Reddit mentions: The best home audio subwoofers

So this is the current state of my listening setup, it's definitely not the usual around here so I figured I'd take a minute to do a little gear overview and review.

• Receiver: Yamaha R-S500bl. I got this receiver well before I was planning on buying a TT. It's an absolutely solid receiver that can put out up to 75w/ch and can be had for good deals if you watch. These are retailing for $349, I only paid $267 for mine (warehouse deals) and then ended up getting $50 refunded as the remote was damaged when I got it. The sound quality is fantastic and clean, but possibly a little harsh compared to some of the older receivers you could get in that price range.
  
  
• Speakers: JBL ES20. These ran a whole $113 for the pair (again, warehouse deals) and have been fantastic. I bought these with the intention of upgrading when I have a house, but in all honesty I don't think I'll need to. The sound is tight and clean, exactly as I expected it to be. They aren't horribly efficient, but I can drive them pretty hard with 75 watts. Aesthetically they are great for my style, very modern and clean.
  
  
• Subwoofer: Polk PSW10. This sub is just what I needed to fill in the lows that the bookshelf speakers couldn't quite hit. I needed something highly adjustable as my receiver has no adjustments for sub output. I picked this up for $100 on sale, and it was worth every penny. I've been blown away by how well this reacts to different music, it can be loose and boomy for rap, but tight and clean for rock or electronic. Worth the cost to fill out the system.
  
  
• Turntable: Technics SL-D2 that I found used for $50. It is in perfect condition, even the dust cover is beautiful. I have no issues with it at all and only added another cartridge later because I felt like it.
  
  
• Cartridge 1: AT Pro14s. This was included with the TT and come to find out it is brilliant. It runs a nude shibata stylus and is very clean sounding. It can be a bit soft, but the clarity makes up for it IMHO.
  
  
• Cartridge 2: Shure M97xe. I picked this up on recommendation from everyone here. I tripped over one for $50 and couldn't pass it up. The clarity doesn't quite match that of the AT cartridge, but it makes up for it with being loud and heavy. Great for harder rock.
  
  
• Stand and speaker stands: I made these myself awhile back as I couldn't find anything I preferred for a reasonable price. The surfaces are slats so I get great ventilation on this and my receiver rarely gets very warm.
  
  So overall there you have it, I built this entire setup for $530 or so with a bit of patience and some work on my end. I use it mostly for listening to either vinyl or digital. Right now it's almost 100% vinyl, but it also works great for watching TV or movies.
  
  I definitely suggest a similar setup for anyone looking to get into the hobby for a reasonable price but without needing to upgrade after just a year of use. It's capable of everything I've thrown at it from listening to gaming, and never skips a beat.
  
  I will likely upgrade the speakers and eliminate the sub at some point in the future, but for the time being this is a fantastic setup for the space that I have.
  
  Ask any questions you may have and I'll see what I can do to fill you in.

Please don't do a Bose system unless you just absolutely love it. I don't find their sound quality/performance to match their price.

In the above reply you mentioned a 5.1 or 7.1 setup. Unless you have the proper room to setup a 7.1 you're better off going with a 5.1 for both easy of setup and cost effectiveness.

Here are some options I would consider.

AVR - (pick one) The heart of the system. I'm going Yamaha because they are very easy to setup and have a really good app to control them.

• Yamaha RX-V581 $500 or Refurb $350 Great 7.2 AVR with a lot of features. Gives you the option for a zone 2, 7.1 or atmos speakers.
  
  
• Yamaha RX-V481$400 5.1 AVR that includes networking features. Less channels but also less price. If you feel like you won't be expanding in the near future this could be a winner.
  
  Speakers - (Pick one) These are some packages I would look at. I went with packages to make it easier but honestly there are so many combinations we could sit here all day.
  
  
• KEF - E305 $600 on sale This is a great 5.1 speaker package to get you started. Amazing sound and a very small footprint.
  
  
• DefTech - ProCinema 800 $900 another 5.1 speaker package that has small satellite speakers that are very easy to place around the room.
  
  
• Boston Acoustics - CS2300 5.0 set $200 + SVS PB1000 $500 Another good option for smaller speakers and you're getting a very capable subwoofer too boot. Be careful of sub placement as these speakers cross higher than most.
  
  
• Pioneer - SP-PK52FS $480 + BIC F12 Sub $220 This set gets you towers speakers for the front so you don't have to worry about stands for them. You could get the bookshelf set but I would still upgrade to the F12 as the Pioneer sub is probably too small for your room.
  
  
• Q Acoustics - 3000 Series 5.1 $800 Kind of new to the US but they get great reviews from the UK. Different looking speakers.
  
  Keep in mind that you'll probably need speaker wire, HDMI cables, and possibly an optical cable depending on your sources.

Generally speaking, "all in one" packages (AKA, Home Theater in a Box) are less quality than buying the pieces yourself. The Phillips unit you linked seems to be a pretty low end package. with everything being powered by the all in one receiver/bluray player. I can promise you, this isn't pushing anywhere close to 1000 watts.

Don't concern yourself with the power rating. In most cases, its nothing more than an advertizing number for these All in one packages. They are likely quoting the max power handing of each speaker, and adding them together, which is unlikely to ever actually be hit.

My suggestion, check out a place like Accessories4less.com and buy a refurbished receiver (I highly recommend Denon, but if you like Yamaha, thats fine as well) you can save a decent amount by going with a refurb, and it carries the same warranty. I've had 2 refurb Denon's and they've been rock solid for me.

For speakers, you want to spend the bulk of your money on the front 3 (Left, Center and Right) as thats where the majority of your sound is coming from. You want to make sure all 3 speakers match.

If you get a good subwoofer, you usually don't need floorstanding speakers. You can save a dcent amount of money by going with bookshelf speakers for the fronts, and just getting cheap speaker stands on amazon for $50 or so.

As an example, many people love the HTD level 3 speakers, the bookshelf version are $379 for the pair, the floorstanding version is $800 for the pair. (quite the difference!) I've listened to the Bookshelf versions, and they are plenty loud, and sound fantastic in my opinion.

For subwoofers, I like to reference the Subwoofer Guide from /r/Zeos Pick the best one your budget and space allow.

To put together a quick system.
$250 for this Denon refurb receiver
$379 for the HTD level 3 speakers
$229 for the HTD L3 matching center
$299 for and the Bic Subwoofer
Total price: $1157
Add in another $100 for speaker stands, a roll of speaker wire and HDMI cables, and you're around $1200 for a pretty decent home theater setup, that I guarantee will blow your current setup out of the water.

The only good monitor/sub setup I'm aware of for that price is probably a Swan system. I haven't heard the one I'm linking to, but I do have a set of M200s that I really like and Swans get good reviews online.

Usually good active monitors are going to cost you most, all of or more than your budget. So getting good monitors and a sub is a trick. Personally, I'd give the Swans a try or consider dropping the sub requirement and getting good monitors and living with them until you can save up for a sub, if you still want one by then. I can live without one using the M200s, and I'm pretty sure I could with the Audioengine A5s, too, given my experience with the A2s.

You could always try something like the Audioengine A2s (they're excellent, but not big in the bass dept.) matched with one of the cheap subs out there. Say, this Polk, or one of the Daytona subs. Personally, I've found matching a sub to monitors is too much of a dark art for me to mess with it across brands like that, but it might be perfectly fine if a competent person dials it in.

I'm not saying your Edifiers aren't fine, but that it's not what they were designed for so you'll need to be a bit unorthodox when adding a subwoofer. I'll give you 4 options:

1. Keep the Edifiers and pick up a Pioneer SW-8MK2. This will cost the same as the Yamaha sub you were looking at. Connect your current RCA cable to a volume knob like this one. Split your signal coming out of there with RCA to Dual RCA cables and You're good to go.
   
   
2. Spend your money on a great pair of speakers and forget a sub for now. This will offer the best sound by far and you can always add a sub down the line. Maybe you find a subwoofer for sale locally. A pair of JBL LSR305 speakers would fit the bill here. You can add a cheap mixer if you wanted more sources and convenient volume control.
   
   
3. Purchase a pair of powered speakers with a sub output like the Kanto YU4. These are super convenient since you just connect a sub through an RCA cable and you're good to go. You can still fit in a cheap sub within your budget like the cheapo monoprice or the Acoustic Audio RWSUB-10. If you wanted to spend the extra bit for the pioneer subwoofer, that's great too.
   
   
4. Purchase a passive system with a separate amplifier. Assuming you don't have infinite space on a desk or something then pick up an SMSL Q5. Pick up passive speakers like the Pioneer BS22 or Micca MB42X. Choose any of the aforementioned subs that fit in your budget. Pick up cheap speaker wire to connect your speakers to your amp, and use an RCA cable to have your amp send signal to your sub.

I definitely recommend getting a different subwoofer; every system I recommend using these Pioneer speakers has left out the subwoofer in favor for another one.

With your budget I would do this.

• Your $400 receiver that you're set on
  
• Wait for a sale on the Pioneer BS22's which frequently go on sale on Amazon for under $100 a pair. Get 2 of these (a pair for the fronts and another pair for surrounds). Since you'll be getting a nice subwoofer, you won't need the bass extension of the floorstanders; the sub will take care of this. So $200 total for fronts and surrounds.
  
• The center channel frequently goes on sale for $75 on Amazon (currently it's around $100).
  
  So you have a 5.0 system with your receiver for $675.
  
  A few subwoofer options depending on how much you want to spend on one. Note that all of these are significant upgrades over the Pioneer subwoofer.
  
  
• Dayton Sub 1200 ($130): http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-Audio-SUB-1200-12-Inch-Subwoofer/dp/B00669L3HS The cheapest subwoofer I would actually recommend for a home theater setup. A nice review here: http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/speaker-subwoofer-reviews/71766-dayton-audio-sub-1200-subwoofer-review.html
  
  
• BIC F12 ($185) a step up from the Daytons in terms of output: http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M
  
  
• NXG NX-BAS-500 (on sale for $234) http://www.radioshack.com/nxg-nx-bas-500-12-500-watt-powered-subwoofer/55058551.html I use this subwoofer for my office. Good output and surprisingly musical for the price. IMO, this is the best subwoofer under $300. A review here: http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/speaker-subwoofer-reviews/67178-nxg-nx-bas-500-subwoofer-review.html
  
  
• Then there's a large gap where I don't feel there's a ton of improvement in the price range up to $500. One noticeable exception is the Hsu STF-2 for $375 (http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/stf-2.html), but I would actually push my budget more if you start spending this much...the next subwoofers are well worth the price difference.
  
  
• SVS PB1000, $500 http://www.svsound.com/subwoofers/ported-box/pb-1000 The REAL subwoofers start in at $500 and this is the lowest priced real one. Good for music, great for home theater. Another option that goes on sale for $500 with free shipping is this one: https://www.outlawaudio.com/products/lfm1plus.html It's a bit of an upgrade over the PB-1000, so at the same price, it's definitely the better value when on sale.
  
  
• This is the subwoofer I use for my personal home theater, the Rythmik LV12R, $600: http://www.rythmikaudio.com/LV12R.html It's tight, articulate, precise, and has ample output for medium sized rooms. Awesome for both music and movies. A review here: http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/speaker-subwoofer-reviews/67309-rythmik-lv12r-subwoofer-review.html
  
  If your budget is even higher than that, let me know and we can figure out a very nice subwoofer for the price. Judging by your initial budget, however, I feel like this is a good list to start looking at.

My current setup is just a quick and dirty budget (sub 1000$) system I hooked up to enjoy my music.

I bought this entry level Sony receiver, some Sony and Pioneer speakers that all hover around 100-125 watts and this bargain beauty of a subwoofer.

That subwoofer is absolutely amazing and on sale for 300$ off listing price with free shipping if you have Prime. Rich and full sound, not overpowering, good harmony.. You might really be surprised by how full of nuance the audio can be from that sub.

Overall, I'm super satisfied with what I accomplished. Especially for the price. Everything sounds good, I'm especially pleased with the sub and receiver. The speakers are so-so, they're not bad but they're not especially great, either. Good sound for good value.

As for technology.. I just have the Chromecast hooked into one of the hdmi inputs from the receiver. The receiver supports hdmi-cec (if the receiver is off and the input becomes active, it'll turn on) but I just leave it on standby (along with the subwoofer) anyway. Same result, just the power is on and the system is on sleep instead of power off.

I have the speakers and subwoofer hooked up directly to the receiver (copper for speakers, line in for sub).

The first thing is deciding what your budget is and what you want to accomplish. D'you want a 5,1 surround system? Are the acoustics of your house/apartment such that you can designate one room for audio and be able to hear the music from every other room? How are you going to be playing music? Are you gonna stream it from online? A local server/drive? D'you need your equipment to natively have wifi? Will you use an adapter? A Chromecast? For example, Sonos doesn't (yet?) offer hdmi in, are you ok with using an audio splitter/extractor? Questions like that.

500-1000$, especially if you shop around a bit, compare, read reviews etc, will get you good to great audio at bang for your buck to start off with.

>Probably both but mostly music. A movie every once ina while through the airplay function on the apply tv. So living room.
>
>400 to 500 for amp and speakers. The lower the better. Currently using a 15 yr old sound bar.

AV Receiver: For use with 2 speakers and have the option to add more later for surround sound or better or boosted dialog with a center speaker. Also gives you a high pass crossover for the speakers and room correction speaker setup with the included calibration microphone.

• Denon AVR-S540 $150 5.2, one year factory warranty, with HDMI 2.0B and HDCP 2.2 for 4K video switching.
  
• Denon AVR-S640 $200 5.2 adds Audyssey MultEQ room correction / speaker calibration.
  
• Denon AVRX1400 $250 7.2/5.2.2, adds the better Audyssey MultEQ XT, or a new one half price for $300 with a 3 year factory warranty.
  
  Speakers:
  
  Recommendations from AverageJoeAudiophile and r/HTBuyingGuide.
  
  Internet Manufacturer Direct can be a good bang for the buck with 30 day in home trials.
  
  
• Ascend CBM-170s for the neutral sound with a linear frequency response. $300 + $30 shipping. My speaker of choice for under $400.
  
• Emotiva Airmotive B1 area a great buy at $230, recently reduced from $300.
  
• Wavecrest Audio HVL-1, and order on sale here at Ascend $80 each + shipping. Budget "Ascends". To me, they beat the popular KEF Q100s. Like most bookshelf speakers, best with a subwoofer.
  
• HSU HB1
  
• HTD
  
  On sale:
  
  
• Infinity Reference R162 $175.
  
• Klipsch RP-160M $330.
  
  DIY: 5" C-Notes $100, great starter DIY speaker. Add around $75 to $100 for tools and supplies. Kits includes pre-cut cabinets. Glue, solder, paint, assemble. Comparable to built speakers costing twice as much.
  
  Subwoofer: To add later.
  
  Low budget 12" Dayton SUB-1200 $150, 12" Bic F12 $220, and try a coupon code.
  
  On sale 10": DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY PROSUB 1000 $300.
  
  Better subwoofers:
  
  
• 10" SVS PB-1000 - Outlet $400.
  
• 10" HSU VTF-1 MK3 hybrid tune-able, $455 shipped.
  
• 12" SVS SB-1000 sealed $500, open box $417.
  
• 12" Rythmik L12 sealed, direct servo, $540.
  
• 12" HSU VTF-2 MK5 hybrid tune-able $610 shipped.
  
  Speaker wire:
  
  Pure Copper Oxygen Free 16 Guage Speaker Wire 50 ft. and self adjusting wire strippers. Also DFWCableConnection or Blue Jeans Cable.
  
  Speaker Stands:
  
  Audio Advisor and most are also available at Amazon. Monolith by Monoprice heavy duty, half price of name brand equivalent.
  
  Home Audio Guides: Intro to home stereo systems • Zeos Tutorials, Diagrams and Videos • r/Audiophile Getting Started • Beginner's Guide to Home Audio • AverageJoeAudiophile's Guides • Speaker Placement for Stereo Music Listening
  
  Home Theater Guides: r/HTBuyingGuides FAQ • How to Set Up a Basic Home Theater System - Lifewire • How to Set Up Your Home Theater Receiver • Speaker Placement for Home Theater

> Should I worry about the frequencies of the subwoofer overlapping with the frequencies of the speakers?

