What's the better set-up for home theater?

BeRad13

Room size 15x15
50% TV
25% Movies
15% Video Games
10% Music

I'm down to two options and have limited space so my options are limited.

Option 1: S10s for L R and rear surr with S35 center speaker

Option 2: Blackstone TL 350 5.0 surround

Which of the two options do you think I would be happier with?

pitdogg2

Option 1

lightman1

I second the motion.....

lightman1

Plus...have a look see at some capable subwoofers to round out the system.
Are you using just an AVR? Or using it as pre-amp with a multi channel amp?
We can spend all your money or you can give a budget on power side.

BeRad13

Thanks guys. I know the TL350s have really good reviews, but the signature series seems like a step up -- albeit the S10 is the smallest of the bunch with the lowest output. The Polk website calls the S10 a surround speaker so I wasn't too sure how it would perform.

I would consider the S15s if only I had enough space.

I'm also very interested in suggestions on a powered subwoofer and receiver. I have $300 budgeted for a receiver and $300 for the subwoofer.

Any and all suggestions are welcome!!

BeRad13

The room is 15x15 so not huge.

The S35 as a right and left speaker unfortunately don't fit the space well. I have a perfect sized gap beneath the TV that I can use which makes it a good choice for the center.

Emlyn

Given no subwoofer I would recommend bumping up to the S20. They are on sale now direct from Polk for only $50 a pair more than the S10.

mdaudioguy

I recently set up a 3.1 system for someone with a pair of S10 bookies and the S35 center. Sounded pretty good. I've also heard the TL350s, and you'd be surprised how good those satellites can sound. You can't go wrong either way in a small room. This forum might be a little biased toward box speakers over sats. Buy the best AVR and sub you can get within your budget, and you'll be a happy camper. Look around for a deal on a Yamaha RX-V383? The Polk PSW125 sub wouldn't be a bad choice. Both should certainly be within budget.

rpf65

Save a little more for a sub and consider something like this:

http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-1mk3.html

Would go with the signature series of the two.

Couple years ago, I wouldn't have recommended sound bars, but there are quite a few good sounding ones out there. If you have really limited space, it's something you may want to look into before diving in.

Won't hurt to give a few a listen.

Unknown

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BeRad13

Great advice, thanks guys.

I have immovable built in shelves on the immediate two sides of the TV that are 10" apart, which means the max height of the speaker can only be 10", which is why the S10s fit but the S15s or S20s don't -- disappointing but I guess I have to make it work.

I could consider laying a set of S15s on the side so they fit, but I'm not sure how keen I am on that idea.

mdaudioguy

BeRad13 wrote: »

I could consider laying a set of S15s on the side so they fit, but I'm not sure how keen I am on that idea.

No, you may actually compromise the sound by doing that. You'd be fine with S10s and the S35. Just work with the space you have.

BeRad13

@mdaudioguy, Best Buy has a great deal on a Yamaha receiver right now. It's not exactly the V383, but from the looks it strikes me as pretty comparable. What do you think? This would give me an extra $100 to put towards the subwoofer!

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/yamaha-700w-5-1-ch-4k-ultra-hd-and-3d-pass-through-a-v-home-theater-receiver-black/5017701.p?skuId=5017701

mdaudioguy

Yes, it's last year's version.
http://faq.yamaha.com/us/en/article/audio-visual/av-receivers-amps/rx/rx-v381_u/11030/9536

BeRad13

No pic at the moment DSkip. Sound bar could def work, and it sounds like the magnifi puts out a quality sound. I have no experience with sound bars myself, which is why I have been gravitating towards a more compact traditional 5.1 set up.

dannylightning

first option.. satellites probably wont sound quiet as full.

300 bucks on amazon. the manufacturer website says its 550 bucks so its probably a pretty good one. i had a Harmon kardon surround sound receiver once. it sounded awesome for movies.

https://www.amazon.com/Harman-Kardon-Performance-AVR-1710S/dp/B016A6IDY2/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1497141067&sr=1-3&keywords=harmon+kardon+avr

i also think denon make a nice surround sound recevier in that price range.

https://www.amazon.com/Denon-Receiver-Audio-Component-AVRS530BT/dp/B06XYD1RZ3/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1497141313&sr=1-9&keywords=denon+avr

i have this sub and i really like mine..

https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-12-Inch-Powered-Subwoofer/dp/B000092TT0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1497141485&sr=1-1&keywords=polk+psw+505

BeRad13

Mdaudio guy -- very helpful. I may go with the Best Buy deal on last year's Yamaha receiver, as the added features for the new version don't seem to be that much different.

