# Polk TSi100 vs Klipsch B-20



## askrobo (Nov 21, 2012)

Just starting to look for Home Theater systems and am starting to get why people say not to buy a HTiB. I was about to purchase the Onkyo HT-9400THX for $685 (down from $999) but figured I'd get better sound from creating a home theater instead.

I've decided the Energy Take Classic, Klipsch 600, etc are all too small and basic for me. If I'm going to spend $500-$600 on a starter set I mind as well spend $700-$800 on a set I don't plan on replacing after a while.

My goal is to start building piece by piece as my budget for an entire set with AV Receiver has to be under $700 right now. 

I've listened to the Polk vs what CNET and others say is the best quality starter speaker (Pioneer SP-BS22-LR) and found that the Polk was MUCH crisper and that the sound carried at different angles, whereas the Pioneer sounded warmer, but slightly distorted and had to turn the volume higher on the receiver to hear the same sound. I also felt that the Pioneer sound didn't carry as far, and the actual housing was friggin huge and heavy.

These two are what I've come down to...if there are different speakers people would suggest, please suggest them. I'm new to all of this.


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

I'm really quite surprised to hear you didn't like those Pioneers. From a sound quality vs. price standpoint they're about the best thing going in small, inexpensive speakers. Each person likes different things, of course, but most seem to rave about how good they are. I wonder if they weren't setup correctly.

Along with the systems you're considering another option, if your room is small, might be the Dayton HTP-3. It's a full 5.1 system for very little money. If you want to get something a bit larger you could try four BIC DV62si speakers, a BIC DV62clr center and a Dayton SUB-1200. That would be less than $450, leaving you a decent amount for a receiver.


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## askrobo (Nov 21, 2012)

My room size is 13ft wide by 16ft long. 

The couch is about 7-8" from the back wall--about 14ft from my couch to the TV. 

The right side wall has a glass sliding door to my balcony and the left side of the room is a wide open space going to the kitchen. I'm top floor with about 13ft vaulted ceilings.

And yes I was surprised too. They sounded decent, much warmer than some of the others, but I was expecting to be blown away....now keep in mind I wasn't able to try the entire system together, just individual speakers.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

askrobo said:


> Just starting to look for Home Theater systems and am starting to get why people say not to buy a HTiB. I was about to purchase the Onkyo HT-9400THX for $685 (down from $999) but figured I'd get better sound from creating a home theater instead.
> 
> I've decided the Energy Take Classic, Klipsch 600, etc are all too small and basic for me. If I'm going to spend $500-$600 on a starter set I mind as well spend $700-$800 on a set I don't plan on replacing after a while.
> 
> ...


Hello,
The Klipschs are going to have a much different sonic signature than the Polks and most other speakers out there by virtue of its Horn Loaded Design. While I think Klipschs are exceptional for HT and quite good for Music, some find them to be a bit harsh. In my experience, careful placement and Room Treatments along with soft furnishings in the room can help greatly in this respect.

Where the Klipschs especially shine is in respect to how fantastically efficient they are. They need a handful of watts to playback at very high SPL's. This is especially important for building an HT on a budget as almost all entry level AVR's are quite compromised when it comes to the Power Supply in them. With Klipschs, this is not a real concern and this issue with many AVR's could have had a major impact on your impressions of the Pioneer Speakers.
Cheers,
JJ


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## zieglj01 (Jun 20, 2011)

Everyone one has their on preference and take on speakers - and the showroom
is not the best place to judge speakers. In-home trial period is the best way to
go. The Pioneer can take and handle the power and >> I have driven them in an 
open 20 X 30 area. They can get loud and sound clear. Some speakers may sound
crisper, so to speak - however, the Pioneer series 2 speakers do not have rolled-
off highs. Some speakers that tend to sound crisper > will have a boosted treble
that tries to cover up a weaker midrange, and as time goes buy, they can give you
ear fatigue. The Pioneers, were not voiced to jump out at you in a show room.

Your option and choice on speaker brand, however I will take them and their highs
midrange and lows, over the entry level Polks, Klipsch, Bic and Infinity speakers.
And also, over them Energy speaker packages.


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## DanTheMan (Oct 12, 2009)

The Pioneer are decent speakers and standouts for the retail price.

For a similar amount of money, the older Infinity 362 would be my pick: http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Primus-P362-Floor-Individually/dp/B000LKC372/ref=pd_ybh_2

They measure very well and have a more output than the pioneer, but likely less than the Klipsch. Their response is likely smoother than the Klipsch though I've never seen measurements of the Klipsch. I'm just going off other Klipsch measurements I've seen. Many horns have response issue d/t internal reflections/diffractions which have been demonstrated to lead to a harsh sound. My first set of speakers were Klipsch KG5.5s. Loved their output and dynamics, but they definitely sounded harsh on some material. Movies were their forte(no pun)! 

I've actually used these Infinity for longer than any speaker I've ever owned and have no real desire to part with them. There not the best speakers in the world, but they do a lot well for the money. Same could be said for the others mentioned.

The Pioneer are among the worst ones I've measured(no where near the worst I've seen) where the Infinity are middle of the road.

Stereophile did more detailed measurements of the Infinity and some of the Pioneer. Google those for more info. HTmag did a few measurements of the Pioneer as well--not as detailed as mine and no where near what Stereophile does.

Ultimately for me, as a recording guy, I want people to have some sort of standardized output from their speakers. I want to know that when I make a recording, the people listening to my recordings will hear something similar to what I mixed. The only way to ensure that is to have an output similar to what the original speakers used in the process and smooth in room bass. You can see in those measurements, that a lot of common pro speakers are designed to be flat(barring the infamous NS10 not shown). ALso a flat response has been demonstrated to be preferred during blind auditions.

Dan


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## askrobo (Nov 21, 2012)

The infinity look awesome and the range is great, i'll do more lookin into these guys...never read stuff about them before


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