The best bargain in HT speakers?

[LeRoy]

Guys, while reading reviews on the http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/ buying guide for Home-Theater Speakers $5,000 and Under (2009)...... I am astounded by the price and overall positive review of this product for HT focused entertainment. Thought you might want to check it out.

http://www.yambekaaudio.com/


Yambeka 5-speaker system
2 Main Towers
1 Shielded Center Channel
2 Surround Speakers
$299.00


Yambeka 7-speaker system
2 Main Towers
1 Shielded Center Channel
4 Surround Speakers
$359.00

[blackraven]

I bet you meant for under $500, not $5K.

I'd be wary of speakers like that- Big in size and low in price. Never heard of that company.

I would rather piece a budget system together for $500.


http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ATLS300 =$200pr

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ATLS50 =$59pr

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ATLSC50 =$59

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00287HXIA /ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00120085Y&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0M7QPEDPTRM65WQQ2V3R

=$149

Total=$469

This will blow that system away

[LeRoy]

I bet you meant for under $500, not $5K.

I'd be wary of speakers like that- Big in size and low in price. Never heard of that company.

I would rather piece a budget system together for $500.


http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ATLS300 =$200pr

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ATLS50 =$59pr

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ATLSC50 =$59

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00287HXIA /ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00120085Y&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0M7QPEDPTRM65WQQ2V3R

=$149

Total=$469

This will blow that system away

Actually, the Home-Theater Speakers $5,000 and Under (2009) is a copy and pasted line from the soundstage website. That's the review category soundstage has the Yambeka product in.

Anyway, I thought for those folks who simply want a full compliment of HT speakers on the el cheapo might want to know about this product. Good thing you found a better alternative.

[mcbr1]

So, how good are those Athenas? What do they compare to? I've seen them on the audioadvisor site and often wondered. Why are they bring sold at such a discount?

I bet you meant for under $500, not $5K.

I'd be wary of speakers like that- Big in size and low in price. Never heard of that company.

I would rather piece a budget system together for $500.


http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ATLS300 =$200pr

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ATLS50 =$59pr

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ATLSC50 =$59

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00287HXIA /ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00120085Y&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0M7QPEDPTRM65WQQ2V3R

=$149

Total=$469

This will blow that system away

[harley .guy07]

I heard a pair of Athena's at Best Buy a few years ago and while I am not sure of the model they looked similar to the models shown in the link. I am quite certain that they did not have the corbon fiber mids though but the tweeters looked almost identical. they actually impressed me for the price and I personally thought that they were the best sounding speakers that best buy has had. Much better than the JBL and Klipsch speakers that Best Buy were pushing hard. And the funny thing is that they had the Athena's in a side location of the store where they did not get much attention. but to me they blew away anything they had in the store. But I am a fan of soft dome tweeters and simple driver setups with higher quality drivers without the horns or multi driver setups of the JBL or Klipsch had. the Athena's had a Midwoofer and tweeter in a small tower and while they might not go as loud or be as big as those other speakers they naturaly sounded more natural and had way better imaging and soundstaging and they were at a cheaper price to boot.

But after looking at the Athena's on the link they look to have changed the drivers to aluminum dome tweeters and they also changed the mids quite a bit so my opinion might not be of much help since they have changed their speakers quite a bit.

[frenchmon]

So, how good are those Athenas? What do they compare to? I've seen them on the audioadvisor site and often wondered. Why are they bring sold at such a discount?

I do remember the "Athena Technologies" speakers at BB a few years ago. Many where really talking about the speaker and they are a nice budget speaker. They have several lines. I think the ones sold at AudioAdvisor are above those that where sold at BB. Athena Technologies who where owned by a company called "Audio Products International Corp. (API)," who also owned Mirage, and Energy speaker where purchsed a few years ago by Klipsch who also before had purchased Jamo speakers. (I really like Jamo speakers) IF any one is looking for a good inexpensive speaker for hometheater of two channel, tey should consider the Athena line of speakers. Athena Technologies also make and sell other lines that are not offered at Audio Advisor.

frenchmon

[Poultrygeist]

I have the big Athena F2 floorstanders in my HT. They are pretty good but no longer made. If you found a pair on ebay the shipping would be out of sight due to their size.

If I where looking at this type speaker I would buy and build the Parts Express TriTrix MTM kit. All precut panels, drivers and hardware for both speakers $199 shipped (Holiday special) There is a demo video on Youtube that shows their easy assembly. Knowing the quality of these kits I'm sure these would best anything under a grand and run circles around my Athenas.

[riotact]

From my personal experience with white van speakers, I am always afraid when a website claims to be for audiophiles, something that real speaker companies dont seem to claim-- at least not on the first page

[dakatabg]

Hey "riotact" here is the list of the white van speaekrs:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=990066

I see them on craigslist very often and sometimes people ask hundreds for them, claiming that they are great speakers. Don't fool yourself and buy any of them! Some look nice but the sound quality is very bad!

[harley .guy07]

I do agree I would stay away from them. I have seen speakers like this advertised for years and every time I see speaker system like this it makes me wonder how many people get suckered into buying these speakers and then when they get them and they suck they can't their money back and can't even sell them for anywhere near the money they paid for them because anyone that studies this stuff knows they are junk. the retail prices they put on this stuff to begin with should tell you that the drivers, crossovers, and cabinets are not of any good quality and will not sound good no mater what kind of electronics you put in front of them. I work on speakers and have built my own designs and know for sure a company could not make speakers like these and sell them for those kind of prices and make enough money to have a company. the only way they are doing it is by using china's cheapest made drivers, very very cheap crossover components if every driver actually had a crossover which in some cases the midwoofers Don't, and cabinets that have panels that move as much as the drivers and probably aren't optimized for the drivers or anything for that matter. I would just stay away from the whole thing.