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Listerine posted:A good sub is one of those things that once you've got it, you can't believe you ever lived without. JESUS but that wireless part seems awesome. I have a https://www.klipsch.com/products/r-120sw-subwoofer i am very pleased with it, but man 2 grand for a sub seems ludicrous, i am sure it is amazing, i do really like Klipsch products, not their prices so much. I skipped there floor speakers because of the price and went with Polk for 400 dollars cheaper for the pair.
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Sep 26, 2025 15:37
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Listerine posted:A good sub is one of those things that once you've got it, you can't believe you ever lived without. I don't think I've ever heard a bad Klipsch speaker. That said, the subwoofer that came with the Klipsch 5.1 reference pack I got for my computer to do surround sound is strong and clean enough to rattle the house just fine when I want it to, and the whole package was less than $500 on sale. Hieronymous Alloy fucked around with this message at 17:28 on Sep 26, 2025 |
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Sep 26, 2025 17:26
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All my regular speakers (not sub) are Klipsch RP and I love them but I also got them all deeply on sale.
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Sep 26, 2025 18:10
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:I don't think I've ever heard a bad Klipsch speaker. If I was going to spend 2 large on a sub it would probably be this, just because it's weird. [I'd actually spend it on 2 $1000 subs instead, room modes are a dick]
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Sep 26, 2025 18:38
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qirex posted:You must have just started recently. Their 90s-2000s stuff was harsh as hell. All I've heard are modern ones and vintage stuff from the 80s and before. One day Ill get pair of classic wooden cabinet klipschorns.
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Sep 26, 2025 19:17
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Listerine posted:A good sub is one of those things that once you've got it, you can't believe you ever lived without. Timely post, this just went on sale for 50% off (1k rather than 2k) via this coupon code at adorama: https://www.adorama.com/kp1070652.html + coupon code SEPT2526 They've got one of their nutty Klipsch 5.1 + AVR deals for $900 instead of $1650 as well - it's not the RP speakers but still pretty impossible to beat for an entry level 5.1 without getting lucky on used gear: https://www.adorama.com/kpr610fo.html + coupon code SEPT2519 aparmenideanmonad fucked around with this message at 00:57 on Sep 27, 2025 |
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Sep 27, 2025 00:52
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Always remember if you have some woodworking chops you can assemble your own sub and save yourself an absurd amount of cash. It's not difficult to build a box that someone else has already done the maths and driver selection for. Sling a plate amp on and you're off to the races. It's also very satisfying knowing your own hands put together the box that's stressing the structure of your house. Highly recommend it as an activity.
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Sep 27, 2025 17:19
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This is great content my friends and that 5.1 setup above seems wildly powerful for the price. It’s been an exhausting two weeks. I grabbed these. https://www.polkaudio.com/en-us/product/home-speakers/bookshelf/monitor-xt20/300151-new.html What else do I need to buy to get a setup going? Please help I am over worked and under slept and over caffeinated and need to get everything installed before my partner gets back from their business trip. Edit: HKR, in the post below, raises a good point! The goal is a 2.0 system for a Samsung TV. Primarily for tv/movie streaming. On game nights the tv is used for Spotify / music. Two speakers now. Possibility of a subwoofer in the future. Ornery and Hornery fucked around with this message at 05:46 on Oct 15, 2025 |
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Oct 15, 2025 05:03
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Ornery and Hornery posted:This is great content my friends and that 5.1 setup above seems wildly powerful for the price. what are you goals? Home Theater? Music? Analog Audio? Streaming?
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Oct 15, 2025 05:32
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HKR posted:what are you goals? Home Theater? Music? Analog Audio? Streaming? 2 speakers now, subwoofer possibly in the future. Primarily for tv/movie streaming but occasionally music. Whatever wires, base equipment, etc., is appreciated. Will wires have to run through the wall where the TV is?
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Oct 15, 2025 05:48
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You'll want to find an AV receiver with HDMI ARC/eARC support. I personally recommend getting an AVR that has built in support for your favorite music streaming services (Spotify, Qobuz, Roon etc) if you use those. If you plan on expanding to surround sound, you'll want to grab one that supports your planned expansion (basic 5.1? Dolby Atmos?). Aside from the AVR, you'll need bog standard speaker wire and a tool to cut and trim it. You don't have to run any wire in walls unless your partner absolutely hates having visible wires. here is a basic primer on setting up a home theater. This assumes 5.1 but the same principles apply to a stereo setup https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkiyLe2zSSc
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Oct 15, 2025 06:02
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aparmenideanmonad posted:Timely post, this just went on sale for 50% off (1k rather than 2k) via this coupon code at adorama: https://www.adorama.com/kp1070652.html + coupon code SEPT2526 I missed out on the last month or so of posts due to a combination of work and a family emergency but i double checked and I did indeed get this sub through Adorama during a 50% off sale, ended up a little under 1k. Really good value for the price.
