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The (Surround) Sound of Music (and TV/Movies, etc.)

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  • The (Surround) Sound of Music (and TV/Movies, etc.)

    I couldn't find a previous thread on surround sound systems, so here we go.

    What do you have in your home audio setup? What do you like about it? What would you like to improve? See any good deals on gear?

    I'll start. I currently have some Andrew Jones Pioneer speakers (BR22's and C22) up front, some old Polk R15s in the back, a recently acquired SVS SB12-NSD as the subwoofer, and a Pioneer AVR driving it all.

    I am really enjoying the improved low frequencies from the SVS sub. It replaced an old Polk that was just not nearly as capable. I like the musicality of the system, but am frustrated with the vocal clarity from the center channel.

    Anyone have recommendations for center channel speakers that will provide better clarity?
    "I think it was King Benjamin who said 'you sorry ass shitbags who have no skills that the market values also have an obligation to have the attitude that if one day you do in fact win the PowerBall Lottery that you will then impart of your substance to those without.'"
    - Goatnapper'96

  • #2
    I think there's a soundbar thread here somewhere. Maybe you should try that.

    Comment


    • #3
      I don't know model numbers.

      In my basement theater I use an Onkyo receiver with Paradigm Monitor 9 speakers and a Paradigm PS1000 sub. If you can find a PS1000 I highly recommend it. It's one of the best sub $1000 subwoofers ever made.

      In my upstairs living room I have a Yamaha receiver with Paradigm Cinema series speakers. They are compact speakers designed to be Bose killers. They are a lot better than anything Bose makes. The sub is a PAradigm PDR 8.

      In my bedroom I'm have a Samsung sound bar that is great for that space.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Omaha 680 View Post
        I think there's a soundbar thread here somewhere. Maybe you should try that.
        Ha!


        Originally posted by Pelado View Post
        What do you have in your home audio setup?
        • Family room: old Panasonic receiver (5.1); in-wall speakers installed by builder (not sure what brand), cheap sub by PolkAudio.
        • Media room: Yamaha receiver (5.1); speakers/sub from that other Utah-based speaker company (RBH), since I don't make welder money.
        • Outdoor theater: cheap Denon receiver (7.1); speakers/sub by Cambridge SoundWorks (purchased in early 90s before Creative Labs gutted them).


        I've said this before (maybe in the Soundbars thread)... don't spend too much money on a receiver. Receivers will go out-of-date over time relatively quickly. However, a good quality speaker system will last many lifetimes.

        Highly recommend RBH.
        You're actually pretty funny when you aren't being a complete a-hole....so basically like 5% of the time. --Art Vandelay
        Almost everything you post is snarky, smug, condescending, or just downright mean-spirited. --Jeffrey Lebowski

        Anyone can make war, but only the most courageous can make peace. --President Donald J. Trump
        You furnish the pictures, and I’ll furnish the war. --William Randolph Hearst

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Shaka View Post
          I don't know model numbers.

          In my basement theater I use an Onkyo receiver with Paradigm Monitor 9 speakers and a Paradigm PS1000 sub. If you can find a PS1000 I highly recommend it. It's one of the best sub $1000 subwoofers ever made.

          In my upstairs living room I have a Yamaha receiver with Paradigm Cinema series speakers. They are compact speakers designed to be Bose killers. They are a lot better than anything Bose makes. The sub is a PAradigm PDR 8.

          In my bedroom I'm have a Samsung sound bar that is great for that space.
          I was considering some used Paradigm speakers from a local craigslist seller, but I opted against them primarily because I wouldn't be able to test them beforehand. Also, I saw some reviews from owners of that particular center speaker that it wasn't great on clarity - they ended up dumping it and upgrading to a higher-end Paradigm center.

          I don't remember really looking at new Paradigms, so I might need to add those to my search.

          Originally posted by Walter Sobchak View Post
          Ha!



          • Family room: old Panasonic receiver (5.1); in-wall speakers installed by builder (not sure what brand), cheap sub by PolkAudio.
          • Media room: Yamaha receiver (5.1); speakers/sub from that other Utah-based speaker company (RBH), since I don't make welder money.
          • Outdoor theater: cheap Denon receiver (7.1); speakers/sub by Cambridge SoundWorks (purchased in early 90s before Creative Labs gutted them).


          I've said this before (maybe in the Soundbars thread)... don't spend too much money on a receiver. Receivers will go out-of-date over time relatively quickly. However, a good quality speaker system will last many lifetimes.

          Highly recommend RBH.
          You're right on the receivers. 4k and HDR technologies are above the grade of my not-that-old Pioneer AVR. But I won't bother switching it out until I actually have some other 4k/HDR components - that should allow it time for the technology to filter down into the price point I'm willing to spend. I've been looking at picking up a cheap used receiver to run in the garage with whatever speakers get bumped from my existing family room setup.

          I've been looking at lots of different speakers to replace either the front 3 or just the center channel - Ascend Acoustics, Philharmonic, NHT, Wavecrest, HTD, HSU, Q Acoustics, and RBH, among others. The RBH speakers are well regarded and I liked the price/performance profile of the R5Bi bookshelf speakers. The matching center channel, the R56Ci, was a bit pricier than I was willing to attempt to convince my wife we should spend.

          I've been leaning toward the Chane A2.4 for the center channel and (possibly) the A1.4s for the fronts. The reviews have been glowing for dialogue clarity. The Chane center channel is about $70 less than the RBH center. Of course, now that I compare the Chane center and fronts vs the RBH center and fronts, RBH comes out a little less expensive after shipping is factored in.

