# Which speakers to get?



## dudlej01 (Mar 14, 2011)

Hi,

I'm looking to get my first set of home theater speakers, and after a bit of research I'm down to three options. I'm finding it hard to decide whcih to pick as I'm not able to listen to any of them before buying, so would be good to get some opinions

Behringer 2030P x5:
~$450 + stands: 
These seem great value and get good reviews, I wonder how closely they compare to my other two options, or whether they will be much worse. I've heard some say they are not great for HT because they are meant for nearfield listening, but then others say it doesn't make a difference, so I don't know who to believe .

Infinity P362, P162 and PC351: 
~$800, no stands required. 
These get good reviews, but how do they compare to the SVS?

SVS SCS-02 x3, SBS-02 x2:
~$950 + stands: 
These were my original choice, but because of expensive shipping they work out the most. I'm also concerned about whether my receiver (Denon 1610, already bought) has enough power to drive them, given their low sensitivity. And are they worth the extra money over the Infinitys or Behringers?


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## tcarcio (Jun 27, 2007)

OK, You will get opinions from people and read reviews but nothing beats listening to them yourself. Isn't there a place near you that you can go and listen to speakers? Not for nothing but someone else might think certain speakers sound perfect and then you buy them and you don't agree. The speakers you posted are all going to give you good sound but for anyone to tell you they will sound the best to you will be impossible. If you absolutley can't find a place to listen to any speakers then try and buy from a place that will allow you to return them if you don't like them. Sorry if that really doesn't help you to much but speakers are the most important part of a system,IMO, and to listen to them yourself is the real only way to be sure.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
I could not agree more about auditioning. Obviously, this does not apply to the SVS, but you could Audition them by ordering them and using their generous Return Policy. All this being said, I am quite impressed with the Infinity's for the money.
Cheers,
JJ


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## caliberconst. (Dec 10, 2009)

Yes, Auditioning is truly the only way for you to decide. That being said we can all agree that you are headed in the right direction with the choices you have made, as they are all great manufacturers, that produce a quality product.


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## Cap'n Preshoot (Jul 31, 2006)

tcarcio said:


> OK, You will get opinions from people and read reviews but nothing beats listening to them yourself. Isn't there a place near you that you can go and listen to speakers? Not for nothing but someone else might think certain speakers sound perfect and then you buy them and you don't agree. The speakers you posted are all going to give you good sound but for anyone to tell you they will sound the best to you will be impossible. If you absolutley can't find a place to listen to any speakers then try and buy from a place that will allow you to return them if you don't like them. Sorry if that really doesn't help you to much but speakers are the most important part of a system,IMO, and to listen to them yourself is the real only way to be sure.


I couldn't agree more about "auditioning" them, but hearing them in an accoustically correct setting in a high-end audio store and most likely being driven by different equipment than yours is not always good selection criteria. Individual recommendations depend on that user's own setup & room accoustics and are further compounded by their own hearing and opinion. I.E., what maybe sounds good to me in a typical family room setting might not sound as good to the true audiophile in his/her own high-end HT setting.

At the extreme you could engage the services of a professional engineer (i.e., someone like Jeff Meier @ Accucal) to come in with an accoustical analyzer (Sencore SP495) to test the intended location and then make a recommendation (pre-purchase) or perform a professional setup of your gear (post-purchase). It all boils down to how much of an audio perfectionist you are and the depth of your pockets.

My brother-in-law (who regularly attends live concerts of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra) suggests spending every penny you can afford on the speakers then spend whatever's left on the components. Using his logic I'd lean toward the upper end.

Only my 2¢ worth.


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## sTechnical (Mar 15, 2011)

This one is the best speakers. Its quality is best:
Bose 131 Marine Speakers, flush-mounted speakers for boats - Arctic White
Technical Details
- Consistent sound quality for marine use
- Flush mount in your boats pre-cut speaker openings
- Engineered to withstand snow, sun, rain, ice and saltwater spray..

thanks..........


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## tcarcio (Jun 27, 2007)

Cap'n Preshoot said:


> I couldn't agree more about "auditioning" them, but hearing them in an accoustically correct setting in a high-end audio store and most likely being driven by different equipment than yours is not always good selection criteria. Individual recommendations depend on that user's own setup & room accoustics and are further compounded by their own hearing and opinion. I.E., what maybe sounds good to me in a typical family room setting might not sound as good to the true audiophile in his/her own high-end HT setting.
> 
> At the extreme you could engage the services of a professional engineer (i.e., someone like Jeff Meier @ Accucal) to come in with an accoustical analyzer (Sencore SP495) to test the intended location and then make a recommendation (pre-purchase) or perform a professional setup of your gear (post-purchase). It all boils down to how much of an audio perfectionist you are and the depth of your pockets.
> 
> ...


