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Monoprice 3-way bookshelf Speaker's(PID 8251) for home Theater?

post #1 of 11
2/16/13 at 4:04pm
Thread Starter 
Title sum's it up pretty well. Considering putting together a very cost effective "entry level" Home theater system. I have read more than one review of people using Monoprice 3-way bookshelf speakers in 5.1 and 7.1 Home Theater System's(two or there pairs) and they rave about them but never include details about what sub and center channel they used.

I have heard them in 2.1 configuration with a small sub and they are very impressive for the price point, But I'm stuck with what center channel to match them with. The only reason I have not ordered 2 pair is because I'm unsure of what center to use them with.

Thanks for reading and any suggestions in advance.


Edit: totally forgot that the Receiver in this situation would be 100w per channel @ 8 ohms with a powered sub... sorry frown.gif
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post #2 of 11
2/18/13 at 5:42am
Thread Starter 
I'm going to take the total scilence as an indication its a bad idea... smile.gif I'll explore other options for this set up.
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post #3 of 11
2/18/13 at 5:46am
In general, the best center channel for a pair of speakers is a third identical one. This is often hard to accomplish physically, so center speakers were born.
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post #4 of 11
2/18/13 at 5:50am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by JD in NJ View Post

In general, the best center channel for a pair of speakers is a third identical one. This is often hard to accomplish physically, so center speakers were born.

Umm... That's what I'm asking. What Center Channel Speaker on the current market would make a decent match at a low price.

I understand what a center channel is and what its used for. Just not sure what specific speaker to use. Thank you.
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post #5 of 11
2/18/13 at 5:53am
Quote:
The only reason I have not ordered 2 pair is because I'm unsure of what center to use them with.

Thanks for reading and any suggestions in advance.
+1 to JD in NJ's suggestion: Use another one of the same speaker.

Otherwise, trying to match a CC speaker to those bookshelf speakers is pure trial-and-error. You could start with models that have a 4"-5" mid-bass driver and a 3/4" tweeter and go from there.

-- Edit --
One possible option is the Paradigm CC-170. There are currently a few of them on eBay.com. It's a decent CC speaker. No guarantee on how it will pair up with the Monoprice speakers, though.
Edited by eljaycanuck - 2/18/13 at 6:04am
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post #6 of 11
2/18/13 at 6:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoundOfKhaos View Post

Umm... That's what I'm asking. What Center Channel Speaker on the current market would make a decent match at a low price.

I understand what a center channel is and what its used for. Just not sure what specific speaker to use. Thank you.

As eljaycanuck said, I was gently urging you to use the same kind of speaker. Bookshelf speakers are a lot easier to fit into many people's center channel area than floorstanders, and if you can manage that it's certainly your best option.
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post #7 of 11
2/18/13 at 7:33am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by eljaycanuck View Post

+1 to JD in NJ's suggestion: Use another one of the same speaker.

Otherwise, trying to match a CC speaker to those bookshelf speakers is pure trial-and-error. You could start with models that have a 4"-5" mid-bass driver and a 3/4" tweeter and go from there.

-- Edit --
One possible option is the Paradigm CC-170. There are currently a few of them on eBay.com. It's a decent CC speaker. No guarantee on how it will pair up with the Monoprice speakers, though.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JD in NJ View Post

As eljaycanuck said, I was gently urging you to use the same kind of speaker. Bookshelf speakers are a lot easier to fit into many people's center channel area than floorstanders, and if you can manage that it's certainly your best option.

Who would use a floor standing speaker as a center o.O seem's wrong lol.

while it would be cheap enough to order 3 set's of those monoprice speaker's and a sub for a system I can no place to put on as a center... These are pretty sizable speaker's, My entertainment center wouldn't support proper placement.

Thank you guys for your opinions and thoughts on the matter. Thought it was a long shot to find some one who has used them before, Wish the reviewer's listed their equipment and set up smile.gif

I'm looking at other options too. Still contemplating 2.1 vs 5.1 and what receiver to get.
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post #8 of 11
2/18/13 at 5:33pm
Quote:
Who would use a floor standing speaker as a center o.O seem's wrong lol.
If you've got an acoustically-transparent projection screen, a matching tower for CC duty is the best way to go.
Quote:
while it would be cheap enough to order 3 set's of those monoprice speaker's and a sub for a system I can no place to put on as a center... These are pretty sizable speaker's, My entertainment center wouldn't support proper placement.

