magik Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 I have been shopping around for new speakers for my surround sound system for a couple months now. I have narrowed it down to the following systems. Assuming I can get all of them for roughly the same price, which of these systems would you recommend and why? I have a 100watt/channel max output 5.1 surround sound receiver in a reasonably small sized room. I will mainly do a lot of gaming and watching DVD movies on my system. Yamaha NS-FP4600 Input Power (Max/Nom): Front 120/35 W, Center And Surround 100/30 W Impedance: 6 Ohms Front Speakers (2): 3-Way Acoustic Suspension, Quad 4.00" Woofers, 0.75" Soft Dome Tweeter Center Speaker (1): 2-Way Acoustic Suspension, Dual 4.00" Woofers, 0.75" Soft Dome Tweeter Surround Speakers (2): 2-Way Acoustic Suspension, 3.00" Woofer, 0.50" Balanced Dome Tweeter Powered Subwoofer (1): 50 W Output Power, 6.50" Multi-Range Cone Driver (Only 50W, is this underpowered?) System Frequency Response: 30 Hz-40 kHz Sensitivity: 82-83 dB/2.83 V @ 1 Meter (Front, Center, Surround Speakers) Magnetic Shielding On All Speakers Plasma-Slim Profile Design 590 W Total System Power Output Capability Size: Front Speakers 7.38" W x 23.81" H x 3.94" D Size: Center Speaker 14.63" W x 4.38" H x 4.38" D Size: Surround Speakers 5.13" W x 8.50" H x 4.38" D Size: Subwoofer 11.00" W x 12.81" H x 11.56" D Yamaha NS-P1600 Product Height Satellites: 6-3/8"; center: 4"; subwoofer: 12-7/8" Product Width Satellites: 4"; center: 11-7/8"; subwoofer: 11" Product Weight Satellites: 1.6 lbs.; center: 2.6 lbs.; subwoofer: 18.7 lbs. Product Length Satellites: 4"; center: 4"; subwoofer: 11-5/8" Signal-to-Noise Ratio Satellites: 82dB; center speaker: 85dB Maximum Power Handling 100W x 5 Frequency Response 30Hz - 50kHz Tweeter Size 1/2" dome Subwoofer 100W Woofer 2-1/2" cone Magnetically Shielded Yes Impedance Speakers: 6 ohms; subwoofer: 5 ohms JBL SCS-145.5 Construction: 3-way system Frequency response: 35 to 20000 Hz (at 6 dB) Recommended power amplifier range: Satellite: 10 to 100 W; center: 10 to 100 W Impedance: Satellite: 8 ohms nominal; center: 8 ohms Sensitivity (2.83 V at 1 meter): Satellite: 86 dB at 1 W/1 meter; center: 86 dB at 1 W/1 meter High-frequency driver: 0.5-inch titanium-laminate dome, video-shielded Midrange transducer: Satellite: 3-inch driver, video-shielded; center: dual 3-inch drivers, video-shielded Subwoofer amplifier power (RMS): 100 W Subwoofer low-frequency driver: 8-inch (200-millimeter) woofer, bass-reflex enclosure Dimensions (satellite): 3.19 x 4.38 x 3.75 inches / 81 x 111 x 95 millimeters (WxHxD) Dimensions (center): 7.63 x 3.25 x 3.75 inches / 194 x 83 x 95 millimeters (WxHxD) Dimensions (subwoofer): 13 x 15 x 14 inches / 330 x 381 x 356 millimeters (WxHxD) Onkyo SKS-HT330 Front Speakers Type 2-Way, Bass Reflex Woofer 3-1/8" Cone Tweeter 3/4" Balanced-Dome Frequency Response 80 Hz-22 kHz Sensitivity 83 dB/W/m Max. Power 100 W Nominal Impedance 8 ohm Surround Speakers Type 2-Way, Bass Reflex Woofer 3-1/8" Cone Tweeter 3/4" Balanced-Dome Frequency Response 80 Hz-22 kHz Sensitivity 82 dB/W/m Max. Power 100 W Nominal Impedance 8 ohm Center Speaker Type 2-Way, Bass Reflex Woofer 3-1/8" Cone x 2 Tweeter 3/4" Balanced-Dome Frequency Response 80 Hz-22 kHz Sensitivity 86 dB/W/m Max. Power 110 W Nominal Impedance 8 ohm Subwoofer Type Bass Reflex Powered Woofer 8" Cone Frequency Response 35 Hz-150 kHz Sensitivity 15 kohm/Line Max. Power 200 W Another quick question: Does impedance matter when selecting speakers in regards to compatability with my current receiver? Currently, the speakers that came with my receiver all have 8ohm impedance. What is the difference b/w an 8ohm impedance speaker (JBL System) versus a 6ohm impedance speaker (Yamaha System) in regards to performance/sound/compatability? Any and all input is greatly appreciated, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ifoow Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Surround sound kinda sucks, so I would go for some good stereo speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorris003 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Surround sound kinda sucks, so I would go for some good stereo speakers. you gotta be kidding me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ifoow Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 you gotta be kidding me not really Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zfsodZJ5jKXD Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 don't just simply state it as "sucks" give info WHY ? come with good reasons and support for your statements. maybe you just bought a piece of junk once ? and now you say all suround sucks. motivate your comments on things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+StevoFC MVC Posted February 4, 2006 MVC Share Posted February 4, 2006 i love jbl speakers. it is what i use for my surround sound, but it is not that set specifically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magik Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 i love jbl speakers. it is what i use for my surround sound, but it is not that set specifically. What set do you have? I'm looking for something between $200-$300, nothing very high-end at all as I'm going to spend the bulk of my budget on a nice HDTV :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ifoow Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 yeah sorry, maybe its alright. I just listened to it a few times at different places and it always kinda annoyed me, especially this one time when I was sitting close to one of the speakers so I was hearing the background noise extra loud. Probably also depends a lot on the configuration and the DVD in big rooms it will probably work better then in small ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+StevoFC MVC Posted February 4, 2006 MVC Share Posted February 4, 2006 What set do you have? I'm looking for something between $200-$300, nothing very high-end at all as I'm going to spend the bulk of my budget on a nice HDTV :) mine isn't a set. i bought them seperately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magik Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 mine isn't a set. i bought them seperately. I see. Yea, buying the speakers seperately usually yields much better results/configurations that suite your needs, but I don't really have the time/know-how/patience/budget to buy speakers seperately. Can anyone comment on the sets listed above in the first post? