My HT room is finally complete..... well, almost

[blore_boy]

Hello all, a few months ago I started working on a HTS and after much delay, I am finally done with the sound treatment and the interiors for the room. Now, onto the final leg of this journey - I need speakers!!!!:yahoo:

I have enquired about the Pioneer SC-LX57 amp and have heard good things about it. It is newly launched and I think I want to go for this. So, any ideas regarding which speakers will go well with Pioneer amps?

Review for this amp : Pioneer SC-LX57 review from the experts at whathifi.com

Usage, 80% movies and 20% music... and the budget for speakers being 1 lakh (not including the sub woofer). The sub-w I am going with is the Velodyne impact 12 (35k). So, the mentioned budget is for 2 x towers, 1 x center and 4 x surround.

Brands I have seen so far are Polk, Wharfedale. I felt the highs on the polk setup in ProFX were overpowered, Wharfedale seemed ok, but still wasn't convinced. One other set of speakers I have heard about is the Tannoy Mercury range. Any thoughts??

Finally, I am no expert by any measure, so any advice is accepted!

Oh, almost forgot - HAPPY DIWALI!!!

 

[sinister]

Happy Diwali to you too!!! Looks like you got yourself a great treat for this Diwali!

All the best for the final leg of setting up your dream HT...

 

[Rupam]

Tannoy's are very balanced speakers. You should also check out the Tannoy Mercury V4. They are amazing at their price point.

 

[ghatgepatil]

Pioneer SC-LX57 is a high end AVR and would need 'better' speakers to have full compatibility. I would suggest you to go step by step in case budget is an issue right now. Try getting the right match with the fronts and centre as of now, and procure the surrounds later.

You could audition the Monitor Audio and Epos range, which should be a better than the ones discussed so far.

 

[shanmune]

Hello all, a few months ago I started working on a HTS and after much delay, I am finally done with the sound treatment and the interiors for the room. Now, onto the final leg of this journey - I need speakers!!!!:yahoo:

I have enquired about the Pioneer SC-LX57 amp and have heard good things about it. It is newly launched and I think I want to go for this. So, any ideas regarding which speakers will go well with Pioneer amps?

Review for this amp : Pioneer SC-LX57 review from the experts at whathifi.com

Usage, 80% movies and 20% music... and the budget for speakers being 1 lakh (not including the sub woofer). The sub-w I am going with is the Velodyne impact 12 (35k). So, the mentioned budget is for 2 x towers, 1 x center and 4 x surround.

Brands I have seen so far are Polk, Wharfedale. I felt the highs on the polk setup in ProFX were overpowered, Wharfedale seemed ok, but still wasn't convinced. One other set of speakers I have heard about is the Tannoy Mercury range. Any thoughts??

Finally, I am no expert by any measure, so any advice is accepted!

Oh, almost forgot - HAPPY DIWALI!!!

Tannoy produces very good speakers. For the start, you can invest on very good floor standers + center channel. You can defer buying surrounds.
You can try these options :-
1. Tannoy Mercury v4 + Tannoy mercury VC (center)
2. PSB Image T6 + PSB Image C6

You can also look at wharfedale diamon series in hifimart.
For sub, I always receommend SVS. They are far better than velodyne. what is your romm size ? For bigger rooms, you can try PB1000 from SVS.

 

[dadanrobiha]

you can invest on very good floor standers + center channel. You can defer buying surrounds.

 

[blore_boy]

Thank you all for the quick replies.

@ghatgepatil : I enquired about Monitor and Epos, a set of floor standers, center and surrounds will cost anywhere froms 2.5lakh and upwards. It is simply more than what I am willing to spend. :indifferent14:

@Rupam : I will be checking out the Mercury v4i in action tomorrow, will take a call after that.

@shanmune : PBS PB1000 will be overkill, I don't think the base can be contained (Don't want my neighbors complaining). Also, I will check the wharfedale diamond and see how it sounds. My HT room is 500 sqft.

Again, thanks a lot guys. If you have any other advice, I am all ears.

 

[shanmune]

Thank you all for the quick replies.

@shanmune : PBS PB1000 will be overkill, I don't think the base can be contained (Don't want my neighbors complaining). Also, I will check the wharfedale diamond and see how it sounds. My HT room is 500 sqft.

Again, thanks a lot guys. If you have any other advice, I am all ears.

Ok. I agree. Still 500 sq.ft might be too small even for floor standers. Do you have space to fit in floorstanders + subwoofer ? Or Ideally bookshelf speakers will be the ideal bet for your room size. The bookshelf can produce enough sound (and very good bass) for your room size and so spending on floor standers for such a small room is a over kill. You will end up using those floor standers at just 10 to 20% of it's potential. If you have any plans for moving to a bigger room, then it's okay.

 

[blore_boy]

Ok. I agree. Still 500 sq.ft might be too small even for floor standers. Do you have space to fit in floorstanders + subwoofer ? Or Ideally bookshelf speakers will be the ideal bet for your room size. The bookshelf can produce enough sound (and very good bass) for your room size and so spending on floor standers for such a small room is a over kill. You will end up using those floor standers at just 10 to 20% of it's potential. If you have any plans for moving to a bigger room, then it's okay.

