Looking to replace my polk Monitor 70's/CSi5 center with something similar

[Jacare]

Now here's the hard part.

I have to use what i get from selling the polks to get new speakers. I can maybe scrape up some more money to add in but it wont be much, maybe 1-200 more tops.

So, what is comparable to the monitor 70's? Brand, new, used, doesn't matter, as long as they sound good. I'm looking for something clean and musical, if that's possible. I really like Paradigms but they are generally out of my price range.

I read another thread on here and someone suggested a pair from infinity (Infinity Primus P362) when the poster had a question about his own monitor 70's. I'm not very familiar with Infinity other than their highly touted at the time 'kappa' tweeters from years ago. Plus, I would need a competent center channel. Surrounds, I'm not so concerned about right now.

I'm open for suggestions, new or used, whatever they may be.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: They are powered by a Denon 3310 and an HSU VTF3MK2 sub if that makes any difference.

 

[its phillip]

I really doubt you'll get much for your polks considering how cheap they get on newegg...why not wait until you have a workable budget? A solid inexpensive speaker choice would be the Infinity P362/363s you mentioned along with the matching PC250/251/350/351 center though.

 

[Jacare]

I really doubt you'll get much for your polks considering how cheap they get on newegg...why not wait until you have a workable budget? A solid inexpensive speaker choice would be the Infinity P362/363s you mentioned along with the matching PC250/251/350/351 center though.

Because that would make too much sense! lol

And true, I probably wont get much for them unfortunately. I paid 300 for the towers used but bought the center new for 300 so I was hoping to get at least most of that back.

I'm mainly just looking for ideas at the moment. I know listening is subjective and everyone has opinions, but I figure you guys know what's good and whats not as far as bang for the buck. I'm sure I'll wait a while longer, this isnt right away.

I was never really sold on infinity because of their tweeters, but that was many years ago and have no idea what they sound like now. They are incredibly cheap an newegg and that worries me for some reason.

 

[Pyrrho]

I can't think of anything more similar to your current speakers than your current speakers. Why do you want to sell what you have and buy something similar?

 

[Jacare]

I can't think of anything more similar to your current speakers than your current speakers. Why do you want to sell what you have and buy something similar?

I just want to try to get a cleaner sound, something. Especially in the highs. The tweeters sound a little 'tinny' to me, but that could also be from not having room treatments. I think I'm just bored of the sound and the upgrade bug has hit once again.

 

[jonnythan]

So you want something substantially better, but you don't want to pay more than you would get by selling your old gear?

Not going to happen, I expect.

 

[j_garcia]

Yep, my question was going to be the same: why would you buy something similar to those if you don't like them? I personally think the Primus line would be an improvement, but if you want to seriously upgrade then I'd wait, save your funds, and audition some speakers first to find out what you really like before buying this time.

 

[Pyrrho]

I just want to try to get a cleaner sound, something. Especially in the highs. The tweeters sound a little 'tinny' to me, but that could also be from not having room treatments. I think I'm just bored of the sound and the upgrade bug has hit once again.

I agree with some others who have already stated that you should save your money and expect to pay substantially more for substantially better speakers.

Often, if one is willing to give up depth of bass and maximum volume, one can get a bookshelf speaker that is higher quality than that money would get in a tower speaker.

To keep my example simple, I will use retail prices and Polk for my example. Compare:

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/rtia/index.php?s=rtia5

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/lsi/index.php?s=lsi7

Those two retail for the same price (within 5 cents), but the first will play louder and give you more bass, but the second is a more refined speaker and will otherwise sound better. The same holds true generally with prices one actually pays, and this is often the case with other brands as well. To some extent, one can narrow the gap in volume by using bass management and adding a subwoofer, but doing that with the tower will also increase its maximum usable volume as well. Obviously, using a good subwoofer can take care of the depth of bass totally, but we are now discussing an added subwoofer, which is more money, but money that can be spent in the future rather than when the original speakers are purchased. Without a subwoofer, the difference is the tower playing louder and having more bass, and the bookshelf speaker being otherwise better sounding, and both are the same amount of money. So which a person should purchase is a question of priorities of such things (though in this specific example, there is also the issue of impedance, as the bookshelf speaker is 4 ohms instead of 8 ohms; I could use this and this for my example to eliminate that issue).

In my case, I use expensive bookshelf speakers for all channels of my surround system, and let my subwoofers deal with the bass. Properly set up, that can sound great and save one money over what it would cost to get the same line of speakers in a tower version, and basically one just gives up some possible volume. Without the subwoofers, one would be giving up significant depth of bass as well.

 

[Jacare]

So you want something substantially better, but you don't want to pay more than you would get by selling your old gear?

Not going to happen, I expect.

No really something substantially better, but comparable with cleaner sound, if thats possible. I saw a thread about this same subject, then another poster (and a mod) suggested that for the same/similar price, that the Infinity Primus P362 is a much better deal/value sound wise for the same money.

I guess thats really the question, for the same amount of $$, is there a competeing product thats better, like the suggested infinitys? I'll have some extra $$ on top of what I sell the polks for, so that helps.

This wont be for a couple months yet, btw, I'm just looking for ideas ahead of time.


EDIT: I knew I left something out: Imaging. My setup has none. That's another thing I'm looking for, is better imaging. I can close my eyes and point to exactly where the sound is coming from and which speaker. I dont know if this is a setup or room correction problem, but that's what i'm looking for also.