In the market for surround speakers

[ControlD]

So I have been in my current house for 18 years now and ever since I moved in I have been talking about actually setting up a surround sound system in the basement. I figure 18 years is long enough to wait!

I am pretty much set on my main speakers, so what I am looking for is the following:

(1x) Center
(2x) Rear surrounds
(1x) Sub

I actually have a set of KLH(?) surround speakers (without the sub) that are something like 20 years old but I paid about $50 for the whole set and I have a feeling I should be getting something a little better than that.

I would like to keep this under $500 if possible. I can wiggle a little, but I am sort of cheap by nature. I was looking at the Monoprice stuff which seems to get decent reviews. I wouldn't need two of the speakers that come with their package but I'm sure I could find a use for them elsewhere.

Any suggestions of brands I should be looking at? I love the looks of the SVS stuff but it is probably out of my price range.

 

[giantpandaman2]

The center needs to match the mains. Unless you say those, no recommendations can be made.

 

[ControlD]

Right now my mains are Bose 201s.

 

[MongGrel]

Will stop back by later I imagine after more posts, going to rebuild the X5650 OS atm.

 

[giantpandaman2]

Nothing really voice matches Bose speakers other than Bose speakers. Might as well stick to the brand if that's what you're set on.

I'd check an audio store if you can. For the money, I'd never go with Bose myself. Take a listen and see what sounds good.

 

[ControlD]

I'm not dead set on the Bose speakers. I got them quite some time ago when a local store was going out of business, and I picked them up for less than half retail price so they were a decent buy. I could see me upgrading the mains at some point but I would rather get the rest of the system going at least in the meantime.

 

[slashbinslashbash]

Woof. $500 budget is a little rough.

Energy Take 5.1 Classic - the only "Home Theater in a Box" set that I would recommend - $300

Speakers from Monoprice - I've heard good things, and the price is right

Polk speakers - TSi 300 5.0 speaker package for $586 on Newegg - no sub, but that's somewhat made up by the floorstanding mains. I don't count this as a HTiB because all of those speakers are generally sold on their own, and this is just a package deal. You can find some REALLY good deals on Polk speakers on Newegg or at Fry's during their sales. Just have to pounce on the deals when they come up.

The great thing about Polks (the mainline wooden-box speakers, at least) is that they have kept their drivers and designs pretty much the same for over 15 years now. I have a pair of R40's that I bought used in 2002, and they will still voice-match with their current center channel speakers. The upshot of this is that you can add to your system and/or upgrade piecemeal over time. Spend $500 on some bookshelfs for the 4 corners and add a center, then upgrade the fronts to floorstanders, and the rears to bigger bookshelfs, and the center to a better center. The whole time you will have a system that sounds good together.

For whatever reason, other speaker companies don't really do this unless you go a little higher end like B&W or Paradigm. The other "mainstream" speaker companies (JBL, Infinity, Klipsch, etc.) kind of rotate their models in and out of the lineup every couple of years, so if you have JBL speakers from 2008 then you won't be able to find a reasonably matching pair at the store today.

 

[ControlD]

^^^

Thanks for the suggestions. Obviously I am not looking to build a world class home entertainment system here, I was just hoping to get something better than what I am currently using which is a 2.0 system. This room isn't ideal but there isn't much I can do about that. I will need to mount the rear surrounds on the wall and angle them down rather than using stands or a shelf.

I am also open to skipping the sub for now and just getting a decent center and some rear surrounds. I was looking at the Polk CS10 for a center and perhaps the Polk OWM3 for the rear surrounds. Those speakers have a lot of mounting options which would be a big help.

 

[purbeast0]

why would you get polk center with your bose mains? makes absolutely no sense when you could just get another bose speaker as someone else mentioned.

LCR is way more important than surrounds, and personally, i'd put a sub more important than the surrounds also.

ideally you want 3 identical speakers for LCR. the only reason they have "center" channel speakers that are wide is because typically people don't have the setup for one that is floor standing that matches the LR speakers because it will block the tv.

 

[giantpandaman2]

The Energy Take Classic 5.1 system will likely sound better than a Bose system. Above that I'd go with Pioneers, which, though bulky, sound great for the money.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1J718W3486

Subs are important for home theater, less so for music (really dependent on speakers here.) What's your listening profile? Music more than movies? What type of music? What type of movies?

The most important thing is to voice match LCR speakers. Poorly matched speakers simply won't sound right, even if they are top grade.

You could get the Pioneer floorstanders and Center for $300 total, use your 201's for surrounds (matching on surrounds matters far less than other speakers) and then use the extra $200 to get a BIC sub. BIC subs give good boom for the buck, though not the most accurate or precise.

 

[ControlD]

why would you get polk center with your bose mains? makes absolutely no sense when you could just get another bose speaker as someone else mentioned.

