Need speaker/subwoofer suggestions please.

SWLaser

Hi, here's what I already have:

-A 16x12 room.
-Two vintage quasar speakers for rears.
-A Polk CS2 center channel.
-A digital projector.
-A $700 dollar budget.

I need:

-A receiver.
-Two fronts.
-A subwoofer.

I had some of the following options in mind:

-Monitor 60's for $240 shipped
-Monitor 70's for $340 shipped
-A psw505 for $230 shipped
-Denon AVR-1508 for $160 shipped
-H&K 347 for $220 shipped

So, I need suggestions on other possible subwoofers, receivers, speakers, and on balancing my budget. Would I be better off getting Monitor 70's and a cheaper sub or Monitor 60's and a better one. And are either of those receivers good enough or will I have to compromise on my sub and fronts to get a better receiver.

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks :-)

SWLaser

Oh, I forgot to mention the setup is for watching movies.

Also, I'm perfectly fine with used and refurbished items. I regularly check craigslist but haven't seen anything in my area that fits my needs.

apphd

Monitor 70's for $340 shipped good price keep looking used
A psw505 for $230 shipped in your room you will be set.
H&K 347 for $220 shipped many love the sound of the HK with Polk.
Good amount of power and preouts if you ever feel the urge $90 over budget but you should be very happy.

SWLaser

Do you think 60's might do me fine then, to stay within budget? Thanks.

SWLaser

Xbox 360 and eventually an HTPC. Right now I've got a laptop with a bluray player and a soundcard but I don't know if that's gonna work out or not haha.

Think the 1508 could handle monitor 70s?

And I'd appreciate any suggestions on subwoofers. Anything in the ~$200 range that's better than psw505?

Or, better yet, anything in the 30 Hz range at +/- 3 dB for cheaper?

I'm on a tight budget.

Thanks guys.

SWLaser

I'm kind of leaning towards the 60's with a 1508 to save a little money.

Will monitor 60's dip low enough that the psw505 can overlap the monitor 60's frequency range without me being able to tell where the sub is? I don't know if that makes sense :-\

Oh, and anyone know about how Infinity and JBL subs stack up against a psw505? Specifically a JBL ES250, Infinity ps12, ps210 or ps212.

Thanks

SWLaser

What if I wanted to do the cutoff at around 60 Hz? Would the 60's and the sub mesh well or do you think I might need to get 70's to crossover that low?

ben62670

Get the HK.

apphd

SWLaser wrote: »

I'm kind of leaning towards the 60's with a 1508 to save a little money.

Will monitor 60's dip low enough that the psw505 can overlap the monitor 60's frequency range without me being able to tell where the sub is? I don't know if that makes sense :-\

Oh, and anyone know about how Infinity and JBL subs stack up against a psw505? Specifically a JBL ES250, Infinity ps12, ps210 or ps212.

Thanks

If you need to save I would go with the 60's. IMHO what you may save with the Denon and a different sub, will cost you more later on. I'm simply guessing since I do not know you, but I think if you downgrade to the lesser AVR or subs you will feel the need to upgrade (more $$$) much sooner. The HK PSW505 Monitor 60/70 should be a nice performer and make you very happy for some time. The others will sound nice, but for the little added cost, again in my opinion, the performance gain is pretty significant.

Best advice would be try to go and hear the different sound of the HK and Denon (if possible with some Polk Monitor series or TSi's). Maybe you will not care for one or the other and that will make your decision easier.

SWLaser

Thanks for the crossover information. Good point that since monitor 60's go lower than the cs2 and my rears, then it's not a big issue how low 60's go.

I'm starting to lean towards the HK and monitor 60's after hearing some opinions.

Another question: Do monitor 60's still work pretty well at lower volumes? Sometimes other people in the house don't want me blasting sound. I've heard stories about some speakers actually losing sound quality at lower volumes, just wondering if I should be worried. Didn't notice the CS2 having a problem, so I assume since it's the same series that I'll be fine.

SWLaser

Oh, and on the subwoofer, the JBL/Infinity alternatives aren't cheaper, they are the exact same price range. I was just wondering if anyone had personal experience with them since reviews are few and far between.

Statistically speaking, the JBL and Infinity woofers claim slightly lower frequency at +/- 3 dB, higher wattage, and similar size. I know those don't necessarily translate to performance, but I thought it was worth looking into just in case one is a diamond in the rough.

SWLaser

Anyone know how the HK 1600 stacks up against the HK 347?

SWLaser

K, thanks for the info.