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Q. I’m building a home theater system via the Internet. I’ve picked out a receiver (Onkyo TX-NR905) but I’m having a hard time getting a speaker system together. I’d like to keep it under $3K. What recommendations can you make? - Rueben, Portland OR
A. The receiver you purchased is relatively new, on the high-end side, and packed with the latest technologies, including THX. If you are looking for a THX surround speaker system, $3K is cutting it a little tight. For instance, the Klipsch THX 7.2 surround system is around $12,000 retail, but includes 2 sub-woofers, a sub-woofer amplifier and the 7 in-wall or free-standing floor speakers. This would work well with your system and sound awesome, especially if balanced and calibrated properly. Otherwise, you need to make your choice based on the quality of sound you want (wattage of speakers, quality, brand), how many speakers you want (5.1, 7.1, 7.2 or less), and how you want them to look and feel (in-wall/ceiling, free-standing, invisible, bookshelf or floor speakers). The latter is usually related to the size and shape of the room. Klipsch also has several “home theater” speaker systems from around $2,500-$3,500 in the Reference Series speakers. Atlantic Technologies offers THX Speakers in the $2,000/pair range, but doesn’t package the speakers together. Monster Cable also offers some THX speakers. Many companies do, you can check THX.com to see which ones are certified.
If you are not looking for THX certified speakers or sound, you can pretty much match up the speakers’ wattage power range, to your receivers’ wattage power output per channel. So if you have a 100W per channel receiver, you want to get something around 100W speakers, so they match as closely as possible (in the top 1/3 of speakers range). The next thing is matching aesthetics to the sound capability you want.
I’d recommend checking out Anthony Gallo. I have their 5.1 A’Diva set, and have been very happy. The were rated best mid-range speaker of 2007 by Home Theater Magazine. Their site is http://www.roundsound.com
To utilize THX, you have to have perfect room. Most people have odd shape living room, not dedicated home theater room. That will opt you out most likely.
So, unless you have a theater room, do not think about THX system….
Do you really think that THX is just marketing fluff? I ask this out of genuine curiosity, and am not flaming you. I have never had the budget to spend enough on speakers to compare a THX certified system with a non certified one in the same price range.
I am sure that a certain amount of the price in THX speakers will go to the THX marketing machine, but do you think it is so much that as consumers we aren’t getting our money’s worth? According to THX’s website, there are some very stringent critera that speakers must meet in order to get the THX logo on them.
I’d be really curious how a paradigm signature series speaker system would stack up against say a Klispch or Atlantic Technologies THX system. Assuming the money amount is as similar as you can get, I am wondering if I would prefer the sound of one over the other, or if I’d be able to tell the difference between a THX vs non THX in a blind test.
THX is more marketing hype than anything. There are too many requirements to worry about THX and in the real world it leaves majority of people out.
You should listen to speakers in person before buying them. Taste varies so only suggestions can be made. Buy what you like.
Look into the Revel Concerta series, reasonably priced in your budget and excellent SQ. Check out reviews for the F12s.
http://www.revelspeakers.com/products/series.asp?series=concerta
Another suggestion would be something from Mordaunt Short.
http://www.mordauntshort.com/default.php
Check out the Dali Ikon series for affordable quality as well.
http://www.dali.dk/us/page245.aspx?sub=214&grp=58
All of these manufacturers lines are within your budget however I would suggest other alternative subwoofers with any of these brands. Then again it depends on your bass needs.
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“If you are not looking for THX certified speakers or sound, you can pretty much match up the speakers’ wattage power range, to your receivers’ wattage power output per channel. So if you have a 100W per channel receiver, you want to get something around 100W speakers, so they match as closely as possible (in the top 1/3 of speakers range). The next thing is matching aesthetics to the sound capability you want. “
This is really really bad advice. Wattage of speakers is mostly unimportant and simply shows the level of power a speaker can take without damaging itself. At normal listening volumes, you are unlikely to use much over 25W of power. If you look at the sensitivity of speakers you will see them rated at loudness per watt. Most speakers are in the 88-92 db per watt range. 90db is a comfortable fairly loud listening volume (actually pretty loud to most people) so your amp will only be sending 1 watt to each speaker at that volume. Pick speakers that you like the looks of and listen to them. If you like them and they are not Bose, then buy them. I would check out B&W;though if I were you.
THX speakers meet a minimum guideline of quality. Getting THX speakers is a good way to ensure quality but is not the only way to ensure quality. Plenty of great speakers are not THX certified.