I'm replacing items in my Home Theatre. We are going to make some changes to the house later so I'll upgrade everything when we finish the remodeling. But I had a 7.1 Sony receiver with Polk Audio Home theatre speaker set (subwoofer, center speaker, 4 RM2300 satellite speakers). I've been using some old bookshelf speakers as the 6th & 7th speaker. The problem is I don't get a lot of quality and distinctive sound from the 4 RM2300s and the bookshelf speakers.

I replaced the 10-year old Sony receiver (no HDMI inputs) with the Pioneer Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver with 3D-Ready HDMI Switching [Pioneer VSX-521-K} featured on Woot last week for $150.

Would these Pioneer speakers work well with the Pioneer VSX-521-K?

Where would place them in the current system?

-subwoofer
-center speaker,
-Front speakers: Pioneer speakers featured today (replacing 2 of the 4 RM2300 satellite speakers)
-Sides: 2 of the Polk RM2300s (or buy a 2nd set of these Pioneer speakers)
-Rear: 2 of the Polk RM2300s or just get rid of the rear or side speakers). I've read where you can tie in the 6th and 7th speakers into the 5.1 system.

At some point it might be best to try and find an entire new speaker set, but I'm hoping 1 or 2 pairs would suffice for now.

Thanks for your advice.

OK ... in for a pair.

I'm staring at a pair of 60's era Advents, three pair of B&O passives on stands ... and various other speakers, but these will definitely find a home, probably hooked up to sweet little Advent Model 300 tuner/amp and a recently Wooted Vizio 32" HDTV ...

gwooter wrote:How will the Pioneer receiver sold recently on Woot work with these speakers?

Pioneer Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver with 3D-Ready HDMI Switching
Pioneer VSX-521-K $149.99+ $5 shipping

Well take a look at the receiver. First does it have 6 Ohm outputs? Second these are 130 watt speakers so what is the power of your receiver? If it is 100 watts should be fine. If you are wanting to do a 5.1 surround system to take advantage of that receiver you will need 4 surrounds and a sub. There are usually packages of speakers for this. I would highly recommend the Take Classic 5.1 by Energy that cost 399.00 shipped. They are much smaller and fit on stands easier. Easier placement. Otherwise you would be having to buy two pairs of these plus a sub to have a 5.1 surround set up.

I got a Pioneer Elite VSX-30 for 275.00 shipped no tax new. Great deal. Far more receiver than the one you got, worth the extra money if you can return yours and buy this, it is also a 7.1 receiver. I got the guys at Vanns to sell me the Energy CF-30 floor standing speakers that were on sale for 240 bucks for 150.00 each which was an awesome deal.

So basically you need more than just two speakers to really use that 5.1 capability, the speaker outputs may not accept 6 Ohm speakers like these (check on this) and you will want the full surround speaker set or the 5.1 surround part is meaningless with only two speakers.

These are good but for your application, especially if you are trying to keep things cheap you need to budget for the surround speakers with powered sub. But get the 5.1 surround speakers to get the surround out of your receiver making sure to match power and Ohms of what you buy. If you can afford the Energy set I got they are great. If not you can get cheaper but don't expect as much. Your receiver is OK but for not much more you could get something WAY better, it is all depending on your budget.

gwooter wrote:I'm replacing items in my Home Theatre. We are going to make some changes to the house later so I'll upgrade everything when we finish the remodeling. But I had a 7.1 Sony receiver with Polk Audio Home theatre speaker set (subwoofer, center speaker, 4 RM2300 satellite speakers). I've been using some old bookshelf speakers as the 6th & 7th speaker. The problem is I don't get a lot of quality and distinctive sound from the 4 RM2300s and the bookshelf speakers.

I replaced the 10-year old Sony receiver (no HDMI inputs) with the Pioneer Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver with 3D-Ready HDMI Switching [Pioneer VSX-521-K} featured on Woot last week for $150.

Would these Pioneer speakers work well with the Pioneer VSX-521-K?

