Good Two Channel Speakers?
audionuts373
Posts: 29
Does Polk or anyone else make a good two channel speaker system for $1000 or less? I would like speakers that give me good clean bass and sound stage. My listening area is my living room and is about 15'X20'. I'm running a NAD 3140 integrated amp and a Jolida Jd 102 CRC integrated amp. I am currently using Polk TSI300's and am not happy with the bass output. Do I need a 3-way system to meet these goals?
I have considered the Polk RTI A7's but read some posts here that claim that they are not very good for 2-channel stereo. HELP! :question:
I have considered the Polk RTI A7's but read some posts here that claim that they are not very good for 2-channel stereo. HELP! :question:
NAD 3140 Integrated Amp
NAD C 515Bee CD Player
Nad 4155 Tuner
Jolida JD 102CRC Integrated Tube Amp
Polk TSI300 Speakers
NAD C 515Bee CD Player
Nad 4155 Tuner
Jolida JD 102CRC Integrated Tube Amp
Polk TSI300 Speakers
Post edited by audionuts373 on
Comments
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It is going to be hard to tell what you want out of bass, but with a budget is there anyway you can afford the space for a real subwoofer?
The top of the line TSI/monitor will have more bass, but I doubt it will be all you are looking for. The rti 7 and 9 will each add more but you will need alot of power to drive them. I am not sure your integrated amp will cover it, if you are OK with the sound of the TSI300 the best bet is a subwoofer. I assume you are looking for something tuned more toward music? -
Although I do not care for subwoofers I purchased the Polk PSW10 and I'm not happy with it. I prefer a good 3-way speaker that can generate it's own bass without all the additions that so many people seem to prefer. I don't care about "home theater", only 2-channel music. I miss the "old days" when audio stores carried 3-way speakers that sounded good and you didn't have take out a second mortgage on your home to buy them! :cheesygrin:NAD 3140 Integrated Amp
NAD C 515Bee CD Player
Nad 4155 Tuner
Jolida JD 102CRC Integrated Tube Amp
Polk TSI300 Speakers -
Well, IMO, you can't go wrong with either the A7s or A9s. With proper amplification they'll put out plenty of bass! I use my speakers for 90% music and have been very pleased with them!AVR - Onkyo NR809
500gb HD for MP3 and FLAC files
Amp - Parasound 2250 - FOR SALE BTW!! PM me if interested!
Mains - Polk RTi12 towers
Center - CSi5
Surround - FXiA6's
Sub - psw505
Movies and games - PS3
TV - Toshiba 52" HD
Every vehicle has one good nuetral drop in it -
That is a VERY broad question. I would suggest, if possible, to try and get out to some audio stores in your area. IF that is possible. And listen to some speakers in your price range. Polk wise, and mainly because I can not afford the newer Polk offerings, the vintage models are where its at for 2 channel. Monitor 7, Monitor 10, LS50, LS90, SDA, RTA etc. Checking your local Craigslist is a good idea as well. Where are you located actually?--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out. -
Keep the TSI"s. They rock.
Add a DSW MIcropro 3000. Problem solved.
Perfect match and blend with your rig. Absolutely musical and NO comparison to a PSW.Parasound C1, T3, HCA-3500, HCA-2205A, P/DD1550, Pioneer DV-79avi, Oppo BDP-83, WD Media Server W/HDD,
Dynaudio Contour 3.3, Dynaudio Contour T2.1, Polk OWM3, Polk DSW micropro 1000 (x2),
Pioneer Kuro 50" Plasma, Phillips Pronto Control w/Niles HT-MSU. -
Well the sub you tried was not really a very powerful one, if that is what you mean by not happy. If your budget is $1000 you could get a pair of LSi15s off amazon in black or cherry. The problem is I don't think your amp could drive them to potential. Might even be dangerous to the speakers.
The RTi line should sound better than what you have but they are suppose to be geared toward HT, however even with music I think they should beat TSi. -
PubFiction wrote: »The RTi line should sound better than what you have but they are suppose to be geared toward HT, however even with music I think they should beat TSi.
Disagree....Totally.
TSI is more musical.Parasound C1, T3, HCA-3500, HCA-2205A, P/DD1550, Pioneer DV-79avi, Oppo BDP-83, WD Media Server W/HDD,
Dynaudio Contour 3.3, Dynaudio Contour T2.1, Polk OWM3, Polk DSW micropro 1000 (x2),
Pioneer Kuro 50" Plasma, Phillips Pronto Control w/Niles HT-MSU. -
I would have to ask, how much BASS are you looking for? The sub you have is just entry level, and may not be doing a good job for you. How loud do you play music now, and what type of music?
