Best speakers for 300-400 ? [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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aznbladez
07-18-2008, 05:37 PM
From Cnet review the best and cheapers one is Onkyo SKS-HT240
http://reviews.cnet.com/surround-speaker-systems/onkyo-sks-ht240/4505-7868_7-30910224.html?tag=txt

Is there other really good speakers for around 300-400$ ?

also do I need a receiver or something to power all of the speaker or is it built in ?

thekid
07-19-2008, 02:31 AM
AZ

Welcome to the forum. I would recommend you spend some time looking through the forum reviews and even searching through old posts to become a little more informed on the topic of receivers and speakers.

To answer your questions;

Are there really good speakers for around $300-$400? - Well it depends on what you are going to use them for and how many you need. If you are looking for 5 speakers plus a subwoofer in that price range, you will not find much other than similar HTIB units. While I do not know the Onkyo you reference, I can say Onkyo is not known for their speakers, If you are looking to set-up a HT system the problem with packages like the Onkyo is that the sub is weak and the overall sound quality of the small speakers tends to be poor with limited range.

IMO you are better off putting together a group of speakers instead of these packages, especially in the $300-$400 price range. Using E-bay, Craiglist or local thrift shops you can find some pretty good older speakers inexpensively and have some fun looking for that hidden bargain. Just remember you want to generally use speakers from the same manufacturer for at least your front and center speakers. A good power subwoofer is needed for the low end punch in HT and even a budget one will run you in the range of about $200.

As for your second question, the package you reference does not come with a receiver. You will need to purchase one separately and again cost can determine to some degree quality. There are some fairly decent units out there at a low price range but you are still talking $200-$300 for a 5.1 receiver even at the budget level. I favor Pioneer and they have a couple of receivers like the VSX-517 or VSX-817 that I can recommend. There are other brands out there and I recommend you use the review section here to become familiar with what is out there at the price range you can afford and give them a listen if possible.

Last piece of advice I can give is to trust your ears and try out as much gear as you can so you can learn the differences and the sound you like. Once you determine what you like it is easier to determine what you can afford based on your budget.

Good luck and happy hunting.......

robin_v
07-19-2008, 12:27 PM
I bought a pair of Audio Pro Avanti A.10s about 18 months ago, just for fun and I was really surprised by the quality and the clarity of them. At the time I was using my B&W DM 602 Series II and in comparison I immediately preferred the Audio Pro.

The B&Ws have been sold a long time ago and I'm a happy camper these days.

The only thing you need to be aware of is that they are 4 Ohm speakers but other than that they have a frequency response of 48 - 40 000Hz which is good enough to hear not only the music but also the first harmonics.

These days I am able to discern what is actually being sung whereas it had a tendency to sound muffled on the 602s.

frenchmon
07-19-2008, 04:52 PM
I bought a pair of Audio Pro Avanti A.10s about 18 months ago, just for fun and I was really surprised by the quality and the clarity of them. At the time I was using my B&W DM 602 Series II and in comparison I immediately preferred the Audio Pro.

The B&Ws have been sold a long time ago and I'm a happy camper these days.

The only thing you need to be aware of is that they are 4 Ohm speakers but other than that they have a frequency response of 48 - 40 000Hz which is good enough to hear not only the music but also the first harmonics.

These days I am able to discern what is actually being sung whereas it had a tendency to sound muffled on the 602s.

I know the brand Audio Pro. I think its a French or British speaker company, but not American. They have been in speaker sand audio for years. They have quality stuff. Years ago there where audio stores that stocked their speakers but I could not tell whats being sold by them in the States these days.

frenchmon

bfalls
07-21-2008, 08:34 AM
You might look for some PSB Alpha Series speakers on ebay. They're usually pretty inexpensive, but are good quality and very dynamic for a small speaker. They have standard bookshelf, towers and AV (shielded) models so you can mix and match and still have a timber-matched system on the cheap. Reviewed as an exceptional buy in Stereophile when they were first introduced.

The Energy Take 5 system is also know for being of good quality and sound on the cheap.

BadAssJazz
07-21-2008, 03:59 PM
PSB mentioned is a good brand. You might also be able to find KEF, Mordaunt Short and Paradigm speaker packages in this price range.

If you're not intimidated in any way by the used market, the possibilities get better and better.

Finally, as alluded to above, I'd seriously consider your budget and time projections. You may have only $400 to buy speakers now, but how much more in the budget would you have if you simply held off for 3 - 6 months? 9 months? Set aside a little more funds and I'm sure you can get the right package for your HT system.