Where would place them in the current system?

-subwoofer
-center speaker,
-Front speakers: Pioneer speakers featured today (replacing 2 of the 4 RM2300 satellite speakers)
-Sides: 2 of the Polk RM2300s (or buy a 2nd set of these Pioneer speakers)
-Rear: 2 of the Polk RM2300s or just get rid of the rear or side speakers). I've read where you can tie in the 6th and 7th speakers into the 5.1 system.

At some point it might be best to try and find an entire new speaker set, but I'm hoping 1 or 2 pairs would suffice for now.

Thanks for your advice.

The problem is that these are 6 Ohm speakers, what are your others? If not 6 Ohms not a good choice. Also try to match the wattage closely. These are very good speakers for the price but don't sound like they would work great in your situation. You can either go with smaller speakers and set the receiver to "small" front mains or get bigger floor standing speakers and set it to "Large" what I would do and much better for music when you play that. But get something that matches the Ohms and power rating of what you have closely. Check out the sales and you can find some decent cheap floor standing front mains that would match ohms and power of what you have for around 100 bucks each, it is all what you can afford. But whatever you get match ohms and power and check ratings on what you think looks good in your budget. These are really good but only if they match what other gear you have.

retswerb wrote:What exactly makes these speakers 'bookshelf'? Is that a specific speaker category, or just a description of a place they would fit nicely?

Size.
Thats it.
Great speakers for the price but you need to have a use for them. A receiver to power them that will drive 6 Ohm speakers, something that has close to the 130 watts will be best. And you only have stereo with two (not surround and hard to match with most surrounds that are 8Ohm and lower power ratings).

In for two.....will make a nice addition to the new home

Best Buy has a version of these with the 4" woofer for $99 as well. The Best Buy version will give you virtually the same performance plus you can use coupons or discounts at BB, plus you can take them back if you don't like them. These are OK speakers, but don expect miracles from them. they are what they are............good small speakers

alphaiii wrote:There is alot of misinformation in this thread overall.

Regarding the above quote - "bookshelf" speakers is a bit of a misnomer, and is commonly used when talking about monitor speakers as well. Yes, there are genuine bookshelf speakers in that they are designed to take advantage of the low end (bass) reinforcement that results from placing the speaker on a flat surface near a rear wall - ie. a bookshelf.

But there are many speakers, such as these Pioneer BS41's that are referred to as bookshelves that are NOT intended to be placed on a bookshelf. If you want to understand why - look up the term baffle step compensation. Speakers like the BS41 are meant to be placed on a stand with some space between them and the rear wall. Placing them close to the wall, or on a bookshelf, will reinforce the bass, which for a speaker designed such as this, will result in over exaggerated bass.

If the BS41 was actually designed to be placed on a bookshelf against the rear wall, then the measurements in the Stereophile review would show the bass rolling off higher in frequency, so the reinforcement from the shelf/wall wouldn't result in exaggerated/boomy bass.


Other misinformation - Best Buy does NOT sell the BS41. They only sell the BS21, which uses a smaller woofer and smaller cabinet.

These speakers are NOT junk... not even close. Yes, they are budget speakers... and they aren't the most sensitive, so they require more amp power to play as loud as say, the Klipsch or Polk speakers that you find at your local best buy... But, what they are is a very well designed budget speaker from one of today's speaker design geniuses, Andrew Jones, and all you need to do is read the Stereophile review and look at the measurements to know how solid this speaker is for the money.

Thanks for that

netvandal wrote:Best Buy has a version of these with the 4" woofer for $99 as well. The Best Buy version will give you virtually the same performance plus you can use coupons or discounts at BB, plus you can take them back if you don't like them. These are OK speakers, but don expect miracles from them. they are what they are............good small speakers

Completely useless information. Were talking two different speakers here. The BB sells the 21's that have a 4" woofer. These are larger in physical size and have a 5.25" woofer. These are way better and fuller sounding.

gwooter wrote:I'm replacing items in my Home Theatre. We are going to make some changes to the house later so I'll upgrade everything when we finish the remodeling. But I had a 7.1 Sony receiver with Polk Audio Home theatre speaker set (subwoofer, center speaker, 4 RM2300 satellite speakers). I've been using some old bookshelf speakers as the 6th & 7th speaker. The problem is I don't get a lot of quality and distinctive sound from the 4 RM2300s and the bookshelf speakers.

