The upgrade bug has hit. I'm hoping to get advise on speakers and A/V receivers. I listen to 80% HT, 19% radio, 1% CDs, this might change with the new music CD/DVD formats. Music is 85% Rock/top 40, 15% everything else. I'm beginning to like jazz, piano, sax, and trumpet. (Dire Straits "Your latest trick")
I'm undecided on 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1.
I like tight base and I don't' like anything missing in the middle and high end.
The existing room is 21.5X11X8 with an attached 11X9X8 dining room. The TV and main speakers use 11' of a 20' wall.
Existing system is a Yamaha R8 with Klipsch Heresy II speakers. The new Klipsch speakers seem to lack balance, nothing in the middle. The sound is expected since they use larger mid/woofer drivers and a horn loaded tweeter. This seems to rule out using the Heresy speakers in the new system because matching speakers is critical for 5.1.
The speaker list has been reduced to Polk LSi9, Axiom M22ti, and NHT M5 or M6. The speaker configurations are listed below,
Polk; 4-LSi9, LSiC, and subwoofer Polk; 2-LSi9, 2-LSi/FX, LSiC, and subwoofer 5-NHT M5 and subwoofer 5-NHT M6 and subwoofer Axiom; 4-M22ti, VP150, and subwoofer Axiom; 2-M22ti, 2-QS8, and subwoofer
The subwoofer list includes HSU VTF-3, SVS CS-Ultra, and SVS PB2-Plus.
I've listened to NHT M6 and B&W CM2 and CM4. The NHT M6 speakers were great. They actually sounded better the CM2 using the same Rotel stereo. The CM2 speakers may not have been broken in. At a second store, I was amazed at the sound coming from the CM2 speakers connected to a Yamaha 3300 or 2400. It was amazing how they disappear. The local Polk dealer didn't have the LSi9 speakers available for listening.
Now for the questions
1) Has anyone compared the NHT, Polk, and Axiom speakers listed above? 2) How tight and or boomy is the bass of the LSi9 and Axiom speakers compared to the NHT speakers? 3) Is two-speaker imaging needed when dealing with 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1? 4) Is the disappearing speaker design (like the B&K CM2) needed with 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1? 5) Do sealed speakers usually have tighter (less boomy) bass then ported designs? (excluding subwoofers) Or is there more to it? 6) What are the best speaker types for side surround and rear surround in a 7.1 setup? (Bipole/Dipole) It looks like LSiFX is the best design for a 5.1 speaker configuration. 7) How do the Polk LSiC the Axiom VP150 compare? 8) Generally speaking what is the brightness order for the following tweeter designs? Titanium, Aluminum, Ring Radiator, CPC (Paradigm) 9) Is the Polk LSiC enough of a speaker for the center channel? 10) Will a Rotel RSX-1055 caliber A/V receiver be needed for the Polk and NHT speakers when matched with a good powered subwoofer and a crossover point of 80Hz? 11) Will a Yamaha RX-V2400 be able to drive the Polk and NHT speakers given a crossover point of 80Hz? 12) How future proof is the Rotel RSX-1055 receiver? 13) Has Rotel released any software update? 14) Will the Rotel RSX-1055 be able to support DD IIx?
Sorry for the long intro!
Rex
Anonymous
Posted on
the one thing i do know is that the m22tis have accurate bass, but not a significant amount.(one reason they are so cheap is because axiom concentrated on good mids+highs, and assumed you might buy a sub). Because of their accurate bass they go very well with any subwoofer(not boomy to answer your question) They are awsome speakers
have you looked at the SVS 25-31PC+? they will kick your but