Nope! A subwoofer will have a dial to change the crossover, so you can fix that.

> what should I look in an amp?

Whatever you want. If you want bluetooth, make sure it has that.

> Any model in particular?

Topping MX3 is good, and SMSL makes good stuff as well.

Also, I'll answer some of your other questions from the post.

> Should I go with 2 active speakers like Kanto YU6 (that has some base in it) or with 2 passive speakers and a subwoofer?

I will pretty much always recommend passives. This way you have more flexibility.

> Can 2 speakers be better or as good as 2 speakers and a subwoofer?

Yes. My main listening setup is a pair of 'bookshelf' speakers. No sub.

> I find long soundbars + subwoofer nice on PCs, any suggestion or thoughts about it?

Absolutely do not get a soundbar. They all sound like garbage.

> Can you please suggest me good setups

Yes I can!

First things first, just a basic amp. I have a few of them and they work well.

I think you should skip a sub, because even the cheapest ones will take up most of your budget. For later once you've saved a bit more, look at this one.

I spent some time looking around for speakers, and I think a pair of Fluances would be your best bet.

Behind that isa pair of Edifier P17, followed by Micca MB42X.

Don't forget speaker cable.

Great!


Try these settings that Fairchild, a forum member, posted up on AVSforums. He calibrated it using professional tools for a darker room, so it might work for you. Otherwise, perusing/searching the forums should net you some more settings that worked for other people.

Best Buy has excellent deals on the Denon 1613/1713/1913 speakers right now. They’re all on clearance or in excellent condition as open box items. The Denon 1713, for example, I was able to buy for 199 before taxes (amazon still shows it as 378.99).


To check online stock, do the following:


Go to the store locator -> Enter zip/address -> click on the stores that are closest to you within the search results -> for each individual store website, click “Open Box and Clearance Items” on the left side -> Shop this store (in blue) -> Under “Shop Best Buy” (left side pane), click “Audio & MP3” -> Under Narrow your results, choose Denon as your brand.

Hopefully you’ll find some good sales.


Speakers.
I’ve thought about the Pioneer SP BS-22 and the Polk 30s. You really can’t go wrong with either, but you just missed a sale where the Pioneers were going for $70.


Depending on what L/Rs you go with, you’d get the matching center channel from their respective manufacturers.


Subs, for our budget, the consensus seems to be the Bic America F12, but others have stated that a better alternative may be the Polk Audio PSW505.

The gist, I think, was that the Polks would perform better if you listen to a lot of music.

Anyways, that’s where I am with my research. My goal is to save as much money as I can, but to spend when necessary to fulfill my needs. I hope that television works out for you. We’ve loved ours and the calibration went a long way. Happy shopping!

In your shoes i would suggest doing a 2.0 or a 2.1 if you can squeeze a little more juice out of your wallet. Explanation: a 2.0/ 2.1 will give you a far better sound quality with a dedicated amp/receiver and external speakers rather than in all in one sound bar type unit. although you don't crank your system sound quality is important and will be better out of this set up too. And lastly you then have the availability to upgrade and expand your system later on. I know these were posted once but here why.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-FS52-LR-Designed-standing-Loudspeaker/dp/B008NCD2S4 great price point, great sound quality. I think the rest of this sub would agree these are a fantastic speaker for the price. They are rear ported, the closer to the wall the more low end you will get from them.

http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AVR-S500BT-Receiver-Capability-Bluetooth/dp/B00JR6GJLW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415645951&sr=8-1&keywords=AVR-S500BT Big fan of denon, they make great receivers starting from the bottom all the way to high end. built in bluetooth, powerful enough to handle a slightly bigger speaker if you want to upgrade later

http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M If you have the money or the want, this is a great subwoofer for the money. Fairly clean, pretty crisp, not real muddy.

Velodyne is good stuff. Certainly well suited for HT applications. Music less so, but will do just fine even still.

I agree that it wouldn't be worth the effort, but still a fun project none the less. Just need to be cognizant of what those woofers are good at and what they aren't. They'll do home theater stuff to a degree, but they're better suited to thumpy music in a car or garage or otherwise non-critical music-listening focused environment.

Funny you mention couch shakers; I fully agree! I actually have a pair of inexpensive Aurasound tactile transducers bolted to my couch in my home theater specifically because my mains (30+ year-old electrostats) are not offering up any "impact", and my subwoofer is on a foam isolation pad, so it doesn't impart vibrations into my raised wooden sub-floored house; because of young children sleeping and WAF and all that...

The best thing you could hope to do to your HT bass or even 2ch HiFi bass in a given listening room is to have two separete/discrete subwoofers strategically placed in the room - even if they are not stellar subwoofers. This will reduce or eliminate "bass modes" in your listening area. That is to say: two subwoofers on your single "LFE" output from your HT AV/R unit. Having bass emanated from two separate sources in your listening area will help to negate these bass modes and provide you with more even distribution throughout your listening area, dramatically improving perceived bass response.

Hey Zeos! I want to thank you so much for your guide. I just started looking at making a home theater setup yesterday for the very first time and it was pretty daunting at first. After reading through your posts and several others at /r/hometheater I have it narrowed down to a couple of options and would appreciate some advice on the selections I've made. I apologize for the long post but I want to make sure I make the most informed decisions for my first home theater purchase.

I just purchased the 65" Samsung JS8500 and I have an Xbox One that will be my main bluray player for now with a focus on movies / games.

Through my research last night and going through your suggestions at the top of this thread, I've chosen the Denon AVR-S510BT.

My question is in regards to speakers. Last night I had decided on the Micca MB42X Bookshelf Speakers with the accompanying Center since it's my first system and I was thinking of trying out something cheaper for an intro setup which would be better than just my TV speakers.

Whenever I get into a new hobby I tend to start thinking of an intro setup and get sucked into the nice expensive parts because I believe in "buy once cry once". I'd hate to get the Micca's and then a year later want to upgrade them to something nicer anyways when I could have just spent a bit more and got something that would have lasted me longer.

edit after more reading and watching your videos I see you recommending the Elacs quite a bit, I know you mentioned they would be great for music and I loved how they sounded, is this the case with movies and games as well? My budget is pretty open if it's for the right items and I can afford the Elac 6.5"s or something in that similar price range like the HTD Level3's (loved that sound demo too) if they would really make the whole setup shine and last me for years to come.

If I do end up choosing more expensive speakers and could only purchase one or the other to start with, would you recommend a Center speaker or a Subwoofer like the BIC America F12?

Thank you so much in advance, I appreciate all the time you've taken to write up these guides and answer questions.

I ended up tightening my budget quite a bit on this new home theater, so some of my choices aren't as nice as what I had before, but I'm very happy with what I got in the end. I want to thank everyone who gave me advice in my last post here. It was all very helpful!

I went with a 65" Samsung 120Hz smart TV. I decided against getting the 240Hz because I couldn't see a difference between the two when looking at it, and the 3D makes my wife sick in any case. That saved me almost $500.

For the receiver, I took everyone's advice and opted away from the all-in-one set I'd been looking at. Instead, I got a great price on a Pioneer VSX-824 that I've been very happy with.

I know the Denon reciever is what everyone recommended, and it's what I bought at first, but strangely enough my PS3 didn't work with it. It worked just fine connected to the TV directly, and other devices worked with that HDMI cable and port, but the PS3 just told me to go fuck myself. A quick google search told me that it's a flaw in the way the HDMI handshake works with Denon receivers, so back it went.

I went with Pioneer speakers as well, hooking up a
pair of tower speakers for front left and right, a pair of matching bookshelf speakers for the rear, and the matching center speaker.

The subwoofer will have to wait, for now, but the plan is to purchase the matching subwoofer when we're ready.

Instead of the Harmony Ultimate, which didn't seem to get any good remarks, I opted for the much cheaper Harmony 650, which has made my wife very happy. No more frayed tempers about what button does what on which remote. I'm even buying my parents one for Christmas.

I'm hugely pleased with the upgrade over my previous setup, even if it's not everything it could have been. What do you all think?

If it were me and you really want to upgrade your sound now, but also want to have the ability for a full 5.1 sound later I'd check out craigslist. You can probably find an older 5.1 receiver for under $70. A quick look in my area brought up a few. A few months ago I sold a 12 year old Pioneer that still was great, but I wanted the ability to get music via my network/internet. I sold it for $60. Then I would look for 2 decent book shelf speakers that you would use for fronts now and later use them for rears. These are as low as they go according to camelizer https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-T15-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B002RJLHB8/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1510803743&sr=1-3&keywords=polk+bookshelf+speakers&dpID=31bhM1nV3tL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch Then I'd get a sub https://www.amazon.com/Polk-10-Inch-Powered-Subwoofer-Single/dp/B0002KVQBA/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1510803898&sr=1-3&keywords=polk+subwoofer&dpID=51JGYWW4N4L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
That would get you started and would kick the shit out of any 2.1 soundbar. So you'd be looking at $140 for the 2 speakers and sub and then w/e you could find on craigslist for an a/v receiver. If you can stretch your budget to about $300 you could grab this which is certified refurbished https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavrs510bt/denon-avr-s510bt-5.2-ch-x-70-watts-bluetooth-a/v-receiver/1.html
None of this is going to be wireless. IF you can stretch out to $400 you could get this receiver which I really like for the price: https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavrx1300w/denon-avr-x1300w-7.2-ch-x-80-watts-networking-a/v-receiver/1.html

Keep in mind you'll have to buy some speaker wire and a crimping/cutting tool. But yeah about $400 will get you a decent setup like Mtown said.
The best way to go about buying home theater equipment is to buy stuff that you'll use later. So if you have a soundbar now, I'd just use it and save up until you have enough for a decent refurbed 5.1 av receiver ~$250 and some bookshelf speakers ~50-100.

If you absolutely need a 2.1 soundbar. I bought a refurbed lg sh4 2.1 for about $130 on amazon. I believe they are more now. It's enough for a small room. I use it for my office and it's decent.

You can probably get better advice about starting up a ht system by searching r/hometheater.

Doesn't like you've gotten a lot of help so I'll toss a few suggests out there, although getting a decent Bluetooth 2.1 system under $200 is no easy task.

I'll start with the already suggested Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 Bluetooth. It's actually the one of these I've had the fortune of hearing personally. It's also the only that's a complete system in the box. It's not a bad system, but it does have a few drawbacks. First, the system is always in Bluetooth pairing mode. This has been a problem for people living in apartments who have pesky neighbors who connect to them and start playing music. Second, they do sound a little different than the original Klipsch ProMedia 2.1. I wouldn't say they are worse, but they don't have quite the charm in their sound signature that made the ProMedia so popular. Overall I would still the ProMedia 2.1 is a good system in box. But it really can't compete with a proper 2.1 system. By the way, Best Buy has run them on sale a few times now for $99.

On that note, I'll start trying to piece together a few more systems with separate speakers and subs. I'll start with suggesting the now discontinued PreSonus Ceres 3.5BT. They're pretty much the cheapest Bluetooth speakers I can find with a sub-out. They are running about $120 on Amazon right now. That leaves just enough to get this Monoprice sub. You'll also need a cable like this to connect the sub to the speakers. It's not a perfect system, but it's about the best I could piece together and keep it close to $200. I wish you could still get the larger Ceres 4.5BT for $120 but it appears to be sold out most places now. If you could jump up to either the this Monoprice sub or this Dayton one it would probably be worthwhile. You might also find open box stuff cheaper if you shop around.

Would be to get speakers without bluetooth or a subwoofer out like the Swan D1010 or Edifier R1280t. You could them get a sub like the Monoprice 9723 and a bluetooth adapter. You have to connect the bluetooth adapter to the sub and them feed the speakers from the sub. But the time you buy the speakers, sub, bluetooth adapters and cables you're going to be pushing the price into the range of better simpler systems.

There also a few 2.1 systems like the Edifier S350 that are little over budget but might be worth it. Unfortunately reviews on systems like these tend to be scarce.

Sounds like the 305's would fit the bill then, you may have to hang them, but for the dollar they are very good.

>Years ago, people used to be all about tweeters. Is it worthwhile having one?

Er, the tweeters on the LSR's are very good, Im not sure if you are confusing the waveguide tops on the speakers with a traditional dome tweeter. Both serve the same purpose, but the waveguide just distributes sound better than domes do at this pricepoint.

The only thing you may want with these speakers is a separate subwoofer. If you want to get one, it'll be a tight fit in the $600CDN you have to spend on the audio stuff.

This would probably work, but would put you $50 over:

https://www.amazon.ca/America-12-Inch-430-Watt-Down-Firing-Subwoofer/dp/B0000Y2WYS

Good response down to about 30Hz, which should compliment the LSR's nicely in your small room though if you can spend a bit more, the F12's are a bit better:

https://www.amazon.ca/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M/

A couple years back I bought a bunch of speakers when I was living in a house and had freedom, hooked them up to some junky receivers from the thrift shop and was happy enough.

I'd like to give them a bit better treatment and see just how much I like them after giving them a fair shot though and could really use some advice on the best solution to power them adequately enough for a fair trial, here's what I have, a bunch of Polk stuff:

Monitor 70:
https://smile.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Monitor-Floorstanding-Speaker/dp/B00631YX62/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1517939899&sr=8-3&keywords=monitor+70

Monitor 40:
https://smile.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-AM4095-Monitor-Bookshelf/dp/B0071MSYEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517939826&sr=8-1&keywords=Polk+Monitor+40

PSW505:
https://smile.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-12-Inch-Powered-Subwoofer/dp/B000092TT0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517940032&sr=8-1&keywords=psw505

I was thinking maybe something like this?:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MXUCN0A/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

My source is 99% high quality digital files straight from my PC (2011 MacBook Pro 15").

I'm not in any big rush so would be happy to hunt for smarter used prices, etc. just really looking for guidance. Does it make sense to connect both sets of speakers to the same amp?

Is a subwoofer redundant/unnecessary/harmful for music listening with this set up?

Side question: the Monitor 70s come prepared for bi-amping with little removable metal connectors between the two sets of connectors on the back of each speaker. Am I in any trouble if I remove these connectors and DON'T bi-amp?

Thanks a lot for any help.

Alright, $250 I can work with ;)

You should definitely listen to a few different things to get an idea of what you want as different speakers are designed with different things in mind and that will change the way they sound. I like a flatter setup from my speakers themselves compared to the "smiley eq" most complete systems have. I'm running just a pair of Polk Audio Monitor 30's with a Pyle PTA4 amplifier for my desktop setup. The Monitor 30's are no longer in production but I've heard these are very comparable: http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107R150/Polk-Audio-R150.html?tp=186

The Pyle amp can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PTA4-2x120-Stereo-Amplifier/dp/B003NVN1PY I personally got mine for about $30 on woot.com one day, you may be able to find them cheaper than this, or build out something slightly different. Again I recommend doing a little research. You can also setup with a home theater receiver/amp for your system. That's what I started with and then moved the receiver to my home theater when I actually bought a decent TV and speakers for it (Polk Audio Monitor 70's). A receiver/amp will be more than the Pyle and honestly I think it's a little overpriced but it was a good deal at $30. You just need a 2 channel amp.

I don't run a subwoofer on my desktop, I generally don't want to be too loud at my desk and the bookshelf speakers are capable of putting out more than enough bass for me. I run a Polk Audio PSW10 subwoofer on my TV setup. You could hook it in with these no problem and if you want more bass this thing will provide. http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-10-Inch-Powered-Subwoofer/dp/B0002KVQBA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1413525800&sr=1-1&keywords=polk+audio+subwoofer, the sub will hook straight into the PC so no need to worry about the amp being compatible, you can always add it later.

We're also closing on Christmas/Thanksgiving. I picked up most of my sound equipment during those sales 2 years ago. A pair of Monitor 70's for $150 each, the PSW10 for $80, and a CS10 for $100. Paying attention to slickdeals.com can save you a lot of money if you're willing to wait a little to get setup.