I replaced the 10-year old Sony receiver (no HDMI inputs) with the Pioneer Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver with 3D-Ready HDMI Switching [Pioneer VSX-521-K} featured on Woot last week for $150.

Would these Pioneer speakers work well with the Pioneer VSX-521-K?

Where would place them in the current system?

-subwoofer
-center speaker,
-Front speakers: Pioneer speakers featured today (replacing 2 of the 4 RM2300 satellite speakers)
-Sides: 2 of the Polk RM2300s (or buy a 2nd set of these Pioneer speakers)
-Rear: 2 of the Polk RM2300s or just get rid of the rear or side speakers). I've read where you can tie in the 6th and 7th speakers into the 5.1 system.

At some point it might be best to try and find an entire new speaker set, but I'm hoping 1 or 2 pairs would suffice for now.

Thanks for your advice.

I would go with Polk monitor 30 instead for $20 more from newegg.com.

I just replaced my 12 year old Sony 5.0 speakers with a pair of Polk monitor 60 tower speakers, a Polk CS1 center, and a pair of polk monitor 30 for the rear. Total came to $385 after instant rebates.

Check out fatwallet.com for the Polk deals. I believe that they have expired, but they show up from time to time. I spluged a bit on a SVS subwoofer a while ago.

Don't get me wrong, I like pioneer. I bought boxed 5.1 Pioneer speaker set for both my sister and my parents. They are a good bang for your buck for an inexpensive setup. However, I find the Polk separates to be at the next level.

MaddOperator wrote:I have a pair of these. Paid the same price when they were on sale at Best Buy. For $99 they're pretty damn nice. They can handle some volume. Also, picking up background sounds in movies has become a great new game with these. Just listen to the rain in Aliens (not Alien) with it and you'll be amazed at how immersed you'll become in movies you know forward and back.

You dont have these same speakers if you purchased at Best Buy. They sell the BS21 which is the smaller version of the BS41. Check the back of your speaker to verify. Best Buy has never carried the BS41.

The BS41 is a very good value for the money.

bugtussle wrote:Completely useless information. Were talking two different speakers here. The BB sells the 21's that have a 4" woofer. These are larger in physical size and have a 5.25" woofer. These are way better and fuller sounding.

Ditto, not the same speakers. If 6 Ohm bookcase speakers will work for you then these are a great deal. If you can find these somewhere to listen to first fine, but do it fast or you won't have the option to buy these if you want them.

Having met Andrew Jones and hearing his high end speaker line(TAD), you won't find a better speaker in this price range.

From scanning the description, Woot makes it sound like there aren't any record stores left... well there are some great ones!! I can name 'em from Cambridge Mass to Austin to Los Angeles that sell vinyl of every Nirvana available on vinyl, plus all the offshoot bands since...even little tiny 45's!

Sorry, after the one (very clever & sad) comment about 'good use for bookshelves since no one reads anymore' made me double-sad, I had to pipe up. I feel even more weirdo for having a stereo with Receiver/Amp, and- well, everything BUT the $99 needed here to terrorize the neighbors. I'm getting out my traveling cane to walk to my lil' neighborhood bookstore now. Harumph.

-reading Page 3 makes me feel better- actual stereo geeks! Yay! Next time I'll read all the comments first- maybe...

buffaloed wrote:A year ago these speakers could be had for $79.99 on Black Friday. It might pay to be patient if you're on the fence. Then again it might not. lol
http://archive.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=0&t=2417255

Thanks for the link. Seems to be a once and done, given J&R no longer carries Pioneer speakers at all. J&R also has a habit of blowing out a choice product every so often (I often get in on those when I see them) never to be seen again from them at that price or anywhere near that some other retailer.

mikem53 wrote:Stereo-pile is bought and paid for by its sponsors.. have been for years.. all their reviews are biased. These will sound like $99 speakers.. no magic formula or miracles here..

