newbie, ready to buy, need some advice...

[snacky]

Hello all,

I am looking to upgrade my living room system and I’m looking for some advice. I work for a commercial audio integration company so I’ve got some knowledge of the audio world but not in home audio and I haven’t heard many good home systems.

I guess I’ll start by describing the room.

• Its 22’ wide by 14’ deep.
• A 60” LCD is mounted in the middle of the long wall
• The couch sits directly across from the LCD, backed all the way to the wall.
• Its kind of hard to explain but this is the only possible configuration of the room given wher the doors, windows, etc. are.
• The room is carpeted
• Standard ceiling height

I currently have a Bose 2.1 system (oops) which is ok for what it is but it leaves a lot to be desired, I think it will be perfect for my master bedroom.
Anyway, I have already acquired a Denon 5.2 ch receiver with 140w per channel.

I am looking to purchase a sub, front L R, center, and rear L R speakers.
I’m not interested in purchasing any additional gear at the moment, for now just speakers that I’ll be happy with for the next 10+ years.

I don’t want to have any regrets, like when I came home a couple years ago with a new 46” LCD and months later I deeply regretted not forking out the extra dough for a larger one. I also don’t want to overdo it cause for one, I don’t like wasting money and two, I don’t want additional size if I don’t need it.

When I bought my 2.1 I convinced myself it was perfect because the system would fit nicely In my small house, my strategy was to buy everything smaller to make the house bigger… like less bulky furniture etc.
With my new home theater speakers, I am willing to go with whatever size components are best suited for my needs.

I want good movie and music quality but movie sound quality is far more important to me by a landslide! Odds are, if I’m listening to music, my butt won’t be planted on the couch, I’ll be moving around the house doing chores or something so I would seldom enjoy the benefits of a system selected for music listening criteria. For movies I want highly intelligible vocals, explosions I can feel, great surround experience, the preview voice guy to sound awesome like he does in the theater, and most importantly NO MUD.

Ok, now there’s so much out there to choose from!!! My company is a Klipsch dealer so I can get a good deal on klipsch speakers. For this reason, and for the fact that they seem to have a good reputation, I am leaning strongly toward Klipsch speakers. 
I get a little confused when I look at the Klipsch product lines… Reference, Reference II, reference premier etc. I think Palladium is probably out of the question.

With my budget is in the range of the speaker package below, but I could loosen it up a bit if totally necessary

As mentioned, I need to buy the five speakers and the sub, I already have a receiver and cabling.
Right now this is what I’m looking at, but its all just a guess so I am here to get any suggestions anyone has:

• R-26F for front left and right - retail $499 each
• R-25C for center channel - retail $249
• R-14S , mounted just above seated head height? - retail $279 each
• R-112SW - retail $649

There you have it, I’m eager to hear any/all suggestions……

If you only want to respond with a simple opinion on just part of my post that’s great too 

Thanks

Edited January 14, 2015 by snacky

[Scrappydue]

Welcome.

You shot straight so I'll do the same. 1000 is a low budget for a full 5.1 setup even with your discount.

Skip the r-26 line. That reference stuff if the bottom of the line.

So with that being said and your exact criteria il recommend the system I recommend the most. Get two rf-62ii one rc-62ii and two rs-42ii or rs-52ii if you can swing your budget a bit more. For subs please look into a Svs PB-1000 or PB-2000. All of this will blow your budget. But I promise you you won't be unhappy at all with it. The other speakers you asked about are only slightly less money for much less performance I'm sure. The sub I told you about will give you the rumble you want. Trust me I have been through a lot of system and had just about all of them. The one I recommended to you is the best bang for your buck in Klipsch lineup

Edited January 13, 2015 by Scrappydue

[Scrappydue]

Actually if you get right at 50% off the setup I suggested would be slightly over 1,000 with the rs-42ii's.

Trust me that's the perfect setup for you.

Mounts the surrounds two feet above your couch. They will be heard just fine.

Please please splurge on the sub. It is the second most important speaker in the 5.1 as well as it provides the experience. If I were you in that size of a room would go no smaller than the Svs PB-2000 or the psa xv-15. Think they are both similarly priced.

Your room is about the same size as my theater and I have 4 18" subs. And they are just right.

[wvu80]

Welcome Snacky.