It does cost a good bit more for speakers like this but you get a lot more speaker for your money. I rarely turn my desktop volume higher than 25% and almost never over 50%, I always used to turn my little 2.1 complete system way up trying to get more loudness out of it. It's also generally best to keep your speakers to the same manufacturer and preferably the same speaker line as they're likely designed together so the ranges each covers will complement each other better. That's why I have a ton of Polk and nothing else.

If you're set on a complete system: I hear Klipsch is good but I avoid complete systems ever since I started buying speakers and amps myself and heard how good they sound so I can't really help much with those.

Asked in the last thread but a bit late, hopefully more luck now.

Budget: Hoping to stay under $300 if I can

I have the ever popular JBL LSR305's and they're beautiful, but I'm looking to round out my setup past simply having the speakers directly plugged in. I know I'll need a DAC or something in order to get rid of the hiss the speakers get when I have them over 4, but it's an entirely new field for me and I'm getting a bit lost. As long as I have solid quality, I can get the volume up without worrying about white noise, and maybe a volume knob then that'd fit my requirements for the DAC/preamp/whatnot (I know the 305's are powered so don't need a preamp at least), doesn't have to be expensive (I've seen some very pricey systems come up), just solid for my purposes and able to block out the noise my computer might be generating in the input.

Where I'd prefer the majority of the money to go though is towards a sub, the 305's have a lovely low end but I'm big into bass heavy music, especially dub so having a dedicated subwoofer will be needed to get the boom I'm looking for. My first instinct was to look for the paired sub (The LSR 310s) But while I'm sure it sounds amazing it seems like I might be able to get more than enough for less, $400 is a hefty price point, though I remain tempted. I've searched through this subreddit and seen this sub suggested, but I'd like to know if anyone with 305's has a system they might vouch for, maybe have 2 or 3 options, of which I'm having difficulty finding as most of the posts I can find tend to be 2.0 setups.

- The Denon X2000 supports 7.1 but do you think the room size and current layout support it?

If you keep that chair right there yes, you can go 7.1 space behind the listener is usually what determines that choice.

- For now I want to have a complete 5.1 setup but I don't know if I should prioritize getting a center speaker first or a pair of surrounds?

With one seat like that. Rears first. You are doing just fine with a phantom center image.

- I understand that Centers should match Fronts, so i'm guessing I should get the RC-42 II, but would an RC-52 II work OK with the RF-42 IIs or would it be overpowering?

The tweeter is more the concern and I believe it stays the same on those two and the driver just get bigger.

- For the surrounds I thought I would match them with a pair of RS-41 II or RS-42 II. Or is there anything else worth considering?

Honestly surrounds can be completely different brands in my eyes/ears but if you can afford the matching bi/di-poles do it. Otherwise the Fluance rear speakers or the Polk OWM's are a good choice.

- Surround Speaker placement: Looking at the layout, which placement option is optimal: A (directly to the side) or B (rear, opposite fronts or even wider than fronts)?

If 5.1 then B but wider. You can do a similar triangle to the listening position. If 7.1 what you have for a + b is perfect.

- If I go with option A (directly to the sides) the distance between right side of seating area to right wall and left side of seating area to left wall are uneven (7'7" right side to wall & 7' left side to wall) would this be a problem that Audyssey cannot correct?

That sort of distance is nothing. Audyssey or your manual setup can correct the timing on that easy.

- Either way, if I go with option A or B I will encounter a problem with two doors that would only leave me space to hang a speaker at minimum 4'2" above ear height. See this picture of door in the way plus the clearance I have between the door frame and ceiling molding is around 9.8 Inches. Is it a problem if the surround speaker is almost touching the ceiling?

Surround speakers are fine up near the ceiling as long as they are far enough away.. which yours are.
___
- I want to replace the Audioengine S8, since it belongs to another system, with something more suitable. Budget:
$500 to $600. Preferably less.

Either this
or this

Even though the speaker says 40hz - 20,000 or whatever it’s not gonna play the 40-80-100 hz like a sub will. Varies with each brand or series of speaker you have to look at the graphs on the speakers to see where it starts dropping off and A sub would be better.
With AV receiver or a fancier 2 channel once you have a sub you can set the speakers to play at 100 Hz and and up etc. and the sub handle everything 100 hz and below and generally the speaker sounds better when not trying to do the low frequencies. So adding a sub and doing your adjustments in the settings in the receiver can make your regular speaker sound better and the sub produce the low frequencies better than the speakers were.

Edit : I think it was Jamo that has sub amp issues not Fluance .?

The better more expensive subwoofers will have a flatter frequency response - Playing all the subwoofer frequencies better than a cheaper sub. cheaper subs generally have a range of frequency - say 50-70 hz -it plays better so that it’s louder at those frequencies and therefore boomy.

Watch this video and see the graphs and explanation.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5itOydYkEw&t=588s

Budget Choice -Dayton sub 1000/1200

https://www.amazon.ca/Dayton-Audio-SUB-1200-12-Inch-Subwoofer/dp/B00669L3HS

I run Micca MS10 subs - about same as the Dayton’s - maybe Slightly Better Quality

Some Better Budget choices are Refurbished Infinity R10/R12, BIC F12, BIC PL-200

https://www.amazon.ca/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M

Klipsch sub I see mixed reviews - Decent But Lil Overpriced as you can’t get Better for same price or just a little more like the following

Better Choices a lil more $ - SVS, HSU, RSL

https://www.amazon.ca/SVS-PB-1000-Subwoofers-Black-Ash/dp/B00K88UMPW

No worries, this just means a 2.1 or 3.1 is perfect for now, and then you can add on later.

Option 1:

2x RSL CG3 Bookshelf @ $135 = $270

1x RSL Speedwoofer 10s (sold out until Oct) @ $400

1x Denon AVR-X3500H 7.2-Ch x 105 Watts A/V Receiver from Accessories4Less @ $500

Total: $1170

Less of a budget stretcher, giving up a bit of performance. That receiver is realistically future proof (supports 7.2, 4k) and wouldn't need to upgrade for quite some time. More clear upgrade path however. In this scenario, when you want to upgrade, you get 3x RSL CG23s to be your new front speakers and move the CG3 you already own to the sides as your surrounds.

Option 2:

2x ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 Bookshelf Speakers @ $300 (comes in a pair)

1x Bic Acoustech PL-200 II Subwoofer @ $300

1x Denon AVR-X3500H 7.2-Ch x 105 Watts A/V Receiver from Accessories4Less @ $500

Total: $1100

About the same as option 1, and would come down to preference to RSL vs Elac (if you can demo Elac at a store, please do, RSL is internet direct only but does have in home trail). Similarly easy upgrade path, you'd just fill it out with the rest of the Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 lineup (ie center, they even have some on walls for surrounds).

Option 3:

2x RSL CG23 @ $200 = $400

1x RSL Speedwoofer 10s (sold out until Oct) @ $400

1x Denon AVR-X3500H 7.2-Ch x 105 Watts A/V Receiver from Accessories4Less @ $500

Total: $1300

This requires a budget stretch, but gets you great stereo performance with a clear upgrade path. For speaker upgrade, you add the 3rd RSL CG23 for your center (these can be used horizontally or vertically FYI), and then whatever you want for surrounds (either the RSL CG3 or an on wall, ect)

Based on these numbers you can see you have about $300 for the speakers, so any speakers you can get for $150 each would work here. Other options are Fluance Signature Series HiFi ($200 for pair), Jamo S 803 ($160 for pair), or Q Acoustics 3020i Bookshelf ($300 for pair). I haven't heard any of these, but they get good reviews (particularly the Q Acoustics).

You could always go less on the receiver, but then you might have to buy a new one later. Would be nearly impossible to go lower on the subwoofer, the BIC and the RSL Speedwoofer are about as good as it gets for that price.

Finally, since you are primarily music focused, you could always axe the subwoofer altogether (add it later) and spend ~$600 on 2 kickass (maybe tower) speakers as music doesn't need as much super low bass as movies do. Let me know if you want to see what that looks like.

> seating for 8 persons

That means you have seating off to the side, likely diagonally, correct? What this means is that you should get bipole/dipole/radiators for your side-surrounds, and place them centered between each "row of seating" (if it's additional couches instead of seats, put them centered based on distance from furthest seating to closest seating), a pic/drawing of the room would help. Good ones that'll fit in your budget are these bipoles ($120) or its bigger brothers, this one ($150) or this one ($200, I have these, got them $100 on sale from Walmart, currently normal priced).

> I preferred the quality of Klipsch

As for your front 3 speakers, two options I have would be Klipsch, or the same company as those bipoles. For Klipsch, there are these bookshelves + matching center ($340); for Fluance, they don't have a matching center for their SX Series, so you can mix and match, or not get their SX Series, their most expensive series (Signature) bookshelves + center would be $350, so similar price to the Klipsch's, their 2^nd highest model line bookshelves + center would be $270.

For your back-surrounds, are you wall-mounting? If your are, you will want front-ported speakers. Ones that I can recommend are these Sound Appeals ($70), or actually Fluance's top 2 model lines, you can get the Signature Series ($200) or their XL7 Series ($150). You don't want dipole/dipole/radiators for back-rears, as the sound dispersion wouldn't be good (null zones or amplified zones)

Now, that brings us to the subwoofer. If you were talking like 3-4, maybe 5 people, you could just get 1 sub, however, since you are talking 8 people, you definitely want 2 subs. The reason for that is a subwoofer has sweet spots, and an 8-person seating area is definitely too large. With the speakers I recommended, if you went on the most expensive of my recommendations, that would leave us with ~$750 to play with. I would recommend two of these ($660 total) or two of these ($740 $865 total, too expensive).

Now, I'm guessing you'll also need speaker wire. I'd recommend getting at least 16 gauge (lower the # the better), and if you are going in-wall, get oxygen-free. Speaker wire is cheap, here is 100ft of 14 gauge oxygen-free speaker wire. Now, I'd also suggest getting open-screw banana plugs (likely wont fit on any speakers you are wall-mounting), just to save on some frustration with connecting the speaker wire to the speakers/receiver, I bought 2 orders of these ($16 total), they connect like this. You will also want 2 subwoofer cables (RCA's with better insulation), I bought 1 order AmazonBasics in 15ft for $9 ($18 total for you), they also come in 25ft ($20 total, so better safe than sorry). If you don't know how to place a subwoofer, here is /u/zeospantera's tutorial.

Thanks for the replies and recommendations everyone.

I settled on grabbing a pair of sennheiser 598's for now, a lot of people were saying how great they were and I think I'll be happier with the overall sound until I can afford a solid 2.1 setup with a solid amp and subwoofer.

In fact I just got them (598) today, and really love the sound. I wish I could get them a little louder, but I guess thats what the Dac+amp is all about.

I'm probably going to pick up those JBL's in the next few weeks if I can live frugally for a bit, so that's the plan. JBL LSR 305 + denon e200 amp (or similar) + still not 100% sure on the subwoofer. The Martin Logan Dynamo 300 (as per Zeos recomendation) looks like a steal for the price, my best friend who is also a musician keeps trying ot talk me into the expensive but powerful SVS SB1000 12-inch 300 Watt Powered Subwoofer (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AF88C0M/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2PJQIZKNVWBGT&coliid=IWN7IPEWGCNHB) though I'm not sure how much my neighbors would appreciate it :P

Thanks again, for all the help folks.

Yes and yes. I was using design acoustic ps-10's with a big boomy sub woofer before and I really liked the sound. But some stuff was just too much bass. Basically any modern record. I found a cheap pair of Large Advents that I'm in the process of restoring. So I sold off the bookshelves and boomy sub. I'm missing some of the deep notes, but really enjoying the balance of the Advents. Much more "musical" and "punchy". I'd love something in between where I can get the best of both worlds.

Never looked into BIC but this one seems to be a great value based on reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M

To build a system using the minimum recommendations from this sub, let's start with this diagram: http://i.imgur.com/Z8FMJ.png
DAC is optional, so is a subwoofer but I recommend one.

DAC: Behringer UCA202 $29.99 Link: http://amzn.com/B000KW2YEI

Amplifier: SMSL SA-50 $68.99 Link: http://amzn.com/B00F0H8TOC

Subwoofer: Dayton Audio SUB-800 $99.00 Link: http://amzn.com/B0063NU30K

Bookshelf Speakers: Micca MB42X $89.00 Link: http://amzn.com/B00E7H8GG2

Wire: 16-gauge Speaker Wire $8.00 Link: http://amzn.com/B006LW0WDQ

With DAC, this cable: Stereo Male to 2 RCA Male $5 Link: http://amzn.com/B00I0HPK6O

Without DAC, this cable: Monoprice 105597 3-Feet Premium Stereo Male to 2RCA Male $5 Link: http://amzn.com/B0094A1F3S

This is a great starter system, I would have loved to had something like this starting out.
All of these pieces can be upgraded, do your research. Look for sales etc. Good luck and have fun.

Ok, I know this isn't what you're looking for, but...

Have you considered a good set of headphones? You can get some nice cans in that price range.

That said, speakers:

I recently picked up the newer Micca MB42x, and was really surprised by how good they sound given their price and size, in particular with their bass output. I found the midrange to be smooth and not lacking, and that the speakers had nice detail. Not Klipsch horn style detail (so if you're into that the Micca's may disappoint.) I'm not, and I like the Miccas. I find them a little laid back and easy to listen to.

To sound best, they do need some breathing room behind them to allow the port to work for bass output. It doesn't seem like you have space for that though. So pairing with a sub would be good.

The recommendation elsewhere in the comments for the 12" Dayton Audio sub is a good one, but it's a 12-incher. Fairly compact for a 12" sub, but still a decent size box. If you don't have room for that box, you may like something like the Dayton Audio SUB-800 or the Pioneer SW-8. Both have pretty decent extension for all but the deepest music, and would be fun with movies if not necessarily house-shaking.

If you can afford more space for the main speakers, I'd suggest you also consider the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR. I haven't heard them but they seem to be a slight step up in audio quality versus the Miccas because they're larger. But then, well, they're larger.

Yes, you will need a phono preamp with an Orbit Plus and your receiver. I recommend this one. It is very highly regarded in audiophile forums in its price range. I would not recommend going any cheaper.

That receiver and those speakers are perfectly adequate to get you started, both are considered good entry-level options. Pairing a subwoofer with those speakers will provide a marked increase in sound quality on the low-end. I would recommend doing so. I recommend this sub, as it is a fantastic value and will serve you very well.

Here is some information about hooking up a subwoofer to a stereo receiver that does not have a dedicated subwoofer output. Hint: just use speaker wire in the "B" terminals.

Looks like you have yourself a decent starter setup which should serve you well. Have fun.

EDIT: get your speakers off the damn floor. Either get some stands or a platform to isolate your turntable from vibrations caused by the speakers if you want to put them on top of your shelf (platform probably isn't terribly necessary with bookshelf speakers unless you play your music very loudly).

The Swans M10 are very good for their price (currently $90), but naturally there will be much better sounding systems at higher price points.

If you can stretch your budget to around $260, this would be a decent setup you could put together for that price:

• Micca MB-42X Bookshelf Speakers ($90)
  
• Orb Audio Mini T V3 Amplifier ($73)
  
• Polk Audio PSW10 Powered Subwoofer ($99)
  
  I believe either of the systems I suggested fit the bill if all you want is something enjoyable for casual listening.
  
  But if you can hold off on buying until you have a bigger budget, either of the two recommendations made by /u/animus_desit are excellent choices at their price point and would let you hear just how great a good 2.1 speaker setup can sound.

