New Speakers, but not HT

[Gau]

hello
I've been browsing this board pretty frequently and there is a lot that i have learnt.
I'm posting this thread cause most of the speaker questions seem to be directed either towards a HT speaker setup or decently sized bookshelf speakers.

What I am looking for is a medium budget 2.1 speaker setup that will do decent for both music cd's as well as the occaisonal dvd. I dont own any speakers right now nor do i own a dvd player. I do have a decent music selection that I have carefully ripped to a mp3 format to travel with in my car/ to work/ on trips etc.
I definetly dont want a full HT setup since i am moving into a condo i want to limit the wiring to all the speakers as less as possible. (dont have a attic/crawl space)
secondly, I need the speakers to be as small as possible (so no towers)
for this reason i've been looking at the bose 3-2-1 system ($899) which integrates 2 front,a sub and advd/receiver combo (sort of) that i can just plug and play. I've also read reviews of the niro 1.1 setup and they have been all positive. i'm hesitant in getting the niro because the entire system is based off the propreitary dvd player which if it broke, is not replacable with any other dvd player.

browsing this board has made me realise that springing upto $600-700 totally for separate speakers and a decent receiver will probably give me a better value system.

phew, this is a long post, but if anyone can help me select a budget system (1 a/v receiver and 2 main speakers, possibly with a sub) for around 600-700$ I would be a happy camper

thanks!

 

[Marty M]

If you have been browsing this forum long enough you will know that Bose is not the most popular brand around here. It's not that they are bad, it's just that they are overpriced and you can get a much better set-up for less.

There are a number of good speaker companies that sell good bookshelf speakers. I will start with the brand I prefer, Paradigm. The Paradigm Atoms are around $190 a pair and have a decent sound. There is also the Titan and then in the Monitor series there is the Mini-Monitor.

Remember that the best speaker is the one that sounds the best to you, so be sure to audition any speaker before you purchase. Or if you purchase on-line, be sure the company offers a money back guarantee. Good luck and happy shopping.

 

[Brian Fellmeth]

Take a look at this. Similar concept to the Bose 1-2-3 but much higher quality and includes a real subwoofer. A little above your budget unfortunately.


KEF instant home theater

 

[Mike SJ]

...

 

[Nathan Bjork]

These are great bookshelves , I dont need a subwoofer with 100watts going to the 2 speakers.

You will then have $300-400 left over for a sub(if u need one) and 2-ch amp

 

[Drew_W]

Absoltely get those JBLs. What a fantastic deal. They're the new S38s and if they sound anything as good as the S38s did, they're more than competent for anything you throw at them. Mate them with an H/K stereo amp like they're intended to be, and you're off to the races.

Granted though, those are large bookshelves. The smaller you go, the less bass response you get, and so if you get small satellites and then rely on a sub to fill in the rest in my opinion, the sound is then not as good as larger speakers sans sub. If music is your priority, then those JBLs will suit you very well, even though they are a tad on the large side.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

The JBL Northridge E line is very nice. If you don't think so, check them out. The quality is very good, not 'cheap' speakers.

 

[Nathan Bjork]

I have the S38II's in my room/theater and my mom has the E50's out in the living room. It may just be the room that I am in, but the E50's sound alot better than my S38's. They are not paired with a sub, and in my 20x30 living room, you can feel the bass. That is with 100 watts running to each channel.

I counldn't be happier w/ the price...

If you want to get an Idea of the size take a look at my theater link in my sig. The TV is a 27". The pictures are of the S38II's but are nearly Idenical in size

 

[ChrisWiggles]

I'm with Mark in recommending the digms. IMO they are a lot better than the JBLs, and any good stereo receiver and a dvd player will do well. I think NAD makes a nice DVD/receiver combo too if you might like something like that.

 

[Gau]

thanks for the replies fellas!

I am much intrigued by the Paradigm Atoms. I read a few reviews and was impressed.
Where would you recommend buying them from? Are they a brand that's sold in big box stores like bestbuy etc or do i have to go to tweeter and get ripped off there. It looks like the list price for them is $189 and that is definetly within my budget.
Any online sites that are reputable and carry them?

 

[Drew_W]

Go to Paradigm.com and use the dealer locator. No big box stores carry them, and they should not be available online. They're most likely sold by specialty audio shops, but that's not a bad thing.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

I have P. Atoms and I am very happy with them.

Not just Niro, but the Bose 3-2-1, Denon 2.1 and other such systems all have proprietary DVD players that require the replacemetn of the entire system.

