5.1 (or 5.1.2) speaker set sub-$600?

[MavericK]

I recently upgraded my AV setup to an LG OLED and Denon X1700H so that I can utilize 4K120. I'm still using some old Onkyo speakers (SKM-360s) and sub from two AVRs ago. They sound alright, but I can't help but think they are holding back the system in general. I've been trying to find a decent 5.1 speaker set but everything seems to be $1k+ now. It looks like Costco used to sell a Klipsch set for around $500-600 but no longer has them. I like the look of this Klipsch set on Amazon, but again it's $1,200. Is there anything comparable or better for around $600 or less? Maybe it's a matter of waiting for sales? This receiver will do 80w per channel, so that is something to keep in mind as well.

 

[kydsid]

Don't, just don't.

Current Klipsch R=nope , RP=if you have too. There is better out there than Klipsch mass market sales speakers.

Get the best 3.0 you can for that cash. Then add a sub, then add another sub. Then add rears.

If you are willing to go used you can get more for your money. Some Klipsch KGs - 2.5 as center, 4.2 or similar is possible. Infinity IL 40s and IL 36c for half your budget is possible and will be way better.

 

[MavericK]

Don't, just don't.

Current Klipsch R=nope , RP=if you have too. There is better out there than Klipsch mass market sales speakers.

Get the best 3.0 you can for that cash. Then add a sub, then add another sub. Then add rears.

If you are willing to go used you can get more for your money. Some Klipsch KGs - 2.5 as center, 4.2 or similar is possible. Infinity IL 40s and IL 36c for half your budget is possible and will be way better.

Thanks for the heads up. I don't mind used, but it doesn't look like there's a whole lot in my area, unfortunately.

The idea of doing upgrades over time makes sense, I just wondered if having mismatched speakers would cause any issues. I think a good 3.0 or 3.1 is most important overall.

 

[MavericK]

What about this - Infinity IL30 x2, Infinity Interlude center (IL-25c), Infinity Universal Standard bookshelf rears, for $280?

 

[kydsid]

Thanks for the heads up. I don't mind used, but it doesn't look like there's a whole lot in my area, unfortunately.

The idea of doing upgrades over time makes sense, I just wondered if having mismatched speakers would cause any issues. I think a good 3.0 or 3.1 is most important overall.

Most important to match sonically are L,R and C. Then two of same sub. I have a setup that is mixed, cant tell.

What about this - Infinity IL30 x2, Infinity Interlude center (IL-25c), Infinity Universal Standard bookshelf rears, for $280?

30 and 25 for $175 max, woth 100 _120 being a buy price. 30 is just a 10 in floorstanding form, they are pretty small. The USB is not worth buying.

I'd pass and wait, if you can wait. Or just get some new speakers

 

[MavericK]

Most important to match sonically are L,R and C. Then two of same sub. I have a setup that is mixed, cant tell.



30 and 25 for $175 max, woth 100 _120 being a buy price. 30 is just a 10 in floorstanding form, they are pretty small. The USB is not worth buying.

I'd pass and wait, if you can wait. Or just get some new speakers

Thanks, I will keep an eye out for more local deals. If I were to buy new, what would you recommend within the original price range? For a 3.0 or 3.1 setup.

 

[kydsid]

Thats hard I like what I like, and best case you shoukd listen before buying. Try a Best Buy magnolia to try out, even if not in price range, to get ideas on what you like.

But ELAC, Definitive Technology, Paradigm good brands in the range. There are usually open box, refurb, or returns of all. Your budget even for 3.0 is low, but starting this way, way better than a in a box combo.

In short really I'm just making a recommendation based on don't do what I did and regret. I did cheap htib. I did cheap separates, Pioneer Andrew Jones. I wish I had started slower but with better.

 

[Ebernanut]

The idea of doing upgrades over time makes sense, I just wondered if having mismatched speakers would cause any issues. I think a good 3.0 or 3.1 is most important overall.

