I'm looking to buy a new TV in the near future so I figure it's about time I updated my home audio system. Right now I have an old Sony receiver. I'm thinking about first purchasing some floor standing speakers, then a sub, and eventually maybe some rear speakers. I'm pretty patient so I decided to do some research since I know little to nothing about home audio. I'm looking to spend < 1000 for two nice floor standing speakers. I found these polks which I saw firsthand this past weekend. I'm not sure why they are twice as much as the klipsch. I guess that's my first question. I'll probably just continue posting additional questions here as they arise.

http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Floorstanding-Speaker-Single/dp/tech-data/B000V2QVDW/ref=de_a_smtd
http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Reference-RF-63-Floor-standing-speaker/dp/B0016AMIK8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1217883260&sr=8-1

8/6/2008 2:10:45 PM

Are you already prepared for HD video? If not, I would concentrate on that before I went overboard on audio.

8/6/2008 2:15:16 PM

I'm not sure what you mean. I'm planning on getting a Panasonic 50 inch Plasma. Just waiting to Labor Day to see if I can catch a sale.

8/6/2008 2:25:42 PM

Do you have a HD video source (blue-ray, PS3, hd-dvd, HD cable, etc...)? Is your receiver capable of handling HD video (HDMI)?

8/6/2008 2:27:57 PM

No, not yet. What does that have to do with my home audio questions?

8/6/2008 2:33:33 PM

Well the Klipsch speakers are coming from Crutchfield and the polk from Amazon. Without knowing much about speakers I'll say that is the biggest difference in price, unless the Klipsch are really just that much better.

EDIT: Well after actually reading both pages, the Polk can also be bought through Crutchfield at the same price. They have to compete with that particular speaker though and not with the Klipsch (which is only offered from Crutchfield... through Amazon anyways).

[Edited on August 6, 2008 at 3:09 PM. Reason : []

8/6/2008 3:07:18 PM

^^ Nothing. It's just a question of priorities. In my opinion, securing HD video sources take a higher priority over surround audio. After all, the whole point of the big TV is HD video.

8/6/2008 3:20:22 PM

IMHO, in your price range i like infinity speakers best.

Honestly go to a store that carries them.. listen to all kinds of different speakers.. they'll all sound a little different .. Klipsch have horn tweeters witch accentuate high notes making them sound very clear to some people and slightly harsh to myself and others. Polk makes trash in my opinion Their home audio speakers sound muted up high and don't reproduce mid bass that well either. I also have polk speakers in my car and i hate them... i liked the factory paper pos speakers better.

Speakers i do like: NHT, Paradigm (what i decided on), and B&W (sound slightly better than mine but cost 3x more for a comparable speaker)

Also i'm going to give you some advice that i ignored but probably shouldn't have... You don't need huge speakers if you're getting a sub too. I can't say much cause i have



but i think the studio 20s all around would have been fine with my sub...
Also if you live in a stand alone house... do not cheap out on the sub... a good sub can make a world of difference during a movie... During Transformers Some of the explosions and falls shake you enough to feel like you're there.


[Edited on August 6, 2008 at 3:35 PM. Reason : .]

8/6/2008 3:28:51 PM

I live in a stand alone house. A friend suggested the Paradigms as well. Do they come with a cover/grill b/c I'm not too fond of the paradigm look. I found these infinities but I have no clue how to compare speakers. Are there some basics #s I should check for when comparing?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015YTYIO?smid=A228GNTXW0TH0L&tag=nextag-ce-tier3-20&linkCode=asn
http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-40-Three-Way-Floorstanding-Speaker/dp/B0002TGKX0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=audio-video&qid=1218051322&sr=1-1

[Edited on August 6, 2008 at 3:38 PM. Reason : sp]

8/6/2008 3:38:33 PM

Educational Material:
http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Learn/Article/GroupMenu.aspx?g=11999&tp=34

8/6/2008 4:01:15 PM

Quote :

"Polk makes trash in my opinion Their home audio speakers sound muted up high and don't reproduce mid bass that well either."

This is correct. For the price range you're looking at, Klipsch is probably the way to go for a home theater. My theater is Klipsch, but my dedicated stereo room is ADS (old company, out of business now). The "harshness" comment is correct, depending on your cup of tea. I like my explosions to be vivid, but my true music playback to be honest.

