That was quick... need help selecting entry level (<$300) speakers

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C

collegeaudio

Audioholic
Well, I went from looking at a $100 price max to a $350 price max in a matter of days. I grabbed a Sony STR-DB940 5.1 receiver for $50, as it seemed like it had plenty of power and the functionality that I needed (HDMI anything is not in the books for awhile). For $10 I grabbed a pair of his Realistic Nova 18's as well, knowing they would be crap but at least it gives me something to listen to during the buying phase. They are total crap and I actually just ripped out all of the foam from around the woofer because it was tearing and making a hideous slapping noise against the rim. Imagine the sound now. :eek:

So, I've increased my budget to $300 for a pair of nice speakers. Well under $300 is preferred if it becomes a bang for the buck issue. Either bookshelf or tower are fine, size is not a problem. The plan is the add a sub after I get these and then move up from there if I find the money to do so.

Some that I've been looking at after checking out various threads on here include:

Cambridge Audio S30
CBM 170SE
Infinity P162/P163s
KEF IQ30


Thoughts on these, any other recommendations?



Specs of the receiver:
• Dolby Digital, DTS, and Pro Logic decoding
• 110 watts x 5 into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.09% THD
• Learning/multibrand 2-way LCD remote with macro capability
• On-screen graphical user interface (direct video input required on TV)
• 4 digital inputs (3 optical, 1 coaxial)
• Optical digital output
• 5.1-channel input
• Stereo "analog direct" mode
• 4 audio, 5 A/V (including 4 S-video and 1 front-panel) inputs
• Preamp outputs for all channels
• Binding posts for all speakers
• Aluminum front panel
• Large filter capacitors, power supply, and output transistors
• Separate processors for Dolby Digital/DTS (24-bit) & Digital Cinema Sound (32-bit)
• 30 AM/FM presets
• 2 subwoofer outputs
• 2 zone audio capability
• 17"W x 6-3/8"H x 16-1/2"D
 
Crackerballer

Crackerballer

Senior Audioholic
collegeaudio said:
Well, I went from looking at a $100 price max to a $350 price max in a matter of days. I grabbed a Sony STR-DB940 5.1 receiver for $50, as it seemed like it had plenty of power and the functionality that I needed (HDMI anything is not in the books for awhile). For $10 I grabbed a pair of his Realistic Nova 18's as well, knowing they would be crap but at least it gives me something to listen to during the buying phase. They are total crap and I actually just ripped out all of the foam from around the woofer because it was tearing and making a hideous slapping noise against the rim. Imagine the sound now. :eek:

So, I've increased my budget to $300 for a pair of nice speakers. Well under $300 is preferred if it becomes a bang for the buck issue. Either bookshelf or tower are fine, size is not a problem. The plan is the add a sub after I get these and then move up from there if I find the money to do so.

Some that I've been looking at after checking out various threads on here include:

Cambridge Audio S30
CBM 170SE
Infinity P162/P163s
KEF IQ30


Thoughts on these, any other recommendations?



Specs of the receiver:
• Dolby Digital, DTS, and Pro Logic decoding
• 110 watts x 5 into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.09% THD
• Learning/multibrand 2-way LCD remote with macro capability
• On-screen graphical user interface (direct video input required on TV)
• 4 digital inputs (3 optical, 1 coaxial)
• Optical digital output
• 5.1-channel input
• Stereo "analog direct" mode
• 4 audio, 5 A/V (including 4 S-video and 1 front-panel) inputs
• Preamp outputs for all channels
• Binding posts for all speakers
• Aluminum front panel
• Large filter capacitors, power supply, and output transistors
• Separate processors for Dolby Digital/DTS (24-bit) & Digital Cinema Sound (32-bit)
• 30 AM/FM presets
• 2 subwoofer outputs
• 2 zone audio capability
• 17"W x 6-3/8"H x 16-1/2"D
Click to expand...
Be smart and wait for the Monitor 70 Polks or Infinity Primus P363s to go back to $150 each. That will cover you for a long time, if the Sony can drive them.
 
gmichael

gmichael

Audioholic Spartan
Crackerballer said:
Be smart and wait for the Monitor 70 Polks or Infinity Primus P363s to go back to $150 each. That will cover you for a long time, if the Sony can drive them.
Click to expand...
They Primus P363's are around 93db. I'm sure his sony would drive them fine.
The P162/163's would be OK, but wouldn't hae the bass or output of the P363's.
The KEF's are very nice, but I've read that they need good amps to sound their best.
 
