Looking for surround speakers for under $300

Searching old posts didn't bring up anything recent.

I could go with a set or with separate speakers that you suggest, however I have a very good pair of two-channel speakers I use for music so in theory I don't need the full 7.1 because of those. My receiver is a new Anthem MRX 500.

A local store owner told me he'll sell me the set of Boston Acoustic MCS90 surround sound speakers for $180 instead of $200 since I don't need two of the speakers. There aren't many reviews on them though - here's all I could find:

http://www.amazon.com/Boston-Acousti.../dp/B004LZBIAQ

Also I found used on Craigslist a 7.1 speaker set of Onkyo SKS-HT740 speakers however I don't know if he'll sell me those without his receiver which he's also selling. The speakers a la carte were $350.00. Here's the Cnet review on them:

http://reviews.cnet.com/surround-spe...#ixzz1fbpydSqR

It's possible he'll sell me the speakers without the AVR for under $200 and if they're in good condition it might be a better deal than the Boston Acoustics set (certainly more powerful).

Lastly, can a sub-woofer with port located in front bottom of speaker be laid on its side and on the bottom open shelf of a console table? It might look strange having the port off to one side (if on its side) but will that be bad for the speaker/sound in any way?

Any other sets or separates I should be looking at?

Thanks!

Hi and thanks for the response.

You've probably never heard of them - most haven't and also they're older - but they sound amazing to my ears. They're canada-made Clements, model 107di. They're not very big (might be considered medium sized or even large bookshelves to some) but they're quite powerful and I can hear details I'd never heard before on past speakers...and they handle an amazing amount of bass for their size. Just super clear. I occasionally get comments from guests asking what they are just cause they sound so good. I'm not even sure the company's still in business. Here's everything I could find online:

http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/weaver12.htm

http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speak...8_1594crx.aspx

http://www.solusaudio.com/review2.html

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr...pkr&1166724808

http://www.hometheater.com/content/p...hilip-clements

Going to check out your links now, thanks!

Anyone know if they (used but in good condition) would be a better deal than the Boston Acoustics set?

Here's the Onkyo:

http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/ele/2940435324.html

Here's the Boston Acoustics:

http://www.listenup.com/Boston+Acous...-MCS90-p-.html

Thanks!

Thanks for the info. The issue is that I spent 4x what I planned on spending on a receiver when I bought the Anthem receiver (so worth it though) and spend an arm and a leg on the installation/wiring of the in-ceiling B&W speakers in the kitchen. I have good main speakers for music which I'll be using for with the HTIB (discarding two I don't need) if in fact I go the HTIB route. But that's my latest question: considering having two of the speakers being very high-quality speakers, do you still feel that having a HTIB set is such a bad idea when money is a big factor at this point (AND music is the highest priority, not movie sound)? With $ now being such an issue, isn't having a HTIB (with two good speakers instead of 2 cheapie ones) better than having no surround sound at all? We're just a family with young kids who would like Star Wars to sound a bit better than with just our two main speakers. We do require decent sound (no muddiness, tinniness or distortion) but by no means require the best sound for movies (for music, yes)! Let me know what you think, with this info in mind. Thank you! Those look like decent reviews for a HTIB.

If I don't buy the system in a box, all I'd need is a center, sub-woofer and two rears. Can you recommend these individual speakers that are better than boxed system while still being reasonably priced?

The other question I never heard back about was whether it's okay to lay a speaker that's too large on its side (e.g. subwoofer)?

Thanks...

Oh - just saw this - thank you!