the_psycho Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 OK, I know that this is a total newbie thing to do, and I already hate myself for it, but I need to beg of you all-knowing ones help. I am a poor college student who is slaving away for "the man." In this particular case, the man is a HUGE electronics retailer, the one with the yellow tag. One of the few bones that "he" throws at my feet is a fantastic accommodation program with Klipsch. Now, my dad (who is a long way from being a poor college student) has all reference series stuff in his HT, as well as well as some old k-horns mated to the sweetest monoblock amps ever made (Steve's Zen Triode) for his 2 channel vinyl throwbacks. So, the accommodation program that I have access to gives me hella discounts on the Synergy series stuff, and I have already purchased a pair of SB-3's that are suspended from my ceiling joists with chain (it took a while, but is totally worth it, as well as space saving in my tiny apartment's living room. Pictures to follow.). What I need to know is if there is a serious difference between the sound that my well spoiled but poor (have I emphasized poor?) ears will notice with the extra channels. I watch a LOT of movies with friends and whatnot, and throw some kicking parties, so this is not a rig that will see a Bach SACD release party. The first comparison is between the SC-1 and SC-3 center channel speaker. There is a $28 difference between the two. Is it worth the extra $28? The next is between the SS-1's and the SS-3's. Here, there is a $40 difference, and again, is it worth the money to upgrade? Will these surrounds overpower my mains? I have an old school Sony STR-DE915 receiver/amp that claims +-5dB adjustment to each channel, but that has yet to be verified with an SPL meter. The final question is, of course, about the base. If all your base are indeed going to belong to us, can I get by with the KSW-10 sub, or will I need to upgrade to the KSW-12? We're talking an extra 40 clams to move from the smaller to the bigger one here. Will I notice it? I've been using a 65 watt Peavey bass amp as my sub for the interim (and now they know, poor and ghetto), so realistically either will be light years beyond what I have now. So, when it comes down to it, I can probably afford the better speaker in each category, but I want to know if there is really that big of a difference. Loud isn't a problem, I know that they'll go loud whatever I get, so then it becomes clarity and realism. Is it worth the step up? God knows that the sales associates in my HT department don't know, so I came to the real experts. Help me, speaker guys, you're my only hope. By the way, I just fix broken computers, and I'm really good at it. So don't hate me for being a lackey of the man. Don't hate the playa, hate the game. I have a friend who builds custom loudspeakers for fun and excitement, and I can't ask him, because he ends up recommending something that (1) I can't afford and (2) even if I could, wouldn't fit in the small amount of space that I have to work with. Besides, he's as anti-corporation as they come. He's kind of a Luddite, thinks we should make everything ourselves, all that stuff. But I digress. Anyway, onto the answers. And thanks in advance for your help. -BK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_psycho Posted October 4, 2004 Author Share Posted October 4, 2004 OK, so here's the "theatre" as it is now. Just remember, this is a work in progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 For the small difference in price, go for the bigger speakers, you won't regret it. Not bad looking setup, but I would have inverted the bookshelves ( turned upside down ) so the woofer is closer to a boundary ( better bass ) and the tweeter is closer to ear level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 If you save your sheckles and make informed decisions, you can purchase products that will suit your needs now and in the future. IE: with a bigger subwoofer, you can always turn it down. But to move to a bigger place and find out that what you have is not enough, means that you will be upgrading. Also, by adding a piece at a time, you will find that you can afford other things in the interim, rather than spending it all at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted October 4, 2004 Share Posted October 4, 2004 Hi, Since you have the SB-3's, the SC1 is mated to that speaker........ I agree with michael, save your dollars and go for the bigger items....that way you avoid the upgrade bug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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