Signature series vs monitor II series

WsW

Breaking away from the sound bars and into a 5.1 setup... I have a few questions before I pull the trigger...

How does the signature series (s55 or s60) compare with the monitor II 70 speakers?

How much benefit does the s60 give over the s55 in rearms of quality sound and or volume/ room filling?

I really liked the sound of the s15 bookshelf at BB demo but wasn't as impressed with the s55... I have been telling myself it is likely because the isle it was setup on and my proximity... will the s55/60's outperform the s15's as front speakers in my living room?

Lastly will these pair well with the onkyo 656?

tonyb

The older Monitor series is probably more equated to the current T series, the Signature line is better than both. That 656 is only going to take you so far in sound quality no matter what speakers you have. Your electronics and cabling will also play a big part in what you hear from your speakers.

rpf65

i would stay away from Onkyo AVR's. Look at Marantz, Pioneer, or Yamaha AVR's. Also a good idea to get one with pre-outs.

The S 55/60's would be better choices for front mains, providing you have room for them. The would probably be to big in say a 10x12 room for instance.

The 50 and 60 should sound very similar. The 60 will produce lower bass, but that will be the biggest difference. Unless you have a fairly large room, a good sub should compensate for that.

You may also want to pass on the subs you see in Best Buy. There are much better subs available at reasonable prices.

pkquat

It all depends on what you are looking to achieve and will be using it for. If it is only for HT, and background or rocking 2Ch, then TBH it doesn't really matter. Its more what you like for overall sound and bass.

Purely HT, with the Onkyo, either will do a good job of improving effects over a sound bar.

If you are are interested in more critical listening, as mentioned the signature will give you a better sound. A better AVR will help too. I'll also toss Denon into the mix. As with any of the brands mention, the improvement will mainly be in the upper end models. If you reach that point, feel free to ask here, and let us know the budget.

cfrizz

He wants a 5.1 setup. the S50/60s would do very well in any size room. They don't take up much space and since the powerport is on the bottom they can go close to the wall if necessary.

Get a receiver that has all the bells and whistles that you want it to have and make sure that it has preouts to add a separate amp down the line if wanted.

The great thing about the Signature series is that they have been designed to do both music and HT very well, so you can have one system that does both.

WsW

Thanks for the quick replies. Desires are mostly for HT but will use for rocking out with the kids or parties occasionally and the wife will use for music while doing house work etc but not an audiophile by any means... tv sound works for her!

If the real difference in the s55 and s60 is on the lower end I don't think the upgrade would be with it as I plan on getting a svs1000 sub or equivelant if there are any suggestions.

Probably going to move to a denon or Yamaha (wireless speakers in other rooms) receiver after enough warnings and issues have been expressed to me on the onkyo.

Working in this price range are there any other series/ brands I should consider over the signature series?

Thanks again

Jimbo18

If you are going to use them for mainly HT and not critical listening, you might be just as well off going with the Monitor line. You can probably find them for about half the price of the Signature series and spend the savings on upgrading your AVR.

WsW

Ok so back to BB for one last listen or so I thought... their crappy display module was out at the store so I messed around with the klipsch module nest to it... man those r-28f (8 inch drivers) and complementary center and bookshelfs put out much more sound than I remember the polk s55 doing.

So I went to the second local store (magnolia) and their Polk module went out after 1 demo at low volume but the klipsch rocked solid.

Same trailer from Independence Day playing on both units, Polk had a very distinct high end sound of shattering debris that I liked better than the same clip on the klipsch but I could hear the voices clearer/louder on the klipsch... klipsch demo has a number of different movie trailers and music selections to demo, however all of the music seams to be bass heavy rock type music with good sounding vocals but not a ton of instrumental samples besides kick drums and electric guitars...

Klipsch would be cheaper as it would give me a free 12" sub with the towers... I was planning on the svs 1000 in my budget and from the sounds of the reviews on each I think the svs would still be better but probably not necessary at this time...

Looking at the frequency range it also appears the polks cover more ground...?

Any first hand comparisons on these two systems ( I know that changes the topic a bit from the original question...) tough to get off the sidelines and into the game...

F1nut

Klipsch speakers use horns and have higher efficiency ratings, so they play louder at lower volume levels than a speaker such as the Polk. They also tend to be much brighter sounding, as in ear piercing, at louder volume levels, which why they are best mated with tube gear as it knocks down some of that.

I think you would find the Klipsch to be fatiguing in short order regardless of what other brand of speaker you may buy.

WsW

Ok thanks... have to keep that in mind and try to get to a buddies house that has Polk speakers paired with a klipsch sub tomorrow to demo. Different setup as his is in ceiling though...

Any recommendations or guidelines on picking an AVR that will be 7.2/multi zone, with bells and whistles of Bluetooth decent number of hdmi inputs 6-8, hdcp 2.2, hdr pass through, internet streaming? Power recommendations, what to steer clear of etc? Looked at Dennon, crutchfield rep suggested Yamaha for wireless 2nd zone (proprietary system 1-10 extra speakers can be added but no idea quality of those but really just want to push sports audio through the house or let the wife listen to her streaming sources or playlists upstairs... this can be done with a Sonos or similar as well... not a big have to have item)

WsW

Meant to clarify recommendations on the AVR would be for the s60/s20/S35 and svs1000 combo

Thanks.

rpf65

Not really a fan of Klipsch for music.

If I were going to set up a dedicated HT system, I may give them another listen. Then again I'm not a big fan of musicals either.

They make a good product, if you like the sound signature. Probably safe to say that if you found something you disliked about there sound while demoing them, it will become even more pronounced when you get them home.

Just like every other speaker out there, it isn't for everyone.

mrloren

BestBuy has the S55 for $270 and the S35 for $250 this week... Nice price for them.

WsW

I saw that... tempted to hold off a while to see if something like this comes up again...
https://slickdeals.net/f/9662288-polk-signature-series-5-speaker-bundles-2-floor-2-bookshelf-center-650-or-850-free-shipping

WsW

Newegg.com has the s60 and s35 for $100 off each and some good 5.1-9.1 package deals with receivers

cfrizz

Sometimes he who hesitates is lost waiting for JUST the right deal. If you have the money ready to pay for it, you should go for it rather than waiting for the next lowest deal. You may well be waiting forever, when you could be enjoying your new setup.

WsW

Mine too... still bummed I didn't see this when it was live...

Have a bundle with the Yamaha a860 receiver (2) S60, S30, S20 and psw110 (which I don't want but this actually makes it cheaper than without) for 1995 with free shipping and no tax...

Going to head back to a BB store that I have yet to visit and hope their s30/s35 are able to demo. I liked the look of the s35 better and thought more drivers more sound but will check to see if I like one or the other better if they are working. The bundle wasn't available with the s35 but many others were (just not with this receiver or at this price point). Maybe I will call tomorrow and ask them to swap the s30 for the s35 if the sound is preferred. I guess theoretically the s30 may be a better choice with the bigger but fewer drivers and bigger box for things like replicating deeper voices etc???