Best way to upgrade??

[Godzilla71]

I have an Onkyo HT-S5100 at the moment and while it sounds good and is a pretty decent HTiB. I was just wondering what would be the best way to go to start upgrading from it. Should I go for speakers first? ie: Polk RM6750 or something. or the receiver?
would upgrading the speakers show a big improvment while I slowly try and upgrade?
I live in an apartment as well so I can not go too extreme
Thanks for any advice.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Hi godzilla1

While I'm no expert on HTiB's or Receivers in general, I did notice that your current system has binding posts to allow for the introduction of different speakers, and that's not always a feature found on most HTiB's. A speaker upgrade therefore would be a good place to start. You're already happy (I assume) with what your receiver offers, so I'd say leave that portion alone for now and start with a good pair of fronts and a centre.

A POLK/ONKYO combination seems to be fairly popular on this site and that might be a good place to start. However, don't limit yourself to just that one brand. Try to audition a few other brands as well and decide from there.

What's your budget? If we have an idea on what you are able to invest we can steer you in the right direction with several different options.


John

[Godzilla71]

DOH! forgot to add a budget range. ( I should have known better)
speaker wise to start out probably around the 2-$300 range if I was to get a 5.1 set. I know it would probably go beyond that if I was to piece it together slowly.
Thanks for the reply. If the speaker option will improve what I have for the meantime then I will go that route later probably getting the better receiver (onkyo 606 or something equivalent)

[rded]

Originally Posted by godzilla1

DOH! forgot to add a budget range. ( I should have known better)
speaker wise to start out probably around the 2-$300 range if I was to get a 5.1 set. I know it would probably go beyond that if I was to piece it together slowly.Thanks for the reply. If the speaker option will improve what I have for the meantime then I will go that route later probably getting the better receiver (onkyo 606 or something equivalent)

How much more are you willing to go beyond? My 2 cents, I would wait and save. In my case I waited over a year before I could get my speakers plus I also sold my def techs pro cinema 1000 and onkyo 605. Edit: You have to decide on which speakers to get 1st and then build around them.

[Johnny Vinyl]

For such a small budget (and that is not intended as a slight) I would strongly suggest NOT to buy a 5.1 set-up. You'd only be replacing an apple for another apple. You want your system to make difference.

Start with 2 front speakers and that's it. Save some more money and then add a matching Centre Channel and work your up to finish the remaining portion over time. SLOW is good! Instant gratification is always a mistake!

John

[Godzilla71]

Not sure on total budget. If I were to go slow and do a little here a little there then I probably would not notice a big pinch. I'm just meaning could not go a grand+ or so at the moment in one shot to get everything at once.
If 2 fronts and a center are the way to start followed by the rest then I'll look into that route and save accordingly if that will be the better option then going the quick gratification route with the Polk 5.1 system. I had just been reading some good things about the set and thought it would be a good quick upgrade that would help out with sound.
I see your point in the quick gratification though, Since It is what I did with the HTiB rout in the first place. It's what has got me wondering about upgrading now.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by John72953

For such a small budget (and that is not intended as a slight) I would strongly suggest NOT to buy a 5.1 set-up. You'd only be replacing an apple for another apple. You want your system to make difference.

Start with 2 front speakers and that's it. Save some more money and then add a matching Centre Channel and work your up to finish the remaining portion over time. SLOW is good! Instant gratification is always a mistake!

John

I'll second that John ! With $ 300.00 I would do 2 fronts as well !

[sokrman14]

I would start with speakers, and make your receiver the last upgrade. The reason I do it that way is because electronics are always improving, speakers have pretty much hit a plateau in that price range. By the time you are ready to purchase your final piece (receiver), there will be a new latest and greatest receiver for your price range.

[callas01]

I agree with these guys, build slowly and start with just taking on the front 3 speakers first, L/C/R. move the current fronts to the back and get 7.1 for cheap and then add a quality Receiver, Sub and then work on surrounds last. I would listen to more then just Polks too, nothing wrong with them but you can find deals out there and there are so many speakers don't limit yourself, go audition.

For Example, I wanted to buy some speakers, listened to a few, found what I liked and didn't like, ended up using the kind people of this forum to find good websites to buy speakers from, then I found www.wwstereo.com and ended up buying $600 worth of Energys C-300s for $250/pr, and a Energy center reg. $299 for $118. Since this was one of the brands I really liked and found a deal my Wife couldn't tell me no to, it was a win-win.

Take your time. Build slow, see what you like and don't like, but I wouldn't suggest getting the Polk 6750s, like John said you will be trading apples for apples, and then get upgraditis in 6 months or less. Do it right.

[LifeOfAPirate13]

Yeah taking time and spending a bit more over time is the way to go. You wont' have to change your setup as often as you'd think if you just bought what suits you best from the beginning. As stated previously start with L/C/R channels and work your way around the room from there. Just my .02 and a lot more future proof as well.

[Uniquely]

I've always been of the mind that a NICE HTiB, such as the one you have, is an excellent way to get into HT audio.... precisely because the upgrade path is totally wide open... AND when you get done you will be left with another complete system to use in the bedroom, other room.. or even to sell.