Ok...what about Home Theater magazine? They bought off too? June 2011 review is linked via image as a pdf off Pioneer Electronic's site. AVSforum members bought off too? It's pretty straight up being said these are better than speakers twice the list price ($150/pair). Which means given woot's price, that's 3x.

A tested 5.1a setup for $440 (with their center, sub) isn't bad. I'm not expecting miracles, I just want something decent for the money. I'll get more noise from the a$$hole tuner traffic blowing by where I live, and I've heard $2,000+ handcrafted speakers but still thought the best speakers I've heard were these Denon bookshelves that came with a mini system I bought 15 years ago, maybe bested by a pair of 4 decade old Akai's my father has.

Not everyone is an audiophile, I'd probably be happy for the rest of my life if I ever got to buy a set of lower end Paradigms and some basic NAD equipment, and I wouldn't be surprised if my undiscerning ears and the source quality of the audio is more a limiting factor to quality than these speakers.

cxr344 wrote:Seriously, get a pair of these, a DTA-100A, and a cheap external DAC (HRT Music Streamer is a good choice), use your PC as the source...

Interesting. Thanks much for those.

Ringo4422 wrote:Ummm... no. Bookshelf speakers are designed to go on a bookshelf, period. You can put them anywhere you personally want but when they were designed, they were designed to go on a bookshelf, against a wall, at listening level.

One of the reviews being mentioned said something about these being tested 2 feet from the wall. Bookshelves are usually not that deep.

For those interested in a dissertation from the designer himself, Andrew Jones makes an appearance on the AVS forum (linked a few posts back) to explain a number of the design choices and why they were implemented. Very cool of him to do that.

Granted, I was already in for a pair way before reading that, based on the near universal acclaim from respected publications that have actually tested them out.

in laymans terms what do i need to hook these up to my computer,

i know i need an amplifier or receiver but what are the specifications for these speakers and what do i need to run the amp/receiver to my computer?

ps this is my first woot so im excited =]

I'm planning on turning this into a college budget sound system, considering ive never owned one. What is a reasonably priced amp that will do the trick, and does it need a subwoofer? One set of speakers or two?

Can anybody recommend a good amplifier for this? I'm also considering buying the Pioneer s-31c center speaker. Any thoughts?

jspr wrote:in laymans terms what do i need to hook these up to my computer,

i know i need an amplifier or receiver but what are the specifications for these speakers and what do i need to run the amp/receiver to my computer?

ps this is my first woot so im excited =]

The specs for these speakers are all in the item description. size, 6 Ohm, 130 watt max power rating. Don't know your computer or its connections or your budget. Put those in.

Is there any harm in connecting these 6Ω speakers to an 8Ω - 16Ω receiver?

Connahhh wrote:I'm planning on turning this into a college budget sound system, considering ive never owned one. What is a reasonably priced amp that will do the trick, and does it need a subwoofer? One set of speakers or two?

That depends. Do you want a 5.1 to 7.1 surround system or just stereo?
The receiver/amp would dictate the surround capabilities then for a 5.1 than means two pairs plus a sub. if a 7.1 receiver can still go with that set up and always add two more speakers for full 7.1 as not a ton of 7.1 content out today anyway. Get those later. If just a stereo then depending on wants and budget a pair with a sub would be good as long as not too much bass dialed in so it blended, not overpowered with bass. Listen to things in stores to get a general idea if you have time.

tehwallz wrote:Can anybody recommend a good amplifier for this? I'm also considering buying the Pioneer s-31c center speaker. Any thoughts?

What is your budget? If you get a center speaker then you would be two speakers short of a 5.1 surround sound system, either nix the center or get two sets of these to make a 5.1 system at least. For receivers I got a great deal 275 new on the Pioneer Elite VSX-30 7.1 av receiver, would have to see if it takes the 6 ohm speakers though.