LCR is way more important than surrounds, and personally, i'd put a sub more important than the surrounds also.

ideally you want 3 identical speakers for LCR. the only reason they have "center" channel speakers that are wide is because typically people don't have the setup for one that is floor standing that matches the LR speakers because it will block the tv.

Thanks. I didn't realize matching was so critical for LCR but it makes sense.

I think I would rather upgrade the whole system if that is the case. Seems, like every other tech purchase, this will require more research! Like I said earlier, I'm not married to the Bose mains, they are just what I have been using in the basement. I never had a TV on the wall in this room until recently and we now use that as our movie room. This is why I am wanting to upgrade to better sound.

I was thinking I could go with the Polk center and surrounds with the idea of upgrading to Polk mains (TSi300 maybe?) when I find a decent deal.

 

[ControlD]

Subs are important for home theater, less so for music (really dependent on speakers here.) What's your listening profile? Music more than movies? What type of music? What type of movies?

The most important thing is to voice match LCR speakers. Poorly matched speakers simply won't sound right, even if they are top grade.

The listening profile for this system is TV and movies, no music at all. We tend to watch more action / sci-fi / animated types of movies than serious dramas. Our source media when watching movies is probably 60% BR and 40% DVD. New movies are generally Blu Ray but we have quite a collection of regular DVDs still.

You could get the Pioneer floorstanders and Center for $300 total, use your 201's for surrounds (matching on surrounds matters far less than other speakers) and then use the extra $200 to get a BIC sub. BIC subs give good boom for the buck, though not the most accurate or precise.

I don't think the 201's will work as surrounds in this room. I really need to hang the surrounds on the wall to make this work. I don't have an ideal room for surround sound, but the only solution there is to get a new house and that might be too big of an upgrade

 

[purbeast0]

Thanks. I didn't realize matching was so critical for LCR but it makes sense.

I think I would rather upgrade the whole system if that is the case. Seems, like every other tech purchase, this will require more research! Like I said earlier, I'm not married to the Bose mains, they are just what I have been using in the basement. I never had a TV on the wall in this room until recently and we now use that as our movie room. This is why I am wanting to upgrade to better sound.

I was thinking I could go with the Polk center and surrounds with the idea of upgrading to Polk mains (TSi300 maybe?) when I find a decent deal.

gotcha.

yeah if that was the case, i'd recommend getting all new matching LCR's. not saying the LCR all have to be the same speaker, but get a center that "matches" the LR ones.

 

[ControlD]

gotcha.

yeah if that was the case, i'd recommend getting all new matching LCR's. not saying the LCR all have to be the same speaker, but get a center that "matches" the LR ones.

Sounds like a good plan.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[Randy99CL]

Do you have a 5.1 receiver? You wrote of having 2.0 stereo now.

If you don't, I'd look at HTIB systems because they give you the most for your money. I have an Onkyo that I really like and to build a comparable system with separate pieces would have cost a lot more.
I've been an audiophile for 45+ years and am happy with the sound. With my (old age) hearing problems I'd be wasting my money to upgrade or replace it.

Things will be much simpler for you if you just forget using those Bose 201s; they were some of the cheapest speakers Bose ever made. They sound good for $200 a pair but building a system around them would be tough.
Bose used to make 601 and 701 (and others) tower systems that sounded decent and cost $500-$800 a pair. They might work as mains with both 201s for the center channel but they don't make them anymore.

Some of the pieced-together systems I've heard sound like crap and guys have spent a lot of money trying different speakers to find a combination that works well together.

 

[ControlD]

Do you have a 5.1 receiver? You wrote of having 2.0 stereo now.

I have a Yamaha 5.1 receiver right now that I have been using mainly for HDMI switching and to run the Bose speakers.

Sounds like it's time for some new speakers. I'm sure I can find a friend or family member that will happy to take the Bose 201s from me.

 

[MongGrel]

This is a pretty decent Center speaker IMHO, I think they have even changed since I bought mine and have a mix and match of speakers I've been using for decades now.

Might be worth looking into, the best for the prove speaker for a center I've used myself, I'd imagine the other ones are pretty decent also.

Pioneer SP-C21 Center Channel Speaker Single

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882117404

I think I got that one for $99 at the time, I still like it very much for what it is myself.

There is a series of them of course, but the center is the only Andrew Jones one I've used.

It's large.

Some of the others might be worth reviewing on you're own at the price point, but I've only used the Center I listed myself.

http://www.newegg.com/Pioneer-Home-Audio-Speakers/BrandSubCat/ID-1167-494

I was never a big Pioneer fan to be honest, but I do like that center speaker personally.

 

[Randy99CL]

I have a Yamaha 5.1 receiver right now that I have been using mainly for HDMI switching and to run the Bose speakers.

