Home Theater Upgrade Advice

All - I am hesitant to dip my toes into the audiophile world, but I know a number of folks here have solid knowledge in this area. I am considering a new center channel speaker, but would also love anyone's $0.02 on where to start if I were to SLOWLY upgrade. 99% of my audio usage is home theater, tv, 7.1 matrixed for normal tv, blurays in master audio (DTS HD), streamed 5.1, etc. Occasionally listen to music too, but really all about movies and tv experience.

Setup:
Denon AVR 790
Sony Bluray BDPS 3500
Bose vcs-10 center
Two floor standing speakers (don't recall maker offhand - maybe polk, at least 10 years old)
4 Sony SS-B1000 bookshelf speakers
Sony SA-W3000 Subwoofer

Question #1. Anything stand out as a must replace? Like you won't believe your ears by making this one change and you are crazy not to? I went into this question assuming the center channel, but am curious.

Question #2. If you were to slowly chip away at upgrading the speakers, to upgrade to a more respectable (but not necessarily audiophile) quality setup, where would you begin, and in what order would you prioritize?

Question #3. Any specific recommendations for upgrades, assuming a $500 budget? (I could spend it all on one nice speaker, sub, etc.) I also know I could blow this budget out of the water if I wanted to, but I don't. Maybe over time, pieces at a time, but not now.

I am completely out of touch with the audio fora, and would prefer not to add another time-spender to my knive forum time. I know google will help, but I welcome this community's insight.

Thank you all!!

I'm in the process of also upgrading my speakers. I won't offer any speaker brand recommendations because there are too many choices and opinions on which to choose. You do want to stay with one speaker manufacturer for all five speakers. You'll also want to stay within the same "family" of speakers. Manufacturers design their speakers to work together in harmony within each model line. The subwoofer is a different story and can be any company. What I will say, in my case at least, upgrading your center channel speaker will give you a huge improvement in sound quality. I was using Polk RM101 with a RM7 center. I stuck with Polk only because I thought I was going to continue using the RM101 for the surround channels. I ended up replacing the all five speaker. Because of the holidays my orders came in piece meal which turned out a blessing in disguise. It allowed me to see how each set of speakers made their own improvements to the overall sound quality.

I received the center first and the improvement in the sound clarity over my old speaker was amazing. Some soft voices in a few movies that I never could hear suddenly became perfectly clear and understandable. I had been pretty happy with my old speakers and wasn't aware of their shortcomings until I went a year without using my HT system. Watching the same movie with the TV speakers only, I got a little inkling that I had been missing some audio. Until then I just thought it was just part of the plot of the movie where other characters acted like they couldn't hear one of the characters talking.

To answer the question on the upgrade path. If you have to do it one piece at a time go center then mains then surrounds and finish with a subwoofer. The subwoofer could be held off indefinitely if the one you have works well enough. Sooner or later it will die and then you get your replacement. Having said that I have had mine for almost 20 years and it's still going strong.

I would look on Audiogon.com for used equipment and I would start with the front 3 speakers. AVS forum is another place to get good info.

psb Canadian speakers sound great to me. Best to go to Audio store and listen see what you like.

Ski, This is huge topic, I used to be audio big time, but after building out a set-up I'm happy with, I haven't made any further changes.

Hopefully Bill13 will chime in, he's a professional installer and dealer too. My stuff isn't on his level, more like very-nice but not high-end. I think Bill has Canton and Anthem (he's spoiled and his wife is a saint).

NAD 773 Receiver
(6.1) Mirage S3 LCR, L-R rear and rear center http://www.miragespeakers.com/home-theater-systems/?sku=OMD-15-5-1
Mid level Velodyne Sub

I made the cables and interconnects. Litz Braids, Continuous cast copper wire with silver Eichman plugs. http://www.chimeralabs.com/diy_braid.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous_casting

I love my set up but at the time I was interested in Gallo Speakers. They make the ball speakers that absolutely rock. Also, suggest you buy all your speakers from one line and brand. Also, room acoustics will really impact fidelity. I'm a big fan of asymmetrical rooms, with sound dampners and lots of dense non-leather furniture.

Would be a nice set up in a small space

http://www.roundsound.com/home-theater/a-diva-se-5-1-system.html

Thank you all for your replies. Much appreciated!

You are all such enablers!!! And apologies for not clarifying, but this is why I am asking this question here, and not on audio forums. Just went to Audiogon.com and it reinforced how little I know about audio equipment. It was like reading greek. In fact, I know so little about this, I felt safer asking a 'where the heck to start' question from knife people! I am going to peruse AVS too.

I am going to aim for a single speaker, as a solid starting point, from a brand that I will continue to buy from over the coming months/years, to complete a nice'ish 7.1 speaker set, assuming all of my other gear stays the same, e.g. receiver or comparable unit if it breaks. Let's say speaker purchase #1 is a center channel, being plugged into my current setup, without any other changes, and my budget is $500, MAX.

