Help with home theater set up
chws312
Posts: 4
Hello Polk folk. I consider myself a noob and am still pretty early on in the learning curve when it comes to audio. However, I am sliding down the slippery slope of constantly needing to upgrade my system. With that said, I have pretty much been on a thrift store budget but have made some pretty good finds. I apologize in advance for the long winded post.
Last month at an estate sale I picked up an Onkyo TX-SR804 for $110. My front speakers are Polk Monitor 7c's that I just picked up from Goodwill for $20 in very nice aesthetic condition and they sound great. Last week at an estate sale I missed out on a pair of RTI A7's for a whopping $200 by mere seconds, had I known the guy in front of me was going for them I would have knocked him over to get to the sticker first. I picked up some Paradigm Atom v.2's for $20 at another local thrift store. My rears are Bose 201 Series III (I know, I know...remember, thrift store budget, I take what I can get). My sub is a Klipsch KSW-10 that I picked up from GW for $30. And I am trying to decide which center to use, either a Polk CS-100 ($4 Goodwill) or a Sony SS-CN5000 (again, I know, but I'm doing what I can).
I am trying to decide what to sell and what to keep in order to keep putting money into my system and keep upgrading while getting the best sound with what I have. I have a pair of Infinity Reference Three's and a pair of Infinity RS2000's that I picked up from SA that all need new surrounds. I also have a pair of Paradigm Titan V1's that need new surrounds. I have no problem doing the surrounds, so let's just say all of the equipment is in working order.
Now here is my question, should I use the Reference Three's or Monitor 7's as my main speakers while I continue to upgrade? Is there a different arrangement anyone could suggest to optimize my listening? The majority of use is for HT. Also, I saw the Monitor 7's are listed at 8 ohms but are actually 4 ohms. Should I be running my receiver at 4 ohms? Any help or suggestions you all could give me would be greatly appreciated. Already just browsing this forum I have saved myself a lot of headaches and money.
Last month at an estate sale I picked up an Onkyo TX-SR804 for $110. My front speakers are Polk Monitor 7c's that I just picked up from Goodwill for $20 in very nice aesthetic condition and they sound great. Last week at an estate sale I missed out on a pair of RTI A7's for a whopping $200 by mere seconds, had I known the guy in front of me was going for them I would have knocked him over to get to the sticker first. I picked up some Paradigm Atom v.2's for $20 at another local thrift store. My rears are Bose 201 Series III (I know, I know...remember, thrift store budget, I take what I can get). My sub is a Klipsch KSW-10 that I picked up from GW for $30. And I am trying to decide which center to use, either a Polk CS-100 ($4 Goodwill) or a Sony SS-CN5000 (again, I know, but I'm doing what I can).
I am trying to decide what to sell and what to keep in order to keep putting money into my system and keep upgrading while getting the best sound with what I have. I have a pair of Infinity Reference Three's and a pair of Infinity RS2000's that I picked up from SA that all need new surrounds. I also have a pair of Paradigm Titan V1's that need new surrounds. I have no problem doing the surrounds, so let's just say all of the equipment is in working order.
Now here is my question, should I use the Reference Three's or Monitor 7's as my main speakers while I continue to upgrade? Is there a different arrangement anyone could suggest to optimize my listening? The majority of use is for HT. Also, I saw the Monitor 7's are listed at 8 ohms but are actually 4 ohms. Should I be running my receiver at 4 ohms? Any help or suggestions you all could give me would be greatly appreciated. Already just browsing this forum I have saved myself a lot of headaches and money.
Post edited by chws312 on
Comments
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get the polk center ( wow $4 awesome)
If your receiver has a 4-8 ohm switch what it does is increase the voltage to the output transisters so it can run 4 ohms , basically its better for the long term of the receiver to be in that 4 ohm switch , and 8 ohm speakers go into 4 ohms while the bass hits anyway . -
That is a lot of decent gear for not much money. It has been my experience that for HT, matching speakers (or close) is the best way to go. I am in the process of doing that now, and I can hear the difference. (or actually, the lack of difference
. Try, if you can to go either all Polk, Infinity or Paradigm for your HT system. JMHO. The sub is not such a big deal with matching as long it is powerful enough to fill your room. Lots of things to consider. Good luck! -
Chws, the 4ohm setting on a receiver should never be used, regardless of the impedance rating of the speakers which are in use. The effect of such a setting is to reduce the voltage output of the receiver's power supply section. Following Ohm's Law, when voltage is reduced, so is current and power. This setting reduces the chance of the receiver overheating with lower impedance loads, and the advice to use it has to be included in the manuals because of UL(Underwriters Laboratory)requirements relating to fire safety. Nevertheless, since tests have shown that the maximum power capability is cut roughly in half at the lower setting, this prevents the receiver from reaching its maximum performance and makes damaging the speakers from clipping more of a possibility. Leave the impedance setting at the default higher number.
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Also, I saw the Monitor 7's are listed at 8 ohms but are actually 4 ohms.
How do you know they are 4 ohm?Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk
