capturing/creating sound such as karaoke or musical instruments. 
 
dealcatcher said:
I have the Energy Take Classics 5.1 and I think they sound great when compared to other speakers that costs 1500-2k. At a fraction of the cost!
http://reviews.cnet.com/surround-speaker-systems/energy-take-classic-5/4505-7868_7-33310963.html
*Editor's choice award
*highly rated by CNET Editor and users
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I used to have the energy Take 5's (with the 8" sub) and I liked them a lot when I was running them in my first house.  They were relatively bright sounding speakers (which I like) that provided good definition.  I felt they were a great value for what they cost.  When I upgraded to the Axiom/HSU setup I was very happy with how they were able to provide ample clean sound volume in a large room with 22' ceilings.  I have had the upgrade itch a few times since then but I am still happy with the setup I have and I would rather put my money into something else.  Maybe I need a second sub on the other side of the room to improve the bass power on that side so I can 'feel' the explosions there as well.
 
 
 
I have a 5.1 in-ceiling surround using Definitive Tech RCS III (Fronts x3) and RSS III (Rears x2).  The good part about these is that they are angled speakers in the front, so it sounds a lot more realistic.

Another set of angled speaker brands is Triad.
 
thevillain9 said:
I have a 5.1 in-ceiling surround using Definitive Tech RCS III (Fronts x3) and RSS III (Rears x2).  The good part about these is that they are angled speakers in the front, so it sounds a lot more realistic.

Another set of angled speaker brands is Triad.
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Holy CRAP.... I have almost the EXACT same set up.  I have Definitive Tech RCS II's in the front and RSS III's in the back. 

I'm not an audiophile, so I'm not sure if that's a good setup.  I bought this combination based off the recommendation of a friend.  How do you like yours?
 
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