Monitor 50, 60 vs 70 for music/some HT...

[NameThatUser]

So, I was looking to get a pair of Monitor 70's and a CS2 for a 3.0 home setup that will be attached to a HTPC for music and HULU (and old school TV.) This sounds great and all, but I'll be powering this with a Teac 2.0 receiver for a few weeks till I find/decide upon my new AVR.

I don't have the hugest place, but the living area is rather long. (These might break-in in my bedroom too till the new AVR arrives.)

Would their be any reason to look at the monitor 50's or 60's as speakers alternatives to the 70's? Everyone keeps saying they like all three, which one depends on which one they actually own. I don't know if it's worth saving a little extra $$ and getting the 50's or 60's over the 70's... I can get the latter today for $159 each (cherry) Hmm, someone push me a little so I order SOME speakers today.

[sandworms]

i've had 50's and 70's for the money it's a no brainer. i paid $129 ea for my 50's and 2 yrs later almost the same for 70's. there's an obvious difference in sound so jump on the deal with no regrets

[coolsax]

Well are you going to be going with a sub or not? the 70's have more full range than the 50's and 60's.. I like my sixties full range but it is a little short on the low end.. the 70's go all the way down to 30 hz whereas the 60s go to 38

[NameThatUser]

Yes, the main reason I have been looking into the 70's is their reach into the low-end... I do like the rattle of a sub sometimes, but I'm not looking to get one any time soon (till I find a great deal on a 505 I think) I'm going to start with two front mains and then slowly/quickly as possible expand with a CS2 as my next step just to have a wider sound stage....

[wesouth]

get the 70s for sure. I think you will be happy with them but I would buy the best subwoofer you can afford to go with them. but keep in mind although they sound really nice for home theater and a clean pure audio sound they seem to be a little thin on bass so if bass is your thing step up to a 12" woofer and a different speaker than the 70s or like i said get the best subwoofer you can afford. I have the 505 but you can do alot better in my opinion, it just depends on the money

[grimmace19]

I used 50's for fronts for over a year and when I had the money jumped on the 70's. The 70s are BY FAR a better speaker. All around a great decision to upgrade. If you have the money, $320 for a pair is an amazing deal.

[NameThatUser]

Yea, bass is kinda my thing, but it's not the most important thing. I like flat representations (I don't like the speakers to decide what to accentuate) and crisp, clear instrumentation.

Honestly, I really like powered studio monitors and if I had it my way, I would be getting a pair of Mackie MR8 - 8in woofers @ 100W (Precision Class A/B amplifiers build in / 50W for HF.) God do these sound sweet for Mackie's budget line, but they are not on sale right now, retail at $279 each. http://www.mackie.com/products/mrseries/

So, I am going to build my polk system first, and get the Mackies later when to use as speakers for my iMac. Kinda ridiculous, I know, but that's what I like.

[cstmar01]

The 70's do give you a little more low end and full range response. I would say for a double duty speaker the 70's are nice way to go. I would say that you're not going to over do anything but picking them up. I personally would still add a sub for more low end as a lot of stuff for HT will go lower than 30 but for starters its not bad.

[anvil]

I'm glad to see this thread as i just droped the dime for a pair of 70's and a pair of bookshelf 40's I myself went for the cherry 70's for the extra $40.oo off , I will order the center chanel later next month and I have a 10 inch JBL sub..

[wutadumsn23]

Another vote for the 70's, IMHO they are the best bang for the buck in the Monitor series. While they will give you more bass than the other models in the Monitor series, it still wouldn't hurt to run a sub with them. I have turned off my sub on occasion and run my 70's at Full Band to see what they could do and was pretty impressed. For the prices the 70's can be had for these days I would recommend them all day long and twice on Sunday, get them while you still can. Welcome to Club Polk.

-Jeff

[cnh]

+1 on the M70s but you will still need a SUB for HT...if you have GOOD amp power the M70s can put out decent bass but can't replace a good sub. But if you don't have enough amp POWER they will just put out good tight mid-bass.....it takes a bit of power to get more bass...or rather to realize they're rated lows of 40hz!

cnh

[NameThatUser]

Yea, unfortunately NewEgg had my old bank card on file, so I tried to pick the Monitor 70's (cherry) up yesterday for $159 each... and I woke up to a 'decliened' email... Not happy since the $20 off each deal code expired yesterday, so I've got to call them and beg to put my order through. Wish me luck.

I'm going to search the forums a bit to see what AVR people would match with the Monitor 70's, vs asking in this thread, I might just start a new one.

[coolsax]

pretty much any main brand (Marantz, yamaha, onkyo, pioneer, HK, etc..)AVR should work well with the Monitors

[anvil]

Luck with newegg man:
I have a onkyo tx ds656 Its an old amp but It works realy well and sounds great with my new sony BDP-s350 player. I have yet to up grade my set to a flatscreen.. I will do that soon now that they are making them with a higher res 120 Hz , The led's are looking sweet to man they run so much cooler and the picture is so clean and smooth. Ok enough of my babbling and sorry about the thred hike if i make a post you are more then welcome to return the favor ;)
I hope my polks get here ok.
Keeping my fingers toes and nose hairs crossed
Darrell.

[wutadumsn23]

Nose hairs, ewwww gross.

[wutadumsn23]

In response to the OP's request for an AVR, as coolsax said pretty much any AVR will power your 70's just fine. I would look for something in the ballpark of 100W or so. Keep in mind though companies like HK's power ratings are much lower, but are actual indications of how much power you get, and are usually grossly understated. Most companies rate their AVR's at 2 channels driven, so if an AVR says 130W per channel, chances are it is with only 2 channels driven. The number will drop off considerably, up to as much as half of the original number with 5 or 7 speakers driven. But don't worry, the Monitors are very easy to drive and you will be fine. One thing I would suggest is to get an AVR that has pre-outs for adding an external amp, it is a feature you (and your speakers) will thank you for later. Also, if you are planning on getting (or already have) a Blu Ray player, make sure to get one that has HDMI In's and Out's. I have an Onkyo TX-SR806 and I love it, it drives all the speakers in my sig with ease and the the video processing is amazing. Shop around, and if at all possible try to get your ears on one at a local audio store before buying. Good luck and keep us posted.

-Jeff

[jax3822]

I think you will be better off with the 70's as they have better bass response than the 50's and 60's. You said you were going with a 3.0 not a 3.1 system so I can assume you are not going to have a sub. Most of the time if a sub is not going to be used, you will not regret having main speakers that can dig a little deeper. If a sub is going to be used, any one will be fine as they will all be excellent down to the 80hz region most people crossover to their subs.

A nice feature of the 70's is that the port is down low along the floor and in the front of the speaker which may really benefit in a long room.

[cnh]

+1 that front port also makes for much easier placement IMO!

cnh