 

Since you work for a Klipsch dealership, getting Klipsch gear should be a no-brainer for you.  Klipsch goes into the "expensive but worth it" category.  You won't regret the sound and if you invest a little more up front, you will be able to keep to that "ten year ownership plan" for your speakers.

 

Forgetting subs for a moment, that $1K for 5 speakers is only $200 per speaker.  Even with your discount that won't buy you a package you will be happy with over the long haul.  Does your company take trade-ins?  That might be an angle for you to get some used Klipsch at an even bigger discount.

 

BTW I gave Scrappy Due's post directly upstream a thumbs up.  As usual his recommendations are rock solid.

 

Two questions:  Would you be willing to find speakers on the used market?  We've seen good package deals become available on this forum in the last year which would be in the $1K price range.

 

And how do you feel about DIY subs?  They cost less than commercial subs and can give you a bigger bang for the buck.

Edited January 13, 2015 by wvu80

[snacky]

Thanks guys,

 

I'm open to used speakers (but a little skeptical) and DIY subs (that sounds fun).

 

I could stretch my budget a little, I didn't think I'd need to but I'm learning. Like I mentioned, I want no regrets.

 

No trade-ins at my company

Edited January 14, 2015 by snacky

[snacky]

Welcome.

You shot straight so I'll do the same. 1000 is a low budget for a full 5.1 setup even with your discount.

Skip the r-26 line. That reference stuff if the bottom of the line.

So with that being said and your exact criteria il recommend the system I recommend the most. Get two rf-62ii one rc-62ii and two rs-42ii or rs-52ii if you can swing your budget a bit more. For subs please look into a Svs PB-1000 or PB-2000. All of this will blow your budget. But I promise you you won't be unhappy at all with it. The other speakers you asked about are only slightly less money for much less performance I'm sure. The sub I told you about will give you the rumble you want. Trust me I have been through a lot of system and had just about all of them. The one I recommended to you is the best bang for your buck in Klipsch lineup

OK, I could stretch a bit further and could get the RF-62 II fronts, RC-62 II center, RS-52 II rears and R-112sw. 

 

Now the sub. I know you feel strongly about the sub, I agree. Those 2 you mentioned are quite pricey. What do you think about the R-115SW, or perhaps going with the RS-112SW and potentially add another down the road?

Edited January 14, 2015 by snacky

[ChuckAb3]

Welcome to the forum. Scrappy's got it right for my money. Bottom line for me is get the best (and usually the biggest) sonically matched speakers you can afford (sub included) for a HT system. I think that's where he's trying to take you. In my first HT, I scrimped on the surrounds, did not have it sonically matched and did it without a sub. Very poor compared to my present all KLF system with a good sub and first rate electronics to run it. Speaking of which, when you get down the road a bit, consider upgrading from the Denon AVR. It's not bad, but you could do better and really good processors and power amps (and maybe an Oppo) can make a significant difference.

[BusaDude]

Hello...

 

I'll offer my opinion and ask a couple of questions, but I wanted to say this... regardless of what people recommend, try and actually listen to whatever you're interested in and make your purchasing decisions on what sounds best to you.  We can all give you our (varied) opinions, but your ears are what matters.  Now it's difficult these days to find a store(s) where you can listen to all of the Klipsch speakers you may want to audition.  But if you're not in a hurry, you could probably make it happen.  Either finding the speakers in a local store or maybe listening to a forum members system that lives close by.

 

Now on to my $0.02...

 

Based on your statements that you "don't want any regrets" and that "movie sound quality is most important" and you want "explosions I can feel"...

 

I'd ask, do you have to purchase the whole system now?  Or is this a one time purchase opportunity through your employer?  The reason being, if you can split the purchase (and are willing to wait) I think you could get closer to fulfilling what you really want.  Particularly since you have $1000 to work with now, which apparently is closer to $3000, via your employee price discount.

 

I'd say hold off on either the surrounds or the center channel if you can and get them a few months down the road.  This could free up enough of your current budget, so that you could make sure you get "explosions I can feel".

 

Consider the RF-82 II vs the RF-62 II... the 82's are only $200 more (retail cost) for the pair.  Which for you, would probably mean a cost difference of less than $100.  The 82's reach a little deeper on the low end, are slightly more efficient and have a higher power handling.  And they are only about an inch wider and deeper, so the footprint is basically the same, while being only 3 inches taller than the 62's. 