C

collegeaudio

Audioholic
Crackerballer said:
Be smart and wait for the Monitor 70 Polks or Infinity Primus P363s to go back to $150 each. That will cover you for a long time, if the Sony can drive them.
Click to expand...
I'm all for waiting for good deals, but is this something that can actually be counted on/happens fairly regularly?

gmichael said:
They Primus P363's are around 93db. I'm sure his sony would drive them fine.
The P162/163's would be OK, but wouldn't hae the bass or output of the P363's.
The KEF's are very nice, but I've read that they need good amps to sound their best.
Click to expand...
Would pairing the P162/163's with a budget (read: cheap) amp such as this Polk (http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-10-Inch-Monitor-Subwoofer/dp/B0002KVQBA) make up for the low end?
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
Yes, that sub can fill in a little, but it isn't a quality sub even at that price. For the sub read this:http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/loudspeakers/76961-budget-subs.html

For speakers also look at:

Behringer B2030P Passive Studio Monitor at zZounds

http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Audioengine-P4#faq

The Ascend CBM170SE is a fine speaker though it will benefit from a sub, as will most of these including the two I listed. Polk Monitors would not be on my list.

I hate Sony receivers, but for $50, you probably can't beat that.
 
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C

collegeaudio

Audioholic
j_garcia said:
Yes, that sub can fill in a little, but it isn't a quality sub even at that price. For the sub read this:http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/loudspeakers/76961-budget-subs.html

For speakers also look at:

Behringer B2030P Passive Studio Monitor at zZounds

Audioengine P4 (AP4) Premium Passive Bookshelf Speakers

The Ascend CBM170SE is a fine speaker though it will benefit from a sub, as will most of these including the two I listed. Polk Monitors would not be on my list.

I hate Sony receivers, but for $50, you probably can't beat that.
Click to expand...
I noticed a few that went for more than $50, so I'm not complaining. Thanks for those links. I'm all for cheaper speakers if it means I can afford a better sub for a better range overall. Are you just not a fan of Polk? I am new with speaker brands, so most mean little to me.
 
afterlife2

afterlife2

Audioholic Warlord
I got the P162's new recently and I love them. I'm still building my own 5.1. I've seen these mentioned alot and they are suppose to be a good budget deal: Dayton Audio B652 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker Pair 300-652 Maybe you can get 4 of them if you don't get the P162/P163.
Woofer wise I might get the Outlaw M8. I would love to hear from a owner of the M8 if possible?
 
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zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
Last edited:
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
collegeaudio said:
I noticed a few that went for more than $50, so I'm not complaining. Thanks for those links. I'm all for cheaper speakers if it means I can afford a better sub for a better range overall. Are you just not a fan of Polk? I am new with speaker brands, so most mean little to me.
Click to expand...
I am not a huge fan of Polk, but they aren't junk. It is just their lower end stuff isn't that great for the price. IMO, if it isn't the RTiA or LSi, LSI-M line, they just aren't as good as other offerings (such as Infinity) at around the same price. It is pretty tough to beat the Infinity Primus line for budget speakers, but at ~$300 there are quite a few solid choices as you can see.

I've owned that Polk sub, so I can speak from first hand experience and say that for around $100-200 you can do better.
 
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B

bikemig

Audioholic Chief
For a pair of bookshelf speakers for $300, I'd take a serious look at the PSB Alpha B1. If you want to save some money on them, check out Saturday Audio which sells manufacturer refurbished PSB speakers. You can pick up the Alpha B1 for $240.

For a pair of monitors and sub, the NHT superzeros and super 8 sub are a good combo; it runs $500 direct from NHT (you save $50 if you buy the combo).
 
C

collegeaudio

Audioholic
I appreciate all the responses here. Ive "narrowed" it down to about 4 or 5, in the mean time picked up a pair of those Daytons for $40 shipped from Amazon. With free return shipping I couldn't go wrong.

I was scouring craigslist for a sub and found a PSB Alpha Subsonic 5, which might be worth looking into?

Home Theater equipment
 
Matt34

Matt34

Moderator
I second the behringers. Also look on the used market for some av123 Xl-s bookshelves, preferably the encore version.

Pair them with the cheap sherwood 8" sub on amazon and you will have a decent setup for under $300.
 
C

collegeaudio

Audioholic
afterlife2 said:
Cool let me know how you like them.
Click to expand...
Quite honestly, I'm very impressed. They have a very acceptable mid range, with the only noticeable problems at the ultra highs and lows. The bass is a little bit lackluster and the highs don't have the crispness of some higher end speakers, but they really are very nice for $40 shipped. I'm definitely keeping them and using them as surrounds when I order my main pair. They're smaller than I thought they would be, although I could have solved that problem by actually reading the specifications. They sound much bigger than they are. They are fairly directional.

I'm very satisfied. Apparently there is a mod you can do for about $7/piece that improves them a great deal. I'm looking into that.
 
afterlife2

afterlife2

Audioholic Warlord
That sounds great I'm glad you like them. They've been recomm alot. Let us know how the mods go. I may pick them up later on.
 
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