Best Speakers for open room with all ceramic tile?
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Bronze Member Username: ThephatpPost Number: 16 Registered: Jun-05 | I hope this is the last time I have to ask about speakers and for advice, but I seem to keep finding new things to consider. My living room is very much an open floor plan. The TV wall (front) is an interior wall; right wall is an exterior wall; left wall is a half wall (overlooking dining room), and in back, there is no wall--it's open to the kitchen bar (like a half wall) and open to the breakfast nook. What's worse, it is ALL CERAMIC tile. The living, dining, kitchen, and breakfast are all ceramic. So there really is nothing to absorb the sound. So what is the best set of speakers for this setup? I'm assuming this will be a very "bright" room, correct? I was really leaning towards the Klipsch 25 series (BEFORE I though about the brightness of the room), because I absolutely love their sound. But now I'm wondering if that would be a mistake. A friend pointed out that this might not be the best idea because of the room acoustics (which I can't try out because the house is being built). He suggested going with a dome tweeter instead of a horn like the Klipsch. What is the difference? I don't know what horn or dome tweeters are. Does it matter that much? If so, what is a good quality brand that uses Dome tweeters? I really liked B&W's, too, but I think they are horn tweeters as well, right? Will the Klipsch speakers be over the top bright for this room? Thanks so much for your sharing your expertise! |
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Silver Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 753 Registered: Feb-04 | Perhaps, but I don't think you should try to compensate for a bad room with dull speakers. There's no way you can put an area carpet down? Will you be happy with some other speaker, always wondering what could have been? Can you try them at home and exchenge them if it doesn't work out? I use Klipsch speakers on a hard floor and can't really say it makes for problems. I like the sound I get. (But they are not Reference series.) You could try asking on the Klipsch forum as well. |
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Silver Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 107 Registered: Apr-04 | The ceramic tile will make for a very reflective room. Any speaker that has a strong high end will tend to sound "bright". How about putting an area rug down? It would cut down the reflections and would look pretty nice too. Try the Klipsch speakers you like. If you bought them (Klipsch Synergy Series) at BEST BUY, then you could always take them back within 30 days. No questions asked. The Reference Series is sold by high end Stereo shops and each one has it's own return policy that you should ask about BEFORE YOU BUY. By the way, if your looking for dome tweeters, most speakers use them unless they're higher priced exotics. |
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Silver Member Username: ChitownPost Number: 102 Registered: Apr-05 | Nothing a nice Persian rug couldn't take care of. My living room is all porcelain tiles, and it is about 25x20x10 feet plus the adjoining dining room (12x11). Throw a nice 9x13 rug from Kashan or Tabriz and that should take care of any echos and give your room some nice color  |
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Silver Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 108 Registered: Apr-04 | Chad, you were referring to the Reference Series RF-25 or RB-25 correct? The RF-25 floorstander would be better at filling the big room with sound. I think the Synergy Series F-3 are worth considering too if you have not heard them. As far as a rug goes...check out Home Depot!!! |
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Silver Member Username: EdisonGlendale, CA US Post Number: 652 Registered: Dec-03 | Try to hear Monitor series bronze - a StereoPhile recommended speaker. It has a soft refined sound for the price. This will tame the brightness a bit. You are not going to treat the room acoustically in the future? If you really want to enjoy good music, you might want to do that. There are do it yourself ideas on the web - google search form them. |
