Bookshelf- M&K, Def Tech, Energy, others?

[Eric Z]

Hello, everyone-

I am moving some of my equipment around my house and want to get your opinion.

I currently have Mirage FRX5 floorstanding speakers, basic Sony receiver, and a Def Tech PS80 sub (used for 30% music and 70% movies) in my main living room. What I want to end up with is a HT system in my family room and basic music listening (some movies) in my living room. I am going to buy a new receiver (nothing too crazy- about $500 price range) and move that downstairs with my Def Tech sub. Now, this is where your opinion comes into play. I am thinking about keeping the Mirages in my living room with my basic Sony receiver- for music and some movie watching. I am looking at some bookshelf speakers for the family room that will be with the new receiver and Def Tech sub (of course there will be a DVD player thrown in there, too). What do you think?

Here are the speakers I am looking at (I've listened to them and I'm pleased with all three)-
M&K K5
Def Tech PMON80
Energy C-1

This is what my local retailer carries, so I was able to listen to them and I all 3! However, I am willing to shop elsewhere if this means I can get a better product for my price range (about $250-$350/pair).

Any advice/comments are welcome!

Thank you!

[nightflier]

Have you looked at Axiom Audio (www.axiomaudio.com)? I know most of my posts have mentioned Axioms, but they are really that good. I spent a year auditioning bookshelf speakers in my home and when I got Axiom M22ti's, they where the standard that I compared all the other speakers to - very few speakers came close.

If you have a solid sub (and it looks like you do), the Axioms are better than the Energy speakers, particularly in the mid and upper ranges. The M22ti's ship for $400 from their website (they only sell online), but if that's too rich, check out their outlet selection or the M3ti's which are also a bargain at $275 a pair. My speakers also arrived in two days and the Axiom staff is always ready to help.

If you want more bass, then the Paradigm Monitor 5's were very close. They are more transparent and certainly bettered the Axiom M22ti's in that department. But I have a great sub so I was more interested in the mid-range extention and for me the tweeter on the Axiom does more of what I was looking for.

I was not impressed with M&K. While they were great for movies, they were rather harsh on music. I listen to a lot of classical, so that speaker wasn't for me. But if you will be using it just for movies, that may be an option for you, especially if you have easy access to them. I have not heard the DedTech, so I can't comment on that one, but the Energy, while being a fine speaker, is a little too transparent for me. While some may say that the Axioms slightly color the sound, I liked this extra 'spunk' more than the transparency of the Energy speakers.

Ideally, you should order the Paradigms and Axiom's (they will let you audition them) and take the other three home from your dealer to blind-test them all out. Hopefully this will give you the best idea of what sounds best in your family room.

[Eric Z]

Thanks for the recommendations, Nightflier! I've heard tons about Axioms through this forum and it sounds like they live up to the hype. I'll definitely add those to my choice.

Thanks again.

Anyone else have any thoughts?