Upgrading miss-matched home theater advice?

jtrpop · April 2010

I am upgrading my home theater and would like some upgrade advice. Currently I have a miss-matched home theater system which actually sounds quite good for movies, but music could use improvement. My car has all Polk (thanks for the advice Crutchfield!) and I am very happy with the quality & value of Polk, so I figure time to upgrade the home theater to Polk, as music sounds so much better in my car than at home. I want big crisp clean sound (explosions you feel in your chest would be nice too) as well as being able to hear the finer details without breaking the bank.

Here is my current setup:
FRONT L&R: Technics large 3-way. Tweeter, mid, 12" woofer. SB-CR77 http://www.lehigh.edu/%7Eevb209/projects/speakers/02.jpg
CENTER & SIDE SURROUNDS: Sony basic medium sized $99 package in pressed wood
REAR SURROUNDS: Pioneer basic speakers in plastic case
SUB: Sony 12" powered
RECEIVER: When it ships, Onkyo THX (TX-SR608) certified receiver
Blu-ray player & 1080p DLP front projector
Aprox 20x20 square living room apartment.

I am most disappointed with my center & surrounds. After some research, I ordered a Polk CS10 which should arrive today. For the surrounds, I'm pretty convinced the OWM3 is the best way to go. I'm content with my current sub and will likely upgrade that last, but am unaware of how much the Polk will perform better than what I currently have. I also wonder how much my new THX receiver will play into improving the sound, and want my speakers to be able to reproduce HD audio & THX quality as best as possible. It would be nice to have THX certified speakers, but budget does not always allow that. I talked to a Polk employee and he said the TSi series was THX equivalent, if not better. Is this true? If so, how does Polk's previous series "Monitor" stack up to the new "TSi" series? There are some great deals to be had on the Monitor series, and if they sound as good as the TSi, and are only cosmetically different, then I will opt for those.

What I am most torn about are my front L&R speakers. I have had them a long time, they look good, fit physically well into my current setup, and have served me well with good sound. Yet nearly everyone out there says how important it is to match your speakers, especially your front 3. I really don't want to part with them (call it nostalgia, call it budget), but I feel they might not be reproducing the full sonic stage. The newer taller Polk tower speakers may not fit into my current setup, and how do multiple 5" speakers compare to large 12" speakers? I have my eye on the Monitor 60, but don't know how that will compare to what I currently have. Do I need to match like they say, and if so, which speaker should I replace it with so there is a noticeable improvement?

Thanks for your help in advance, and I know there are a lot of questions here, but I have been reading these posts and find people here to be helpful and knowledgeable.

Jason

wutadumsn23 · April 2010

IMHO, you can't go wrong with the Monitors, esp. for the prices they can be had for these days. I own both the TSi 500's and the Monitor 70's and prefer the sound of the Monitor 70's all day. Not that there is anything wrong with the way the 500's sound, but IMHO there is not a big enough difference in sound quality to justify the large difference in price. As for the TXH certification, without trying to start a pi$$ing match, I wouldn't worry about that all that much. If you get the 70's, I would get the CS2 as your center, timbre matching is very important with the front three and you want to keep it in the family if at all possible. The 60's are a good speaker as well, but the 70's have a cascade crossover that, IMHO, makes them the best option for floorstanding Monitors. Good luck and welcome to Club Polk.

-Jeff

nguyendot · April 2010

Your old technics speakers weren't designed with home theater in mind. The sound range they were designed for was for stereo, and the technologies are a bit long in the tooth. I'd set them aside and use them for 2 channel if you really want to continue enjoying them, and replace them with a set of matching LCR speakers.

Look on craigslist and see if you can find some good deals. I got a pair of RT-55's, which are highly sought after by us Polk junkies, and matched it with my CS250s for a great front sound stage.

Try to match your stuff, right now you're right, everything is mis-matched. It's like you spent all your cash on a projector (and I hope a screen), and then kinda just shaked and baked your audio side. The receiver you have isn't horrible, just hook up the multichannel out from your bluray (analog 5.1/7.1) and you should be good. Dump ALL your speakers and replace them. Do it one by one if you have to since you're talking about budget. Buy used, it's a great way to get better prices on good gear.

jtrpop · April 2010

Thanks everyone. I originally purchased my Technics speakers 15 years ago or more, and have been adding to them since Dolby Pro Logic to evolve into my current home theater. So no, I didn't dump all the money into the visuals and then cheapen the sound. It makes sense these speakers were not designed for home theater but for stereo, even though I am glad they have served me well. Now that I am upgrading all high def, I figure time for the speakers to go with it, especially with new lossless Dolby and DTS formats.

The new Polk CS10 really does show the difference in sound now compared to the others speakers, and am now forced to upgrade

I would have liked to get the CS20, but it would not fit where it is placed. I was then debating between the Monitor 60 and 70 when I called Polk and an employee said the 70's will still be a better choice. While I trust him, I still like to know the why behind it. The 60's have 3 mid/woofers, while the 70's have 2 mid/woofers and 2 subs. Since I will be crossing my main sub at 80hz, are the two subs of the 70's self defeating?