What ohm rating is the center speaker? If matches the that and two pairs of these would be sweet if you find a receiver for them.

thomasterrible wrote:That depends. Do you want a 5.1 to 7.1 surround system or just stereo?
The receiver/amp would dictate the surround capabilities then for a 5.1 than means two pairs plus a sub. if a 7.1 receiver can still go with that set up and always add two more speakers for full 7.1 as not a ton of 7.1 content out today anyway. Get those later. If just a stereo then depending on wants and budget a pair with a sub would be good as long as not too much bass dialed in so it blended, not overpowered with bass. Listen to things in stores to get a general idea if you have time.

It's going to be 99% music, which my collection is 99% recorded in stereo. So, I would assume as far as the budget is concerned stereo is the way to go. Is that thinking flawed? Do you have any personal recommendations for a sub or amp?

Edit2: just realized that was a 7.1 receiver. Nevermind.

Edit: Just saw your post about your recommended amp. 275 is not in the cards. I was hoping to keep this under $200 for a stereo setup. Perhaps just get the two speakers and an amp and wait for the sub?

thomasterrible wrote:What is your budget? If you get a center speaker then you would be two speakers short of a 5.1 surround sound system, either nix the center or get two sets of these to make a 5.1 system at least. For receivers I got a great deal 275 new on the Pioneer Elite VSX-30 7.1 av receiver, would have to see if it takes the 6 ohm speakers though.

What ohm rating is the center speaker? If matches the that and two pairs of these would be sweet if you find a receiver for them.

This is the speaker I was looking at. My budget is pretty modest, I'm not looking to create the next amazing home theater system. My room is relatively small and a 5.1 would be overkill.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-S-31C-Center-Speaker-Black/dp/B003YCOL5G

tehwallz wrote:Can anybody recommend a good amplifier for this? I'm also considering buying the Pioneer s-31c center speaker. Any thoughts?

I'm not an audiophile but I've been reading the reviews and forum posts.

What is your reasoning for the S-31C? Isn't that a series 3 speaker (AVS forum suggests different design team from EU and Japan) and substantially more expensive?

Most tested these using the SP-C21 which is the same design team as the speakers offered here it seems. In fact, it might be a better value as speakers (use as L R and surround in addition to center) than this woot (center has an extra but same woofer, still reading) if turned vertically, but I'm still was just looking into whether that's recommended or not when I read your post.

invaderkeen wrote:Is there any harm in connecting these 6Ω speakers to an 8Ω - 16Ω receiver?

driving speakers that have a lower ohm load than your amplifier is rated for can cause it to overheat. That is the simple answer, but I'm sure someone will jump in later with a more technical answer or snarkily snipe at my answer. You can always buy two pairs, wire them in a series, (which will double the ohm load to 12) and not worry about it.

What is the best way to amplify this pair plus a subwoofer?

Connahhh wrote:It's going to be 99% music, which my collection is 99% recorded in stereo. So, I would assume as far as the budget is concerned stereo is the way to go. Is that thinking flawed? Do you have any personal recommendations for a sub or amp?

Edit2: just realized that was a 7.1 receiver. Nevermind.

Edit: Just saw your post about your recommended amp. 275 is not in the cards. I was hoping to keep this under $200 for a stereo setup. Perhaps just get the two speakers and an amp and wait for the sub?

Thats cool. Just because a receiver CAN do 5.1 or 7.1 surround doesnt mean you HAVE to use them, you can set it to stereo and use your two speakers. If you are running music dont necessarily need a sub. For surround you want one (that is the .1 in 5.1,7.1) sound effects etc.

So don't worry about the sub for now. I have only been checking out AV receivers lately, but for the money I would do a google search for best budget stereo receiver and check out the various sites and compare what is in your price range.

