Looking for new speakers

13»

Comments

  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,420
    Also we need to work on tips for WAF and stealth buying. This is going to take a while...
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)


    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
  • ruppertsreef
    ruppertsreef Posts: 37
    edited January 2019
    I don’t have the microphone to run the auto calibration. I have the sub frequency all the way up and the cross over set at 80. I posted all settings I had questions about a few posts back here it is copied again

    Surround mode PL II cinema or dts neo 6 cinema?

    Surround perimeter set to cinema
    other options cinema EQ on or off?
    D comp off low mid high?

    Tone control on or off?
    Bass and treble (probably my preference here I assume)

    speakers set to small front center surround
    Yes to sub
    No to s back preout not sure what this is?

    Bass settings
    Sw mode lfe or lfe+main?
    Lpf for lfe (not sure what this is currently set to 120Hz)?

    Crossover frequency set to 80.
    Polk s15 says 50Hz to 40kHz so should I set this to 60?
    Also have option to set advanced and set crossover for individual speakers. Possible set this different when I get new center 42Hz to 40kHz is frequency for s30

    Working on finding a better place for sub. Moving living room around. Since I have one huge room should I try to put it in the corner vs off to the right of tv.

    Going to try to crawl around room and put sub in listening spot tomorrow.

    Wasn’t sure if sub in corner would be good and if so pointed towards listening area, left towards tv, angled towards center of room or backwards towards wall?
  • ruppertsreef
    ruppertsreef Posts: 37
    edited January 2019
    Also my dad has a Sony str-de997 not sure if this would be any better than my denon avr591. He isn’t using and I could have it. But I assume it isn’t any better really. It has no hdmi ports and is just as old as mine
  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    Keep using your Denon.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
  • sponger
    sponger Posts: 325
    First and foremost, a lot of those concerns won't even matter if you're not going to use the Audyssey calibration. In fact, be sure to turn off audyssey since it's probably been calibrated for a different room. I don't think you need a denon mic to set it up. I think any mic that plugs into the front aux jack will do. You just want to make sure it's pointed directly upward, is steadily held in place by preferably a tripod or maybe a mic stand, and is at ear level for 6 listening positions starting with the main listening position.

    Surround mode PL II cinema or dts neo 6 cinema?

    Without a center channel, I'm not sure it would make much of a difference. Might as well be stereo. You just want to remember to switch center channel to "none" in the settings.

    Surround perimeter set to cinema
    other options cinema EQ on or off?
    D comp off low mid high?


    Cinema EQ softens the highs to make the vocals more audible, as the problem with movies these days is that the abundance of special effects tends to drown out dialog.

    Page 41 of the manual delves into the surround parameters.

    https://usa.denon.com/us/product/hometheater/receivers/avr591

    Tone control on or off?
    Bass and treble (probably my preference here I assume)


    Probably only works if the calibration is turned off. In which case the tone controls are a matter of personal preference.

    speakers set to small front center surround
    Yes to sub
    No to s back preout not sure what this is?


    "s back" is surround back. It's asking if you have an amp for additional rear presence channels. Page 47 of the manual.


    Bass settings
    Sw mode lfe or lfe+main?
    Lpf for lfe (not sure what this is currently set to 120Hz)?


    Page 47

    Crossover frequency set to 80.
    Polk s15 says 50Hz to 40kHz so should I set this to 60?
    Also have option to set advanced and set crossover for individual speakers. Possible set this different when I get new center 42Hz to 40kHz is frequency for s30


    Page 48.

    Consider this: the more work the subwoofer does, the easier it will be for the receiver to drive the other speakers. So, while the S15 is stable down to 50hz, there is no point in asking the receiver to power those frequencies when the sub can do it instead.
    Denon X7200WA
    LSiM 705 703 704c
    Denon DP 400
    Yamaha CDC 775
  • mrloren
    mrloren Posts: 2,454
    When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
    Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
    Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
    Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
  • ruppertsreef
    ruppertsreef Posts: 37
    edited January 2019
    Thanks everyone. I am having a co worker look for his mic for starters.

    I revived a s30 today. Mounted new shelf above the TV and have center channel wired up

    tomorrow's project will be wall mounting the speakers I started a new thread for wire fishing Tips.

