[hdspeedwild]

Hello I am only 21 and live at home. My room is quite large, About 25 x 25. I am looking to get a set of speakers mostly for cd listening. I want something that sounds great and can be used when i move out in a few years.
I have a Technicks (SP?) 5.1 100 watts per chanel tuner.
I also have a Mcintosh solid state amp that is collecting dust if i need to use it. It is a model MC 2100 and is about 30 years old or so.
I would like to keep the existing tuner untill it is dead or replaced in a few years. Use of the Mcintosh amp is optional if it is worth using.

Now to the question. I am looking to get 4 speakers and a sub to complete my setup and work as some starter speakers in future home audio. I would like to spend less that $1500 total on speakers. I have heard most of the common brands like bose and can't stand thier sound.
I am looking for something like bookshelf speakers but they don't have to be.

What kind of speakers should I look into?
Should i use the Mcintosh 2 chanel amp for anything?

[JoshK]

I might take a good look at Ascend Acoustics.  They come highly recommended and they are in your budget.

[stealth]

You should look into DIY companies like GR-Research (they have a board here at Audio Circle), to get the most bang for your buck.

nOrh (also have a board here) offer some tremendous values as well.

[KCI-JohnP]

hdspeedwild,
You have plenty of $$ to get you a really nice set of speakers. A few I would recommend: First and foremost check out www.audioc.com, their speakers are VERY highly rated. You should also check out PSB speakers, I have a full 5.1 set of their image series and they rock. The 5T is highly rated by several magazines. upscaleaudio.com has factory blem units and you can't even find the blems on them and they are discounted, alot.  
For something a little different you could check out the Magnepans, great speakers! Their little MMG's are mind blowing.  But you can probably get the best bang for your buck by buying used on audiogon or something like that.  No matter what, listen to as many speakers as you can BEFORE you buy anything.  Very important.
Oh yeah one more thing, man don't underestimate that Mac amp.  You would probably be surprised at how good that "Ole boy" will sound.
Good luck!!!!!!!

[dogears]

include axiom speakers on your list. affordable high end sound!

http://gojiro.tripod.com/eyvee/eyvee.html

[Tonto Yoder]

I'm not quite sure why you need 4 speakers and sub if you're mainly listening to CD's??

I would use the McIntosh amp with a pair of speakers that don't need a sub.

[F-100]

I second vote for the Ascend Acoustics. I recently acquired a pair of CBM-170 and one word that describing these little speaker "AMAZING" and the price is very very affordable too.

[hdspeedwild]

I am planning on getting 4 speakers because my room is soo big that it sounds like something is missing when sound doesn't eminate from all four corners. I was also thinking i would need a sub because i wanted something a alot smaller than what i had, two ml-2c's and some old jbl monitor speakers from 15 years ago.
Should I keep the two JBL monitor speakers for now and just purchase two speakers?
My second concern is that i want to be able to use these as part of a 5.1 in the future. All i would have to do is purchase a center channel.
Does anyone know of some stores in SoCal, Within 30 miles of HB, that i can go to and listen to these speakers?

Am i right to avoid places like Best Buy, Circuit City, and Good Guys if I want a better value for better sounding speakers?

Thanks for all of your quick replies.

[Rob Babcock]

I'd recommend scrapping your JBLs if you plan on going 5.1 sometime soon.  It's very important to have all the speakers voiced similarly/identically if you want really topnotch surround.  You probably won't have any luck finding speakers voiced to match your current ones, unless they're still being made.  I've seen some good matches bases on dumb luck, but that's overwhelmingly the exception, not the rule.

If you can listen to the PSBs somewhere, give em a try.  They have a lot of strengths, for the price.  However, I think they sound too 'dark' and lacking in air, but everyone likes something different.

