nijuflame wrote:I just bought this deal.. can anyone recommend a receiver which would gel well with these speakers and is cheap? Any great deals on receivers?

If you do not mind going with a factory refurbished receiver, then I highly recommend the Denon 1712 (http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/DENAVR1712/DENON-AVR-1712-7.1-A/V-Surround-Receiver/1.html) for $239. You could also go with the Denon 1612 for $170. Both are great receivers/deals and will power this speaker set without any problems.

KATANARYDA wrote:klipsch is awesome, but for the money, I'd rather have my Energy take 5 classic, no sub. They're made by klipsch anyways. I live in an apartment, I don't want a sub.

Yeah I'd take the Energy's too at normal price. For $205 shipped though it's a tossup.

markm23 wrote:How do these compare to their HD 500 or HD 600 sets? Same speakers by chance?

These are better speakers, but no sub.

djslayn wrote:Yes.

http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Quintet-Satellite-Bookshelf-Speaker/dp/B003R7KK4E/ref=sr_1_14?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1341848456&sr=1-14&keywords=klipsch

these are what I ended up using to fill out my system:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XLMXCO/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

Thank you! Very helpful - now I know what to look for.

ghostofdavid wrote:Can I ask a stupid question? I bought a Kenwood theater-in-a-box stereo many years ago. It obviously does not have HDMI but was decent 500-600 Watt 5.1 receiver system with meh speakers.

I'm a big video game nerd and have a PS3, Xbox 360 and our DVR hooked up via HDMI to our television.

If I pick up these speakers, should I get a different receiver, too? I'm not sure how I would hook up all my "modern" systems to the older receiver.

Does the receiver have any digital audio inputs(optical or "coax"(which actually uses RCA connectors))? The only reasons to run the HDMI through the receiver would be if you wanted the receiver to do all of the input switching or to support the latest Blu-Ray audio codecs (DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD).

Of course if you're switching inputs on your TV and your receiver you'll probably want a smart universal remote like a Harmony to do all that simultaneous switching for you.

If your receiver doesn't have multiple digital inputs it's possible you could do a passthrough on the TV to a single digital input on the receiver which would also solve the switching issue.

how did woot know that i've been looking at speakers for the hubby for his birthday? i was looking at the energy take classics on amazon, but for this price, in for one! now to decide if our old sub will mesh well with the new speakers or if i should pony up for a new one. at least now i can try first and decide after i listen. hmmm, with good speakers i might have to rearrange the living room...this could be the birthday present that bites back as i will need help with the furniture.

I have the logitech z-5500 THX-Certified 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System... A few of the speakers have blown since the system is a few years old. I was wonder if it would be possible to hook these speakers up to this system? Does anyone have any insite on this? Any help would be great thanks!

OK I just bought these! I will hook them up to my fairly new Harmon Kardon AVR1600 (a 7.1 system). Any recommendations for a satisfactory but not pricy subwoofer? Smaller is better for us - a VERY small house and not fans of really loud music.

markm23 wrote:How do these compare to their HD 500 or HD 600 sets? Same speakers by chance?

I have the HD500s in my basement arcade. They are great. The Quintets lack a sub. The Sw-350 would be a good companion sub.

The Quintets have very shrill highs and pretty admirably low bass. They are louder -- than the HD500s but comparable in clarity. To my untrained ear, the Quintets have a broader range and more clarity at louder volumnes.

zephyrjs wrote:Thank you! Very helpful - now I know what to look for.

If you're going to spend another $198 on 2 more speakers, you may as well just buy 2 sets of these and then you'll have 10 speakers for the same price as 7 and can use the extra 3 for a bedroom set or computer use!

zephyrjs wrote:Thank you! Very helpful - now I know what to look for.

And don't forget that once you buy the deal, all other subsequent deals ship free! So, you'll be saving the shipping costs on the second set!

