Need Advice

[rumpletskin]

My wife and I just moved into our new home and I was looking to purchase some good satellite speakers to compliment the new Denon AVR 3805 receiver (Just ordered it).
The speakers are for the living room which is around 500 sq ft.
I've heard some good things about the Athena Micra 6 system.
I would appreciate if someone could give me some advice and information on the alternatives out there.

Thanks
Best Regds.
Rumple

 

[Unregistered]

Go for bookshelves!

My wife and I just moved into our new home and I was looking to purchase some good satellite speakers to compliment the new Denon AVR 3805 receiver (Just ordered it).
The speakers are for the living room which is around 500 sq ft.
I've heard some good things about the Athena Micra 6 system.
I would appreciate if someone could give me some advice and information on the alternatives out there.

Thanks
Best Regds.
Rumple

If I were you I would try convicing wifey that satellite speakers are a waste of money, when you can spend the same amount, if not less, on excellent book shelf speakers from some good companies like Athena and Axiom. Seriously, you are spending money on satellites that won't get you anything close to the experience or performance as you would with bookshelf speakers when compared. Since you have a decent receiver, I would suggest you look hard into your options before plunking down $$$$ into satellite speakers. Good luck!

 

[Stefan]

Depending on your budget, a set of Totem bookshelves would match the 3805 really well. These are very small speakers with top-quality sound and they also look very nice with the wood finish. A friend of mine just bought a 3805 plus a set of Totem Rainmakers for the front, a Totem Mite center and Totem Mites for the surrounds. Gorgeous setup with beautiful sound.

Check out: Totem bookshelf speakers

 

[mayor_of_simpleton]

Another vote for bookshelves overs sats

Mr. 'Skin:
Back when I was in your shoes (putting together a new HT under the watchful gaze of my loving spouse), I started out thinking sats & sub, but quickly determined, as mentioned upthread, that those 5.1 systems are just not satisfactory. Especially if you're going to use the system for music as well as HT.

If WAF (wife approval factor) is an issue, there are two things you have to convince her of:

1) The laws of physics and acoustics obviate the use of small satellites. Those little drivers and cabinets simply can't reproduce mid bass. Consequently, there's always going to be a sonic gap between the sats and the sub. This probably won't move her much. AMHIK. But it's a good way of setting up this argument:

2) There are some really handsome bookshelf speakers out there that also sound exceptionally good. And even the smallest bookshelf is worlds better than the typical satellite. Try to think of them as slightly oversize sats.

My personal solution was the Cambridge Soundworks Newton series, in blonde maple (real wood veneer, BTW, not vinyl). Instead of tiny, easy-to-hide plastic cubes, I got relatively full-range speakers that we actually like the looks of, so we don't have to hide them. In my case, I opted for the Newton M60 as mains, the M50 as surrounds, and the MC400 as a CC. (The center comes only in a graphite colored plastic cabinet w/ black grille, but since it goes directly over/under the TV, it matches better than a wood cabinet would.) In a pinch, the M50s would be okay as mains; certainly better than most of those little plastic boxes.

Axiom also makes great-sounding small bookshelf speakers (M2, M3, M22) in a varitey of finishes that might work. You might also take a look at Boston Acoustics CR(?) series. They come in black or white and can mount on the wall or in a corner so they're discreet w/o sacraficing frequency range.

Actually, I don't know anything about the Athena pkg. you mentioned but, FWIW, that Denon really merits a better setup than a typical sub/sat combo. Try to find mains that will get down to at least 80hz.

My two cents. HTH

Roger