Floor standing - HT Ready - $400

[denisl]

Well, I guess I officially have the bug (and a budget). I'm obsessed like I was with my highschool girlfriend..

I have $400 to spend on floor standing speakers. Before about 40 hours of reading posts I really didn't realize the planning needed when building a HT setup. I figured any good set of frot loudspeakers would work with a future HT setup... wrong. I learned about something called timber matching.

So, here's what I'm looking for:

1. Floor standing front speakers - 50% music (rock), 50% movies
2. Will work well with a future "timber matched" center
3. The smallest center speaker as possible. My 42" plasma is on a plasma console, not on the wall and the center would likely be in front of the plasma so it cant be too high where it is in front of the screen.
4. ~$400

I was very intersted in the BIC's but the center is the same size as the L/R and would be too big. If a low profile center does not exist that will not give me a good sound stage then I'll have to raise my plasma, which I don't want to do (unless I absolutely have to).

Receiver will be either an AVR-235 or Panny XR55 - probably the 235 for the sync delay feature.

Thanks for your advise.

 

[mfabien]

How about planning to have a shelf installed over the plasma to house the Center Channel?

A Center Channel is very important in a surround sound configuration and if you don't have 5.5" clearance in height below the plasma, you will be limiting yourself in selecting front speakers.

 

[denisl]

That's a great idea. I didn't want to wall mount the plasma because this is a temporary home and mounting a TV on the wall would hurt the resale of the house (since I'm taking the TV with me).

A shelf is a cheap, temporary and simple solution. Thanks for the advise.

Okay - now that the size of the center channel speaker is no longer a problem.. Any recommendation?

I'm leaning towards the BICS but I'm kind of reluctant after reading the emal attachment in THIS thread where Ed Frias talks about brand new BIC speakers failing to meet advertised specifications right out of the box, hence his "EFE" modification. And, I would be leaning towards the DV-84 which Ed Frias will not touch...

Help.