Hi all,

These speakers are very good at what they do. A quick history: I bought a set of Quintet II's back in 1999, when I started putting together my first "real" home theater. I drove them with a Sony 5.1 channel receiver (specifically the STR-DB930, "DB" designating the "bridge" line between the DE "consumer" grade and the ES, or "Elevated Standard"). Anyway, the Quintets aren't large, but they are quite efficient. Despite what the specs say about the power handling, it's pretty hard to turn the volume up to the point where they start distorting - your ears will probably start to hurt before you get there.

Anyway, fast forward to today: I've replaced the two front Quintets with a pair of NHT Classic Threes, and the receiver with a Marantz SR6006. I'm keeping the same sub, but I've really had my eye on a new center and new surrounds - after all, the little Quintets can't possibly keep up with what's now in the front, right? Wrong. After running the speaker configuration/equalization built into the receiver (Audyssey MultEQ XT, specifically) once again I find myself not believing how my second-generation twelve year-old Quintets sound in the center and surround positions.

Bottom line, these are an excellent buy for the money. I have other financial obligations that preclude me from dropping another thousand dollars on a new center channel and surrounds right now, but I have to say I'm more than pleased with the sound that I'm "stuck with".

knobody wrote:how did woot know that i've been looking at speakers for the hubby for his birthday? i was looking at the energy take classics on amazon, but for this price, in for one! now to decide if our old sub will mesh well with the new speakers or if i should pony up for a new one. at least now i can try first and decide after i listen. hmmm, with good speakers i might have to rearrange the living room...this could be the birthday present that bites back as i will need help with the furniture.

I would wait to buy a new subwoofer. See how the balance works and adjust your receiver settings to get the sound you/he wants. If you are unable to achieve the low-end balance, then consider buying a new sub.

Waker1 wrote:If you're going to spend another $198 on 2 more speakers, you may as well just buy 2 sets of these and then you'll have 10 speakers for the same price as 7 and can use the extra 3 for a bedroom set or computer use!

that's actually a pretty awesome idea

Wish I could justify the cost of another set of these, but sadly, I cannot as I am moving into a new house which will eat up a lot of my disposable income

djslayn wrote:that's actually a pretty awesome idea

Wish I could justify the cost of another set of these, but sadly, I cannot as I am moving into a new house which will eat up a lot of my disposable income

Same here! But I have yet to find the right house!

lichme wrote:I have never dealt with this brand, however several online reviews seem to indicate that the quality is as good as bose (some say better) for a fraction of the cost. Seems like a good deal to me.

k2wananb wrote:Great deal for this set. Once paired with a decent sub, the audio quality is up there with Bose, but far, far cheaper. I've never once been disappointed with Klipsch speakers. Definitely an underrated brand.

Bose?

Can't tell if trolling or...

SonnyPalta wrote:Sub I had was from a 5.1 and actually has ports for all the 5 speakers to come into it (acting as a receiver)

Going to call Klipsch and see whassup tomorrow...if not new sub it is.

Another ? -- is this receiver the right fit OHM-wise for this set? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denon-AVR-1312-5-1-Channel-Home-Theater-Receiver-NEW-/110868085237#ht_1916wt_1141

Thanks

Sounds like you are wanting these to be some sort of HTIB system. They are not. They are merely speakers. 5 of them. One designed to be used as a center channel speaker, and four satellites. Just speakers. No amps, no sub, no HTIB box to which they all connect.

HTH.

oldmage wrote:Could my old powered sound blaster sub be used as woof and amp?

Can't tell if trolling or .. Yeah, gotta be trolling.

why are these home theater speaker systems almost always in black? I wish they made these in cream color!

Also how are these compared with Energy 5.1 Take classic home theater system for $400?

mikefrantz wrote:Here's a different kind of question: my wife and I are, er, of an age, and it means we have trouble understanding the dialogue on a lot of shows (you youngin's talk so goldarn fast!); we often resort to subtitles to help us out. Volume isn't the problem, it's clarity. We're currently using a ZVOX box, which isn't too bad.)

Don't see an actual question in there, so I'm guessing it's something along the lines of "Can we use a setup like this to help out with our current location on the old Fletcher-Munson curve?"