I will almost certainly get the 70's and hope that will fit well with my CS10, and OWM3s when I find the right deal. CS10 for the center and Monitors/OWM3s should be a good match since they are basically the same family, correct?

THX certification really brings up that much controversy?

virtualdean · April 2010

jtrpop:

Be sure to visit the polkdirect store on ebay. Many, many great deals there.
Factory refurbished to be sure, but new with the warranty.
I bought a Polk Isonic ES2 there for 130 bucks..."Mahvelous!"
They have every kind of Polk there.
Judge for yourself.:cool:

static_k · April 2010

Don't forget to look at prices on newegg.com too. I just recently upgraded my stuff on a budget and was able to get 2 monitor 50's, 2 monitor 30's, and a CS1 for $430 and it was free shipping. I was very happy with the price and performance of the monitor speakers. A little bonus too if you happen to live in the tri-state area (NY,VT,NJ) you get your stuff next day.

cnh · April 2010

NY, Vermont and N.J? The tri-state area? Is that a TYPO!!

To OP....are you at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa.? Student or Prof.? Just curious. The Lehigh Valley is my old stomping grounds!

Lots of speakers can be considered THX certified but are not marked because of testing and the royalties that that would incur! We may argue about this but THX certification and speakers is not that relevant in a living-room!

As for the M70s vs. the M60s. The 70s are the flagship they can move tons of air, and they are crossed over differently from the 60s. I find the different configuration gives more information up top and even better imaging when and if the M70s are given the POWER they want! The 70s can sound like 2 different speakers depending on what you are feeding them. Feed them GOOD clean strong POWER and you'll hear the REAL difference between them and the M60s. With a power amp behind them the M70s don't sound as trapped in a box as the M60s sometimes do!

I also find the M70s more 'musical'. I've compared them to TSI-400s and TSI-300s on the same power amp. NO contest the M70s put up a WALL of sound that the others cannot match.

cnh

wutadumsn23 · April 2010

I would strongly recommend that you get the CS2 for your center. I know you already have the CS10, but see if you can refuse delivery or send it back after a short demo. I have a CS2 and when I got my TSi 500's, they did not play well together at all. I would imagine that you may have the same problem with the CS10 and the Monitor 70's, not to mention that the CS10 is the smaller of the two in the TSi series centers, with the CS20 being the bigger. Either way if the CS10 does souind ok with the 70's, it will jhave a hard time keeping up with the 70's due to their size, IMHO. Sorry for the late info, I kinda missed that earlier when I read your post. Just my $.02.

-Jeff

Edit: Ditto on cnh's comments above. The first time I heard my 70's hooked up to an external amp, they sounded like a whole different speaker, they sounded amazing. Everyone in the room was impressed. I alos prefer the 70's over the TSi 500's, and I own both.

static_k · April 2010

cnh wrote: »

NY, Vermont and N.J? The tri-state area? Is that a TYPO!!
cnh

Yup typo....haha that C is awfully close to that V

jtrpop · April 2010

Newegg is great, especially living in Southern California as nearly all deliveries are next day; I purchased my CS10 from the polkdirect ebay store. Before I bought my CS10, the Polk employee said the Monitor and TSi line are the same, only cosmetic difference. I guess I am finding that is not exactly true?

Since the Monitor 70's can be bi-amped, which I don't plan to do, is this more speaker than my 100watts per channel receiver can push, limiting my potential and better off with a different speaker?

Because I have my CS10 (that can't be returned to polkdirect), and I can't fit any larger center speaker, Newegg is having a $89 each on the Monitor 50's. Would that be a better fit for my mid-sized home theater, or will I regret the purchase in the future and still hold out for Monitor 70's? I can't really fit the TSi 500's as they are very deep (18") as the Monitor 70's and 50's are 15" or less. I don't want to go from a miss matched to mostly matched system

concealer404 · April 2010

Go with the 70s. Your reciever won't PUSH them, but it'll be adequate. As long as you have a decent sub, in an HT setting, you'll be fine. You will be limiting the 70s potential, but the 50s won't sound any better on the receiver either. 70s are better.

jtrpop · April 2010

Update: I found a deal and am getting Monitor 70's for the front sides, and two pairs of OWM3s for surrounds. I also moved some furniture so I can not only accommodate a bigger 128" projection screen, but can fit a bigger center if I wanted to.

Question: With my CS10 that I just purchased, do I keep it, or return it for a CS20 or CS2?

hagmanm2 · April 2010

jtrpop wrote: »

Question: With my CS10 that I just purchased, do I keep it, or return it for a CS20 or CS2?

Listen to Jeff! Return it and get the CS2, you won't regret it.

jtrpop · April 2010

My goodness guys, your killing me

What starts as wanting to replace my center speaker turns into an entire new sound system. I will return the CS10 and get the CS2.

