[UncleWill]

If there already are a few discussions on this, please feel free to shoot me towards them. Going out of the country for a week after tomorrow but just wanted to test the waters here.


I am a college student looking to refine his mismatched, vintage styled home theater system. My current receiver is a Pioneer VSX-704S with 375Watts running Dolby Pro Logic. Main components include a Akai X-200D reel2reel, Pioneer LaserDisc D-704, and a DVD player which brand escapes me right now. All connections are analog based, the receiver has no optical or digital inputs. The speakers I had were old and this year I am hoping for something a tad better. The main part of the room next year is medium sized, about 12 by 20 feet with an attached kitchenette on one side of the wall. Will be buying local used speakers probably off of Craigslist. Money is tight but not super tight.


Because of the size of the room, I will probably buy tower speakers to provide enough power in the room. Any thoughts or suggestions for how to go about testing/choosing speakers?

 

[commsysman]

You really need to say how much you want to spend on a pair of speakers before someone can make much comment.

 

[UncleWill]

Probably under $300 for two tower speakers.


Perhaps I can rephrase my questions a bit better:


1.) How much should I pay attention to brand names?

2.) What are the arguments for a tower speaker set with matched surrounds versus an out of the box system?

3.) What things should I listen for in a set of used tower speakers?

4.) Could anyone recommend a good starter set?

 

[commsysman]

The Boston Acoustics Classic II CS260 are going for $140 each on Amazon right now; that is a great price for a pretty good-sounding speaker.


You can also get Polk Monitor 60 speakers for a similar price, but I personally would say that the Boston 260 is better-sounding for the same money.


Used speakers can have problems, and have no warranty. They often have been blown and repaired with cheap drivers that are not the same as the originals. I see it all the time.

 

[UncleWill]

Okay, been doing some research and am trying to buy local for the time being. I recently found a pair of Boston VR-30s. Will be going to see the guy tomorrow just to check em out. Commsysman - you are probably about the blown/"repaired" speakers. Will ask the guy over the phone about that.


A few questions though:


1.) Can anyone fill in on some opinion of these speakers?

2.) Would these be appropriate for a larger spaced room? (Guestimate of 12 feet by 18 feet + non closed room + attached kitchen (12 feet by 10feet, Will get more accurate figures today)

3.) Is a Pioneer VSX-D704S Receiver appropriate for this kind of setup?

4.) How can I trust that our fellow friends at the US Postal Service won't bang up a pair of nice speakers if purchased online?

 

[scoyne88]

2.) you will be good with tower speakers, I had a similar sized dorm room with Polk R150's and found them more then sufficient. If you are in a dorm you might consider saving your money as tower speakers + a sub will probably have campus security running your way, if your off campus then your good to go.


3.) I have had good luck buying used stuff, just put it through the paces before buying, test it on some loud movies, quiet music, tv etc, if it sounds good to you that is all that matters. You can get ripped off buying used but at the same time you can score great deals.



4.) I have had Polk monitor 70's shipped to me VIA UPS from newegg, and they came in perfect condition, again its hit or miss.

 

[UncleWill]

Wow, was pretty off with those guesitmates on the room size. With the attached kitchen on the left, the room measures 25feet by 11.5 feet. These things are supposed to have decent enough bass but an extra sub sounds a little much. I'll leave that one for later.

 

[UncleWill]

Bought the Boston VR-30s. Anyone know anything about these? Found some reviews, but information is scant.