# New to the Game



## longballlumber (May 5, 2010)

Hey Gang, 

Let me briefly explain how I got here. My Wife came up with a great idea to buy me/us some speakers to compliment our newer Sammy 46” plasma (720p) located upstairs in our standard living area. She is a smart and sweet lady. Knowing how I can be in situations like this she showed me what she was intending to purchase before actually buying it (she’s starting to catch on). Well, it’s clear that see pays attention to what the general public thinks about audio and home theater equipment. She was looking to buy me the BOSE Cinemate III. I immediately told her that we could spend our money else ware and in turn get a better product.

So at 600 bones for the BOSE stuff she was going to buy, I am looking for some suggestions on speakers. I am only looking at a smaller towers or bookshelves with a stand. Like many others situations, she is concerned about bulkiness and it has to look nice. I have an Onkyo TX-SR573 to power the speakers. I know nothing impressive but will need to work for now. I would like to upgrade it too soon so I can utilize HDMI for all of my components (PS3, HD Cable Box, and Plasma TV)

Now, yesterday I did go to a local store and listen to a pair of Klipsch RF-52’s and the RB-51’s. They are in my price range and it was a local store. Both were very crisp and seem to carry the highs really well. However, that is the first sets that I have been able to listen to in this price range. Is there a general opinion on the RF-5 of speaker?

I also notice many of you pushing the SVS line of speakers. How would those compare to the Klipsch’s I listen to? It’s a real disadvantage that I can’t listen to those before purchasing…

Thoughts?
Mike


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Hey Mike, The Klipsch's are a nice speaker and for the money are a good buy. SVS in my opinion makes a fantastic speaker and because your not paying a middleman you get a better product for the same money. Their speakers design uses top quality drivers, crossovers and tweeters and are a decent size bookshelf assuming your talking about the SBS-01s.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
Klipsch's, by virtue of being a Horn Loaded Design, are far more efficient than most Speakers on the market. That is they will play louder with less AVR or Amplifier power than conventional Speakers.

That being said, some find the Klipsch's to be too upfront in its presentation. However, there are many fans of Klipsch. If they sound good to you, they really offer a great deal. Especially if not using a very powerful AVR.

I do think SVS makes excellent Speakers. Especially for the money. Much of this is owed to them being Internet Direct. However, they have been Professionally Reviewed and Bench Tested to great acclaim.
They are not nearly as efficient as the Klipsch's are, but some find them to have a smoother treble or top end. I would definitely advocate an AVR with a decent Amplifier Section if going with the SVS's.
Cheers,
JJ


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## longballlumber (May 5, 2010)

Thanks for the feedback! I do appreciate your input. 

On my way home I talked a store owner that was in the process of changing locations so he had nothing for me to listen to. However, he did proceed to tell me about a set of Paradigm Monitor 9 towers. Bummer is I can’t go listen to them.

After getting home from work, the wife and I stopped at another local Hi-Fi stereo shop. While there I listen to a pair of Monitor Audio BR5’s. All I can say is WOW! I enjoyed that immensely. I think the price was round $620 out the door. I found those sounding much better than the Kilpsch RF-52’s 

Question is will my Onkyo TX-SR573 be sufficiently power these speakers and produce the quality sound I was hearing at the store?

I have shown my wife the SVS speakers online, but she is not convinced that spending that much money online is the right thing to do, not being able to listen. It’s actually her money we are spending; it’s a b-day gift. 

I have goose bumps after listening to those BR5’s!

Later
Mike


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## Ares (Nov 23, 2009)

The 573 will be okay.

*Specification*



Frequency Response +/- 3dB: 36 Hz - 30 KHz 

Sensitivity ([email protected]): 90 dB 

Nominal Impedance: 6 Ohms 

Power Handling (RMS): 120 W 

Recommended Amplifier Requirements (RMS): 30 - 120 W 

Cabinet Design: Dual chamber bass reflex – Ported front and rear Drive Unit Complement: 1 x 5.5" MMP®II Bass 1 x 5.5" MMP®II Bass mid-range, 1 x 1" (25 mm) gold dome C-CAM® tweeter External 

Dimensions:
(H x W x D) 850 x 165 x 247 mm
33 7/16 x 6 1/2 x 9 3/4 inch

Weight (Individual): 11.5 Kg (25.3 lb)


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## JBL Fan (May 1, 2010)

The guys here gave you some good advice.

Remember that an A/V receiver is really a switch - an audio/video traffic cop that sends sound to the speakers and picture to the TV. It's the "brain" of the system.

Easiest and best connection:

By using the HDMI pipeline you can simplify the number of wires you need to connect everything. The HDMI pipeline sends sound and picture down the same wire rather than running seperate "sound" wires and "picture" wires. This is the best and easiest pathway for HD cable, Bluray etc...