 

Regarding the subwoofer and those "explosions"... get the best (usually bigger) sub you can afford.  I'd say go for the R-115SW.  However, since you have a 5.2 receiver, that has outputs for dual subs, you might also consider getting two of the R-112SW's.  This would give you much more flexibility in placement (front corners, rear corners, front/back mid-walls, Lt/Rt side walls, etc) along with smoother low-end frequency response across your whole listening room.  These subs are compatible with the WA-2 Wireless Subwoofer Kit which would make it very easy to find the best placement in your room without the worry of long wire runs.

 

Assuming your discount is basically 60% off retail you could get... (I took the retail prices from Klipsch's website)

 

RF-82 II's (2 x $600 Retail) = $1200 - 60% ($720) = $480

R-112SW (2 x $649 Retail) = $1298 - 60% ($779) = $519

RS-52 II's (2 x $425 Retail) = $850 - 60% ($510) = $340

Total = $1339

 

RF-82 II's (2 x $600 Retail) = $1200 - 60% ($720) = $480

R-115SW (1 x $899 Retail) = $899 - 60% ($539) = $360

RS-52 II's (2 x $425 Retail) = $850 - 60% ($510) = $340

Total = $1180

 

Pick up the center channel RC-62 II, $550 Retail - 60% ($330) = $220 down the road in a few months. 

 

Even if you stay with the RF-62 II's and buy everything now, I would still recommend the bigger R-115SW or the two R-112SW's.

 

One last thing... If at all possible, you really should consider pulling your couch away from the back wall at least six inches and preferably a foot or two.  This will smooth out the low end response you hear in the room and get you away from any bass peaks along the back wall.  It also gives you space, if you go with two subwoofers, to put one of the subs behind your couch.  Nearfield response (impact) from a good quality sub, that's right behind or near you, can make a huge difference while watching movies.

 

Have fun...

 

 

 

[Paducah Home Theater]

My company is a Klipsch dealer so I can get Klipsch speakers at around half of the retail price!

OK, I got the pricing info this morning. Its better than I expected. I can get the RF-62 II fronts, RC-62 II center, RS-52 II rears and R-112sw for $1152. Retail is $3180.

No offense as you seem like a nice guy, but I can't think of a good reason why anybody would freely and publicly post confidential wholesale prices of anything, especially for something they are in the business of selling, on a website that is owned by the company whose products is in question no less. Good luck with your project but this boggles my mind.

Edited January 13, 2015 by MetropolisLakeOutfitters

[Paducah Home Theater]

Pick up the center channel RC-62 II, $550 Retail - 60% ($330) = $220 down the road in a few months.

Wait a few months for Reference II stuff and you may be SOL. It's all being liquidated.

[Scrappydue]

I'd skip that 12" sub. Get the 15 if your set on a Klipsch. The money saved by getting 62's instead of 82's and the money saved from getting 42's for surrounds instead of 52's will just about buy the sub. And if our surrounds are close they don't need to be huge in my opinion.

[Travis In Austin]

 

My company is a Klipsch dealer so I can get Klipsch speakers at around half of the retail price!

OK, I got the pricing info this morning. Its better than I expected. I can get the RF-62 II fronts, RC-62 II center, RS-52 II rears and R-112sw for $1152. Retail is $3180.

No offense as you seem like a nice guy, but I can't think of a good reason why anybody would freely and publicly post confidential wholesale prices of anything, especially for something they are in the business of selling, on a website that is owned by the company whose products is in question no less. Good luck with your project but this boggles my mind.

 

Is that a surprise to you, or anyone else on this forum, that consumer audio typically retails for just over double of wholesale?

 

 But you are right, probably best to delete the percentages, just for the sake of avoiding an endless flood of messages asking him if he would't mind buying new speakers for them.

 

I admire him for buying NEW Klipsch.

 

Now the big question, Snacky, can your company order the relatively new Stadium Klpsch product?  :; 

[Paducah Home Theater]

Is that a surprise to you, or anyone else on this forum, that consumer audio typically retails for just over double of wholesale?

Its just not good business etiquette or good business sense. Doesn't really matter what the margins are or even what the product is.

[The History Kid]

 

Is that a surprise to you, or anyone else on this forum, that consumer audio typically retails for just over double of wholesale?

