Getting new front speakers (mains + center)

ViperZ

Hi all,

All of a sudden I will be without speakers in my HT... All I have left are my NHT subs.
I have a budget of ~$1k for the front 3 speakers. The speakers will be 75% movies, 20% music, 5% gaming on PS3/360 (I very rarely play games).
The mains have to be bookshelves... I have no space for towers at the moment. If I will have to use 4 identical bookshelf speakers all-around, so be it.

Please let me know what your recommendations are (links to current FS deals would be nice too :cool:).

I originally wanted to get NHT 1.5 and NHT AudioCenter-2, but AC-2 is very hard to find (one just went on ebay for around 450, but that's the only one I have seen).

I was also looking at Paradigm Studio 20s or 40s (v2 or v3) with matching center, and LSi9s with LSiC.

Thanks!

Willow

ViperZ wrote: »

Hi all,

All of a sudden I will be without speakers in my HT... All I have left are my NHT subs.
I have a budget of ~$1k for the front 3 speakers. The speakers will be 75% movies, 20% music, 5% gaming on PS3/360 (I very rarely play games).
The mains have to be bookshelves... I have no space for towers at the moment. If I will have to use 4 identical bookshelf speakers all-around, so be it.

Please let me know what your recommendations are (links to current FS deals would be nice too :cool:).

I originally wanted to get NHT 1.5 and NHT AudioCenter-2, but AC-2 is very hard to find (one just went on ebay for around 450, but that's the only one I have seen).

I was also looking at Paradigm Studio 20s or 40s (v2 or v3) with matching center, and LSi9s with LSiC.

Thanks!

I'm assuming you mean for sale not Futureshop!

ViperZ

Willow wrote: »

I'm assuming you mean for sale not Futureshop!

Yes, sir. The only big-box store where I'd look for speakers would be Fry's in the States, just because they have LSi series on sale sometimes .

Willow

ViperZ wrote: »

Yes, sir. The only big-box store where I'd look for speakers would be Fry's in the States, just because they have LSi series on sale sometimes .

I'll keep my eyes open for you.

Willow

http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/161405-polk_audio_lsic_center_channel/

http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/160862-polk_audio_lsi9_bookshelf_speakers/

jwm2

Sorry i didn't see you had some suggestions posted already.

Reimer

I'm not sure if you have a Vision out in Eastern Canada. But I was at a Visions the other day and a salesman offered to sell me a LSiC for $525. The tage price on the shelf was $732 or something. Not sure if this is overpriced or if the $525 is a good price, but something to keep in mind if you are interested in that speaker.

ViperZ

It's a good price for new LSiC, but no Visions locally... You guys in AB are lucky to have them, their TV sale prices are very good.

I am going to audition B&W 683 (towers ) tonight. Will also listen to HTM61 matching center, but I do not have funds to buy the center if I'll pick up those 683s.
Any opinions on those? I was looking at 685/686 bookshelves, but this pair is local...

Reimer

ViperZ wrote: »

It's a good price for new LSiC, but no Visions locally... You guys in AB are lucky to have them, their TV sale prices are very good.

I am going to audition B&W 683 (towers ) tonight. Will also listen to HTM61 matching center, but I do not have funds to buy the center if I'll pick up those 683s.
Any opinions on those? I was looking at 685/686 bookshelves, but this pair is local...

You can always do what I did and just buy the towers for now. I spent roughly 1900 this past boxing day on my receiver(pioneer 9140), Rti10s, PSW111 and a Pioneer blu-ray player with all the cables and such too. Since I spent that much to start I plan on just running a stereo system for now.

I am doing research on some other peices for when I plan on buying but for now the stereo set up is quite nice, definitely beats the HT in a box crap set up I had before.

Hey if you are interested in the LSiC you could always come out to Alberta, I just found out that an ex-coworker of mine works for visions so he would give me the friends and family discount that would make that speaker even cheaper. Got any family out here?

ViperZ

Reimer wrote: »

Hey if you are interested in the LSiC you could always come out to Alberta, I just found out that an ex-coworker of mine works for visions so he would give me the friends and family discount that would make that speaker even cheaper. Got any family out here?

In my industry, there is only 1 company in AB, where I might be able to get a job (Bristol Aerospace )... and I don't think I'd like a Winnipeg winter very much.

PSOVLSK

http://home-audio.audioadvisor.com/search?w=nht

Not sure if there's anything you're interested in, but the prices look pretty good.

Willow

ViperZ wrote: »

In my industry, there is only 1 company in AB, where I might be able to get a job (Bristol Aerospace )... and I don't think I'd like a Winnipeg winter very much.

No job, no amount of money would bring me to either Manitoba or Sask.

Good luck on your speaker hunt

ViperZ

PSOVLSK wrote: »

http://home-audio.audioadvisor.com/search?w=nht

Not sure if there's anything you're interested in, but the prices look pretty good.

Very nice prices on the NHT Classic Three bookshelves and center. Any opinions on them? I don't have any dealers that have them locally to audition .

PSOVLSK

I've never heard them, or any other NHT. I just happen to get an Audio Advisor catalog last night and noticed the prices. I'd love to hear a pair, especially the Classic Three.

ViperZ

Got a lead on great looking B&W CDM-1 bookshelves, but it's going to be really hard to find matching center CDM CN... Anyone heard the CN? It only has 1 driver and 1 tweeter...

ViperZ

Listened to B&W CDM1 in the store for over an hour (Miles Davis, Albinoni, Winton Marsalis, DSOTM and some jazz/vocals). WOW!!! Now I am a happy owner of these speakers.
The soundstage is HUGE, I couldn't believe these bookshelves could open up so much. The sound delivery was great, very transparent, the mids did not push forward, bass extension was great, tweeters were not bright... (Listened on Rotel CD/Pre/Amp system).
Now will have to find B&W CDM-C (or CDM-CNT). If anyone knows where to find one, please let me know.


These look even better in person!!! 10/10 condition, came with original box and packing material.