I think that is something to be concerned about though mainly with the fronts and center like kydsid said. I wouldn't worry about matching the sub at all but you might want to try to match any back speakers if your ears are picky. I have matching fronts and center but due to space constraints I went with rear speakers that are from the same manufacturer and nearly the same tech but are just different enough still that I can tell a difference with some music(usually bright horns) in surround stereo mode and every once in a great while a sound shifts dramatically from front to back while gaming. It doesn't bother me but if the rear speakers were dramatically different it would.

I think the center is probably the most important speaker in a surround setup for movies or games and should be a major consideration from the start, especially if you're trying to do quality on a budget. One of the main reasons I picked my Monitor Audio speakers over the Focal speakers that I also liked the sound of was a cost difference that mainly came from the matching center being obscenely priced(which seemed to be a theme on decent centers).

The next most important speaker IMO is the sub. If I were you I would consider using what you have until you can do it right because unless the market has changed recently you can get a lot of boom for cheap but the cheaper you go the more unresponsive and muddy sounding it's going to be so you probably won't want to turn the sub up anyway. I would also be more concerned with getting a good sub than 2 subs personally and unless you're trying to fill large room with sound you might not even notice a difference and even then you might find that one good sub still blends better than two budget ones(YMMV).

Based on your budget and what you currently have(roughly) I would upgrade piecemeal if I were in your shoes and wanted better sound. I would start with the fronts and center or even just the center, then a sub, and then rears and possibly a second sub. I wouldn't worry much about how well it all matches before you're finished unless it's going to take a very long time, good speakers are a good long term investment compared to a receiver that gets outdated quickly.

I can't help much with brand recommendations in that price range but from what I do know it sounds like kydsid is giving you good advice there.

 

[MavericK]

I'll probably just keep my eyes out for deals, I'm not in a super rush to buy something. At least I know what to look for, thanks.

If I get a chance to listen to some speakers at a dealer, I will.

 

[Ebernanut]

If I get a chance to listen to some speakers at a dealer, I will.

That's by far the best way to figure out what sounds good to you but if you have a good set of headphones you should try the thing on Crutchfield's site that lets you preview the tonal quality on certain speakers, it's not perfect but I was surprised how much it matched the real life comparisons I was able to make.

 

[MavericK]

Also, I'm not sure if this makes a difference, but the room these would be going in is not all that huge, nor is it all that well acoustically isolated. I don't need something massively loud, just something that has good bass and good, clear sound for movies, music and gaming.

 

[sharknice]

Thats hard I like what I like, and best case you shoukd listen before buying. Try a Best Buy magnolia to try out, even if not in price range, to get ideas on what you like.

But ELAC, Definitive Technology, Paradigm good brands in the range. There are usually open box, refurb, or returns of all. Your budget even for 3.0 is low, but starting this way, way better than a in a box combo.

In short really I'm just making a recommendation based on don't do what I did and regret. I did cheap htib. I did cheap separates, Pioneer Andrew Jones. I wish I had started slower but with better.

Same experience for me. Getting good front left/right/center speakers will by far make the biggest difference.

I had some cheap speakers and they were ok. A big upgrade from the TV speakers and sound bars. But I eventually got Elac Debut 2.0 speakers and wow. They were a massive upgrade over the other stuff I had.

I actually only have Debut 2.0 front speakers Left/Right towers and a center channel. The rest of the surrounding speakers are in-ceiling speakers. It works fine because for the vast majority of content anything that isn't in front of you is just background noise type stuff, but anything coming from the front it's obvious when there is a speaker quality difference. I actually started out with just the center channel, but movies did not sound good with cheap left and rights paired with it. Once I got the full front 3 it was wesome.

 

[MavericK]

Same experience for me. Getting good front left/right/center speakers will by far make the biggest difference.

I had some cheap speakers and they were ok. A big upgrade from the TV speakers and sound bars. But I eventually got Elac Debut 2.0 speakers and wow. They were a massive upgrade over the other stuff I had.

