Its time for a Polk speaker upgrade. I have a few questions....

Posts: 25
edited January 2013 in Speakers
Well it looks like its time to upgrade my 5.1 HT setup in the family room (15'x19'). I am currently running a pair of Polk R50s , CS2 ( I just upgraded that from a CSi30 today.) I am running R15s for rears and a PSW505 sub. My AVR is an Onkyo TX SR706. I would like to upgrade the R50s to possibly the Monitor 60s or 70s. Main use of them will be regular TV watching mainly with the occasional Bluray movie or two on the weekend. I also love to listen to music. I am slowly learning this 2 CH stereo mode but I just don't care for the sub being out of the equation. Maybe new speakers will fix that.

Anyway, Im looking for advice on whether or not I should step up to the 70s ($370 shipped from Polks ebay store) or the 60s for $279 shipped. Is the extra $90 worth it or will I be wasting money considering I will have these speakers crossed over at 80hz? I don't want to waste my money but I also don't want to always wonder what I am missing, if any by just getting the 60s. I am new to this hobby so any advice will help me a lot. Thanks.
Post edited by BOTTLEDZ28 on

Welcome!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
«1

Comments

  • Posts: 2,485
    edited January 2013
    If you're going to be doing some 2ch listening, I'd go with the 70's and pump them with lots of power. They're rated for 275max watts but I've fed mine 300w for 2ch and they put out some bass with that power and sounded really great.
    Source: BRP Panasonic UB9000, CDP Emotiva ERC3 - Display: LG OLED EVO 83 C3 - Pre/Pro: Marantz 8802A - Amplification: Emotiva XPA-DR3, XPA-2 x 2, XPA-6, Speakers, Mains/2ch-Focal Kanta No2's, C-LSiM706, S-702F/X, RS-RTiA9's, WS-RTiA9's, FH-RTiA3's, Subs - Epik Empire x 2

    Cables: AudioQuest McKenzie XLR's/CDP/Amp, Carbon 48/BRP, Forest 48/Display, 2 channel speaker cable: Furutech FS Alpha 36 12AWG PCOCC Single Crystal (Douglas Connection)

    EXPERIENCE: next to nothing, but I sure enjoy audio and video MY OPINION OF THIS HOBBY: I may not be a smart man, but I know what quicksand is.
    When I was young, I was Superman but now that old age has gotten the best of me I'm only Batman
  • Posts: 178
    edited January 2013
    I'd consider RTI bookshelf speakers on stands if your main use will be movies with some music in between. Just my two cents. Frys has them on sale for 199+ tax. If not Geoff4rfc has you covered
    Front- RTI A7,(powered by ADCOM GFA 5500)
    Center- CSI5,
    Surrounds- RTI 6 and Rear Surrounds- TS 15.
    TV-Panasonic P55ST50
    SUB-SVS PB10-NSD and PSW505
    Receiver- Yamaha Aventage RX-A2000
  • Posts: 13,415
    edited January 2013
    Welcome Bottled!

    If you are happy with the overall sound of your system, then I think you should buy a 5 channel amp of at least 200wpc @ 8ohm to hear what your speakers are truly capable of. The benefits of this is clearer music, vocals, bass, and dynamics. You fortunately bought a receiver that has the preouts for you to be able to hook it up.

    People always want to buy new speakers and don't realize that they are not even hearing everything that their current speakers can deliver since receivers are NOT able to provide them with the power that they need to operate to their full potential.

    I have always used my sub when playing 2 channel music simply because regular speakers even towers can only go so low and beyond that you are missing quite a bit without a sub included.

    Amp brands to look at are (New) Emotiva XPA series & Outlaw Audio. If you are willing to shop used on Audiogon look for Parasound, Sunfire, Adcom, Nad, B&K, Rotel.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
  • Posts: 17,349
    edited January 2013
    New? You have been a member since 2005!!


