[JaviJ01]

I bought a 55" LG in December and the sound for it is lacking(which was expected) and now I think is the time to start building up my home theater but know little about setup, parts or prices.

I am currently just looking to spend about $400-500 on either a couple of speakers and a receiver, and then more down the road.

I saw some Martin Logan Motion 10 speakers on sale for $120 each and was thinking of buying a pair along with a receiver, or maybe even buying 4 and just look for a receiver on sale in the next month or two.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882981007&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL050812&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL050812-_-EMC-050812-Index-_-HomeAudioSpeakers-_-82981007-L0C

Like I said before I dont know much about home audio but right now i just want to improve the sound of my tv even if its just 2 front speakers so I dont have to listen to the hollow sound my tv outputs.

Im not sure what information is needed to help me but I was hoping to have the speakers sit on the floor but at the worst I would at least like is some front speakers to be able to sit on the floor and just mount the other speakers.

Thanks for all of the help in advance.

 

[astrallite]

Those look like good speakers. I would recommend whatever Onkyo receiver fits under your budget as they will give you the most power for the buck.

 

[JaviJ01]

So I am pretty sure that Im gonna get 4 of those speakers and then maybe this combo for the receiver/sub? I know its over my budget but it seems to be a good deal to me. Would love if someone could weigh in and give me a little insight

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.940807&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL050812&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL050812-_-EMC-050812-Index-_-Combo-_-Combo940807-LM3A

 

[logan]

Ok, I was in exactly your position about a year and a half ago. I knew that I wanted more/better sound, but really had no idea about any of the specifics.

First things first, but in a HT setup, one of the most important things in the setup is the center channel. The center is where all of the dialog comes through during movies. If the center channel is weak, then all of the words in movies will be drowned out by the other speakers. With normal TV (stereo) speakers, you can also notice this, but because the dialog is mixed in with the action and surround sound, you'll frequently have to turn down movies during the action, then turn it back up to hear them talking. With a good HT setup, this won't really be an issue.

Second thing is that the sound stage should be somewhat matched across the front of your setup. Meaning, different speakers have different "sound", and if you buy speakers from different companies or product lines, when something goes across the screen (and soundstage), it will sound different as the sound travels from speaker to speaker (classic example is like if a train is going from one side of the screen to the other, if it sounds different in different places, it the realism is affected).

I'm not super picky about this, but I have all Polk speakers as my front channel, but the center is from a different "line", and I can tell it sounds different (usually in games, not movies so far). So I would at least make sure that all of your speakers across the front soundstage are fairly similar. Most speaker lines offer a "timbre" matched center channel to fix this "problem".

Third thing to know is that speakers that have a higher sensitivity rating (105dB for instance) are easier for your amp to play louder. In other words, my dads Klipschhorns with their 105dB sensitivity would be MUCH louder than my Polk RTI4's (89dB sensitivity) at the same setting on the amp. 87-92dB is pretty common, anything above or below that is a bit less so.

Fourth, when looking for a reciever, remember its kinda like buying a PSU, not all watts are created equal. I have an old Denon 1800 (from '99) that is rated 75 watts per channel, and when we compared it to my neighbors 140w sony (with the same speakers), there was no comparison, the sony was struggling to put out the power. I would personally look at Denon, Marantz, Onkyo and Pioneer for receivers.

As for the sub... my pet peeve with subs is that some of them just make "boom boom" noises, but don't really play music well. Generally when picking out a sub, try to look for a company that is know for making subs (not necessarily speakers). I like polk audio quite a bit, but I wouldn't buy one of their subwoofers. Not that they are horrible, but that there are better choices out there for the price. I happen to love my Velodyne VX11, but am looking forward to the day when I can get an HSU Research, SVS or one of the larger Velodyne subs.

And sound systems are one thing that is absolutely GREAT to buy used. Its not like computers where old speakers are outdated and useless after a few years. If you look through the local classifieds/craigslist, you will likely be able to find some pretty good deals. I got my Denon for $75 locally, and other than lacking HDMI, it has been working great for me.

Don't be afraid to buy it in parts. A three channel setup at first would do great for you (fronts and a center + receiver), then when you find good deals/do more research you can add to your system.

Good luck man

.

 

[JaviJ01]

Frys currently has the Denon AVR-1712 on sale for $227 so I'll probably pick that up instead of the pioneer unless someone has a better idea for $200-250 for a receiver. Also looking at the CS1 or CS2 for a center channel, the cs2 worth the extra $50?

 

[logan]

Thats a great deal on the 1712, I would jump on that while the deal is going.

The only difference between the CS1 and the CS2 is the size of the cabinet and the size of the two drivers, The CS1 has 5.25in drivers, while the CS2 has 6.5in drivers.

I haven't tried the CS2, but I own the CS1 and have been fairly happy with it (considering I paid $50 new for it). I think technically the CS2 would be a much better fit with the Monitor 70's. You wouldn't want your dialog to get overpowered by the larger side speakers.

Enjoy your setup

.