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Oct 15, 2025 06:29
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Ornery and Hornery posted:I grabbed these.
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Oct 15, 2025 15:21
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Ornery and Hornery posted:2 speakers now, subwoofer possibly in the future. Primarily for tv/movie streaming but occasionally music. What's your budget for the rest of the system?
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Oct 15, 2025 15:41
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mariooncrack posted:What's your budget for the rest of the system? I’d like to spend less than $600 on the receiver. I have the two speakers. I need the AV receiver with HDMI ARC/eARC support. However, if there’s a big quality spike at some slightly higher price threshold, then I’ll do that. Thank you all, posting friends, for the help  I’m gonna sleep like the dead on Saturday night, if the gods are kind.
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Oct 17, 2025 16:39
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I’m replacing a lovely sound bar on my tv. The biggest problem is that it’s often hard to hear dialogue, so I turn it up louder than I’m really comfortable with since I live in a rowhouse so I share a wall with a neighbor. I got a wiim amp because I figured that while I’m at it I’d like to have some easy streaming options for music. Now I’m in the market for some passive speakers. I’m planning on something like Polk ES10 or ES15. These aren’t ideal for music listening, I know, but I have a separate setup with good speakers for that. This is really just for better TV audio. In short, if I get some decent bookshelf speakers, can I expect dialogue on TV to be easier to hear? I’m already committed with this amp I bought already, but I still have options regarding the speakers. I’d like to avoid spending more than $300.
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Oct 20, 2025 15:39
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Racing Stripe posted:I’m replacing a lovely sound bar on my tv. The biggest problem is that it’s often hard to hear dialogue, so I turn it up louder than I’m really comfortable with since I live in a rowhouse so I share a wall with a neighbor. Yes, but the mix of the media is a contributor as well as the reproduction of the mix by the speaker. Better speakers will help but they won't necessarily solve everything. They will make everything sound better in addition to making dialogue more understandable though, so it's still a good move IMO. Ornery and Hornery posted:I’d like to spend less than $600 on the receiver. https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html In that price range you aren't going to get Dirac (the best room calibration) so it's mostly a question of how much future proofing vs. price do you care about. Any of the ones on that list will drive your bookshelves and do up to 5.1 eventually. Some will support 7.2 or even 9.2. The more expensive ones will have more connectivity and built in streaming options etc..The Yamaha options for 500-600 there will provide pre-outs for normal channels which is typically a higher end feature. There's a Marantz slim line which will be physically much shorter and fit into more consoles/cabinets but also has a weaker amp in it (fine for your speakers). Denon is a bit of a thread darling. aparmenideanmonad fucked around with this message at 16:41 on Oct 20, 2025 |
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Oct 20, 2025 16:24
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Yeah better clarity at a comfortable volume is one of the benefits of getting nicer speakers
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Oct 20, 2025 16:36
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Awesome. I was assuming all of that, but it’s good to confirm it before I shell out $200 for speakers. I don’t expect instant crystal clarity in all dialog, just some better reproduction of the full range that will help it come through a bit more clearly. Any thoughts on center channel speakers? I’m not sure what the purpose of that is exactly or whether the wiim amp can handle it, but they’re in a lot of pictures of people’s TV audio setups.
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Oct 20, 2025 16:56
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Racing Stripe posted:I’m replacing a lovely sound bar on my tv. The biggest problem is that it’s often hard to hear dialogue, so I turn it up louder than I’m really comfortable with since I live in a rowhouse so I share a wall with a neighbor. My old sound bar had a night mode setting that boosts dialogue and does some levelling compression that really helped with dialogue mixes. A quick search shows that the Wiim amp has a spoke word eq setting. You could try that if your standard eq isnt making dialogue clear enough. I recently got a WiiM Amp Ultra for a home theater setup Im putting together. My house is still under construction so I havent set it up for that yet but I have been using it as a stereo in my kitchen. Its pretty amazing. I had it streaming files off my NAS in like 5 minutes, no hassles. I was kind of worried about using a phone app because I'm still traumatized by the absolute clownshow that is Chromecast but it seems like the wiim just works. It sounds good too. There was a bit of distortion when I really cranked it but that could have been from the elderly advent bookshelves Im running it through. I did try the room correction for funsies and it made an improvement to the sound, even though the speakers are in probably the least optimized positions possible. Its a cool little box. I also found a great deal on some Dali Spektor 2 bookshelf speakers, which Im excited to hear with the Wiim. They look dope and reviewed well so hopefully I like their sound.
