Need advice: will RT16s, CS350 and Monitor 7 work for 5.1?

en2ec

I have a pair of Monitor 7 speakers that I've owned since around 1989 and love them. In all this time, I've lived in apartments and never needed anything more. But now I own a house and am building a home theater in the basement. I think I will need a bit more oomph.

I have the chance to buy a pair of RT16s and a CS350 center channel (for $250 and $125 respectively).

First, how much of an upgrade are the RT16s over the Monitor 7s? Will I be able to use my Monitors as surround speakers?

Alternatively, I can just buy the CS350 and keep my Monitor 7s as my main speakers. Would this work OK? By the way, I currently have a pair of new R15s as surrounds and no center.

Thanks for your help.

en2ec

Lasareath wrote: »

For $375 the RT16s and the CS350 is not a bad deal. I'd do it. And the 7's should make a nice pair of rears

Welcome to the Forum!

Las

Thanks Las. I'm going to listen to them tomorrow, and if they sound as described (10/10 sound with some cosmetic defects, which doesn't bother me as long as the sound is good), I'll get them.

I've heard that I can get away without a subwoofer with the RT16s. Do you agree? I currently have a cheap new Polk subwoofer ... I'm not crazy about it and would like to get rid of it if I can.

Dennis Gardner

No HT is complete without a good sub regardless of the size of your mains.

What you do gain is a full range tower. Many here will tell you the Monitor 7 is a more musical speaker than any in the RT line.

NeilGabriel

Well, you can't have HT without a center unless you play everything through 2 channel soundtrack or your receiver down mixes. For movies a sub is a real plus, but I don't have one and I can live without it. I have monitor 10s for fronts and 7s for surrounds, with a 5 for center. They will shake the ceiling. I'll probably add a sub at some point...not my highest priority..but that's just me.

en2ec

NeilGabriel wrote: »

Well, you can't have HT without a center unless you play everything through 2 channel soundtrack or your receiver down mixes. For movies a sub is a real plus, but I don't have one and I can live without it. I have monitor 10s for fronts and 7s for surrounds, with a 5 for center. They will shake the ceiling. I'll probably add a sub at some point...not my highest priority..but that's just me.

I currently have my receiver set to output the center channel through the 2 fronts. In a small living room in an apartment, it didn't matter much. Now I have a much bigger living room (and even bigger basement once the HT is set up), and I really feel the need for a center channel. And I do have a sub, but it isn't great. It is a $150 Polk sub (on sale for $99) from CC.

I would be inclined to get the CS350 and leave my Monitor 7s as my front speakers, but I'm concerned that the CS350 will overpower the Monitors. That's why I thought of picking up the RT16s.

engtaz

Some have talked about phantom center's but I like dedicated center.

en2ec

Thanks for everyone's input. I listened to the RT16s and CS350 today. I went there intending to buy only the CS350, but I ended up walking out with the RT16s too. I'm not convinced that I like them better than my Monitor 7s. Maybe I'm just so used to the 7s, but the 7s seem to have a more open, rounder sound. The RT16s seem to be a little more precise. The difference could also be that my 100W per channel receiver just can't push the RT16s like it can the 7s. In any case, I do really like the RT16s, and I'm sure I'll grow to love them. Oh, and the CS350 is awesome.