Dedicated HT LRC speakers

[nateyaro]

Hey Guys,

I've slowly built up a hodgepodge home theater over the last three years. I started around a set of ESS AMT4's and then added a Yamaha RX-A1050, JBL Northridge surrounds and center, and a Velodyne CT120.

Like I said, a hodgepodge. What I'm looking for now, I'd like to move my ESS AMT4's to be dedicated music listening speakers through a vintage Onkyo receiver I have that I run my turntable through. I've been switching the speaker cables back and forth, and at this point I'd like to just have dedicated home theater speakers.

The ESS sound has been great, but I've noticed if I start to raise the volume on movies, the right channel has started to distort. It only happens when I'm watching a movie at near Imax level volume, and I'd prefer not to hurt the speaker.

My room is fairly small, a bedroom turned TV/Music room. its about 11'x14'. I have the walls sound treated with Owens corning sound insulation (not completely, but for bass trapping and to remove unwanted resonance).

My questions is, what left and right channel speakers should I look for? Or should I look for a L,R,C situation? I'm not afraid of taking time and finding used for older speakers or used, I'm also not afraid of DIY speaker setups that could prove the best outcome. Please remember this is for Movies only, and it would be typically at fairly low volume with occasional very loud listening. If some bookshelves and a center could do it with my sub crossing over the lows, that could work, or I have room to put in some good size towers as well.

My budget is around $500-800 which is probably the most restricting portion of this post. I live in Fort Wayne Indiana and there are sadly not many places I can go "test" a bunch of different varieties.

Any Help is appreciated!

 

[StimpyWan]

If you want to get a serious HT set-up, you might want to look for THX speakers. They were designed for controlled dispersion and clean high output. M&K, Snell, Triad, Klipsch, JBL, Atlantic Technology and others, all built some very nice models. Just do an eBay search on THX speakers, and you'll find many examples. There's a nice set of M&K LCR 750 MK II's there, and some Snell LCR 500's (none mine), that would be very sweet!

Good luck.

Snell


M&K

 

[donprice]

For DIY I would suggest looking at the Fusion 8 Alchemy kit from DIY Soundgroup. Compact and able to get stupid loud on AVR power. They require a sub but you have that covered. I run a similar DIY design (eWave mini) for rears and am very happy with them.

Good luck with the speaker hunt!

 

[nateyaro]

If you want to get a serious HT set-up, you might want to look for THX speakers. They were designed for controlled dispersion and clean high output. M&K, Snell, Triad, Klipsch, JBL, Atlantic Technology and others, all built some very nice models. Just do an eBay search on THX speakers, and you'll find many examples. There's a nice set of M&K LCR 750 MK II's there, and some Snell LCR 500's (none mine), that would be very sweet!

Good luck.

Snell
View attachment 1202200

M&K
View attachment 1202201

Thanks for the comment. I guess I started to look down that route before. I've always heard good things about snell speakers, and was curious. I had also heard a lot though that THX certification often made speakers a lot more expensive than they needed to be due to the companies cost. So I had thought of looking for something without the certification that can handle the same situations. Though the ones you posted do look nice. I'm not overly familiar with the M&K or Tiad brand speakers.

For DIY I would suggest looking at the Fusion 8 Alchemy kit from DIY Soundgroup. Compact and able to get stupid loud on AVR power. They require a sub but you have that covered. I run a similar DIY design (eWave mini) for rears and am very happy with them.

Good luck with the speaker hunt!

Thanks for the tip, Have you tested these compared to other speakers, like say the elac B6.2's? I'm curious if they are comparable or noticeable different.

Thanks guys!

 

[StimpyWan]

Thanks for the comment. I guess I started to look down that route before. I've always heard good things about snell speakers, and was curious. I had also heard a lot though that THX certification often made speakers a lot more expensive than they needed to be due to the companies cost. So I had thought of looking for something without the certification that can handle the same situations. Though the ones you posted do look nice. I'm not overly familiar with the M&K or Triad brand speakers.

M&K started as MILLER & KREISEL SPEAKERS. Excellent speakers. Originally designed for studio use. Walter Becker, of Steely Dan, was an original customer, commissioning M&K to design a system for the Steely Dan recording studio.

M&K also built and marketed the first powered subwoofer, and marketed the first sub/sat system. Now, the original founders have moved on, but M&K still exists and builds both home and commercial audio products. Very good stuff.

 

[donprice]

Thanks for the tip, Have you tested these compared to other speakers, like say the elac B6.2's? I'm curious if they are comparable or noticeable different.

Apples and oranges. The Fusions are specifically designed for efficiency and high output at the expense of bass response. Perhaps the best way to describe them is that they are a small version of the speakers you will find in commercial theaters (and recording studios and other pro audio applications)....a 2-way design with a mid-bass driver paired with a compression driver on a constant directivity waveguide. You can find quite a bit of information regarding the design and performance measurements with a google search.

 

[Putterman]

There are a decent number of makers with speakers using AMT Heil tweeters now that the patent has expired. Monoprice, Dayton, and Martin Logan show up in a quick google search. You could put together a decent system within your budget particularly with Bookshelf speakers. Monoprice if I recall has gotten particularly good reviews as 'punching above its weight.'

 

[JoeESP9]

The Dayton B-651 Air has an AMT type tweeter w/6.5" woofer and is only $49.88. For the price they can't be beat. They have been very favorably reviewed by those who've bought them.

 

[twiiii]

M&K speakers S150 are best for small spaces, but you need a clean 200 watts a channel all channels operating at the same time. That is not possible with an AVR, you are going to have to use separates. Control processor and amplifiers. Using M&K is a major life investment you can't do it on the cheap. Thats why ILM, Industrial light and magic Star Wars etc, chose M&K. Very low distortion and very accurate monitors. They aren't fancy or beautiful but they do the job like no other speakers. Klipsch will play louder as will others but not as accurately. Their subs are the best, not as loud as velodyne or JL but more accurate. Only big JBL is better, but its totally unaffordable for most folks. Go to M&K website . Figure one double 12" sub for a 5.1 system but I would want two for a 7.1 system. But that can be added later with the additional satellites. What you need to decide is what type of side and rear speakers you want. M&K makes both types. Flush mount and surface mount.