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New member Username: DiggsPost Number: 1 Registered: Feb-05 | new here.. i'm looking to complement my budget 5.1 system with a pair of good sounding - but inexpensive - bookshelf speakers for music and tv. i've been looking at the polk rti4 but would like feedback on this and others in that range. i listen mostly to r&b and some jazz so clean sound is more important than volume. and btw, my receiver is a 5-6 yr old sony es with entry-level polk surrounds & sub. |
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Bronze Member Username: DlowemanPost Number: 86 Registered: Nov-04 | Check out Paradigm, probably the titans will fit the bill |
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Bronze Member Username: Rd11Post Number: 20 Registered: Nov-04 | Athena AS-B2 |
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Silver Member Username: KanoPost Number: 328 Registered: Oct-04 | Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 IMO they're ugly, but hard to beat performance wise for under $400 a pair. |
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New member Username: DiggsPost Number: 2 Registered: Feb-05 | been lookin around these forums.. how would the axiom m3ti compare to the paradigm, athena, and ascend? |
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New member Username: Gr1mPost Number: 7 Registered: Jul-04 | I second the CBM-170s, very accurate and neutral is how I would describe them and at 328/pr they're a steal |
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Shahrukh Unregistered guest | Wharfedale Diamonds. Whether it's 8.1 or 9.1 is up to u to decide. |
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Gold Member Username: Project6Post Number: 2743 Registered: Dec-03 | I believe the Axiom M3ti is better than the Athena and stages better than the Paradigm and looks better than the Ascends. Soundwise, it is a hard choice to make when comparing to the Ascends. You have to listen yourself and make the choice. |
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Silver Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 346 Registered: Sep-04 | B&W DM600, unless you're looking to replace your current fronts with new speakers. If that's the case, then stick to Polk in order to maintain the same voicing between speakers. Regards, Frank. |
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Silver Member Username: Timn8terSeattle, WA USA Post Number: 138 Registered: Dec-03 | Alegria Audio Ling. $399 per pair. +-3db 50Hz - 20kHz+, real wood veneers. Hard to beat. Plus, if you don't like them after two weeks you can send them back. http://www.us.alegriaaudio.com/Ling.htm |
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New member Username: DionPost Number: 6 Registered: Feb-05 | I bought a pair of Ling with clear cherry veneer. They're beautiful and sound great. I'm not sending them back! |
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Gold Member Username: Project6Post Number: 2749 Registered: Dec-03 | Timn8ter, Did you design those speakers? |
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Silver Member Username: Timn8terSeattle, WA USA Post Number: 144 Registered: Dec-03 | Yes. |
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jaeelarr Unregistered guest | PSB is the way to go... |
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edster922 Unregistered guest | Clean, neutral sound at a bargain price---Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 hands down! |
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Bronze Member Username: GavincummPost Number: 75 Registered: Feb-05 | take a look at the Paradigm Focus if you must have clean sound with excellent staging, great bass, and OUTSTANGING MIDS!!! they are around $320 a pair gavin |
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Bronze Member Username: Stealth_cDublin, CA USA Post Number: 81 Registered: Jan-05 | Gavin- How would you say they compare with the mini-monitors? |
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Bronze Member Username: GavincummPost Number: 77 Registered: Feb-05 | I like the focus almost as well as the minis personally. The bass in the minis is just a hare tighter, is a few hertz lower, and the highs are ever so slightly cleaner. They sound very similar. listen to them side by side if you can. You might not even notice a difference. They are both outstanding, and get a thumbs up from me! Both speakers have outstanding midrange, have a very smooth, deep soundstage, and will show off your equipment. If you have equipment that adds glare or brightness, these will show you. Unusual for a budget speaker. Gavin |
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Richie Rich Unregistered guest | Gavin, Is there a large difference between the Focus and Titan? |
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Bronze Member Username: GavincummPost Number: 81 Registered: Feb-05 | yes there is... I don't really care for the sound of the titans. I can hear the cabinet resonate in the bass frequencies, and that muddies the mids. The speaker is all around an improvement IMHO. |
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New member Username: RushwjPost Number: 7 Registered: Feb-05 | I'd recommend the Paradigm Atoms ($99 each speaker). Just got them for my brother and he loves the clean sound. IMO much better than the polk RT's. Also, at $99 a pop it'd be easy to flush out rears and pick up the matching center all for a descnt price (since you watch tv with them). My brother has a vary large great room and it fills the room w/ sound very well for a small, elegant speaker. good luck. |
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Bronze Member Username: GavincummPost Number: 85 Registered: Feb-05 | The Focus is a much better speaker than the atom if you can afford it. to note... I prefer the atom to the titan. The bass has less boom. |
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edster922 Unregistered guest | Tae, BTW I forgot to mention, whatever speakers you go with, make sure to budget for some quality speaker stands...I find they make a HUGE difference in terms of opening up the sound of bookshelves! ac4l.com is a great source of quality yet affordable stands; with small bookshelves you can even go with MDF stands without a problem, esp. if you have a subwoofer taking care of the low end for you. |