I actually only have Debut 2.0 front speakers Left/Right towers and a center channel. The rest of the surrounding speakers are in-ceiling speakers. It works fine because for the vast majority of content anything that isn't in front of you is just background noise type stuff, but anything coming from the front it's obvious when there is a speaker quality difference. I actually started out with just the center channel, but movies did not sound good with cheap left and rights paired with it. Once I got the full front 3 it was wesome.

I'm looking at those now and it looks like you can get those Elac ones for a decent price open box on Ebay. Might have to go that route.

It looks like I can get a B6.2 pair and C6.2 for about $600. Seems pretty decent? Then I can work on the surround and sub later.

Another option might be the SVS Prime satellites x5, you can get those for a similar price but I'm not sure if getting all satellites for center and front L/R makes sense, even if they do sell them that way from the manufacturer.

 

[MavericK]

That's by far the best way to figure out what sounds good to you but if you have a good set of headphones you should try the thing on Crutchfield's site that lets you preview the tonal quality on certain speakers, it's not perfect but I was surprised how much it matched the real life comparisons I was able to make.

Thanks for this recommend - the Crutchfield virtual thing is pretty cool. I can definitely hear that Klipsch is way more harsh/sibilent than other options. Honestly, so far I think I like the Elac Debut 2.0 the best, they seem a bit warmer and smoother which I prefer.

 

[Ebernanut]

Also, I'm not sure if this makes a difference, but the room these would be going in is not all that huge, nor is it all that well acoustically isolated. I don't need something massively loud, just something that has good bass and good, clear sound for movies, music and gaming.

In a large room set up for home theater with a large seating area it can be hard to find one spot that the sub seamlessly blends with the audio and doesn't seem directional. In that situation a second sub is called for but outside of that it's not important unless you can't find a spot to put it that it blends well. When only using one sub it's a good idea to try a few spots if you can and see how it sounds in each, good feet or an isolation mat can help a sub sound less directional as well.

Getting a good sub for me is less about how loud it is(I have mine turned way down) and more about how clear it sounds(so it doesn't drown out other audio) and how low of a frequency it can reproduce, that last part is important to me because I like that too low to hear rumble you get in atmospheric parts of some movies and games. Many nicer ones also come with a ton of room correction features but I wouldn't worry about that because you're probably better off using the room correction built into your receiver even if audyssey isn't the best.

 

[MavericK]

In a large room set up for home theater with a large seating area it can be hard to find one spot that the sub seamlessly blends with the audio and doesn't seem directional. In that situation a second sub is called for but outside of that it's not important unless you can't find a spot to put it that it blends well. When only using one sub it's a good idea to try a few spots if you can and see how it sounds in each, good feet or an isolation mat can help a sub sound less directional as well.

Getting a good sub for me is less about how loud it is(I have mine turned way down) and more about how clear it sounds(so it doesn't drown out other audio) and how low of a frequency it can reproduce, that last part is important to me because I like that too low to hear rumble you get in atmospheric parts of some movies and games. Many nicer ones also come with a ton of room correction features but I wouldn't worry about that because you're probably better off using the room correction built into your receiver even if audyssey isn't the best.

Yeah, it's maybe a 12x12 space or so, not huge. And I have an isolation mat for my current sub so covered there. I'm thinking eventually I want to get a ported sub, based on what I've read. For now I will spend some money on a 3.0 and then add the sub and surround later, I think.

 

[Algrim]

Ideally, your front left/center/right are the same speaker but this will only work if you have a sound transparent projector screen or if your screen is far enough off the ground that the speakers slot in under it (which will probably ruin immersion).

Subs without ports are generally going to give you cleaner bass than a ported sub but the downside is, for the frequency response, ported subs are going to be cheaper. Unported subs are also going to need more power for the lower frequencies than ported.

 

[MavericK]

Well I've got the Elacs coming. Next thing I'll want is a sub, but the prices are bonkers. Apparently since COVID they have gone up a ton. I was looking at SVS or Hsu and both used to have ~$500 offerings, but now they are more like $650-700. Even $500 seems crazy to me, I was hoping more in the $300 range for something decent. It doesn't need to shake a massive room.

