# what are your thoughts about this set up as a beginner setup



## genjix (Nov 23, 2010)

Onkyo TX-NR509 Receiver and Jamo (owned by Klipsch) S426HCS3 5 pc Home Theater Speaker System $420 shipped!

you get both the receiver and speaker system for $420
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?afsrc=1&EdpNo=186323
i was trying to keep my budget under 1k but ill take lower.
also can i get away with not having a subwoofer with this setup?


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Well, as a starter system it will do but its not going to fill a big space very well. In my opinion I would spend your entire budget on a system not just $420. You will defiantly need a sub with that system if you even want to have any low end below 60Hz.

How large is the room this system will be in?


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## genjix (Nov 23, 2010)

thanks for the reply. the entire room is 14 x 16, but I would be using 1/3 of the room as an office and the remaining as my living room. I live in an apt building, but on the first floor with nobody below me, but I wouldnt crank the system to often. Just want clear realistic sound when watching a movie at regular volume.

edit*** when i say 1/3 of the room will be for an office, there is no physical divider. just a desk and file cabinet in one corner of the room, and couch set up with be on the other corner.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Its good enough for an apartment system I would personally upgrade the receiver to at least the Onkyo 709 so its far more futureproof.


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## genjix (Nov 23, 2010)

thanks for the input. not sure if i can get the same pricing for speakers if i dont bundle it, but will look into that.


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## TypeA (Aug 14, 2010)

genjix said:


> thanks for the input. not sure if i can get the same pricing for speakers if i dont bundle it, but will look into that.


Looks like the 709 can be had for under $600 and is quite a bit more versatile, I didnt price beyond amazon so you might want to look, nice upgrade and still gets you in under budget. The included 509 is hdmi and supports 3D, brand new (dont open it) and thus should be an easy re-sell on craigslist, bringing you in even further under budget.


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## GranteedEV (Aug 8, 2010)

I strongly recommend considering 2.0 for now. For example

This receiver + TWO of these speakers

Rather than going for a bunch of perhaps sub-par parts just to be able to say you've got surround sound. Add a sub or two later. Then surrounds. Skip a center.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

This speaker package is an even better deal. Dont be fooled by speakers with multiple drivers like that (sorry GranteedEV) , sadly they can sound worse than speakers with one driver if not designed properly. For the price I suspect that they are not.


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## GranteedEV (Aug 8, 2010)

tonyvdb said:


> Dont be fooled by speakers with multiple drivers like that (sorry GranteedEV) , sadly they can sound worse than speakers with one driver if not designed properly. For the price I suspect that they are not.


Erm... The MSRP is 995/pair, the going price is 795/pr, and the one I linked is a scratch and dent EACH, so a pair of scratch and dents (which were invisible in my experience with EMP) would be 636/pair, which is not some kind of white van price. 

I happen to own the e55tis, and they sound quite nice actually. They are quality speakers for the price, better than most if not all I have yet heard under $1000, with high output capability, very neutral voicing with a moderately deeper, wider, more precise soundstage than what most of the competition *cough*paradigmklipschpolkaxiom*cough* has to offer at the price point. They have plenty of reasonably tight midbass output but never emphasized, and can plenty of power. The mids are quite clean and detailed and natural, if slightly prominent because of my particular placement away from walls. There is no lack of coherency to my ears that would suggest the multiple drivers used are creating crossover issues. The few commercial speakers I'd consider replacing them near the price point would be might be Magnepan MMGs (which won't have the output or sweetspot), KEF Q500 (which I have yet to actually hear), Aperion Verus Forte(same deal), Infinity Classia C336 (which had an actual MSRP closer to $1600 IIRC and thus doesn't really belong in this category), and PSB T5 (which I again haven't yet heard, and I doubt have the same midbass output at the very least) and Focal 716V (which again won`t have the same potential for output, and I also doubt the sweet spot is as wide although i didn`t really test it during my audition).

What they won't give you is the bottom octave of deep bass. They're designed for use with a subwoofer, although for most musical content they still give plenty of bass down to 60hz. If I had to change anything about them from a design standpoint, I'd add an extra db of baffle step compensation to add a slight bit of fullness to the upper midrange when positioned 3+feet away from walls like I have them, although my placement is probably very unrealistic compared to most people.

Here are some third-party measurements from a review if my subjective impressions don't do it for you:

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/floorstanding/emptek-e55ti/e55ti-measurements

The Fluance stuff in comparision is almost purely quantity over quality. Their selling point is "Five speakers and a sub, dirt cheap, that don't sound as bad as worse speakers". So I think we're just going to have to disagree here; I truly think a 2.0 system is the way to go on a 1k budget; and to buy a sub/surrounds eventually but not immediately. There's a couple speakers I'd consider to mate with a decent receiver which I named above.

