Sorry for such a common question, but... entry-level speaker setup for <$450? - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

duckiedeity · 05-21-2008, 02:42 AM

Hi all. I have become pretty familiar with headphones through much surfing and some discussing on this forum, and have walked away happy with every pair I've bought as per suggestions on here. However, I am moving into my own place for the first time in the fall for the school year, and I'd like to get a decent, entry-level speaker setup (sort of 'home-theater'-ish, if possible) so I can watch HD movies, tv, play HD video games, and listen to music (iPod). My price range is probably $450 or less for the whole rig. As the years go by and the size of my wallet increases I'll surely upgrade, but something decent that will produce beautiful audio will be fine for now.

I think the movies/tv/videogames/etc. should take a backseat to the music I listen to in determining what kind of speakers I should get (I will probably enjoy listening to music on them a lot). I listen to a lot of classical (Mahler!) and a lot of indie rock. I know "indie rock" is kind of a general term, so some bands I like are: Andrew Bird, Islands, Sufjan Stevens, Justice, The Arcade Fire, Final Fantasy (notice a lot of violin involvement so far), Of Montreal, Neutral Milk Hotel, Sunset Rubdown, Radiohead, and many others.

If anyone can make some setup suggestions appropriate to my conditions, I'd be greatly appreciative. Thanks!

Edit: Maybe I should note that I have some Audio Technica ATH-AD700 headphones, and I LOVE how they sound, especially for classical music. They sound open and really let a full spectrum of sound emerge. They're clear, balanced, and just incredible in general. Maybe there's a speaker that has a similar sound?

warpdriver · 05-21-2008, 05:42 PM

Are you looking for surround sound or just 2 channel music speakers?

For surround:

I'm not aware of anything under $450 that would satisfy *me* for surround music. $1000 and we'd be getting somewhere. You are pretty much stuck with the Polk/Infinity/JBL complete sets of stuff that you get on sale at Best Buy

For stereo:

At this price range, you might want to just consider powered speakers. It's hard to get a good amp and speaker set for $450. For a powered set, the Audioengine A5 is good, and the Blue Sky EXO 2.1 would be a good entry level sub/sat system.

If you want a basic amp, my favorite amp that would be the foundation for a general purpose system would be the Pioneer A35R Pioneer USA - Elite Amplifiers which is $200 and it has enough power to handle most any speaker in a small-medium room.
Then add a $250 set of bookshelf speakers and you're done. I recommend PSB speakers that are on clearance at Saturday Audio
Image Maple Sale
Ideally the B25 at $299 would be excellent but B15 is good too. With any bookshelf speaker you can add a sub to fill out the bottom end of bass, but if you had the B25, it should sound still pretty decent with all types of music.

duckiedeity · 05-21-2008, 09:24 PM

A two-channel speaker system would be fine for now. Thanks for all the suggestions and information.

If I were to get the A5's, would they not require an amp or subwoofer? I don't really know much about speakers so I'm not sure what equipment you're suggesting as a set.

I guess what I'm basically asking is which combinations of the gear you suggested are potential setups? I like the PSB B25, so with that is the Pioneer amp necessary? Do I also need a subwoofer with those two things? I don't mind if both the amp and the woofer are necessary; I just need to know so I can define what I'm going to eventually buy and how much I'll need to save up.

I'm not really interested in the Blue Sky EXO 2.1, so no need to take that into consideration anymore.

Sorry my questions and whatnot are so poorly worded. I'm watching the Manchester United vs. Chelsea champions league final so I'm highly distracted. haha. Thanks a bunch.

spacemanspliff · 05-22-2008, 12:41 AM

AV123.com - x-series

Yamaha RX-V363 AV receiver reviews - CNET Reviews

A few more $$$s than $450 but will do anything within reason. More bass? Add an X-sub down the road.

Beat that!!! lol

warpdriver · 05-22-2008, 01:31 AM

The A5's are active speakers. No amp necessary. It is built in. You plug your computer/iPod/ or CD player into it directly.

With the PSB, they are passive speakers, so they need an amp. The Pioneer has enough power (45W per channel) to drive those to quite loud volumes and sounds very good. Not like the average AV receiver. The PSB are well reknowned for their accurate sound.

