HELP!! Monitor 40 to better bookshelf or tower?

Gulfstrings

Good looking room! Awesome TV! Question, have you ran the Audyssey program with your current setup? I ask mostly because I have a similar setup in our bedroom - about the same size as your room, and find the Monitors to do a good job of filling the space with sound and my AVR is not nearly as good or as powerful as yours. Try running your Audyssey setup and also try repositioning your speakers to perhaps focus more on your listening
position(s). In our room, it made a big difference with the smaller speakers when I "pointed" them to where we listen - and our bedroom is full of furniture to suck up sound.

If I were to make a change in my system, it would be to add a more powerful AVR or upgrade the M30s I use as surrounds for something more purpose-built. You're more than halfway there with that Onkyo.

Really, I think you're closer than you think to great sound. Just do a little tweaking and take the Mrs. out with the money saved.

Always makes the next purchase that much easier ...

Brunt

drummer86 wrote: »

It seems like you really want to move to towers with an external amp and are just looking for excuses (in the form of a perfect bookshelf speaker) to keep your front stands, not to have to sell your m40's, and to avoid a potential confrontation over "those gaudy enormous speakers in my living room!" comments from your significant other.

Yes!!! :biggrin:

Brunt

Gulfstrings wrote: »

Good looking room! Awesome TV! Question, have you ran the Audyssey program with your current setup? I ask mostly because I have a similar setup in our bedroom - about the same size as your room, and find the Monitors to do a good job of filling the space with sound and my AVR is not nearly as good or as powerful as yours. Try running your Audyssey setup and also try repositioning your speakers to perhaps focus more on your listening
position(s). In our room, it made a big difference with the smaller speakers when I "pointed" them to where we listen - and our bedroom is full of furniture to suck up sound.

If I were to make a change in my system, it would be to add a more powerful AVR or upgrade the M30s I use as surrounds for something more purpose-built. You're more than halfway there with that Onkyo.

Really, I think you're closer than you think to great sound. Just do a little tweaking and take the Mrs. out with the money saved.

Always makes the next purchase that much easier ...

That's actually a painted screen on my wall, using a projector setup.

Def ran Audyssey, and truthfully, my setup sounds good, but you guys know how it is! I mean, my buddies who don't have a HT think it sounds awesome, but my other buddy with high end Klipsch and 2 Elemental A5-350's thinks it sound good...for the money I spent. I think at this point, I'm leaning toward CS2 and mon 70's. For the price and I like the fact that when I eventually settle on an amp, I can get even more out of them instead of feeling like I NEED to get new speaks as soon as I get the amp in a couple years. Really, I do like the RTi A5's, but now we'd be talking what $460 ish versus $900-ish on an RTiA5 front stage...

Looks like I'll have to do some dishes:redface:

...until I fond something else to run by you guys!

pdxfj

Hold out for the RTi A5's. It's worth it. Personally upgrading from the M70's to the A5's I can say they are worth the extra coin. Add the A6 center and you'll be very impressed.

Keep an eye on your local Craigslist. Amazing deals can be found there.

jbooker82

$540 a pair from Polk's ebay store for cherry. RTI A5's
http://cgi.ebay.com/ONE-RTi-A5-RTiA5-CHERRY-Tower-Loudspeaker-Polk-Audio-/230637868870?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item35b3169746

$520 a pair from Polk's ebay store for black RTI A5's
http://cgi.ebay.com/ONE-RTi-A5-BLACK-Tower-Speaker-Polk-Audio-/230600269493?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item35b0d8deb5

The CSI A4 center is $190 in both cherry or black.
http://stores.ebay.com/Polk-Audio-Direct/Home-Audio-/_i.html?_nkw=csi+a4&_fsub=153926419&_sid=686154689

They dont have any CSI A6's listed but if you wait they will be on there.


Heck you can get RTI A7's for $700 a pair wich is still under what you though the RTI A5's would cost you.
http://cgi.ebay.com/PAIR-RTi-A7-RTiA7-BLACK-Tower-Speakers-Polk-Audio-/230623464996?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item35b23ace24

More Drivers does not always equal better sound. You will probably get more bass but will have the same quality of midragne and highs as your monitor 40's. Moving up a series will be more noticable than doing a lateral move with in the same series.

bklynNupe

The a5's are great, and become a totally different speaker with external amplification.

Brunt

jbooker82 wrote: »

$540 a pair from Polk's ebay store for cherry. RTI A5's
http://cgi.ebay.com/ONE-RTi-A5-RTiA5-CHERRY-Tower-Loudspeaker-Polk-Audio-/230637868870?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item35b3169746

$520 a pair from Polk's ebay store for black RTI A5's
http://cgi.ebay.com/ONE-RTi-A5-BLACK-Tower-Speaker-Polk-Audio-/230600269493?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item35b0d8deb5

The CSI A4 center is $190 in both cherry or black.
http://stores.ebay.com/Polk-Audio-Direct/Home-Audio-/_i.html?_nkw=csi+a4&_fsub=153926419&_sid=686154689

They dont have any CSI A6's listed but if you wait they will be on there.