I didn't get much input in /r/hometheater, so I am going to cross-post this here:


> I want to upgrade my home theater setup. I'd like to pick up some higher-end towers, and have been on the wait-list for the Chane A5RX-C's for 6+ months now.
>
> I'm curious if that is still a good upgrade path, or if I should be looking at other options? And if so, what?
>
> Current setup:
>
> L/R - BIC America FH6
> Center - BIC FH6 LCR
> Rears - BIC PL-66
> Sub - (1) BIC F12
> * Receiver - Denon E400 - 7.1
>
>
> Planned upgrade path:
>
> 1. Replace left and right speakers with tower variants and a matching center.
> 2. Figure out NAS vs HTPC and the universal remote situation.
> 3. Upgrade receiver to 7.2 and pull in another sub.
>
> Speaker upgrade options:
>
> 1. Upmarket BIC Americas -
> BIC PL-980 and PL-28II
> 2. Chane's top end tower and matching center -
> Chane A5RX-C and A2RX-C
> 3. Wildcard. Suggestions welcome! Accessories4less is local to me, so something like KEF Q700 or Q900 open boxes are on the table.
>
> Room is 18x26. Use is 60% music, 40% TV/gaming.
>
> I've been happy with the efficiency and clarity of the BICs. Definitely enjoyed the volume. I'm just looking to upgrade and in a better place financially than I was two years ago. Curious what I could get for a few dollars more.

Looks like a solid start, you'll be better off with the Fluance option since that better timbre matches the center and mains. don't know the size of your room but this would be an excellent subwoofer match for that system: http://smile.amazon.com/NXG-Technology-NX-BAS-500-500-watt-Subwoofer/dp/B008FSTU4G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426600712&sr=8-1&keywords=bas500

Absolute best <$400 subwoofer on the market today. Good luck to you, you will be very happy with your new setup.

Hey I got the same TV, 55" though. Surround channels can also be 90 degrees from you like this.

Do you have any 4k content? Older / cheaper receivers might not support it. I don't personally have much experience with any other receiver than my own (Marantz NR1504), but I'd suggest something from A4S around $300. Marantz, Denon, and Yamaha are generally solid choices. If you're unsure about anyone feel free to ask.

With about ~$400 left for speakers, you can go about this a couple of ways. First is a 2.0 with the best LR speakers you can get. This is the best option if you're willing to spend more money in the future to buy the center / sub. SVS Prime / Elac UniFi UB5 are both $500 retail, but you can likely find them for cheaper used on amazon, or direct from SVS Outlet. Both speakers have matching centers that can be bought afterwards.

If you'd like a more complete system, I'll recommend a 3.0 and a 2.1 system soley because I don't think it's worth trying to squeeze a full 3.1 in at the moment. Do you plan on mostly watching movies or listening to music? Center vs Sub is going to be dependent on your use case.

For a 3.0, I'd recommend the Elac Debut Line. For main speakers, Elac B5 or B6. B6 costs more but is going to have more bass, which makes up for not having a sub. This is the matching center.

For a 2.1 system, I'd still recommend going with either the B5 or B6, but instead of the center grab this sub.

You'll still need to buy speaker wire, but that's dirt cheap.

First of all, thank you for a such a detailed post! You provided great insight and appreciate that.

Now - To be perfectly honest, I don't know too much about bipoles and dipoles to comfortably experiment with them. But I will try to educate myself further and research before I purchase the front 3 speakers. Do you have any floorstanding tower speaker recommendation for these?

The set up for the seating is simply 2 rows of 4 seats each, the rear seating row is slightly elevated on a step.

The media room in question is wired for a 7.1 set up (2 at the back wallmounted, 2 at the sides wallmounted, 2 at the front floorstanding, and the center speaker and sub in the middle front).

You suggested that I use 2 subs, but the room is only wired for 1 sub at the front. Would a larger subwoofer be a suitable substitute for two smaller ones? If so, do you have any recommendations that would work well in tandem with my receiver? Also, thanks for the video reference on the sub placement!

All wiring in the room is 14 gauge. I will look into the banana plugs, they look easy and convenient and i'll certainly pick up a couple of those when this is all said and done.

What do you think of this set up /u/homeboi808 ? I have to ask because you seem very knowledgeable in all this!

Receiver: Denon AVR-X3300W

Subwoofer: https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-R-12SW-12-Inch-Front-Firing-Subwoofer/dp/B00MJ1YR8Y/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=X61GNYGX8Z19KA6JEN9B

Front Towers: https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-R-26F-Floorstanding-Speaker-Each/dp/B00LMDYM6W/ref=pd_sim_23_19?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=8E24TMRWR6S9TGCZ6W1R

Center: https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-RP-250C-Center-Channel-Speaker/dp/B00S4HA4GQ/ref=pd_lpo_23_tr_t_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CW0N9DRTVFS8G4NZGHW9

Side Surround: https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-RP-250S-Surround-Speaker-Each/dp/B00S4HE1QA

Back-Surround: https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-RP-150M-Bookshelf-Speaker-Ebony/dp/B00RXHEIHE

If youre wondering, I prefer Klispch because I get a little 5% family discount on their products from my cousin. I would really appreciate your input!

• I'd go with either the receiver you said, or this one, which will do the same stuff and is on sale. Accesories4Less has a sketchy name but they're fantastic and I've bought a bunch of stuff there (including that receiver).
  
  
• Satellites are fine, those don't matter as much so the COVO's are good.
  
  
• I can't tell what subwoofer that is, I know this one is good, and so is the Dayton, which I actually have and like.
  
  
• The ELAC's are good, just be aware that they are pretty big (look at dimensions and figure out if they're ok for you).
  
  
• I would NOT recommend getting that center if you get the ELAC's, the ELAC's have 6.5" woofers and that center has 4" woofers. You want a center that matches the left and right, and that center is both smaller and won't match the sound signature of the left and rights.
  
  
• I'd get the Denon receiver and Dayton sub, then take the savings and put it towards a matching center (ELAC C6.2, $280).

I'm going to be receiving my pair of Philharmonic AA+'s monitors and realized I didn't have any stands to put them on. So I went scouring online and found a couple that peaked my interest, but wanted to come here for some possible last minute advise. Now I'm not sure if your expertise is limited to headphones, and IEM's directly or if it expended to Monitors and home theater setups as well. I'm currently using a Sprout100 as my integrated amp which are powering my Meze 99 Classic's which I have some to really like. I can wear them for hours and they just do not get fatiguing both to my ear or my head. In the back I have a BIC America F12 12-Inch 475-Watt Front Firing Powered Subwoofer, and will also have these Affordable Accuracy Plus Monitors.


Now that you know what I am working with. I am looking for some stands to hold those monitors. But IDEALLY I'd like to have stands that I can adjust for both close and far range listening. Raising the stands up while I'm sitting closer at my computer, and then lowering them to be ear level while sitting farther back on my couch. I love the sturdiness of the following stands, but they are not adjustable: Atlantic 77335799 Speaker Stands & Sanus NF36B 36" Natural Foundations Speaker Stand. One the opposite side of the spectrum, I'm not too fond of the construction of these stands but the adjust-ability of them seems very very nice: VideoSecu 2 Heavy duty PA DJ Club Adjustable Height Satellite Speaker Stand


Do you know if there is something out there that has the best of both worlds?

Well, first of all, a lot of these products are listed at way over their actual market value because you are linking to the manufacturer website.

The BIC F12 can be had here for $200 with free shipping. Also, I think people normally recommend the F12 over any Polk sub.

I would probably avoid Klipsch if you are worried about bright/fatiguing speakers. Klipsch are know to sound harsh to some people. Polk is a very well regarded brand as a start into home theater, and many people are content with them and don't feel the need to ever upgrade. That being said, I would check out Newegg's prices for something like the Polk 75T but the TSi series is also good (from what I hear). Someone may have better advice within the Polk lineup which would be the best choice, but if you can go listen to them at Best Buy or something, that may make your decision a lot easier!

Yes, the general consensus among audiophiles is that Bose is overpriced and soundbars are very underwhelming. "Real 5.1 sound" cannot (yet) be achieved without a real 5.1 setup. Most HTIB (Home Theatres in a Box) will give you better sound than a soundbar.

I own this 5.1 Pioneer speaker setup found here and I highly recommend it to anyone that is looking for a good entry level home theater setup. Shop around and you can get a fantastic deal on the whole setup. I got the 5.0 setup for less than $300 and then upgraded to a $200 BIC 12 sub to get the 0.1.

You will then of course need a decent reciever (about $250) and cables and you will blow any speaker bar out of the water. I am not certain if this is within your budget since you only quoted "cheaper than bose" but I have seen this exact setup recommend many times before and I feel it is one of the best values for the price.

Edit: I was way under your budget. You could definitely do better than this setup at your price range.

Are you planning to use Surrounds? I can't help but feel surrounds would be a little awkward in your room. I'd recommend a 3.0 or 3.1 system. Here's some equipment to start taking a look at.

Speakers:

• Hsu Research 3.0 package in black $519 - These are 8" deep--I know size is important to you. This is a quality setup, but probably doesn't allow budget for a sub.
  
• Pioneer Andrew Jones Bookshelves + Center $230 - that price include the center and bookshelves. 7.1" deep. This frees up money in the budget for a sub.
  
• HTD Middy Compact $267 - You'd use three of these speakers, one for left, one for right, one for center. 5.25" deep. Don't use these without a sub--in fact, make sure you buy a high quality sub if you intend to use these. Not neccaserily a sub that digs ultra deep, but one that can handle mid-bass well.
  
• HTD Flat Panel Speaker $450 - These look like a 3-way version of the Middy's. You'd use and mount them same as the Middy's. Probably puts you back in a position of not having money for a sub, but these little guys might put out enough bass to keep you happy. Which is NOT to say they would output subwoofer-like bass... nothing replaces a true subwoofer. 4.25" deep.
  
  I've only heard the Hsu's and the Pioneers in person. Without going in to detail, I reccomend them both. If you're not a demanding listener, save the money and go with the Pioneers. If you are, I think the Hsu's are worth the extra cost. I haven't heard the HTD's but they might just be the right solution for you based on form factor.
  
  Subwoofers:
  
  
• Hsu STF-1 $315 shipped.
  
• BIC F12 $200
  
• Dayton Sub1200 $110
  
  That's basically the sub I would recommend at each one of those price points.
  
  Receivers
  
  I'm personally not a good source to reccomend receivers... just pick a 5.1 by a brand you like and at the price you can afford. Personally I've worked with Denon's and found nothing to complain about with them.

Save money, get better sub later.

This would be an excellent choice - RSL Speedwoofer

As would new (or used) subwoofer from REL, SVS, HSU, Rythmik, or Velodyne. Good bass is worth throwing good money at.

If you simply cannot wait, try to save up for a BIC F12 or PL200 (both slightly over $200)... probably the best, new, "budget" subs that can be recommended.

But try to save up for a better sub - those Kantos and your ears deserve better.

Under no circumstances go with Polk subwoofers.

Oh oh. I have an idea. Toss in a little amplifier and an Aura tactile transducer or even a more powerful model. These little things are kickass for putting under a reclining chair and watching movies, but it would basically turn the whole thing into a penetrative sybian. You might be able to find something that doesn't need an audio input and just works through an on/off, or even wire up a constant voltage source at the peak input voltage if you're handy enough (which it looks like you are). Either way, it looks great!

edit: I did a bit of digging/calculating. The aura transducer is rated for 50W RMS @ 4 ohm impedance. This works out to an RMS voltage/current supply of 14.2VAC and 3.5A. You could pick up this laptop charger, wire it up with a properly rated switch (before the power supply box) and an LED/resistor in parallel with the output and boom, you got yourself a sybian.

edit2: For redoing the vinyl, use a heat gun in those weird corners. Don't let the vinyl get so hot that it starts to bubble, but just enough to make it more pliable and easily stretched. Cutting some reliefs along the bottom when you are pulling the sides will help make it taut. I'm curious: what did you salvage the gear motor/piston assy from? I'd love to try my hand at building something like this in the future too, but I've never just had a gear motor/linkages laying around. It's not the kinematics that troubles me, it's the cost/unavailability of ready-made components.

I'm the thrifty kinda guy.

Refurbished Denon receiver, 2 Micca bookshelves, a Micca center channel, and a Bic America subwoofer. About 700 bucks total. Sounds good enough for me. I know much better is out there but it's hard to justify the costs.

My Sennheiser HD598SE's are great ($150), and I have a FiiO E10K ($75) that they plug into at work, and at home I just plug them in directly since the onboard soundcard isn't too bad surprisingly on my motherboard. I have a Sony SRS-X5 bluetooth speaker plugged into the back of it as well. I have those cheap-ass sony ANC headphones (20 bucks at the time I bought them) and they get the job done at a cheap price for planes and for the AC unit blasting in my office (I know... killing me, 80db of white noise all day long).

I have a friend from work that spent 50,000 bucks on his setup. It sounds great, and it's worth it, but I couldn't spend that much on it.

I'm more of a headphone kinda guy. My next upgrade would probably be going all out on headphones. A pair of Sennheiser HD800's probably. That's in the far future, I got stuff I want to do around the house first.

These are my workout earbuds

They are a great value.

Accessories and Subwoofer choices

I use IsoAcoustics stands for my Zero speakers on my desk, mainly to raise the tweeters to ear level while I'm sitting at my desk. I like them quite a bit, but they are somewhat pricey at $115 ($90 for the stands and $25 for the kit) relative to the price of the speakers.

There are also IsoAcoustics stands for the Transparent One Encore - the ISO-155 for $110 and the nicer looking Aperta stands for $200.

If you have the room and prefer to put the speakers on floor stands, that is even better. I don't know offhand inexpensive floor stand recommendations, but perhaps someone here could recommend one.

It should be noted that particularly for the Transparent Zeros, that stands are not necessary when placing them on a desk, as they are designed to tilt upward to the listener, and also come with soft pads inside the shipping box.

If you are considering the Zero speakers and are using the Zeros on a desk, I recommend the $20 5 foot cable that is shorter than the one it comes with in the box. This is the cable that connects the two speakers together, and I prefer the shorter 5 foot one for the size of my desk. There is also a longer 23 foot cable available if you are placing the speakers far apart from each other.

Popular Subwoofer Choices

I don't find the need for a subwoofer, as the speakers by themselves sound great to me in the bass department, but connecting a subwoofer will allow both deeper bass and the Transparent speakers to sound better, as they will send the low frequencies off to the bass unit and focus on the higher frequencies. Some recommended subwoofer choices are the following:

• Polk PSW10 for $90
  
• RSL Speedwoofer 10S for $400
  
• SVS SB-1000 for $500
  
• Rythmik L12 for $539.
  
  Vanatoo have recommended the Polk PSW10 for budget minded customers, and have themselves used the RSL Speedwoofer 10S at audio shows.

http://www.cardpool.com/sell/gift-cards-for-amazon-gift-card

Swap your Dell gift cards for Amazon gift cards. Your option #3 is $800 on Dell. Cardpool will give you a $695 Amazon gift card for $800 worth of Dell gift cards. That might sound like a crappy exchange, but Dell is HUGELY overcharging for those speakers.

$702 on Amazon will get you the same center speaker and better LR and sub.

• https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-R-15M-Bookshelf-Monitor-Speakers/dp/B00LMF41IY
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Reference-Center-Channel-Loudspeaker/dp/B0040QW7KQ
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-R-12SW-R12SW-Subwoofer/dp/B00MJ1YR8Y
  
  So, you get a better system by swapping the gift cards and spending an extra $7.
  
  Your option #2 is $850 on Dell, or $723 on Amazon. Cardpool will give you $738 for $850 worth of Dell gift cards.
  
  The Dell price on option #1 is just as insane. Dell wants $599 for the R-10B, but you can get it on Amazon for $350. Or you can step up to the R-20B for $499 on Amazon.
  
  Of course, once you convert the Dell cards to Amazon cards, there are a ton of other options open to you too.

Used market is probably the best way to approach this at this price point.

Buy a SMSL amplifier, and a pair of used bookshelf speakers (spend as much here as you can afford, a little bit of research into the brand and model will give you a decent idea of what they sound like). You'll most likely need a 3.5mm to RCA adapter to make this work, if you're planning on using the headphone jack as the primary output. If you have a motherboard with a digital output, you'll need a DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) as well (FiiO D3 works great for the price).

When you want to add a sub later on, there are plenty of powered subwoofers that have a speaker terminal input. They usually have a low pass filter as well.