Yes, I do have plenty of space for floor standers and subwoofers. Infact, the room is 610 sqft, but I have a snooker table in the same room and the sofas are only occupying a space of 500 sqft roughly.

Anyway, after looking at the pricing for everything, I realize that Monitor audio and Epos is a little too much for me. So, I will be taking a call between Wharfedale Diamond 10 setup and Tannoy Mercury setup.

Which would you suggest between these two?

 

[prosenjit]

wrong turn
then you should have not bought this avr either
when bought already..
get expensive speakers..

get a centre for now and stop..

build slowly

and sound is a matter of quality..not quantity..dont judge svs and velodyne..svs price high so too much power than your need..(however that can be controlled too)..
velodyne is good no doubt..svs much better..not that too powerful for someone..
and yes the snooker table needs another room for quality sound..(btw can be used as very strong stand for bs)

fs forget it..get bs

anyway final call is yours..here all suggested wisely

 

[shanmune]

Yes, I do have plenty of space for floor standers and subwoofers. Infact, the room is 610 sqft, but I have a snooker table in the same room and the sofas are only occupying a space of 500 sqft roughly.

Anyway, after looking at the pricing for everything, I realize that Monitor audio and Epos is a little too much for me. So, I will be taking a call between Wharfedale Diamond 10 setup and Tannoy Mercury setup.

Which would you suggest between these two?

Now you have decided between Wharfedale 10 diamond series and Tannoy mercury, I will suggest an approach which is bit cumbersome, but an effective one one.
1. Look for a dealer who has both pioneer AVR and wharfedale/Tannoy
2. Audition the speakers by connecting them with pioneer AVR
3. See which speaker appeals to your ears.

As I suggested, SVS is the best one. If you are too concerned about sound level (which is not a problem as prosenjith said), try for SVS SB1000. It is a smaller sub, but very good compared to other subwoofers from other brands.

 

[blore_boy]

wrong turn
then you should have not bought this avr either
when bought already..
get expensive speakers..

get a centre for now and stop..

build slowly

and sound is a matter of quality..not quantity..dont judge svs and velodyne..svs price high so too much power than your need..(however that can be controlled too)..
velodyne is good no doubt..svs much better..not that too powerful for someone..
and yes the snooker table needs another room for quality sound..(btw can be used as very strong stand for bs)

fs forget it..get bs

anyway final call is yours..here all suggested wisely

Hi prosenjit, I havent purchased the AVR yet. I guess you are right, since I am not going for high end speakers, I might aswell go for a cheaper AVR - how about the older SC-LX56???

But, why do you suggest bs over fs? Isn't 600 sqft enough for fs?

About the SVS, I could get that if I downgrade the AVR.

Thanks!

 

[blore_boy]

Now you have decided between Wharfedale 10 diamond series and Tannoy mercury, I will suggest an approach which is bit cumbersome, but an effective one one.
1. Look for a dealer who has both pioneer AVR and wharfedale/Tannoy
2. Audition the speakers by connecting them with pioneer AVR
3. See which speaker appeals to your ears.

As I suggested, SVS is the best one. If you are too concerned about sound level (which is not a problem as prosenjith said), try for SVS SB1000. It is a smaller sub, but very good compared to other subwoofers from other brands.

Thanks again shanmune!
I already told the dealer I would like a demo of both setups with a Pioneer AVR and he said he can arrange it.
As I mentioned in the earlier post, since I am moving to a cheaper AVR, the SVS is within budget. The PB1000 costs the same as SB1000, but the PB1000 is 10 inch and has a frequency range of 19-270hz compared to the SB1000's 24-260hz. So, isnt PB1000 better for a home theatre?

Also, why is everyone saying no for a fs??? I figured they would generate better sound compared to bs.

 

[shanmune]

Thanks again shanmune!
I already told the dealer I would like a demo of both setups with a Pioneer AVR and he said he can arrange it.
As I mentioned in the earlier post, since I am moving to a cheaper AVR, the SVS is within budget. The PB1000 costs the same as SB1000, but the PB1000 is 10 inch and has a frequency range of 19-270hz compared to the SB1000's 24-260hz. So, isnt PB1000 better for a home theatre?

Also, why is everyone saying no for a fs??? I figured they would generate better sound compared to bs.

PB1000 is better than SB1000 for movies. It can generate enough sound pressure even in the range of 20hz to 30hz. I suggested SB1000 since you are concerned about the sound level. Still my personal choice would be PB1000.

I think I was confused about the figure (600 sq.ft) you quoted. I wrong misinterpreted 600 sq.ft as 600 cu.feet. My apologies.
600 sq.ft is damn big room. In that case, you can go with floor standers.

I will suggest this way and please see if this suits you.
1. Get Pioneer SC-LX57
2. Purchase FS (either Wharfedale diamond 10 series or Tannoy Mercury) and center speaker
3. Purchase PB1000.

