Noob who needs help.

[Tibbydriver]

Recenlty I went to my local home theatre shop looking to complete a set up that a friend gave me. He gave me 2 3 way Sony floor speakers, 2 2 way Sony bookshelf speakers, and a Sony Receiver. Now originally he had them hooked through the receiver as 4 front speakers and set it to Virtual Dolby. Well right now I have the 3 ways set up as front speakers, the bookshelf speakers as rear speakers, and I purchased a Paradigm center speaker, and a Paradigm Subwoofer. Im very pleased with Paradigm but was wondering if it would just be worth it to invest in a new pair of front and rear speakers. All the Sony speakers are a little over 5 years old. Any help would be appreciated.

[paul_pci]

Recenlty I went to my local home theatre shop looking to complete a set up that a friend gave me. He gave me 2 3 way Sony floor speakers, 2 2 way Sony bookshelf speakers, and a Sony Receiver. Now originally he had them hooked through the receiver as 4 front speakers and set it to Virtual Dolby. Well right now I have the 3 ways set up as front speakers, the bookshelf speakers as rear speakers, and I purchased a Paradigm center speaker, and a Paradigm Subwoofer. Im very pleased with Paradigm but was wondering if it would just be worth it to invest in a new pair of front and rear speakers. All the Sony speakers are a little over 5 years old. Any help would be appreciated.

Most definitely! While Sony makes good products in some consumer areas, audio speakers are not their forté, and neither are receivers, especially if you want the best quality sound for your budget. Ideally, you want to purchase main speakers that match the Paradigm center speaker you bought and then, as your budget allows replace the rear speakers (especially if you find the disparity of tonal balance distrcting) and perhaps in the future you may wish to replace the receiver with one that suits your needs as you figure out what you most want from your home theater set up.

Good luck and happy listening.

[bobsticks]

Most definitely! While Sony makes good products in some consumer areas, audio speakers are not their forté, and neither are receivers, especially if you want the best quality sound for your budget. Ideally, you want to purchase main speakers that match the Paradigm center speaker you bought and then, as your budget allows replace the rear speakers (especially if you find the disparity of tonal balance distrcting) and perhaps in the future you may wish to replace the receiver with one that suits your needs as you figure out what you most want from your home theater set up.

Good luck and happy listening.

I agree 100% with paul. If you think about it, it makes sense. Sony has their mits in so many areas they can't possibly give enough attention to something as intricate as speakers. You're on the right track with Paradigm. Stay that course.

[PeruvianSkies]

Sell the Sony's or give them away to someone who is less fortunate and will appreciate them and buy speakers that will compliment the Paradigm center and sub that you have.

[drseid]

I agree with Paul and all the other responders. Sony makes good TVs and projectors IMO, but speakers are definitely not their forte. Paradigm is a good solid brand that is a great way to enter the world of high-end audio. I think you will be much happier in the long-run replacing the Sony speakers with Paradigms.

Good luck,

---Dave

[bfalls]

Sony can make good speakers, it's just not their forte as mentioned earlier. I've read several reviews of their SSM9 speakers, one in Stereophile, which was very good. In your system hoxever, the Sonys are a detrement. If you enjoy the Paradigms, go for it, they're very nice sounding speakers. You should also buy as good a speakers as you can afford. Going cheap on speakers will bite you later.

Purchasing a good receiver shouldn't be too difficult either. There are many good affordable mid-fi brands such as Yamaha, Onkyo, Denon, Marantz, Pioneer on the market. You should be able to find one to suit your needs. Check the efficiency of the speakers you're driving as an indication to how much power you'll need. Receivers with 100W/channel are very common anymore and should provide adequate power to drive your system to good levels.

[Tibbydriver]

Well thanks for the replies. They were very helpful. Im just trying to get that great movie theatre sounding experience. Im actually about to go out and check out some Paradigm front speakers. Im hoping to swing some sort of a deal like I did with the sub and the center.