What is the best component of a home theater

[k-ski]

I have recently purchased a pair of rf-35 and a denon avr-1804, with the intention of adding the surrounds/center/sub as time went on. I finally have some more money to spend (600 - 700) and could pick up either a pair of rs-35 or a sub, most likely svs pci20-39. I am torn on which option to take, so I am wondering what you think is more critical/valuable to a home theater, the sub or the surround.

I am also wondering how the klipsch wdst surrounds sound if the listening position is against the same wall the the surrounds are mounted.

[prodj101]

get a center channel.

[dougdrake]

I'd say get the surrounds first, then a sub.

The WDST, or any speaker format for that matter, will not sound good mounted on the same wall as your couch/seats if they are pushed up against the wall. The sound will float over your heads and you'll really miss the surround effect.

If you must put your seating implements against the rear wall, you're better off putting the surrounds immediately to the side if possible, or overhead on the ceiling pointing down at you.

[TBrennan]

Get one REALLY good theater speaker, an Altec A7-500 or A5 say. Then listen in mono. Can the rest of the crap.

I'll soon be going back to mono HT with an original "Hollywood" Altec 604.

[gcoker]

This would be my order after the receiver and mains.

1. Center channel.

2. Surround Sound Speakers

3. Subwoofer

4. Rear Surround (6.1-7.1)

[ssh]

k-ski,

Welcome to the forum. Your center channel is perhaps the most important speaker in your HT. Buy the best Klipsch center channel speaker that you can afford, and you will be glad you did.

SSH

[ygmn]

get em all at once...hehehe

[jdm56]

You're gonna be good and confused by the end of this thread!

My 2 cents worth: Add surrounds first (RS35's)! Then a good sub, and then a nice, matching center (RC35).

If you can place surrounds on the sidewalls, or on stands up against the sidewalls, that is what I would do, but I think the back wall position is do-able, particularly with the klipsch wdst design, which angles the tweeter horns. But to avoid the problem DougD described, I would put them a bit lower than what might otherwise be ideal, and as far apart as possible.

[thebes]

Tom, why mono?

[Audio Flynn]

Center with a min of 5.25 woofers

The SVS sub phonomena escapes me. Klipsch has investiated their limitations in distortion and it is huge.

Mine is an M&K clone by a small company.

It will never hit 20 hz but is fast and clean for music reproduction

[dkp]

THE WIFE!!!

[WMcD]

I'd like to point out that you're basically asking about how to best upgrade a system. The issue is what is missing from what you have now. Only you can tell.

Viewed in that way, the issue is what part of your present system is the most weak.

If you have a basic two channel with great bass, the sub is not important.

Two channel with a very symetical set up can give a good center placement of sound and thus there is little need for a center channel speaker. Though I think this is rare.

If you are into Cinema with surround and have the hardware in the form of an HT receiver, then surrounds will give you something which is missing.

So you can see where this is going. You have to take some measure of what your system is lacking, and what is important to you.

Gil

[TBrennan]

Thebes---Most of the best pictures are mono: The Searchers, Touch of Evil, White Heat, Wizard of Oz, Adventures of Robin Hood, Rio Bravo, From Here to Eternity, Sunset Boulevard, Singing in the Rain. Many others are silent. And as for the really good pictures that used multi-track sound, well who cares, it sure as Hell isn't the multi-track sound that makes them good.

And I just came across a GORGEOUS late 1940s "Hollywood" Altec 604; the one with the black wrinkle paint and the 1000 hz horn and crossover. And I'm gonna use it so a-mono I will go. I'll tell ya Thebes, I'd rather listen to one REALLY good speaker than 2 or 5 or 7 or a dozen mediocre ones.

I've had good mono systems before and there's much to be said for mono listening; that it avoids hi-fi dramatics and distracting imaging issues and lets one simply concentrate on the music (or the message) itself. Not to mention that most multi-track soundtracks are pure bombast and silly-minded noise. Which is OK for a certain type of picture but not for the kind of picture I like.

By the way, I had an HT system with 2 Altec A5s and a 605A up front with JBL basshorns and compression drivers in the rear, a system that would have done a house well over 500 seats.

[k-ski]

Thanks for your input so far. From what I gather surrounds then sub. Right now I am able to have the fronts equally spaced from the tv and do have good center placement, which is my reason for neglecting the center.

The system will be used for more music than movies. As is the system is more than adequate for my needs as far as music. Most of the movies that I watch are action, and make heavy use of both the surrounds and the sub. While watching with my current setup, I am having difficulty deciding what lacks the most, not feeling the explosions/rumble, or not hearing the flybys, bullets going by, etc.

For those that have full setups, or dont, and are into action flicks, if you had to part with one component of your setup what would it be

[doudou]

if you have full range speakers the sub is not needed.

i have SF1 for front and they goes down to 40Hz so sometimes i don t turn the sub on.

i think you should go for 5 identical speakers if you mainly use your system for music.

your setup would be nice for movie and perfect for sacd or dvd audio

[thebes]

Thanks Tom, Never even thought of that that of an approach to HT and I can almost agree with you. You are right about many of the better movies being made in time when there was only mono. Also many of the movies made today, especially the summer blockbusters, are filled with glitzy sound effects just for the heck of it, they don't add anything to the movie per se. But then again, I don't think the first few minutes of Saving Private Ryan would be quite the same without the excellent surround sound effects. Enjoy that Altec!

[ZAKO]

Dont forget the popcorn popper.

[colterphoto1]

Agree with coker- get the CENTER first. It's absolutely critical for HT listening. You can use whatever you have lying about for temp surrounds, but you cannot live without a center channel. Buy the baddest one you can afford. I highly recommend the RC7 wwoooooohhhooooooo

[wheelman]

I would say surrounds. If you sit right in the middle of the two front speakers. Then get a center then a sub. Just my opinion, but if your an action movie fan a sub is just as important as the surrounds. If you don't have surrounds how are you gonna hear cars crash and fly over your head? If I had to sell my center or surrounds it would be my center. I would sell a sub before any of them. If I was hard up for money and needed to pay bills. So there you go. Only an opinion not written in stone.