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Oct 20, 2025 17:02
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Racing Stripe posted:Any thoughts on center channel speakers? I’m not sure what the purpose of that is exactly or whether the wiim amp can handle it, but they’re in a lot of pictures of people’s TV audio setups. Dialogue comes through the center channel, so investing in a good center speaker can help a lot with clarity. But good speakers last practically forever, so IMO you're better off buying the best L/R speakers you can afford with your current budget, and saving up for a center speaker down the line. Then eventually add a subwoofer and some surround speakers and baby you got a stew goin
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Oct 20, 2025 17:04
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The center channel is typically where dialog is mixed the loudest in surround sound setups. IMO the best solution to muddy dialog is to use a surround sound system that lets you increase the volume of the center channel and lower the volume of the others, but it is still heavily mix dependent on how that sounds. It looks like all the Wiim amps are stereo only. Typically modern systems mix down surround sound mixes to 2 channel fine, but depending on the mix you may find yourself reaching for the remote to turn on any dialog enhancement the amp may offer. The very best solution is to watch old movies that you pirated from a cinephile group who muxes in old/original laserdisc and mono/stereo mixes to their releases.
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Oct 20, 2025 17:05
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HKR posted:It looks like all the Wiim amps are stereo only. Typically modern systems mix down surround sound mixes to 2 channel fine, but depending on the mix you may find yourself reaching for the remote to turn on any dialog enhancement the amp may offer. Technically the pro/ultra can run 5.1 but its a bit of a kludge and requires additional units for the other speakers. Part of the reason I got the ultra was in case I decided later to expand to surround.
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Oct 20, 2025 17:16
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800peepee51doodoo posted:Technically the pro/ultra can run 5.1 but its a bit of a kludge and requires additional units for the other speakers. Part of the reason I got the ultra was in case I decided later to expand to surround. That seems like a bad idea, you'd need at least 3 to achieve 5.1 and there are very good avrs that are one unit, have all the streaming features of the wiim, and can do better surround sound formats at that price. That's not even getting into theoretical sync issues.
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Oct 20, 2025 17:22
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like as a 2 channel, the wiim seems pretty killer, but once the requirements include surround sound they wouldn't even be on my list.
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Oct 20, 2025 17:25
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I didn't realize WiiM is so limited on channels. I can see how it fills a gap between soundbars and going full audio dork, but needing to buy more hardware just to build out a 5.1 system seems like a trap
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Oct 20, 2025 17:36
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HKR posted:The center channel is typically where dialog is mixed the loudest in surround sound setups. IMO the best solution to muddy dialog is to use a surround sound system that lets you increase the volume of the center channel and lower the volume of the others, but it is still heavily mix dependent on how that sounds. The good news is it's pretty easy to place your L/R to the sides of your tv around ear height, and once you get actual speakers [the Polk ES15 aren't a bad choice, maybe shop them against the KEF Q1 Meta or Klipsch RP-600] you'll hear more, even at lower volumes than you're used to. Those tiny drivers they use in soundbars can't typically handle the low end of voice tones. That said movies are mixed in an extremely annoying fashion and the problem is endemic.
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Oct 20, 2025 17:40
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Racing Stripe posted:I’m replacing a lovely sound bar on my tv. The biggest problem is that it’s often hard to hear dialogue, so I turn it up louder than I’m really comfortable with since I live in a rowhouse so I share a wall with a neighbor. I assume that's $300 all in on both speakers?
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Oct 20, 2025 17:54
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HKR posted:That seems like a bad idea, you'd need at least 3 to achieve 5.1 and there are very good avrs that are one unit, have all the streaming features of the wiim, and can do better surround sound formats at that price. That's not even getting into theoretical sync issues. I mean, I did say "technically" and "kludge". I'm like 95% sure I'm sticking to 2.1 but the expandability is potentially a useful option. I definitely didnt want to get an enormous, ugly avr for the slight possibility of going with surround. That said, I did run speaker wire in the wall so I am hedging a bit I suppose
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Oct 20, 2025 18:01
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Mederlock posted:I assume that's $300 all in on both speakers? Yeah, $300 for a pair. Seems like there are a lot of decent speakers at that price point and it’s sort of a cutoff before the $400 tier
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Oct 20, 2025 18:32
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aparmenideanmonad posted:https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html Thank you for the actionable resource and clear feedback. Hmm the only Dirac stuff appears to be ONKYO, not anything from Denon… I appreciate the support. At a doctor’s office now and getting this audio stuff sorted is a nice thing to get off the to-do list.