    J/K



    Good Luck
    Polk Audio SDA 2.3tl Fully Hot Rodded. 😎

    SVS SB16 X2

    Cary SLP-05/Ultimate Upgrade.
    Cary SA-500.1 ES Amps
    Cary DMS 800PV Network
    OPPO UDP 205/ModWright Modification
    VPI Scout TT / Dynavector 20x2
    Jolida JD9 Fully Modified

    VPI MW-1 Cyclone RCM

    MIT Shotgun 3 cables throughout / Except TT, and PC’s
  • Posts: 25
    edited January 2013
    Thanks for the feedback guys. I have been looking into what is out there for amps. It is new territory for me and I am just now starting to absorb the info on them. Toolfan, yes I have been a member here since 2005 so I guess you're right in saying I am not really new to the hobby. With 3 kids and house I really dont get a lot of me time in this hobby but I have started making time for it now. My current HT setup is my first one and it was bought and put together on a very little budget and limited experience.

    I had my R50s hooked up to an Onkyo M 282 amp last year for a test and I was not happy at all with the sound they produced. Granted the Onkyo amp isnt at the top of the quality list but I just thought I was going to be wowed a little bit. Now as far as amps themselves go, is spending only a couple hundred dollars on a 2 channel amp considered buying "junk" or could I find some good deals on used ones? At this time I only want to power the two main speakers. (M70s)
  • Posts: 908
    edited January 2013
    Monitors are not really much of an upgrade from where you are. You should "up" the quality of the speaker. The way I see it, there's an expensive way and a cheaper way to upgrade and it all comes down to your needs/wants.

    Expensive way: buy and amp, this will open up your current speakers with better sound, detail and will keep you happy for a while, until you have money for much nicer speakers, choice of which will also be less limited since you will already have an amp. This gets expensive though, because there's extra wire expense involved and can really lead you down the rabbit hole. So beware!

    Cheap-er and more sensible upgrade could be to keep your gear and simply upgrade your speakers all around. As long as you pick a small/easy to drive and high quality speaker you will realize great improvement and will likely be completely happy. There is a good amount of quality 8ohm speakers to chose from that will fit your bill, so do some homework, go shopping.Do you already have the m70s or just planning on them? If you have them already parasound hca 1500a does wonders for those speakers.

    In the end, unless you take pride in having and playing with all the extra equipment (amps, extra wiring) then I'd go the cheaper simper route, I think you'll be nearly as happy. Simple is good. :wink:
    Living Room 7.1 HT Rig:

    M70 | CS2 | M60 | Atrium5 - Surr. | SUB - Emotiva ULTRA12 + Tara Labs sub cable | Pioneer Elite VSX-52 | Parasound HCAs 1000A | Sony BDP-S790 | Belkin PureAV PF60 | MIT Exp2 Wires

    Bedroom 5.0 HT Rig (Music/Movies/Gaming) :

    LSi9 | LsiC | Lsi/fx | Marantz SR7002 | NAD T955 | Sony BDP-S360 | Belkin PureAV PF30 | AQ Blue Racer II ICs & AQ Type 4 wires | PS3
  • Posts: 25
    edited January 2013
    update: I am now wiping the drool off my face after looking at the XPA-3. That is about as high as I want my wallet to open at this time. I would love to demo this unit prior to buying but I am pretty sure I will be impressed. Time to pull up the cushions on the couch and look in the astray for change.
  • Posts: 25
    edited January 2013
    Lietuvis91 wrote: »
    Monitors are not really much of an upgrade from where you are. You should "up" the quality of the speaker. The way I see it, there's an expensive way and a cheaper way to upgrade and it all comes down to your needs/wants.

    Expensive way: buy and amp, this will open up your current speakers with better sound, detail and will keep you happy for a while, until you have money for much nicer speakers, choice of which will also be less limited since you will already have an amp. This gets expensive though, because there's extra wire expense involved and can really lead you down the rabbit hole. So beware!

    Cheap-er and more sensible upgrade could be to keep your gear and simply upgrade your speakers all around. As long as you pick a small/easy to drive and high quality speaker you will realize great improvement and will likely be completely happy. There is a good amount of quality 8ohm speakers to chose from that will fit your bill, so do some homework.

    Threrefore, unless you take pride in having and playing with all the extra equipment (amps, extra wiring) then I'd go the cheaper simper route, I think you'll be nearly as happy. Simple is good. :wink:

    Are you referring to possibly looking outside the Polk brand for speakers or picking up something else in house here?
  • Posts: 908
    edited January 2013
    BOTTLEDZ28 wrote: »
    Are you referring to possibly looking outside the Polk brand for speakers or picking up something else in house here?

