if i were OP i would buy 2 decent 2nd hand front speakers and 1 decent secondhand sub
loads on trademe depending on where you live
I think the OP did buy two decent (compared to what he had) front speakers. I just dragged this post out from many weeks ago, more generally to talk about subs, and I agree with you - I like subs very much, but they come with music recording quality "issues" which can't be solved with audiophile quality and setup solutions as read in forums, regardless of how much money you throw at it.
After my last update I found a setting in the Onkyo (phase-matching bass) that provided substantially more low-end body, to the point that the bookshelf speakers alone are providing as much bass as the the entire old system, while sounding ten times better. Very very happy with the Infinities.
I also upgraded the speaker cable to 14 AWG oxygen-free copper. It certainly looks more professional, and is more resistant to being chewed through by the cat, but it sounds exactly (and I mean exactly) the same.
I'm going to add a subwoofer at some point but am in no hurry. I'm reluctant to go second hand for the sub because I've heard that, unlike passive speakers, there's a pretty high rate of problems due to electronics failure once they get to 10+ years old - and virtually everything on Trademe is in that category. Fred also makes a really good point about the problems of inconsistently mixed audio with a subwoofer in the mix. I guess the best way of avoiding that outcome is to get very capable full-range front speakers, and when listening to music, use Pure Direct mode or similar to leave the sub out of the mix?
I'm going to add a subwoofer at some point but am in no hurry. I'm reluctant to go second hand for the sub because I've heard that, unlike passive speakers, there's a pretty high rate of problems due to electronics failure once they get to 10+ years old - and virtually everything on Trademe is in that category. Fred also makes a really good point about the problems of inconsistently mixed audio with a subwoofer in the mix. I guess the best way of avoiding that outcome is to get very capable full-range front speakers, and when listening to music, use Pure Direct mode or similar to leave the sub out of the mix?
That's one option, but another may be to go with a quality sub that can do well in both HT and music settings: some models come with ability to fully configure the EQ - my bet is they also provide the ability to establish presets, which would make this task easy as.
I have decently large floor-standers with 8" drivers; I still elect to listen to music with the sub on as I find the bass too anaemic (drops off too early, so not flat enough to low enough frequencies for my liking) with the amp set to a direct mode.
Have you considered buying a mono amp for the subwoofer you have now?
Amps are pretty cheap, and the sub amp doesn't have to be great (just enough to drive it).
I looked into it briefly - they cost less than I thought, but still about $30 USD. By the time it's shipped here that's about $60 NZD, which is a chunk of cash that I'd rather put towards getting a real subwoofer.
(Also I have moved the subwoofer to my study/computer setup and am enjoying it too much there to part with it again 😄)
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