Absolutley, That is why if he can get out and listen at a place near him that has a good return policy he can make a better choice. :T


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## tcarcio (Jun 27, 2007)

sTechnical said:


> This one is the best speakers. Its quality is best:
> Bose 131 Marine Speakers, flush-mounted speakers for boats - Arctic White
> Technical Details
> - Consistent sound quality for marine use
> ...


The OP is building a home theater not a boat theater.....:doh: :bigsmile:


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## jaymz (Feb 8, 2011)

I wouldn't put Bose speakers in a doghouse.

Jim


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

I think it was a joke

For your boat you could also try Babb speakers.

For your 73 Bronco, I recommend Jensen Triaxs' in sturdy cardboard boxes.

As for your HT listening is your best option, one set of speakers could sound great to one person in a particular room and sound horrid to another. There must be "someplace" you can listen to variations for speakers in town. Even narrowing it down to type of tweeter and config of drivers may help you decide on mail order speakers.


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## dudlej01 (Mar 14, 2011)

Thanks for the feedback guys!

I was hoping to audition the behringers and infinitys, but I haven't been able to find them at any stores around here.

With regards to the SVS, do you think my receiver (Denon 1610, 75W per channel) will be adequate to drive them given their low sensitivity? If not then I can cross them off the list.

And I think after long consideration I'll pass on the Bose ;-).


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

Your Denon will depend on how loud you like it. Unfortunately, you can't tell that until your hooked up and listening.

I had Bose 901s in the early 70s, they were fantastic, I think mostly because it was creepy and COOL!! to hear parts of sound coming from behind you. Also, completely dependant on your "state of mind" at the moment...


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Cap'n Preshoot said:


> I couldn't agree more about "auditioning" them, but hearing them in an accoustically correct setting in a high-end audio store and most likely being driven by different equipment than yours is not always good selection criteria. Individual recommendations depend on that user's own setup & room accoustics and are further compounded by their own hearing and opinion. I.E., what maybe sounds good to me in a typical family room setting might not sound as good to the true audiophile in his/her own high-end HT setting.
> 
> At the extreme you could engage the services of a professional engineer (i.e., someone like Jeff Meier @ Accucal) to come in with an accoustical analyzer (Sencore SP495) to test the intended location and then make a recommendation (pre-purchase) or perform a professional setup of your gear (post-purchase). It all boils down to how much of an audio perfectionist you are and the depth of your pockets.
> 
> ...


Hello,
If we could all only be so lucky. Most AV Stores now have rows of Speakers right next to each other being powered by an AVR. While some are lucky enough to have Stores where they have 5.1 HT setup and the ability to swap out Speakers into this space, but sadly these days this is more the exception than the rule.

I still think it is a good idea to go Audition Speakers knowing full well many will be setup in suboptimal conditions. At least you get an idea how the Tweeter sounds and some are lucky enough to have Stores where they really can Audition in a proper space. 

The problem is too many people would do just that and then Purchase the speakers for the lowest price on the Internet. With Tweeter/Sound Advice/Hifi Buys going OOB, there is only Magnolia left that carries relatively High End Components Nationwide. The lucky few live in Areas where there are still true Hifi Stores. And at Magnolia HT, I have seen Martin Logan Electrostats hooked up to a sub 1000 Dollar AVR which would lead any person to think they sound awful.
Cheers,
JJ


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## dudlej01 (Mar 14, 2011)

Well just bought a sub: Jamo D7, bit of an impulse buy, it's on sale at Vans, looked like a great deal so I pulled the trigger.

Anyway, given that the sub is already on it's way, that just makes me keener to get the speakers sorted soon . 

I'm heavily leaning towards the infinitys now, given there is a risk that my receiver won't be able to drive the SVSs properly, and I feel like I'd be short changing on the speakers if I bought the behringers after spending $500 on a sub 

I definitely want the PC351, but leaning towards the P252/P152 over the P363/P163, as they have matching drivers to PC351 (so maybe better matching sound) and there are no P362/162 left on sale at crutchfield, so there is now quite a price difference


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## dudlej01 (Mar 14, 2011)

But should probably just stay calm, go audition some speakers this weekend and then make my decision.

I might not be able to compare SVS and Infinity directly, but at least I could compare some speakers with metal vs silk tweeters, that might help give me an idea which I'd prefer.

(and maybe I'll find something I like so much in a store I'll go with that instead)


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## Leo G (Feb 12, 2011)

Try a DIY project you'll put more money towards the speakers and they will be the best sounding speakers you'll ever own.