 

[sharknice]

I have a Dayton Audi SUB 1500 which was only $180 when I got it about 5 years ago. It's 15" so it's huge and basically a piece of furniture. It's very cheap for the performance but it is also very large for the performance.

 

[Ebernanut]

Well I've got the Elacs coming. Next thing I'll want is a sub, but the prices are bonkers. Apparently since COVID they have gone up a ton. I was looking at SVS or Hsu and both used to have ~$500 offerings, but now they are more like $650-700. Even $500 seems crazy to me, I was hoping more in the $300 range for something decent. It doesn't need to shake a massive room.

Congrats on the Elacs, I've heard a lot of good things about them so I'm sure they'll be a nice upgrade. Just a word of warning though, if they're like most high end speakers they'll sound better after 40-120 hours of breaking them in at moderate levels(avoid really blasting them during that period if you can).

You can't go wrong with SVS but yeah they're not cheap. I bought mine shortly before SVS raised their prices and at the time there was a big gap where spending more than about $250 didn't get you any better sound until you hit $500, I didn't originally want to spend that much but none of the less expensive ones I was able to listen to sounded nearly as good. I also wanted something smaller than a 12" sub but none of the 8"-10" ones had good sound either.

 

[MavericK]

Yeah, all subs seem to be $100+ more than they were less than a year ago. I'd love to pick up a SVS PB-1000 used but they are almost impossible to find, and at eBay prices you might as well buy something new. I might just have to wait for a sale. I've also heard good things about the RLS Speedwoofer 10 (~$430) but those are also out of stock.

 

[MavericK]

I think my current plan is this:

-Install the Elac R/L and center
-Use my existing speakers as surround (maybe use the extra two for 7.1 or 5.1.2?) Honestly for a rear/side speaker they seem adequate, and I can always upgrade later.
-Pick up a Speedwoofer 10s MKII when they come back in stock.

I'd be open to comparable subs for under $500, but I'm not spending $600+ on an SVS. If I can find a used PB-1000 or PB-1000 Pro for ~$500, maybe.

 

[MavericK]

RSL Speedwoofer 10S MKII preorders just opened, got mine in.

So far I am liking the Elacs, but I need to do another room calibration since we also rearranged the furniture. Waiting until I mount and wire the surround speakers where I want.

I can also get a pretty good deal on some Elac Atmos upfiring speakers locally, which I hear mixed things about, but the room is small with a flat, low ceiling so I think they might actually work decently. We'll see.

 

[MavericK]

I ended up with a 5.1.2 setup, all Elac, and soon the RSL sub. Pretty happy with it, sounds really good.

 

[toast0]

I can also get a pretty good deal on some Elac Atmos upfiring speakers locally, which I hear mixed things about, but the room is small with a flat, low ceiling so I think they might actually work decently. We'll see.

I've got a legit 7.1.4 setup, and there's not a lot of content mixed to come from above. I'd save the money for something else unless it's a really good deal. Very happy with my Elac Debut 2.0 fronts in my living room that's 4.1.0.

 

[MavericK]

I've got a legit 7.1.4 setup, and there's not a lot of content mixed to come from above. I'd save the money for something else unless it's a really good deal. Very happy with my Elac Debut 2.0 fronts in my living room that's 4.1.0.

I ended up getting them, and I think they do add to the overall sound in Atmos stuff. Plus I have a low, flat ceiling so it's ideal for that type of setup. I also have the option of using them as front Height, or as side speakers for 7.1 if I really wanted to, but they're not really designed for that.

 

[toast0]

I ended up getting them, and I think they do add to the overall sound in Atmos stuff. Plus I have a low, flat ceiling so it's ideal for that type of setup. I also have the option of using them as front Height, or as side speakers for 7.1 if I really wanted to, but they're not really designed for that.

Sorry, reading fail on my part. Happy they worked out and you like them!

 

[MavericK]

Sorry, reading fail on my part. Happy they worked out and you like them!