As for electronics, for a mid-range price point it's hard to beat the likes of Denon or possibly Marantz. A very fine receiver and player can be had for ~$700 each.

[Edited on August 7, 2008 at 4:03 PM. Reason : ]

8/7/2008 4:02:41 PM

Paradigms are really hard to beat for the money. I'd definitely recommend getting a sub though. Unless the prices have gone way up since I got mine, you could get a pair of Mini Monitors, a PS-1000 subwoofer, and speaker stands for around $1,000.

When you're shopping around for speakers, be sure to audition speakers with your own music.

8/7/2008 10:30:02 PM

^ and to do it at a true shop with a proper listening room. (i.e. not Best Buy)

8/8/2008 9:48:30 AM

Yeah. I went to Now Audio Video / Tweeter when I went to listen. Where's the best place to buy speakers?

Decided to check out what you guys suggested. How about these?

http://www.paradigm.com/en/paradigm/speaker_only-specification-18-1-2-4.paradigm

[Edited on August 8, 2008 at 10:14 AM. Reason : ]

8/8/2008 9:59:22 AM

I have some M3 Axioms that treat me reallllly nicely. If you want floor standing then check these out, they are pushing your limit, but they have the M50s for a reasonable amount, but if you are going to get those then I'd just downgrade to the M22s and save your money for a better receiver.

Also, they offer a wide variety of wood types and finishes for customization at an upgraded price.

http://www.axiomaudio.com/products.html

8/8/2008 1:48:33 PM

I ended up getting the Paradigm Monitor 7 series this weekend. The 9's sounded a tad better but it wasn't worth the price difference and as sumfoo1 mentioned the sub will more than make up for that.

8/10/2008 1:23:25 PM

bump

2/24/2009 9:37:43 PM

My receiver just died. Looking to spend $400 on a new one. Suggestions?

2/25/2009 10:23:26 AM

That all depends on what you are looking for.
Honestly...for that amount of money, I would find a good, 2nd hand Denon 4802 on ebay.

2/25/2009 4:11:47 PM

http://shop.emotiva.com/collections/amplifiers/products/xpr5

these guys have always represented good bang for the buck. looks like they're moving into the higher-end segment. thoughts?

the application would be bi-amping 400Wx2 into my MartinLogan Vista fronts, and the fifth 400W channel to my MartinLogan Motif center channel.


Right now I'm powering them via a Yamaha Aventage RX-A3010 receiver, 150W/channel from the receiver, with the fronts bi-amped.

5/22/2014 3:33:15 PM

I started reading this thread and saw:

Quote :

"Are you already prepared for HD video? "

And I was like wtf year is it? Then I saw it was 2008 and I was like

5/23/2014 11:58:11 AM

I'm looking at the Denon AVR-E300 ($249) vs. the AVR-X2000 ($399). Is it worth the cost difference to go up to the X-series?

AVR-X2000
http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AVR-X2000-Integrated-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00CALM2KS/

AVR-E300
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B7X2OV2

6/9/2014 2:01:41 PM

sorry, meant to compare the X2000 to the E400, not E300.

6/9/2014 3:02:32 PM

Quote :

"Key upgrades over the E400: * One more rear HDMI input, for a total of 7 (6 rear / 1 front) * MultEQ XT instead of regular MultEQ * 3 years of warranty instead of 2 years * Zone 2 pre-outs (so you can still run 7 channels in main zone and power Zone 2 with an external amp) * Regular speaker binding posts instead of the bare-wire-only "easy connect" speaker posts on the E Series * RS-232 serial port and Remote IR In/Out jacks for custom integration flexibility"

Quote :

"Official Batpig Advice: For most folks looking for the best value 7ch model, it will be a no-brainer to go with the X2000 over the E400 as long as the street price difference is less than 100 bucks. The jump from regular MultEQ to XT, plus the third year of warranty, are alone worth the price difference. You also get enhanced multizone flexibility and some additional "custom integration" options with RS-232 serial port and remote IR jacks."

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1465528/the-official-2013-denon-e-series-x-series-avr-model-owners-thread-faq


FWIW, I picked up an X1000 about three months ago and I love it. I chose the X1000 over the E300 to get the Zone 2 output.

6/10/2014 1:03:52 AM