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Looking at Upgrading


trarmstrong

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Looking at upgrading my Klipsch HD300 system. It was bought while in college (and broke) and now with more money on hand I'm ready to upgrade.

Room: 17x19x8 - open floor plan with hall and kitchen entrances. Couch and seating located in middle

Receiver: Yamaha RX-371

I want to improve on is lowering the crossover (150Hz) and improve overall "brightness" - I know that's a Klipsch thing but I want more midrange depth.

Looking at:

1. Klipsch Quintet V

2. Polk Audio Blackstone TL250

3. Definitive ProCinema 600

I want the system to remain a lifestyle-sized system with no interest in going larger (due to it being the main living area and ....my wife).

Please give me recommendations or pros/cons of the Klipsch system over the others. Also subwoofer recommendations.

I am a huge fan of Klipsch and wish to remain a loyal customer (currently own: Klipsch HD300, Promedia 2.1, and headphones)

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I haven't heard either the Quintet or the HD300 but my guess is it would be a lateral move at best. Honestly, there's only so much performance you can get out of a 2.5" or 3.5" speaker. Merely a matter of physics. Not to mention your room is huge for that small of a speaker setup. That's a lot to ask of a satellite system. I realize we all have limitations, and often have to make compromises but I just wouldn't expect night and day difference from any of those three systems over your current setup. Hopefully others that have heard or owned those two systems will chime in.

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The room is an open floor plan,and fairly large. You need bigger speakers as Youthman pointed out. If cost is a factor bookself speakers or other used speakers may be an option. Many of us don't use brand new speakers that are in mint condition. Welcome to the forum. Becareful, due to upgraditis, lol.

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I want the system to remain a lifestyle-sized system with no interest in going larger (due to it being the main living area and ....my wife).

Derrick, I don't think larger speakers are an option at this point.

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I'm just wondering if 30hz is going to make much difference with that small of a speaker. Now if you had a subwoofer that would dig 30hz lower, that would be a different story.

Again, not sure if adding a second small driver to the center channel will make that much of an audible difference (but I could be wrong).

I agree, the subwoofer is pretty tiny. Upgrading to a 10" or better yet, a 12" sub to your setup would be a huge upgrade to your setup. I'm guessing you could use the satellites from the HD300 with any sub and hook them up directly to your receiver.

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I haven't heard Polk subs since I worked at Circuit City many years back. At that time, their subs were pretty bad. We kept blowing them. Even Velodyne's entry level CT-100 sub blew the Polk away in output and in durability.

Looking at Polk Audio PSW111 - but it only goes down to 120Hz (crossover).

According to what I'm seeing online, the Polk PSW111 has a Crossover Frequency from 80 Hz to 200 Hz which is very typical. The Quintet's have a Frequency Response of 120Hz for the satellites so no problems there. In your receiver, you would set the xover setting for your mains to say 120Hz and your sub at 120Hz so that it handles the frequencies that your mains cannot play.

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I haven't heard Polk subs since I worked at Circuit City many years back. At that time, their subs were pretty bad. We kept blowing them. Even Velodyne's entry level CT-100 sub blew the Polk away in output and in durability.

Looking at Polk Audio PSW111 - but it only goes down to 120Hz (crossover).

According to what I'm seeing online, the Polk PSW111 has a Crossover Frequency from 80 Hz to 200 Hz which is very typical. The Quintet's have a Frequency Response of 120Hz for the satellites so no problems there. In your receiver, you would set the xover setting for your mains to say 120Hz and your sub at 120Hz so that it handles the frequencies that your mains cannot play.

Speakers don't cut off precisely at their lower limit. That's the point at which the response is down by 3 dB (or sometimes 4 or 5 dB). In the same way, subs don't cut off precisely at their hi-cut setting, they start to taper off at that point.

Accordingly, you would need to dial in some overlap to avoid having a noticeable dip in the response around the crossover point, perhaps as much as 30 Hz or more.

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Looking at upgrading my Klipsch HD300 system. It was bought while in college (and broke) and now with more money on hand I'm ready to upgrade.

Room: 17x19x8 - open floor plan with hall and kitchen entrances. Couch and seating located in middle

Receiver: Yamaha RX-371

I want to improve on is lowering the crossover (150Hz) and improve overall "brightness" - I know that's a Klipsch thing but I want more midrange depth.

Looking at:

1. Klipsch Quintet V

2. Polk Audio Blackstone TL250

3. Definitive ProCinema 600

I want the system to remain a lifestyle-sized system with no interest in going larger (due to it being the main living area and ....my wife).

Please give me recommendations or pros/cons of the Klipsch system over the others. Also subwoofer recommendations.

I am a huge fan of Klipsch and wish to remain a loyal customer (currently own: Klipsch HD300, Promedia 2.1, and headphones)

tramstrong,

First, welcome to the forum!! We hope you descide to stay awhile!

Secondly, I have 7 big ugly black splatter painted speakers that weigh 250 pounds each plus 4 very large subs, and I did not get them by making my wife happy, but she didn't leave me either. I'll get off my soap box now.

Third, if you can live with the substandard sound of a little speaker then know this, the two most important speakers in a surround system are the center channel and the sub woofer. Do you think she will let you go bigger on the center channel, and buy the best sub you can afford, even if it is way overkill on the other speakers. How much money can you budget on a sub??

Roger

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