Speakers to go with an Onkyo TX-SR606

[vantastic]

I'm looking for 2 fronts and a center speaker to go with the receiver I plan to get. I'm looking to spend around $1400 with a subwoofer, so maybe around $900 for the speakers?

They need to be put on a cabinet that's about 2ft tall with 12-ish inches on each side of a TV. I'm thinking about getting bookshelf speakers, but would floorstanding speakers be a viable option if they're on a slightly higher surface? From what i've read i have the impression that a subwoofer isnt necessary with a good set of floorstanding speakers. That could change the budget around because I would have an extra $500 for the speakers.

Here's a picture of the area I plan to put them in:

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Adam]

If it hasn't come up in your other thread (I forget and am too lazy to go look ), one key thing is to go listen to different speakers. Well, have your dad do it because the system is for him, correct? You can order some off of the internet that will let you return them without a restocking fee, and sometimes without any shipping fees. Aperion Audio is a place that I like to recommend - free shipping, 30-day (at least) audition period, and free return shipping if you decide to return them. Crutchfield is another good place with free return shipping. I really like buying from places where there's no risk or commitment. This is assuming that you live in the USA, which I can't remember if you mentioned where you are.

This forum is literally filled with threads about speaker recommendations. Take a look around. You'll see a lot of recommendations for various budgets, but the main key is to audition the speakers for yourself.

EDIT: Oh, and my two cents would be to focus on bookshelf speakers and a sub, and to not put floorstanders on top of that cabinet.

 

[vantastic]

My dad thinks a lot of stuff sounds good. I don't want him to go off and buy a set of expensive speakers impulsively, so I'm helping him out with these..unfortunately I really don't have enough time to order speakers and return them for an audition because I'll be moving out of town in less than 3 weeks. I'm also not that good at criticizing sound without side by side comparisons, mostly because I've never owned a sound system of this caliber and my experience is limited to headphones, which seems like a whole different world than home theater in my opinion.

But, I will try to go to some stores and check out speakers. Are there any recommended brands that I should check out at least? I'm trying to get the most for my (his) money so I want to approach this with more knowledge.

 

[Adam]

Well put. I hope that others can give you some good recommendations. I still think that you'll be able to find brand recommendations with a quick search through the forum. The Infinity Primus line has gotten some good word of mouth around here lately, and I think that Fry's has had them on sale from time to time recently.

If your dad thinks that a lot of stuff sounds good, maybe consider something like this set of Infinity speakers. Just $199 delivered. It's a less expensive option, sure. Depends on if your dad would care about the difference between them and something more expensive. Something potentially nice about that set is that the center channel looks to be pretty low profile, which is something that I think you'll want with that TV.

 

[mazersteven]

I'm looking for 2 fronts and a center speaker to go with the receiver I plan to get. I'm looking to spend around $1400 with a subwoofer, so maybe around $900 for the speakers?

They need to be put on a cabinet that's about 2ft tall with 12-ish inches on each side of a TV.

I'm trying to get the most for my (his) money so I want to approach this with more knowledge.

CMT-340 SE
http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/cmt340m/cmt340m.html

CMT-340 SE CENTER CHANNEL
http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/cmt340c/cmt340c.html

Full magnetic shielding for safe placement next to a TV

 

[surferaudio]

Alot of people In your situation have ended up testing out and swearing by the Ascends as recommended above by Mazer or alot have gone the line of Acculines.

You might want to jump over to the AVS forums for the owners' feedback on their assessment of their acculines. Their budget was less than yours and read their experiences in their own words at http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=900045&page=3

Good luck, If I was in your dad's position - well I wouldn't want to be in your dad's position with only 3 weeks.. It's a tough one but I'd probably go with either Ascend or Acculines.

However, there was a shootout between Ascends and Acculines with blind listeners, The acculines beat out the Ascends and on top of that, the Acculine A1 bookshelf is only $249 so that was a double shock.

 

[Gatsby191]

I had already purchased my Tannoys(Great speakers IMHO), before I had ever gotten the chance to hear an APERION AUDIO set-up. Though my Tannoys SPEAK for themselves in the quality department, after I got the chance to listen to a totally Aperion Audio set up(including subwoofer), I was honestly amazed. They were a bit deeper than my Tannoys, and they didn't have any type of a "break" or "stressing" sound to them when they got pushed hard or while playing at normal levels. Your father will love these I'm sure, and if he finds he doesn't, Aperion will take them back, and eat the shipping. They even offer a trade up service when and if you wish to up-grade. Their speakers and Subs are unbelievably solid too. My Intimus S-12 sub weighs a ton! Oh, I forgot to mention, very affordable too.
Good luck! Joe B.

 

[Nuance AH]

I'm looking for 2 fronts and a center speaker to go with the receiver I plan to get. I'm looking to spend around $1400 with a subwoofer, so maybe around $900 for the speakers?

They need to be put on a cabinet that's about 2ft tall with 12-ish inches on each side of a TV. I'm thinking about getting bookshelf speakers, but would floorstanding speakers be a viable option if they're on a slightly higher surface? From what i've read i have the impression that a subwoofer isnt necessary with a good set of floorstanding speakers. That could change the budget around because I would have an extra $500 for the speakers.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I wouldn't recommend putting towers on that stand. And just because they are "tower" speakers doesn't mean they are full range. Full range technically means they extend very low as well as extending above 20KHz (the point where most human hearing diminishes). Most speakers aren't truly "full range" so a subwoofer is highly recommend in most circumstances. Most speakers, not even the best ones, will not extend down into the high teens. If you watch movies, a sub is certainly a must in my opinion.

Another thing to mention is that, in most cases, the best place for in-room bass response is not the same location for ideal imaging and sound staging. Using a subwoofer combined with bookshelf or floor standing speakers will allow you to experiment with placement and find the ideal location for imaging, sound staging AND in-room bass response.

For the reasons above, and based on your pictures, I highly recommend bookshelf speakers used in combination with a solid subwoofer.

For bookshelf speakers I recommend:

Ascend Sierra-1's
Salk Sound SongSurround I's
Paradigm Studio 20's (used)
Monitor Audio RS1's
B&W 685's
Swan D2.1SE

For floor standing (even though you don't have the space) I recommend:

AV123.com
Monitor Audio RS6's
Vandersteen 1C's
Aperion Audio

Those are just a few suggestions. I highly recommend that you (or your dad or whoever) spend a weekend audition everything and anything in your price range. When you narrow the list down, ask the dealer for an in-home audition to ensure they sound good in your room using your equipment.

For subwoofers check out:

SVS
Epik
Elemental Designs
HSU

I hope that helps.

Happy hunting!