Need advice on upgrading system

earthquaker182

First I'll start by saying my current setup. I have an Onkyo SR TX-706 7.1 receiver that gives 130W per channel. I have 2 Monitor 70s as my floorstanding speakers that I am currently Bi-amping right now. I also have 2 Yamaha bookshelves as my sides. I am looking at a ratio of 70/30 for HT/Music, as in I care more for home theatre than music.
So my dilemma is this:
I want to upgrade my setup. After doing some research I feel like I'm missing the low range from my current setup. So I was thinking of either buying more components to fill that gap of if I should upgrade my current setup. If I was going to upgrade my system I was thinking of switching out my Monitor 70s for the RTi A7 or A5 (if I get the A5 I think I would need to get a sub). Now if I wanted to add more components I was thinking of getting Polk's DSW pro 400 or 500 for a sub or I was thinking of getting Polk's CS2 or CS20 center channel. So if any one can give any advice I would greatly appreciate it.

Erik Tracy

Welcome to the Polk Forums!

I'm sure you'll get some good pointers here to get you going in the right direction.

First off....whacha got in your wallet???

Seriously - if you let us know what your budget threshold is - you'll get better advice.

thsmith

+1 on cash.

You will need a sub with any of the speakers you mentioned with 70% movies.

I had RTi8s close to RTiA5s and definately needed sub, friend has RTi10 close to RTi7s and he has two outlaws, with enough power to push 10s he does not need a sub for music but a must have for movies.

Also, for sub ref you need to provide your room deminsions as well.

earthquaker182

Opps sorry guys I'll give you the rest of the info now.
I am thinking of spending about $400 to $500 to upgrade my system. As for the room dimensions they are 13'x16'6"x8' that is WxLxH.
Also I'm sorry but I have the Onkyo Tx Sr 806 not 706, sorry for that.

dborzz

Those m70's should fill that room nicely when you add a decent quality sub. I have a similar room size and setup and the moment I added my Polk Micro-Pro 1000 it all came together beautifully. And I'm only running off my Onkyo606, with t90e(m60's)front, CS2 center, and some OWM3's rear. The sub is the big deal maker for home theater. These guys on here will help you out tremendously!! Welcome to the club!

Erik Tracy

So $400-500 total.

And are you going for at least a 5.1 HT setup? (L/R, Center, Surround L and R, and Sub)?

There is alot of potential hidden cost in 'upgrading' - speaker wire, speaker mounts, tax, shipping... all eating into that budget.

When folks say HT - to me - that means at least a 5.1 set up.

hearingimpared

Welcome to Club Polk.

earthquaker182

First off, thank you everyone for welcoming me. Well yes I was planing on spending around $400-$500 total. In terms of hidden cost I already bought 100ft of 16 gauge speaker wire and have around 40ft left but no subwoofer cable. As I said I am Bi-amping the Monitor 70s so I'm using 6 of the 7 binding posts in the back for my 4 speakers. I do want to get a 5.1 system but I want to fill in that "empty space" first that I feel like I'm missing and if that means getting a sub or center then I will get a sub or center.

The Big Smelly

I think you should consider upgrading your Monitor 70s to the RtiA5s, you will get increased clarity and they better fit the room dimensions as you outlined. If you sell your 70s plus the cash you are willing to spend you should be able to afford the RtiA5s. If you fell like you will not have adequate bass response then I recommend a pair of DSW 400s, these will be a dedicated "bass channel" where as they won't draw from your receiver, as would the RtiA7s, also a pair would help combat "hills + valleys" in the room listening environment. As a total system this is alot more money than you previously stated you wanted to spend, but a good stereo is worth investing in over time rather than just grabbing all the components at once for a mediocre stereo.

Erik Tracy

Well, here's the thing...you could easily spend $400-$500 just on the sub.

And many folks would agree that this about what you should expect to spend - just on the sub - for one that gets you to a decent point for price vs performance.

There are, of course, good deals to be found on a sub - so that might be one way to reduce cost - but shipping costs for subs are murder since decent sized subs weigh alot.

Another option would be to upgrade your main speakers to towers and move your existing Monitors to serve as the back surrounds for a 4.0 setup. Then use your upgraded mains (say RTiA5 towers) in a 'phantom center' mode until you can afford a dedicated subwoofer and center speaker.

Just tossing out some ideas

earthquaker182

Well the Monitor 70s are floorstanding speakers, they have four 6,1/2" speakers and a tweeter.

Hawkeye

A center and sub is where I would spend my money. Live with the sides you have until finances improve. You'll get more bang for the buck with a center and sub.

Gordon

phipiper10

This sub is a bargain in my opinion

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-392

Similarly modeled after below
http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/stf-2.html

You could get the Dayton sub and a center and I think you should be around your $500 mark. Many would argue to get the larger center which I wouldn't disagree with but if you are stricking to your budget this is an option. http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=206362747&listingid=22984549&dcaid=17902

My .02