    Absolutely.

    If you decide to go with a no amp option with your next speaker upgrade, you only have the option of polk rtia series (which could work for you btw), since the higher end series (lsim, lsim) will need external amplification. There are plenty of other choices that are great, no reason to limit your purchasing decision.
    Living Room 7.1 HT Rig:

    M70 | CS2 | M60 | Atrium5 - Surr. | SUB - Emotiva ULTRA12 + Tara Labs sub cable | Pioneer Elite VSX-52 | Parasound HCAs 1000A | Sony BDP-S790 | Belkin PureAV PF60 | MIT Exp2 Wires

    Bedroom 5.0 HT Rig (Music/Movies/Gaming) :

    LSi9 | LsiC | Lsi/fx | Marantz SR7002 | NAD T955 | Sony BDP-S360 | Belkin PureAV PF30 | AQ Blue Racer II ICs & AQ Type 4 wires | PS3
  • Posts: 908
    edited January 2013
    Now that you have gotten your feet wet with HT, go play at your local audio store and the best buy magnolia store. Chances are they will carry some of the polk products too, so you can compare. You now know what you are looking for in your next speaker, so time will be well spent exploring.
    Living Room 7.1 HT Rig:

    M70 | CS2 | M60 | Atrium5 - Surr. | SUB - Emotiva ULTRA12 + Tara Labs sub cable | Pioneer Elite VSX-52 | Parasound HCAs 1000A | Sony BDP-S790 | Belkin PureAV PF60 | MIT Exp2 Wires

    Bedroom 5.0 HT Rig (Music/Movies/Gaming) :

    LSi9 | LsiC | Lsi/fx | Marantz SR7002 | NAD T955 | Sony BDP-S360 | Belkin PureAV PF30 | AQ Blue Racer II ICs & AQ Type 4 wires | PS3
  • Posts: 13,415
    edited January 2013
    BOTTLEDZ28 wrote: »
    update: I am now wiping the drool off my face after looking at the XPA-3. That is about as high as I want my wallet to open at this time. I would love to demo this unit prior to buying but I am pretty sure I will be impressed. Time to pull up the cushions on the couch and look in the astray for change.

    Get that Emotiva and listen to hear your 3 fronts come alive, once you hear the difference, you'll be hooked and in need of looking for more spare change!

    Audio stores are few and far between here in Mass Sal. We have some audio store that took the place of Spirit Sound in Boston, but they focus more on installs of tiny gear with high WAF. There is the second Spirit Sound down the cape somewhere I think. There is also Goodwin Highend Audio in Waltham.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
  • Posts: 50,794
    edited January 2013
    BOTTLEDZ28 wrote: »
    update: I am now wiping the drool off my face after looking at the XPA-3. That is about as high as I want my wallet to open at this time. I would love to demo this unit prior to buying but I am pretty sure I will be impressed. Time to pull up the cushions on the couch and look in the astray for change.

    Since you are interested in 2 channel music, emo amps are probably the last thing you want. Look for a better sounding used amp.

    Speakers for 2 channel music? Aim higher than the Monitor series. The LSiM's are nice.
    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

  • Posts: 25
    edited January 2013
    The LSiM705 and 07 models are too big to fit where I need them. I might listen to 2 channel music once a week. Same goes for watching movies. The rest of the time it is just regular tv watching. I just want something a little bit better then what I have now. Maybe just a 3 channel amp hooked up to my current fronts will please me. I just dont want to try it by spending almost $1,000 for a good amp and not like it and still want more speaker.
  • Posts: 908
    edited January 2013
    If you decide on an amp, I'm with F1nut. Go with quality, not quantity. There are some really nice used amps for the same money as xpa3. Remeber, you get what you pay for with this stuff. Plus you can sell the used amp with minimal to no loss later, if you decide to later.