    Thanks everyone For the help I was able to order the
    s15 for 160
    s30 for 165
    Brackets wire and bananas and keep it under 400$

    Tax season I will try for a new receiver and back speakers.

    Anyone's thoughts on backs. The s15 are too big for backs in my living room so maybe s10.

    Any one have or had the fxia4 or 6 or the fxi3 or 5 assuming with the dimensions these are more low profile and it would be less of a hazard in walkway
  • Thanks. I have a coworker looking for his.

    Received s30 today and mounted shelf and have it setup.

    Tomorrow will mount wall brackets and s15

    Thanks everyone for helping me out. Managed to stay under 500$ and get the s15-s30 wire plugs brackets and plate covers under 400.

    Started new thread on wire fish tips if anyone has any for my situation.

    When I get my work bonus in Feb I will get a new receiver and back speakers. S15 are too large for rear walkway maybe s10 would work. anyone have or have had the fxi4-6 or fxi3-5. Assuming they are more low profile.
  • New wall mounts don't clamp onto speakers the best due to the rounded corners on the s15. They clamp on each side and only go up about an inch and a half so don't make much contact with speaker. Optionally it says to add some screws in five places to hold speaker to wall brackets. Not sure if I really like this idea.

    Anyone have any wall mount brackets that are turntable and tiltable with a better clamp system or possible a clamp on front also.
  • You might improve the clamp's grip by using 3M Command adhesive products. There are the strips used with hooks which can be re-purposed, then there are strips that look like super Velcro where one side is intended to be on a wall & the other on a picture or something.

    They hold well & remove cleanly.
    A day without music is like a day without food.
  • sponger
    sponger Posts: 325
    edited January 2019
    Tax season I will try for a new receiver and back speakers.
    When I get my work bonus in Feb I will get a new receiver and back speakers.

    It might come as a surprise, but in some ways your receiver is actually better than ones you'll spend 2-3x on nowadays.

    For starters, it's made in China instead of Vietnam, the latter being where basically all avrs under $2k are made these days. No knock on the hard working people of Vietnam for whom I have total respect, but it's no secret that quality control isn't quite at the Chinese manufacturing level. Eventually they will catch up no doubt. But as of right now.....

    It also has discrete amp channels, which is unheard of nowadays until you spend a lot of money. In fact, no Denon receiver under $2k has discrete amp channels. I won't pretend I know exactly what that means, but all of the marketing tells me it means more reliable power and better channel separation than non-discrete amp channels.

    It isn't a bad avr at all, and you aren't even extracting its full potential since you have haven't done a room calibration with it. A $25 investment in a new audyssey mic will greatly improve the balance between your speakers and sub. It will be night and day.

    Mostly, the allure of avrs these days is immersive codecs like atmos and auro 3d. Besides that, maybe the 4k pass through and e-arc, which passes atmos from a TV with streaming services back to the receiver. I could be wrong, but it doesn't sound like you're interested in any of that.

    So, believe it or not you have a receiver that somewhat embodies the "they don't make 'em the way they used to" adage. Certainly there are members here who easily reach further back in time and put that adage into better context. But basically what you're paying for nowadays dollar-for-dollar is stuff that you might not need, and with lesser quality components.
    Denon X7200WA
    LSiM 705 703 704c
    Denon DP 400
    Yamaha CDC 775
  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,623
    edited January 2019
    This one is well under $2G and has discrete amps for each channel...

    https://usa.denon.com/us/product/hometheater/receivers/avrx3500h

    Or:

    https://usa.denon.com/us/product/hometheater/receivers/avrx4500h

    The 4500H would be a nice upgrade. Once you hit the 4500 series it looks like they start including better power supplies and more “muscle”.
  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,623
    To the OP, what would your budget be for a new receiver?
  • I do agree that most of the features of a new receiver I probably would not use the only thing besides power to drive the speakers and possibly a better surround mode seeing that I have PL to cinema and DTS Neo 6 atm. I will pick up a new microphone I just never have because I had read before that it really didn't do much. I have also read before that a lot of people have issues with their left and right drowning out their center and not being able to hear the dialogue and I would say that I have always felt that complete opposite I hear dialogue Waymore than the sound effects of what should be going on the screen. Assuming I should just bump up the decibel levels on the left and right channel or back down the center channel would fix this problem and the microphone would probably do that automatically. I was buying these speakers with my "extra" Christmas money so wife really couldn't say no to the spending just to the size of speakers if that makes sense. I would say in February or March I would be willing to spend another 500-750 on rears and new receiver. Looking at possible s10 or the fxi sets. I will post pictures of my clamp brackets as well as the room I have to work with in this thread and my wire fishing thread.

