Newbie Speaker Help

[rr2465]

Yes, I'm new to the audiophile world. I have an old Technics receiver from the 70's that was connected to 2 Paradigm Titans and some outdoor speakers. My wife just bought me a sweet Harmon-Kardon AVR 235 that I'd like to use for DVD surround etc. So I want to know what you all recommend in the way of some good speakers that will go along with my Paradigms and the AVR 235. I'm hoping for a center speaker along with 2 more bookshelf-size speakers ( to fit the room ). I found a set (center+ 2 sides) from Sony: SSCR350H.

Any opinions/recommendations? Is there anything that I can get in the $2-300 range? How risky is it to get an additional pair of Paradigms on eBay?

Thanks in advance,

Rob

 

[miklorsmith]

Epos ELS-3 is a multiple award-winner and a true gem in your price range.

Ebay can be great, or not so much. Depends on who you're doing business with. Same with Audiogon, which has a much better selection. With older stuff, you have no idea what you're buying and probably neither does the seller. Something that works great today but has 20 years of service probably is a ticking bomb. Promises of "works perfectly" and "mint condition" are thrown around casually (and innocently) and might not be indicative of the future.

In general, I'm against mainstream Japanese speakers. This is a personal bias, based on my experience only, which is that I've never heard a pair that sounded any good.

Have fun!