zaldek s2000's, ESS-SL50's

hey im new to this forum and to advanced audio.
bought the zaldek 2000's left/right/center and a friend of mine gave me hes ESS SL-50'S for rear speakers
my receiver will be the yamaha rx v371
how are these? i havent found anything about the SL-50's but the guy the that gave me doesnt have shortage on money so i would think they are good, how is the combo in general, and may i point out, ive never owned a HT system, this would be my first but i still wanted to get something good thats not cheap and a waste of my time, i want a close theater experience and im hoping to get atleast half of it with this system. my friend who bought the wharfedale speakers told me they sound amazing.
would like to know more since i cant find much info online.
thanks.

oh and how important is a subwoofer for me?, my friend told me i dont really need one, does it really matter?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by soler

hey im new to this forum and to advanced audio.
bought the zaldek 2000's left/right/center and a friend of mine gave me hes ESS SL-50'S for rear speakers
my receiver will be the yamaha rx v371
how are these? i havent found anything about the SL-50's but the guy the that gave me doesnt have shortage on money so i would think they are good, how is the combo in general, and may i point out, ive never owned a HT system, this would be my first but i still wanted to get something good thats not cheap and a waste of my time, i want a close theater experience and im hoping to get atleast half of it with this system. my friend who bought the wharfedale speakers told me they sound amazing.
would like to know more since i cant find much info online.
thanks.

oh and how important is a subwoofer for me?, my friend told me i dont really need one, does it really matter?

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How do they seem to you? I'm not being flippant: in the long run it's what you like. See the thread about subjectivity; increasingly audio is becoming about what people like more than measurements or accuracy.

For home theatre a subwoofer is important for everybody. Movies often have "low frequency effects" and often these are in a separate channel thus are impossible to reproduce with out a sub.

cheers for answer.
i just wanted opinions, i have yet to buy the receiver
how about the sl-50's i havent found any info on them

Measurements can tell you if a loudspeaker will be dreadful, but a lot of care & understanding is required to obtain measurements that will help. Stereophile often presents loudspeaker measurments but the most telling were cone displacement/distortion displays obtained with sophisticated instruments. This is not DIY stuff. So.....

Attend a lot of acoustic concerts/recitals (recitals are better) to learn how real instruments, as opposed to instrument amplifiers with their signal benders, really sound. You can usually remember real sounds far longer (i.e. years) than you could ever remember how one speaker sounds w/r/t another. Most of us can identify our parents' and sibling's voices on the phone before they identify themselves.

Then listen to comparable music played through the target loudspeakers and you should know which loudspeaker is one that you can live with.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by soler

cheers for answer.
i just wanted opinions, i have yet to buy the receiver
how about the sl-50's i havent found any info on them

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Feanor's advice is spot on. Reviews and recommendations can be helpful, but regardless of expert opinion, brand or reputation, listen before you buy. Chances are you'll hear some expensive high end gear that will leave you wondering what the excitement's about. Patience will be rewarded. As with cigars and single malts, get what you like, and like what you get.

I'm digressing a bit but one must have a point of reference in order to judge "good sound" and I for one haven't had that. Twenty years ago I surely thought my ADS L710/Marantz were the cat's meow. Ten years ago I thought my Aerials/Classe hung the moon. I've since sold both and over time have come to realize that there are far better and cheaper options out there. Sadly enough you can't walk into a store and hear them.

".... one must have a point of reference in order to judge "good sound"...."

So get thee to acoustic/voice performances at recital venues and you WILL build an excellent point of reference.