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Oct 20, 2025 18:50
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Ornery and Hornery posted:If I want to get Dirac, what’s the price jump?
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Oct 20, 2025 18:52
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qirex posted:Generally whatever the receiver costs plus $200 for the license [if the receiver cost over 2 grand they might be generous enough to include it] Okay because the feature filter on that resource list has two different Dirac options: 1. Dirac live included 2. Dirac live upgradable (fee) Edit: we have purchased the Denon x3800. Thank you again, posting comrades 
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Oct 20, 2025 18:53
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Ornery and Hornery posted:Okay because the feature filter on that resource list has two different Dirac options: That's definitely the buy once cry once approach. Enjoy!
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Oct 20, 2025 23:40
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LaserPrinter69 posted:Does anyone here have experience with couch mounted haptic feedback (buttkicker) for your home theater? I have a really heavy 3 seater couch and I'm looking for feedback on a few things. No one answered this gentleman when he asked nine months ago so let me share my experience 1) what size/wattage haptic device is appropriate? Is there a guide or a rule of thumb based on use case and environment? If you have a 3 seater couch, get the buttkicker LFE and mount it to the center. If your couch rests on a subfloor over a crawl space, and the couch has a rectangle metal base that rests on the carpet, the buttkicker LFE has enough power to rattle your entertainment center. You'll see your PS5 vibrating at certain frequencies and need to EQ it down at those resonant frequencies. 2) is there any delay? I imagine any device that has to spin up to a speed that would shake a couch would have a noticeable lag. Are we talking a few milliseconds or a couple hundred milliseconds? There's a mild delay. For action heavy scenes it's impossible to notice, but for a bass beat it's not good. Your mileage may vary. 3) Buttkicker sells an amp, but an amp is an amp... Has anyone mixed and matched? An amp is an amp. The Dayton SA1000 matches well with the buttkicker LFE and has a TON of overhead with one. It can comfortably run two. At max gain on the amp, you'll need to install a miniDSP and turn down the power significantly (like, -10B at least) to avoid bottoming out the buttkicker. 4) my current sub (rythmik e15) already has a tactile effect. I have no other point of reference so I don't know if it's mild, moderate, or high. Would a dedicated haptic device make me feel like my fillings are about to be rattled out or would it just be a little buzz like an electric toothbrush? Your sub will rattle your room, but the buttkicker supplements it at the ultra low end (sub 40 Hz) and will literally feel like a vibrating massage chair when you do frequency sweeps at higher volume. If the sub makes you feel it in your body's air pockets (lungs, ears) then the dedicate haptic device fills in the solid spaces. It can feel gimmicky at first but with patience and a miniDSP you can dial it in so it feels like a natural extension of your sub.
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Nov 8, 2025 21:33
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I have a chair mounted buttkicker shaker for sim racing and I bought a replacement amp for it no problem and honestly the replacement amp is better- it doesn’t overheat and shutdown and has a bit better UI on the front of it. I just use simhub instead of their software, as well. All of that is to say the shaker is fine and easy to match with an appropriate and possibly better amp
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Nov 8, 2025 21:54
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Hello thread I don’t know much of anything about home audio but I do like to listen to music and I know my current setup (this thing: https://a.co/d/cF5y6cm) is suboptimal, though it is a vast improvement over listening streaming to my native TV speakers. I was recently at my cool as heck 80yr old hippy lady cousin’s house and was really blown away by how much better music sounded thru her sound system. Nothin fancy, just two floor speakers acting as end tables, a receiver, and CD player. We were listening to classical and I was just really amazed how much better it sounded. Part of that I’m sure is listening to a CD vs streaming Spotify, but it made me really want to investigate a better sound system. For listening to music (classical mostly, some jazz, bluegrass/americana, acoustic blues etc if that’s relevant) is a pretty plain Jane 2.0 system of just two speakers and a receiver all that’s needed? I don’t care about fancy surround sound, all I watch are murder mysteries and cooking shows, but I would like to be able to have the TV sound play thru whatever audio system. Does a subwoofer have any benefit for music? The OP is 15 years old and doesn’t give a ton of specific recommendations-what should I be looking for as far as receiver/speakers? Are there deals to be had on Marketplace or EBay? I’ve always been wary buying electronics from either. For speakers, I would like something with a wood case (in a perfect world, with different finish options) that can act as a small end/cocktail table next to a chair. For budget, under $1000 for an entire system if that’s gonna get me somethin decent? If I’m still streaming Spotify is any of this even relevant or is the quality there just not great? Does something like Apple Music with allegedly better sound quality really make a huge difference? Im not sure on my AirPods or my current soundbar thing I can really tell a difference. Or do I need to start buying classical CDs before they quit making them? Do they still make them?? E:this is what I’m trying to emulate. Lots of floor speakers seem to be tall skinny things. Bookshelf speakers seem to be the shape I want but mostly too short? Something 18-22” tall would be ideal.  Kaiser Schnitzel fucked around with this message at 03:29 on Nov 11, 2025 |