Thank you guys for your opinions and thoughts on the matter. ... I'm looking at other options too. Still contemplating 2.1 vs 5.1 ...
If you can't fit a bookshelf speaker in the middle, then you need to look for a dedicated CC speaker but, as mentioned before, it'll be hit-and-miss. Try 2.1 and see if using a "phantom CC speaker" mode works for you. If not, see if you can put the TV on a riser in order to fit another bookshelf speaker below it.

Best of luck with your experimentation. smile.gif
Quote:
... and what receiver to get.
See if you can snag a deal on a Denon AVR-1612 like tshepp did.
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post #9 of 11
2/19/13 at 8:52am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by eljaycanuck View Post

If you've got an acoustically-transparent projection screen, a matching tower for CC duty is the best way to go.
If you can't fit a bookshelf speaker in the middle, then you need to look for a dedicated CC speaker but, as mentioned before, it'll be hit-and-miss. Try 2.1 and see if using a "phantom CC speaker" mode works for you. If not, see if you can put the TV on a riser in order to fit another bookshelf speaker below it.

Best of luck with your experimentation. smile.gif
See if you can snag a deal on a Denon AVR-1612 like tshepp did.

Had no idea about using a Projection Screen. Thanks.

As far as finding a place to put a 3rd Monoprice 3 way won't happen. Moving my TV isn't an option. I cannot get the space below it with my current set up unless the TV is REALLY high off the ground(Wall mounted to entertainment center)

Not sure how I'm going to pull it off, Even thinking of just getting two semi nice tower speaker's and just going 2.0 or 2.1 with a small sub. I hate apartments lol. Thanks for your advice!
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post #10 of 11
2/19/13 at 10:52am
It's not that it's a bad question, it's just impossible to answer. The qualities that make a speaker sound like itself and no other are very, very difficult (if not impossible) to quantify. Even speakers that use the same drivers and crossovers sound different if you put them in different cabinets, or orient them differently, or move them closer or farther away from walls.

This is why we rely on speaker manufacturers to tell us which CC matches their other models. If Monoprice is mute on the subject, only someone who has listened extensively to the Monoprice bookshelfs with a variety of CCs would be able to give advice -- and I'm betting that person does not exist.

Maybe someone will discover the MP's drivers are actually the same as those in some other manufacturer's line (the way someone found the 5.1 MP system is a clone/copy/rebadging of the Energy Take) and then we might be able to make some inferences about what CC might match them.

But the way things work in the low-end Chinese market, there's no guarantee that even the identical model purchased three months from now would match a sample purchased today. They could be sourcing generic drivers based on price, for all we know.
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post #11 of 11
2/19/13 at 11:02am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by rdclark View Post

It's not that it's a bad question, it's just impossible to answer. The qualities that make a speaker sound like itself and no other are very, very difficult (if not impossible) to quantify. Even speakers that use the same drivers and crossovers sound different if you put them in different cabinets, or orient them differently, or move them closer or farther away from walls.

This is why we rely on speaker manufacturers to tell us which CC matches their other models. If Monoprice is mute on the subject, only someone who has listened extensively to the Monoprice bookshelfs with a variety of CCs would be able to give advice -- and I'm betting that person does not exist.

Maybe someone will discover the MP's drivers are actually the same as those in some other manufacturer's line (the way someone found the 5.1 MP system is a clone/copy/rebadging of the Energy Take) and then we might be able to make some inferences about what CC might match them.

But the way things work in the low-end Chinese market, there's no guarantee that even the identical model purchased three months from now would match a sample purchased today. They could be sourcing generic drivers based on price, for all we know.


Yea, I was kind of hoping for someone who has used them before would have seen this. I know it was a long shot lol. Like I said though I not set on using them was just a thought. Just in the processes of updating a VERY old Home theater system. The receiver is over 20 years old and the speaker's are about 15 years old or so. Still not even sure I'm going to settle on a more modern 5.1 system. a nice 2.1 would be more than enough for the small living room I have. Thanks!
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