|   Approve My Budget - Offer Additional Suggestions | AGLeiby
May 8, 2002 11:07 AM | | This is the best I think I can do for approximately $2,300. Am I "blowing my wad" in the wrong places?
Receiver (Denon 2802 or Onkyo DS696) $640
Polk R40 Towers (pair) 340
Polk Center CS245i 200
Polk Sub PSW250i 250
Polk R10 Surrounds 100
Sony DVD Player DVP-NS300 (Gift) 0
RCA 35" TV RCA35317 650
Surge protectors, cables, TV/component stand 160
With the exception of the receiver, I am planning on buying everything at Circuit City. I think I will purchase online for the receiver. The receiver cost noted above includes the price of an add-on 2-3 year parts and labor warranty.
In this price range, is anything better than Polk Audio + Denon/Onkyo? I have listened to an old Denon AVR2700 through Polk Tower Speakers at a friend of mine's house and the sound is unbelievable.
All replies in this forum would be greatly appreciated. If an audiophile junkie would be willing to consult with me via traditional e-mail, please feel free to drop me a line at:
adam_leiby@lincolnelectric.com |
| re: Approve My Budget - Offer Additional Suggestions | Adam
May 8, 2002 11:46 AM | | 1. You can do so much better for the sub.
2. I think you can do so much better than the polks, but if you like them it's your call.
3. Forget the extra warranty. I wouldn't bother. Again it's your call.
4. Given the cash your gonna drop and the system you are going for why get a 4:3 TV or for that matter not a 16x9 squeeze capable TV.
It seems like you want to buy everything local thus, If I was doing it I go with:
Denon 2802 (550)
Klipsch SF1 Fronts (500)
Klipsch SC5 Center (180)
Klipsch SS5 Rears (280)
Velodyne CT120 Sub (379.99)
Samsung TSK3292F TV (900)
TOTAL: 2789
Yes it's 500 more but man it would be so much sweeter :) |
| re: Approve My Budget - Offer Additional Suggestions | AGLeiby
May 8, 2002 12:05 PM | | I keep hearing about Klipsch. It sounded like a knock-off brand to me until I started looking at these message boards.
I keep hearing about how good they are. Better than Polk?
Thanks for the help. |
| woah | Adam
May 8, 2002 12:46 PM | | a knockoff brand are you kidding me? they've been around since the early 1900s. I reccomended the SF line because of your budget. The RF line is much better IMO and may turn your fancy. Give them a listen. The best advice I can give you is to listen to as many things as possible and let your own ears choose. |
| I say keep TV and look at Paradigm Monitor Line | midfiman
May 8, 2002 1:01 PM | | First off, Klipsch vs. Polk, most will say no match. Klipsch wins in round one, but to each his own.
As far as the TV goes, since you're budget is "relatively" low, i would stick with the RCA. A 16/9 TV will cost alot more and cut into your speaker budget.
For speakers, Klipsch is great, Paradigm is better. My advice is though, get a really nice pair of fronts first. Don't rush to go out and just get it all. This is a purchase that you will live with for several years. You can get some beautiful fronts for $600ish. Spend that, then upgrade from that as time goes on. If you get half-assed speakers now just for the sake of owning 5, then not very far down the road you will want to upgrade, which can be very costly. Just my $.02 |
| I say keep TV and look at Paradigm Monitor Line | Adam
May 8, 2002 1:25 PM | | speaker preferences are so subjective...I hate polks, enjoy paradigms but love Klipsch...wonderful advice on building around a GREAT front pair |
| re: Klipsch v. Polk and other suggestions... | Woochifer
May 8, 2002 1:37 PM | | Klipsch is one of the oldest speaker makers out there. Their flagship Klipschorn model remains one of the best speakers I've ever heard. Their sound is very different than what you typically get with Polk.
Klipsch has a devoted following and much of this is because their speakers have an unconventional design in that they use horn drivers to reproduce the highs and midrange. This makes their speakers very efficient (not a lot of power needed to drive them loud) and lively sounding. With their affordably priced speaker lines, the criticism usually centers on what some listeners perceive as harshness in the highs and a less than balanced sound overall.
You really need to give them a good listen. More so than with most other speakers, you will either love or hate them. What one listener perceives as open, lively, and musical sounding, another one will regard as harsh, blaring, inaccurate, and fatiguing.
Keep in mind that the Synergy series is brasher sounding than the more subdued (and expensive) Reference series. Compared to the Polks, I would say that the Polks are more neutral sounding and not quite as punchy on the low end. The Polk models that I auditioned last year had some audible flaws, and I liked the Klipsch RF models better for most sources (though with one of my test discs, the Klipsch tripped up really badly). Compared to the Klipsch SF models, I would've probably opted for the Polks. In general, I thought the Polks sounded similar to Infinity's Interlude series, except that the Polks had better imaging and control in the mid and lower ranges. But, that was last year and as of late I've heard nothing but good things about Polk's newer models, and I've not yet had a chance to give them a listen.