Just a quick browse at crutchfield.com shows that $700 will buy you an Onkyo Tx-8211 stereo receiver and a Sony dvp-ns575p DVD/CD/MP3 player for less than $300 (and you can always find stuff cheaper at other online stores).

That leaves you just over $400 for speakers and a subwoofer, or anything else. Like more DVds and CD's!

 

[Drew_W]

AFAIK, you can use any speakers with the Denon system, though it comes with Mission speakers on eCost.com. I've seen it at a dealer paired with Mirage Omnis...

 

[Gau]

super, I did find a dealer near my area (charlotte NC) and he does have the atoms in stock. I'll probably check them out this weekend. I like the stand that they sit on, but i havnt found any prices for it yet. I hope the dealer has them for a reasonable price.
they are sized at 10.5" as their biggest dimension(height) which is perfect!
any more "small compact speakers" favourites among the members?

As for the receiver player. I was going to look into the pioneer vsk-712/812. Thats what i've been recommended. I know this is the speaker forum and not the receiver forum, but are there any personal favorites that people like to pair paradigms with? Remember, I have a small budget..hehe.. so i'm looking at the $250 range for receivers.


Just a quick browse at crutchfield.com shows that $700 will buy you an Onkyo Tx-8211 stereo receiver and a Sony dvp-ns575p DVD/CD/MP3 player for less than $300 (and you can always find stuff cheaper at other online stores).

that onkyo one looks pretty good, but at $700 its waaay out of my range.

 

[Nathan Bjork]

the Sony DVP-NC685V is also a very nice 5-Disc CD/DVD/MP3/SACD player

 

[Matt Hobbes]

The Onkyo TX-SR501/2 is close to your price range at $299... should be able to find it for $250.
http://www.google.com/froogle?q=onkyo+TX-SR502

 

[Ed_A]

I'd recommend concentrating on getting better speakers and a decent receiver that can stand alone for music, without a sub (since it's just the "occaisional dvd"). This allows you to get better equipment rather than trying to fit a receiver, dvd player, speakers, and a sub for $700. Later you could add a sub or more speakers as you save more $$$ for what you want...5.1 or 7.1!

The Toshiba 3960 is a decent DVD player and only $70. If you wanted SACD you could go with the Pioneer 563A DVD player for about $150.

A lot of options...isn't is great!

 

[Erik Farstad]

I just set up a client with these speakers ($300): http://www.kef.com/products/qseries/qseriescompact.html

And before I installed them, I hooked them up in my system and was BLOWN AWAY by the sound coming from these little beauties.

Then I would suggest a Marantz receiver, such as the SR4400 or SR5400 and you'll be on budget with killer sound and room to grow your system!

http://www.marantz.com/hifi/america/main.html

If you have specific questions about either, don't hesitate to ask or email me! Have fun and good luck!

 

[Danny Tse]

This is the system I build during last X'mas....

NHT SB2 bookshelf speakers $300.00/pair
Cambridge Audio A500 stereo integrated amp $250.00
Sony DVP-NS500V DVD/SACD player $180.00 (from 2 years ago)

These were all brand-new and from authorized dealers. The goal for the system was to be a 2.1 music oriented system for a small den. In recent weeks, I've been toying with the idea of getting the Onkyo SR502 (available for $250.00 shipped from J&R) to replace the Cambridge Audio A500 and turn the system into a 3.1 system. However, the guys at the Polk Audio forum and here at HTF talked me out of it....basically they said a gain in channels doesn't mean a gain in fidelity.

So, next upgrade will be DVD/SACD player....looking to move the Sony into the bedroom system and replace it with the coming Toshiba SD-4960 universal player or one of Sony's new SACD offerings. I am hoping the Toshiba will live up to the hype over the SD-3950/3960/4900.

 

[Gau]

UPDATE:
I went to listen to the paradigm atoms and ended up buying the mini-monitors. so its time for receiver and speaker wire. nothing too fancy, medium to low budget.
i am only going for a stereo setup right now buy in a few yrs will do HT so want to keep same equipment.
looking at pioneer vsk-d914 and the yamaha-htr5760
there are soo many models to choose from like the pioneer d712/812/914 and the yamaha 5730/40/50 etc
I dont need anything fancy, just a decent receiver to get the best out of my mini-monitors.
what should i be looking at?

i dont want to make my own speaker wire or anything so any recommendations on that? anyone know what the connections to the mini-monitors are called (bananaplugs or binding posts or ...what?)