          Either option is more than I originally intended to spend, but I don't want to get something cheaper and end up disappointed that it doesn't sound good enough.

          Originally posted by Omaha 680 View Post
          I think there's a soundbar thread here somewhere. Maybe you should try that.
          I don't want to get something cheaper and end up disappointed that it doesn't sound good enough.
          "I think it was King Benjamin who said 'you sorry ass shitbags who have no skills that the market values also have an obligation to have the attitude that if one day you do in fact win the PowerBall Lottery that you will then impart of your substance to those without.'"
          - Goatnapper'96

          Comment


          • #6
            I'm not sure about the most recent speakers but Paradigm usually represents a lot of bang for the buck. You will not go wrong with Monitor Series on up.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Pelado View Post
              I've been looking at picking up a cheap used receiver to run in the garage with whatever speakers get bumped from my existing family room setup.
              I ended up picking up a nice Denon receiver for the garage for $25. It works really well for that application and I loved the price. It doesn't have any HDMI inputs, but I don't have anything outputting to HDMI in the garage, anyway.

              Originally posted by Pelado View Post
              I've been leaning toward the Chane A2.4 for the center channel and (possibly) the A1.4s for the fronts. The reviews have been glowing for dialogue clarity.
              I got the Chane A2.4 for my center channel, and if I'd waited any longer than I did, I would have missed out. They've been out of stock for a few months now. Chane's been in the process of rolling out some new speakers and it's taken a really long time. I've really liked this center. The dialogue clarity is much better than with either my old Polk center or the Pioneer C22 that I tried briefly. And it can handle more power than I can throw at it.

              I'm thinking of picking up a pair of A1.4's for my front channels once they come back into stock.

              I've also heard really good things about the new line of Emotiva BasX speakers - good detail, good value, etc. It looks like the folded ribbon tweeter they use is very similar to the tweeter employed by the Chane speakers. I like their nontraditional styling, but it's not for everyone.
              "I think it was King Benjamin who said 'you sorry ass shitbags who have no skills that the market values also have an obligation to have the attitude that if one day you do in fact win the PowerBall Lottery that you will then impart of your substance to those without.'"
              - Goatnapper'96

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Pelado View Post
                I ended up picking up a nice Denon receiver for the garage for $25. It works really well for that application and I loved the price. It doesn't have any HDMI inputs, but I don't have anything outputting to HDMI in the garage, anyway.
                I don't remember how long ago, but I took the Denon receiver to my mom's house since her Kenwood couldn't do what she wanted. So now I have the Kenwood in the garage, which works just fine with the Polk bookshelf speakers I hung on the wall out there.


                Originally posted by Pelado View Post
                I got the Chane A2.4 for my center channel, and if I'd waited any longer than I did, I would have missed out. They've been out of stock for a few months now. Chane's been in the process of rolling out some new speakers and it's taken a really long time. I've really liked this center. The dialogue clarity is much better than with either my old Polk center or the Pioneer C22 that I tried briefly. And it can handle more power than I can throw at it.

                I'm thinking of picking up a pair of A1.4's for my front channels once they come back into stock.

                I've also heard really good things about the new line of Emotiva BasX speakers - good detail, good value, etc. It looks like the folded ribbon tweeter they use is very similar to the tweeter employed by the Chane speakers. I like their nontraditional styling, but it's not for everyone.
                When we moved into the new house in late 2022, I added the Chane A1.5 (new version of the A1.4 I was previously considering) speakers up front and the A4.5 speakers as the surrounds. My brother, who has traditionally been much more into speakers and audio equipment, said they are much better than his current setup.

                I gave the Pioneer Andrew Jones and the old Polk center speaker to a nephew.

                Unfortunately, my Pioneer VSx-1022K receiver has been having issues lately. It doesn't seem to be sending a signal to the subwoofer (which my wife appreciates). A week or so ago, while watching one of the basketball games, it just started clicking randomly and repeatedly. I tried adjusting the settings for the receiver, but couldn't get the on-screen setup menu to populate. Then yesterday, it decided not to relay the HDMI video signal from the Roku to the TV. So I ended up watching the end of the game in the other room.

                So, after a decade+ with the Pioneer, it might be time to upgrade the receiver.

                I was close to purchasing the Denon AVR-S970H last night for $349 (normally $799) at Adorama.com but I wanted to check what deals Costco had in the store before pulling the trigger. I didn't realize that the coupon code (JANU0126) was about to expire. So now I'm looking for other good deals on a receiver with HDCP 2.3 capability while (vainly) hoping that my Pioneer is only mostly dead.
                "I think it was King Benjamin who said 'you sorry ass shitbags who have no skills that the market values also have an obligation to have the attitude that if one day you do in fact win the PowerBall Lottery that you will then impart of your substance to those without.'"
                - Goatnapper'96

                Comment


                • #9
                  Costco had no deals in the store. Sadly, they're catering to the lowest common denominator of simple sound bars and weak subwoofers. They don't carry any AV receivers in any of the local stores.
                  "I think it was King Benjamin who said 'you sorry ass shitbags who have no skills that the market values also have an obligation to have the attitude that if one day you do in fact win the PowerBall Lottery that you will then impart of your substance to those without.'"
                  - Goatnapper'96

                  Comment

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