Help with bookshelf speaker selection

[Wheatenterrier]

So my parents decided they are not satisfied with their TV's speakers anymore. I'm going to help them pick out an inexpensive reciever (with hdmi in/out) and a pair of bookshelf speakers for them to use for all their TV and DVD listening. In my opinion this will be way better than one of those Bose systems that they wanted and cheaper and we can always add a sub later for a 2.1

I found a few but have only heard the primus speakers (my inlaws have them and they sound great in their room).
We need to spend less than 275 on the speakers. My parents room is large and open to a huge kitchen. Towers are out of the question, they really wanted those tiny bose speakers so size is an issue.

Here's the list so far:

Infinity primus 162 160.00
SVS sbs-01 225.00
Axiom m2-v2 296.00 (slightly out of budget)

I am mostly only aware of the main stream speaker brands (polk, klipsch, etc, etc. But I know that I can do better with less known brands like SVS and Axiom. I'm sure there are other great speakers to consider we just have no idea what they are.
I look forward to your suggestions.

 

[BdFoz]

If you aren't planning on getting a sub I would look into getting some type of 3-way bookshelf. I have the SBS-01's and while I think they are great addition to a surround setup they are underwhelming without a sub to provide the lowend. What Bose system were they looking for that was under $300 anyway since you said those axioms were slightly over budget?

Regardless if they were looking at something with a sub they certainly won't feel like they made a good decision if they go with an inexpensive 2-way bookshelf. Subwoofers really make a big difference especially at lower price points.

I'm sure others with more experience will chime in but I do know that when I was recently having problems with my subwoofer I took it out of my surround setup and just tried running my SBS-01's (and the SVS center channel) with the LARGE setting and it didn't come close to being satisfactory in my opinion. I opted to plug my old 8 inch HTIB sub in for the weak bass it provided since it at least sounded slighly better. Thankfully I've got my primary sub working again!

Just my two cents.

 

[alexwakelin]

The Budget Bookshelf Speaker Shootout would be a good read for you. The Infinty Primus 162 speakers were reviewed, so you can see how they compare to other speakers in that price range.

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/bookshelf/budget-bookshelf-shootout-2009

Here's a review of some budget speakers from 2005:

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/bookshelf/speaker-face-off-iv

You might be able to find a good deal on some of the speakers from that review since they are models from a few years ago.

The Behringer 2030P speakers get good reviews and are under $200, I think there some bookshelf speakers from Cambridge Soundworks for around $200 that a lot of people like too.

 

[j_garcia]

The Cambridge speakers are Cambridge Audio not Cambridge Soundworks, though both make good speakers; the Cambridge Soundworks speakers won't be as good as the Cambridge Audios AFAIK.

The Behringer 2030P doesn't extend low enough to be used without a sub, nor does the Axiom M2. The SBS-01s have decent bass, but I agree with the other poster, they also won't quite cut it on their own in a medium to large room.

There are a pair of Ascend CBM-170SEs selling in the classifieds here for $300 also - they will likely want a sub as well, but for the price, these are great speakers. They are smaller in size.

Another thought would be the AV123 ELT525. www.av123.com, though they are also $300.

Having said that and for the price, the Infinity's should do a good enough job to be honest.

 

[alexwakelin]

The Cambridge speakers are Cambridge Audio not Cambridge Soundworks, though both make good speakers; the Cambridge Soundworks speakers won't be as good as the Cambridge Audios AFAIK.

Thanks, I was hoping someone would know which speakers I was referring to.

 

[j_garcia]

Thanks, I was hoping someone would know which speakers I was referring to.

Yep. This is the one that is being referred to, and is well regarded around here:

http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=213&Title=S30+bookshelf

 

[Wheatenterrier]

Thanks for the responses, a sub will be added later just don't know when.

The Budget Bookshelf Speaker Shootout would be a good read for you. The Infinty Primus 162 speakers were reviewed, so you can see how they compare to other speakers in that price range.

I actually read the shootout before I posted, I guess I'm hoping for a slightly higher end speaker since we can slightly more than some of the speakers reviewed.

If you aren't planning on getting a sub I would look into getting some type of 3-way bookshelf. I have the SBS-01's and while I think they are great addition to a surround setup they are underwhelming without a sub to provide the lowend. What Bose system were they looking for that was under $300 anyway since you said those axioms were slightly over budget?

They were looking at the Bose Cinemate 2.1 system, 499.00 at crutchfield. We need to leave room for an inexpensive receiver.

I'm going to go check out the cambridge audio speakers (never heard of them before) and the av123 speakers suggested, that brand didn't even cross my mind. Which is exactly what I was hoping for, suggestions that I had not considered.

 

[Wheatenterrier]

Another thought would be the AV123 ELT525. www.av123.com, though they are also $300.

They have these on their b stock for 179 I like the way they look. I only wish they came in black like the SVS SBS01. What differences do you think there are between the two, sound quality?

 

[j_garcia]

The previous generation ELTs were very impressive, but I have not yet heard the 525s. In a local listening session, we had the ELTs, the Onix X-LS (also AV123, though it looks like they don't have them anymore) and the Ascend CBM170SE, and the ELTs did a great job for being about half the price of the others. Without hearing them, I can only guess, but I'd say the 525s will be comparable if not a bit better than the SBS-01s. The SBSs have a very nice sound, but didn't totally blow me away - in the price range they should definitely be on your short list, but they might not be first on my list. I didn't see that they had some on B-stock; that's a good price. Their finishes are excellent.

Someone is selling AV123 credit in the classifieds area too, so you might be able to get them for even less.