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Best bookshelf speakers with sealed center for under $2,500?

2028 Views 6 Replies 5 Participants Last post by penngray, Jul 28, 2009

ap307

Discussion Starter · Jul 28, 2009

Dear all,

After receiving very useful feedback yesterday, I've gone back to basics and redesigned how my speakers will be set-up. I am now looking for advice on what speaker set to buy for under $2,500.

The center spekaer will fit in a cabinet under the TV (we're going with http://www.bdiusa.com/theater/cassini_8629.shtml ), so it has to be sealed and has to have a height less than 8".

The left and right speakers will sit on top of the cabinet, so could be either sealed or ported.

I've narrowed down my choices (perhaps prematurely) to:

1) NHT Three for L/R, NHT ThreeC for center (~$1,1000)

2) Snell J7 for L/R, Snell ICS 570 for center (~$1,800)

3) Totem Rainmaker for L/R, a sealed center from another manufacturer (can't seem to find any from Totem, ~$X?)

Of these set-ups, what do you think would work best? Any recommendations for a matching center for the Totem Rainmaker set-up (should I just cover the port for the Rainmaker Center)? Should I be considering any other set-ups?

As an FYI, these would eventually be paired with a subwoofer.

Many thanks for your help,

AP

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aquaphile

· #2 · Jul 28, 2009

i know the Totem option will probably be up there in price. anytime i see an ad on audiogon, or in a forum and they list original MSRP, i can tell you they aint cheap. but, that being said, ive yet to hear anything other than overwhelmingly posotive reviews

EDIT: posotive reviews except for a few posts below me

i know this doesnt exactly answer your question as to what is best, but more hihger-end ported speakers will come with a foam plug that is meant for situations like yours, or to fine-tune the amount of bass. i would assume (yeah, im assuming here

) that Totem includes foam plugs. if not, i know it sounds a little silly, but ive heard of people using a sock to seal off the port. but if its going in that tv stand, no one will be the wiser

(very sharp looking stand btw. good choice)

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aquaphile

· #3 · Jul 28, 2009

your rainmakers would be $995/pr. your center channel is going to be $900. so the two will be about $1900

source:
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volum...05-part-1.html

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penngray

· #4 · Jul 28, 2009

Quote:
● Drivers: One 1" Aluminum Tweeter, One

5.25" Aluminum Woofer

● MFR: 42 Hz - 20 kHz ± 3 dB

● Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms

● Power Handling: 100 Watts

● Efficiency: 87 dB

● Dimensions: 14" H x 7" W x 9" D

● Weight: 12 Pounds/Each

These specs and they cost $900 a speaker???

Sorry but that screams I SUCK to me but Im a HT perfectionist...maybe for soft music they are nice though

Besides that they are ported

Quote:
Most manufacturers will tell you that the enclosure should be as neutral as possible, only achievable by deadening the cabinet. Totem on the other hand subscribes to the theory that enclosure resonance has as much influence on performance as the drivers and crossovers.

lol, too funny but 12 pounds says it all above....BAD speaker design in my books but again they probably color music very well for some people who think $$$ dictates performance. Nothing about them says they are good to me though.

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jmichaelf

· #5 · Jul 28, 2009

Totem sells a metal nub tweak that sits on top of the speaker. I guess you move it around to find the right resonance. Maybe they have a prescription. 1" from the front and 3" to the side.

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scott896

· #6 · Jul 28, 2009

SVS has some nice bookshelf speakers with a sealed center that you can get for under $2500. I highly recommend them.

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penngray

· #7 · Jul 28, 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by jmichaelf /forum/post/16900710

Totem sells a metal nub tweak that sits on top of the speaker. I guess you move it around to find the right resonance. Maybe they have a prescription. 1" from the front and 3" to the side.

Those crazy French Canadians

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