Can someone offer me a list of say, 2-4 brands, that are reputable mid to upper range speaker manufacturers, who will be around, who would make a good starting point for a center channel that will make me notice an upgrade from my current kit, followed by additions that would play nicely over time (and aren't thousands of dollars per piece?) I just don't see this going as deep as it clearly can, but I know it can be better.

I can honestly say, I may have lucked into "good" sound with my current system, and the Audyssey setup (FOR ME) has proven great for my coddled together setup, but I also would love to aim higher, as I know it obviously exists. I just can't afford to aim ridiculously high right now.

If this is truly a better question to ask on another forum, no worries, I just didn't want to really go too deep unless I had to. And even then, I may not!

I'm assuming you're willing to spend up to $500 for a center speaker alone and then an additional sum for the main and surround speakers in the future. SVS Prime series will fall within your budget. Then you can add the bookshelf or tower speakers later. They also make some really nice subs so you could end up with complete SVS setup that you would be happy with.

Soundworks in Kensington on Connecticut Ave had a big home theater store in the same shopping center as their original audio store. Haven't been up there for a few years so I am not sure if the H-T space is still there. I always found them very nice and helpful, and they let me take some stuff home to try our a few years back. Great place to wander into for a look around. Their systems ranged from Denon to the stratosphere.

For Q1, I agree on the center. But definitely think matching L-C-R speakers, even if you will only to the center initially. I would search for some L-R speakers I really liked that had a matching center. As far as any initial recommendations, you looking for bookshelf or floor-standers for the final system? And if primarily for TV, ultimate sound quality may be little less important then if you do a lot of audio-only.

$500 will not go very far. It's overkill for a center speaker, but pushing it a bit for a decent L-C-R setup (although used, as Mucho indicates, will help you a lot).

Long-term, you could get into dedicated amps, separate processor, etc., but $500 will be totally annihilated. Denon seems to be fairly solid for an all-in-one pre-pro-amp. Same for a couple other brands, but even there a new 7.1 can easily run near $2k.

99Limited, correct, up to $500 up front, with future budgetary allotments for additional speakers. For the SVS Prime series - crap. I could sell one nice knife, and then get the towers for $500 AND the center at the same time. Damnit. (in a good way) I need to do some reading on these.

David - thanks for the local suggestion - I'll have to check that out. I don't see myself heading towards where I know this can go. But I only just wanted a nice knife, and here I am.

I am definitely looking to upgrade my system, and am ok with non-pro gear - just want to maximize what I can get for a 'reasonable' sum and see immediate improvements.

Look for psb alpha a/v used. Great price/performance. And a velodyne or hsu subwoofer.

panda said:

Look for psb alpha a/v used. Great price/performance. And a velodyne or hsu subwoofer.

Click to expand...

lus1:

SVS is also a good subwoofer manufacturer, they do direct to consumer sales. They came out with full range and bookshelf speakers a few years ago which I have not heard, but they have a 45 day trial period and they pay return shipping. They are known for outstanding customer support.

Definitely giving SVS a good hard look.

Keep what you have and buy a real subwoofer. Bass is important it should not sound boomy or tubby. The bottom octave should be transparent. Most home theater setups that have subwoofers don't actually get low enough to be considered a subsonic bass producer.

You want to hear and feel the impact of movies, but it shouldn't sound like a farting box.

To get a matched set, I went with 3 Infinity Primus PC351 Center Channel Speakers. One placed Horizontally under the TV screen.
The other 2 placed on end in a mirror image configuration [ tweeters of both to the inside ] Each rotated about 15 degrees inward
the center channel has it's own amp an AudioSource AMP110. The Sub is a SVS SB-1000

Everything is fed through an OPPO BDP-103, Digital radio & tv come though the Oppo via a HDMI feed from my cable box

DSChief, how do you like your SVS sub? Their PB-1000 has bubbled up to the top of my list. Chatted with SVS yesterday to see their recommendations based on my room size. The SVS Wizard configuration came up with the choice of one of the 2000 triplets. When I questioned that choice, the guy said the PB-1000 would be a better fit.

Very happy with the SVS Sub. I went with the sealed version due to space limitations, it had to fit in the bottom self of
my wall unit.

Also a correction is in order, I should have listed it as the SB-2000, it had been a while & I was just going off the pic
on their website.

Have had psb floor towers about 9 years. Went to Audio store and listened to a bunch of floor speakers with the same cd, liked the psb's the best & bought them. I am not a audio expert at all. Use monster cable, have spikes on bottom of towers. Position them so the sound waves have a clear shot to the sweet spot couch. When I listen to music in the dark take the grills off.

Couple years ago got a psb center speaker. When watching movies do not even begin to push the volume that the system is capable of. My question is why do you need a subwoofer? I thought that those were to balance small speakers you often see with TV setups like Bose etc. I think my system sounds way better than the Bose. Get a tight base sound from my towers. Movies like Grand Prix and Battle Of Britain you can really hear those engines like you are there.

