Whats the Best BANG for Buck speakers out there!

That is not the right information. The center channel is "Not" the most important speaker for HT.

Your main left and right speakers are the most important of your system. You can use your system without a center channel and get good performance. I'm not saying you never need to have a center channel, but it's not the most important speaker.
In my own opinion a sub is even more important then a center channel speaker.

I would look into the X-LS speakers from AV123, I agree somewhat with mazersteven, I would say that just getting a good center channel and having tiny mains isn't the way to improve your HT. If you are on a budget, yes, getting your L/R is the best upgrade path, followed by your sub/center/surrounds. The 674 is a great choice, a lot of people like them.

Perhaps what the thread starter should've said is that the center speaker is the most used channel in 5/6/7.1 surround sound movies.

Capt. Crunch, those Logitech speakers are awesome for computer speakers. I have them, too. Have you looked at SVS's and HSU's respective speaker systems? From what I've read, they're very good if you don't need tower speakers.

I'm in the same boat Captain. I have been reading through this thread for the Velodyne front rows. Seems like a lot of folks are pleased with the sound at the price point they are offered. $199 for 5 speakers seems right up my alley.

for price vs. value i would heavily recommend looking at the mission speakers over at tsto.com. they are brand new discontinued models at almost and sometimes more than 1/2 the original MSRP. you will have a tough time matching them in the price range and beyond IMHO. tsto is the only online US distributor for mission i can find. with their mission selection you can spend as little or as much as you want on a pair. from $69 per pair up to $2000. av123 is probably another great place for you as well. both places have great customer service with av123 getting the nudge on that one.

as for the velodyneset- a fellow member that lives near me will be stopping by in a week or so with his set and we doing a head to head comparison on them. he is not totally happy with them and is considering the mission lines. we will probably post our findings...

So this leads us to the question--what budget are you working with, and what speakers do you need?

And your room size is?

Take a look at these systems for a start. You might have to purchase a few speakers at a time if budget doesn't allow all at once. But when complete you will have an awesome system with whatever one you choose.

Great HT system complete with a killer subwoofer

http://www.svsound.com/products-sys-sbs_black.cfm

X-series speakers. Individual or you can purchase complete system or choose another sub depending on room size and volume levels.

http://www.**********/products_catego...akers&brand=55

You can purchase one of these Ascend 170 systems and add a sub later

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages...cbm170hts.html

Or choose one of the Ascend 340 systems maybe even piece one of these systems together with time.

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages...mt340mhts.html

Finally this system

http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/enthusiast1.html

You really need to think about the rest of your criteria, too. If you need speakers that small, it's a good option. If not, keep looking at other options.

Crunch, your speakers will determine how things sound. Much, much more than the amp. If you're working on a budget, don't even think about a 674.

Also, I'm not sure this thread has hit on the right explanation for the center channel. It's more like the front 3 are the three legs of a stool for HT. Any one can let you down. (The surrounds are more like the back of the chair ... nice to have, but you won't fall down without the back, like you would with the legs. :-P)

Someone who's using it for 99% for HT can't do without a center.

And most people who are less critical listeners will notice a bad / missing center with HT more than they'll notice mains that are lacking. They'll spend a lot of time saying "what'd he just say?"

Spend less on the amp, get three decent front speakers, and try that for a while.

Take a look at Athena speakers....outstanding value for the price

I think the Klipsch speakers offer great bang for the buck.

Anytime someone asks about "bang for the buck", I always say "Paradigm".

A lot of speakers can sound really good and cost a lot of money.

That's not hard to do.

What's harder to do is make a speaker that sounds really good, and DOESN'T cost a lot of money. I call that value.

Monitor Audio, for example makes really good sounding speakers, but they isnt much VALUE there.

Paradigm, however, makes really good sounding speakers that DON'T cost a lot of money.

Any line of Paradigm in particular (Paradigm, Reference, Anthem, or Premier)?

Huh, paradigm? bang for your buck? I can't say I agree with that but to each his own, pretty much all paradigms will be out of his budget.