Your audio chain would then look like this:

Analog: PC Analog 3.5mm output -> SMSL Amplifier -> Powered Subwoofer -> Speakers

Digital: PC Digital -> FiiO D3 DAC -> SMSL Amplifier -> Powered Subwoofer -> Speakers

Link below to a Pioneer powered subwoofer with high level input speaker terminals (as an example. This sub is not great, but does the trick at the price point)

https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SW-8MK2-Designed-100-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B008NCD2PC

If you must have new or plug and play: I also see the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 being touted as a good all-in-one system for the money (can be had for under $200 new). But I imagine that for similar cash in the used market, you could blow the Klipsch system out of the water. However, I have never heard the Klipsch system, so I cannot say for certain. But instinct tells me it would be fairly easy to beat with decent used equipment.

Hope that helps, good luck with the new setup!

I would say the Denon 1612, but it only has 4 HDMI inputs. If you think you can get by with this many go for it. This is the receiver I personally have, and I think it is absolutely great. The setup is as simple as possible, really hard to mess up. If you really NEED more inputs, I would take a look at the Marantz NR1403. Both of these have auto setup and can be expanded up to 5.1.

As for speakers, we would need to know a bit more about your room, such as how large it is and how far you will be sitting from the tv. If it is a bigger room, I would probably suggest these Polks, or if you go with the Denon I linked, Magnepan MMGs. If it is a smaller room, I would go with a pair of PSB Image B4s. I absolutely love how those little guys sound.

I would not recommend a subwoofer at this price point, UNLESS you go with the Denon and PSBs. In that case I would probably just go for something like this simple Polk model.

As for the dialogue being clear, most receivers will have presets to increase dialogue volumes. Any other questions and we'll be happy to help.

I'm sorry, life picked up real fast and I have been too busy to do the research. I did check your Craigslist after originally planning on some extreme floorstanders, a dedicated amplifier with receiver, until I realized in your situation it would likely be better to get bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer.

So, with that in mind, here are some ideas (I'm recommending new b/c it is the easiest, but this could also give you some ideas/a general perspective on price per component and etc.):

Speakers: Elac UB5 - some great sounding, resonably priced bookshelves. They have the neat feature of having a co-axial tweeter, meaning the tweeter is mounted inside the midrange's cone, which helps blend the frequencies together (particularly important for vocals)

Subwoofer: SVS SB-1000 - This thing is both crazy enough to supply some serious low end, while still refined enough for a small room. You certainly won't need any more bass with an option like this :)

Amplifier/reciever: There are many suitable options here, and for your price range being able to hook up your TV for home theater should easily be possible. A really nice Denon can run you $500 but comes with many features. The only one I see missing is "pre-outs" which are used to hook up bigger and badder amplifiers, which you probably won't need.

That's just one part-ed out system, that would sound excellent and last you many years. Typically the only thing that becomes obsolete is the receiver when new standards (like HDMI) become available.

EDIT: You'll also want a USB DAC for your laptop, such as this Schiit Audio DAC which will sound leagues better than the headphone jack on the laptop.

I am also building slowly to 5.1. I don't know how quickly you want to get there or what you want the final tally to be, but I would opt for less, but better equipment, to start. I'd get a cheaper receiver and subwoofer to get my foot in the door, but I'd buy better speakers.

I'd go with something like this:

Receiver - $169.99 http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/yamhtr3067bl/yamaha-htr-3067-5.1-ch-x-70-watts-a/v-receiver-same-as-rx-v377/1.html

Front L/R - $279.99 https://www.amazon.com/Debut-Bookshelf-Speakers-Andrew-Jones/dp/B014GSEQ06/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1473895480&sr=1-1&keywords=elac

This comes in at $449.98 This will be 100% better, and absolutely replace your soundbar, which is what you need right now. It also puts you $80 dollars from the matching center, or $113 from a nice subwoofer. You could spend $500 on a subwoofer now, like was posted above, but it would outclass your fronts by a large margin. I prefer better dialogue/sound overall. This sub is 85% of what a subwoofer double it's price gives. I started with 2.1 and I don't regret going slowly.

Center - $179.99 https://www.amazon.com/Debut-Center-Speaker-Andrew-Jones/dp/B014GSEQWE/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1473895660&sr=1-1&keywords=elac+center

Subwoofer - $213 https://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M

Are your more of a videophile or audiophile?

If you are a videophile, minimum recomened viewing angle from the seating position is about 30 degrees. At 12' viewing distance, your minimum recommended screen size is around 77", with ideal being around 93". A decent 70" TV would eat up all of your budget and still be a bit below the 30deg recommended minimum. A budget projector will give you a much more ideal screen size at about $1000 for projector + screen.

If you are more of an audiophile, you can forget about screen minimums and get an entry level ~55" or so TV for around $500 on sale somewhere. This would leave an adequate budget for a good entry level 5.1 system. In which case I would suggest something like:

Dennon AVR-E300 Receiver $170

Bic f12 Sub $190

[HSU Research 5.0 Speaker Package] (http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/speakerpkg.html) $790

This would put your about $150 over budget, or alternately, you can just get the 3.0 set from HSU and find a cheap used pair of decent bookshelves for the rears.

This would be an excellent sounding system for your room size. Excellent sound quality and most likely capable of hitting reference levels depending on how much room gain you get.

I assume this is just for audio? Here's what I'd get:

Receiver: Marantz SR7009: One of the atmos receivers that can handle 11 speakers. It only has 9 channels of amplification though, so you'll need an amp too.

Amp: Emotiva UPA200: Use the amp to power the center speaker, and a randomly chosen other speaker.

Front, Surround, and Surround Back Speakers: EMP-Tek R5bi Bookshelf Speakers: These are awesome speakers, and sincle you'll have two subwoofers and 11 speakers, I doubt you'll need towers in your setup. If you do, and don't mind spending some extra cash on them, EMP Tek makes awesome matching towers. Here's a review of the bookshelf speakers

Center Speaker: EMP Tek R5Ci: The matching center. They also make a bigger one, but its a bit overkill, especially with 10 other speakers.

In Ceiling Speakers: RBH A-600: RBH is the parent company to EMP Tek, so these speakers should match well with the others. They aren't expensive, but because they're only doing ceiling duty, not much more than this is really ever needed.

Subwoofers: NXG NX-BAS-500: These are some badass value subwoofers. Many people say they are the best subwoofer available under $500. Other good brands include Hsu Research, or SVS.

Total: ~$3200. This should give you a little wiggle room if you wanted to get anything else you don't have like cables, a universal remote, or anything like that. If you wanted to upgrade the system, I'd say go for better ceiling speakers first, since you're kind of stuck with what you buy, then upgrade to a Hsu or SVS subwoofer. Other than that, this should be one bad-ass setup. This is assuming you didn't want to have all on-wall speakers, in which case I'd look into some of the stuff JBL puts out, like the JBL 8320.

Right now, it's a $180 difference to step up to the 65T since the 55T are on sale. It'll be a small-ish gain in bass performance, but you'd get a bigger gain by putting money towards a sub. The receiver should work nicely, especially if you get a sub.

For sub recommendations, check out Polk's eBay store, or the BIC America F12. However, I think you're better off saving up and springing for a much higher quality sub like this SVS. I have the T90e's which are essentially the previous generation 65T. If you're upgrading from TV audio right now I think you'll be happy enough with the 55T's bass performance that you can comfortably wait on buying a sub. I like building out a system piece by piece with high quality components and getting that "wow" factor with each new upgrade.

I can't speak to the headphones, but it looks like you already have a pretty nice system, so replacing anything in the $500 price range is probably going to be an incrimental improvement or a matter of taste. I'm assuming you are interested in music listening and not in adding speakers to go toward a home theater set up, so I would add a subwoofer to fill in the low end and take some strain off woofer and your amp. If your priority is music, I would go with a sealed sub, but a ported will give you much greater output, but take up more space in your room. It looks like SVS sells via amazon, so hopefully, you get their whole customer bill of rights even if you don't order from them. Also, of course what sub you get depends largely on your room and preferences, but for whatever its worth the Merlin tool on SVS's website, matches your speakers with the SB200 or PB2000.
http://www.amazon.com/SVS-SB2000-500-watt-Powered-Subwoofer/dp/B00IE5MOUM/ref=sr_1_312?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1419356757&sr=1-312

http://www.amazon.com/SVS-SB1000-12-inch-Powered-Subwoofer/dp/B00AF88C0M/ref=sr_1_463?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1419356997&sr=1-463

http://www.amazon.com/SVS-PB1000-10-inch-Powered-Subwoofer/dp/B00AF88BRG/ref=sr_1_464?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1419356997&sr=1-464

For beginning, I always just recommend an entry-level Denon AVR and 2 Polk speakers. It's good enough that it will be a million miles ahead of a truly cheap setup, and if you ever want to upgrade to nicer thing you'll have no problems just swapping things out. Polk is pretty mainstream and budget friendly, and Denon is also pretty mainstream and has a nice room-correction/calibration thing that they do called Audyssey.

AVR could be anything basically like this: https://www.amazon.com/Denon-AVRS530BT-Channel-Ultra-Receiver/dp/B06XYD1RZ3

And for speakers: https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-TSi200-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B0018QROCC/

And for subwoofer: https://www.amazon.com/Polk-10-Inch-Powered-Subwoofer-Single/dp/B0002KVQBA

For an AVR you'll be spending around or just north of $200. And for a pair of front speakers, I think you'd spend around or just north of $200 for the pair, too. You can also get some kind of really cheap nightstand tables to hold the speakers up, or go more expensive and get taller floor standing speakers. Just like how you want a TV to be roughly eye level, it's good to heave the tweeters of your speakers at roughly ear level.

You can go WAY nicer than all of this, but I am assuming you're pretty budget conscious and would rather just get something that sounds massively great compared to just using TV speakers or a soundbar, and you're not ready to spend a grand or more on audio to approach the really fancy levels.

Well, nice is a relative term when spending $300 on speakers and a subwoofer. Its alot to ask for on that budget IMO, but it can certainly be done if it just plugs into a computer. /r/zeos has lots of good info, using his guide, I'd pick the Polk On-Walls for $100, Martin Logan 8" Subwoofer for $130 and an SMSL SA50 for an amp. You'll need banana connectors, speaker wire and a 3.5mm to stereo RCA for connectivity. That should be a good balance of sound. Don't get this setup without the subwoofer though, those speakers are designed presuming you have a sub, and will fit nicely on your desk, and the sub is small enough to fit comfortably underneath.

If you are looking at receivers, the brands most people on this board have and talk about are Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha, Pioneer, and Marantz. Onkyo has had some bad HDMI boards lately. Denon and Marantz are the same company with Marantz being the nicer brand (think Honda and Acura). There is a website called accessories4less that sells refurbished receivers. You can save some money this way. Refurbs are units that have come back to the manufacturer under warranty, it costs them money to repair these units so they get a thorough double-check on all systems to make sure they are not going to come back again. They usually have a one year manufacturers warranty on them as well. If you want to save cash this is a good way to go. Find one from the previously mentioned brands with the features you want and get it. Don't get a Sony receiver, /r/zeos talks about that.

Let's say you spend around 200-500 bucks on the receiver and want to spend 800-1000 on speakers. I'd find three timbre-matched fronts (speakers from the same series are timbre matched). I recommend floorstanding speakers because they are better overall, but if you want to save space, I wouldn't be afraid to go with bookshelf speakers especially if you are considering a subwoofer, which you should be. The subwoofer to get is the BIC America F12. $200 new or $150 used when you can find it, this sub rocks anything else in its price range. You need to pay over double before you find anything that is markedly better. Your final step is surrounds. Get some bookshelf speakers. Many people enjoy dipole speakers for the rearmost channel as it makes the sound harder to pinpoint.

Expect to spend the most on your front channels, the rear channels don't have to match the front so you can splurge on the front and just get some ok rears if you want.

I would break down my price like this for a 800-1000 speaker budget (your money will go further used).

• Front L/R: $300-400
  
• Center: $200
  
• Rear L/R: $150
  
• Subwoofer: $200
  
  Listen in-store to what you can. Speakers are very subjective.

The Onkyo is nice, I've had one for a while, and I like it, but it doesn't have a remote. I would consider the SMSL Q5 Pro if you can deal with the inputs, but if you're looking for something higher end, I've enjoyed listening to the Teac AI-301DA.

If you're fine without the remote, the Onkyo has been a solid performer for me. As for subs, I've heard and enjoyed a friend's Hsu Research VTF-1. I have a Klipsch R-12SW that has served me fine, but I got it for a song new, and if you're paying full price, the Hsu is a much better value.

Also, if you go with the Hsu, it has speaker-level pass throughs, so that opens up the avenue for 2ch amps without discrete sub outs, and I'm always quick to recommend the Emotiva A-100.

Hello everyone! I have been trying to upgrade my home theater over the past few months. I started with a pair of BIC F-12 subwoofers, and now I'm looking to upgrade my front speakers. This system is used for movies, games and music, but music is really what I care about when it comes to the performance of the speakers.

I was looking to get a pair of floor standing speakers, but I'm open to suggestions on that front. I would prefer if the speakers had a matching center speaker available in case I want to switch from a phantom center. I would prefer to only spend around $1,000 - $1,200 for the pair, but I could probably go up to $2,000 or more for the pair if it was worth it.

I mostly listen to hip-hop and electronic music, but I play a good mix of most everything. I have seen a lot of people recommend Bowers & Wilkins, Paradigm, and BIC Acoustech in this price range, but I'm not sure what you guys think of them. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hi Zeos thank you so much for the guide! I am someone that knew nothing about starting up a good sound system and you have helped me tremendously. I am wondering if you can explain this one thing to me that I do not understand. I am coming down to the final debate of what receiver to get and I cannot choose between these two...

This one and getting the refurbished one: (I am always skeptical about used stuff and rarely never get refurbished but thanks to your guide saying refurbished is not so bad I am open to it.)
http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AVR-S700W-7-2-Channel-Receiver-Bluetooth/dp/B00JRTMOGS/ref=cm_cd_ql_qh_dp_t

Or this one and getting it brand new:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CALM12W/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AAK72K4OIWDXL

The S700W is a lot cheaper and from what I think I am understanding even better, while the X3000 is a few hundred dollars more and they both seem to have pretty much have the same features.. Is there something that I am not seeing and or not understanding why one might be better than the other? Which one do you suggest? I am only trying to start my sound system and for now it will only be used in my bedroom (only going to start with a 3.1) but I do want it future proof and be able to expand which is why I am going with a 7.2. So when I do move it out to a living room I will be able to add speakers. But I know anything will be better than the Philips sound bar I have now...

Here is the rest of the equipment I picked out:

Speakers: Micca MB42X Bookshelf Speakers and the matching center speaker.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E7H8GG2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AFKH6OU9WWNFS

Subwoofer: BIC America F12 12-Inch 475-Watt Front Firing Powered Subwoofer

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015A8Y5M/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

and then for wire I just figured the AmazonBasics 16-Gauge Speaker Wire..

Just throwing out all the items I plan on starting with to see what you think and open to suggestions because I am very un-knowledgeable with sound systems. This might be a stupid question but is there a difference between a used receiver and a refurbished receiver?

Thank you again :)

This is tricky, when you're willing to spend more than $200 but less than $500, I'd either say drop down to the $200 range and pick up two BIC F12's $400 and change or or a single BIC PL 200 II $300 and change, or save up and for one SVS PB 1000 for $500 shipped or one HSU VTF2 $568 shipped

As always there are pro's and con's to each choice here. The HSU being the best subwoofer under $600, SVS PB 1000 next best, and so on.

Both the HSU and SVS will play down to 20hz with authority, again the slight advantage to the HSU, then the BIC PL 200 II is a dang good sub for $300 but doesn't get anywhere close to 20hz or as loud as the other two options.

Finally dual F12's isn't a bad choice either but again even two F12's can't touch a single SVS/HSU option.