Instead of deciding what to upgrade first by how much you have to spend right now..... you might want to consider how much you plan to spend in the long haul. At first thought... it may seem that upgrading the front's would be a logical first step... and a budget of $300 will get you some pretty decent new fronts. However.... and bear with me here.... if your long term plans might provide for a bigger budget...... or you have aspirations for a nicer system.... you might want to look at upgrading the center, the surrounds, or the sub first. If you think you might be using book shelves for surrounds in the future... you could get some nice ones now that you could use in the front until you were ready to upgrade the fronts. I would make sure they had a good frequency range of course, and they would indeed be better than the HTiB speakers you are currently using.


The only reason I say this is because I think that $300 would go a lot farther towards getting a nicer center or surrounds... or even a sub; than front towers. IMO.... the fronts are the keystone of the system... and you may be better off selecting them after you've made other upgrades and seen what kind of effect they have on your overall sound. You may have a better feel of where you want to take your system by then.


Did that make ANY sense?

[Godzilla71]

Thanks for all the response and suggestions. It was what I was after and that was a starting point at what to look to upgrade which seems by what everyone says is speakers first. I had put the 2-$300 limit at first because that is what the 5.1 polk system seemed to be running at. Now seeing the responses and looking around I know it will be more like 4-$500+ or so for a pair of L/R. Again I was looking for some advice and at least a starting point and you have all pointed me in that direction. (speakers)
robinandtami: yes, you did make sense and like I stated I threw that quote out because it was what the Polk 5.1 system was in price. I can save up when researching around at different speakers. The only other concern that I had was wanting to have a nice system yet not too extreme because of living in an apartment.
I do know that there are many apartment dwellers on the forum that still have very nice set ups though.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by godzilla1

The only other concern that I had was wanting to have a nice system yet not too extreme because of living in an apartment.
I do know that there are many apartment dwellers on the forum that still have very nice set ups though.

Yes, and I'm one of those! Don't let living in an apartment deter you from getting what you want!

John

[Uniquely]

Originally Posted by John72953

Yes, and I'm one of those! Don't let living in an apartment deter you from getting what you want!

John

Definitely not. You don't have to play your things loud to see reap the benefits of your system. That's one of the first things you'll notice. All the things you used to have to turn your HTiB up pretty far to hear... you'll hear much more easily at lower volumes.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

Definitely not. You don't have to play your things loud to see reap the benefits of your system. That's one of the first things you'll notice. All the things you used to have to turn your HTiB up pretty far to hear... you'll hear much more easily at lower volumes.

And at a higher level of fidelity!

John

[Godzilla71]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

Definitely not. You don't have to play your things loud to see reap the benefits of your system. That's one of the first things you'll notice. All the things you used to have to turn your HTiB up pretty far to hear... you'll hear much more easily at lower volumes.

Originally Posted by John72953

And at a higher level of fidelity!

John

That explains ALOT! LOL thanks!

the one thing that stands out that I DO have to turn up (depending on the movie) is the center speaker volume

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by godzilla1

That explains ALOT! LOL thanks!

Glad it makes sense to you buddy! Now go out and buy whatever you want and do it in a manner that suits your budget and follows the leads so many here have been telling you about. You won't go wrong with their advice.

John

[squirrel101]

my suggestion bang for buck are some of the JBL l830 bookshelf speakers if your not ready for some towers that way you can still use them for surrounds later they will provide surprising bass due to the port ,or jump up to a set of their towers, best prices are from harmanaudio on ebay they are refurb. but carry full warranty, polk also sells their refurbs on ebay under the name polkdirect and carry full warranty as well

[repete66211]

Originally Posted by godzilla1

I have an Onkyo HT-S5100 at the moment and while it sounds good and is a pretty decent HTiB. I was just wondering what would be the best way to go to start upgrading from it. Should I go for speakers first? ie: Polk RM6750 or something. or the receiver?
would upgrading the speakers show a big improvment while I slowly try and upgrade?
I live in an apartment as well so I can not go too extreme
Thanks for any advice.

Gotta go with fronts first. And since the budget is tight you might want to consider refurbished speakers or some older models. I wouldn't recommend the RM6750 setup because although it would be an improvement, it won't be a big enough improvement to justify the expenditure. Best to aim a little higher.

Call me a biased Polk hoo-er, but I got a good price (bidding) on my Monitor 50s through the Polk Direct eBay store. However, newegg.com has the Monitor 60s for $260/pair. That's a really good deal. They have the CS1 (matching center) for $80 and the Monitor 30s (matching rears) for $100/pair. There you have a really good mid-range setup for $440. The subwoofer is another matter as many audiophiles have a low opinion of Polk subs. I bought my Polk PSW110 for $160 (refurbished, eBay). It's going for $200 new.

So check out newegg for some older model Polks or, if you're patient, you can find a helluva deal on eBay. The shipping prices suck, but they have a constant flow of refurbished speakers and subs flowing through their store.

Good luck.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by godzilla1

I live in an apartment as well so I can not go too extreme

Do not let this stop you from buying quality speakers!

You can always keep the volume low! Plus, its the subwoofer your neighbors will complain about.

Originally Posted by repete66211

newegg.com has the Monitor 60s for $260/pair. That's a really good deal.

Polk Audio Monitor 60

...an excellent suggestion!