You could get just a pair of these and a stereo receiver that has 6 ohm capabilities and have what you want. 8 ohms would be far easier to find. But check that out and see what you come up with. Having checked out dozens of AV receivers but no stereo only I can say off top of my head...sorry. But again if you find something that works but also has the surround you dont have to use it. Sony stdrh 520 is under 200 and 7.1 AV but sounds like you are looking for less expensive, that is the least expensive half way decent av receiver I have found for under 200 but keep searching.

In for 3 pair, replacing my Energy 5 kit, driven from my Onkyo TX-SR607. Polk sub is staying in place. Maybe I'll find their center speaker at some point and move pair #3 into normal stereo duty elsewhere.

not a big audiophile...are the speakers 130 watts capable EACH or total between the two?? I have a receiver that does not give my Def Tech spkrs their due, but if these are 130 watts each...then maybe?? Help, and thanks...

tehwallz wrote:This is the speaker I was looking at. My budget is pretty modest, I'm not looking to create the next amazing home theater system. My room is relatively small and a 5.1 would be overkill.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-S-31C-Center-Speaker-Black/dp/B003YCOL5G

That is a perfect match for a center speaker, same ohms looks like a companion to these here. But did you see the price? The reason you get a center speaker is for the voices in movies in a 5.1 or 7.1 surround decoded signal. It would not make sense to get that and not 4 surrounds. Get two pairs of these and that and you have 5.1. Even two pairs of these and find a different center channel or save for that one.

Movies are decoded with 5.1 or 7.1 and certain parts of the movie soundtrack and effects are sent to various speakers to give the impression that those things on the screen are coming from the appropriate direction. So 2 of these and a center would not work for a 5.1 surround decoding, missing part the tracks.

If you just want stereo dont need center channel, if going surround very much do as much of the sound comes from center channel and that is an awesome match for these. That plus two of these would be impossible to beat for the price. At least get the two pairs of these for now as they are a great deal then get that other speaker when on sale or when you can afford it. Then add a sub and you would have a killer surround system. And could use it in the meantime, just not a 5.1 Great choice.

Otherwise the Energy Take Classic 5.1 surround speaker set has 4 surrounds, a center channel and powered sub for 399. I got additional expensive Energy floor mains that were over 200 each on sale but you dont have to do that.

So comes down to money but if you will use this as home theater you need the 4 speakers plus a sub. You would have 200 in to 4 of these, killer deal, and then the center and what you selected was the best choice, but pricey.

I would do that. And use a receiver that

surflunesta wrote:not a big audiophile...are the speakers 130 watts capable EACH or total between the two?? I have a receiver that does not give my Def Tech spkrs their due, but if these are 130 watts each...then maybe?? Help, and thanks...

Each. Meaning can't use amp with more power than 130 watts at high volume without possible damage. A receiver will have a wattage rating for X watts at X ohms per speaker. Change the ohms and you change the resistance and power handling capacities.

Connahhh wrote:It's going to be 99% music, which my collection is 99% recorded in stereo. So, I would assume as far as the budget is concerned stereo is the way to go. Is that thinking flawed? Do you have any personal recommendations for a sub or amp?

Edit2: just realized that was a 7.1 receiver. Nevermind.

Edit: Just saw your post about your recommended amp. 275 is not in the cards. I was hoping to keep this under $200 for a stereo setup. Perhaps just get the two speakers and an amp and wait for the sub?

This is the inexpensive sony you can read more reviews on, is under 200, can do stereo for now or surround later, for the price hard to beat.
http://www.retrevo.com/s/Sony-STR-DH520-Receivers-review-manual/id/23904ag618/t/1-2/

thomasterrible wrote:This is the inexpensive sony you can read more reviews on, is under 200, can do stereo for now or surround later, for the price hard to beat.
http://www.retrevo.com/s/Sony-STR-DH520-Receivers-review-manual/id/23904ag618/t/1-2/

Thanks for the help, it's much appreciated. Would that be overkill for a music (not home theatre) oriented setup? Or is that simply to drive more speakers down the road?

