[MyMindIsAPrison]

Basically, I'm building a home theater setup for my family (powered by a cheap, no-frills Sony STR-DH100 receiver). I have a limited budget that can in no way, shape or form exceed $300! I found one thing frustrating: while there was an abundance of speaker reviews, many were old and the prices greatly fluctuated since their publication. Given that the Paradigm Atoms were highly recommended, I took a look, the cheapest pair of the Atoms I found were $299, and a pair of Paradigm Titans were $290 by a local store.
 
I found a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 9.1s for $270 shipped: http://www.tsto.com/Wharfedale_Diamond_9_1_Bookshelf_Speakers_p/2614.htm while the 9.0s are http://www.tsto.com/Wharfedale_Diamond_9_0_Bookshelf_Speakers_p/2829.htm $140/pair. It seems a steep price upgrade for greater cabinet size and bass response, but would it be necessary since we don't have a subwoofer?
 
As you can see, I'm hopelessly lost and confused! I'm trying to get the greatest value for my family I can, the primary purpose being a home theater system 80% of the time (TV and movies) and music 20% of the time.
 
Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[JerryLove]

Buy used.
 
Otherwise: Infinity Primus 162's ($85 each) and a dayton subwoofer (around $100 at Parts Express)

 

[MyMindIsAPrison]

Quote:

Buy used.
 
Otherwise: Infinity Primus 162's ($85 each) and a dayton subwoofer (around $100 at Parts Express)

This may seem like a dumb question, but I'm at such the novice level when it comes to speakers I need to ask it. Wouldn't it be impossible, since the receiver only has two outputs, to connect a subwoofer? Shelling out more money to buy a new receiver takes away money that could be spent on speakers. Is this a bullet I'm going to have to bite anyway? On their own, do the Infinity Primus P162s have enough bass to play respectably?
 
And I'm definitely going to look used! The ability to acquire speakers out of my normal price range is certainly appealing.

 

[JerryLove]

Quote:

This may seem like a dumb question, but I'm at such the novice level when it comes to speakers I need to ask it. Wouldn't it be impossible, since the receiver only has two outputs, to connect a subwoofer? Shelling out more money to buy a new receiver takes away money that could be spent on speakers. Is this a bullet I'm going to have to bite anyway? On their own, do the Infinity Primus P162s have enough bass to play respectably?  
And I'm definitely going to look used! The ability to acquire speakers out of my normal price range is certainly appealing.

It's not impossible or even difficult. Just make sure the subwoofer has speaker-level inputs (most but not all do). You run speaker wire from the L and R speaker terminals on the AVR to the L and R speaker-level in's on the sub, then from the outs on the sub to the speakers.

 

[MyMindIsAPrison]

I have an update!
 
I followed your advice and bought used. I got a pair of Celestion SL6S speakers for $200 off of Craigslist. By nature, they seem to be a little light on the bass department. Would the Dayton subwoofer you recommended be a good match? Or should I go for another sub for them?

 

[batpig]

for home theater, the sub is CRUCIAL.  it's what delivers the impact and "immersion" as you actually FEEL the effects and presence of the soundtrack.
 
anyway, you don't need to "match" the subwoofer to the speakers.  You get the best subwoofer you can afford.  And, for 100 bucks, you aren't going to do better than that Dayton unless you find a sick deal on a used sub (which will require education, persistence, and some luck).

 

[MyMindIsAPrison]

Will do. I'm dedicated to researching the latest and greatest subs and have a keen eye on Craigslist.
 
And yet another question (endless questions, I know). What would be a good amplifier to drive the Celestion SL6Ses I have? They are at 8 ohms and 82 db sensitivity. My educated guess is that the limited bass response is due to being underpowered by the cheap Sony STR-DH100 receiver we have. I have a vague feeling I'll be sent to the used market yet again, but any direction is a big help!

 

[batpig]

82dB is very low sensitivity, and many old speakers are a lot harder to drive than modern consumer speakers (which tend to be more like 87-90dB+ sensitive).  That being said, your Sony is 100W/ch and should get them cooking pretty loud, especially in a small room.   It may be tough to get them really rocking if you are expecting huge volumes and HT dynamics -- those speakers are older and really predate HT, they are more for 2-ch music. 
 
anyway, the bottom line is I don't think the amp is the reason for the lack of deep bass.  I think it's just that the speakers can't produce bass!  They are relatively small bookshelf type speakers.

 

[DeusEx]

Energy RC-10, if you can still find them for under $300 (a steal).  

 

[MatsudaMan]

Paradigm Atom for around 300 bucks or Micro Monitor for 250.  Both great speakers, especially the Atoms.  I'm actually thinking of getting some for a desktop system powered by a Nuforce Icon 2.  I'll second Deus Ex in also recommending the Energy RC-10's.  I owned a pair and sold them to a friend - they're fantastic speakers that punch way above their price, especially if they can be had for around 300.  They only issue I had with them was that I didn't think they got string sound quite right.  If you're into chamber music or solo strings, you might want to go for the paradigms. Either way, they are all sweet hi-fi bargains. 

 

[Lazarus Short]

As an experienced audio scrounger, I can say that one of my best discoveries, one pair at a thrift and one at a garage sale, has been Mission speakers.  If you can find a pair cheap, you will be thrilled at how musical they are.  I have my Model 70's in my main system.