Modest speakers for entry to HT?

gdb

I've never had anything other than two channel equipment before but have recently gotten a Denon AVR-4800 to try out a HT set up. I'd like some suggestions for a matched five piece speaker set that is decent but inexpensive. I have a Velodyne sub (cheap VRP 10" ) that I hope will work OK with the new HT speakers. Anything will be a step up from the two tiny speakers built into my TV that I'm currently listening to. Thanks for any help you can offer! Geoff

dkg999

Not sure what your definition of cheap is, but the Polk Monitor series is pretty good for entry level HT. You might also look at combining a Polk SurroundBar with your sub. The prior generation of the RTi series can also be had on eBay at pretty reasonable prices and are great HT speakers.

gdb

dkg, do you mean the large monitor speakers? I have a pair of Mon10As but I guess I forgot to mention that I'd like compact HT speakers. My wife is gonna go postal when I change the SDA1s to SRSIIs in the living room as it is,so I need some little "girly man" speakers for the HT set up. Maybe something that'll sit on top of the SRSIIs and fasten to the wall for the rears??? :D

Kex

All of the Reference Theater (RT, RTi, RTi A) series speakers will be excellent for HT. If you buy something newer, but not quite current, such as four RTi4 and a CSi3, then I would expect to pay about $500-600 new, if you can find them (especially the center). The older RT speakers used will probably be about $350 for a set of four smallish bookshelf speakers (RT25 ...) and a matching center, if you are patient and don't pay/bid too much.

I have used four New Mini Monitor speakers with a CS245i center, and all five are probably only worth about $200, but they were really excellent IMO for a very good starter HT set. I'd still be using them, except I had other priorities for music listening (and I got upgraditis anyway). If you were in L.A. I'd let you borrow them just to try them out, and give yourself a reference point to work from.

comfortablycurt

gdb wrote: »

dkg, do you mean the large monitor speakers? I have a pair of Mon10As but I guess I forgot to mention that I'd like compact HT speakers. My wife is gonna go postal when I change the SDA1s to SRSIIs in the living room as it is,so I need some little "girly man" speakers for the HT set up. Maybe something that'll sit on top of the SRSIIs and fasten to the wall for the rears??? :D

If you're looking for smaller speakers, the Monitor 40's would work for fronts and the Monitor 30's for rears. You could also look into the TSi series, which is basically the newer version of the Monitor series.

The Monitor 40's go for around 200 bucks a pair shipped, and the Monitor 30's go for about a hundred a pair shipped through Polk Directs ebay store. Their TSi counterparts are still a bit more expensive though.

dkg999

I'd look for a SurroundBar (the one you connect your AVR to) and use it with your sub. Very space and WAF friendly. It will look like a girly-man speaker until you hear it.