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3.0 or 3.1 system in Canada for <3k?

Apesbrain

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Take a look at SVS. Some very interesting stuff there. Free shipping and return. 45-day home trial.

 

BigFKahuna

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I in fact have a KEF Q950/Cambridge 851A/Bluesound Node combo that I am very happy with, and have received many compliments from owners of other systems. I currently pair with an older Polk Audio subwoofer that I occasionally disconnect as after a year I still wonder if the 950's sound better with or without the subwoofer....and I do agree that subwoofer integration with the 851A is less than ideal, as it is with most integrated amplifiers that I have locally. Having said that, as happy as I am with the sound, I am considering putting the system up for sale as I wish to move up in the KEF line...either the R11's or more likely the LS60's. I do agree that demos are hard to get around here (Alberta) but with the reviews on the LS60's and Vision's return policy I am not too worried.
 
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FriendlyFire

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Take a look at SVS. Some very interesting stuff there. Free shipping and return. 45-day home trial.

The EFL SVS policy only covers exchanges and upgrades, not straight up returns (unlike the direct from SVS policy). My understanding is that SVS is great for subs, but I haven't seen them recommended a lot for other speakers (and their styling feels very home theater as opposed to living room...)?
 

warpdrive

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I would say XT32 or Dirac Live are worth it. More so if you ever do add a sub. And never say never, adding a sub really rounds out the sound, even if need to curtail it by reducing the settings for your condo. Probably you don't need to overdo it, just get a small sub to fill in the low bits somewhat.

Having XT32 did a good job fixing the droop in the mid frequencies for my B&W 6xx S1 system, which really enhanced the dialogue clarity. It wasn't perfect, there was still a droop, but it tamed the loose bass too which made the sound less harsh and bloated. I'd expect Dirac to be comparably good too. The more flawed your speakers are in room, the bigger the difference room correction will make.
 
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FriendlyFire

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Alright, I think I'll stay on the lookout for a sale on the X3700H or NR7100 then!

For center channel, I'm most likely going to give the UC52 a shot since Crutchfield.ca carries it. I know I could try a KEF Q series, but I don't feel comfortable being unable to audition it properly... If I can find a store that has a passable audition room and carries KEF, that might change. If the UC52 doesn't wow me, I'll probably look at the Polk ES30 or Monitor Audio Bronze C150 as a last resort (again, because I can't find it anywhere that'd take a return).

Once I'm settled in, trying an SVS sub sounds like a good addition.
 

warpdrive

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I just use a old small SVS sub for my TV system. I have gone down the road of chasing subsonic bass but in the end, it's just a fun thing to have. You basically need a sub to fill in the lows 30Hz-60Hz and that gives you that bass feel. You can always turn it down using the level control to taste. Some people add a few dB but you can definitely turn it down a few dB. My SVS has a room gain compensation knob which changes the rolloff, and it helps to keep the bass from sounding too bloated in a smaller room. I feel the sub just adds enough to make the sound feel "full range" without causing any masking through the mids
 
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