Dec 18 Podcast #979: Speaker Buying Guide
In our last buying guide of 2020 we take a look at speaker systems. For this list we are looking at a 5.1 setup which will be more than what 90% of our listeners need. If you are in the other 10% who wants more, all these speakers can easily be upgraded to a 7.1 or 5.1.2 system for a few dollars more.
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Today's Show:
News:
- Wyze introduces professional home monitoring, starting at $5 per month
- ESPN gets its "Mandalorian"
- Alexa can translate conversations in real-time on Echo devices
Other:
- What we watched on Netflix in 2020
- Ara's Woodworking
- Join the Flaviar Whisky Club and get a free bottle
Samsung nixes modularity to make MicroLED TV consumer-ready
A few years ago Samsung unveiled The Wall, a huge display that was more billboard than home entertainment. Now the company is bringing the technology behind it, MicroLED, to consumer-ready TVs – although we’d imagine it's still too much for most consumers to handle. Full article here...
5.1 Speaker Buying Guide
In our last buying guide of 2020 we take a look at speaker systems. For this list we are looking at a 5.1 setup which will be more than what 90% of our listeners need. If you are in the other 10% who wants more, all these speakers can easily be upgraded to a 7.1 or 5.1.2 system for a few dollars more.
Entry System
All our guides this year have started with an entry level system. In years past our entry speakers cost around $400. This year we have a REAL entry level system from none other than Monoprice that costs far far less.
Monoprice HT-35 Premium 5.1-Channel Home Theater System with Powered Subwoofer (MSRP $160)
That’s right! Only $160 for a 5.1 system that compact and sounds pretty good. It will perform better than most soundbars in the same price range simply because you will have a true surround system. The HT-35s are efficient speakers that can handle up to 100 watts. We are not going to tell you these are the best speakers money can buy, but we will tell you that you will be hard pressed to find a better value out there and these are a perfect match for that $500 TV and $250 receiver you bought at a Black Friday sale. The 200 watt, 8" subwoofer won’t rock your world but it will do the job for most family rooms. They also have a system with upfiring ATMOS speakers built into the left and right speakers for $180.
Sound Bar +
While the previous system was very inexpensive, many won’t want to set up a 5.1 system requiring wiring to go from the front of the room to the back. For you we have a soundbar. Not a sound bar that just presents the listener with LCR speakers, but a soundbar that creates an actual surround experience.
JBL Bar 5.1 Surround (MSRP $430)
The JBL system is more expensive ($430) than the simple solutions you get from LG, Samsung, and Vizio and less than the Sonos systems when you include a subwoofer. JBL uses a proprietary technology called MultiBeam to create a virtual surround sound. In the right dimensioned room this will work well. In others, it will offer a wider soundstage and clearer dialog. We chose the JBL soundbar over the LG, Samsung, and Vizio soundbars because JBL is a speaker company. Sonos makes great sounding products too but they cost much more so it puts the JBL right in the sweet spot. Features include:
- 4K pass-through
- HDMI ARC
- Wireless subwoofer
- Airplay 2 and Chromecast
- Bluetooth Streaming
- Soundbar output 5 x 50W
- Subwoofer output 300W
Quality System
Our Quality system is one that is perfect for the family room and the media room alike. It's a system that will last you for years and won’t require upgrading, unless you are completely upgrading the entire room. In that case see our Ultimate system below.
RSL CG3 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System - Special Edition (MSRP $999)
The RSL CG3 Special Edition 5.1 system is not like other speakers costing a thousand dollars because the CG3 uses a patented design developed by Joe Rogers that delivers more realistic sound than other speakers. Compression Guide technology directs air within the speaker enclosure from areas of high compression to areas of low compression. This prevents the drivers from interfering with each other creating the clean sound that RSL speakers are known for. The other benefit of these speakers is that they sound fantastic when you are listening to music. RSL offers an in-ceiling speaker for $125 if you want a 3D audio version of these.
- Speaker Output 125W
- Speaker Frequency Response 100-20,000 Hz ± 3db
- Subwoofer Output 350W
- Subwoofer Frequency Response 24-200 Hz ± 3db
Ultimate System
Our Ultimate system is one that is for serious media rooms and as such will cost more than double our Quality system.
Prime Tower Surround System + SB2000 SW (MSRP $1549.99 + $799.99 for a total of $2349.98)
We have used SVS products for over ten years and are completely pleased with everyone of them. In our home we have amplifiers (Prime Wireless SoundBase), wireless sub transmitters (SoundPath Wireless Audio Adapter), subwoofers, and of course speakers! For our ultimate system we selected the SVS Prime Tower System because it can fill a large space with immersive sound for movies and clear detailed and accurate sound for your music. The towers can handle up to 250W and the satellites up to 150W which means you can fill a large room with that glorious surround sound we all love. The speakers as priced here are for the Black ash finish. They also have a Piano Black high gloss for an additional $350. You can easily upgrade the speakers to a 7.1 or Atmos system.
The subwoofer we are pairing with this system is a room filling beast with 550W and a peak of 1500W. The SB2000 has a bass extension as low as low as 19Hz so you will feel the bass as your walls rattle! SVS has made setting up the SB200 easy with their iOS and android app. So no crawling behind the subwoofer to access the control, although you still can if you want. This subwoofer also comes in a high gloss piano finish in both black and white for an additional $100.
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