Once you've landed on the receiver that fits your needs and budget- ask yourself - who is going to be using this system? You're going to need a remote for: The cable/sat box, the TV, the receiver, the Bluray and whatever else you've got hooked up. Each time you want to watch/listen to a different source you're going to have to switch inputs . Are others in the house willing/able to do this? You may consider a universal remote for ease of operation.


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## longballlumber (May 5, 2010)

Again, I greatly appreciate your expert advice... 

I am still on my quest for new speakers. With my current receiver specifications listed below, should I be looking at 6Ω or 8Ω rated speakers. Also how do these numbers relate back to performance (in simple terms please) :bigsmile: 

The Monitor Audio BR5's are rated at 6Ω, does that mean the RX would be delivering 100W in the stereo mode? Inversely, if I purchase a 8Ω rated speaker, does that mean the RX would be delivering 75W in Stereo mode? Sorry for the silly questions, but I can't seem to get my arms around all of the specs...

Thanks
Mike

Power Output
2 channels driven: 75 W + 75 W (8Ω, 20 Hz–20 kHz, FTC)
100 W + 100 W (6Ω, 1 kHz, FTC)

Dynamic Power: 180 W + 180 W (3Ω, Front)
140 W + 140 W (4Ω, Front)
95 W + 95 W (8Ω, Front) 

THD (Total HarmonicDistortion): 0.08% (Power Rated)

Damping Factor: 60 (Front, 1 kHz, 8Ω)

Input Sensitivity and Impedance: 200 mV/ 47 kΩ (LINE)

Output Level and Impedance: 200 mV/ 470Ω(REC OUT)

Frequency Response: 10 Hz–100 kHz/ +1 dB, –3 dB (Direct mode)

Tone Control: ±10 dB, 50 Hz (BASS)
±10 dB, 20 kHz (TREBLE)

Signal to Noise Ratio: 100 dB (LINE, IHF-A)

Speaker Impedance: 6Ω–


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## jackfish (Dec 27, 2006)

Get the speakers that sound best to you and don't worry so much about their impedance, it is an insignificant issue. That receiver has enough power to drive the Monitor Audio BR5s to satisifying levels.

It is likely that receiver will deliver something between 75 and 100 watts per channel into 6 Ohms at 20Hz-20kHz and 0.08% THD. Notice the 8 Ohm rating is at 20Hz-20kHz and the 6 Ohm rating is at 1kHz; the amplifier has to work harder to deliver the full human audible spectrum than just a 1kHz tone.


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## longballlumber (May 5, 2010)

Well, I hit a HUGE road block last night... :hissyfit:

After much deliberation, I was ready to walk out the door to purchase the Monitor Audio BR6’s. I made the decision to upgrade to the 6’s over the 5’s, with the intention of eventually upgrading my RX (TX-SR573) soon. At that point I thought to myself, “Self, you better measure the RX depth and compare it to the TV stand”. ****… it was too shallow. Now I am in a position where becoming very creative is a necessity. I snapped some pics this morning of the area. I have a towel closet just behind/around the corner from the TV that has great potential. I know that putting the some of the components in an “AV closet” isn’t new or odd, but it does lead me to a few questions.

How do you manage the settings and control of the RX when it’s located in a non-viewable environment? 

I think you can buy a gadget that will allow the use of a remote control while the source is in a different location. IR diverter, if you will. Where can I get one of those?

Do any of the newer RX’s utilize On Screen Display (OSD), and would this feature be helpful in displaying the different RX’s modes or settings?

How long is too long when it comes to cables? At this point I am going to be forced to use RGB or component cables and optical cables. As mentioned above, I would like to upgrade to HDMI soon in the way of a new RX.

Thanks
Mike


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## longballlumber (May 5, 2010)

Opps, I forgot my pictures... With the first picture you can see the hallway on the right. As you enter the hallway, immediately on the left is the closet. The wall behind the TV is the same wall that is on the inside of the closet… Make sense?

Read more: Home Theater Forum and Systems - HomeTheaterShack.com - Reply to Topic


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## chkngreez (May 11, 2010)

Putting your receiver in the adjacent closet has it's ups and downs. On one hand, you will be losing your line of sight with the RX, which may prove to be very inconvenient. On the other hand, if this is an onkyo, it probably tends to get very hot. It appears from the picture that the unit you have now is already enclosed, so moving the new unit to a larger enclosure could be somewhat beneficial in reducing the heat. I suppose it is a personal preference as to whether of not you want to deal with not being able to see your receiver, but personally I would not use the closet.


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## Matteo (Jul 12, 2006)

Hey Mike, 
It sounds like you are on the right path. The best speaker is the one that sounds best to you. As far as remotes, I didn't see that you had one. Almost all remotes, after a certain price point, will have the option to have an RF receiver, so you don't have to have line-of-site to operate your equipment. If you don't have a universal remote, I would highly recommend one. There are a lot of options, just depends on what you are looking for. Some of the more affordable ones are Universal, Logitech/Harmony, Monster and Nevo. Good luck.

Matteo


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