If you looking to go with just a large floor standing 3 way. Polk has some great deals on there Ebay site. BUT...there is no way you could power these speakers with the intergrated amps you have now. You would just damage the speakers, and you would end up with no decent bass anyway. The simple answer may be to just try out a much better, sub. See if that works for you. -
If you have $60 to spend try these.
http://portland.craigslist.org/yam/ele/3434387305.html no affiliation
I was just listening to my KLH 6's w/ a Yamaha CR420 (22watts) and the bass was awesome! They truly are amazing speakers!I got static in my head
The reflected sound of everything -
I have to agree with other posters.
The PSW110 is not the end all and be all of subs. It's ok for the price (especially since they can be gotten at deep discounts) but if you are looking for more bass to fill your room, you may want to get a better sub. You can get a decent sub with the $1000 you have to spend and have some change left over.
In my experience, the Monitors/TSi series is pretty good for the price. -
When looking to purchase a sub especially for a music based system a consideration has to be made as for not just power but the responsiveness or speed of the sub. A powerful unit can still sound sloppy with music and perform satisfactory for movies.
The DSW lineup is fast and musical.Parasound C1, T3, HCA-3500, HCA-2205A, P/DD1550, Pioneer DV-79avi, Oppo BDP-83, WD Media Server W/HDD,
Dynaudio Contour 3.3, Dynaudio Contour T2.1, Polk OWM3, Polk DSW micropro 1000 (x2),
Pioneer Kuro 50" Plasma, Phillips Pronto Control w/Niles HT-MSU. -
audionuts373 wrote: »Although I do not care for subwoofers I purchased the Polk PSW10 and I'm not happy with it. I prefer a good 3-way speaker that can generate it's own bass without all the additions that so many people seem to prefer. I don't care about "home theater", only 2-channel music. I miss the "old days" when audio stores carried 3-way speakers that sounded good and you didn't have take out a second mortgage on your home to buy them! :cheesygrin:
No offense to Polk, but the PSW 10 (not 110 as mentioned by someone above) is a "bottom feeder" and not in a good way. It's unbelievably easy to get it to bottom out, distort and boom, boom, boom and chuff you out of the room. Not "musical" at all.
You'd be much better off with a MicroPro. even the smallest will give you more BANG and THUMP. And they're very quick and musical. That might be all you need for now!
If you move up to a larger Polk tower, higher end. You may need more "power" than what you now have!
What is the NAD? 100W x 2? A Polk Rti-A9 or Lsi-15/25 will chew that up and ask for some more!
cnhCurrently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!
Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
[sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash] -
The real problem with the Polk sub that I purchased is not how much bass I can get out of it. The problem lies with the quality of the bass. When I get he loudness I want the bass becomes too boomy for my tastes. I have followed all of the advice on moving the sub around and trying different settings on the sub to find the sound I like. Part of, or maybe all of my problem lies in the fact that I'm very limited in where I can place the sub. I like the TSI300's except for the lack of bass. That is why I'm thinking of a good 3-way speaker system that has bass that is clean and natural sounding.
The NAD 3140 is rated at 40 watts per channel and can drive the the TSI300's past any loudness level I can stand. NAD has always been very conservative in their power ratings. The RTI A7's recommended minimum power is 20 watts so I think that the NAD or the Jolida tube amp could drive those without any problems.
I listen to all kinds of music including classical, blues, jazz and latin music.
NAD 3140 Integrated Amp
NAD C 515Bee CD Player
Nad 4155 Tuner
Jolida JD 102CRC Integrated Tube Amp
Polk TSI300 Speakers -
No offense to Polk, but the PSW 10 (not 110 as mentioned by someone above) is a "bottom feeder" and not in a good way. It's unbelievably easy to get it to bottom out, distort and boom, boom, boom and chuff you out of the room. Not "musical" at all.
You'd be much better off with a MicroPro. even the smallest will give you more BANG and THUMP. And they're very quick and musical. That might be all you need for now!
If you move up to a larger Polk tower, higher end. You may need more "power" than what you now have!
What is the NAD? 100W x 2? A Polk Rti-A9 or Lsi-15/25 will chew that up and ask for some more!
cnh
Your answer is in front of you!
Repeat.....read this again for the least costly and correct resolution to your problem.Parasound C1, T3, HCA-3500, HCA-2205A, P/DD1550, Pioneer DV-79avi, Oppo BDP-83, WD Media Server W/HDD,
Dynaudio Contour 3.3, Dynaudio Contour T2.1, Polk OWM3, Polk DSW micropro 1000 (x2),
Pioneer Kuro 50" Plasma, Phillips Pronto Control w/Niles HT-MSU. -
Your answer is in front of you!
Repeat.....read this again for the least costly and correct resolution to your problem.
