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Best Pair of Bookshelf Speakers for Under $350?

post #1 of 23
6/29/12 at 9:18pm
Thread Starter 
I would really appreciate feedback on how to get the most bang for the buck on bookshelf speakers for under $350.00? I just purchased a Denon AVR 3312CI to be used in a large living area with high ceilings. I want to hang these speakers on the wall to replace the old bose cubes (Acoustimas 5 Series II) I also just added a SVS PB12- NSD sub and for the time being am going to keep my Bose rear bookshelf and center speakers. I know these are not well regarded but my budget keeps me from upgrading more at this time. Any thoughts welcome.
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post #2 of 23
6/29/12 at 9:30pm
hi ars,

look at the HSU HB1's. great speaker. within budget, and somethng you'll be happy to add on to as your budget allows.

Joseph
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post #3 of 23
6/29/12 at 9:33pm
What are the dimensions of your living room? Another option would be the Ascend Acoustics CBM-170SEs ($358 or less for B-stock).
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post #4 of 23
6/29/12 at 11:36pm
You can find some incredible value in the used market under $350. For example, $270 shipped for these AV123 X-LS Encores with upgraded Sonicaps capacitors, Mills resistors and No-Rez installed will provide you with impeccable sound. It'll perform better than most bookshelf speakers 2-3x the price and pretty much wipe the floor with anything branded Bose.
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post #5 of 23
6/30/12 at 6:57am
I would say the PSB Image B4 would be a good choice. It is small so won't look ridiculous hanging on the wall. For just a hair more at $360 is the Energy Veritas 5.1 monitor.
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post #6 of 23
6/30/12 at 8:36am
The JBL CONTROL MONITOR speakers are $299 per pair and are designed for wall mounting.

The JBL L820 speakers are more money, but they are a shallow design that is designed to go on a wall.
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post #7 of 23
6/30/12 at 8:45am
I'd go for either the Jamo C 603 or the Monitor Audio BX2.

I must admin though that I don't have any experience with hanging speakers on a wall, so I don't know how easy/difficult that is.
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post #8 of 23
6/30/12 at 5:57pm
Thread Starter 
Hi All,

Thanks for this great feedback. The room is about 17 X 27 with 18' ceilings in 2/3 of that space (the rest is adjoining kitchen space). I'll need to mount them about 9' high and point them down at an angle. I'll go check out all your suggestions and let you know the result. Thanks again!
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post #9 of 23
6/30/12 at 6:05pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by arsdcs View Post

I would really appreciate feedback on how to get the most bang for the buck on bookshelf speakers for under $350.00? I just purchased a Denon AVR 3312CI to be used in a large living area with high ceilings. I want to hang these speakers on the wall to replace the old bose cubes (Acoustimas 5 Series II) I also just added a SVS PB12- NSD sub and for the time being am going to keep my Bose rear bookshelf and center speakers. I know these are not well regarded but my budget keeps me from upgrading more at this time. Any thoughts welcome.

I'm a novice audiophile. Given that my new receiver is rated for 125 watts per channel, should I be worried about speakers rated for up to 100 watts? I don't play music or movies exceptionally loud but just wondering?
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post #10 of 23
6/30/12 at 6:39pm
Too little power is more dangerous than too much power. Clipping occurs with too little power. You have a fairly large space but most likely you won't be pushing anything close to 125 W (especially at moderate listening volumes).
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post #11 of 23
6/30/12 at 6:42pm
You should check out the Energy RC-10s. $225 I think this weekend.
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post #12 of 23
6/30/12 at 8:18pm
jbl l820 are within price range; wall mounting hardware included

Enviado desde mi Motorola Atrix usando Tapatalk
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post #13 of 23
7/1/12 at 11:45am
I agree with buying good used speakers. I just picked up a couple of pairs of mint Polk LSi7's (with that fabulous Vifa Ring Radiating Tweeter) with boxes, packing material and acc for $250 and $260.

Otherwise, in addition to all the others mentioned, consider the Mordaunt-Short Aviano 1's http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MORDAVI1RW/Mordaunt-Short-Aviano-1-Two-way-5-Bookshelf-Speaker-Pair-Rosewood/1.html Too bad the Aviano 2's have sold out.
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post #14 of 23
7/1/12 at 1:51pm
Thread Starter 
Have you heard the JBL 820's and compared how they sound compared to a more full depth bookshelf speaker? Thx
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post #15 of 23
7/1/12 at 2:00pm
Thread Starter 
Hi Joseph,

Can these be mounted on a wall? Also, the brochure says "nominal impedance 6 ohms" while the webpage itself says "recommended impedance setting 8 ohms." My receiver supports 8 ohm speakers. Is this a problem with these speakers? Thx.

Asa
Edited by arsdcs - 7/1/12 at 2:18pm
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post #16 of 23
7/1/12 at 2:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by arsdcs View Post

Can these be mounted on a wall?

Pinpoint mount
http://www.amazon.com/Pinpoint-AM-40B-Clamping-Bookshelf-Speaker/dp/B002UV03MW/ref=sr_1_sc_7?ie=UTF8
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post #17 of 23
7/1/12 at 3:44pm
+1 for the pinpoints. it's what I use for my HB1 surround speakers, very sturdy, side clamping tilt and swivel.
You'll have no problem running these speakers with that Denon 3312. No problem at all.

Joseph
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post #18 of 23
7/1/12 at 4:44pm
I have some HB-1s mounted with some Pinpoint AM40s, the mounts and speakers work great. I tried some less expensive monoprice mounts which were purportedly rated for 30 lbs, but I found they could barely hold 10 lbs. Spend the extra money, get the Pinpoint mounts, it will save you a headache that I didn't manage to avoid.
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post #19 of 23
7/1/12 at 5:00pm
Thread Starter 
How do you source good used speakers and how do you know if the speakers are in good condition (aside from appearance)? Thx!
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post #20 of 23
7/1/12 at 5:00pm
Thread Starter 
How do you source good used speakers and how do you know if the speakers are in good condition (aside from appearance)? Thx!
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post #21 of 23
7/1/12 at 5:07pm
Of course, you have to listen to the used ones. You can't tell if a tweeter is blown just by looking at it. It's worth searching in Craigslist and Ebay. This message board has a nice classifieds section, as do many other audio forums, like Home Theater Shack, Audioholics, Klispch's forums, etc. Audiogon is very good too.
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post #22 of 23
7/1/12 at 8:58pm
I just posted ascend acoustics HTM 200 SE pair. They retail for $300 and mine are lightly used. Could be a great option for you. Gives you a little wiggle room a well for accessories. Private message me.
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post #23 of 23
7/2/12 at 5:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Operajay View Post

I just posted ascend acoustics HTM 200 SE pair. They retail for $300 and mine are lightly used. Could be a great option for you. Gives you a little wiggle room a well for accessories. Private message me.

I 2nd the HTM-200 suggestion. For wall mounting, a sealed speaker is a better option than ported. I had CBM-170's on stands prior to the Sierra-1's and find the Ascend sound to be very accurate and neutral.
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