I think my ideal setup (please correct me if I'm wrong) would be two pairs of these speakers and a sub (although later on) and an adequate amp that could drive them all. Could I get away with a cheaper amp to do that, or should I jump on this deal regardless of not using it for television?

thomasterrible wrote:Each. Meaning can't use amp with more power than 130 watts at high volume without possible damage. A receiver will have a wattage rating for X watts at X ohms per speaker. Change the ohms and you change the resistance and power handling capacities.

thanks, so to be sure that would be an amp with no more than 130 watts EACH channel (260 total) correct?...I assume (not good) I cannot change the ohms on the receiver...that being said, therefore my receiver must not put out more than 260 watts at high volume?...not that I would push it...just want to be safe..thanx again

First thought: the biggest improvements to home entertainment systems almost always come from upgrading the speakers (unless you're used to listening to a boombox or an AM radio, in which case anything new is good).

Second thought: people's tastes in sound are *highly* subjective, so rating one speaker "better" than another because of price or brand or woofer size is hogwash; you gotta listen. Only you know what you like. So I'm much more interested in what the people who own these have to say, and what the rooms are like in which they listen. And Wooters, you've been rather skimpy on the qualitative side, which leads to. . . .

Third thought: rather than merely listing specs, you really need to think about these speakers in terms of sound quality and personal preference. Unfortunately, describing sound quality is as elusive as writing about wine. Are the highs crisp and transparent? Is the bass thin or muddy? Do these puppies depend on a sub for clean bass?

And personal preference! I hope the writer who described a subwoofer as capable of shaking the floor was talking about its power, rather than how s/he listens to music! I listen mostly to jazz and classical, so the profile of a speaker for me is very different than for someone who listens to Bill Haley and the Comets at ear-splitting volume.

So folks, how do these things *sound*? You've only got 2 hours and a few minutes to make the case for these.

Connahhh wrote:Thanks for the help, it's much appreciated. Would that be overkill for a music (not home theatre) oriented setup? Or is that simply to drive more speakers down the road?

I think my ideal setup (please correct me if I'm wrong) would be two pairs of these speakers and a sub (although later on) and an adequate amp that could drive them all. Could I get away with a cheaper amp to do that, or should I jump on this deal regardless of not using it for television?

Yes it would power all the speakers at the same 100 Watts, these can take 130. If you got four of these, use two for now, then when you get the sub add the other two and a sub and you would have the 5.1. Subs usually come self powered (plug in to the wall) for home theaters. But yes that would make a great system, the speakers would make an awesome surround system with a center channel, that is the only thing missing from the 5.1, which is front R, Front L, Center (for voices) Rear R, Rear L, and a sub for the ".1". Later could even add a pair of larger floor speakers for a 7.1. It gives you room to grow or eventually even get an even better receiver as these are better than their 99 buck price makes them sound like.

Add things up to get the price, I just went through this and found awesome deals plus negotiated some 700 buck a pair front mains for 150 a pair which was sweet. It took me a few weeks to track down best items for the money and find deals. Check the Sony Ohms as I was never looking at 6 Ohm speakers.

surflunesta wrote:thanks, so to be sure that would be an amp with no more than 130 watts EACH channel (260 total) correct?...I assume (not good) I cannot change the ohms on the receiver...that being said, therefore my receiver must not put out more than 260 watts at high volume?...not that I would push it...just want to be safe..thanx again

These speakers are rated at 130 watts MAX. That's peak power folks. This measurement is strictly marketing numbers. To convert this inflated rating to a real useable rating, they probably will handle less than half that in RMS power. So they are probably capable of handling about 50 watts RMS. Worrying about an amplifier having to deliver no more power than the speaker rating is a great misunderstanding. Without getting overly technical, having an amplifier underpowered does cause serious damage to speakers, especially by blowing out tweeters when the amp is over driven. A 500 watt RMS amp "could" blow the woofers in this, but just don't crank the heck out of it.

What's a bookshelf? I keep my kindle on my nightstand