I'm not about to spend $700-$800 dollars for a sub! For that kind of money or a bit more I should be able to find a good three way system that will give me what I want! I'm still limited as to where I can place the sub and might still have a problem. I have to buy online because there is no one locally that carries that sub in my area. I know that I can always return it if I don't like it but I would have to pay the return shipping and that ain't cheap!NAD 3140 Integrated Amp
NAD C 515Bee CD Player
Nad 4155 Tuner
Jolida JD 102CRC Integrated Tube Amp
Polk TSI300 Speakers -
Get a PSW 111 then. They're a decent 8" sub that won't bottom out fast like the 10 and have three times the power. A pretty good "budget" sub by Polk. Check the Polk ebay site above and see if any are being offered for sale!
I see some for 169?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PSW-111-8-Home-Powered-Subwoofer-Speaker-Polk-Audio-/360453564359?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item53ecb4e7c7
cnhCurrently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!
Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
[sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash] -
I own a 111, don't listen to music much on my Ht set up much but when I do, it compliments the A5's & A3's just fine. It hits hard and tight, does a fine job for a budget sub.Home Theater
Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable
2 Channel
Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+
Stuff for the Head
JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365
Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin
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audionuts373 wrote: »The real problem with the Polk sub that I purchased is not how much bass I can get out of it. The problem lies with the quality of the bass. When I get he loudness I want the bass becomes too boomy for my tastes. I have followed all of the advice on moving the sub around and trying different settings on the sub to find the sound I like. Part of, or maybe all of my problem lies in the fact that I'm very limited in where I can place the sub.
As others have pointed out, the PSW10 is not a stellar sub. It tends to have some nasty port noise when pushed and sound boomy as you say. Sticking a sock in it... the port that is... Experiment with different amounts and placement of the sock (or other material).Stan
Main 2ch:
Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.
HT:
Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60
Other stuff:
Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601 -
This thread is depressing.HT
Mits WD-65737, DirecTV, Oppo DV-970HD, XBOX ONE, Yamaha RX-A1030, Parasound Halo A23, Rotel RB-985, Music Hall MMF-7, Parasound PPH-100, LSi-15, LSi-C, LSi-FX, LSi-7, PSW-1000, Monster HTS2600
2 CH
Parasound Halo P3, Parasound Halo A21, Sutherland Ph.D, VPI Classic 3 w/ 3D arm & Soundsmith Aida Cartridge, Arcam CD72T, B&W 802 S3, Monster HTS2500, -
I can understand your want for just a nice full range tower. But you have 2 problems. Basically both your amps. The NAD only puts out 40 watts, the Jolida only 25 watts. There both nice amps. But not made to drive these newer full range towers. Polks or for that matter anybodys large full range tower need lots of "HI-CURRENT" power to drive them. Now the NAD may or maynot, have pre-outs on it. If it does, that means you could use the frontend of the NAD as your pre amp, and just sell the Jolida and buy a used power amp. An Adcom 555 you can get for 4-500 bucks on ebay.
It puts out 200 watts and will push any speaker you select.
If you don't want to do all that, then your only other choice is to try a better sub. -
You can get a pair of Lsi15's for under a $1000.00. they are very musical and much better then your current speakers. The RTIa7's are very nice for music. When I first listened to them when they came out , my impressions was " This is the very best sounding RT speaker for music I ever heard including the RT16's which I always felt where excellent. I enjoy listening to them.
For the kind of money your willing to spend I feel these are your 2 best options . The used market really opens the door for much better speakers for a killer price. Not that long ago there was a pair of Dynaudio Audience 70's for sale on here , they will outperform both the Lsi15's and the RTia7's for music by a long shot. Remarkable speakers and I believe they where selling for around $800.00. Check out our flea market as people in here are constantly upgrading and selling some fantastic gear.
The only good musical sub for entry level money is made by Martin Logan. They make the best overall musical affordable subs on the planet bare none IMO. The Little Dynamo is dynamite . Crazy musical and blends perfectly with just about any speaker package in it's class. I never had any issues setting them up and making them disappear into the room. All my customers asked if I had it on or is it working? It sounds like the bass is just coming from the speakers. Thats the goal with adding a sub to a 2 channel system.
Rel is another company that makes crazy blend able musical top notch subs. Used market you can pick up one at a great price. Polk subs to me never really performed musically until you get into there higher end stuff. Then you get a very nice sounding sub. I'm also critical on subs as I have heard some killer performers in all price classes. not not that you can't get a entry level polk sub to be musical , it just takes way more effort to blend it in and place it. The time and effort to me is not worth the end result unless the bank is just broken and no ability to save a few more pennies and buy either a better polk sub or someone elses better for the money sub.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
Polk SDAs. For under $1000 you can find a nice set of SRS2 or 2.3 and find yourself in two-channel heaven, with deep, effortless bass.