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangbang023 Veteran Posted February 5, 2006 Veteran Share Posted February 5, 2006 I'd say go with the JBL's. JBL always does well in the budget speaker arena. The yamaha's you listed have no mids whatsoever. I haven't heard the onkyo's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inertia Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 I personally would not buy a package setup, I would go for seperate speakers and reciever-amp, go for brands like mission, tannoy or gale for the speakers and get a yamaha , marantz or other similar amp, you can always add an active subwoofer too, REL make the best ones, but the tannoy MX-10 is very hard to beat for its price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangbang023 Veteran Posted February 5, 2006 Veteran Share Posted February 5, 2006 I personally would not buy a package setup, I would go for seperate speakers and reciever-amp, go for brands like mission, tannoy or gale for the speakers and get a yamaha , marantz or other similar amp, you can always add an active subwoofer too, REL make the best ones, but the tannoy MX-10 is very hard to beat for its price. do you see his price range? You have to make recommendations based on his budget. It's easy to just throw out stuff with no concern for one's budget, but it's better to take the time to look at wha the can spend and get him the best for his money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magik Posted February 5, 2006 Author Share Posted February 5, 2006 Thank you bangbang, your recommendation makes the most sense. I thought the Onkyo would have been the best choice but I guess nobody is recommending that system and the JBL package seems really good. Thanks again! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magik Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 Update... Okay, so I just bought the JBL SCS-145.5 Speaker System and they are absolutely horrible! I'm sorry to say, but the Center speaker is ridiculously underpowered/barely audible with the other satellite speakers (which are also weak and tend to get distorted at higher volumes or with a lot of audio going through them). The Subwoofer is very good, however, so I guess the price tag is justified by the Subwoofer, but the other speakers are pretty much useless. Just in case anyone wanted to know how these were, I'd recommend staying away from them! ;) Luckily I bought this from my local BestBuy and I can take it back within 30-days no problem... phew! :) Now I'm reconsidering the Onkyo system or the other two Yamaha systems listed in the first post. I'm really leaning towards the Yamaha NS-FP4600. Can anyone recommend either/or? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stunna Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 The best advice I can give you is to listen to the speakers. The person that said surround sound sucks said it because unless you have a lot of money to spend its usually better to get two high quality speakers instead of 5 weaker speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magik Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 I'd like to do that, but it's not exaclty an option as most of these speakers that I find good deals on are not available in local stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnerhkjp Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Wow, close call on the JBL. I wish I lived in a country where the return policy was a good as yours. I'm inclined to go with a yamaha set since they have a good reciever at any price range, but with a return policy you can try out different sets until you meet the one you like :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thermal+paste Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Frequency Response 35 Hz-150 kHz I think some of your information is incorrect. This is a sub? did you mean 150 Hz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magik Posted February 9, 2006 Author Share Posted February 9, 2006 Wow, close call on the JBL. I wish I lived in a country where the return policy was a good as yours. I'm inclined to go with a yamaha set since they have a good reciever at any price range, but with a return policy you can try out different sets until you meet the one you like :D Yes, I'm actually testing out the Yamaha system next, I will post back with my findings/opinion on the system. I really hate to buy systems and then return them because I don't like them, not only is it a hassle for me but I'm sure the stores don't like it either, but I don't really have a choice as the models I'm looking to purchase are not on their showfloor :( I think some of your information is incorrect. This is a sub? did you mean 150 Hz I believe that frequency response was meant to be for the the system as a whole. Not sure, I just copied and pasted from the website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Explicative Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 I can't speak from personal experience with these particular speakers, but Onkyo has always been known, at least in Japan, for exceptional sound quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magik Posted February 10, 2006 Author Share Posted February 10, 2006 I'm not too happy with the Yamaha speakers either, although it is much better than the JBL system. The Yamaha surround and front speakers are excellent, but the center speaker is a little weak. The subwoofer also seems underpowered for the overall system. I'm going to pick up the Onkyo system this weekend. I will post back with my thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangbang023 Veteran Posted February 10, 2006 Veteran Share Posted February 10, 2006 Testing systems this quickly is a bad idea. You're not giving any time to burn them in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roofy Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Personally, I have the Onkyo SKS-HT240 Speaker Set-Up being powered by a Onkyo TX-SR703 receiver. The system sounds very nice (up to about a 300 square foot area). Crisp highs, nice mids and very impressive bass considering the woofer that it came with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmmay Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 I got some yamaha 2.1 usb speakers for my pc about 5 years ago and they absolutely rock! about 6 months ago they started to show symptons of dry joints but that's nothin a resolder can't fix ;) highly recommend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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