Its just not good business etiquette or good business sense. Doesn't really matter what the margins are or even what the product is.

 

 

I could tell you things about RadioShack's prices that would make you weep tears of sorrow and shriek in horror.

 

 

 

Anyway...on topic...I'd pretty much echo what scrappy and lot have said.  I'd shoot for the 52's for surrounds, and try and swing a pair of 82's for the front.  As for the subs, I haven't heard the new subs...so I can't comment, I did hear the SW-115 and 112's though, and I personally wasn't a fan.

 

Welcome aboard by the way, OP!

[mustang guy]

Please don't think I am trying to give a business lesson, but I wanted to mention that I don't think it is so bad that the prices are listed in this thread. It would be a different matter altogether if a Klipsch employee divulged the cost to produce it's loudspeakers. 

 

In retail, 100% or higher markup is customary. It covers the cost of operating a store. Allowing the employees to buy at direct cost is a great perk. I personally wasn't shocked about the amounts, but I understand retail. Even at a 100% markup, a store can go out of business if they don't sell enough to cover the store overhead. After that, they have to pay taxes, which in my state would be 32% of the net you eke out.

 

Klipsch could not sell directly to consumers for those prices, or they would be directly competing with their retailers, which are the bread and butter of the income. If Klipsch ever got out of retailer sales, they could sell at discounts direct to consumers (B2C). This might increase sales, and it might not. It depends on how pertinent retailers are to consumer purchases of loudspeakers. It would be a risky experiment, and one I doubt they are willing to take.

[Paducah Home Theater]

It would be a different matter altogether if a Klipsch employee divulged the cost to produce it's loudspeakers.

I actually know of a pool table company who went out of business due to this. According to dealers, their lower end hourly guys started talking too much at the local bar, saying how cheap the materials were and whatnot. Word got around. Their high end stuff didn't seem so high end anymore. Stuff just went downhill from there.

[Sancho Panza]

Welcome.

You shot straight so I'll do the same. 1000 is a low budget for a full 5.1 setup even with your discount.

Skip the r-26 line. That reference stuff if the bottom of the line.

So with that being said and your exact criteria il recommend the system I recommend the most. Get two rf-62ii one rc-62ii and two rs-42ii or rs-52ii if you can swing your budget a bit more. For subs please look into a Svs PB-1000 or PB-2000. All of this will blow your budget. But I promise you you won't be unhappy at all with it. The other speakers you asked about are only slightly less money for much less performance I'm sure. The sub I told you about will give you the rumble you want. Trust me I have been through a lot of system and had just about all of them. The one I recommended to you is the best bang for your buck in Klipsch lineup

OK, I got the pricing info this morning. Its better than I expected. I can get the RF-62 II fronts, RC-62 II center, RS-52 II rears and R-112sw for $1152. Retail is $3180.

Now the sub. I know you feel strongly about the sub, I agree. Those 2 you mentioned are quite pricey. I can get two R-112SW cheaper than one of those. Heck I can get two R-115SW cheaper than one of those. Any thoughts?

Good deals!

[snacky]

Thanks for the great replies by everyone! I've edited what I can but I can't change them all. I can only order 1 system per year. I'll probably go with RF-62 II fronts, RC-62 II center, RS-42 II rears and R-112sw. Maybe I stressed the "don't want any regrets" comment too much. The system above would be far better than anything I've had before. Perhaps if necessary, I could change out some of the components next year and start upgrading a system in a smaller room with the ones I replace.

[The History Kid]

Thanks for the great replies by everyone! I've edited what I can but I can't change them all. I can only order 1 system per year. I'll probably go with RF-62 II fronts, RC-62 II center, RS-42 II rears and R-112sw. Maybe I stressed the "don't want any regrets" comment too much. The system above would be far better than anything I've had before. Perhaps if necessary, I could change out some of the components next year and start upgrading a system in a smaller room with the ones I replace.

 

That is a very good idea.

 

I think that system will let you rock out to your hearts content for the time being.  I have a pair of RS-42 II's myself, and honestly I was surprised by how they sound for their size.  I don't have those specific models of speakers in the front (the 62's) but I do have their papa's in my living room (the RF-25's and RC-35) - and it sounds fantastic. 

Edited January 14, 2015 by IbizaFlame

[Scrappydue]

You'll love it! Get the 15" sub if you can. Not much more money in the long run.