Heck you can get RTI A7's for $700 a pair wich is still under what you though the RTI A5's would cost you.
http://cgi.ebay.com/PAIR-RTi-A7-RTiA7-BLACK-Tower-Speakers-Polk-Audio-/230623464996?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item35b23ace24

More Drivers does not always equal better sound. You will probably get more bass but will have the same quality of midragne and highs as your monitor 40's. Moving up a series will be more noticable than doing a lateral move with in the same series.

I may just wait for the A5's but some of the above is confusing. Yes, I see the prices and I'm not arguing, but ANY speaker purchase for new mains comes with the added cost of a center channel. So yes, $520 for A5's is good, but add $300 for the CSiA6. I don't want to run mismatched center and mains, I would rather wait...that's where the $460 number ame from with Mon 70's...that's including the price of a CS2 too.

And...you see Monitor 40 to Monitor 70 a lateral move or just not as big an upgrade over Mon 40 to RTi's?

jbooker82

I have never ran the monitor series speakers. I am sure that the monitor 40's have the same tweeters as the monitor 70's. So the highs are going to sound pretty comparable. The 70's just have a little larger dirver and it has 2 more of them, along with a ported cabnet. They will have more bass because they have larger drivers, and 4 of them at that vs the monitor 40's just have 2 woofers.

Where the RTI series your upgrading to a whole different speaker, wich includes a better tweeter. Not just adding more dirvers to the current tweeter you have now.

The RTI's have real wood veneer and look nice so your wife might be more able to deal with those as well.

Idealy you would want the RTI A7's or 9's because they contain a tweeter, midrange, and woofers. Where as the RTI A5's have a tweeter and two mid woofers. I would still take the A5's over the 70's.

Geoff4rfc

Brunt wrote: »

I may just wait for the A5's but some of the above is confusing. Yes, I see the prices and I'm not arguing, but ANY speaker purchase for new mains comes with the added cost of a center channel. So yes, $520 for A5's is good, but add $300 for the CSiA6. I don't want to run mismatched center and mains, I would rather wait...that's where the $460 number ame from with Mon 70's...that's including the price of a CS2 too.

And...you see Monitor 40 to Monitor 70 a lateral move or just not as big an upgrade over Mon 40 to RTi's?

It looks to me that the 70/CS2 combo is in your price range and is ultimately what your leaning towards, I could be wrong here but that's what I'm sensing.

I have both 70's and 40's and trust me, it wouldn't be a lateral move from one to the other. If that's what you truly want, jump on it. If not, then the RTi series for more money is where you're headed.

Brunt

Thanks guys...looks like I have to decide whether to pull trigger on better Monitor series or wait awhile for the RTi upgrade. Thanks for all your input!

Brunt

Geoff4rfc wrote: »

It looks to me that the 70/CS2 combo is in your price range and is ultimately what your leaning towards, I could be wrong here but that's what I'm sensing.

I have both 70's and 40's and trust me, it wouldn't be a lateral move from one to the other. If that's what you truly want, jump on it. If not, then the RTi series for more money is where you're headed.

How do the Monitors 70 and/or 40 do with your external amplifiication?

Lietuvis91

for your intended use and the fact that speaker size could be a sore subject with your wife I would go with rtia5 or 7. M70s are a BIG speaker, and from what others say on this forum it sounds like rtia is a worthwhile upgrade over the monitors, especially for HT use.

If you're going to spend the coin, spend it on better stuff. Do it once, do it right, so you are truly happy with the results.

Lietuvis91

Brunt wrote: »

How do the Monitors 70 and/or 40 do with your external amplifiication?

Monitor 70s really benefit from amplification, especially if you throw 200 watts per channel at them, they really wake up and start to shine. Don't know about m40s, but I would imagine the difference would be less dractic because m40s are easier to drive from the get go.

EndersShadow

Brunt wrote: »

How do the Monitors 40 do with your external amplifiication?

Eh, not that big a deal IMHO. I ran M40's with a 125 wpc Carver amp and they didnt sound much diff than running off my Integra 90 wpc AVR.

HOWEVER I was using them as surrounds off the dedicated amp. I have run em as fronts before and honestly they just dont need enough power to benefit from an external amp.

My Monitor 60's however sounded MUCH better on dedicated amplification. I would assume the same would be true of the 70's and probably be an even bigger difference.

pdxfj

Doh! I made a mistake..Dyslexia runs rampant in my head..

I moved up to the A7's and not the A5's.

Very happy with the A7's.

inspiredsports

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