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Upgrade Front Speakers

post #1 of 13
10/10/09 at 1:15pm
Thread Starter 
I will be upgrading my front speakers soon. I have Bose Acoustamas right now. I have my choices narrowed down to 4. 
1) Infinity Primus 362 & PC 350 center
2) Yamaha  NS-555 & C-444 center
3) BIC Acoustech PL-76 & PL26 center
4) Polk Audio Monitor 70 & CS-2 center
I have a Denon AVR 789 receiver and I plan on adding a subwoofer at some time.
The room is 16' X  13'.
Any comments will be appreciated.
 
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post #2 of 13
10/10/09 at 4:34pm
The best ones on your list are the ones you like best.   Listen to as many as possible and choose the ones you like.

For the sub, check out internet direct companies like SVS and HSU.
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post #3 of 13
10/10/09 at 11:06pm
Just a little FYI.  For the next few days you can get a pair of Polk Monitor 70s and the CS2 from Newegg.com for under $500 shipped.  I'm guessing you know they are discontinued.  Nice speakers though.  All sales are final on those.  No returns.
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post #4 of 13
10/11/09 at 9:26am

 If it were me, I'd get the Infinity's. To me they have a softer, warmer sound that I prefer. Polk's, Yamaha's and BIC's are generally a bit brighter but you may have a different opinion on this.
 
For those on a tighter budget, TheNerds.com has the Boston CS225CB center for $79.99 and the CS226B towers for only $117.99 each. The CS26B 6" bookshelves for $69.99 or the CS23B for $57.99 would make decent surrounds. And shipping is only $9.99 per order this weekend only! So you could get the towers and a center for $318 shipped. All 5 for <$450 shipped. Only thing is the towers and CS23 surrounds are only available in cherry and all sales are final so make sure you really want them. Amazon has the CS23 in black for $60.99 each  but shipping is extra. These aren't the best speakers by any means but for that price they ain't that bad.

 

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post #5 of 13
10/12/09 at 1:35pm
Thread Starter 
The Monitor 70's at Newegg look tempting. I'm not sure if my receiver has enough power at 90 watts per channel.
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post #6 of 13
10/12/09 at 5:05pm
Polks are pretty efficient speakers. It shouldn't take a whole lot of power to play them fairly loud, especially with a sub easing the strain. I had some RTi8's for a while powered by a 75 wpc H/K and they could get as loud as I needed them to get. You can get a lot for your money buying things on closeout.
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post #7 of 13
10/13/09 at 1:15pm
Tony, you are making a common mistake. As a general rule, larger speakers are more efficiant and therefore require less power to play loud.  As Gene said, add a good sub now or later, set it up properly (most people cross them over at too low a frequency to get maximum benefit) and you really reduce the load on the amp.  I've been resisting the Monitor 70 deal myself for some living room speakers.
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post #8 of 13
10/13/09 at 1:32pm
I have the monitor 70's and the CS2 center. You can't go wrong with those especially at that price! I'm powering mine with an Onkyo TX705 and they sound awesome.  Just don't skimp on the sub, I have 2 Velodynes but will be getting an SVS soon. I've had Infinity's and Polk is a much better speaker IMO. Good luck keep us posted.
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post #9 of 13
10/13/09 at 4:19pm
Thread Starter 
I went to BB today and listened to some speakers. I listened to some Polks and Klipsch. I know the Polks were different models(TSI's)  than the Monitors. I liked the sound of the horn tweeter in the Klipsch a tad better but not by much. It wouldn't be a deal breaker.  Does anyone know how the BIC's are compared to the Klipsch's are they similar in sound and build quality since they have a horn tweeter?  Is that something I shouldn't get too hung up on?  
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post #10 of 13
10/13/09 at 4:32pm
You should listen to speakers somewhere other than BB.  For a good demo, you should listen with your material (something you are familiar with) and listen for longer than a few minutes.  I like the sound of Klipsch at first, but after 15 - 30 minutes I tend to get fatigued.  I'm not saying don't get horns, just make sure you really like them before you buy....
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post #11 of 13
10/14/09 at 3:22pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks to everyone for their advice. I just ordered the Monitor 70's on Newegg. I will be ordering the CS2 from Amazon, I have some certificates I can use. I'll probably be posting  soon for subwoofer advice. Thanks again. 
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post #12 of 13
10/14/09 at 4:56pm
I really do think those Monitor 70s are quite a deal on the NewEgg sale.  I keep resisting getting a pair myself, which I absolutely don't need, because they would just go in the living room for the whole house music system.  The current sale on those ends tomorrow...
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post #13 of 13
10/15/09 at 5:30pm
You should first arrange a local audition for very speaker of your list. The speaker that sounds best FOR YOU is most probably the speaker to buy. Also it would be great if you could audition the speakers with the gear you already have. Lastly, make sure that the speakers you audit are not brand new. Some speakers require some time in order to maximize their performance. Have tried listening to Monitor Audios Bronze series?? They are great value for money and sound good too.....
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