Fried Elliott Posted August 14, 2001 Share Posted August 14, 2001 I posted over in home theater earlier today, but this one is for me now that I have taken care of the SO's request for a home theater setup. By way of background, when I was in college (70s, physics) one of my classmates was a ham operator and ran the local college radio station. Naturally, they (and he) had Klipsch everywhere. I promised myself one day I too would own Klipsch speakers in every room of my house. Well, I am 46 y/o and the kids are (finally!) out of college and the bills have stopped. Still no Klipsch speakers but Klipsch dreams die hard. So lets get BUSY! INTENDED USE I am a tech consultant and work alot out of my upstairs home office. The room is 14x16 and there is a fairly high level of ambient noise from the six computers, air conditioning, printers, blah, blah, blah... There are times when I need to listen to a soothing aria, and then there are times when I want golfers on the 16th fairway out back to see the roof of my house doin' da bump bumpity buummmp. Classical, jazz, fusion, funk, new age. Mainly CDS, some vinyl, no mp3 (yet). AVAILABLE CURRENT EQUIPMENT Started a new stereo system in '89 but never finished and hardly ever used... Adcom GFA-545 2-channel amp Adcom GTP-500 Tuner/Receiver Nakamichi Cassette Deck2 Beogram RX2 turntable Paradigm minis 3se (pair) (never liked them) I THINK I WANT... 1. A decent multi-disc CD player. Not all-world but not a toy either. Reliable mechanicals and ease of use probably more important than fidelity. Right now I play CDs off one of my computers but that kind of blows since they are constantly being booted, etc. during development and testing. I would like to cue up a couple hours of music on a jukebox or something and forget about it. It would be nice if that could be managed from a computer though. 2. A pair of Klipsch speakers. My desk looks something like the bridge of the Enterprise (dual 21" trinitrons)... I am making some modifications to the physical setup and now would be a great time to incorporate those Klipsch speakers. About ear level or slightly above when seated, approx 6ft (60-70 degrees) separation and depth about 5-6 feet from speaker to ears. BUDGET Can I do this for under $400? I really like buying on eBay and would shop patiently for a good deal on the right components, new or used, to complete this little setup. Remember, I am not really *listening* to the music when in this room; afterall, I am supposed to be working! Any suggestions would be appreciated! fried elliott Dallas This message has been edited by Fried Elliott on 08-14-2001 at 12:25 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eq_shadimar Posted August 14, 2001 Share Posted August 14, 2001 Humm another KHead in Plano. Coolies!! I have the Promedia's on my PC and they are really nice. The 5.1 systems have just been released. If you want to scoot over I can let ya listen to them (the 4.1 I don't own the 5.1 system). However if you are looking for seperates to go with your stereo equipment you should take a look at the RB-3's or RB-5's. They are more expensive thou. The Synergy series would probably better fit your budget better but I have never heard them so I can not comment on the sound. Hope this helps, ------------------ Main System - Cornwalls (L/R main) 2 RF-3's (center channel) RS-3's (white) SVS 20-39CS Harman Kardon AVR 510 Hafler P505 (running sub) ProMedia 4.2 v400 for PC Bedroom - KG4's Harman Kardon AVR 20 MKII Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake2 Posted August 14, 2001 Share Posted August 14, 2001 Fried - Check UBid and Ebay for the KSB 1.1/2.1/3.1 series. They are discontinued by Klipsch, but are often available pretty cheap. They are nice bookshelf speakers - not reference level but they give you a lot of bang for the buck. Check out their specs on the Klipsch page under Home Audio, then Classics. You'll probably need a subwoofer if you want to knock someone's golf ball off the tee, though. As EQ said, though, if you can find a used pair of RB-5's at a smokin' price, you will love them. I've heard them and they are tremendous bookshelf speakers. I have a Pioneer Elite PDF-17/27/29 (can't remember exactly) 300 cd jukebox. I like it a lot for the "cue it up and forget it" mode. It also has the cool rosewood side panels and the shiny black face and the "Legato" link -- whatever that is! It was discontinued and I bought it as a dealer demo for $300. It does not have a PC interface, though. I am aware of some that do but for the life of me I can't remember the brands or models. My $.02... DD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffgeorge Posted August 17, 2001 Share Posted August 17, 2001 I also reccomend a pair of RB-5's. I bought some on e-bay for $450. They may be a bit higher than what you are planning to spend, but in the long run I think you would be happier and less likely to upgrade in the future. Just my $.02. