Re: Purchasing new speakers (1 Viewer)

[Roary]

I have a Technics SA-EX320 stereo receiver. It has the following connections:
Surround speakers,
Sub-woofer,
Center speakers
Left & right front speakers.
VCR, TVDVD/DSS; Tape, C.D., Tuner and Phone.
Would anyone have a suggestion to offer me as to what would be the very basic type of speakers I could purchase, (my budget is limited) and still get a half decent sound from this system.

 

[Jason Charlton]

What is your budget for speakers?

That receiver uses Dolby ProLogic to create a simulated surround sound from stereo sources. The fact that it has a line-level (RCA) output for subwoofer is good - it means you can get a modest powered subwoofer to supplement smaller main speakers.

Energy makes a decent small speaker system (some available here) that can be supplemented with a subwoofer from parts-express.com (a 10" for $100 or better, the 12" for $120).

That system will run close to $500, but will be a solid performer that will hold up should you decide to upgrade your receiver to a 5.1 model in the future.

If that's outside your budget, there are some decent speakers/systems that can be found at newegg.com such as this system for around $400.

If your budget is even less, then you should consider focusing instead on the front three and maybe a subwoofer. Newegg.com has some decent deals on Polk speakers, just be sure that the center is the proper match for the fronts. You can get a pair of the Monitor 30s for $100 and the matching center (CS1) for $100. Pair it with the 10" subwoofer from PE (above) and you've got a 3.1 system for ~$300.

Tons of other options, too. If you have a local place to listen to speakers even better. We all hear things differently, and what sounds good to one person doesn't necessarily sound good to another.

 

[Robert_J]

You used too many subjective words in your question. What is basic for me may not be basic for you. Give me size restrictions. Your limited budget and mine are different. Give me a hard number. What is decent sounding? How low do you want it to play? How loud do you want it to play?

 

[schan1269]

Or let us know where you are...
If your budget is "as cheap as possible no matter what"...
That leaves the used market. Craigslist can have some decent stuff. So can Fleabay.
But you can check out the Sony SS series(b for bookshelf, f for floor...) or the BIC DV.
These Sony SS are just about as inexpensive as it gets...anything less gets into "junk". These get pretty good reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-B1000-4-Inch-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B000OG88KY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1345147774&sr=1-1&keywords=sony+ss-b1000

 

[Roary]

Thank you so much for your time and effort in responding to my question about speakers. To be honest with you I am inexperienced in this field and just started playing around with it as a sort of hobby. So you have helped me greatly and I appreciate it.
I think my budget would certainly allow me to go to the $400 mark. I will certainly check out all the suggestion you have given me. I might add that I also have a Realistic 10 band stereo frequency equalizer that I could use with this system. Whether or not that will help or is necessary I have yet to find out.

 

[Roary]

I certainly appreciate your suggestions and ideas. I think my budget can probably go towards the $400.00. And I certainly will check out the information you have provided. Thank you so much.
As I mentioned on here already, I am really inexperienced with this and just recently got involved in it as sort of a hobby. So any ideas or suggestion you offer are very helpful to me. I also have a Realistic 10 band stereo frequency equalizer which I probably could use with this system.

 

[Roary]

Thank you so much for your reply. You certainly do give me a helpful challenge with the questions you have asked since I have just recently started this as a hobby. So I really don't know how to reply to you about the basic stuff or the size restrictions concerning the speakers I would purchase. I probably could extend my budget to the $400.00 mark.. What is decent sounding? I don't know how to define that until I could listen to an actual sound and then say whether or not I liked that sound. I certainly don't want to play it extremely loud. A decent level for me would be what I could listen to in my living room and not drive my wife out of her nearby kitchen.
I will be very interested to hear any further reply you might have about this matter.

 

[schan1269]

Good sound is to your ears, not mine...nor anybody else's.
$400 is a bit tight, but you could get two pairs of Sony SS-B1000 for $140, then the center is packaged with a pair of mediocre rear speakers as the CR3000 package. If you could deal with the rears you get with that package you are at 5 speakers for $140. A sub can be had for $250 easy.
With a $400 I don't think you can get BIC DV at that budget.

 

[Robert_J]

An EQ can't be set correctly without proper measurement tools (aka a Real Time Analyzer or RTA). The old days of adding them to your system and making the sliders form a smiley face really don't work any more.