    On the other hand, you don't need big speakers (m70, lsim705) or 200w per channel full time, to enjoy watching tv, that would be a waste. You just need speakers that will not be underpowered by your current gear, but can provide improved dynamics and exceptional clarity compared to what you now have. A nice, easy to power, high quality bookshelf or small tower might be just the ticket. There really are a great deal of options out there. Go and listen to some different speakers and see what gets your attention. If you do your homework, it will pay off.
    Living Room 7.1 HT Rig:

    M70 | CS2 | M60 | Atrium5 - Surr. | SUB - Emotiva ULTRA12 + Tara Labs sub cable | Pioneer Elite VSX-52 | Parasound HCAs 1000A | Sony BDP-S790 | Belkin PureAV PF60 | MIT Exp2 Wires

    Bedroom 5.0 HT Rig (Music/Movies/Gaming) :

    LSi9 | LsiC | Lsi/fx | Marantz SR7002 | NAD T955 | Sony BDP-S360 | Belkin PureAV PF30 | AQ Blue Racer II ICs & AQ Type 4 wires | PS3
  • Posts: 116
    edited January 2013
    for the m70's look at new egg got mine for 300 shipped for the pair last year..
  • Posts: 25
    edited January 2013
    The dimensions on those will not work in the custom enclose I have for my entertainment center. At the most, I can fit M70s with a just a little bit of height modifications being made to the the enclosure. I have a total of 37" in available height without making mods and 7.5" in width. My entertainment center is 24" deep for that will work with most floor speakers.

    Before I really got involved with all this, my original intention was to just toss in a new pair of M60s and be done with it but then my curiosity got the best of me and here I am now contemplating so many different options.

    The sucky part about all this is that fact that I am unable to demo anything I am interested in. Even the local BB store doesnt have most decent AVRs and speakers hooked up and if they do it is still hard to get an idea of what they will sound like when they are in my room. So, I'm basically going on advice found on forums and reviews.
  • Posts: 50,794
    edited January 2013
    If you have your speakers jammed into a cubby hole they will never sound right.
    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

  • Posts: 25
    edited January 2013
    My entertainment center is custom built and utilizes 2 large openings on each end for floor speakers. The opening is about 37"high by 7.5" wide. The floor speaker in there now just sit on the floor inside of it and are open in the front . I don't see how the speaker will sound any different being in there or being open in the back or sides.
  • Posts: 166
    edited January 2013
    Just this week I moved to new Polk's with a separate amp. Going this route has made a huge change. I know there is no way they would sound as good direct from my Onkyo receiver.
    ---
    Polk Studio Monitor 4.6 Series 2's, Polk RT1000p's, Polk LSi25's, Boston Acoustic VR-975's
    Crown D-75, Crown CE1000, Crown CE2000
  • Posts: 3,396
    edited January 2013
    cfrizz wrote: »
    People always want to buy new speakers and don't realize that they are not even hearing everything that their current speakers can deliver since receivers are NOT able to provide them with the power that they need to operate to their full potential.

    This is absolutely true, at all volume levels. Typically you don't need to listen at high volumes to detect the increased clarity, smoothness and detail when upgrading a power amp (or to a power amp).

    But when you turn it up it makes a big difference!
    "Science is suppose to explain observations not dismiss them as impossible" - Norm on AA; 2.3TL's w/sonicaps/mills/jantzen inductors, Gimpod's boards, Lg Solen SDA inductors, RD-0198's, MW's dynamatted, Armaflex speaker gaskets, H-nuts, brass spikes, Cardas CCGR BP's, upgraded IC Cable, Black Hole Damping Sheet strips, interior of cabinets sealed with Loctite Power Grab, AI-1 interface with 1000VA A-L transformer
  • Posts: 5,656
    edited January 2013
    BOTTLEDZ28 wrote: »
    My entertainment center is custom built and utilizes 2 large openings on each end for floor speakers. The opening is about 37"high by 7.5" wide. The floor speaker in there now just sit on the floor inside of it and are open in the front . I don't see how the speaker will sound any different being in there or being open in the back or sides.

    Because your speakers don't just resonate out from the drivers themselves. The cabinets resonate and that effects the overall sound from the speaker.
    A good test is to clap your hands standing in front of the speaker enclosure and make a note of how it sounds and then clap your hands inside the enclosure. It is simplistic, I know. But it will sound considerably different.