You can try using a multi-speaker setup with a center channel speaker, like this set, and then artificially overboost the level going to the center channel speaker when you configure your home theater receiver. Since the vast, vast majority of dialog goes to the center channel, you will be boosting it preferentially over other channels.

However, a majority of pretty much everything else goes to the center channel as well, so you will likely have only limited luck with this kind of approach.

lethargicmass wrote:Don't see an actual question in there, so I'm guessing it's something along the lines of "Can we use a setup like this to help out with our current location on the old Fletcher-Munson curve?"

You can try using a multi-speaker setup with a center channel speaker, like this set, and then artificially overboost the level going to the center channel speaker when you configure your home theater receiver. Since the vast, vast majority of dialog goes to the center channel, you will be boosting it preferentially over other channels.

However, a majority of pretty much everything else goes to the center channel as well, so you will likely have only limited luck with this kind of approach.

Thanks for your post on this, this is a SERIOUS problem I always have with my surround sound setups. (And I'm only 30!) I listen to a lot of big loud action movies, so I enjoy the booming bass and lots of surround sound nonsense going on behind my head to feel immersed, but I always have issues hearing dialogue. I've tried boosting the center speaker output and that does seem to help somewhat, but there's other sounds that get pumped out through that speaker and they come out unnaturally loud and it's kind of jarring.

This has nothing to do with this speaker set by the way, I have an older Onkyo receiver and a decent but not great center speaker, but it's interesting other people have the spoken dialogue issue I do.

So I bought the speakers, but now I obviously need a receiver. How do I know what receiver would be compatible with the speakers in the sense of output power and frequency? (I know I need a 5.1 receiver, other than that I'm clueless) Any help or input?

magiccarpetrides wrote:or you for only $50 more(then this WOOT offer) you could buy this 5.1 Klipsch set with 8" Klipsch Sub included on amaz"ing"...still gonna need a reciever. however.

http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-HD-500-Compact-Theater/dp/B001XURGT4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1341836707&sr=8-4&keywords=klipsch+quintet+5.0+home+theater+speaker+system

Not the same speakers.

mjackels wrote:So I bought the speakers, but now I obviously need a receiver. How do I know what receiver would be compatible with the speakers in the sense of output power and frequency? (I know I need a 5.1 receiver, other than that I'm clueless) Any help or input?

Here is a start:

reviews.cnet.com/best-av-receivers/?tag=leftnav

Agentbolt wrote:Thanks for your post on this, this is a SERIOUS problem I always have with my surround sound setups. (And I'm only 30!) I listen to a lot of big loud action movies, so I enjoy the booming bass and lots of surround sound nonsense going on behind my head to feel immersed, but I always have issues hearing dialogue. I've tried boosting the center speaker output and that does seem to help somewhat, but there's other sounds that get pumped out through that speaker and they come out unnaturally loud and it's kind of jarring.

This has nothing to do with this speaker set by the way, I have an older Onkyo receiver and a decent but not great center speaker, but it's interesting other people have the spoken dialogue issue I do.

This isn't a problem that you have, this is a problem inherent to home theater. In fact, receivers now incorporate methods of dynamically balancing the volume of all channels, so that you don't have turn up the volume to hear people whispering, only to wet yourself when something blows up two scenes later (or, God forbid, in the same scene without warning). This also carries over into watching subscription-based TV through a set top box (DirecTV, FiOS, U-verse, et al) and being blown out when a commercial comes on at 10dB louder than the program you're watching.

Just sayin', you're not alone.

Agentbolt wrote:Thanks for your post on this, this is a SERIOUS problem I always have with my surround sound setups. (And I'm only 30!) I listen to a lot of big loud action movies, so I enjoy the booming bass and lots of surround sound nonsense going on behind my head to feel immersed, but I always have issues hearing dialogue. I've tried boosting the center speaker output and that does seem to help somewhat, but there's other sounds that get pumped out through that speaker and they come out unnaturally loud and it's kind of jarring.

This has nothing to do with this speaker set by the way, I have an older Onkyo receiver and a decent but not great center speaker, but it's interesting other people have the spoken dialogue issue I do.