Since you're up in edmonton, though, you're welcome to come down to Calgary any time and audition these suspect speakers with lots of drivers ;P


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## TypeA (Aug 14, 2010)

stereophile said:


> One would expect the sound of a $149.99/pair bookshelf model to include some serious compromises and tradeoffs, but within its size limitations, the Pioneer SP-BS41-LR has none. It is a dynamic, coherent, and colorless reproducer of music, with quite convincing bass for its size. It should give lovers of all genres of music hours of convincing realism in the listening room, so long as those listeners keep their volume levels within reason and dont attempt to rewrite the laws of physics. Sure, spending two or three times as much can buy a number of speakers that will do one or more things better than the Pioneer. But Andrew Jones set himself a very high design goal with the SP-BS41-LR, and he has fully attained that goal-and without compromise. An impressive achievement indeed!


Copied from a Sept 2011 stereophile review and _remarkable_ praise for such a lowly $75 each budget speaker, sorry I dont think the review is available online yet. But just another recommendation if you want a more _5.1 instant-gratification_ experience within budget. 

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Bookshelf-Home-Theater-Loudspeakers/dp/B0045US6DE


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

EV, I wont dispute that the price is great given what they are but the big issue with tall cabinets like the e55s is cabinet vibration noise and speakers that tall in that price range never have thick enough walls or bracing to hold everything ridged enough and thats a big negative for speaker design and would drive me nuts (several reviews have commented about that issue in the e55s).
But I do agree that they look great and would fit nicely in a livingroom.


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## Rodstintshop (Apr 26, 2011)

Look on ebay and get a good denon like 1910 has all the update sound formats but just 1.3 hdmi but do you want 3d.and for the room your going to be using look st a5.1 speaker set you can get the jamo pd340 with 100watt 10inch down firing sub for round 200$ shipped you can look at spec all day but your ears don't reed spec you have to like what you hear not what you read.and spend some of that left over cash and get some bass traps you will be surprised what the people above you can hear the below 200 htz will be what they will hear the most and the traps will help.why have high dollar speakers if you can't turn them up.and in such a small room you will have to have reciver set to midnight mode all the time.trust me go with the traps the sound stage will make cheaper speakers sound great.go to (vanns.com) and take a look they have some go od deals on the onkyo stuff also


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## Rodstintshop (Apr 26, 2011)

I have 2 sets of the 340 running front height setup with 2 subs and sound great as good as some of my friends high dollar stuff I love the jamo stuff you will also.


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## GranteedEV (Aug 8, 2010)

tonyvdb said:


> EV, I wont dispute that the price is great given what they are but the big issue with tall cabinets like the e55s is cabinet vibration noise and speakers that tall in that price range never have thick enough walls or bracing to hold everything ridged enough and thats a big negative for speaker design and would drive me nuts (several reviews have commented about that issue in the e55s)..


The cabinets are not as dead as better speakers, but it is all a dollar for dollar tradeoff. What alternatives exist with a superior balance of tradeoffs? I will tell you that the e55ti cabinets are more rigid that a lot of the competition based on my knock test.

Also, you could always go in and add peel n seal and OC703 etc. Cabinets are the easiest thing to improve as a diy project. I suspect however that OP won't be as bothered by cabinet resonance as you. I'll agree that there's some definite tightness that could probably be pulled out of a more inert cabinet, but these speakers are not sloppy or muddy either. I wouldn't even go as far as to call them "warm". The cabinets are not noisy, although they're not the cabinets of $2,000+ speakers either. 

I think one of the reasons it gets away with lesser cabinets, is because the two midrange drivers are crossed acoustic 2nd order at 120hz. Because the crossover frequency is so low, the midranges are producing much of the output down to 200hz or so - they are in a very rigid, sealed top section which is then double sealed by the outer enclosure. It is only the bottom section of the tower which is less rigid, and because the lower midrange produced by the bass drivers of the speaker is already 10 to 20 down in level, cabinet resonances are not as audibly excited as you might imagine. I can manage to excite them with very loud test tones, but not in 99.9% of real content, and i've owned them for a year now. Because of the way cabinet resonances work, they are pushed mostly into the territory of the midrange drivers, which won't excite them. The bass drivers are too down in level at this point. 

I have only read two reviews of the e55tis, so maybe i haven't read the ones you've read, but the only one that complains about cabinet resonance contradicts itself:



> Lows: Some *unwanted cabinet resonance*
> 
> Still, we were pleased that the bass response didn’t exhibit the polar opposite by sounding bloated or tubby. They offered just enough punch to be palpable and we certainly heard the tonality of the upper bass octaves *clearly and without unwanted resonance*




It's a living room setup on a budget. I truly stand by my opinion that two of these speakers (and other pairs I mentioned at a similar price point) will outperform five budget bookshelves or otherwise, for the same price.


