Help -- Bookshelf Speaker Recs [Archive]

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km630

01-06-2009, 01:42 PM

I'm looking for recommendations for bookshelf speakers. I have a nice Denon receiver that I run 5.1 surround sound in our family room. I want to use zone 2 to have sound to the living room. I have pulled the speaker wires, but I have been too busy at work to research speaker options. As for price, I am looking at $250 to $300, but I was hoping to get something decent for around $200. The living room is approximately 18 by 18. This would never be used for "critical listening." Mostly background music for the wife and background music for entertaining. No real high volume needed.

A couple other limitations. Wife prefers white enclosures because the speakers will "hide" better in our white painted shelves. Also, wife has rejected floor speakers for the living room. Also, given issues with my 117 year old home, we cannot use installed or flush mount speakers (though that was what I initially planned on doing).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Quads

01-06-2009, 01:56 PM

Energy.

Wedge Rock

01-06-2009, 02:24 PM

Bose?

http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/speakers/stereo_speakers/301_speakers/index.jsp

syklopz

01-06-2009, 03:13 PM

http://www.klipsch.com/products/details/b-2.aspx
for $250 a pair, they are really nice speaks.

If you need them in White, cant go wron w/these, $395 including pearl grey faceplates:
http://www.bostonacoustics.com/HS-60-P178.aspx

CRAW

01-06-2009, 03:59 PM

I'm not sure if any fall into your price range, as they don't list prices on their website, but I LOVE NHT speakers!

Their bookshelf speakers: http://nhthifi.com/current/s-classic.html

km630

01-06-2009, 08:01 PM

Thanks for the input gentlemen. I will see what I can find tomorrow. I'm traveling for work, so I should have some time to check these out. If there are any other thoughts in the meantime, I welcome them also.

Quads

01-06-2009, 08:04 PM

Oooooo... NHT....!!!!
also a very nice choice. Higher price point, but quite nice.

CRAW

01-07-2009, 08:58 AM

I was checking out the prices of NHT after posting (on Amazon), and they might be just out of the range you were wanting to spend. They are incredible speakers though.

km630

01-10-2009, 08:14 AM

On www.woot.com today, they are offering a pair of Energy C-100 speakers for $79.99 plus the $5 shipping. I went ahead and ordered those even though they are way under my budget and they are black enclosures. I will try them out in the living room and see if the wife likes them. If not, I'll add them as additional speakers in one of my other setups as $84 for a pair of decent speakers seems like an excellent deal.

Thanks to everyone for their input. Choosing speakers is very confusing, but the advice I get here is always spot on.

Kipper

Quads

01-10-2009, 02:11 PM

You'll be happy with Energy. They are Canadian made, and solid quality.
Perhaps not the absolute top of the heap for the purist audiophile, but they are a lot of bang for the buck. We have a 5.1 setup of them them in the front room, and they sound great. It's a good solid mid level loudspeaker.

km630

01-10-2009, 04:17 PM