    Maybe everyone can give me ideas I apologize it is destroyed from me moving stuff around
  • ruppertsreef
    ruppertsreef Posts: 37
    edited January 2019
    e1edwng75mgq.jpg
    h848kr5567t0.jpg
    l6epxeuyvw2v.jpg center of couch
    0b70wfilpe1i.jpg
    m2lmv7d1x2jf.jpg
    4x3isl9mmg3l.jpg

    On the left of tv speaker can go on wall next to tv or on the left wall where the ref light and net are hanging.

    On the right anywhere on that wall. I have a piece of blue tape way on the right next to octopus that is equal distance if left is mounted on net wall
  • ruppertsreef
    ruppertsreef Posts: 37
    edited January 2019
    I had originally planned to put them up high about 8 ft and tilt down and in towards center of couch. I can put them lower but would have to move the computer to a different location as to not get in the way. That whole corner is moved around because I pushed the sub into corner. Had it to the right of tv prior and it sounds better in corner. New sub cable didn't get delivered today and now I'm a at work. So couldn't do sub crawl
  • sponger
    sponger Posts: 325
    Ex Navy? I appreciate your service in which case.
    Denon X7200WA
    LSiM 705 703 704c
    Denon DP 400
    Yamaha CDC 775
  • mrloren
    mrloren Posts: 2,454
    Keyhole slot or speaker stands, I wouldn't mess with the brackets
    When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
    Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
    Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
    Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
  • ruppertsreef
    ruppertsreef Posts: 37
    edited January 2019
    So if I keyhole mount them I won't be able to tilt down or inward. Wouldn't this be less than optimal.

    Not ex navy just have a large saltwater fishtank and love the ocean
  • mrloren
    mrloren Posts: 2,454
    I'm not a fan of those mounts, just me and my opinion. I would use the keyhole and mount them 3' to the sides of the TV. I think you will run into fire blocks in that wall too. In this hobby it's all trial and error.
    When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
    Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
    Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
    Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
  • rpf65
    rpf65 Posts: 2,127
    Have a pair of RTI A1’s mounted with these.

    https://www.av-express.com/Speaker-wall-mount-tilts-heavy-duty-AEON-90102

    Bought them from Amazon about 5 years ago.
  • ruppertsreef
    ruppertsreef Posts: 37
    edited January 2019
    cqlhzrojt1yj.jpeg
    I just ran the center wire through the wall. There is insulation in there. Kids Bedroom on the other side. Went from 7 feet up to about 3 inches above trim on floor and didn’t have any issues running into fireblocks. Looks clean and wife is happy no cord off shelf now
  • ruppertsreef
    ruppertsreef Posts: 37
    edited January 2019
    rpf65 wrote: »
    Have a pair of RTI A1’s mounted with these.

    https://www.av-express.com/Speaker-wall-mount-tilts-heavy-duty-AEON-90102

    Bought them from Amazon about 5 years ago.

    How would this work on s15 on back as it has powerport on top half and speaker ports on bottom half
  • rpf65
    rpf65 Posts: 2,127
    When mounted, these mounts are about 6 inches from the wall.

    I have mine mounted at roughly 35 degrees horizontal and 15 degrees down. This leaves a little over 3 inches from the closet point of the speaker to the wall.

    Like I’ve said, I have had the RTI A1’s mounted using the key hole for about 5 years now. They work, and at $25, not expensive. Just another option you may want to consider

    At that price, you could probably get close, if not full price if you decide to sell them.
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,560
    ^^ If we're still looking for new SPAM to click, then you got us covered. Thank you so much. :unamused:
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,481
    MONOPRICE SUCKS @bestspeakers go away!!