BeRad13

@dannylightning -- psw 505 for $199 is a pretty sick deal.

Does anyone else have or have Demo'd the 505?

afterburnt

Option 1 and hope you don't decide you want music way more than video

mrloren

The 505 is one of the best sub $200 subwoofers you can get. I would look at your budget and see what you can swing for a sub, try to swing the HSU VTF1 or this one https://www.amazon.com/SVS-SB12-NSD-400-watt-Controlled-Subwoofer/dp/B009F8Y7SO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1497142764&sr=8-2&keywords=svs If those are both out of budget then get the 505

That BB Yamaha is a good deal, you can also check A4L to see if they have something you may like better http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html

When it comes to home audio there is always that "what if" that is best to try to avoid. I would seriously try to find a way to fit the S15 or S20 into your system. You can wall mount the S15 or make stands for the S20.

mdaudioguy

BeRad13 wrote: »

@dannylightning -- psw 505 for $199 is a pretty sick deal.

Does anyone else have or have Demo'd the 505?

Yep, more than adequate, especially at that price.

dannylightning

seriously tho as people are saying the s20 is the way to go if you can make it work.. you can get a set of speaker stands, set them on chairs, on stools or something like that if you really need to. with a 6.5 inch speaker you may be able to get away with out a sub. some book shelf's can put out a good or descent amount of bass depending on your room. room placement does come into play for bass.

as far as the PSW505 the bass is very deep, i have owned many subs from different brands over the years. the PSW505 is one of my favorites. it has been discontinued so your getting it at a close out price. its was not that inexpensive at full price.

sub woofer placement is very critical if you want the sub to sound right. you just cant stick the sub in any old place in your room and expect it to sound right.
https://www.svsound.com/blogs/svs/75365187-the-art-of-subwoofer-placement

BeRad13

What a day....everything is ordered and will arrive in the next few days! After much thought and contemplation, here's what I ordered:

Front L/R and Surround: S10s
Center: S35
PSW: SVS SB12-NSD
Receiver: Yamaha V481

I decided to stick with the S10s as the primary use will be for TV/movies and having a quality center channel and SW made me feel good about the purchase. Plus, keeping the speakers on the shelves was a big part of the final sell to the Mrs.

Additionally, I'm pumped about the SW. Based on reviews, it's exactly what I'm looking for -- a nice clean and tight bass. It's also on the smaller side which def helped passed the wife test....

All in, I feel really good about the purchase. Thx to all for the suggestions and direction on going the signature route over the Blackstones, and especially to mrloren for the SVS SW suggestion and mdaudioguy for the note about a similar set-up that you had installed.

txcoastal1

Congrats and welcome to the forum.

This leaves you room to grow if space and funds allow in the future. You can move those S10's to rear channels and go with bigger sig's up front
plus1 on the SVS

Happy listening

BeRad13

txcoastal1 wrote: »

This leaves you room to grow if space and funds allow in the future. You can move those S10's to rear channels and go with bigger sig's up front

That's a totally awesome way to look at it....

txcoastal1

BeRad13 wrote: »

txcoastal1 wrote: »

This leaves you room to grow if space and funds allow in the future. You can move those S10's to rear channels and go with bigger sig's up front

That's a totally awesome way to look at it....

It's Polk's latest and greatest, so they're not going anywhere
Let us know how you like when you get it set up

mdaudioguy

Glad you made your decision. Now you're getting closer to the real fun! I know you said shelves for the front speakers. How and where will you be mounting the surrounds, with respect to your seating position? And yes, that sub will anchor it all nicely, and even provide you with some real impact. Please feel free to continue to ask questions, but also let us know your experiences and thoughts with your new gear.

cfrizz

Congrats and welcome to Club Polk!

geroulas

Hey all,

@ BeRad13 , how is the setup at last?
I wanna go the same route, S10 allaround + s35 center.
and maybe later move S10s to the ceiling and add S15 or S20 as fronts.
Are happy with the sound overall?

rooftop59

geroulas wrote: »

Hey all,

@BeRad13 how is the setup at last?
I wanna go the same route, S10 allaround + s35 center.
and maybe later move S10s to the ceiling and add S15 or S20 as fronts.
Are happy with the sound overall?

BlueFox

rooftop59 wrote: »

geroulas wrote: »

Hey all,

@BeRad13 how is the setup at last?
I wanna go the same route, S10 allaround + s35 center.
and maybe later move S10s to the ceiling and add S15 or S20 as fronts.
Are happy with the sound overall?

Good post.