Best Buy Speakers

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Cool, for $585 (includes s/h), a person could get a nice 6.1 speaker system?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000SY75KQ/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000N94S7O/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

BTW, I only trust Amazon.com.

I bet this system would blow any $2K system from Bose?

 

[krzywica]

I bet this system would blow any $2K system from Bose?

I think you mean BLOW AWAY.

 

[krzywica]

Because they are good speakers thats why.

I agree $400 isnt going to get him much but you probably dont see that and assume he falls into your same income range. He works at BB, he gets them practically at cost, he's got a $400 budget, and he is just looking for something to replace his old bookshelfs.

If thats the case then I would look at

The Speaker Company

Or

EMP

Both of these can be had for at or under $400 a pair.

 

[agarwalro]

...I'm looking to buy some speakers from best buy with my employee discount (cost + 5%, so it's pretty good) and I want to make sure I don't buy overpriced junk...

...I'm going to be using the speakers in a room thats aprox. 12' by 12'...

Like others before, I would recommend against spending money at BB, even if it seems like a good deal. Not saying that BB has bad stuff, but it is way overpriced. For the same money spent ($200-300) you can do much better elsewhere.

In a 12x12 room, floorstanding speakers are going to be overkill. IMO, get good bookshelf speakers and add a subwoofer at a later stage. For bookshelf speaker options, here is a review done by AH, the contenders,

Yamaha NS-6490 - $150/pr
Polk Audio R15 - $179/pr
Behringer B2030P - $190/pr
Yamaha NS-333 - $199/pr
Aperion Audio Intimus 4B - $260/pr
Infinity Primus P162 - $318/pr
EMP EF30 - $399/pr
Pinnacle P5.2 - $550/pr
JBL Synthesis HT1F - $850/pr

From personal experience, I whole heartedly recommend these, EMP Impression Bookshelf Speaker, $200 shipped.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I think you mean BLOW AWAY.

Damn, I hate typos!

 

[klipschfan]

Hey Guys,

I'm looking to buy some speakers from best buy with my employee discount (cost + 5%, so it's pretty good) and I want to make sure I don't buy overpriced junk. I have no idea what brands are reputable or anything, I am a complete audio newbie. All I know is that the two old Sony bookshelf speakers that my uncle gave me just don't cut the mustard. The music just sounds kinda flat. Now I don't need anything super high end as the source audio is going to either be mp3's encoded at V0 burned to CD (44.1 khz right?), played from a sony DVD player, or its going to be coming from a usb creative xfi go soundcard which only outputs 48khz 24bit audio. I'm going to be using the speakers in a room thats aprox. 12' by 12'. Take at look at the speaker listings and tell me if there's anything there that you would recommend. I can't use the discount on anything that isn't in the store so ignore anything that says "available online only." Also Im looking for stuff listed at less than 400$ (basically it comes down to the Sony, Polk, or Klipsch)

Floor speakers: bestbuy.com/site/Speakers/Floor-Speakers/abcat0205003.c?id=abcat0205003

bookshelf: bestbuy.com/site/Speakers/Bookshelf-Speakers/abcat0205001.c?id=abcat0205001


Thanks in advance for any advice! Any feedback at all is very welcome.

I'm not to fond of the speaker selection in the Best Buy stores (the non-magnolia ones anyway). But of what you mentioned, the Klipsch are the best ones to me (I am a fan of the brand afterall. still not fond of the Icon W series). In the store they should be side by side with the polks and sony's, listen to them. The sony's suck, the polk's sound kinda bland.

 

[bandphan]

and to add to the list

BG Radia Z1

Dana 630

Ascend CBM 170

Axiom M3 v2

svs scs-01

 

[klipschfan]

Sorry to chime in with my own opinion but none of the brands you mentioned are good to my ears.Also being a BB employee don't you know any of the magnolia people in your store?They would be able to answer most of your questions I would expect.

No all Best Buy stores have a Magnolia in them. So he would have to drive to a store with Magnolia in order to take advantage of the employee discount.

I agree. DOnt buy anything from best buy in that price range. 400 wont get you much at a retail store. You mentioned polks. Well look on ebay for the polk direct store. You can get a much better deal there for some rtia series speakers. Just a thought. Or like the above mentioned. Look at internet direct companies. Much better for the money.

