$1000 or less towers for movies/T.V. only...........

Just LR front mains or do you plan to expand to 5.1 later?

Re wowing guests ...

Do you have a sub? (seems almost mandatory of high guest-wow-factor)

Good imaging (i.e. the sound is all around you) might be as desirable as good volume/dynamics.

If you're going to have multiple people over for movies, a center would be smart. Properly set up stereo speakers can produce amazing results, if you're sitting in the sweet spot. I also agree with needing a sub if big movie sound is your goal.

So all in all a 3.1 setup should be considered.

I know they're not on your list but I'm very pleased with my Paradigm Monitor 11's.

Good range, great clarity, very good imaging. All movie watching.

You have a good choice psb ,focal and kef .


If your are sitting far from the tv , I will also considered klipsch.

Ok ... 5.1 and you're upgrading your sub.

All the speakers on your list are well regarded, but some are what might be called more "musical" speakers - i.e. with a somewhat more restrained (for the sake of accuracy) sound. Considering the size of your room and your stated goals you might also consider these ...
Klipch (not my sound preference but very popular for mainly HT)
HTD Level Three

I can highly recommend the psb for movies

Ascend 340 got some great reviews, comparing them to the studio 100s, that's pretty impressive considering the price gap.

I had been owner of energy speakers from c series rc and also the veritas v.6.3. why i didn't include the energy on your list?because all those model have been discontinued, so you buy some left over online then something goes wrong with any driver then there could be not parts left.because they are not making any new parts ,just what they have left, is up to you to take the risk.


I recommended Klipsh because they are very popular for movies and also a large room like yours demands high efficient speakers.

Many listeners feel Klipsh are too bright.

well other recommendation is KEF they have a very good off axis. (wide sweet spot).


but like other already said your selection is more toward music.
Edited by losservatore - 1/5/13 at 3:45pm

Funny I heard this also. So I purchased soft dome silk tweeter speakers. But I was always missing the clear dialogue and punch during movies. I went to a friends house and listened to his Klipsch Reference 83s and wow. I asked my teenage son what he thought. A lot better than our setup was his reply. So I went and purchased 3 Klipsch RF7IIs and put in my properly "Treated" room and I have never missed dialogue and music sounds great. My wife and family has never complained. Listen all day as they are hooked up in a living room for the past 2 yrs.

+1 for HTD - and they are not bright
http://www.htd.com/Products/level-three-speakers
Edited by zieglj01 - 1/5/13 at 5:29pm

The EMP e55ti's and e56ci is a killer front stage. Definitely dynamic. Very accurate(+/- 2db) and good off axis response, tons of cone area, etc. They fill my 20x18 w/ 10+ feet ceilings with ease. Best of all...they've got a 30-day risk free trial. Pretty darn nice to have if you ask me!

HTD Level 3's look like another good buy. Not sure if there have been any measurements but the reviews seem positive. Plenty of choices. There was a user on HomeTheaterShack that said the e55ti's held their own against Paradigm Studio 100's. Another has the Focal 814v's, which some say are also very nice and some assume they're better due to higher MSRP but he stated he preferred the e55ti's. The KEF iq70's might still be on sale out there, but there are so many people that said the Q series is leaps and bounds above the Iq's...so thats a little scary.

so Im the only one here not recommending my my own speakers? okay get the energy

i demo'ed klipsch rf 81's a few years ago for music only system and did not like the sound as mentioned by others it was bright on the top end and fatiging to my ears.but when i used them in my 2.1 channel ht. they where very good. very wide soundstage andvery detailed and dynamic.if they where just for tv/movies i might of kept them but musically they just did'nt do it for me

When I demoed speakers, I ended up with Paradigms. To my ears, they hit the sweet spot. Very dynamic, clear yet not harsh. Paradigm monitors are great for home theater.

I'd look at the Focal 700 series (800 is out of your price range) and PSB Image series. Don't be afraid of monitors, especially if you're using a sub. Decent towers start around $2,000 a pair.

That's informative - kind of why I mentioned Klipsch ; )

A little over budget (1150) but the Focal 814V towers and CC814V center are on sale at accessories4less.
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/brand/focal/results/1.html

I think the speakers above are discontinued so they probably slot above the current 700s but below the current 800Vs, but they seem to be a great buy.

If you search the EMP owners thread you will find someone who's had both. He's stated HIS opinion and im sure would answer anything ya need in a PM. I wouldn't turn a shoulder to HTD, EMP or ARX though. I was in the same position as you. Not able to audition anything so I looked to professional reviews, user reviews & measurements to guide me. I've heard my fair share in of drivers in the car audio world & speakers in HT so that also helped, but essentially I went with EMP due to an AMAZING deal on Black Friday AND the fact I could return them after 30-days if I wanted. BUT...didnt need to