[gotmikey]

This topic pops up about three times a day on various forums and I've yet to find a definitive answer as to what speaker is the best, right, cleanest, yadda, yadda.  What I can tell you is that you are going to have to do plenty of research as to what YOUR ears like.  I personally am a new believer in this in that I currently own Paradigm 80's and thought I loved them and there wasn't a better speaker on the market.  Okay, so I was deluding myself a bit.  Upgraditis bit again and one day I narrowed it down to what I wanted to go for and that was the best midrange I could find.  I ended up finding and building a pair of speakers that I just finished and they absolutely destroy my Paradigms.  Add to the fact that they cost a bit less than the Paradigms.  So what am I trying to say?  I received all of this info on these forums and I think people were being honest about what they were saying, but the fact remains if you checked out these forums looking for the "best" speaker, you'd probably get every mid fi to hi fi speaker made.  (Come on guys, you know this is true)  To make a long story short, narrow it down to what you want in a speaker and look for that... controlled bass? liquid midrange? airy highs?  that's your choice.  When you've narrowed it down to a list, go and audition what you've jotted down.  As for 2, 4, or 5 speakers, I would keep your old McIntosh and focus on getting 2 quality front speakers if you're going to do CD listening.  Great speakers on a good amp will sound better than crappy speakers on an amazing amp.  Do you even have a CD player yet?  $1500.00 will go a LONG way on speakers that will fill your room and sound downright beautiful.

[gotmikey]

This topic pops up about three times a day on various forums and I've yet to find a definitive answer as to what speaker is the best, right, cleanest, yadda, yadda.  What I can tell you is that you are going to have to do plenty of research as to what YOUR ears like.  I personally am a new believer in this in that I currently own Paradigm 80's and thought I loved them and there wasn't a better speaker on the market.  Okay, so I was deluding myself a bit.  Upgraditis bit again and one day I narrowed it down to what I wanted to go for and that was the best midrange I could find.  I ended up finding and building a pair of speakers that I just finished and they absolutely destroy my Paradigms.  Add to the fact that they cost a bit less than the Paradigms.  So what am I trying to say?  I received all of this info on these forums and I think people were being honest about what they were saying, but the fact remains if you checked out these forums looking for the "best" speaker, you'd probably get every mid fi to hi fi speaker made.  (Come on guys, you know this is true)  To make a long story short, narrow it down to what you want in a speaker and look for that... controlled bass? liquid midrange? airy highs?  that's your choice.  When you've narrowed it down to a list, go and audition what you've jotted down.  As for 2, 4, or 5 speakers, I would keep your old McIntosh and focus on getting 2 quality front speakers if you're going to do CD listening.  Great speakers on a good amp will sound better than crappy speakers on an amazing amp.  Do you even have a CD player yet?  $1500.00 will go a LONG way on speakers that will fill your room and sound downright beautiful.

[Rob Babcock]

I guess you can't get a definative answer because it's like asking "what's the best beer in the world" or "who is the most beautiful woman?"  There really can't be a correct answer except to the beholder (or 'behearer'? ).  I know that answer sucks, but you really may hate my favorite speaker and I may hate yours.  And there's no way to know except to listen.

For something cheap, I like the Monitor Audio Bronze line.  I think they do an amazing amount of things right for the price.  But the virtual ink won't even dry on my post before dozens of people are replying, or at least thinking, "why, my XYZ Final Omega Uberboxe 1000s destroy them!"  I may prefer them to those uberboxes, but you may not.

Still, a lot of research indicates that most people like some of the same things.  Hey, we all have our own tastes, but minute differences aside, we all have the same anatomical equipment (I mean ears, for you few total pervs out there ).  We really don't all hear something different, even tho we may each appreciate different qualities.

So I still think that getting good advice can be usful in narrowing down your audition list as well as cluing you in on a model you may not have know about.

[randytsuch]

Hi,
I agree with the guys that say try you Mac with two good speakers.  You don't need 4 speakers to fill a room with music, two GOOD speakers will do the job.

For places to go,
http://www.anycities.com/andyhifi/menu.htm
click on home audio hifi stores, and it will take you to another page.  The page is long, and the audio stores are near the bottom, but it has a really good list of the high end stores in LA/OC, and there are a lot of them.  Go listen, and take your time, and see what sounds good.

Randy

[Tonto Yoder]

Hi,
I agree with the guys that say try you Mac with two good speakers.  You don't need 4 speakers to fill a room with music, two GOOD speakers will do the job.
Randy

In fact, things could sound better with "just" two speakers in terms of imaging and soundstage (if the source has been recorded well).

[dogears]

I couldn't agree more!  
Like what I tell my friends, 5.1 is just added entertainment  

[hdspeedwild]

Is this any good?

CC has a Polk RM6700 6-piece speaker system (retail price $1100.00) and a HK AVR 125 Receiver (retail price $450) for $880.00 after combined rebate, plus free shipping. This deal is online only and expires on 05/24. Rebate is for $300