He can get any of the Polk or Klipsch speakers via employee accomodation for less than his budget.

Can you get any of the DefTechs? If so I would be all over those. I got mine from a magnolia store. Believe it or not they actually gave me a good deal for a large package deal. My local small shop DefTech dealer said he wasnt supposed to go below MSRP and he couldnt give me the deal BB was giving me. I love my DefTechs. I just got a pair of the AW6500 for my patio and cant wait to hook them up.

He can get Def Tech's if he drives to a Best Buy location with a Magnolia in it.

and why

Great Speakers.

Still not worth it from there.He will do much better online,even if he can't listen IMO.......

Not entirely true. They have employee accomodations with manufacturers where he can get product at less than dealer cost. Trust me on this. Alot of times even used speakers are more expensive than the employee accomodation.

Unfortunately Best Buys selection sucks.

 

[njedpx3]

Okay let's talk bookshelf speakers ...

Like others before, I would recommend against spending money at BB, even if it seems like a good deal. Not saying that BB has bad stuff, but it is way overpriced. For the same money spent ($200-300) you can do much better elsewhere.

In a 12x12 room, floorstanding speakers are going to be overkill. IMO, get good bookshelf speakers and add a subwoofer at a later stage. For bookshelf speaker options, here is a review done by AH, the contenders,

Yamaha NS-6490 - $150/pr
Polk Audio R15 - $179/pr
Behringer B2030P - $190/pr
Yamaha NS-333 - $199/pr
Aperion Audio Intimus 4B - $260/pr
Infinity Primus P162 - $318/pr
EMP EF30 - $399/pr
Pinnacle P5.2 - $550/pr
JBL Synthesis HT1F - $850/pr

From personal experience, I whole heartedly recommend these, EMP Impression Bookshelf Speaker, $200 shipped.

I respect you opinion , but the bookshelves I would recommend except for the Berhinger, are nowhere to be found on your list.

OP, If you want really inexpensive bookshleves that sound good get the Sony SS-B3000 for 85.99 per pair http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/493591-REG/Sony_SS_B3000_SS_B3000_3_Way_Bookshelf_Speakers.html

Next step up is Behringer Truth B2030P at $71.95 each. These are very good sounding speakers. http://www.studica.com/products/product_detail.cfm?productid=11674&storeid=2

About the same quality, I prefer over the Behringer because they are more asthetically pleasing and put out excellent sound for a small speaker. Cambridge Audio S30 as low as $199.95 per pair.http://www.digitalcraze.com/Details.asp?Source=Froogle&ProductID=3969

Another excellent small speaker is the Paradigm Atom V.6 at around $249-$299 per pair.
http://www.paradigm.com/en/paradigm/fronts-monitor-atommonitor-model-2-4-1-1.paradigm?gclid=CNDL3tjO_p0CFQYMDQodZSuCpg

Another excellent speaker to look is the Mordant Short Aviano 1 bookshelf speaker for $395 per pair. http://www.wildwestelectronics.net/mordaunt-short-aviano-1-bookshelf-audio-speakers.html

These are just my choices, IMHO.

Good Luck!

Forest Man

 

[bandphan]

Great Speakers.


There are very few universally great speakers agreed upon, most are purely subjective


Unfortunately Best Buys selection sucks.

^^for the price thats the truth. Even the magnolia lines are nothing to write home about with the exception of a couple of pairs....

 

[agarwalro]

...but the bookshelves I would recommend except for the Berhinger, are nowhere to be found on your list.

Actually, I did not recommend even the Behringer , I simply directed the OP's attention to a review that included them.

I dont judge (by way of recommending or not) anything not personally experienced by me. To that end, only the EMP Impressions were specifically called out.

 

[majorloser]

...Stop talking about Dave and Yvette...

Yeah, what did me and the wife do to you?

 

[ozmedia]

A very minor almost moot point

.Also for speakers less than $400 I would be looking at some online speaker companies such as Epos,EMP,Axiom,RBH,Aperion,SVS,Emotiva,TSC,ect..