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) CD Player: old Sony (vintage 1986 - needs replaced) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fried Elliott Posted August 20, 2001 Author Share Posted August 20, 2001 eq --- I notice every once and awhile a pair of Klipsch KG4's come up on eBay in the $250-350 range for the pair. Would you recommend for my purpose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake2 Posted August 20, 2001 Share Posted August 20, 2001 Fried- Although you didn't address the question to me, I'll butt in. I have KG4s, and they are great speakers. I'll never get rid of them. However, physically, there are quite a bit bigger than the bookshelf models we've been kicking around here (RB5, 1.1, 2.1, etc...) and the footprint is the "wide but not deep" style of the 80s, rather than the "narrow, deep" that we see now. Check the dimensions under Home Audio, Classics on the web site. If they will fit for you, I highly recommend them to you, especially in that price range. DD This message has been edited by dougdrake2 on 08-20-2001 at 10:40 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted August 20, 2001 Share Posted August 20, 2001 Fried, A pair of demo or used (or new at a discount) RB-5s would be great but surely will eat up the $400 in one gulp...since you need a CD player AND speaks I would recommend you stick with the Paradigm for a while spend the $300-400 on a player and cables and continue to save until you can get a pair of RB-5s...if you like changers a sony ES changer will give you great performance (and reliability in my experience) for less than $300-400...if you want to use the computer as CD player until you save up more than my RB-5s are great! highly recommended! regards and good luck, Tony ------------------ *1993 K-Horns w/ ALK x-overs *Marantz 7T preamp (upgraded) *Dynaco MkIV monoblocks (upgraded and modded to triode) *Sony CDP-CX350 and CX-230 CD changers *MSB link DACIII (96k upsampling) *MSB silver digital director *Technics M-85 professional Cassette Deck *SAE MK VIII tuner *Luxman PD-272 turntable, Grado Red cartridge *Cardas Crosslink speaker cable *Monster M550i for all interconnects *Monster HTS3500 Reference Powercenter Conditioner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fried Elliott Posted August 20, 2001 Author Share Posted August 20, 2001 Thanks Tony! My initial $400 for everything strategy is withering under everyone's enthusiasm for the RB-5s! I am curious about your experience with the Sony CDP units. I had kind of narrowed down on the CX-335 or CX350. The CX2?? units would be just fine for me but was avoiding because of some negative reviews I saw on audioreview.com --- your experience? 200 series is around $160-$220 on eBay and the 300 series is around $200-$300. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted August 20, 2001 Share Posted August 20, 2001 Fried, the RB-5s really are great speakers! I don't think there is any way you'll be dissapointed with them in your second system...Regarding the Sony changers...reliability-wise both have performed flawlessly since day one...I did go with an outboard DAC but honestly neither was a "dog" sonically before the MSB unit was installed...price-wise those non-ES units are available for $250 (CX-335 from crutchfield) or even $200 (CX-235 same place)...the ES units have better DACs but start at $600...buy the low end and save up for a MSB unit at $400..a $600-650 combo that sounds absolutely fabulous! (I have friends bring over big buck players that do not sound anybetter than that combo! making me think the DAC is far more important that the transport...though Randy Bey swears the transport makes a sound difference, and I trust his opinion) so...again best of luck and let us know how it goes...tony ------------------ *1993 K-Horns w/ ALK x-overs *Marantz 7T preamp *Dynaco MkIV monoblocks (modded to triode) *Sony CDP-CX350 and CX-230 CD changers *MSB link DACIII (96k upsampling) *MSB silver digital director (switching and jitter reduction) *Technics M-85 professional Cassette Deck *SAE MK VIII tuner *Luxman PD-272 turntable, Grado Red cartridge *Cardas Crosslink speaker cable *Monster M550i for all interconnects *Monster HTS3500 Reference Powercenter Conditioner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffgeorge Posted August 24, 2001 Share Posted August 24, 2001 Fried, If I could jump in again and muddy the waters... I like the sound of the Yamaha CD players. Mine is the higher end, approx. three years ago. I auditioned several players, Sony ES not included, but found the Yamaha to have a more natural sounding set of DAC's. Since my profile, I have moved the Yamaha CD player upstairs to use with my RB-5 system, and it is a large improvement. I just thought I would give you another option to look at. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) CD Player: old Sony (vintage 1986 - needs replaced) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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