TakeItEasy said:
I am looking into purchasing new (upgraded) front speakers (left, right, center) and am looking to spend about $300-500. The room is approximately 17X12 (small) and don't want to go overboard. The speakers will be for general use (i.e., movies, TV, music). I have an old Polk Audio sattelite system and am going to phase them out. That is, replace the fronts first and then get the surrounds.
I have looked into the Kiplish RB-15and Axiom Audio M3Ti and can't seem to hear a difference between the two. I have read about the Onix X-LS on this site and was impressed. Does anyone have experience with these speakers? Are they any good or comparable to the Kiplish and Axiom models? Do you have any other suggestions on models to look at or approach to upgrading my system?
hi there -
I just finished an exhaustive demo of the
Aperion Audio 422c speakers in an LCR arrangement. I bought B Stock, because they arrived in brand new condition and still carry the factory warranty and 30 return (shipping paid) policy. they cost $240 for all three and sound GREAT when used with a decent sub. Aperion has the best customer service out there, period. Also, the build quality is fantastic! the sound is detailed and the midrange is super-tight. Movie performance is excellent, but tey could be a bit more musical, to my ears. So far, these have been the nicest speakers in terms of fit and finish. If you have a smaller room that is carpeted, these sound excellent. I found that they sound better on an Onkyo Reciever than with my Yamaha RX-v2600.
I also did an in-home demo of the Boston Acoustics VR-M60 Bookshelf speakers. I was a HUGE Boston fan, back in the day. I've owned their HD series, their VR series and a subsat system. while the the VR-series sounded excellent, and they match my rear surrounds, their 2.1 channel stereo peformance isn't that much better than then the aperions. They do, however sound very good with my yamaha receiver. I didn't keep these because they are rear ported and I have to place them close to a wall.
I tried the
PSB Alpha Ts as well. Great soundstage, but rear-ported, which does not work for me. the price and service at Saturday Audio Exchange is exceptional. ask for Jay; he'll take care of you. I really liked these speakers; quality is really good, but one of the sides, a knuckle-rap sounded hollow, compared to the Aperions. For less than $500, you can pick-up a pair of small floorstanders and a center channel. check the
Audioholics loudspeaker review page, they did a good shakedown of these.
I also heavily reseached the Canton LE series, which can be had for great prices at
Accessories for Less, with a full factory warranty. I don;t have a local dealer, which killed the deal for me, but the folks at Canton provided killer customer service. You may want to check-out A4L, since they have great deals on speakers from KEF, Canton and Mordurant Short. I was really considering the Mordaunt short floorstanders. they geat great reviews and a supposedly look AMAZING in person, but again, because of a lack of local dealers, I was a little gun shy.
for my home, I ended-up picking the Monitor Audio Bronze B4 from Saturday Audio. they just started clearing-out their whole bronze line. They are an authorized dealer, so the speakers carry a full warranty and the service is awesome as well (Again, ask for Jay, he knows his sh**) Ithe B4 is a small floorstander, but from what I understand, the B2 is a better-sounding speaker and costs a lot less. I really like the Monitor Audio speakers in my home. They sound excellent, with a big soundstage and factory port plug, which allows me to run them as sealed boxes. My cost for the B4 with matching center was less than $600. I'm really impressed with the B4s, they are VERY musical, with just two channel performance and no subwoofer. I'm crossing these speakers over at 40hz when I do use a sub, but for most material, you really don't need one. I'd say that the Monitor Audio speakers are laid back, compared to the Aperions and Bostons, which works well with my hardwood floors.
If the
X-SLS floorstanders from AV 123 were available, I'd definitely give them a go, especially since they get so many recommendations in the forums, but they're still pre-order, so until they actually hit the streets, they are still vaporware to me.
I hope this helps...
-joe