Just so that nobody gets mixed up, RBH is not an online speaker company. In fact they go to great lengths to respond to any online ads by stores and have them removed as they don't authorize online sales at all.

On another note, EMP are the online products available that are made by RBH.

To the OP, I wouldn't bother with speakers from Best Buy if they were free to employees.

Go find something decent instead, there are far better values for your money than even a cut price from BB. No matter how cheap you can get Energy or Klipsch (the retail models you sell anyway), they just aren't worth your money.

As for your customer's, well that's their fault for being uninformed and thinking they'll get a better deal from a big box retailer than from their local dealer or installer. I see people spend $100K designign their home theatre and then use a $2000.00 package from BB or Future Shop for the components because they didn't like the quote form the installer.

Don't follow their lead, if you are going to be satisfied with cheap, go REAL cheap like theatre-in-a-box cheap, instead of some half cocked excuse for real audio speakers.

As Jamie2112 said, EMP, is a GREAT online source for really well built quality speakers at very affordable prices, shop at the Audioholics store right here.

 

[bandphan]

Yeah, what did me and the wife do to you?

Hey I dont need LoserWife after me....I take it all back

 

[majorloser]

As far as small bookshelf speakers, I really like the Usher S-520's:

http://store.audioholics.com/product/2564/66340/usher-audio-s-520-bookshelf-speakers--pair-black-

I also picked up this little deal a couple weeks ago. For just 4" woofers they are some of the most accurate little speakers I've ever heard.

http://www.emptek.com/beryllium.php

I also picked up a pair of Status Acoustic Decimos from the guys at EMP/RBH. They might still have some. But that's another price class all together for bookshelf speakers.

http://store.audioholics.com/product/1862/19/status-acoustics-decimo-bookshelf-speakers--pair-

 

[njedpx3]

Actually, I did not recommend even the Behringer , I simply directed the OP's attention to a review that included them.

I dont judge (by way of recommending or not) anything not personally experienced by me. To that end, only the EMP Impressions were specifically called out.

Agarwalro,

You are right ,so sorry, you were referring to the speakers in the recent Audioholics review. I have not hear the EMP Impressions, but based on you "impression" (PUN INTENDED ) I think I will go audition them.

Take care,

Forest man.

 

[chris357]

magnolia sells vienna accoustics, those are pretty darn nice speakers.. i'm not sure what the smaller ones are bachs maybe?

anyway you can tknock those even if BB sells them..

also I'd love to know what cost plus 5% was.. but i suspect that cost is alot lower than what they sell this stuff for.. so he may be able to get some pretty decent stuff from there with hsi employee deal.

 

[jostenmeat]

magnolia sells vienna accoustics, those are pretty darn nice speakers.. i'm not sure what the smaller ones are bachs maybe?

Bachs are warm, but veiled, and IIRC, have 4 ohm nominal. However, I think they are now Bach Grands. The Haydn bookshelves might be worth auditioning.

anyway you can tknock those even if BB sells them..

OP is asking for less than $400 as listed. Therefore, I agree with most here that even with the discount, I'd look elsewhere. My honest opinion. At a much higher budget, I'd be curious about the Martin Logan Preface for audition.

 

[agarwalro]

Agarwalro,

You are right ,so sorry, you were referring to the speakers in the recent Audioholics review. I have not hear the EMP Impressions, but based on you "impression" (PUN INTENDED ) I think I will go audition them.

Take care,

Forest man.

No offense was taken because none was sensed I was just clarifying.

 

[ozmedia]

Don't be so sure

magnolia sells vienna accoustics, those are pretty darn nice speakers.. i'm not sure what the smaller ones are bachs maybe?

anyway you can tknock those even if BB sells them..

also I'd love to know what cost plus 5% was.. but i suspect that cost is alot lower than what they sell this stuff for.. so he may be able to get some pretty decent stuff from there with hsi employee deal.

The retail audio market is so cutthroat that many prodiucts sell at 4-6 points margin on a good day. That's why companies like BB or Future Shop try and get exclusive models, so the customer can't compare price and expect price matching.

Lower end, cheap retail products, like the EMP's and Klipsch models at BB are so close to cost already that cost plus 5 may not be much of a deal at all.