Hi Alex,
Me and many others think Klipsch speakers have a rather "forward" overall sound quality (and not just the mids & highs but even their bass output has lots of punch [Cerwin-Vegas share this design goal], though to accomplish this without raising the price, depth of bass is sacrificed when compared to other speaker brands of similar size). So while *I* like most of their products especially the Reference & Heritage series, most people either 1) think they sound great or 2) others are totally turned off.
Also, like most horn-loaded speakers, they are quite merciless when it comes to revealing flaws in recordings so badly recorded CDs, MP3 files (i.e. really low bitrate) or vinyl can drive a person nuts. So if you also listen to a lot of music, then I would REALLY make sure to audition them for at least 20 minutes or 2 to 3 full tracks from your favorite CD, not an "audiophile" CD or one the salesperson provides but a CD you regularly listen to.
I also like Definitive's speakers, and while they are bit on the bright side they don't have that shrill and irritating quality so many "accurate" speakers have..........and that includes Polk Audio. I don't like Polks at all: to my ears they are too bright and "dry" and only well-recorded music sounds good through them (unfortunately most rock, pop and ska music - what I listen to - is not always recorded all that well). Movie soundtracks on the other hand should be fine with them, partly because soundtracks aren't continuous in nature like music is.
If you do happen to choose a Bose speaker, I would go with the 201 instead. That's because the 301 includes a second rear-mounted tweeter that faces out at an angle and if the speaker is not positioned just right (tricky to do even in a large living room) that will negate the reason it's placed there which is to provide some reflected sound. Plus, since the 301's redesign a couple years ago IMO its bass output has become a bit too boomy for my taste. But overall, while a bit overpriced I think it sounds decent and while its high frequency output is not "tinkly" clear like so many other modern speakers which seem to be striving to be studio monitors, unlike those same speakers they aren't overly analytical & fatiguing to listen to with most rock & pop music.*
And just like most other loudspeakers with 6.5" woofers crossed over at the standard 80Hz, the 201s should have no problem properly reproducing frequencies all the way down to that point. In my opinion & based on personal experimentation with speakers with 5.25" and 8" woofers, those tiny satellites out there with (for example) one or two 3 inch "woofers" cannot do justice to music/movie effects in the 80Hz region. I believe this is why so many such systems sound thin and weak, especially with music, no matter how good the subwoofer is. ---> Actually, my personal minimum woofer size for a satellite is 6.5" or a really good 5.25". All my sats use 8" woofers.
BTW personally I would stay away from their Acoustimass series. The only speakers I like from Bose are the 201, 301 and 901.
What sub to use in a 9 x 10ft room? Personally I wouldn't use anything larger than one with a 10" woofer. I've heard 12" subs rattle that crap out of windows in 16 x 20ft rooms!
Multiple subs? Jeez, setting up just ONE sub in a room can be (excuse my slang) a major b*tch. So multiple subs can have you pulling your hair out, unless they are stacked together. So I agree with others here that 1 is plenty, especially for a small room like that.
* this will offend some people but it actually takes skill to design a speaker that doesn't have any irritating qualities. So while I think Bose may lack super-revealing high frequencies and ultra-clean tight bass, at least they are easy to "get along with".
Me and many others think Klipsch speakers have a rather "forward" overall sound quality (and not just the mids & highs but even their bass output has lots of punch [Cerwin-Vegas share this design goal], though to accomplish this without raising the price, depth of bass is sacrificed when compared to other speaker brands of similar size). So while *I* like most of their products especially the Reference & Heritage series, most people either 1) think they sound great or 2) others are totally turned off.
Also, like most horn-loaded speakers, they are quite merciless when it comes to revealing flaws in recordings so badly recorded CDs, MP3 files (i.e. really low bitrate) or vinyl can drive a person nuts. So if you also listen to a lot of music, then I would REALLY make sure to audition them for at least 20 minutes or 2 to 3 full tracks from your favorite CD, not an "audiophile" CD or one the salesperson provides but a CD you regularly listen to.
I also like Definitive's speakers, and while they are bit on the bright side they don't have that shrill and irritating quality so many "accurate" speakers have..........and that includes Polk Audio. I don't like Polks at all: to my ears they are too bright and "dry" and only well-recorded music sounds good through them (unfortunately most rock, pop and ska music - what I listen to - is not always recorded all that well). Movie soundtracks on the other hand should be fine with them, partly because soundtracks aren't continuous in nature like music is.
If you do happen to choose a Bose speaker, I would go with the 201 instead. That's because the 301 includes a second rear-mounted tweeter that faces out at an angle and if the speaker is not positioned just right (tricky to do even in a large living room) that will negate the reason it's placed there which is to provide some reflected sound. Plus, since the 301's redesign a couple years ago IMO its bass output has become a bit too boomy for my taste. But overall, while a bit overpriced I think it sounds decent and while its high frequency output is not "tinkly" clear like so many other modern speakers which seem to be striving to be studio monitors, unlike those same speakers they aren't overly analytical & fatiguing to listen to with most rock & pop music.*
And just like most other loudspeakers with 6.5" woofers crossed over at the standard 80Hz, the 201s should have no problem properly reproducing frequencies all the way down to that point. In my opinion & based on personal experimentation with speakers with 5.25" and 8" woofers, those tiny satellites out there with (for example) one or two 3 inch "woofers" cannot do justice to music/movie effects in the 80Hz region. I believe this is why so many such systems sound thin and weak, especially with music, no matter how good the subwoofer is. ---> Actually, my personal minimum woofer size for a satellite is 6.5" or a really good 5.25". All my sats use 8" woofers.
BTW personally I would stay away from their Acoustimass series. The only speakers I like from Bose are the 201, 301 and 901.
What sub to use in a 9 x 10ft room? Personally I wouldn't use anything larger than one with a 10" woofer. I've heard 12" subs rattle that crap out of windows in 16 x 20ft rooms!
Multiple subs? Jeez, setting up just ONE sub in a room can be (excuse my slang) a major b*tch. So multiple subs can have you pulling your hair out, unless they are stacked together. So I agree with others here that 1 is plenty, especially for a small room like that.
* this will offend some people but it actually takes skill to design a speaker that doesn't have any irritating qualities. So while I think Bose may lack super-revealing high frequencies and ultra-clean tight bass, at least they are easy to "get along with".
