I would go with the Athenas, I think they are a little bit better value, although both are very good at their price point. I would also check out the Ascend Acoustics CBM170 ($328, slightly more than you wanted to spend) and the Axiom M2i ($255). To me, the Ascends are the best value in the $300 range. Also look at the Athenas big brother, the SB-2.