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## GeemanSeven (Jun 29, 2011)

My e55Ti's were just delivered yesterday. I bought them from EMP's clearance section and they look and sound spectacular.

I'm pretty new to home theater and this is my first set up that's not HTIB- so my ear may not be trained to hear the cabinet's limitations, but I didn't notice any at the levels I played them at. I live in a small 2 floor town house with neighbors on both sides (but not above and below) and have them set up in a room that's 12'x29' (open floor plan living room/dining room with no separation). They are set up in the living room area that's about 12'x16' and do a great job filling that space. The reason I mention this is because it sounds similar to your apartment with an office/living room set up. For the price of $600 a pair, they sound better than I expected. I am using a sub (Dayton 120) at low levels just to reach the lowest octave these speakers miss - and for a small room with close neighbors on both sides, it's more than enough. Hope this helps and good luck! I spent a month on this forum reading everything I could before I purchased and it was easy for me to make my decision once it was time to pull the trigger.

-Jeff


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## rhodyray (Dec 27, 2010)

I am also getting my first system and am looking at getting the Marantz SR6004 or SR5005 with Klipsch Snergy Sub 12 but I need suggestions on the four speakers with center. Any suggestions? Like to get some JBLs. Want to keep budget at around $2000-$2500. Might have to step this down--don't know.


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

I would go with something like these:

Mains Klipsch WF-35:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882780081

Center Klipsch WC-24:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882780086

Surrounds Klipsch WS-24:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882780087

All have free shipping from NewEgg and the whole setup will cost less than $2K....


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

While I can appreciate both of the options presented, I can speak from experience with both solutions that the EMP's are far more dynamic than the Fluance could hope to be. On the down side, they cost considerably more than the Fluance. That being said, at $318 per speaker the EMP is a much better value than the Fluance. Don't get me wrong, Fluance has a great value priced setup that sounds great when compared to typical HTIB setups, but these two manufacturers are in completely different leagues with one another.


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## GranteedEV (Aug 8, 2010)

rhodyray said:


> I am also getting my first system and am looking at getting the Marantz SR6004 or SR5005 with Klipsch Snergy Sub 12 but I need suggestions on the four speakers with center. Any suggestions? Like to get some JBLs. Want to keep budget at around $2000-$2500. Might have to step this down--don't know.


Hi.

For starters, I think the Klipsch subwoofer will not be a great value. Internet direct is very much, almost absolutely, the way to go for subwoofers. Consider offerings from brands like Rythmik, Epik, SVS, HSU, Funk Audio, or consider building yourself a subwoofer, to maximize your performance per dollar, compared to higher distortion brick and mortar brands.

As for mains, JBL is a good way to go, but I would be looking at their Linear Spatial Reference Studio Monitors (2328 and 2325) rather than their for-the-home offerings - the performance is unbelievable dollar for dollar. I am a big fan of Harman group brands like JBL though, and if traditional "Hi-Fi" aesthetics interest you, the Revel F12 towers and C12 center will be an OUTSTANDING option!

The EMPs I recommended earlier in this thread, are another great option, although the center isn't great.

Another speaker, which has gotten rave reviews and measures exceptionally, is the KEF Q900:

2x http://www.accessories4less.com/index.php?page=search&search_query=Q900&x=0&y=0 = $1100 for fronts
+
1x http://www.accessories4less.com/index.php?page=search&search_query=Q600&x=0&y=0 = $400 for center
+
2x http://www.accessories4less.com/index.php?page=search&search_query=Q300&x=0&y=0 = $800 for two surrounds
or 4x http://www.accessories4less.com/index.php?page=search&search_query=Q100&x=0&y=0 = $1200 for four (less dynamic) surrounds.

Kal Rubinson, who has reviewed countless speakers including the excellent Revel F12 and PSB Image T6, recently called the Q900s the best speaker he's heard in the under $2000 price bracket!


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

The Q900's have gotten some awesome reviews, but have you looked at them? Not the most attractive finish with the eco-friendly material or the extremely rectangular design for that matter. Of course if you are getting them in black or don't have a WAF to worry about then you're good to go.

The F12's would be an awesome way to go if you can find a good deal on them. 

There are a lot of great speaker manufacturers out there that are absolutely outstanding. We haven't even mentioned some of the usual ones such as SVS, Paradigm and Axiom which are usually at the top of my recomendation list. There are several outstanding solutions for your budget, a lot of it depends on what you are looking for. My personal preference for your budget would probably still be the Klipsch WF-35's unless you can get the Revel setup within your budget.

I also agree with EV that there are way better sub options than Klipsch that will give you a lot more bang for the buck!


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