Quick update. Speakers are all set, and they sound pretty good. I'm not an expert, and have nothing to compare them to, but I'd say that I got a good deal for $120. Dialogue in movies is nice and crisp, and the mids are quite nice too. I'm very pleased with my first foray into home theater.

Most definitely not returning them!

Thanks again for your help. I'm now looking for a decent sub and a center.

What are your thoughts on the Panasonics Pioneers?

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-C22-Designed-Channel-Speaker/dp/B008NCD2EI/

and for the sub
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SW-8MK2-Designed-100-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B008NCD2PC/

Edit: Pioneer, not Panasonic

Yep. I really have enjoyed them quite a bit. They are great for my apartment and would recommend to anyone.

This is my sub which was recommended to me on Reddit. Love it. Check this out on AMZN:

BIC America F12 12-Inch 475-Watt Front Firing Powered Subwoofer http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015A8Y5M/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8

And then I got a cheap $200 denon receiver which I might take back to best buy because I would like more HDMI inputs

Buy all cables, speaker wire, sub cord etc from monoprice. Great wires and very cheap

I live in an apartment building and have a 2.1 system with bookshelf speakers and an 8" sub (I could go bigger but my place is pretty small, I literally don't have room) and have never once gotten a complaint in my current apartment. The only thing that would generate a complaint is a subwoofer, and if you don't have complaints about the subwoofer your soundbar came with, you won't have complaints about this subwoofer.

Just because you have good speakers doesn't mean you have to blast them. Even at regular volume, the clarity and tonality will be light-years ahead of a soundbar, at likely the same price. My TV setup is my secondary audio setup, and I got the speaker and subs together for just over $200 thanks to waiting for sales. Including stands, cables, and the receiver, the whole setup was under $500. And you could go used on the AV receiver or use a stereo receiver instead to save money.

EDIT: I'm not trying to diss you. To each his own. Just saying that you could have done better for the price.

I have been putting together a 5.1 system, and was wondering if you would be able to take a look at it! Maybe something you would recommend other than what is here. This set up is a little more than I wanted to spend, but from what I have read about each piece, it seems to be worth it. Any advice is appreciated!


Denon S500BT


BIC America F12


Micca MB42X Center


Micca MB42X BookShelf


Fluance AVBP2 Surround


A few questions I have:

• Are the Fluance dedicated rear speakers worth the extra 50 bucks over 4 of the Micca bookshelf speakers?
  
  
• Is the Micca center speaker a recommended speaker? I didn't see it listed in the OP, but I found it while searching through amazon, and figured that matching the front two speakers was a good idea.
  
  
• I was also looking into the Denon E300, but I don't see any advantages over the S500BT - any advice?
  
  
• What other things will I need to complete this system? Some speaker cable for sure, do I need a sub cord or any banana plugs? It doesn't look the S500 uses plugs, but I figured I would ask.

I put some more time into researching a solution for you:

• Speakers: [Mackie CR4 - $149.99](https://www.amazon.com/Mackie-CR4-* Pair-Reference-Multimedia/dp/B00KVEIY4O)
  
  
• Subwoofer: Polk Audio PSW505 - $179.99
  
  Explanation:
  
  There are a wide variety of quality active monitors for $149.99. I don't have experience with the Mackie's myself, but it is a trusted brand, and they are well reviewed.
  
  Finding a good subwoofer in this price bracket is very challenging. You already have a halfway decent sub with your Logitech system, so I needed to find something that would be worth the upgrade. Many subs in this price range have under powered amplifiers, or use misleading marketing to make them seem better than they are.
  
  Polk makes quality products, I used to own an entire Polk home theater system. The Polk sub offers a large 12" driver (important for hitting low bass, which is the whole point). It is capable of playing without distortion at lower frequencies than just about everything in it's class, and it has a more powerful amplifier than most other subs in it's class.

I recently purchased a town house, after renting a room for several years. Didn't have any furniture other than the bedroom essentials, so I had a pretty blank slate to work with.

I realize the layout isn't ideal, given the lighting and open floor layout (opens up to the dining room and kitchen), but I was more concerned with having a good hangout environment than having the prefect viewing experience. The only other option was an above ground basement, which would have had the same lighting issue, though better acoustics.

The lighting isn't as bad as it appears in the picture, imo. I've never really had a problem with it, though I do spend most of my time relaxing in the evenings when there is no direct sunlight coming from those windows. Even then, the Samsung seems to handle it well.


EDIT:
Additional pictures of the cable management.

https://i.imgur.com/iPxbpNz.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/6pkdjpH.jpg

For the wall I used some 1/4" shaped wiremold from Home Depot. Sanded and spray painted it to match the existing 1/4" Round. For the rest of the power cables and such, I modified the middle drawer of an Ikea cabinet to hide them away and give me easy access. I'm still not quite sure what to do about the remaining outlet wires, but other than that there aren't any other visible cables.


EDIT 2:
Since I've been asked about pretty much every piece short of the coffee table, I figured I would update this post to consolidate that info. Most of these items I bought used or on sale.

TV - Samsung KS8500 65"

Reciever - Denon AVR-S720W

Speakers - ELAC UB5/UC5/UB5, Surrounds - B4

Subwoofer - Bic Acoustech PL-200 12"

Entertainment Center - Modified BESTÅ from Ikea

Speaker Stands - Sanus SF30 Steel Series

Couch - Corey Sectional from Havertys

Art - Patent Collections from Displate

Rug - [Safavieh Glacier from Overstock](https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Safavieh-Glacier-Contemporary-Abstract-Blue-Multi-
Area-Rug-6-7-x-9-67-x-9/14248766/product.html)

Bookshelves - Parthenia Etagere Bookcase from Wayfair

Coffee Table - Baxton Studio Wood/Metal End Table

That's a tough budget since you're starting with some pretty bassy speakers to begin with - I've never heard the C-Notes, but they're supposed to play pretty strongly all the way down to 43 Hz. There are plenty of things on the market sold as subwoofers which can't reach below 40 Hz.

If you had smaller main speakers, I might suggest the Polk PSW10. I own one, and to be absolutely clear, it's fairly terrible. Still, it's probably the best subwoofer available for less than $200. Unfortunately, it pretty much bottoms out at 40 Hz; you might get a tiny bit lower with room gain, and it can throw marginally more power at the bass notes than your bookshelf speakers can, but ultimately you won't get much improvement.

The next step up is probably the BIC F12. At more than double your budget, it's the cheapest subwoofer I've ever seen someone recommend without qualifiers. They don't seem to publish an f3 (again, sketchy), but reviews suggest that it can go fairly low, and it's got a decent amount of power.

There's not much else to recommend until you have at least $300 to spend. However, once you hit that threshold, there are a ton of options, some which have really spectacular performance. If I were you, I'd carry on with just the C-Notes and save up for a while, and then look at getting a Dayton 10" Reference kit with the recommended SPA-250 amplifier, or an HSU VTF-1 Mk3.

I see lots of commenters recommending high-end stuff which is understandable since you are building your own house and having a large dedicated space for a banging HT. A good 7 channel receiver plus a subwoofer powerful enough for your large room will add up to $1000 pretty quick. Heck, I'd reccomend two subwoofers for a space that large. I will probably get downvoted, but let me help you find some more budget friendly choices.

Receiver $300 - DENON
AVR-X1400H

Subwoofer $300 - Bic Acoustech PL-200 II

Front LR $200 - Fluance Signature Series

* Matching Center - $150

Surround and Rear Surrounds - Micca MB42X 2x$80

This puts you just slightly over budget. also factor in speaker mounts / shelves / stands, cables, etc.... There's obviously lots of options and everyone has their own opinions. Have fun researching, I hope this helps!

Hey yo, I've been doing my fair share of research these past couple of days and this sub as well as /r/Zeos have been a huge help. That budget can definitely get you started with something nice.


These suggestions are all from reading this sub, avsforums, amazon reviews, you name it.. I really have no on-hand experience as I'm saving up for a build myself. (Here is my post in case you're interested)

• Pioneer SP-FS52 - These puppies seem to be a huge favorite everywhere. I did see someone post they were cheaper a couple of weeks back so it's up to you if you want to wait. They are also Pioneer as you mentioned you wanted to stick with that.
  
  
  
• Denon S500 - This brand is very reputable here, as well as the site. Don't be discouraged by the "Refurbished". I'm planning on getting a receiver from this brand and site and jumping on maybe 1 or 2 years of Extended Warranty just for giggles. It has integrated bluetooth as you mentioned that was important. Like someone above mentioned, you can always go a different route and purchase a receiver without bluetooth technology and get a Google Chromecast (~$25-$30) or Bluetooth dongle. (Be aware you will loose quality when you go wireless)
  
  
  
• As for a sub, someone needs to chime in, but these two are held in nice regard: Martin Logan Dynamo 300 and Dayton 1000
  
  
  That should keep you around your budget and have some spare for cables and any other expenses that might come up along the way. Maybe some cable management or whatever.
  
  
  Good luck
  

We're gonna need your budget in order to help. But A 2.1 setup is definitley the way to go to upgrade ehar you have. Sell those. They are very popular. If you want strictly a computer speaker setup, a 2 channel amp is probably fine. My bestbuy has a really weak bookshelf speaker selection, but you probably at least have the pioneer andrew jones speakers. They are well reviewed. If you have a nice discount they might be a good idea. Also a simple rule is the bigger they are, the louder and lower they get.

/r/zeos has a good 2.1 guide and /r/budgetaudiophile has great extensive speaker recommendation list. If you want to really rock, the pioneers may not be ideal.


These yamaha are massive bangers to blow your face off.

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-NS-6490-Bookshelf-Speakers-Finish/dp/B00018Q4GA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1421977443&sr=8-3&keywords=yamaha+speakers

2 of these would be good too. Smaller.

http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Primus-Two-way-Bookshelf-Satellite/dp/B0045NCB32/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421977463&sr=8-2&keywords=infinity+primus



Smsl amp http://www.amazon.com/SMSL-TDA7492-Integrated-Tripath-Amplifier/dp/B00F0H8TOC

Sub http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0015A8Y5M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1421962220&sr=8-1


But read through the the zeos guide and the sidebars.

For some reason he has a good sound card but crappy speakers. That makes me think he likes music/sound? If so, maybe consider new speakers. I would recommend the Micca PB42x speakers with an aux cable, then either buy or make some stands. If he would like a subwoofer too the Dayton Sub-800 with an aux to rca cable can pack some good punch without pissing off the neighbors too much. This setup would be more than enough for the average gamer/music enthusiast. It will be worlds above what he has now. However, if he does any music recording/mixing, maybe head to /r/audiophile or /r/budgetaudiophile for more specific recommendations.

Quick note: surround sound usually doesn't make sense at a desk, but you can certainly add more speakers to what I have listed here if you'd like.

Edit: oh yeah, you'll also want a speaker cable or some speaker wire (if he has wire strippers) to connect the two speakers to eachother.

I just did all this work to show someone my computer which I named "Maelstrom". It wasn't exactly "unlimited" money but it's pretty damn close. I actually built it though.

Honestly, I spent so much time gathering the links to share with someone I need to post it more than once :P

---

The PC:

• CM ATCS 840
  
  
• Intel Core i7 980x - I sometimes OC to 4.4ghz
  
  
• Gigabyte X58A-UD7 1366
  
  
• G.Skill Pi+ Turbulence 12gb(6x2gb) DDR3 1600Mhz 6-8-6-20
  
  
• 2x EVGA GTX480 in SLI
  
  
• MSI 9500GT 1gb - runs my spare monitor and 42" TV. It's also the loudest damn thing in my case, I'll fix that eventually lol.
  
  
• ASUS Xonar DG
  
  
• I won't go through all my hard drives but I have 8 terabytes of space which, believe it or not, I fill about 85% of.
  
  
• Antec TPQ1200 -believe it or not I've actually managed to peak my system at 1100watts. Who says 1200watts is unnecessary. I trip my circuit breaker SO often lol.
  
  ---
  
  Cooling system:
  
  
• EK Supreme HF Universal CPU block
  
  
• 2x EK GeForce 480 full cover block
  
  
• EK SLI Bridge
  
  
• 5.25" bay reservoir (no longer listed online).
  
  
• Swiftech MCP655 pump
  
  
• Black Ice Extreme III Radiator - main radiator
  
  
• Swiftech MCR220 quiet power radiator - mid-loop radiator
  
  
• 8ft of UV acid green tubing + black compression fittings, L and T flow adapters.
  
  
• 3x230mm CM fans included with case.
  
  
• 1x120mm rear fan included with case.
  
  
• 5xScythe Gentel Typhoon 1850rpm
  
  
• 6 channel Zalman fan controller (no longer listed)
  
  ---
  
  Input Hardware:
  
  
• Razer Lachesis 5600dpi
  
  
• Razer BlackWidow
  
  
• Razer Goliathus Control Edition
  
  ---
  
  Audio:
  
  
• Audio Technica AD700 - when I use headphones
  
  
• Yamaha RX-V765
  
  
• 3x Boston HD5 bookshelf speakers
  
  
• BIC America 475watt peak subwoofer
  
  
• Zalman ZM-mic1
  
  ---
  
  Video:
  
  
• Alienware OptX AW2310 24" 120hz monitor
  
  
• Sceptre X24WG 1920x1200 LCD
  
  
• Phillips 42" 120hz HDTV (no longer listed), it was around $900 when I got it.
  
  ---
  
  Aesthetics:
  
  
• Custom Cut 20" side window
  
  
• 2x12" UV cold cathodes
  
  
• 1x4" UV cold cathode
  
  ---
  
  Online Picasa album for photos of the computer and my setup can be found HERE. It's changed a bit since some of these pictures. I still haven't added pictures since I re-cabled a few areas and finished off some sleeving.

The system gets plenty loud to feel the walls vibrate and fill up the house if I so desire, but I rarely push it. It's great for movies. Edit: forgot to mention that everything comes from my Laptop -> receiver via HDMI.

Fronts: $40

Center: $30

Sub: $80

Rears: $50

Receiver:$40

Total: $240.

My main fronts are Bose Model 31's from the mid 90's. They are front ported with 8" drivers and 3" tweeters. They were absolutely falling apart when my uncle gave em to me so I replaced the woofers with some newer rubber surround ones. They sound surprisingly good for what they are, but the crossover doesn't match the woofer exactly. I've had these things for a long time. $40 for replacement speakers.


The center is this Sony model I picked up from a cousin of mine for $30 when he upgraded. It matches the fronts better than I thought it would, much better than my old center.


I picked up a Cheap Polk Sub last year and it's the only purchase I regret, looking for a replacement. $80.


My rears are Micca MB42's I picked up from Amazon, pretty solid little bookshelf speakers. I spent about $50 on them.


The Receiver is a Denon Avr-791 I got from the same cousin for $40. He was going to just give it to me but he needed the money. One of the HDMI inputs went bad on him and he replaced it with a newer model, this one was collecting dust and now it works perfect for me (minus one input).


I do most of my serious music listening with my Philips shp9500 or Logitech UE6000 headphones.

>Budget $150/$250
Size of the room, unsure, This is silly, but its a house we are purchasing, Ive only walked through twice. Its roughly the size of a 2 car garage if that helps as its the space directly above. Double set of doors open into the hall.

That's fine. Ok, that's not too horribly big , lol and it's sealed so for the top end of that budget would be the BIC PL-200 at $249 currently on sale ( I've owned 2 of these in the past myself.) Better to put that money in a jar though and pull it back out when it's $400 -$600 and get either a ported HSU , Rythmik, SVS or Emp-tek but if that's the budget the BIC is the upper budget recommend and the Dayton 1200 at $135 shipped is my lower end recommend.

Wha'd you pay?

They should sound just fine for movies, probably pretty good for music. You're already several steps ahead of a Bose system. I would invest in a sub, it'll make a big difference with speakers that size. Can't go too wrong with this, it'll match the rest of your stuff, though I'm sure someone'll come and say Klipsch sucks at making subs and go with this other manufacturer that I've never heard of that only makes subs.

