Decent (or shall I say cheap) 2.1 setup?

Don't know how small the bookshelf speakers need to be but perhaps some Polk Monitor 40's?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16882290010

Energy C-200
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...1152999&sr=8-1
http://www.energy-speakers.com/na-en...-200-overview/

or possibly some bookshelf speakers from The Speaker Company
http://www.thespeakercompany.com/TSB...ir-P46C27.aspx

Small 8" subwoofer
http://www.thespeakercompany.com/ASW...oofer-P61.aspx

Any of those combos will get you out the door under $300 shipped.

Dimensions of the cabinet would help alot!
I'd start with http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=300-390
leaving 200 for the mains.....
Athena ls-100's go for ~$100/pair here, you could get an mirage omni which is a MATCHING center for the ls speakers here
or
infinity beta 20 bookshelves
or
TSC TSBL
or
SVS SBS-01
or
Insignia NSB-2111
or
av123 elt525

Ok,...
How about;

Yamaha NS-333
Dayton SUB-120 HT or SUB-100 HT

This combo just may surprise you considering the price. I know MSRP is about $50 over your budget,... but that is MSRP and there are deals to be found.

Get either a front ported or sealed speaker design. Sticking a rear ported speaker up against that entertainment center would muffle the bass and cause it to resonate.

A pair of Infinity Primus P162s @ $69.99 each might work well, they are front ported and their cost leaves room for a sub.

EDIT: I forgot to add the sealed speakers in - a pair of Emotiva ERM-1s will eat up that budget but they do sound very good - and being a sealed design won't cause funny noises inside a bookcase setting if they are isolated with a small rubber pad or other means. At 149$ each on closeout they are a real steal. Add a sub later - they need one to fill out the sound.

For speakers check out Tweak City Audio's WAF-1's. They are $229.00/pair including shipping.

Nuance, have you heard the WAF-1s yet? Do you think they are the best bookshelf for the money?

For what you're doing I wouldn't get the Take Classic. Go with the Athena or Infinity for bigger and better sound. The Take Classic will be thin sounding for music.

I'm not sure where you getting your info but he P162's do go lower than the Athena LS-100.

LS-100
Frequency response: 55 Hz - 20 kHz
Sensitivity: 87 dB
Power handling: 120 WRMS
Dimensions: 12.8" tall, 7" wide, and 9.7" deep
Weight: 11 lbs.

P162
• 10 To 150-Watt Power Amplifier Range
• 8-Ohm Nominal Impedance
• 0.75" MMD Tweeter
• 6.50" MMD Woofer
• 3,000 Hz, 24 dB/Octave Crossover Frequency
• 49 Hz To 20 kHz Frequency Response (+/-3 dB)
• Magnetically Shielded
• 90 dB Sensitivity (2.83 V @ 1 m)
• Dimensions: 8.25" W x 14.75" H x 10.50" D
• Weight: 16.1 lbs

The P162 is taller, larger, heavier and has a bigger woofer. It does play deeper than the Athena! Plus a 3db higher sensitivity so it'll play louder at the same volume level.

You're also comparing two speakers and a center vs just two bookshelf speakers. Which do you prefer?

I will be ordering a pair this week and will post my impressions a couple weeks later. I want to spend some quality time with these little bad boys. I have heard the yet to be produced Panache speakers (I heard the prototype, and they are expected to sell for less than the WAF-'s as they contain one full range 3" driver...that's if they are in fact brought to the market), and they bested the NHT Classic 2's I compared them to. Craig says the WAF-1's are better than the Panache's, so I expect good things from this speaker, especially for only $229. Do I think they will be giant killers? No. But do I expect great performance for a very low price? Absolutely.

Are the WAF-1's really better than NHT Classic Two's? That would be impressive.

Just to be clear, the WAF-1's were not the speakers I heard. I heard a speaker of lesser sound quality and cost. However, in that room, using those electronics and to my ears, yes, they bested the NHT's. But that's just my opinion; yours may differ. Give them a listen if you can and let your ears decide.

Can't wait to hear that review!

I'm really happy with my front speakers (Athena LS-300) for home theater but for 2-channel music they leave a lot to be desired. I've considered adding a pair of Emotiva ERM-1s but I would have to get a 2-channel amplifier to go along with them, bringing the total price tag to over $600. If the WAF-1s are as good as expected, it'd be a more cost-effective way to appease the upgraditis bug.

What don't you like about your Athena LS-300s for music? I have the older AS-F1s but they have a larger woofer and completely different tweeter.

Not detailed enough for music, even a bit muddy at times. I feel that I can get more details from my Bose In-Ear headphones (no flaming please; they were a gift ). Also at high volume levels (over 80db at listening position), I can sense a bit of distortion. And it doesn't help that I have a cheap subwoofer.

On the other hand, they do great with HT, and I love these speakers for what they are. Considering I only paid $88 shipped each, they were a great deal.

They must be way different than my F1's then. No one would ever mistake the F1 for being muddy sounding. The F1's have always been called detailed or even bright sounding. Must be a complete sound change between the LS and old AS series.

We've always suspected the LS series used the same drivers as the Energy C-series such as the C-100, 200 and 300. Those speakers are more neutral and some have called the smaller bookshelf speakers a little muddy.