What front speakers should I get?

markmac

I am assembling a new home theater setup from vintage Polks found on eBay or craigslist. Here is what I have so far: receiver - Sony STR-DA4ES. Speakers - surrounds FX300i, subwoofer PSW120, and currently using R1's as fronts. For the center I have an M series center, but prefer my Boston Acoustics CR-1 better. Would my setup benefit from some better front channel Polks? I have three FX300i, would I benefit by getting another FX300i for a 7.1 setup? Thanks for the advice.

honda cber

what is it about the boston that you like better than the polk? what kind of money feels good to you? econo-minded, i presume?

i used to have both a pair of boston HD8 that i really enjoyed, and a pair of A70 that i enjoyed slightly more, but you would absolutely need a good sub for HT with either of those, and perhaps a foam ring or two and some glue, lol. both of these are currently dirt cheap on ebay. both were easy to listen to, if not particularly flat, and the tweeters were pretty savvy...

if youd rather some polk speakers for little scratch, the monitor, RT and S series are much nicer than their ebay prices might suggest; i have been impressed with all versions i have heard.

you will be most impressed if you stick with speakers with a reasonable efficiency (90dB or more) and @ not less than 6 ohms. i assume your sony asks for no less than 8 ohms load?

i just looked at specs for PSW120, and it occurs to me that space may be a primary concern? that isnt a lot of subwoofer for more than casual surround sound. no offense intended, just an observation. point being that you may like to try smaller speakers like these:
RT25i on the bay
the R15 is a very economical choice if the budget is small. i have a pair in the utility room, and they are pretty darn good considering what i gave for them. not much in the low end, but pretty tight overall.

a

markmac

Actually my sub is a PSW250. I had been looking at the RT15 and RT25 as I do not have much space for the front speakers. I have RT1 and minimonitors, but both of these seem a little weak in the front.

I don't mind spending a bit more for the fronts, so I will be looking for a good price on the higher number RT series. What is the difference between the RT25 and RT25i?

honda cber

as near as i can tell, the differences between RT25 and RT25i are the tweeters--- the 25i uses the tri-laminate tweeter but the 25 appears to have a silk dome more similar to the R speakers?--- and that the 25i uses wood veneer, while the 25 has vinyl laminate for finish. oh, and the blue woofer, lol. your center may not voice-match with either of them, though.

the RT models that i have heard, i have enjoyed--- especially considering their current resale value. just dont get the RT series confused with the newer R series.

for example:
RT15i
R15

if it were me, and considering your available space, i would try to use a bookshelf model on a stand (i guess you have room for stands) with at least one 6 1/2" driver (since you seem set on polk), like RT35i (a great speaker, IMHO). it seems to me that when satellite-type speakers get too small, they can lose the impact that i expect from HT. also, it is fairly important to use like drivers for the front speakers (including the center channel), so you should consider this in your search. otherwise, your soundstage may be skewed, and speaker localization can become a problem. i cannot find an "m" center on the polk site--- what is the model number?

also, you did not address what about the boston that you prefer. by your posting here, you show that you have interest beyond simply making your setup "work". there may be important variables that you are not considering.

i am perhaps far from an expert on this stuff, so feel free to take this info as you will.

a

markmac

Side to side comparison of the BA CR-1 to the Polk "M" series showed the Polk to be more muffled and voices not as clear and sharp as through the BA. Since I figure the center is primarily for voices I opted to use the BA. (there is no tag on the Polk center speaker, but one came up on eBay that was identical and it was defined as an "M" series. The most similar center I have seen is the Polk CS-100, but my speaker has a port in the back and its a little bigger)

New additions from eBay: I got three Polk FX300i surrounds (two lefts and one right) and a pair of R15's. I understand the R15 is a newer model than the RT15 or RT25. Haven't received the R15's yet (paid $60 with shipping). Now for a decision on the surrounds. Do I run a 6.1 setup using the extra left FX300i as the center rear? Or do I need to locate another right FX300i and run a 7.1 setup? Or do I use another regular speaker in the center in a 6.1 setup? In my listening room an in-wall speaker as the center would work well, but how would an in-wall match with the rest of this setup?