Anywho, looks like a good setup to start with, in a small room it'll do just fine, and you can always upgrade your front speakers down the line by keeping an eye on Craigslist, maybe the KLF-10, KG 5.5 or Forte's. It has a pre-amp output, so you can add a 2-channel power amplifier (as I've done with my receiver) to power some nicer speakers, the receiver should do well with the Quintet.

TL:DR Should sound good, room to grow, get a sub (used on Craigslist if you're like me)

With your budget, if you don't want to go modular and add the pieces as you go along and get a 5.1 right away, think this seems like a decent package that you'll be very happy with for a good couple of years:

These Pionneer towers x2

And the surrounds

And center that go with the set

This sub seems very well liked around here

The amp you mentionned (I have had RX-V657 for years, very good) is also very good an will be plenty

rest on cables and stuff if you need, go to http://www.monoprice.com

All that should come in around your budget!

Cheers and have fun!

Someone lit the TSR signal, and thus I am here :P

I bought the Aura bass shakers and a Lepai LP-168HA 2.1 2 x 40-Watt Amplifier. My Bass shaker is rated for 50W, where the Lepai amp only comes with a 3A PSU, so I picked up a 6A PSU on the recommendation of someone in this subreddit, and it's been working fine (hasn't burned up or anything). I'm currently attaching it to a ford cobra seat, but just from the limited test use I've done so far, it works great. Definitely shakes my entire apartment when I turn it up.

The entire kit came out to about $90 after shipping, which I figured was a great price. I've seen someone recommend getting 4 amps and 4 transducers and mounting them on the corners of my seat, then running SimVibe to simulate each wheel independently, but I haven't tried that personally. Nor have I tried the actual brandname buttkicker, so I can't say how this solution compares. But I will say it adds a huge amount of immersion to Assetto Corsa.

EDIT: Oops, forgot the parts list:


AuraSound AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker Tactile Transducer by Aura Sound - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002ZPTBI/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_VjzVtb1MV70BA

Lepai LP-168HA 2.1 2 x 40-Watt Amplifier and 1x68W Sub Output by Lepai - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0070Z87YO/ref=asc_df_B0070Z87YO3169620?smid=A385A0XNQBW8HY&tag=pgmp-401-100-20&linkCode=df0&creative=395109&creativeASIN=B0070Z87YO

12v 6a Adapter Power Supply for LCD Monitor with Power Cord by LCD AC Power Adapter - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TUMDWG/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_tlzVtb1TKD73K?tag=viglink20241-20

Nevermind, I can post several links obviously

Indoor Outdoor Projector Screen,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F1VLRZ6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

J-Tech Digital Ultra HD 4K HDMI to HDMI + Audio (Spdif + RCA Stereo) Audio Extractor Converter(Support Apple TV 4 Gen) Premium Quality https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YHS5E6Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_G8ZdIxDbFbxhh

VANKYO Leisure 510 Full HD Projector with 3600 Lux, Video Projector with 200" Projection Size, Support 1080P HDMI VGA AV USB with Free HDMI Cable and Carrying Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G2Y5LX9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MxYBCbDMFNHW7

Jeteven Polyester Hanging... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075WWRRZV?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

AUKEY Table Lamp, Touch Sensor... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AJ7F14I?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Mini Dj Disco Ball Party Stage... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074RKPSDK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Sennheiser HD 579 Open Back... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L1IIF1K?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Flash Furniture High Back Black... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012JJ2EEY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

P3 P4330 Kill A Watt Ps 10 Surge... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OG94VW?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

LG 29WK600-W 29" UltraWide 21:9... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078GL93KG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Onkyo TX-SR373 5.2 Channel A/V Receiver with Bluetooth https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XVGCBZ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kCYBCbJTN8QJ1

Polk Audio T15 100 Watt Home Theater Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Premium Sound at a Great Value | Dolby and DTS Surround | Wall-Mountable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RJLHB8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_OCYBCbX2TX5XM

Polk Audio PSW10 10" Powered Subwoofer - Featuring High Current Amp and Low-Pass Filter | Up to 100 Watts | Big Bass at a Great Value | Easy integration Home Theater Systems https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002KVQBA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mDYBCbWN7VD6T

TCL 43S425 43 Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart Roku LED TV (2018) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DK5PZFY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3DYBCbZ7TGJ9X

Plus an Asus rog laptop gtx 1060 16gb ram, two ps3s, Corsair hs60 headphones, vmoda Crossfade wireless, a Google chromecast

IMHO: A subwoofer isn't optional when it comes to dubstep. You'll be missing all the low-end (which let's be honest, is why we're all here) if you omit a decent sub from you set up. As far as amps (I call these receivers) go, you'd probably be best off visiting your local pawn shop or anywhere you can get pre-owned electronics and picking something up. I got mine for under $100CAD and it has power to spare. For ease of set-up I'd suggest finding something with dedicated subwoofer outputs on the back. As for speakers, these or these will do right by you. Personally I use this subwoofer, and it has the juice to have my entire house shaking. Wires are pretty much standard in my experience as long as you're talking about a simple home listening system. These wires would do fine for your needs. If you want a proper listening experience dont use bluetooth speakers, and dont skimp on a subwoofer.

Hope that helps, my dude!

Hey there! Long time reddit stalker, first time poster! Hoping I can access the font of knowledge here to validate my potential new home theatre setup. Here is what I am thinking.

Receiver: Yamaha RX-V679BL 7.2-Channel MusicCast AV Receiver with Bluetooth

2x Floorstanding Loudspeakers: Polk Audio Monitor-75T Four-Way Floorstanding Speaker

1x center channel speaker: Polk Audio CS10 Center Channel Speaker

1x powered sub: Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer

Would love any input, trying to stick to around ~1200$ neighborhood. 3.1 is fine for my needs now ( although I may expand to 5.1 down the line ). Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Nakdeyes

I use this and am extremely happy. It's an analog setup and I only use computers, so that is fine with me, but if you want to use it with game consoles / DVD players / STB's, you might want to get an actual receiver (I've heard good things about Onkyo's TX-NR series.

• Tripath amplifier
  
• Dayton speakers
  
  
• Polk PSW-10
  
• A RCA piggyback cable setup to run audio to the subs and the mains, not using a crossover on the mains right now but I plan on getting one or building one at some point.
  
  This setup is really cheap but very very good sounding for the price, plus if you want to upgrade to a 5.1 or something with a receiver later, it makes a great secondary system for a kitchen or bedroom.

I'm a noobie. The only speaker system I've had before is a [Logitech z623 Computer speakers] (https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/speaker-system-z623?crid=47) which was satisfactory until the subwoofer started rattling at high volumes and one of the speakers stopped working. I want to get a full set-up so I've been learning everything I can. I want a good set up for house parties, generally playing rap and electronic music. My budget is $250-500.
Willing to buy used, just always paranoid I'll buy something in bad shape.

These are the parts that I am currently contemplating buying:

Speakers -- I can't decide between tower or bookshelf. I have read that bookshelf speakers can be a better bang for your buck, so I would love some suggestions. Speakers are suppose to be the most important part of the set up so I've tried to pick out decent options, but very willing to go cheap if there are any good deals.

Bookshelf option:

• Fluance SX6W High Definition Two-Way Bookshelf Loudspeakers $150
  
  
• Yamaha NS-6490 3-Way Bookshelf Speakers $130
  
  Craigslist for Bookshelf
  
  Tower options:
  
  
• Polk Audio Monitor70 Series II Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Black) Single $276 for pair
  
  or the cheaper version
  
  
• Polk Audio Monitor 60 Series II Floorstanding $190 for pair
  
  or dirt cheap option
  
  
• Dayton Audio T652 Dual 6-1/2" 2-Way Tower Speaker Pair $119 pair
  
  Craiglist for Towers
  
  
• Someone is currently offering B&W (Bower & Wilkins) DM-630 Large Tower Speakers for $275 -- Worth?
  
  Subwoofer:
  
  
  
• Polk Audio PSW10 10-Inch Powered Subwoofer Found this for $73, usually $110.
  This product seemed to be at a great price for its quality, so for now I think this is what I'm gonna get but very open to suggestions.
  
  
• Martin Logan Dynamo 300 $200. This is probably too pricey for me, but is suppose to be the best in its class.
  
  
• Dayton Audio SUB-1200 12" 120 Watt Powered Subwoofer $150. I've thought about going with a 12" considering I listen to a lot of rap and electronic.
  
  Craigslist for Subwoofers
  
  
  Still doing research on DAC's, Amps and Receivers, probably just gonna go with a receiver for simplicity's sake.
  
  EDIT: Wait can I just get these JBL LSR305 Professional Studio Monitor with the built in amps and then just have to buy a DAC? or would I still need a receiver if I wanted to add a subwoofer?

I don't know about "under $50" but I listed the parts I used below and it's an amazing sound that can /will rumble the floor if I need it to.

You'll also need the standard speaker wire and connectors but this is a good price for the results. That last bit (the Amp) is the important part to this.

Polk Audio PSW10 10" Powered Subwoofer - Featuring High Current Amp and Low-Pass Filter | Up to 100 Watts | Big Bass at a Great Value | Easy integration Home Theater Systems https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002KVQBA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Al1ACbH3SJ7RX

Micca MB42X Bookshelf Speakers With 4-Inch Carbon Fiber Woofer and Silk Dome Tweeter (Black, Pair) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E7H8GG2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_-l1ACbF5GWJRY

SMSL SA50 50Wx2 TDA7492 Class D Amplifier + Power Adapter (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F0H8TOC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3m1ACbWVAMEAT

You can get an x2300 for $400 but personally I would spend the $100 to get the x3300 to get the more power, better room calibration, and if you play retro game consoles, the analog to hdmi conversion. I have an x3100 and I love it. Additionally the extra $38 is worth it to go to the Bic PL 200 II. It's not the loudest or most accurate sub out there, at that price what do you want, but for movies it reaches deep comfortably even at moderate volume. The F12 in my experience doesn't hit the explosion rumble unless you crank it.

The Cambridge looks like an amazing and and I'm sure it is. However, I would never recommend spending 40-50% of your budget on the amp. Those speakers, as decent as they are, will never do that amp justice. I would look at a bookshelf/sub 2.1 system where 6-800 is spent on the speakers. I would definitely consider the Cambridge speakers if you like warm sound or possibly Wharfdales.

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/cambaero2bla/cambridge-audio-aero-2-6.5-2-way-bookshelf-speakers-black-pair/1.html

With this sub

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0015A8Y5M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494167715&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=bic+f12+subwoofer&dpPl=1&dpID=516v3%2B2brCL&ref=plSrch

Powered by this
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/onka9050/onkyo-a-9050-integrated-stereo-amplifier/1.html

Would save some money as well.

I'm posting to let everyone know of a piece of gear they didn't even know they needed. But trust me, you need it...

It's called a bass shaker, or tactile transducer. It connects to your seat and pushes sub-bass frequencies directly to your body instead of through the air and to your ears. It works exactly like a normal subwoofer except has it's cone replaced with a with a mass.

Bass frequencies are notoriously difficult to tune and hear, but these pucks remove the room from the equation and let you feel the exact frequencies directly from the track. It seriously feels like you can count the transients all the way to 10hz

I have the AuraSound AST-2B-4 on my sofa and the Dayton Audio TT25-8 on my chair at work. The Dayton audio is totally sufficient for casual listening and rounds out headphones, but the Aura is so powerful and clean.

So much fun to crank the living room setup, feels like a live show. Movies are so much more dramatic and engaging- startles you sometimes at suspenseful parts.

Music producing is a whole different game now that you can see exactly what's going on at the bottom of your track.

So in conclusion, you need this haha. Here are the two I bought:


AuraSound AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker Tactile Transducer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002ZPTBI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_dKgXzbY2P9R12


Dayton Audio TT25-8 PUCK Tactile Transducer Mini Bass Shaker 8 Ohm (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009RGJ47S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_4AgXzb1Q77JXY

Okay, curious about your tips! I'm quite the noob to these custom setups so I have no experience with either.

What's a better suggestion for going by my feet under a PC desk (very up close field)? I don't need thundering bass, just want to backup where the Micca's can't quite finish the job and make my sound whole!

EDIT: Man, this Dayton 8" looks great and has great reviews. The description mentions an amplifier, I assume this has an amp built in too? Do all "powered" subwoofers have an amp, hence the powered? Thus, I can just use RCA's from my left and right RCA output of my audio card to the RCA line in option on the sub and it would be fine and dandy, the sub's built-in amp still works fine and everything that way?

Sorry for the noob questions guys, haha.

Frys often has good sales on Jamo speakers, but I'm not sure what's available in Europe. I've seen the S809 HCS 5 speaker set go as low as $399, so maybe you could get a good black Friday deal. The 803 set with bookshelf speakers is $269 right now, might be a decent option.

The Pioneer AJ set got some good initial reviews as a solid budget set, but I have seen some people complaining about it online after getting the set. The center channel in particular seems to be pretty lackluster based on user feedback.

The Sony Core series speakers get good reviews as a budget option. I've seen the bookshelf SSCS5 speakers go as low as $73 a pair and with black Friday coming up there might be some good deals on them.

For a decent sub you'll probably need to up your budget a little bit or wait until you can save a little more. The Bic PL200ii is a good sub for the price and often goes on sale for $250.

With black Friday deals maybe you could get the Jamo 803 set with a PL200ii sub within your budget or 4 Sony core bookshelf speakers and the matching SSCS8 center channel instead of the Jamos.

I don't know about robust, but I'm using one of these under $15 board only amps right now, on a 12VDC power supply:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N0PXEN4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm feeding an Aurasound transducer with it, from the dedicated center channel output on my motherboard, so I didn't need a separate crossover: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002ZPTBI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Turned up to about 6/10 it seems to give me pretty good feedback. I don't know about how "crisp" it is TBH. [That's highly dependent on how you have a transducer mounted to transfer impulses to some other structure, which might have some resonance or flex/absorption, depending.] The amp is rated 100W into 8ohms, but it would deliver better output into a 4ohm transducer if I had it on a higher voltage supply (input can be up to 24V and they recommend 19V e.g. laptop type chargers).

Anyway, it's an option at least. So far been functioning for about 6 months of irregular use.

Studio monitors, or powered monitors in general can work great in a 2.0 or 2.1 system. Broadly, they will be much more "hi-fi" than the Pro Media's will be; but also more expensive, especially when you factor in adding subwoofer.

The Klipsch's run ~$140 retail, and at that price you can begin to build a solid budget 2.1 set up.

There a few good solutions at this point, my personal favorite would be:

• Infinity Primus p143 bookshelf's Sold individually, but when they go on sale on amazon you can get them for 35-40 each ~$80
  
  
• SMSL SA-50 amp ~$70
  
  This puts you @ $150
  
  Adding this sub would get you up to $230 but also complete a system that would be world better than the Klipsch or anyother 2.1 system commonly used for computers.
  
  
• Dayton Sub-800 ~$80
  
  
  

Hey /u/ZeosPantera,

I first wanted to say you are the fucking man. This subreddit has been so incredibly helpful in figuring out my audio system. Additionally, I was wondering if you could provide your expertise for me.

My fraternity is currently getting our house back in a few weeks, and we have money to spend on home improvement (in this case, an audio system for the large common room). I'm looking for a system that can double as both a home theater sound system as well as speakers for a large, loud party. I assembled a list of components and was hoping you can recommend any changes. This is the list so far:

Receiver - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B7X2OV2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Center - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015A8Y3E/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Front speakers (tower) - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ISZEV2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Rear speakers - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CRMKJTQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1WPEQCN6WJKZG

Subwoofer - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015A8Y5M/ref=ox_sc_act_title_8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

These are the ones you listed as being loud enough to play music on as well. Will these products fit the bill for my needs (home theater, large frat party)? Also, these extras to set up the system:

Banana plugs - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0090CVJZ4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

RCA cable - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FVX9FO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1DCPNQKKEISZB

Copper wire - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00APEG9MO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Is there anything I'm missing in order to set up the system? Thank you so much!!

