Best bookshelf for under 200 dollars? (1 Viewer)

[DonH]

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Don,
Acoustic Research Hi-Res Series AR15 Bookshelfs for $208.00
at http://www.etronics.com
Brett DiMichele
My Home Theater Site!
[email protected]

 

[Saurav]

I believe Circuit City is selling the Polk RT25i for $99/each. I don't know if this is restricted to a certain region in the country. I have no experience with these speakers, but for $200 they should be worth a listen, in addition to Brett's suggestion above.

 

[Danny Tse]

Good Guys has the Polk Audio RT25i at $199.95/pair with no shipping and tax. And they are authorized internet dealer. I believe you can still return them within 30 days if you don't like them. These are one of the biggest audio bargains out there. Definitely give them a try.

 

[Len Cheong]

Recently, Stereophile Guide and Sound and Vision published a bookshelf matchoff. Monitor Audio Bronze 1 speakers came out very well rated in both reviews.

 

[BrianKM]

I'd probably go with Norh 3.0s for $150 shipped.

 

[NathanP]

B&W DM303's !!!

 

[Marcelo T]

JBL s26. Can be found on etronics for under 200 bucks. Great speaker.

 

[MatthewJ S]

everyone hears differantly/puts differant emphasis on certain parts of the spectrum of sound...Demo as many as you can in an A/B situation...same source,same amp,same room,same demo material,etc.....I know that one dealer is NOT going to have all the possible speakers you would like to hear,but I at least like to do A vs. B ,pick one(B) ,go to a dealer that has B and C and D, compare to C and D , prefer D , go to dealer that has D, E and F , still prefer D ,take home listen ....

 

[Kendal Kirk]

If you have any patience for a 2-3 hour DIY project, this looks like a great option.
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/uub/...ML/003839.html

 

[Vietor]

For $200 don't forget to look at the Paradigm Titans, definantly worth a listen. As has been said, listen to as much as you can, the wider a range of speakers you listen to, the better.

 

[CalvinC]

PSB Alpha Mini's, I have these in HT setup and thy really rock for the price. I also have the PSB subsonic 5 sub the two together sound really good.

 

[Jeff Aguilar]

For two hundred dollars, I would check out Home Theater Direct.com . I recomended these to a friend and they do sound very good. For the price and the return policy they are hard to beat. The Level III speakers are here.
I have the Level II outdoor speakers and 4 sets of Level III inwall speakers throughout my home.
Jeff
[Edited last by Jeff Aguilar on November 13, 2001 at 02:58 PM]

 

[SamRoza]

I second the JBL S26s and I'd also like to throw in the JBL N26s... www.soundpros.com has them for $210 and $185, respectively.
Sam

 

[Andy F]

I also suggest the paradigm titans. They are superior in every way to the Boston Acoustics CR8's that i had originally purchased. $120 less too. Bu tofcourse, listen to as much as possible before you buy. We are all biased towards one pair of speakers.

 

[John Garcia]

I also recommend Titans. I got mine for $206 out the door. I was so pleased with them, I now have 6 of them.
------------------
All progress is based upon a universal, innate desire on the part of every organism,
to live beyond it's income.
ITRCA ** Link Removed (sorry, car guy)

 

[BryanZ]

For the price, I'd have to say the nOrh 3.0s (either the drums or Prisms) would have to be at the top of my list. Others to look at include the Paradigm Titans and HTD Level III mains.

 

[DonH]

Thank you all for your posts. Unfortunately I am not near anywhere I can go to listen at a store, so I am forced to play it blind and have some speakers shipped to me. From all of the reviews I have read, I think I have it narrowed down to The Polk RT25i and the JBL S38. I suppose I am willing to go up to 300 dollars shipped. Even floor standing might work for me if I can find some decent ones in this price range. Anyone here have any opinions on the 2 speakers I mentioned or any floor standing under 300 that would be better? I am narrowing it down. Thanks.

 

[Saurav]

If you're looking for sound quality over visual impact, I'd recommend sticking with bookshelves in that price range. Have you budgeted anything for good stands? It could make quite a difference to the sound of the speaker. You should be able to find decent stands for about $50 - make sure they're rigid, heavy if possible, with spikes on the bottom (unless you have hardwood floors) and rubber pads on top for putting the speaker on. If a stand satisfies these requirements, it should work pretty well.
For $300, you could get B&W and Paradigm bookshelves. IMO they're quite a bit better than the JBL, I haven't heard the Polk so I can't comment on that. I don't know if you could get these for $300 shipped though.

 

[DonH]

Well... unfortunately I just moved into a small loft with CEMENT floors, so I have no idea what to do about the stand issue. Also, I am sort of an idiot, in that because I was moving into this small loft and wanted a surround system, I purchased the Energy Take 5.2 system with the S8 sub... but have found that I don't really have the room for it all. Before I did this, the genius I am, I sold a set of Paradigm Mini Monitors as well as a set of Titans and a CC-170 center and a PDR sub, because i KNEW all of that would be too large for the place. How badly do I wish I had not sold the Mini-Monitors? I loved those things, but don't want to pay their price really. As I remember they were more than the 300 MAX I am hoping to spend... oh.. and I did also sell an great set of speaker stands. Kind of regret that too.