Since you live out in the boonies, my recommendation is to try three sets of speakers from three different online retailers, all of them ship free both ways, so if you don't like them, you can ship them back. All three of these speaker builders are top notch in build and sound quality, plus their customer service is second to none.

www.aperionaudio.com
www.htd.com
www.********** - I am pretty sure they still ship free both ways with the X-LS's

Is this Capt. Crunch from Hardware Logic? If so, hello and welcome to the forums here.
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The problem with many peoples interpretation of "value" is that is the "for the money" part.
First off, I have to REALLY like a speaker enough to find it valuable to me before I consider owning it, and NO amount of price savings is going to give me a thrill when the speaker doesn't. That's my problem with Paradigm (as an example), while they are good speakers , most don't appeal to me much at all, so no amount of money is going to help them for ME. I HAVE HAD CAR SALESMAEM TRY TO TALK ME INTO A VEHICLE I WASN'T HAPPY WITH BY DROPPING IT'S PRICE... no deal. This is the problem I think that get's budding audiophiles onto the upgradeitis path because they aren't satisfied with the sound of the speakers they now own , even though, at the time, they thought they were good "for the price" .
With speakers , for me, the danger is that I won't be able to find something that fits my application that I'd want to own and can possibly afford, but I always seem to, but unfortunately while they often come in at a price I can pay, they are rarely at a price I'm comfortable paying.

There are speakers that I can listen to and could even live with that would meet my budget better, but , while they may be a good value to some, my lack of overall passion for the music coming out of them would make me not think of them as all that valuable.

Just my $.02

small world! HA, and your secret is safe with me.
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Well said. When someone asks about "bang for the buck," he has, first, to define what both bang and buck mean to him.

If you want yet another option, you could go DIY; I'm seriously considering picking up some Moth Audio Cicada drivers and either building my own enclosure, or re-using an old one by swapping out the drivers. Incredible value for the money, and not always difficult to do.

Let me give you a real life example of what I mean by "bang for the buck".

I picked up a used pair of Paradigm Monitor 90 p's in VERY good condition for $450 USD.

I also picked up a used Paradigm CC- 350 in very good condition for $125 USD.

Finally, I picked up a new Paradigm PW-2200 for $750 plus tax.

Do I think I got a good deal? Sure. Do I think it was an unbeatable, once in a lifetime deal that you or anyone else who does a little work, couldn't match? No.

They sound GREAT. Now I'm no audiophile, but I've listened to enough speakers long enough and done enough homework to know what good sound is.

I believe in diminishing returns. Sure you can pay 2 or even 3 times more than what I paid, but will they sound 2 - 3 times better? I doubt it.

To me, a Mercedes Benz is a GREAT car. Should it be hard to make a great car for that kind of money? Not to me. Are they a VALUE? Not to me, lol.

I own a Infiniti Q 45. To me, it was a better value. Is it great as the Mercedes?

Hell no! Was the Benzo worth the extra dinero? Not to me.

End result, pick what sounds good to you, and not to anyone else.

Pick what you can afford, and not what someone else can.

All any of us can do is offer OHO (our humble opinion).

Paradigm, to me, offers good sound AND value.

To others that don't like the sound, it won't matter if they are free, it's not a value.

How about the Infinity Beta Line? Great speakers, excellent build quality, and most importantly affordable! One of my colleagues has Infinity Beta 50's (main L & R) Beta C360 (center) Beta 20's (surround) and a PSW12 (Sub) (500 watt 12" powered) with a Yamaha receiver. Im not too sure of the model. Possibly Vs2600 or something like that. He got it all for under 2500.00 and it is quite impressive. Don't get me wrong, this is not "hi-fi" by any means, but for a "newbie" or someone that doesnt "want/need" the absolute best, this system rocks! The Beta line has been out a cpl years now too, so you could probably get one helluva deal on them. Go to google and type in Infinity Beta 50 System. Toss out the di-pole surrounds and swap in a Beta 20 for surround and there ya go.

Magico Ultimate

For your needs, the best bang for your buck might be a nice all-in-one system. I've seen some decent ones starting at $500. Find the one with the best sub for $1000. It won't be nearly as good for music listening but for HT, these aren't bad for the $$$.

you have pm crunchy