Sounds like it's time for some new speakers. I'm sure I can find a friend or family member that will happy to take the Bose 201s from me.

Yes, there are lots of other uses for the 201s.
My Onkyo surround receiver has "B" outputs for a pair of stereo speakers in another room.

I was just looking at Amazon and they show lots of surround speaker systems for under $500; even some JBL, Polk and other good names.

 

[giantpandaman2]

I'd choose the Pioneers over Polk. Whenever I've listened to them A/B the Pioneers have always sounded far better to me. That's personal preference though, so it might not be the same for you.

The Energy Classic 5.1's are still quite a good deal for the price if you want to go cheaper.

 

[ControlD]

I'd choose the Pioneers over Polk. Whenever I've listened to them A/B the Pioneers have always sounded far better to me. That's personal preference though, so it might not be the same for you.

The Energy Classic 5.1's are still quite a good deal for the price if you want to go cheaper.

Looking at the Energy speakers brings up another question. The speakers that are used for LR look to be quite small. Are those small speakers sufficient? I have to assume they are, but they just look so small. Not sure if this helps, but distance from the LR speakers to where we sit is about 11 feet.

I am interested in the Pioneers, but I need to figure out if I can wall mount the rears. I think something like this would work:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X9O8SI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1YX7EB80E4EIU

 

[giantpandaman2]

Looking at the Energy speakers brings up another question. The speakers that are used for LR look to be quite small. Are those small speakers sufficient? I have to assume they are, but they just look so small. Not sure if this helps, but distance from the LR speakers to where we sit is about 11 feet.

I am interested in the Pioneers, but I need to figure out if I can wall mount the rears. I think something like this would work:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X9O8SI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1YX7EB80E4EIU

I can't tell you from personal experience how loud the Energy speakers can get. I don't own the system, my sister does and she doesn't tend to blast sound like I do sometimes. They seem pretty efficient and pretty loud to me.

The Pioneers are actually harder to drive. It's just the sound is so much cleaner than any other speakers in their price range.

Really for pure dB the Energy speakers will likely be louder. You could always go for these http://www.amazon.com/Jamo-426-HCS-...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1431232466&sr=1-16 if you want something that can get very loud. I use them for computer speakers along with an old sub. It's a little above your price range, though, since it doesn't come with a sub.

 

[marincounty]

If you are handy with a soldering iron and some woodworking tools you might look into diy. Parts express and madisound have kits and raw drivers for anything you might want.
Parts express has a techtalk forum with lots of good info.
You can build exactly the system you want if you invest some time and money.
But I must warn you-speakerbuilding can be very addicting.

 

[Randy99CL]

Looking at the Energy speakers brings up another question. The speakers that are used for LR look to be quite small. Are those small speakers sufficient? I have to assume they are, but they just look so small. Not sure if this helps, but distance from the LR speakers to where we sit is about 11 feet.

I am interested in the Pioneers, but I need to figure out if I can wall mount the rears. I think something like this would work:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X9O8SI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1YX7EB80E4EIU

The size of speaker enclosures has always been determined by the woofer, so when you have a separate sub the midrange and tweeter combo can work well in a relatively small box.

Those mounts you link to are bulky and expensive. Do those pioneers need that much?
There are lots of smaller and cheaper mounts there on amazon.

I'm in the process of mounting mine right now, and I bought 5" shelf brackets from the hardware store. Simple stamped thick steel that cost about $3 each.
I'm bending them to point the speakers downward and painting them black so they'll hardly be visible.

 

[ControlD]

The size of speaker enclosures has always been determined by the woofer, so when you have a separate sub the midrange and tweeter combo can work well in a relatively small box.

Those mounts you link to are bulky and expensive. Do those pioneers need that much?
There are lots of smaller and cheaper mounts there on amazon.

I'm in the process of mounting mine right now, and I bought 5" shelf brackets from the hardware store. Simple stamped thick steel that cost about $3 each.
I'm bending them to point the speakers downward and painting them black so they'll hardly be visible.

That's not a bad idea.

Most of the speaker mounts I have seen are for wall mount speakers, which the Pioneers are not. They rear speakers are also heavy, so I'm not sure I would trust most of the mounts on Amazon.

 

[ControlD]

How about this for a Polk based system?

LR : TSi100 ($149 for the pair)
C : CS10 ($96)
Sub : PSW10 ($126)
Rear Surrounds : OWM3 ($99)

Comes out to just under $500 for the whole system.

I have to admit the Energy Take 5.1 system is pretty tempting at $299. The nice thing about the Polk system is that it seems like it could be modified in the future easier if I really want to, say adding larger LR speakers for example. Chances are for us the Energy system is fine, but the research is half the fun.