Two Channel Setup:
Speakers: Wharfedale Opus 2-3
Integrated Amp: Krell S-300i
DAC: Arcam irDac
Source: iMac
Remote Control: iPad Mini
3.2 Home Theater Setup:
Fronts: Klipsch RP-160M
Center: Klipsch RP-160M
Subwoofer: SVS PB12NSD (X 2)
AVR: Yamaha Aventage RX-A2030
Blu Ray: Sony BDP-S790
TV Source: DirecTV Genie -
All the speakers mentioned in the above posts are very good Stereo speakers. BUT right now you just don't have the power to push them to make them sound good. The little red clip light on the NAD will be on all the time and your just going to damage the speakers.
The other problem you may have...If your lacking space to move a sub around. You may not have the right space for some of these speakers. SDA's are great..BUT are very picky about placement. None of these speakers will work well put in a corner and angled to fire out into the room. Pretty much all of these speakers need a foot off the back wall. None of them like to be up against a side wall...especially SDA's. The Lsi 15 's have side fireing woofers..so if you have a couch or something there, thats not going to work to well either. So it may depend on your room setup, as to what speakers would work best for you. -
I agree that all the above mentioned speakers are excellent speakers, but a lot on speaker choice depends on the type of music you mainly listen to. If big natural bass is a must, I would recommend a pair of Cerwin Vegas for rock. Deep hard hitting bass with a lot of sizzle from the tweets. Mids are ok on most models. Not really a refined sounding speaker, but if you are looking to rock out, they are certainly in the discussion.
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He already said he listens to all kinds of music, and spec'ed Classic, blues, jazz and Latin. So CV's are pretty much off the table at that point.
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Ah...didn't read the post carefully enough :redface:
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Let me put it this way Audionuts....You have the TSi 300..you like them, except for lack of bass.
Now all the speakers mentioned are way bigger..need big **** power to make them work. Now the sound difference between a set of say LSi15's and the TSi 300, is pretty much night and day. But maybe not what you need or want at this point.
Your pretty much sitting on the edge of the proverbial "rabbit hole" NOW..if you want to jump down the hole...you really need to sell everything you have and start from scratch. If not...then you have to look into a more musical sub, which you are going to have to spend some good money on. This may solve your problem, and you may be very happy with the equipment you have.
I have a very large music room 17X30..I sit 15 feet back in the room. I do play my music at "concert" levels.
Meaning...If i put on live Allman Brothers or something...I expect it to sound like i'm at the Fillmore. If i put on Classical..I expect it to sound like i'm at the Met.
What you decide is up to you. -
Let me throw another option out here for you. Now I did say that cerwin vegas were off the table....but maybe not.
Now everybody on this site hates them..but not sure anybody has really listened to there new offerings either.
The TSi300's are the low end of the Polk line..I'm sure they sound nice, but yeah, your not going to get bass out of them.
The CV XLS-12's on the other hand will solve you bass problem..easy. How "accurate" they are, or musical...i don't know.
I've never heard them. But if you deal with amazon alot....you may be able to try them out and ship them back for free if you don't like them. They will run off your Nad amp for sure and probably run off your Jolida.
Just a suggestion.....If you hate them.....then it's time to jump down the "rabbit hole"...LOL -
naturallight wrote: »Let me throw another option out here for you. Now I did say that cerwin vegas were off the table....but maybe not.
Now everybody on this site hates them..but not sure anybody has really listened to there new offerings either.
The TSi300's are the low end of the Polk line..I'm sure they sound nice, but yeah, your not going to get bass out of them.
The CV XLS-12's on the other hand will solve you bass problem..easy. How "accurate" they are, or musical...i don't know.
I've never heard them. But if you deal with amazon alot....you may be able to try them out and ship them back for free if you don't like them. They will run off your Nad amp for sure and probably run off your Jolida.
Just a suggestion.....If you hate them.....then it's time to jump down the "rabbit hole"...LOL
People here can say what they want but the Cerwin Vegas get mostly high reviews from people that have purchased them. Could the bad things that some on the forums say be audio snobbery?
I don't mind purchasing something and then returning it if I don't like it. Most places that I buy online from have free shipping but if I return it I have to pay the shipping! In the case of a pair of speakers that may weigh 50-75 pounds each, the shipping can be quite expensive! I have purchased books and cd's from Amazon but I have never returned anything to them. Do they pay for return shipping? :question:NAD 3140 Integrated Amp
NAD C 515Bee CD Player
Nad 4155 Tuner
Jolida JD 102CRC Integrated Tube Amp
Polk TSI300 Speakers -
Audionuts....I'm not sure what to tell you on the shipping. The fact of people being audiophile snobs on this site...yes.
Will the CV's sound better then your TSi300.... they will give you the bass you want, but what they sound like after that is up to you. I don't know, have never heard them.
I may be a snob....but i also play my music loud...and my be far from what you want.