Now for the sub, right? I know what a difference switching from a Sony sub to a Polk made in my car, so naturally I now need to replace my 12" powered Sony and get a PSW125 to compliment my soon to be Monitor 70's, CS2, and OWM3s, right? In all of this I'm not going for sheer volume, but clarity and definition.

wutadumsn23 · April 2010

LOL, you should have ran when you had the chance man, lol. As for your sub, I have a PSW125 and while it is an adequate sub, the deals on the PSW505 are downright crazy right now, and the 505 is a way better sub. If you can save up a little more scratch look into the DSW series as well, but they tend to be a bit more pricey. Good luck.

-Jeff

concealer404 · April 2010

jtrpop wrote: »

My goodness guys, your killing me What starts as wanting to replace my center speaker turns into an entire new sound system. I will return the CS10 and get the CS2.

Now for the sub, right? I know what a difference switching from a Sony sub to a Polk made in my car, so naturally I now need to replace my 12" powered Sony and get a PSW125 to compliment my soon to be Monitor 70's, CS2, and OWM3s, right? In all of this I'm not going for sheer volume, but clarity and definition.

Pass on the PSW125. PSW505 instead. They're under $250 from Newegg.

Amherst · April 2010

cnh wrote: »

Just curious. The Lehigh Valley is my old stomping grounds!
cnh

The Lehigh Valley, Ehh.

Do you happen to recall any instance of a crazy Jerseyian running through the woods naked and drunk chasing deer at night? Just wondering.

Good Times!

ibewbrother · April 2010

I don't know if the 608 is capable of them, but moving my 30s to the height channels makes a HUGE difference in the front. Especially the highs.

And since you have come this far...you might want to keep your existing sub for a while and check out SVS subs.... I'll take the pepsi challenge with a 505 any day of the week.

jtrpop · April 2010

Thanks for spending all my money everyone :P I just ordered a CS2 to replace the CS10, and a PSW505 to replace my Sony sub. If I'm going through all this trouble, might as well do it right, right? Polk Direct was very helpful in getting things exchanged and setting me up. Since I live so close to them in SoCal, I should have everything by Friday.

So now I go from a descent sounding although miss-matched home theater pieced together over the last 20 years, to what should be a very matched home theater system to rival the quality of most theaters, which should last another 20 years.

CENTER: CS2
FRONT SIDES: Monitor 70
BACK & SIDE SURROUNDS: OWM3
SUB: PSW505
RECEIVER: Onkyo TX-SR608 THX certified (when it ships)

I guess the only thing left to add when I find a good deal is another pair of OWM3 for the extra 9.1 that Dolby Pro Logic IIz will add...

jtrpop · April 2010

Well, I received all my speakers at once on Friday and the FedEx guy was exhausted. A nick on each Monitor enclosure (not from FedEx), but such is buying refurbished; no big deal. Swapped out my old speakers, did some minor adjustments, and WOW! THIS was the sound I was looking for! Very crisp, full, open, dynamic and detailed. I am hearing things I never heard before, and it is very easy to distinctly make out each element of sound in a soundtrack. Now I know exactly what timbre matching means, hearing it firsthand from a previous miss-matched system, as it creates a very seamless soundstage where elements travel around the room without really any noticeable distinction that the sound is switching from one speaker to another. The bass is so much tighter and cleaner. Before when my 12" Sony sub hit, parts of the room rattled and reverberated, but with the new Polk, the bass is louder, more defined, but there is now less rattling of the room; and I had thought it was the room all along, when much of the culprit was the old sub.

I know a lot more about sound than the average person, but there is still a lot more to learn, and thank you guys for pushing me towards the Monitor 70's, CS2 and what not instead of me compromising on something less. I was watching some of the Polk educational videos last night, and a good portion I already knew, but there is so much more wonderful information to learn, I hope Polk puts more out like these! This really sets them apart from other companies, as they like to inform their customers and make them experts.

The only real complaint is the OWM3 surrounds are not exactly timbre matched to the Monitors, but they are very close. Now I know why people get Monitor 40's for their surround, but my current home theater location does not permit it. If I find a deal on the Monitor 40's, I might snag them and try to make it work

Maybe this slight timbre difference of the Monitor's and OWM3's will be less noticeable when I get my new Onkyo THX receiver and dial the system in? I also have them mounted high, pointing down 45 degrees towards the primary listening area to get them up and out of the way. It makes for a clean install, but it sounds a little off coming from up higher, as I have always mounted the speakers according to Dolby's specs of a few feet above the audience, and may possibly reconsider mounting lower in the future, but for now I will leave them.

I've had a full Polk setup in my car for almost the last 10 years, and have been extremely happy with it. When upgrading my home theater, I was very tempted to go Klipsch because I have heard those speakers and really like them, but what made me chose Polk again was a combination of the great Polk sound in my car, Polk's helpful and knowledgeable employees, the very informative Polk website, you great people on the Polk forums, and the amazing deals to be had which gave me just as good, if not better sound, than Klipsch for likely half or a quarter the price. Thanks everyone!

Upgrading miss-matched home theater advice?

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