Def Tech ProCinema 80 and 100 (1 Viewer)

[Joe*C]

Hi guys,
I'm looking to upgrade my front 3 speakers (time to get rid of the speakers that came with my Kenwood HTB-503!). I can only spend up to $500 and the speakers that have caught my attention are the Def Tech ProCinema 80 and 100. I really like the look of these, but haven't had a chance to listen to them yet (hard to find a retailer here in NJ...don't like the pushy salesguys at 6th Ave too much). Can anyone who owns or has listened to these let me know your thoughts? I'm looking into the following:

1 ProCenter 100 and 2 ProMonitor 80's
OR
1 ProCenter C2 and 2 ProMonitor 100's.

The second option would need to be purchased via ebay to make the budget work, so I would prefer the first option if those speakers sound good. I also prefer the smaller size of the first option, but not at a severely reduced quality level. BTW, my room is 10' x 12".

Thanks for any advice you might offer!

 

[John Garcia]

Honestly, I listened to both the 80s and 100s, and I wasn't impressed with them with music. They are clear, but lack good lower midrange to be convincing, and I could hear the resonance of the plastic enclosures. With a decent sub and a high x-over, I think they'd do OK for movies.

For $500, I'd consider offerings from Paradigm (Titans or Focus + CC170 or 270), Axiom (M3Ti + VP100), or 3 Ascend Acoustics CBM-170s. Of those, the 170s are the smallest, and will easily give you better sound than the DefTechs.