Help choosing new home theater - already klipsch junkie, maybe try something else?

[wsu99999]

Hey people,

I need your help! I just moved and my LaScala setup isn't going to be efficient in my new home. I need something smaller (which is killing me!). I want a home theater that sounds AMAZING - PERFECT - BETTER THAN THE LASCALAS - at a LOW!! volume. Unfortunately, loud isn't going to be an option, so I need something that blends well with home theater applications at low volumes, so it's going to have to be something high end.

I've been looking at some bookshelf speakers, and there seems to be a lot of really high end ones out there, but I really can't see paying 3 or 4k for a bookshelf speaker. I'm thinking I'm going to end up buying USED for sure, so I can be patient and wait for a good deal to come on the market, but I really don't know what to get.

If you were making a HT setup with high end units to be played at low to mid volumes, what would you get? I can't wait to hear the replies - it DOES NOT need to be Klipsch.

[Pete H]

I think some important considerations will be room size and layout in relationship to the TV, are you still going to use a sub, what size do your main (L,R & Center need to be, in order to fit properly? I would assume that your surrounds will not be towers and that you will be looking to wall or ceiling mount those?????? How many channel set up will you be using, and what equipment will you be driving it with. I would also comment that great quality sound and extreme prices regarding speaker choices, don't necessarily go hand in hand and based on your other answers, you don't necessarily have to spend a ton of money to be well satisfied for HT, especially if you will look at used gear (Klipsch is going to be what I chime in about, as I believe in the used market, there are some great deals to be had)

[neo33]

NOTHING can be better than the La Scalas in smaller size, LOW or HIGH volume. NOTHING! The next best things you can get that can match the Heritage sound are the Heresies.

[Pete H]

NOTHING can be better than the La Scalas in smaller size, LOW or HIGH volume. NOTHING! The next best things you can get that can match the Heritage sound are the Heresies.

Unless I read that wrong Neo, the size of the La Scala's are part of the problem.

[neo33]

What's wrong with what I said, Pete?

You CANNOT get a better sound then the La Scalas in smaller size no matter what. If you don't have room then you going to have to settle for less than and not "better than the La Scalas". I have La Scalas in my HT setup before and I know what I am talking about.

[Bill H.]

Since your used to the Heritage Sound................would Heresys work in your Space ?

[Pete H]

What's wrong with what I said, Pete?

You CANNOT get a better sound then the La Scalas in smaller size no matter what. If you don't have room then you going to have to settle for less than and not "better than the La Scalas". I have La Scalas in my HT setup before and I know what I am talking about.

I wasn't implying that anything you said was wrong, I was just trying to clarify if he couldn't use them because of space, or if he didn't think they would work at low to moderate levels.

[neo33]

Well, he wanted something BETTER than La Scalas in smaller size because of space problem. That ain't gonna happen with smaller size speakers no matter what speakers he's gonna get. Heresies are the closest to the Heritage sound he can get.

[Youthman]

Well, he wanted something BETTER than La Scalas in
smaller size because of space problem. That ain't gonna happen with
smaller size speakers no matter what speakers he's gonna get.

Don't want to start a flame war here but to say that there is NO better speaker smaller than the LaScala is quite a biased opinion. Each of our ears are different and what sounds best to you might not sound best to someone else. I've always been a big fan of Klipsch and B&W speakers but went with Klipsch because they sound excellent as well, but at a much more affordable cost. I'm not necessarily saying B&W sounds better than Klipsch, but to say that there isn't ANY speaker smaller than the LaScalas that sounds better than the LaScallas is purely subjective.

[neo33]

Have you ever hear a 6.1 La Scalas home theatre?

[wsu99999]

Ok guys, my intention wasn't to start a pissing match between everyone. Let me be clear, the Lascalas are too big for the room. There ARE speakers smaller than LaScalas that sound better at lower volumes, sure sound is variable from person to person, but let's face it, Lascalas are great, but there are definetly better speakers out there.

Does anyone have any constructive ideas for me? I will build the system around the speakers, so don't worry about amps, etc. The room is mid sized, maybe 10x16 or so.

[Islander]

Have you tried your Forte IIs up front? If they sound good enough and aren't too bulky, you could get a second pair and be all set.

[Ironsave]

I vote for Heresies.....