I have this same problem (and I'm 31)! I've tried turning up the center channel as well but it doesn't seem to help that much. I've also tried turning up the treble and the bass down.

I think it has to do with the way the movies are encoded with Dolby Digital. The explosions and things are just that much louder than normal volume. That's just my theory. I normally wouldn't care and would crank it up to where I could hear the dialogue but the neighbors and gf don't like that too much.

buysumtime wrote:Just putting my two cents in since I have seen a couple references to Bose. Not trying to make anyone who owns them mad, but most people who get into home theater beyond the trip to the big yellow tag store and say "I want the best surround system you got" don't look twice at them. Since I am the type who prefers to give everything a fair shot, I have first hand experience with them. I have owned a cinemate 2.1 system for our living room tv, a 2.1 companion system for my computer, and a lifestyle system for my theater setup. All have been disappointing at their best. Bose does fantastic marketing, both in store with there amazing sounding setups that are tweaked to make them sound great, and in advertising of their products. They sell a simple setup that anyone can do, make sure they sound amazing in the store, and charge a crazy amount of money for what you are getting. Please don't assume I am some type of hater of bose, because the fact is I loved their high end equipment of twenty plus years ago. It is just there new setup of selling mediocre equipment at high prices that I don't like. I have spent the money to try out their setups. I have compared them directly with setups I put together for much less. My lower priced, but somewhat more carefully planned, systems always beat out the uber expensive Bose. Again, just my two cents. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, so I figured I would put mine out there and maybe make someone think twice about spending their hard earned cash on what i have found to inferior.

any thoughts on this system ?

First and foremost, this is a fantastic buy on decent quality speakers.

To those that asked for a comparison with the energy take classic: These speakers are roughly in the same quality category. The differences will be in the appearance (gloss finish on the take classic vs matte on Klipsch) and the rendering of the highs. Klipsch uses a horn for the tweeter. This makes for an extremely efficient speaker that has what is referred to as "bright" highs. To some/few people it can be fatiguing over long periods, but can be desirable for movies (e.g. glass shattering). Conrastingly, the take classic will be slightly mellower on the high end. It's really a tossup as to personal preference.

To get better compact speakers you will need to spend significantly more money for incremental improvements. Examples include: B&W M1, Monitor Audio Radius, Gallo Diva, etc. But, all of these will cost more for a pair than this set of five, and you will still need a sub to fill out the bottom end. FWIW I own a 5.1 Monitor Audio Radius setup.

For those interested in this set, I would HIGHLY recommend picking them up. The extra money saved vs the take classic system would be more well spent on a better sub. Cheap subs sound awful and you will want to set the crossover a bit higher as these are compact speakers.

If you are interested in a computer setup. This, plus a last generation receiver off of craigslist will blow away most any computer speaker setup in this price range.

And yes, these will sound better than a bose system which runs around $1000...

a number of years ago i had a Klipsch 5.1 computer speaker system that i loved. unforunately the controller broke, and wasn't being manufactured any longer so it could not be replaced. because the whole system operated through the subwoofer, i was sad to see that couldn't be reused either (at least no way i could figure). however, the five speakers were still working fine, so i kept them and have been using them with my stereo receiver for the past five+ years (with a nice Yamaha sub). they still sound superb. says something about Klipsch speakers' quality, fwiw.

if i needed to replace those speakers, i'd be scooping up this deal without hesitation.

The short answer to this is NO.

The long answer: yes... if you are really handy with electronics. You'll need a soldering iron and the ability to figure out how to balance the speakers.

My advice: You are MUCH better off buying these and an older receiver off craigslist. You will wonder how you ever listened to your logitech system. These without a sub will sound better than the logitech with one.

yzf250rider88 wrote:I have the logitech z-5500 THX-Certified 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System... A few of the speakers have blown since the system is a few years old. I was wonder if it would be possible to hook these speakers up to this system? Does anyone have any insite on this? Any help would be great thanks!

Re: center channel issues.
Most people don't realize that the center channel is responsible for nearly all the dialogue in the movie. Thus, a GOOD center channel is very important.
On quality systems this is one reason the center channel is larger than the LR and surround speakers. You want the output to be higher and still very clear.

