HT Speaker Purchase Advice <$350 - $400

[tzano]

Hello,

I'm helping a friend with her first time home audio setup - she just bought a 46" LCD and now needs sound. She was thinking about a soundbar but I've convinced to her take my old receiver and spend money on speakers instead.

I haven't been in the speaker purchasing realm for awhile so I wanted to get recommendations. She has a bunch of gift cards from Best Buy so something from there would be ideal - I know that puts on a huge restriction so we can certainly go outside of the bounds of BB.

Details:
- Sound Usage: TV/Movies/Music - Pop, Light Rock
- Location: Apartment - Open floor plan of kitchen, dining room, living, though still a small place. Viewing distance from TV to couch is ~13'
- Probably 5.1, maybe 3.1 or should we just go 2.1 with a phantom center and build from there?
- ~$300-$400 price range (if its lower, that's great too). She has ~$140 in BB gift cards

I quickly looked at one or two items:
- Klipsch - Quintet 5-Channel Home Theater Speaker System
(no sub, but does she need it in an apartment?)
- Harman - Infinity 5.1-Ch. Home Theater Speaker System

Or... if there is something not from Best Buy and I tell her to save her gift cards, what would you recommend?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[zieglj01]

Go to Crutchfield.com and look at the Infinity P252 tower speakers
and the PC250 center speaker. This is a good way to start a 3.0
system. If she is not bass crazy - then she will be fine. Go to
Best Buy and buy the Polk T15 speakers for the surrounds and
your speaker cable with the Gift cards for a surround experience.

 

[tzano]

Go to Crutchfield.com and look at the Infinity P252 tower speakers
and the PC250 center speaker. This is a good way to start a 3.0
system. If she is not bass crazy - then she will be fine. Go to
Best Buy and buy the Polk T15 speakers for the surrounds and
your speaker cable with the Gift cards for a surround experience.

Thanks for your response. I'll try and find a place to listen to the P252's but reading on these forums it sounds like they're very popular.

Any other suggestions? If she doesn't care for the big bulk of floor standing speakers, any recommendations on smaller speakers?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Very small budget, but instead of 3.0 i'd rec going 2.1
For the budget pair of Polks TSI100 and Dayton Sub-120 is a good start (If Best Buy is must use)
p.s: Polks come in black & cherry for same $200/pr
Sub here:
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-635

Polks could be reused as surrounds later-on

 

[zieglj01]

Crutchfield also has the Infinity bookshelf speakers at a great
price. This will save her some more money. You can stiil use
the BB gift cards for surrounds and cable. As BoredSysAdmin
said, the TSI100 can be an option. I like Infinity better - just
my 2 cents.