|
Silver Member Username: NuckParkhill, Ontario Canada Post Number: 126 Registered: Dec-04 | hi everyone. As I have no recent experience with small speakers, maybe I can toss this one out. I would like to put a 5.1 upstairs in our smallish living room(10x20). We have movies up there, but music will be very important, stereo likely, and will listen from the kitchen and table area next room over, via the large open doorway. Small speakers to me are the old radio shack ones, remember the metal bodies and steel grilles. I may use a HK avr55 to run things, and an HSU sub seems popular, albeit I need only the small one. Music might be, James Taylor, Eagles, BB king, or that woman who sings Here for the party(wretch) Thats my honey for ya! Money counts here folks, I am Canadian after all. many thanks, Jamie |
|
Silver Member Username: ChitownPost Number: 277 Registered: Apr-05 | You may want a dual zone amplifier. That way you can setup a 5.1 upstairs for the movies and may be run a two speaker in the other area for the music. The HK is good. I don't know if that model is 2 zone. You can also look into lower cost Kenwood or Panasonic. If you want to spend a little more go with Denon or Marantz. A lot of their receivers are 2 zones. As for the speakers stick with your Canadians and help out your econonmy. Look for Axiom or Ascend speakers for good bookshelves. The HSU is a great complement. |
|
Silver Member Username: NuckParkhill, Ontario Canada Post Number: 127 Registered: Dec-04 | Thanks Stof. If I put anymore than this in the house my hunny might blow a fuse, haha. This is going to be one room only, and, you may be on the spot to call on psb, axiom and the lot for an idea or two. Repatriation from Chitown, who knew. Thanks. A sub sat sounds chincy to me, but maybe I need to check it out. |
|
Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 5360 Registered: May-04 | http://www.us.alegriaaudio.com/ |
|
Silver Member Username: CheapskatePost Number: 274 Registered: Mar-04 | well you're in luck nuck. canadian minimonitors are some of THE BEST values in loudspeakers. you might get an even better deal on them than we do in the US. axiom paradigm psb energy & mirage all make speakers that are great values for the money. FORGET radioshack aluminum box speakers. they SUCK! i own a pair, but they don't sound anywhere near as good as ANY "real" speaker i've owned... NHT, JBL or mission. in hifi, small $200-$300 minimonitors are the best bang for your buck, but require subwoofers. i LOVE my NHT superzeros. HSU definately gets raves for wall shaking, but you can get decent enough bass cheaper if you put some effort into it. i've seen decent brand powered subs selling for as little as $150 or so. i have about $200 invested in my DIY sub that i'd put up against most $500 subs as i've double lined my cabinets. you'd be surprised by how good a sound you can get out of a cheap system if you shop carefully. i love HK gear for it's extended treble, but the last time i A/Bed gear, pioneer recievers had 95% the sound of HK at a little more than 1/2 the price and yamaha was 98% the quality (treble exension) at about 2/3 the price. the diffrences between recievers was very small, but you can get ALOT more quality out of carefully chosen speakers. i'd say save $100 on HK and apply it to your speakers instead. epos els-3 ($330 pr.) are some great cheap minimonotors that sound better than speakers 3 times their price according to stereophile's recommended components list. if i had $1500 to spnd on an AV system, i'd get a $500 NAD reciever (just because it can do 4 ohms) and 2 pairs of magnepan MMGs at $500 pr. because magneplanars sound so much more realistic than speakers MANY times their price. the $1200 maggies that i auditioned were speakers that i could see myself living with for the rest of my life without feeling the need to upgrade. i liked them better than $20,000 speakers! p.s. maggies make vocals sound spooky realistic. they don't sound like speakers. they sound like the actual sounds... lightning fast and NO boxy sound. i love my superzeros, but i lust over planars now. LOL |