Need info on speaker setup (1 Viewer)

[Justin Ward]

As you guys recommended I have been searching the local used audio market. I saw an ad in a local trading magazine with this description "Pioneer Center and rear surround speakers, 100 watts, new in box". All for $100 CAD. I called the seller and he said they are model CRS-159. Does anyone have any info on these speakers? Also, if I bought these speakers and a reciever could I use my 60 watt mini-system speakers as fronts temporarily? or would a 100 watt amp destroy them, I should include that the mini-systems speakers have an impedance of 6 ohms and have 6.5 inch woofers.

 

[John Garcia]

I couldn't find anything on them either, but I am guessing they are inexpensive center/surround packages similar to what comes with HTiBs, that are not very high quality. On a tight budget, they will likely do just fine.
Will a 100W amp kill your mini system speakers? Probably not, but there is only one way to find out... Hook 'em up, and don't crank it up too much. If the enclosures are wood, and you set them to small, they will probably work OK.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Justin,
I wouldn't recommend using those shelf system speakers with a 100 watt reciever, you could possibly blow them if you got careless with the volume. Besides, I doubt they would sound very good.
I would just listen to movies without the fronts for now. I know that sounds nuts, but you have the center channel for dialogue, the rears for surround and music effects, and if you have a subwoofer it will give you the low end, so you could live without the fronts until you can get a good pair. But I wouldn't go TOO long without them though.

 

[Justin Ward]

Well I went to his house and him hook 'em up. They sounded nice(he turned of the fronts and the sub at my request so I could hear them on their own). He had them hooked up to a Teac reciever and he had it on very loud with no distortion. The price was right so I bought them for $100 Canadian. After researching them on the internet I found that Kenwood recommends they sell for $100-150 US so considering I paid $100 Canadian and they were new in the box I think I got a pretty good deal. I am trying to get my parents to let me borrow their Technics floor standers with 10" woofers so I can hold off buying mains and a subwoofer. Since they are wall mountable I am going to place them on opposite walls about 2 feet above ear level but they will be angled downwards. The center speaker sits nicely on top of my measley 25" TV. I want to get a cheap but reasonably good reciever, anyone have any opinions on the Sony STR-DE575? It is availble here for $349.47 Canadian.

 

[John Garcia]

The 575 is not a very good receiver, IMO. I picked up a DE475 for $150 US, and I felt it wasn't even worth that. I got rid of it within a few days. That is not to say that it won't work for your needs as a starter receiver. Take a look at the lower offerings from Onkyo or Denon (1602 or the upcoming 1403). Harmon Kardon has replaced the current line with new models, so you might be able to find a deal on the AVR 120 or 220.