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Bronze Member Username: ThephatpPost Number: 17 Registered: Jun-05 | Hey, thanks for all the info! To those of you who say there is still a chance to get a good sound out of them, that's encouraging! I really, really liked these speakers, and more importantly (yes, MORE importantly), so did my wife (she's the one allowing me to buy such expensive speakers...haha ). I talked to a guy at Bjorn's (a San Antonio dealer), and he said that I should be able to adjust the Denon 2805 to compensate for the room being overly bright. I was still skeptical, so I asked about the return policy, and he said that I would be able to return them for credit towards other speakers if I don't like them, so that's good. I WILL end up putting some type of area rug down, just haven't started looking for one yet. That might not come immediatly, but it will. So thanks to those of you who mentioned that area rugs help solve the problem! James, I'm not really planning on treating the room acoustically. I'll certainly google it and see what I find. If there is a way to do it, and hide it, or make it look nice, then I will. But I'm going to have to pass it by the boss. ;) Do any of you have any of the 25 series? This is what I'm looking at starting off with (and later, I will upgrade if needed--like the sub--and add surrounds). Denon 2805 RF-7 RC-25 RS-25/R-2650 (surrounds to be added later) RB-25 RW-8 What do you think? Thanks again for all the help!!! |
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Silver Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 755 Registered: Feb-04 | RF-7 ? That's top-of-the-line in the Reference series. Did you really mean to put that there? Or RB-25? |
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Bronze Member Username: ThephatpPost Number: 18 Registered: Jun-05 | haha...sorry, I must have been day dreaming or something. I meant to put RF-25. The backs will be bookshelf, and the fronts will floor-standing. Thanks for the correction! |
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Bronze Member Username: VgtvidzPost Number: 61 Registered: Jul-04 | If your room is big, don't go with the Klipsch RW-8, I own one of those and I'm getting something bigger, honnestly, it's not powerfull enough, I also own Klipsch RF-35 and they are almost able to produce the same bass (almost)... I'm planning on getting the HSU STF-3, I would really consider getting a better sub than the Klispch RW-8, if you really want to stay in Klipsch, consider the RW-12 or the Sub 12 (from the Synergy serie) |
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Silver Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 760 Registered: Feb-04 | VGT Vidz makes a good point. I have a Hsu STF-3 and can recommend it for both movies and music. No trouble merging it in with my Klipsch setup. |
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Bronze Member Username: ThephatpPost Number: 21 Registered: Jun-05 | Does anyone else have any experience with Klipsch and hard floors like ceramic tile?? Peter, what type of floors do you have? Even hardwood floors will absorb more of the sound than tile will. If I really need to do something that is not quite as bright as the Klipsch, could I find something with B&W, MK, or Boston Acoustic? I'm not too familiar with others except B&W, but the place I'm looking carries these brands a few more (not sure they are worth noting, and I can't remember them anyways). |
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Silver Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 769 Registered: Feb-04 | Chad, My room has laminate flooring laid over a thin foam over concrete. This is in the basement. The ceiling is suspended acoustic tiles with 3" of Rocksul (spelling?) sound insulation above that. The Klipsch are Heritage and have very big horns. Don't sound bright in the room. There's no carpet at all. |
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Bronze Member Username: ThephatpPost Number: 22 Registered: Jun-05 | Hey Peter, what are acoustic tiles? It sounds like you've made some adjustments in the room to dampen some of the sound. What do the tiles look like? What else can I do to try to tame the sound without making my living room look like an eyesore? |
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Silver Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 771 Registered: Feb-04 | No, no. Just standard suspended ceiling. The only addon was the 3" thick acoustic fibre that I added between the beams of the ceiling. Wasn't too expense and helps to cut down on the sound that reaches the main floor. |
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Silver Member Username: Timn8terSeattle, WA USA Post Number: 201 Registered: Dec-03 | Speakers that are "directional" may be helpful. I'm thinking of open baffle/dipole types or bipole configuations. Due to the cancellation at the sides the reflections arrive at the listening position late enough to be less offensive. Think Glacier Audio Gilmore Model 2 or Omega Loudspeakers. A suspended ceiling is a great way to help reduce reflections in a room. |
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Silver Member Username: PetergalbraithRimouski, Quebec Canada Post Number: 777 Registered: Feb-04 | I wrote: The ceiling is suspended acoustic tiles with 3" of Rocksul (spelling?) sound insulation above that. Make that Roxul (http://www.roxul.com/) |
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Silver Member Username: Timn8terSeattle, WA USA Post Number: 202 Registered: Dec-03 | Makes for a large bass trap too. |
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