    Basicaly, the cabinet is resonating and that resonation is being reflected back into itself and the back of the cabinet is doing the same. You have all of these resonance frequencies bouncing around and off of each other and canceling each other out in some cases which tends to muddy up the sound quite a bit.
    "Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."

    "Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip
  • Posts: 25
    edited January 2013
    I'm still learning about different brands of amps and I will continue to read forums and get some feedback as to what models to look into for 3 or 5 channel output. Too bad I couldn't pick a few out and magically have them appear so I can demo them to hear the differences between them. I guess that is where some good advice comes from now
  • Posts: 50,794
    edited January 2013
    ZLTFUL wrote: »
    Because your speakers don't just resonate out from the drivers themselves. The cabinets resonate and that effects the overall sound from the speaker.
    A good test is to clap your hands standing in front of the speaker enclosure and make a note of how it sounds and then clap your hands inside the enclosure. It is simplistic, I know. But it will sound considerably different.

    Basicaly, the cabinet is resonating and that resonation is being reflected back into itself and the back of the cabinet is doing the same. You have all of these resonance frequencies bouncing around and off of each other and canceling each other out in some cases which tends to muddy up the sound quite a bit.

    ^^^THIS!!!^^^


    Another thing to try is moving the speakers out of the cubby holes into the room, say 2 or 3 feet. Readjust the toe-in and have a listen. You will hear a more open, airy and accurate sound with much less boom.
    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

  • Posts: 33,019
    edited January 2013
    Ditto to what the other guys said about putting speakers in a cubby hole. I get it looks cool and all, but sound wise it's one of the worst things you can do to a speaker....even more so if it has rear ports. Get some lsim bookies and put them on stands infront of that cubby hole.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • Posts: 166
    edited January 2013
    Getting a good amp now will always be useful in the future, any setup should have it's own amp if you really want to hear what they are capable of. To me, either way you go you would be better off with a dedicated amp so why not start there and you can add upgrade speakers later if you still want too. But if you did upgrade the speakers now you would still need an amp for them. :)

    If you do get speakers...

    The LSi 15 is a really good and powerful speaker and the Polk ebay store has them for $849 a pair, with free shipping! With a good amp they are very nice. I love my LSi and with enough power they are monsters. The RTi12 is nice too at $375 each and it's a great looking speaker to boot.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/PAIR-LSi15-LSi-15-CHERRY-Tower-Loudspeaker-Polk-Audio-/230629800429?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item35b29b79ed

    I got my Polk's at the Polk ebay store and it is a great place to get them.
    ---
    Polk Studio Monitor 4.6 Series 2's, Polk RT1000p's, Polk LSi25's, Boston Acoustic VR-975's
    Crown D-75, Crown CE1000, Crown CE2000
  • Posts: 166
    edited January 2013
    Weird, double post...
    ---
    Polk Studio Monitor 4.6 Series 2's, Polk RT1000p's, Polk LSi25's, Boston Acoustic VR-975's
    Crown D-75, Crown CE1000, Crown CE2000
  • Posts: 25
    edited January 2013
    Here is a pic of the entertainment I made a few years ago. It is 24" deep. As you can see, I canot place speakers on front of it and I have two choices left. One is to tear it all down and I am not doing that and two is to continue to use the enclosures I made on each side and except the sound I get out of them. The outsides are 1/8" thick while the inner part is open behind the tv allowing air to pass between both enclosures as well as behind the tv. It is all I have at the moment as it is our family room.





    enter.jpg
  • Posts: 25
    edited January 2013
    This is what I have to work with for speaker placement.



    aaaa_zps754b137e.jpg




    a_zps66858c05.jpg



    aaa_zpsfdc95856.jpg



    aa_zps6456cfdb.jpg
  • Posts: 33,019
    edited January 2013
    Nice build, for austhetics but not so much for sound. Since your dead set on keeping it, forget floorstanders and look for a bookshelf speaker that ports out of the front, not the back, put it on a stand in that cubby hole on the sides. Speakers throw sound in many directions, not just forward, and that cubby hole limits those dispersions of sound.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's

Welcome!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Welcome!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.