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## dudlej01 (Mar 14, 2011)

Hey Leo: I bet it would be rewarding to build some mean DIY speakers, but I don't have the time (or the skills, I think ) to pull it off.

Picking out the components and setting it all up is a project enough for me (but certainly a fun one!)


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## TypeA (Aug 14, 2010)

In my experience with the infinities the highs were fatiguing and there was lots of sound interaction within the cabinets. However installing a sound dampening layer within the cabinets fixed both issues and made for a remarkable performing speaker, imo anyway. Also keep in mind that these speakers do not have wall mounting installed, its an easy fix with basic hangers and short wood screws, but just a heads-up. For the money, especially if you take the time to correct the cabinets, the infinity primus line is one of the best value speakers on the market today, Id go so far as to say my extremely cheap (albeit modified) infinity system could hold its own against any system costing two to three times the price. Imagining is unreal.  Even a stereo pair of 162s performs well, and thats with zero bass support...


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
Tyler, those are some keen insights indeed on the Primus Series. As they boast excellent Speaker Drivers, there had to be compromises made for them to be profitable. And the Bench Tests of the Primus clearly show the Cabinet Interactions which no doubt are lessened by additional dampening.
Cheers,
JJ


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## GranteedEV (Aug 8, 2010)

My vote would likely go to the behringers. The tweeter is superior to the infinities, and the dispersion is more controlled than the SVS'

Not a perfect speaker, but mods for it are very accessible should you desire it.

Here's my recommendation btw:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSR2325P


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## Theresa (Aug 23, 2010)

Even being stoned for the first half of the '70s i didn't like Bose 901s or their other models. From that era my favorite is/was AR9s.
The more you know about how speakers work the better your choice will be. If you weren't into bass then the entry level Magnepans might be good. I build my own, I'm not satisfied with any commercially made ones that I could afford (apart from Magnepans but I love DIY and they wouldn't work in my space).


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## dudlej01 (Mar 14, 2011)

Had a listen a couple of speakers over the weekend. Couldn't find the infinities or behringers anywhere, but did check out some Monitor Audio BX5s which were another one I'd heard good reviews from. Found them a bit bright though. That along with what TypeA was saying about fatiguing highs put me off the infinities and behringers (which also have metal tweeters) a bit.

Also emailed the guys that SVS and they said my receiver will be fine for all but the highest volumes. As the SVSs just went on sale as well I decided to go with them. So I went ahead and ordered them yesterday.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Can't wait to get it all setup and see how it sounds!


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

http://www.pacificsales.com/ Carries Klipsch, Polk
_____________
Audio Symphony 
1525 Van Ness Ave 
San Francisco, CA 94109 
(415) 292-3300 

Warfedale
____________

Performance Audio 2847 California Street carries Paradigm
______________________________

http://www.fluance.com/ is another mail order company that makes nice speakers for a very low price


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

dudlej01 said:


> Had a listen a couple of speakers over the weekend. Couldn't find the infinities or behringers anywhere, but did check out some Monitor Audio BX5s which were another one I'd heard good reviews from. Found them a bit bright though. That along with what TypeA was saying about fatiguing highs put me off the infinities and behringers (which also have metal tweeters) a bit.
> 
> Also emailed the guys that SVS and they said my receiver will be fine for all but the highest volumes. As the SVSs just went on sale as well I decided to go with them. So I went ahead and ordered them yesterday.
> 
> Thanks for all the feedback guys. Can't wait to get it all setup and see how it sounds!


Hello,
Congratulations on your acquisition of SVS Speakers as they are exceptionally well Engineered and a fantastic value even when not On Sale. I look forward to reading your findings on them.
Cheers,
JJ


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## tcarcio (Jun 27, 2007)

Congrats!:clap: Let us know how you like them.


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## dudlej01 (Mar 14, 2011)

I like them a lot . Here's some photos showing the final system setup


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
SVS simply has a killer Speaker Lineup. There is not a bad choice to be had from them and their Subwoofers are World Class.
Cheers,
JJ


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## GranteedEV (Aug 8, 2010)

> fatiguing highs put me off the infinities and behringers (which also have metal tweeters) a bit.


A metal tweeter does not equate to fatiguing. Metal tweeters have this potential because of their inherent breakups possibly being audible (and offensive), and speakers with poorly low passed metal cone woofers often sound very fatuiging because the same breakup is not taken care of, leading to the perception that the tweeter is bright.

Some metal tweeters can be poor, just like some "soft domes can be sibilant". In the end though crossover design and individual drivers, as well as things like higher order modes are more relevant than driver material alone.

You definitely shouldn't assume either of these speakers has fatiguing highs.


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