Nope, you're good, I said I *could* get a set locally and didn't really specify if I did or not. They were down in Seattle and I ended up needing to head down there last weekend anyway, so I picked them up. It was a really good deal, less than half of what the lowest sale prices generally are on the pair, and they're in like-new condition.

 

[jameswilliam]

I think that is something to be concerned about though mainly with the fronts and center like kydsid said. I wouldn't worry about matching the sub at all but you might want to try to match any back speakers if your ears are picky. I have matching fronts and center but due to space constraints I went with rear speakers that are from the same manufacturer and nearly the same tech but are just different enough still that I can tell a difference with some music(usually bright horns) in surround stereo mode and every once in a great while a sound shifts dramatically from front to back while gaming. It doesn't bother me but if the rear speakers were dramatically different it would.

I think the center is probably the most important speaker in a surround setup for movies or games and should be a major consideration from the start, especially if you're trying to do quality on a budget. One of the main reasons I picked my Monitor Audio speakers over the Focal speakers that I also liked the sound of was a cost difference that mainly came from the matching center being obscenely priced(which seemed to be a theme on decent centers).

The next most important speaker IMO is the sub. If I were you I would consider using what you have until you can do it right because unless the market has changed recently you can get a lot of boom for cheap but the cheaper you go the more unresponsive and muddy sounding it's going to be so you probably won't want to turn the sub up anyway. I would also be more concerned with getting a good sub than 2 subs personally and unless you're trying to fill large room with sound you might not even notice a difference and even then you might find that one good sub still blends better than two budget ones(YMMV).

Based on your budget and what you currently have(roughly) I would upgrade piecemeal if I were in your shoes and wanted better sound. I would start with the fronts and center or even just the center, then a sub, and then rears and possibly a second sub AC repair in Cedar Park. I wouldn't worry much about how well it all matches before you're finished unless it's going to take a very long time, good speakers are a good long term investment compared to a receiver that gets outdated quickly.

I can't help much with brand recommendations in that price range but from what I do know it sounds like kydsid is giving you good advice there.

Hello. I am at the point of going for a Dolby Atmos system, now when I look at the Dolby site for placement of ceiling speakers if I am going 5.1.2 it is saying to put these just in front of the seating position to the side, however :-

If I look at the guide from Dolby for 5.1.4 it says to have two speakers behind me above the Rear Surrounds, and the other 2 slightly forward of the seating position that they said to place the ceiling speakers for 5.1.2.

I guess i am wanting to go 5.1.2 initially I am having the wiring put in the the 5.1.4 but if I go for 5.1.4 in the future am I going to have to re-position the 2 initial ceiling speakers and have addiitonal ceiling holes to fill ?

 

[toast0]

Hello. I am at the point of going for a Dolby Atmos system, now when I look at the Dolby site for placement of ceiling speakers if I am going 5.1.2 it is saying to put these just in front of the seating position to the side, however :-

If I look at the guide from Dolby for 5.1.4 it says to have two speakers behind me above the Rear Surrounds, and the other 2 slightly forward of the seating position that they said to place the ceiling speakers for 5.1.2.

I guess i am wanting to go 5.1.2 initially I am having the wiring put in the the 5.1.4 but if I go for 5.1.4 in the future am I going to have to re-position the 2 initial ceiling speakers and have addiitonal ceiling holes to fill ?

Speaker placement is all about tradeoffs, and Atmos vertical mixing is going to be done with that in mind. Not many people are going to have perfect setups, and whatever you have is going to be ok.

I wouldn't plan to move your front heights. Put them wherever and keep them there.

You can put them in the .2 position if you don't think you'll really go to .4 and just wiring for it while the ceiling is open, cause it's basically free. Or in the .4 position if you think you'll go to .4, but you just don't want to buy four ceiling speakers at once. Or anywhere between the two positions if you're only 65% sure.

 

[quiktake]

Don’t worry about atmos and vertical speaker placement. You aren’t missing out on much. I like RSLs and JBL 630’s for value at the moment.