Less expensive systems also have boomier bass from subs and surrounds... this serves to muddy up the midrange (which is where the human voice falls).

calixguy18 wrote:I have this same problem (and I'm 31)! I've tried turning up the center channel as well but it doesn't seem to help that much. I've also tried turning up the treble and the bass down.

I think it has to do with the way the movies are encoded with Dolby Digital. The explosions and things are just that much louder than normal volume. That's just my theory. I normally wouldn't care and would crank it up to where I could hear the dialogue but the neighbors and gf don't like that too much.

Since the system is remarkably efficient, any decent, name brand receiver will suffice. Historically, denon and marrantz have a less "bright" sound, so these tend to go really well with klipsch speakers.

I would need a budget to pick out something for you. Without one it is like asking, what kind of car or computer should I buy.

On a buget, swindsea's recommendations are good ones. I've bought from Accessories and have had nothing but good experiences.

mjackels wrote:So I bought the speakers, but now I obviously need a receiver. How do I know what receiver would be compatible with the speakers in the sense of output power and frequency? (I know I need a 5.1 receiver, other than that I'm clueless) Any help or input?

Waker1 wrote:If you're going to spend another $198 on 2 more speakers, you may as well just buy 2 sets of these and then you'll have 10 speakers for the same price as 7 and can use the extra 3 for a bedroom set or computer use!

Great idea, was thinking the same thing. You can also use the second center speaker as a rear center if your receiver supports that setup.

Thanks as well for the comparison on the 500 HD set.

My personal choices are the Outlaw Audio M8 or the BiC F12 or real budget BIC Venturi V1020 10"
Generally, you get what you pay for, but there are a number of brands with overpriced subs (e.g. polk audio, bose, and often klipsch).

Affordable subwoofers:
$280 Acoustech H-100 Cinema Series
http://www.amazon.com/Acoustech-H-100-Front-Firing-Subwoofer-High-Gloss/dp/B0006DNW6U/ref=sr_1_8?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1305516503&sr=1-8

$250 Outlaw Audio M8
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/m8.html

$200 Infinity
http://www.harmanaudio.com/search_browse/product_detail.asp?urlMaterialNumber=PS210BK&status=

$200 BiC F12
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341872012&sr=8-1&keywords=bic+sub

$150 BIC Venturi V1020 10"
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=303-430

klw123w wrote:OK I just bought these! I will hook them up to my fairly new Harmon Kardon AVR1600 (a 7.1 system). Any recommendations for a satisfactory but not pricy subwoofer? Smaller is better for us - a VERY small house and not fans of really loud music.

e6zion wrote:Re: center channel issues.
Most people don't realize that the center channel is responsible for nearly all the dialogue in the movie. Thus, a GOOD center channel is very important.
On quality systems this is one reason the center channel is larger than the LR and surround speakers. You want the output to be higher and still very clear.

Less expensive systems also have boomier bass from subs and surrounds... this serves to muddy up the midrange (which is where the human voice falls).

Can you tell me how good/crappy my center speaker is? It's pretty old...

Polk Audio CS175

Center Channel Loudspeaker

Driver Complement
Mid/Woofer 1 - 5-1/4" Diameter (13.34cm)
Dynamic Balance mid/bass driver (shielded)
Tweeter 1 - 3/4" Diameter (1.91cm)
Dome tweeter (shielded)
Electrical
Overall Frequency Response 55Hz - 22kHz
Lower -3dB Limit 60Hz
Upper -3dB Limit 20kHz
Nominal Impedance 8 ohms
Efficiency 89 dB
Total Shipping Weight 16.00 lbs. (7.26kgs)

I also have this HTIB (http://www.samsung.com/us/video/home-theater/HT-D6500W/ZA). Can you tell me how those speakers compare to these? I'm not sure which set it better- my Polks, Samsungs, or the Klipsh. Here is the center channel for comparison...

