New surround sound (cheap)

[PitBull]

Help finding new surround sound (cheap)

Hey everyone. I'm new here and I'm sure there are posts about the same topic I am posting about, but I'm too lazy to search thru all these posts. Anyway...

I'm currently looking at rebuilding a new surround sound for my home and right now I have a 10" Bic America sub with crappy Kenwood surround sound speakers. I'm not looking to replace my sub, but I am looking to replace my Kenwoods. Can anyone recommend a GOOD center channel speaker for UNDER $150 and main speakers (like to find towers) for under $250... maybe $300 tops?

 

[j_garcia]

www.audioadvisor.com Check out the Athenas The C1.2 is $140, but the F2.2 towers are $400 (no more demos or refurbs listed). You could start by buying the B1.2s or 2.2s and using them as mains while you save up for the F2.2s.

 

[johsti]

For $100, nothing can touch the BIC DV62CLRS center channel in that price range. You can also get the BIC DV64 towers for under $250. These are excellent speakers for movies/TV, and with some minor modifications are very respectable with music. Plus they have a 7 year warranty. Do a quick google search on BIC EFE. I personally prefer the way BIC's sound compared to the Athenas, but the Athenas are a little easier on the eyes. Both are great values though.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009WBYL/ref=pd_sbs_e_2/103-7849593-4540642?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=172282


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00011KLOI/ref=pd_sbs_e_1/103-7849593-4540642?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=172282

 

[PitBull]

This is why I am having such a hard time selecting what I want. There are so many different ones and everyone has a different opinion on things. There really isn't much around here that carries any of the mentioned speakers so I don't have a chance to listen to them myself. I know I like my BIC sub, and I've thought about getting the BIC towers, but I've heard the Athenas are excellent choices as well. I do like the BIC for the price though. Can anyone else vouch for the BIC DV64 towers? I'd like to hear from a couple other people.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

This is why I am having such a hard time selecting what I want. There are so many different ones and everyone has a different opinion on things. There really isn't much around here that carries any of the mentioned speakers so I don't have a chance to listen to them myself. I know I like my BIC sub, and I've thought about getting the BIC towers, but I've heard the Athenas are excellent choices as well. I do like the BIC for the price though. Can anyone else vouch for the BIC DV64 towers? I'd like to hear from a couple other people.

I can't vouch for the DV64's, but I can say the DV62 bookshelves are an unbelievable bargain at under $110 a pair. MacManNM took a pair of DV84's into Best Buy and did a direct comparison between similar sized Klipsch Synergy's, and I think the tower Athena's. He preferred the Venturi's over both. I recall the tweeter was much more tame in the BIC's compared to the Athena's, and the imagine better over the Athena's. Hopefully he'll jump in here later on tonight.

You may also consider getting three DV62 CLRs for the front sound stage, and two DV62 bookshelves for the rear.

 

[johsti]

Why don't you try looking up some reviews of the BIC DV-736 which was the predecessor to the DV64. The difference between the two is the 736 had a front port, and the 64 has two passive radiators instead. Other than that, they are the same drivers and tweeters.

http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speakers/floorstanding-speakers/bic-america/PRD_125735_1594crx.aspx

The DV64 is supposed to sound identical with a little bit tighter bass.

In your given price range, I don't know what other good floorstanders are out there. Would you consider used speakers? I've seen some smoking deals on craigslist.org

 

[j_garcia]

The weak point with the Athenas is the tweeter, IMO. Crisp, but a tad too bright, which I've also found with the Energy line (also owned by the same parent company). They could probably tame it by adjusting the x-over just a bit. The midrange is surprisingly good with the Athenas though.

I haven't heard the BICs so I can't comment on them. They look pretty standard for the price; basic and well, cheap (hey can't expect much for that price). This would lead me to believe the crossover is probably crap - which in turn is why the crossover mods make them sound better. The x-over was probably generically chosen based on driver specs and cost in mind, without any serious measurements done to adjust for ideal response (again, can't expect gold for pennies).

 

[PitBull]

Thanks for the help you guys have provided. It looks like I'll probably see what I can afford right now and decide what I really want to do for sure. At this point, it's a toss up for me between the Athenas and BICs. From the sounds of it, I'd be happy either way for the money I'd be spending.