Many like the RF83 or 63s;

Also; there are KLF20s and 30s that should also take up much less space than LaScalas....

My Heresies sound nice at lower volumes for music; and for HT; my system does as well.....

[Pete H]

Ok guys, my intention wasn't to start a pissing match between everyone. Let me be clear, the Lascalas are too big for the room

No pissing going on here[:$], that's just funny! I'll go back to one of my original questions, and that's what size do you really want the mains to be, based on the space available, and are you going to use a small sub, which IMHO can open up the choices for the mains if they don't have to handle the really low signal. I've run HT set ups with all reference towers and multiple subs, as well as using smaller speakers and yes, there can be a huge difference in crazy HT set ups, but for enjoying the average movie, it can be done quite well with smaller set ups. With the amount of the sound track coming out of the center channel, that IMO, is always the most important piece of the puzzle.

[wsu99999]

Well, ideally, I'm thinking either a specific home theater setup (like an M&K HT Setup, they have products that LOOK similar to Klipsch's THX Ultra but are MUCH more affordable due to their used nature but I've never auditioned them and probably wouldn't have a chance to).

I've also thought of getting a really nice set of front 3 and using some satellites I already have for the rear surrounds (don't lecture me about timber matching, I think I will be able to adjust for the sound differences by placement and adjustments in the preamp). Some of the front 3 I've looked at are the Sonus Faber Concerto line (which look amazing and have great reviews, but I wouldn't be able to hear em), a setup of B&W bookshelves and a nice center, I have a line on some Focal bookshelves, etc.

Bottom line is I doubt I'm going to get a floorstanding system for this room, so I'm thinking bookshelves are going to be my best bet OR a setup that is smaller and specifically designed for HT in mind.

Are there any budget systems out there similar to the THX Ultra? Keep in mind guys, I've looked through the Klipsch product line and I really don't think Klipsch has what I'm looking for except for maybe some of their higher end bookshelves or the THX ultra, and I know this is a Klipsch site, but it's also the best forum I subscribe to, and I am hoping that even though I'm going outside of the Klipsch family, you guys can help me out as I've been a loyal Klipsch fan for years, but it's time to change things up a bit.

[jrod]

Hope I don't get lambasted for this but... Paradigm's Signature stuff is very nice sounding:

Bookshelf

http://www.paradigm.com/en/reference/fronts-signatureseries-signatures2-model-2-17-1-32.paradigm

with

Center

http://www.paradigm.com/en/reference/centers-signature-signaturec3-model-3-17-1-35.paradigm

[neo33]

I second that. You won't get anything better then an all Heresies home theatre system in a small package that also serve as an excellent 2-channel system.

I vote for Heresies.....

[wsu99999]

OK, let me phrase it this way, excluding ALL Klipsch setups, what would you do?

[Arky]

I'm not well versed on other speaker brands but the Paradigm's (towers) I heard sounded very nice. Just not that Klipsch sound I prefer.

[Pete H]

I can't exclude all Klipsch setups for small and solid. Having run A/B on RF7's and RP5's straight up against RB5's and RB75's, for a HT set up in a "small, but not so small and heavy, set up" I would take 4 pair of RB 5's and a solid small sub, against a lot of different set ups. Dollar for dollar, based on being able to pick up RB 5's for a couple hundred per pair and building or buying a nice clean sub that will take over where the RB's can't go, you will end up with a great smallish surround that will really impress you. You will end up with, under $1,000 or up to $1,600, depending on what you integrate from your present system, in the entire set up and it will kick *** for HT. If you want to stay small and still enjoy a clean HT effect, I'll go this far and offer to send you a set of RB 5's for you to audition, ( you pay the shipping ) and then tell me what you think, or pick up a set of these ( 225 or under in great shape) and if you don't agree with what I'm saying, I'll buy them from you. I'm being sincere and don't want you or anyone else to take this in the wrong way, but you have to remember that in a 5.1 or 7.1 or more, the surround speakers are basically for effect and they aren't like, or need to be the same quality as your center and sub, and after that the mains, and in that order, they are to fill in and give you the feeling, not the extreme (the hair is standing up on my arms) audio experience of 2 or 2.1 audiophile experience of tubes and horns, It's a totally different goal. IMHO and not talking about theory, but from my own personal experience.