Drivers: .79-inch Hard Dome Tweeter, Dual 2.5-inch midrange/woofers
Frequency Response: 140Hz to 20kHz.
SPL (Sound Pressure Level): 87db with 1 watt input delivered to the speaker at listening distance of 1 meter.

Dimensions: 14.17 inches (W) x 2.93 inches (H) x 2.7 inches (D).

Weight: 1.28 pounds.

Thanks!

lichme wrote:I have never dealt with this brand, however several online reviews seem to indicate that the quality is as good as bose (some say better) for a fraction of the cost. Seems like a good deal to me.

If Bose is your frame of reference for what you consider "quality sound," you may like these.
Buying speakers online if you haven't heard them in person is just about as silly a concept as I can imagine. The Chinese Klipsch stuff hurts to listen to.

klw123w wrote:OK I just bought these! I will hook them up to my fairly new Harmon Kardon AVR1600 (a 7.1 system). Any recommendations for a satisfactory but not pricy subwoofer? Smaller is better for us - a VERY small house and not fans of really loud music.

dabtpa wrote:

Try Parts Express. They have great subs at cheap prices. Look at the weight when picking one out. That is a good indicator of amp size and driver quality. They can't be beat for the price.

Well, I'll be the hater. :-) Even back in the 70's I felt that Bose was all hype. My buddies bought their top of the line setup back then.. I think Bose 901 system with 9 small drivers in each box. I thought they were just marginally ok. Most of the stuff I was looking at blew them away easily no matter what high-end amp you were using, etc.

My current home theater system is all Klipsch with the main fronts being Klipsch Cornwall II's. I got them many years ago. I finished out my surround system with comparible Klipsch Center KLF-C7 and RS-3 Surround speakers. I also have a pair of Klipsch Heresy's that match the Cornwalls but are a much smaller size. :-)

I don't think you can go wrong with Klipsch although I believe they are now a division of Audiovox. Enjoy!

buysumtime wrote:Just putting my two cents in since I have seen a couple references to Bose. Not trying to make anyone who owns them mad, but most people who get into home theater beyond the trip to the big yellow tag store and say "I want the best surround system you got" don't look twice at them. Since I am the type who prefers to give everything a fair shot, I have first hand experience with them. I have owned a cinemate 2.1 system for our living room tv, a 2.1 companion system for my computer, and a lifestyle system for my theater setup. All have been disappointing at their best. Bose does fantastic marketing, both in store with there amazing sounding setups that are tweaked to make them sound great, and in advertising of their products. They sell a simple setup that anyone can do, make sure they sound amazing in the store, and charge a crazy amount of money for what you are getting. Please don't assume I am some type of hater of bose, because the fact is I loved their high end equipment of twenty plus years ago. It is just there new setup of selling mediocre equipment at high prices that I don't like. I have spent the money to try out their setups. I have compared them directly with setups I put together for much less. My lower priced, but somewhat more carefully planned, systems always beat out the uber expensive Bose. Again, just my two cents. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, so I figured I would put mine out there and maybe make someone think twice about spending their hard earned cash on what i have found to inferior.

Maybe you should learn something about what you're talking about before you start spouting off incorrect information making you look like an Jab-jab-jab-Jabberjaw.

Klipsch has always been an American company located in Hope, Arkansas. Audiovox is now it's marketing arm and they are located in Happauge, NY.

Maybe you should check this out before you spread more incorrect information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klipsch_Audio_Technologies

skrutinizr wrote:If Bose is your frame of reference for what you consider "quality sound," you may like these.
Buying speakers online if you haven't heard them in person is just about as silly a concept as I can imagine. The Chinese Klipsch stuff hurts to listen to.

Don't do it!
I have a ton of Klipsch speakers - my son was an engineer for them and I could buy the real Klipsch speakers for less than 50% of cost. After he quit, I kept buying them, along with 5 earbud sets for myself and my family. Big mistake. The customer service, which was great in the past, is now worse than anyone I have ever dealt with. The product quality has fallen a long way in the last few years after the sale. I wish these were "real" Klipsch and customer service was still great, but this is no longer Klipsch product and the company is long gone.