New to surround sound Need help please

[4tide1]

<font color='#000000'>I have just bought a Sony &nbsp;str de885 receiver and am in need of some advice on a surround sound speaker system. At this this time and want to keep the price down. I would like to keep the range from 250.00 up to 350.00. I have been looking at a few systems, polk rm6000 , jbl scs135si , kilpsch quintet and the cerwin vega avs632. My room size is about 15x15 with a vaulted ceiling. Any ideas or help would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks
Ronnie</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>Check out CNET's reveiw of the following Onkyo speakers. I would strongly consider them. They seem to have excellent performance and the price hovers around $300. I think you can find them at Circuit City.

Model: Onkyo SKS-HT500

http://electronics.cnet.com/electro....tl-list</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>First of all, keep in mind that a surround sound speaker system consists of 6 speakers--2 front, 1 center, 2 rear, 1 subwoofer. $350 averages out to less than $60 per speaker. You will find that fidelity is less than wonderful at that price, and so is output level. The output level is a real consideration, especially considering your vaulted ceiling, which increases the size of your room.

I would seriously consider doing it in stages, if money is a big issue. Get your front and center speakers first, then add the rear surrounds and sub later. If you absolutely must have a complete system immediately, of the choices you're considering I'd go for the Polks. They, at least, have a reputation for making decent inexpensive speakers. The others really don't. Neither does Onkyo, the previous post notwithstanding, although they do make some killer cheap electronics.</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>From what I have noticed, the reviewers at CNET evalute a wide variety of speaker brands (Infinity, Polk Audio,  Klipsch, JBL, etc). Based on 4tide1's requirements ,specifically low cost with as little sacrifice in sound as possible, the Onkyo speakers suggested seemed like a logical choice. They should at least be considered an option. Of course, if overall cost is not a factor there is a whole slew of options.

Per the article at CNET's web site CNET article:.

&quot;Ultracompact speaker systems may be all the rage, but the good ones always wind up costing a not so small bundle: $750 to $1,000. Why? Because it takes good engineers and fancy technology to eke out every last bit of sound from tiny speakers. But remove the size constraints, and it's a whole new ball game. Case in point: Onkyo's SKS-HT500 sub/sat system, which delivers excellent sound from midsized speakers for a remarkably low price.&quot;

As we know with booze speakers (spelling altered by forum for some reason?), high cost and brand name doesn't always gaurentee a worthy product.</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>I agree with Greg that high cost and brand name doesn't always guarantee a worthy product. And yes, by all means audition the Onkyo system. Listening, particularly with different types of program material, is the best way to decide.

I don't agree with Steve Guttenberg's statement in the CNET review that &quot;it takes good engineers and fancy technology to eke out every last bit of sound from tiny speakers. But remove the size constraints, and it's a whole new ball game.&quot; If Onkyo has &quot;good engineers and fancy technology&quot; in their speaker design team, then they should be able to make good smaller speakers. If they don't have those assets, then they won't be able to make good larger speakers, either.

You may want to read the user reviews at CNET:
http://electronics.cnet.com/electro....=subnav . I found it interesting that among the people who raved about the Onkyos, the most common comparsion they made was to B0SE. I am quite willing to believe that Onkyo makes better speakers than B0SE.</font>