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New member Username: StloganPost Number: 1 Registered: Nov-05 | Hi, I'm a complete newbie to this, and I hope I'm posting in the right place. I'm interested in getting a 5.1 surround sound system, primarily for music, in the sub $500 range. I've done searches on the internet, and I can't really seem to find anything relevant to what I want. I'd prefer to stay away from systems-in-a-box. I was hoping that someone would be able to recommend to me a powerful and clear 5.1 speaker system, or perhaps point me in the direction where I might be able to do some better research on my own. I'd go to Best Buy or Tweeter and ask them, but I'm sure they'd just try to sell me whatever they could, and I hesitate to really take their advice. In my experience salesman at electronics stores don't always know what they're talking about. Thank you very much for any help you can offer. -sean |
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Silver Member Username: NuckParkhill, Ontario Canada Post Number: 422 Registered: Dec-04 | For the $ you say, HTIB is all you get, from my seat. How bout stereo, and stert there? Still a few $ more needed, but better stuff. Others will follow up this thread |
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New member Username: StloganPost Number: 2 Registered: Nov-05 | Alright. Would I be better served getting a computer surround sound speaker system, such as a Klipsch Promedia system, and just using that? I'm no real audiophile, I don't need perfect sound. I'd like something nice though under $500. |
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Silver Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY USA Post Number: 243 Registered: Oct-04 | Save time, money, and headaches and buy The Mission M3S for $198. delivered http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=309-150 |
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good luck Unregistered guest | 2 pairs of Athena B1's for $199, one Athena C1 center for $99 and that leaves you about $200 for a sub...not bad. This setup will blow away any HTIB. I don't think you can realistically do better for this price point. You can check out the Dayton 10 sub from partsexpress.com or the Velodyne VX-10 at bhphotovideo.com. Both are decent 10'' subs under $200. You can check out the athenas at audioadvisor.com. |
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Bronze Member Username: AfrogtPost Number: 28 Registered: Dec-03 | The Dayton sub is $100 including free shipping. Match that with the Athenas and you have a complete system for $400. You could add another pair of B1's and have 7.1 for $500. Was your $500 supposed to include a receiver? |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 2993 Registered: Mar-05 | sean, If this system is, as you write, "primarily for music" then with your $500 budget I'd just go 2-channel. Sorry, $500 for a receiver plus 5 speakers and a sub is going to get you garbage if music is what you're after. For HT it might kinda sorta do though. |
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Silver Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY USA Post Number: 246 Registered: Oct-04 | The Athena/Dayton set-ups are excellent choices, but more expensive than the Mission M3S package at Parts Express. Perhaps another choice is to suplement the M3S set-up with a pair of Mission M31i for $120. or even better the Mission M32i for $175. from Amazon. If this is a music-mostly set-up, I can confidently say, after many weeks of auditioning speakers at high-end shops in NYC, that a pair of M32i represents one, if not the best values up to nearly $500. They are competitive with anything up-to, let's say the Paradigm Studio 20v3, the Epos M5, or the Wharfedale Diamond 9.2 IMHO. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3001 Registered: Mar-05 | Christopher, I've never heard the Missions but I thought they are said to be very bright? |
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Silver Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY USA Post Number: 247 Registered: Oct-04 | Not true, they are super, and they're on sale at amazon, I rolled the dice and bought a pair. I REALLY like them. Holographic imaging, deep, meaningful bass, not bright, vivid. A real well built, albeit large, bi-wireable bookshelf for $175, delivered. At this price, I real don't know what other sub-$200 speaker, or sub-$300. speakers I've heard that compares to it. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3004 Registered: Mar-05 | I'm intrigued... You say they're comparable to the Studio 20s? Oh my, dear old Art will be coming down on you for that one, LOL! Now would you characterize this as a "warm" speaker? |
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Silver Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY USA Post Number: 248 Registered: Oct-04 | I know I'm sticking my neck out with my review, but I think they're that good. Now please, before everyone pounces, I said UP-TO the 20v3, M5, and 9.2. The M32i are a step down from those speakers. Now havings said that, they may represent a better value than lets say, the Paradigm Mini Monitor, Epos ELS-3, or Wharfedale Diamond 9.1, all being speakers that suffer to varying degrees from smallish mid/woofers. The M32i with it's 6.5" mid/woofer is very muscular in comparison. It is very hard to categorize the speaker, they will be replacing my pair of Infinity Alpha 20, maybe they compare to the Beta 20, but I've not heard those, or perhaps they're in the same category as the Wharfedale Diamond 8.2, but I've not heard those either. |
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Silver Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY USA Post Number: 249 Registered: Oct-04 | Vivid, holgraphic, yes, warm would not be my first choice. But these are new, I'm still running them in. |