I would say give both speaker lines a very careful listen. Speaker shopping is (or at least should be) by far the most time consuming part of pulling your system together. More so than any other component, they will define how your system sounds. So, take your time, figure out what you're looking for, and make sure you bring your own test discs when trying speakers out. If you're limiting your search to what you can find at Circuit City, I would suggest you seek out a smaller specialty audio dealer before you buy. They will likely carry a selection of higher quality (but not necessarily higher priced) speaker lines that just might surprise (shock) you with their sound quality.
If you find that you're partial to the Klipsch sound, you might want to give Paradigm's Monitor series a listen as well. I found it similar in the low end punch, not quite as efficient, but a little more controlled in the midrange and highs.
If you like the Polks, you should also look at B&W's 600 series, Energy's e:XL series, and Boston Acoustics' VR series. I preferred speaker models in all three of these speaker families to the Polks that I auditioned last year. All of these groups have models available well within your price range. |
| Woodman, well done | HockeNut
May 8, 2002 1:45 PM | | That is one of the most concise, informative, non-judgemental, and as a result useful posts I have read on this thread in a long time. Posts like that give this thread merit and credibility. Thank you for writing and educated reply, it helps all of us, not just the original poster. Maybe this new format has finally worn off the quality of responses. LOL
Hocke Nut |
| re: Woodman, well done (!) oh really? | woodman
May 8, 2002 1:59 PM | | Thanks a bunch for your very kind words about something I didn't write - WOOCHIFER did, not me - woodman.
To the original poster:
Get what ever speakers, A/V receiver, and DVD player strikes your fancy, but whatever you do switch gears and get away from that RCA tv set. I was once a staunch supporter of RCA (back in the 50s, 60s, and early '70s), but today I wouldn't have anything in my house with that logo on it! Trust me - I have more than 50 years of hands-on experience with these things.
Good luck
woodman |
| P.S. | Woochifer
May 8, 2002 1:47 PM | | I re-read your budget, and you may also want to consider getting only the front three speakers first, and add the surrounds and sub later. It'll give you more options and ultimately a better system when you add the remaining pieces later on. For example, if you buy the whole enchilada right now and get stuck on B&W, you're limited to either the DM303 ($300/pair) or the DM601 ($450). If you put all your budget on the front three, you can also consider the DM602 or floorstanding DM602.5 -- much better speakers IMO. AND now you can also consider the Paradigm Studio series, which is competitive with a lot of much higher priced speakers. You don't need to rush things and get the whole thing at the same time, especially if you also have a receiver, DVD player, and TV to add as well. Those components are more important than surround speakers and sub IMO. |
| I meant Woochifer, sorry...no credit to Woodman! LOL | HockeNut
May 8, 2002 1:48 PM | | My bad
Hocke Nut |
| S'alright, I was about to say... | Woochifer
May 8, 2002 1:53 PM | | that I'm not quite as social security eligible as the Woodman, but then again, I never got to hang out with all the legendary jazz greats in the postwar years like he did! |
| re: Approve My Budget - Offer Additional Suggestions | prash
May 8, 2002 4:37 PM | | Is there an authorized dealer who will sell u the 2802 for $550 ?
If yes, can u tell us ?
Prashant |
| re: Approve My Budget - Offer Additional Suggestions | Adam
May 8, 2002 6:01 PM | | 6th Avenue Electronics |
| kinda stange when you think about it but.... | Phillykid
May 8, 2002 1:12 PM | | Most really good speaker manufacturers are unknown by probably at least 90% of the population. Mention paradigm, PSB, Klipsch, Mirage, Sonus Farber, Vienna Acoustics, monitor audio and most consumers will not know what you are talking about but if you talk to people with more experience they will most likely have heard of all of these and would reccomend any of these above those polks and infinity's at circuit city. Of course if boils down to personal preference.
I think your first step would be to find other more specialized audio video stores in you area. (where do ya live? cause someone here might live near you and be able to suggest places). Oftentimes these places have more knowledgeable sales people, are more likely to have decent listening rooms, and better gear.
Bring along a couple CDs and DVDs and take your time to really experience what they have to offer rather than rushing around at a big chain store.
As for the tv...I'm a bit skeptical about the reliability of RCA tvs. I have a samsung HDTV monitor (27in) which is fairly nice (I'd rather have a panny tau but rather expensive) and I'm pretty happy with it. |
| re: Approve My Budget - Offer Additional Suggestions | Keith from Canada
May 9, 2002 4:56 AM | | I would have to agree with the messages throughout this thread...you're fine going with a Denon or Onkyo receiver; an extended warranty is not necessary but it's your call (whatever helps you sleep at night); you can do better than Polk IMO...PSB, Paradigm, Energy, Klipsch, Monitor etc., all offer better bang for the buck than Polk as far as I'm concerned; have a look at the intro JVC and Toshiba TV's rather than the RCA.
Lastly, I would echo the concerns raised by a few others and tell you to look high and low for an audio shop other than Circuit City. They might be a good place to buy DVDs but they are anything but a good place for any serious form of HT gear. |
| |