You want real bass, check out http://billfitzmaurice.net/. You can probably find someone to build you his plans. His subwoofers would kick butt on most subwoofers out there in terms of sound quality and efficiency. He also has plans for HT set ups. I have a Jack 10 cab which I use for bass guitar and it has the most volume out of any box of it's size.

keithsaltydog, subwoofers are just better at reproducing the low bass frequencies than tower/bookshelf speakers are. They round out the audio and add that thump, thump of the passing helicopter. In your example of the two movies, a sub would add the thunder of the engines. If you live near an audio/video store you should go listen to see the difference they make. You might be able to buy a sub, try it out and return it if it doesn't work out. The one issue that can crop up if you're married is the WAF. Subs aren't necessarily small although there are some really good ones that measure 13"x13"x14". I will say this, if you're happy with your setup then obviously subs aren't always necessary and you have some pretty upper-class speakers.

Quick update and thank you all for chiming in. I have a SVS Prime center and two smaller rear channel speakers coming, with the towers to be a future purchase. Also I agree that a good sub is key and that is also high on my list. Now I just need a few more grand to complete it!! This should be a massive upgrade.

Please keep us updated on what you think once you have listened to them for awhile.

ahhh, nothing like seeing one sliding down another slippery slope!

Yeh this site can cost you some coin One thing I do know if you spring for quality speakers they will last forever. The speakers had before the psb lasted 20 years only switched because wanted upgrade.

Like that SVS SB-2000 sealed box gets good reviews too.

Ski, Remember you'll to burn-in your system for at least a week or more before the sounds settles down. Don't try to judge it before as it will likely be quite bright sounding in the beginning. I have miles and miles of fancy interconnects so let me know if you need anything.

You'll want to look into a line conditioner too. I'm a big proponent of Furman. Get one that shows voltage and amperage.

Also, you' want to look into room dampners, especially in the corners for the bass.

http://www.acoustimac.com/categories-products/

I'm a big fan of Gilbert's stuff. His Line Pillow really lowers the noise floor. I have two of them in my system.

http://www.highfidelityreview.com/blue-circle-power-line.html

OH Get some Deoxit for the terminals.

http://store.caig.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.188/.f

You'll want to isolate any device that has moving parts with Vibrapods

http://www.vibrapod.com

You'll also want to check the sound pressure from each channel. Here's a primer, I use this inexpensive a Radio Shack meter.

http://www.audiophilia.com/hardware/spl.htm

You'll want a dedicated 20 amp circuit and make sure to keep your power cables away from your speaker/interconnect cables.

Have fun, its a wonderful hobby. Also, try to get your center channel moved away from the wall and as close to ear level as possible.

dennis

Hey, if he is going to do all that he should go ahead and set up a nice audio system!

Dennis - :dazed: line pillows? I got some learnin to do. I'm going to stick with my chipping away process. However, if you suddenly see me selling all my cherished knives on BST, feel free to drop in a snarky comment about line pillows and subwoofers. Ugh.

Also I had no idea you had to break in speakers. It's like a new Kato, great otb edge, but needs a teensy bit of love/time on stones to truly show you what it can do.

Any gallery recommendations for 1) kid-friendly reference BluRay, and 2) non-kid friendly reference BluRay for 7.1? I actually got my son Aladdin on BluRay for Christmas and was blown away by all of it, both visually, and the sound. Ahh Robin Williams. Yes, I have a lot of kids movies. I want them to grow up appreciating how important the A is in AV, so damnit, onward.

My wife senses a disturbance in the force. Thankfully, at least for a few more days, she will only be watching for long rectangular 240mm'ish cardboard boxes, and not 50 lb boxes full of heavy audio gear.

Audio/ HT can make the world of custom kitchen knives seem like shopping for penny candy at the 7-11.

Went to the SVS site they have an option to match your particular speakers for best matches with subs. They even had my older model psb towers. Had 3 matches all top of the line ported, sealed and cylinder. Don't think I want to spend over a grand for a sub.

keithsaltydog said:

Went to the SVS site they have an option to match your particular speakers for best matches with subs. They even had my older model psb towers. Had 3 matches all top of the line ported, sealed and cylinder. Don't think I want to spend over a grand for a sub.

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For most people one of the xx-2000 models will be more than enough. Generally, if your HT setup is used primarily for TV/movie view you'll want a ported sub. There are other factors that can weigh into someones decisions such as size and aesthetics. I've been using a sealed sub for almost 20 years and have been happy with its performance. Granted it's kind of a big sealed unit and when it comes to subs, bigger is better.

Here's a link to a thread on Home Theater forum for Under $1000 Subwoofer Review.

Would rock the house

http://velodyne.com/subwoofers/impact-series/impact-12.html

Or do as Bill suggested, search out something on Audiogon. I've bought/sold many devices there. Very good prices for high end audio.

https://app.audiogon.com/listings?filter_category_id=30