What's a good set-up for around $1000?

[househead]

hey dieselboy, i used to go hear you DJ @ fluid.


are you dead set on dipole or bipole surrounds?

[Dieselboy]

Househead, I'm not "dead-set on bi-poles", but everything I've read seems to point me in their direction since my room won't realistically accomidate a 7.1 system. They seem to be the best solution to my ht wants for my room, but I'm always open to comments/suggestions!

BTW, I'm not the DJ, I used to listen to his drum n' bass stuff too though, my name is derived from my big male Brazilian Mastiff apted named 'Diesel', he's around 170lbs. of muscle!

Big Daddy, I think I like your suggestion in set up '3'. I did read that sticky, but it's been a couple months so I guess I should go read it again!

[PSB_Paradigm_HSU]

Originally Posted by househead

av123 ELT package.

$699 cherry

$799 rosewood

delivered



http://www.av123.com//index.php?page...mart&Itemid=37

WTH?! that seems like a killer deal! Why so cheap? or such a big discount? Thats just about 50% off! Good find

[aramis109]

Here are the specs:

ELT525 Center:


System Description: 2 Way
Woofer: 2x 5.25” treated paper cone
Tweeter: 1” fabric dome with oversized surround
Enclosure Type: Vented, Rear Firing
Frequency Response: (+/-3dB): 74Hz- 20KHz
Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms
Sensitivity: 86dB @ 1w/1m
Crossover: 2400Hz, 2nd Order Acoustic
Shipping Weight: 20lbs each / 9.1kg each
Dimensions: 17.7” W x 6.2” H x 9.9” D / 449.5mm W x 156mm H x 250mm D
Mounting: 1/4”-20 threaded insert built into the back and bottom. For wall mounting, we recommend Peerless item# PM732.
Video Shielded: Yes



ELT525 Monitor:


System: 2-way, 2-driver direct radiating vented enclosure with rear-firing flared ports.
Drivers: One (1) custom 5.25" woofer and one (1) 1" tweeter
Frequency Response: ± 3dB to 20KHz with -3dB at 60Hz
Crossover Point: 2200Hz
Slope: 2nd order acoustic
Impedance: 8 ohms
Efficiency: 83dB @ 1w/1m
Video Shielding: Yes
Wall Mounting: Yes, via two threaded inserts. One on the back and one on the bottom. Size: 1/4-20.
Dimensions: 6.12" W x 11.25" H x 9.81" D / 15.5cm W x 28.7cm H x 25cm D
Weight: 26lbs per pair shipped


ELT525 Tower:


System Description: 2 Way
Woofer: 2x 5.25” treated paper cone
Tweeter: 1” fabric dome with oversized surround
Enclosure Type: Vented, Front Firing
Frequency Response: (+/-3dB): 48Hz- 20KHz
Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms
Sensitivity: 87dB @ 1w/1m
Crossover: 2000Hz, 2nd Order Acoustic
Shipping Weight: 75lbs pair / 34kg pair
Dimensions: 6.2” W x 37.9” H x 9.9” D / 156mm W x 962mm H x 250mm D
Video Shielded: Yes

Uhm, can that frequency response be right? It looks a little high on the center and WAY LOW on the bookshelf speakers. *edit* Whoops, no they just listed it weird. Still 74hz on the center doesn't exactly make me happy in the pants.

[slickooz]

how do those speaker compare to polks m60, cs2 and m40s? they look real nice.

[househead]

I haven't heard the av123's but here's a review. I'm sure they're not perfect but good for the money and you get a 30 day trial.

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/home-...er-review.html

"When asked by a fellow reviewer how the AV123s stacked up against my personal system, I had the following response which sums up pretty well what I think of the AV123 system.“(They are) Different . . . my three fronts retail for more than the entire 5.1 system but they are all quality products. Would I trade? No. Would I consider the AV123 system if I didn't have my current system? Absolutely. The towers are really shallow in (in physical depth) which makes placement easier and you don't give up that big-scale, dynamic sound of towers. The AV123 is really impressive for the money, and that's all that matters in my book.”

[callas01]

Watching brief clips of an array of movies including; The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Harry Potter and the Star Wars saga revealed that while the surround system was excellent at conveying a very dynamic, coherent soundfield, it did have trouble separating voices and ambient effects from the musical score in especially complex passages in some of the movies.

Compared to my own speakers the AV123’s are more rigid and forward sounding, slightly crisper with better bass definition though less bass depth and volume. Complex orchestral pieces sometimes gave the system problems, though I don’t think it would be noticed in anything but a side by side comparison with a speaker that excelled in these areas. These speakers are very good at reproducing the human voice, both male and female, and this makes them a strong choice for movies and music.

The only significant drawback I found was in the center channel. As I moved around the room I noticed fairly significant lobing which reduced movie dialogue intelligibility to the sides of my viewing space. In addition, I noticed a slight chestiness or nasal quality to male dialogue in movies, the deeper the voice the more pronounced the problem, especially when the characters were not speaking with significant volume (turning the volume up usually compensated for this problem).