Sounds amazing, even a cheap sub will make the system sound much better. There are lots of options under $200 from Polk, Klipsch, and Monoprice. Just make sure there are speaker level inputs like these ones:


Monoprice 60-Watt Powered Subwoofer - 8 Inch With Auto-On Function, For Studio And Home Theater https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009GUTJ34/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_yTLTDbKYN78MW

Polk Audio PSW10 10" Powered Subwoofer - Featuring High Current Amp and Low-Pass Filter | Up to 100 Watts | Big Bass at A Great Value | Easy Integration Home Theater Systems https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002KVQBA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_zOLTDbPGCRA75

They're pretty cheap speakers. You don't have to be an audiophile to hear the difference between cheap computer speakers and proper home audio equipment.
Computer speakers may be all you can afford, as high quality speakers are usually over $100, but at the $200 price range, there are much better choices than computer brand speakers.

If you want simple plug-and-play speakers, these Audioengine A2s are pretty good.

If you want better sound at this price, you can go with a separate amp, speakers, and subwoofer. Dayton Audio is the most cost effective brand at this price point.
Speakers: Dayton Audio B652 ($51.99)
Subwoofer: Dayton Audio SUB-800 ($79.00)
Amplifier: Dayton Audio DTA-1 ($46.95)

This combo will blow away any multimedia speaker set, both in quality and simply how loud it can get. and at $177.94, it's $30 cheaper than the Corsair speakers.

If you're spending more than $100 on speakers, you'd be stupid to get computer/multimedia speakers.

5.1 is better if you watch a lot of tv/movies and play a lot of games, but a 2.0/2.1 would be better if you mainly listen to music. Either way, you can't go wrong if you start with just a 2.0 system because you can always upgrade later. I don't know much about floor standers, but I know a few good bookshelf speakers.

Here is a good setup I recommend:

Subwoofer:
https://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M?keywords=bic+f12&qid=1537666228&sr=8-1&ref=mp_s_a_1_1

Speakers:
https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-RP-160M-Bookshelf-Speaker-Ebony/dp/B00RNZ6COS?crid=1JSZBF6QF9EKN&keywords=klipsch%2Brp-160m&qid=1537666255&sprefix=Klipsch%2BRP&sr=8-3&ref=mp_s_a_1_3&th=1&psc=1

Receiver:
https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavrs530bt/denon-avr-s530bt-5.2-ch-x-70-watts-bluetooth-a/v-receiver/1.html

Shit I was going to come here and say something assholeish about his post but man you kind of delivered. That's a great buy. I'd personally go separates but if he can score a free avr more power to him. He would proabbyl be better off getting a different sub though. BIC makes a nice one right around $200 on amazon right now.
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M

Don't believe in absolutes (aka "80hz is a minimum). Way too many variables for that. However, 80hz is usually a very good starting point for the speaker crossover(s) regardless of the physical size of the speaker. There are several reasons for this. 1)In most cases speakers will begin to strain if asked to reproduce the lowest bass at louder volume levels. By relieving them of this responsibility you will allow them to perform better in the mid and upper frequencies as THD and IMD will be lowered significantly. 2)The amplifier(s) powering the main channels will have their wrok load reduced a good bit as the deeper frequencies take the most power. 3)A separate subwoofer can be placed for optimal bass reproduction. The main speaker placement is pre-determined (more or less) due to imaging and directional cues.

With regards to sub "quality".

1)Look for smoothness in the frequency response in the 30-120hz range. A couple dB variation is excellent. <30hz each manufacturer will "shape" the FR to their internal engineering POV.

2)Clean output capabilities.

3)Good overall sound quality measurements

This is pretty much impossible to beat in the $250-300 range

http://www.amazon.com/NXG-Technology-NX-BAS-500-500-watt-Subwoofer/dp/B008FSTU4G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416409731&sr=8-1&keywords=NGX+subwoofer

Also, I'd guess your current sub is okay down to about 45-50hz and offers nothing under that. That's the MO with most HTiB systems.

Romanion thnx a mil, i found an awesome guide on building a custom home theater system, much easier than i first tought it would be.

Anyway i decided for:

receiver: Denon AVR-E300 - http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AVR-E300-Channel-Networking-Receiver/dp/B00B7X2OV2

Subwoofer: BIC AMERICA F12 - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015A8Y5M/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0015A8Y5M&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwpuresimula-20


speakers front/rear: Micca MB42X
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E7H8GG2/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00E7H8GG2&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwpuresimula-20

center : Micca MB42X-C
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HHFBEK6/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?
ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00HHFBEK6&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwpuresimula-20&linkId=ADIW5VIJE4AGEDOK


Does anyone knows best places where i can buy those in EU? I googled for the receiver the past hour with no luck

PS: suggestions of how to make the text more readable in reddit are also welcomed :)

I need help...(scroll down for TL:DR) My turntable needs to get louder and have more low end. My receiver is usually blaring when gaming or watching TV at "-10 db" however when I play my turn table at the same setting it is quieter. Not silent or really low mind you, but not quite as loud. When I turn up my receiver higher to compensate it will eventually go into protection mode and turn itself off (no bueno, I know).

Here is my setup:

Turntable: Technics SL-1300
Cartridge: Shure M97xE
Receiver: Denon AVR-391
Pre-Amp: Behringer PP400

Speakers:

Front Bookshelf Speakers: Panasonic SP-BS22-LR
Rear Speakers: Polk TL1
Center Speaker: Polk TL1 Center
Woofer: Pioneer SW-8MK


So, as you can see, for speakers I have a 5.1 speaker set up. I can run my turntable in Pro Logic, Multi-Channel Stereo, Stereo, Direct (whatever that means), Virtual, and DTS Neo. I am not really sure what would be best but I would like to use a setting that also uses my subwoofer as it is it's own powered speaker. Is that ok for the receiver to split it into Pro Logic or something else from the analog signal or not? As far as my connection I have the RCA cord coming from my pre-amp and connected to my "Dock" RCA input which is 1 of 3 RCA inputs on my receiver (Dock, Sat, DVD). Also my turntable is grounded to my preamp.

I am at a loss of what to do as it's never quite loud enough for my liking. I don't need it to be breaking windows but I would like to be able to rock out once and awhile.


TL:DR I guess what I'm asking is what setting should my Receiver be on and would a new pre-amp increase my volume?

I'm looking for a small subwoofer (10" or less) to go with my PC setup. I've had a good experience with Audioengine's products so far, so I'm naturally eyeing their S8 8" subwoofer, but I'd like to hear opinions of that sub and some alternative recommendations if possible.

Here's my current audio chain: PC USB -> Fiio E10K DAC -> Audioengine N22 desktop amplifier -> Audioengine P4 bookshelf speakers. The room is roughly 12'x10', but I'll be sitting within a few feet of the sub since it will be placed under my desk.

Thanks in advance for your help!

*Oops! Forgot to include that my budget is <$400, preferably <$300.

Edit: It looks like I can get Pioneer's Andrew Jones-designed 8" subwoofer for $100 plus tax. That value seems tough to beat. Anybody have experience with this sub?

Hello, fellow Canadian!

DO NOT BUY THIS SYSTEM. You can get a MUCH better system for $25.49 more.

Check this out:

ELAC F5 Towers - $839.98

ELAC B4 Surrounds - $269.99

ELAC C5 Center - $319.99

BIC F12 Subwoofer - $295.53 (incl. shipping)

Sub-Total: $1725.49

I would recommend just getting ELAC B5s or B6s for the front speakers and you can save a couple hundred dollars more (which I might put towards a better subwoofer or a second subwoofer).

Sorry I wrote all that without directly addressing your question, but that Polk package is bad value (even though it's on sale) and the included subwoofer is a pile of steaming shyte.

So, for pairing speakers with a receiver, pretty much anything works. Denon, Marantz, and Yamaha are the most recommended brands here.

Gibby's Electronics sells the Denon X1300 for $399.99 (b-stock) but they're out of stock. They also have the S710W for $399.99 (b-stock, I don't get the pricing), which is probably your best option unless you're willing to wait for b-stock to come in for the X1300.

For that budget here is what I would recommend:
Denon X-1500H - Stepping up to the X series gets you Audyssey XT room correction which is the 2nd best available. IMO this is a big step up.

Klipsch RP-150m - This is where most of the subreddit is divided. I personally think the Klipsch RP are some of the best value home theater speakers available and this particular pair is discounted for being outgoing and a less popular color.

BIC PL-200 II - This is my least favorite of the 3 pieces picked and IMO if you can budget enough to step up to the entry HSU, Rythmik or SVS, I'd rather go down that route. This is not to say that the BIC sub is bad but it would definitely be the first on the list to get upgraded when funds allow.

If you decide to save up or stick to your budget, stepping up to a receiver that can do full atmos or getting better or different sounding speakers are an option but it can get confusing fast. I'll let others come up with their recommendations and you can decide.

Wow, very nice! Thank you so much for your reply.

My idea was skipping amp/preamp setup and go straight through an integrated, but I don't think I'd be missing too much.

I currently have a Rolls Phono Preamp that I am using with my dad's receiver and speakers. I'll be moving out again soon, so I'll at least have to get my own speakers and amp. That AudioSource Amp looks like a better idea, and I could use that with the Rolls Preamp. Do you know of any reports and quality differences between the audiosource and emotivia flex?

I am open to adding a sub, but I don't know how I feel about the speaker being directed at the floor. Especially with the possibility of living in an apartment with neighbors below, though I am really digging the SVS SB1000 you recommended.
What if I went the SVS route with speakers and sub, with the audiosource amp? That would be about $1,120. So still pretty close to my "budget".

Are you currently using the Sony in that 30x30 room? Where is it placed? I just looked up the spec for both the Polk and Sony and they are only 100 watt peak power? I'm surprised your not complaining there isn't enough bass in that huge room.

One of the main reason is that the weaker sub might not dig as deep as the other sub. You can EQ it so they level out but most ppl just recommend getting the same sub or at least the same size woofer.

Ppl get 2 subs is because 1 doesn't cover the room good enough. The main speakers shouldn't have issue up to 80hz and the subwoofer take care of the rest.

Edit: Also you did probably be better served with something like this as the lowest starting point: http://smile.amazon.com/NXG-Technology-NX-BAS-500-500-watt-Subwoofer/dp/B008FSTU4G/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1425450041&sr=8-16&keywords=500+watt+subwoofer

A 2.1 system made of individual components (not a theater-in-a-box) will still knock your socks off if you're used to a soundbar. I think high quality audio is more immersive over mediocre surround sound anyways.

I went for maximum bang for the buck with my setup, sound quality improves drastically with every dollar spent up to a point. The return gets marginal once you soend more than $300 on a receiver, $150 on bookshelf speakers, and $200 on a subwoofer.

I'd recommend the following parts for a good setup and I listed some budget options you could substitute without losing too much quality:

Receiver: Yamaha RX-V377 or RX-V375 (what I have). They're $250 and $220 respectively (the 375 is usually $200) and they both have enough HDMI inputs for any normal person. The 377 supports 4K passthrough so it may be more future proof but I don't think 4K will catch on (just like 3D) since the benefits are marginal at typical viewing distances.

Speakers: Pioneer SP-BS22-LR's (what I have) or Micca MB42X's. Both are frequently on sale for $80-100 and they both sound awesome. If you're on a budget, the Dayton B652's are legendary for the the price ($40). They changed (cheapened) the design and ruined it last year but quickly brought the original design back. They fixed their mistake but they could ruin it again at any time.

Subwoofer: Bic F12 America (what I have). It's $190 but it will ruin your perception of every subwoofer you've ever owned. Once you experience crisp, clear bass you can never go back to over amplified 6" "woofers" like you get with a soundbars or the plastic junk that comes in boxed 5.1 kits. If you're on a budget, the Monoprice 12" sub is $108 and is supposed to be the absolute minimum you can spend to get something acceptable.

Ancilliaries: Buy your cables from Amazon (Amazon Basics brand) or Monoprice but I highly recommend this $9, paintable cable management kit and an afternoon of patience. Your wires will be invisible and your sound system will make your friends jealous.

A couple details:

Components:

I read QUITE a few reviews and this series was very highly rated at a reasonable price. Ended up getting many of them on refurb, open box, or otherwise for a great discount.

R/L Floor Speakers: Polk Audio TSi400

Center channel: Polk Audio CS20

R/L surround: Polk Audio TSi200

R/L rear in-ceiling: Polk Audio RC80i

Subwoofer: Polk Audio PSW505

Receiver: Harman Kardon AVR-3650

Projector: Optoma HD20

Screen: Elite Screens Sable, 100" CineWhite

Blu-Ray player: Pansonic DMP-BDT220

Remote: Logitech Harmony One RF (no line of sight needed)

Total of all electronic components with wiring and such came to around $5,000.

All lumber used for coffers is 1x finger jointed poplar. Used 1x8 ripped to dimension for verticals, 1x10 for horizontals. Sizes were dimensioned based upon the depth of the gimbal lights above the columns and the width of the column capitals.

Base and casement trim is also FJP, crown molding was MDF due to the major cost difference. Doors are Western solid cores, knobs by Emtek.

All speaker wires are 12 gauge UL rated for in-wall usage. All other cables and connectors are from Monoprice as well.

110v wiring is all 12/2 with 15A receptacles.

Gimbal lights from Lowes, wall sconces are Minka Lavery.

Total for all building materials came to around $2,000 (much of it in the coffered ceiling materials).

The project took around 2 months to complete from start to finish, of working on it after work each day. I'd estimate that there was about 100 hours in the ceiling construction, a great deal of that in paint work.

The columns/trim/doors/coffers are all done in a BM satin, which is the lightest shade of brown. The walls are of the same swatch, only one color darker, and in flat (to prevent light reflection from the bright projector). The ceiling is one color darker on the same swatch, also in flat. The vertical insides of the coffers behind the crown was also painted with the ceiling color to make the crown stand out more. The dark colors were all chosen to minimize any reflection from the screen.

Now that the room has a closet and an egress window, it can technically be counted as a 4th bedroom in my house when it comes time to sell.

So I am an up-and-coming Home Theater installer and recently got myself my first decent home theater setup. This is leaps and bounds better that what I had before (a 32" and a soundbar), which is now my bedroom setup. I am very happy with this setup and enjoy it almost daily.

My current configuration includes the following:
92" Pull Down Screen
Epson 2030 1080p 3D Projector (ISF Calibrated)
Polk Audio TL250 + Polk Audio PSW10 Sub
Yamaha RX-V477
Samsung BD-F5900
Chromecast

With some vendor deals and discounts, I was able to get this entire setup for just shy of $1500.

So my question is, how did I do? Could I have done better within this budget? Are there any components to this system that stand out as poor choices? Are there any cost effective ways to help control the levels of light in the room? When I move into a house in about 5 years, which components should I upgrade?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Since you mentioned that you're looking to upgrade to 5.1 at some point in the future, I'm assuming that you won't be using this setup for near-field listening and that this fits more into the music-centric, home theater category.

For the subwoofer, I would suggest going with the Martin Logan Dynamo 300 unless you have a large-ish room. It holds its own pretty well in regards to extension and clarity despite its small size and low output. You won't be rattling shit off the walls, but it will definitely improve the lacking mid/low-end of the MB42x speakers.

For the amp, I would suggest skipping the 2-channel upgrade and moving straight into a 5.1 channel receiver since you're planning on doing surround in the future. You'll end up saving some cash overall as well as gaining some additional features. Unfortunately, you'll be pretty close budget-wise. Going for a refurbished Denon AVR-S500BT will keep you a buck or two under. If going refurb is out for you, you might want to have a look at the SMSL Q5 Pro.

This is what I found in the shop (for my price range), would you recommend any of those over Dali sub?

Yamaha NS-SW300PN

Klipsch R-12SW

Magnat QUANTUM 6725 A

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Edit: I think I'll go with Dali Oberon 3 + Onyko TX-8220 for now and save up for a good sub like SVS which others mentioned below.

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To get the output from PC to a receiver I'll use the USB to SPDIF adapter you linked. Could you briefly explain to me the difference between the adapter you provided and something like Dragonfly Black - is there a perceived change in sound quality between the two?

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Thanks for helping me out!