The above setup will be excellent, but I know it makes some dent in your purse. If you feel that way, then you can buy subwoofer as a future upgrade. You can stick with only 3 speakers (FRONT-R FRONT-L and center) for the time being. Once you save some money, then purchase PB1000.

 

[ghatgepatil]

500-600 sq ft area!!? .. and people calling it small? Man, you would even find most big FS gasping to fill up the room volume. Makes the matter more difficult if speaker selection isn't proper. Get only the FS as of now and then build slowly. Try looking at KEF 900 too.

 

[blore_boy]

PB1000 is better than SB1000 for movies. It can generate enough sound pressure even in the range of 20hz to 30hz. I suggested SB1000 since you are concerned about the sound level. Still my personal choice would be PB1000.

I think I was confused about the figure (600 sq.ft) you quoted. I wrong misinterpreted 600 sq.ft as 600 cu.feet. My apologies.
600 sq.ft is damn big room. In that case, you can go with floor standers.

I will suggest this way and please see if this suits you.
1. Get Pioneer SC-LX57
2. Purchase FS (either Wharfedale diamond 10 series or Tannoy Mercury) and center speaker
3. Purchase PB1000.

The above setup will be excellent, but I know it makes some dent in your purse. If you feel that way, then you can buy subwoofer as a future upgrade. You can stick with only 3 speakers (FRONT-R FRONT-L and center) for the time being. Once you save some money, then purchase PB1000.

Finished the demo today, but wasn't able to check out the 10.7 - instead got to hear the 10.5 with a Pioneer AVR. Still, I have decided to go with the Pioneer SC-LX56 AVR, Wharfedale Diamond 10.7, DFS and CM speaker set. Along with a SVS PB-1000.

Only doubt I have is regarding the amplifier output vs speaker rating - the LX56 produces 170 Watt @ 6 ohms, but the rated input for the 10.7 is 30-200 Watt @ 6 ohms. So, shouldn't I downgrade to the 10.6, which has a rating of 20-150 Watt??? I have read if the amp can't generate enough power, then the signal is clipped, which inturn causes mechanical failure in the speaker.

 

[shanmune]

Finished the demo today, but wasn't able to check out the 10.7 - instead got to hear the 10.5 with a Pioneer AVR. Still, I have decided to go with the Pioneer SC-LX56 AVR, Wharfedale Diamond 10.7, DFS and CM speaker set. Along with a SVS PB-1000.

Only doubt I have is regarding the amplifier output vs speaker rating - the LX56 produces 170 Watt @ 6 ohms, but the rated input for the 10.7 is 30-200 Watt @ 6 ohms. So, shouldn't I downgrade to the 10.6, which has a rating of 20-150 Watt??? I have read if the amp can't generate enough power, then the signal is clipped, which inturn causes mechanical failure in the speaker.

Yes, if the amp doesn't have enough power to drive your speakers, it results in clipping. In your case, the recommended amp power for 10.7 can be anything between 30 - 200 watts. LX56 operates in this range and so there should be no issue. At the same time, if you try to drive your speakers at a very high or dangerous volume level, then it may potentially result in clipping when the music hits high notes (for example - climax in symphony music) and this can happen for any amplifier or receiver. High end receivers like yours may have better dynamics (short term power burst capability) to handle the situation. Still, why should one drive the speakers at such an extreme level ? Unless someone wants to damage or abuse his own ears, no one will do that.

So your LX56 can very well work with both 10.6 and 10.7. Having said that, one benefit that you can derive with 10.7 is that you can very well upgrade (I mean in future) only your receiver (moving towards a dedicated amp). Anyway, try pairing with 10.7 for an audition and decide. Power rating wise, there should be no problem at all.

 

[blore_boy]

Yes, if the amp doesn't have enough power to drive your speakers, it results in clipping. In your case, the recommended amp power for 10.7 can be anything between 30 - 200 watts. LX56 operates in this range and so there should be no issue. At the same time, if you try to drive your speakers at a very high or dangerous volume level, then it may potentially result in clipping when the music hits high notes (for example - climax in symphony music) and this can happen for any amplifier or receiver. High end receivers like yours may have better dynamics (short term power burst capability) to handle the situation. Still, why should one drive the speakers at such an extreme level ? Unless someone wants to damage or abuse his own ears, no one will do that.

So your LX56 can very well work with both 10.6 and 10.7. Having said that, one benefit that you can derive with 10.7 is that you can very well upgrade (I mean in future) only your receiver (moving towards a dedicated amp). Anyway, try pairing with 10.7 for an audition and decide. Power rating wise, there should be no problem at all.

Thanks for all the help. I have placed an order today for 10.7, CM, DFS and managed to get a good price on the Pioneer SC-LX57, so getting this one.

Will put up photos of the HT room in a week or two, as soon as I have the whole thing setup. :yahoo:

 

[Nickhill007]

I am considering buying the same config what quote did u receive for the wharfedale set up

 

[blore_boy]

I am considering buying the same config what quote did u receive for the wharfedale set up

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