I also noticed that the center channel was not a perfect timberal match during movie scenes in which sounds pan from left to center to right. I also had the center placed on top of my TV about 2 feet above my head while seated and I feel this contributed to the audibility problems I had with movie dialogue. On the “knocking” test it becomes immediately apparent that the center channel has a good deal more cabinet resonance than either the towers or the monitors. This single factor could be responsible for almost all of the inconsistencies I found between the center and the rest of the system (and might be an easy fix for version II). In their defense, all surround setups will exhibit some degree of inconsistency between the L/C/R unless they are identical. One bit of advice I have for users is to play with the center channel placement. If you can put it directly on ear level or slightly above that would be ideal but definitely try to keep it within 12 inches above or below your seated position (and at least 2 feet off the floor).

I am sure that overall they are a good set of speakers, but I would think that your Polks are equal to the task.

[ryan4blu]

Originally Posted by ZedsDead

Fronts: http://www.htd.com/cabinet-speakers/...Tower-Speakers $399 a pair

Rears: http://www.axiomaudio.com/qs4.html $428 (These are what they call quad-polar speakers)

Center: http://www.htd.com/cabinet-speakers/...hannel-Speaker $129

Comes in just under a grand.

how do the axiom audio speakers rate? i think i have heard of these before. they got some really nice looking speaker packages. you can get a real decent 5.1 set up for about $2500

[Dieselboy]

$2500 is just a tick out of my $1K budget! But I'm looking real long and hard at their QS4 rear surrounds, I think they're a good solution to my corner speaker placement needs!

[aramis109]

"Crisp" alert in that review! Where's Prerich?

Good, honest review that doesn't overly gush about the speakers. Diesel, you should look at the Swan Divas too if you're considering internet-direct companies.

[callas01]

Diesel

As Aramis suggested the Swan speakers, I just introduced them to Ryan4blu too, here is where you can find them, http://www.theaudioinsider.com/manuf...s.php/mPath/10 but they may be a little out of your budget.

I really think for your budget the Energys or the PSBs would be the best fit for you. IMO.

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by callas01

Diesel

As Aramis suggested the Swan speakers, I just introduced them to Ryan4blu too, here is where you can find them, http://www.theaudioinsider.com/manuf...s.php/mPath/10 but they may be a little out of your budget.

I really think for your budget the Energys or the PSBs would be the best fit for you. IMO.

Yeah, your post made them fresh in my mind, honestly. They're beautiful speakers. Anyway, Swans, Energys, PSBs, Axiom and Def Tech are all speakers I'd be proud to own and would consider stretching my budget a bit if necessary.

[callas01]

Originally Posted by aramis109

Yeah, your post made them fresh in my mind, honestly. They're beautiful speakers. Anyway, Swans, Energys, PSBs, Axiom and Def Tech are all speakers I'd be proud to own and would consider stretching my budget a bit if necessary.

if it were possible, for sure. But the Diva 4.2s are about $800/pr, don't know if he would like to start with just the front 2 or 3?? May be a great way to go.

[househead]

Are you open to buying used equipment?

There was a guy on here selling a 7.0 Swan Diva set (w/ bipoles) for $1500. *GASP*!

I should have my head checked for not jumping on that deal since he lives near me.

[househead]

If you're not opposed to mixing brands these surrounds always get great reviews and are pretty cheap. Emotiva ERD-1 $249

http://emotiva.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=19

[Dieselboy]

I'm definately not opposed to mixing the brands, I'd just like to keep the rear surrounds one brand and the front soundstage one brand if necessary. The Swan's are nice, but they're really pushing my budget. I know I'll end up spending more than $1K as I'll most likely end up doing this in stages over time too though- I'm just trying to see about what I can get with about what I have to spend right now.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by Dieselboy

I'm definately not opposed to mixing the brands, I'd just like to keep the rear surrounds one brand and the front soundstage one brand if necessary. The Swan's are nice, but they're really pushing my budget. I know I'll end up spending more than $1K as I'll most likely end up doing this in stages over time too though- I'm just trying to see about what I can get with about what I have to spend right now.

Smart move. Keep your fronts and your centre speaker within the same family. The rears aren't nearly as critical and you can mix brands easily.

John

[blindcat87]

With the upgrade path in mind, Ascend will, or at least did last time I checked, give good trade in value for their speakers for upgrades to higher models. They don't have a dipole surround as of yet, but their speakers do well in mixed systems. You should check out the forum on the site and read some of the reviews. For your room size, a front stage of their 170s might even be enough and those definitely fit your budget along with some good dipoles for the rear. Dave, the owner of Ascend is always checking in on the forum and is great about discussing the different speakers and any other issues on the forum, via email, and on the phone.

Really, I don't think there has been a single bad suggestion on this thread. But I tend to think, especially for the last couple of years, that the better ID brands give the best bang for buck around. This is a good time to look at these brands too since holiday sales are going on at many of these sites.

Chris

Originally Posted by Dieselboy

I'm definately not opposed to mixing the brands, I'd just like to keep the rear surrounds one brand and the front soundstage one brand if necessary. The Swan's are nice, but they're really pushing my budget. I know I'll end up spending more than $1K as I'll most likely end up doing this in stages over time too though- I'm just trying to see about what I can get with about what I have to spend right now.