Best Bookshelf speakers under $300/pair

zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
Don't you like the Polk Audio RTi A1 or TSi 200? Aren't they good speakers? The lower frequency of RTi A1 is 60Hz and TSi 200 is 50Hz.
If you are a serious music listener - then you may want to look elsewhere.
I would keep a short list - you already have a good one to work with. Do
not get too carried away with specs - the speaker performace is what will
make, or break a speaker. If you like music as much or more, than viewing
home theater - then all you need is a good sub, that is musical too. Also,
as you have already noticed, people will not agree on the top speaker.
 
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A

alphaiii

Audioholic General
Not sure if this matters, but Energy CB-20 bookshelves (pair) will be $199 this weekend at futureshop canada, (6.5-inch woofer with Ribbed Elliptical Surround). Great sensitivity as well, @ 92 dB in room...
For those shopping in the US...right now they're $189.25 shipped at wwstereo with coupon code "prememorial"
 
caper26

caper26

Full Audioholic
wow...can't really go wrong there now can you? Add an ok sub to that and I bet you would have a decent 2.1 system on a very small budget...
 
sholling

sholling

Audioholic Ninja
The Ascend CBM-170SE just went on sale for $298. That's 1st quality not b-stock. I just put the details in the deals section.
 
sholling

sholling

Audioholic Ninja
Are you shopping again?
No I'm just on their mailing list. ;) I have too many speakers as it is and will be paring down my collection soon starting with my CMT-340SEs. Great speakers but I don't have a place for them anymore. I have Salks in the family room and Sierra-1s in my bedroom. I thought about converting a bedroom to a dedicated HT and using them there but that went out the window.
 
zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
No I'm just on their mailing list. ;) I have too many speakers as it is and will be paring down my collection soon starting with my CMT-340SEs. Great speakers but I don't have a place for them anymore. I thought about converting a bedroom to a dedicated HT and using them there but that went out the window.
I think in a couple of weeks - I will try an electronics yard sell.
The dogs will not allow any one, to demo my gear!
 
V

vinisol

Audioholic Intern
I have a doubt.

Some of you said to buy the center channel speaker identical to front speakers instead of buying a speaker made just to be a center channel. What's the reason for that?

KEF, for example, doesn't sell speaker individually, just pairs. So, in this case, what can be done?
 
BoredSysAdmin

BoredSysAdmin

Audioholic Slumlord
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
I have a doubt.

Some of you said to buy the center channel speaker identical to front speakers instead of buying a speaker made just to be a center channel. What's the reason for that?

KEF, for example, doesn't sell speaker individually, just pairs. So, in this case, what can be done?
Main L/R speakers are usually a lot more accurate than Center speakers.

Take a look at the Freq Resp graph for the NHT Absolute Zero system. You can see that the Absolute Zero is a lot more accurate than the NHT Center speaker, which is pretty good on its own, but not as good as the Absolute Zero.

The Absolute Zero’s listening-window response (a five-point average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal and vertical responses) measures +0.94/–0.82 decibels from 200 hertz to 10 kilohertz.

The Absolute Center’s listeningwindow response measures +2.11/–3.00 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz.

Yeah, unfortunately KEF and some other companies don't sell them as single units, which is too bad.

NHT sells them as single units. Good for them!

When I had the Def Tech SM450 bookshelf speakers, I had to place a "special order" with the Def Tech dealer for a single speaker.
 
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zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
The problem is that I need to buy 5 speakers and KEF only sells pairs. So, I have to buy 4 or 6 speakers. I can't buy 5.
You will only be in the states for a short time - It might be nice to
have that one extra speaker - You never know, you might get a
speaker, with a problem.
 
V

vinisol

Audioholic Intern
I made my list, but I'm not finding a place in Miami or somewhere near to listen these speakers. Could you help me to find a place to hear them?

Cambridge S30
NHT Absolute Zero
KEF iQ10
Infinity P163
Ascend CBM-170 SE
Behringer TRUTH B2031P
 
Pyrrho

Pyrrho

Audioholic Ninja
If you want to go way under $300 per pair, check out this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/PAIR-RTi4-CHRRY-Bookshelf-Surround-Speaker-Polk-Audio-/230634142265?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item35b2ddba39

Factory refurbished speakers direct from Polk, the older RTi4 (the replacement for it is the RTi A1) for only $149.99 per pair delivered in the 48 contiguous states (plus tax in most states). And they have enough of them to get for all channels in a surround system.

They also have them in black, but I recommend the cherry finish.

You might be able to do better if you spend $300 per pair, but I defy you to find a better speaker for this price. And they have a gorgeous real wood finish.

The price is so good, I am half tempted to buy a pair myself, but I need more gear like I need a hole in my head. And I already own better speakers (that were much more expensive).
 
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AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
I have not heard a Polk speaker I like.

It may just be me.

I've heard the $90ea NHT SuperZero and $150ea Infinity P362; I thought they are both very good sounding speakers.

But I have not had any luck with Polk speakers; they don't sound very clear and detail to me.
 
Pyrrho

Pyrrho

Audioholic Ninja
I have not heard a Polk speaker I like.

It may just be me.

I've heard the $90ea NHT SuperZero and $150ea Infinity P362; I thought they are both very good sounding speakers.

But I have not had any luck with Polk speakers; they don't sound very clear and detail to me.
It is just you. Here is a link to a review of an older model:

http://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/417

Here is a link to a review of a current model:

http://www.stereophile.com/budgetcomponents/908polk/index.html

And here is a link to a review of the model I suggested:

http://www.stereophile.com/budgetcomponents/1004polk/index.html

People who own them like them:

http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Performance-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B0000E2XEB
(If one wants the black finish, one can get them new, not refurbished, for the same price. I personally would prefer the cherry refurbished, but others who want black may want to jump on this deal.)

http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speakers/bookshelf-speakers/polk-audio/rti4/prd_302434_4290crx.aspx

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107RTI4B/Polk-Audio-RTi4-Black-oak-finish.html?tp=186&tab=review&rvm=ShowAllt


I have not heard every one, but in the past, I have tended to regard Polk's bottom speaker that has a real wood finish as a bargain, excellent for its price, both in sound and in appearance (when one selects a natural wood color).

But, of course, if one has much more to spend, then one can get a better speaker.


Edited to add:

I have a generally less favorable opinion of their cheaper vinyl speakers and of their tower versions of the speakers I regard as a good value. So, I recommend that you find a local dealer who sells the Polk RTi line of speakers and listen to the cheapest one, and consider how it compares with other speakers at its price point, either as list price or actual street price. I have heard good things about their higher LSi line, but have not heard them. Judging from their other speakers, I would expect the bottom one to be a better value than the tower versions, though obviously less capable of delivering deep bass.
 
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