Whats the better speaker

[Jason Oland]

Looking to build a home theater system in a 12x14 room carpet floors. want to use 2 subs and prefer tower speakers. 50% music 50% movies. Looking at Boston Acoustics Classic II CS260 and the Polk 75T or Cerwin vega E712 (used mint condition) with matching center what to stay under $1000 for the set

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

is 12x14 is whole room or is open to other spaces? What is ceiling height? You're looking to purchase 3 speakers - Left, Right and tower for $1000 or whole 5.2 including receiver?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Here's a objective review and measurement of Boston speakers from same series (not same models) as what you're looking at:
http://www.soundandvision.com/content/boston-acoustics-classic-series-2300-ii-speaker-system#Bm6F0mewBydOMeoB.97

 

[Jason Oland]

yes 12x14 is the whole room not open to other spaces. 7 foot celing. looking to buy the whole speaker system. I already have a Onkyo 647 receiver.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I wish I could do Jedi mind trick and tell you - You don't need towers. With 1.1k cuft you'll get permanent ear damaging volume from most decent bookshelf speakers
Get a pair of these:
http://philharmonicaudio.com/aa.html
If you can get away with vertical center - just get 3rd AA bookshelf, if horizontal center is must: https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-C22-Designed-Channel-Speaker/dp/B008NCD2EI

If you have ANY existing speakers: you could use them for surrounds.
Subs:
a pair of these: http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-sub-1200-12-120-watt-powered-subwoofer--300-629

 

[tyhjaarpa]

I wish I could do Jedi mind trick and tell you - You don't need towers. With 1.1k cuft you'll get permanent ear damaging volume from most decent bookshelf speakers
Get a pair of these:
http://philharmonicaudio.com/aa.html
If you can get away with vertical center - just get 3rd AA bookshelf, if horizontal center is must: https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-C22-Designed-Channel-Speaker/dp/B008NCD2EI

If you have ANY existing speakers: you could use them for surrounds.
Subs:
a pair of these: http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-sub-1200-12-120-watt-powered-subwoofer--300-629

I believe Dennis had Horizontal option available as well if I remember correctly.

But AA Monitors would be best option in your budget. Get 5 AA Monitors (or 4 with horizontal center) with dual Dayton subs and are you have really nice budget system.

 

[rojo]

Monoprice has a 20% off site-wide sale with coupon code "crypt". So 2x Monoprice 9723 12" subs -- $216 with 20% off is $172.80. And then shipping is, I dunno, $80? Two subs for a quarter of your budget, and you can devote more to your mains. (review and measurements)

I agree with BoredSysAdmin and tyhjaarpa about the Affordable Accuracy monitors. They'll have much flatter (read: uncolored and accurate) response than the Boston Acoustics and Polk offerings you're considering. And with subs handling bass below 80Hz, there's no advantage to towers in that small space. And yeah, Dennis does sell an Affordable Accuracy center channel for $120 if I recall correctly, but he doesn't have it on his website. You just have to contact him for details.

If for some reason you refuse to consider any choice other than what you have listed, I'd give preference to the Boston Acoustics. If it's just a question of being stubborn about towers, then you might also consider RBH R55TiB B-stock towers. Here's the matching center, although it's not available as B-stock at the moment. Or you might enjoy a Chane Cinema combo. Or a pair of Fluance Signature towers and Signature center, although they have had some problems with consistency in the past. However, Fluance seems to be eager to make things right for anyone who received bad speakers.

But flattest response for the lowest price, Affordable Accuracy will give you the best sound. You'd even have enough left over in your budget for a miniDSP + UMIK-1 to manage your dual subs.

 

[herbu]

want to use 2 subs and prefer tower speakers.

Why do you prefer tower speakers?
I find people "think" tower speakers look more impressive in their room, and must sound better than bookshelf speakers because they're bigger.
"Look more impressive in their room" is often true among the uninitiated, (friends, visitors and girls).
"Sound better" is most often not true within the budget generally utilized by this same crowd.

What I'm trying to say is, you need to decide between "looks impressive" and "sounds good". If you're going for looks, get some cheap towers. If you would rather it "sound good", go for some good bookshelves. You won't be able to beat the Affordable Accuracy speakers in your price range for sound.

And staying under $1k, forget 2 subs. Go with one. You can get a nice one with the money left from 2 AAs. (You do know that 2 subs are generally not intended for more volume, right? Two subs are used for better balance in multiple seating positions, meaning everyone hears the same sub volume no matter where they sit.) So start with one good sub. Set it to shine where you sit. If you later decide it's a problem for one of the other seats, you can save for a second sub... or let the person who sits there buy you one.

 

[zieglj01]

Jason seems to be missing.

 

[herbu]

Jason seems to be missing.

Maybe he's busy preparing for all his marathons over the next few days.