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Nov 11, 2025 02:59
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gonna pick apart some stuff here and let others do the recommendations, but:quote:I was just really amazed how much better it sounded. Part of that I’m sure is listening to a CD vs streaming Spotify 99% of the wow factor here came from listening to actual speakers. quote:For listening to music (classical mostly, some jazz, bluegrass/americana, acoustic blues etc if that’s relevant) is a pretty plain Jane 2.0 system of just two speakers and a receiver all that’s needed? I don’t care about fancy surround sound, all I watch are murder mysteries and cooking shows, but I would like to be able to have the TV sound play thru whatever audio system. Does a subwoofer have any benefit for music? a 2.0 system will do you good, and a subwoofer is going to be largely dependent on taste, both in terms of what you listen to and how you feel about enhancing the lower end of it. I would start with a 2.0 system that has an option to extend with a subwoofer so you can spend most of your money on speakers if you're just starting out. quote:Are there deals to be had on Marketplace or EBay? I’ve always been wary buying electronics from either. For speakers, I would like something with a wood case (in a perfect world, with different finish options) that can act as a small end/cocktail table next to a chair. These days, unless you know what you're looking for the used market is pretty miss. A lot of "I know what I have" types selling pretty meh speakers they found at a goodwill for a 200% markup and then you take them home and find out there's a blown tweeter. Unless you want to get super into the vintage audio hobby (which is a vastly different landscape now than it was 15 years ago) and buy dozens of speaker sets and components over the years, buying a highly recommended new pair of speakers and equipment is the safest and sanest way to go. quote:If I’m still streaming Spotify is any of this even relevant or is the quality there just not great? Does something like Apple Music with allegedly better sound quality really make a huge difference? Im not sure on my AirPods or my current soundbar thing I can really tell a difference. Or do I need to start buying classical CDs before they quit making them? Do they still make them?? This is a rabbit hole, but in general I would suggest starting out with spotify, and then if you want to improve your source material start simultaneously looking into collecting CDs/Vinyl (they still make both), Quobuz which streams lossless hi-res music, and music piracy. The best sounding version of your favorite album might be a vinyl rip from one particular guy, a UK CD pressing, or a recent remaster available on a streaming site. I would advise picking up an amp that has built in streaming capabilities. Others here will be able to point you in the right direction.
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Nov 11, 2025 03:26
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The form factor you're interested in will be pretty limiting and I honestly can't think of any great solutions off the top of my head. Most floor standers are too tall and narrow to work as a table. Bookshelf speakers are too short. About the only thing that comes in this form factor these days are subwoofers. A wider bookshelf speaker on a short stand might be your best bet, or just put bookshelves on a normal end table and call it a day. As for the rest of it, there's recent chatter in this thread about starting audio systems. You can do active speakers that will set up similar to your soundbar, or you can do passive speakers + AVR/DAC+amp. Since you want to run your TV through this, I'd suggest an AVR. Suggested setup: KEF Q1 Meta pair $350 https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/kefq1metawlnt-rb/kef-q1-meta-pair-5.25-2-way-bookshelf-speakers-walnut/1.html Denon S570BT $300 https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavrs570bt/denon-avr-s570bt-5.2-ch-x-70-watts-8k-a/v-receiver-w/bluetooth/1.html You can see how that sounds, then add a sub if you want. Would suggest an RSL speedwoofer given your interest in music where you'll want a nice tight response without need for low end. This is their cheapest option, but it might be worth stepping up: https://rslspeakers.com/products/rsl-speedwoofer-10e You could also get a cheaper sub like this but it won't be as nice for the types of music you're describing: https://www.adorama.com/used-klipsch-r-12sw-12-400w-all-digital-powered-subwoofer-brushed-black-polymer-veneer/p/auskpr12sw
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Nov 11, 2025 03:52
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Accessories4Less is the recommended site to pick up a refurbished receiver: https://www.accessories4less.com/ Is this just for music or are you also planning to watch TV/movies? The quality between streaming vs physical media is negligible these days. Use whatever is going to get you to listen to music more.
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Nov 11, 2025 03:57
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