Despite 20 years as an audiophile, my Paradigm towers are biting the dust thanks to a snot-nosed interior decorator and my wife who agrees with her.
As a result, I'm left with a quandry. I would like to keep my Velodyne powered sub as the basis for a new 5.1 setup. I'd also like to keep the Polk surrounds I currently have. So that leaves my main left/right and center as the speakers which I need to replace. And they have to be small--no more than 12" high.
As I change from a "traditional" setup to a true sub/sat setup, what should I look for in the main speakers? Do I want good bass response, or is that pointless because the sub will handle it? Should I buy top-notch bookshelf speakers as the mains, or doesn't it matter all that much? When I see the tiny little things that reputable manufacturers like Klipsch, Polk, Infinity, etc are selling, I think spending more than $200 a pair is overkill. Then again, you always get what you pay for. I've heard some of these systems, and I think their sound quality is directly related to the quality of the subwoofer they're matched with. That is, some otherwise lame bookshelf speakers roar to life with a good sub. I'm confident my Velodyne is better than most of the "home theatre in a box" out there.
I have a friend who has a sub/sat system that consists of nothing but center channel speakers and a sub. The sound is pretty damned impressive. Is that a good way to go? It sure brings consistency across the front soundstage! No joke--the dude bought five Energy centers.
Right now, I don't know if the answer lies with a high-end stereo store or my local Radio Shack. (I know, I know, the proof is in the listening, but any insights are appreciated.)
So what should I do? Go the route of cheap and rely on a good subwoofer to handle more of the load, or go high-end? Any insights TRULY appreciated.
Derek
Posted on
Give Athena, Energy, NowHearThis and you old friends Paradigm a listen. They all make speakers under 12" tall. Energy makes some about 6" tall.
You may also want to consider some built-ins. That will certainly make your "girls" happy.
They question is why do you have to scrap your existing speakers if they still sound good?!Screw the decorator...if thats what it takesSeriously,if you want to scrap the mains,look for a compatible (read same or similar sensitivity rating as your remaining speakers.)It makes it easier to have a seamless soundstage.And your sub will still do most of the low freq.(100 hz and lower),so small bookshelf speakers are all right.A center speaker does the same thing as one speaker,the only real difference is that the speakers are side by side(tweeter and woofer)instead of on top of each other.Thats why your friends system sounds good.It really isn't that different than a standard 5.1 system.The difference is what sounds good to you,as long as the speakers match in sensitivity,and you like the way they sound in the store,you should be able to tweak the sound with the adjustments on your reciever as far as sound levels(right ,center,left,and rear left and rear right)Good luck,I know how dealing with women and decorators is and I feel for ya.
Greg Lee
Posted on
If you want to use a crossover frequency of 80Hz, which is sort of standard, this constrains your choice of satellite speakers. They have to extend down considerably below 80Hz so as not to leave a dip in the frequency response of the sub+sat system. I don't know how far below -- say 60Hz as a guess.
Seriously,if you want to scrap the mains,look for a compatible (read same or similar sensitivity rating as your remaining speakers.)It makes it easier to have a seamless soundstage.And your sub will still do most of the low freq.(100 hz and lower),so small bookshelf speakers are all right.A center speaker does the same thing as one speaker,the only real difference is that the speakers are side by side(tweeter and woofer)instead of on top of each other.Thats why your friends system sounds good.It really isn't that different than a standard 5.1 system.The difference is what sounds good to you,as long as the speakers match in sensitivity,and you like the way they sound in the store,you should be able to tweak the sound with the adjustments on your reciever as far as sound levels(right ,center,left,and rear left and rear right)Good luck,I know how dealing with women and decorators is and I feel for ya.