Yes, you can add a sub to either, in general the larger the speaker you buy, the less you need a sub. I'd say the B25 would be still enjoyable without a sub. The A5 would be more borderline, it sounds ok without a sub, but if you want to feel the bass more, you'll want a sub. You can add one much later if you feel you still more bass depth. The B15 you'd most likely want a sub. A sub would be more noticeable with movies and games.

Originally Posted by spacemanspliff

Beat that!!! lol

I'd prefer the PSB/Pioneer, so ha!

spacemanspliff · 05-22-2008, 01:47 AM

Yeah PSB are good quality speakers. The $300 I paid for my X-LS was a pretty nice deal. There are some B-Stock Rocket 250s on av123 for $400 though.

But the 250s did not win the small speaker shootout last year.

My speakers did!

What about PSB again? lol jk! Still good for the $$ I agree.

Pioneer too. My old Sony amp is only 45 watts per and it get's the job DONE with no clipping.

duckiedeity · 05-22-2008, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by warpdriver

The A5's are active speakers. No amp necessary. It is built in. You plug your computer/iPod/ or CD player into it directly.

With the PSB, they are passive speakers, so they need an amp. The Pioneer has enough power (45W per channel) to drive those to quite loud volumes and sounds very good. Not like the average AV receiver. The PSB are well reknowned for their accurate sound.

Yes, you can add a sub to either, in general the larger the speaker you buy, the less you need a sub. I'd say the B25 would be still enjoyable without a sub. The A5 would be more borderline, it sounds ok without a sub, but if you want to feel the bass more, you'll want a sub. You can add one much later if you feel you still more bass depth. The B15 you'd most likely want a sub. A sub would be more noticeable with movies and games.

I'd prefer the PSB/Pioneer, so ha!

Great! Thanks for explaining the differences between the speakers and everything for me. The PSB/Pioneer combo sounds very promising. I'm not particularly a bass head... I'd say I'm more of a balance head, so if no sub is necessary then I'm fine with that. I may get a very inexpensive sub later on just to see if there's much of a difference, and then upgrade if it ends up sounding better.

Thanks for all the help. I truly appreciate it.

warpdriver · 05-22-2008, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by spacemanspliff

Yeah PSB are good quality speakers. The $300 I paid for my X-LS was a pretty nice deal. There are some B-Stock Rocket 250s on av123 for $400 though.

But the 250s did not win the small speaker shootout last year.

My speakers did!

What about PSB again? lol jk! Still good for the $$ I agree.

Just a comment:

I don't trust the results of shootouts any more than I trust the shootouts I read on this forum. In the end, I trust my own ears, and most people should too. Because everybody hears differently and has their own preferences. What I do know is that the PSB's measure very accurately and I find the PSB's quite transparent. The PSB Alpha series was somewhat of a standard among entry level bookshelf speakers. Even though av123 does make great value speakers, there is no "secret sauce" they have that make their speakers any better than any other maker. They may be able to offer nicer finishes or larger cabinets for the money than retail brands, but in the end, it's about the talent of the designer that determines the speaker's sound. Speaker design is partly science, experience, art. You can read this article about some of the considerations that goes into voicing a speaker, and having good facilties, correlating science and measurements with what one hears, experience in the field, and even blind luck has a lot to do with it. It's not about cherry-picking some catalog parts and slapping it into a box (a mistake many people make when they think they can build their own better speakers for cheaper).

So what I am saying is that I don't disagree with your recommendation, but ultimately it comes down to preference, there is no one best answer. "best value" is an impossible question to answer. I've probably had dozens of different speakers in my house and they all offer something different, just like all the headphones I own.

jrosenth · 05-24-2008, 10:23 PM

Go get a NuForce Icon and their matching speakers or some speakers with Fostex drivers.

spacemanspliff · 05-24-2008, 10:47 PM

Ah but I have ninja mods with my speakers. They are now sneaky good.

truth though. Trust your own ears. Warpdriver is exactly right there.

I went through an unreal amount of gear before I settled on Stax Lambdas. I would still have them if my right ear did not have serious issues with the fit.

Major trick to finding the right sound? Buy gear that you can sell at a minimal loss. That way, you can try before you truly buy. Another plug for av123 is that they have a 30 day return policy. Now, paying shipping on some of the behemoths they build would suck but for the lower end bookshelf speakers it is no sweat.