What Speakers to buy

tedt200

i am new to the home theater scene and looking to put together a system. i am currently looking at the following and would like any suggestions

Monitor Audio Silver S1 Fronts and Rear (Bookshelf)
Monitor Audio SLCR Center
Monitor Audio FB110

Total price - $2450.00

The second system i have listened to:

Bohlender-Graebener (BG) Z7 Fronts (Floorstanding)
Bohlender-Graebener (BG) Z1 Rear (Bookshelfs)
Bohlender-Graebener (BG) Z5 Center
Bohlender-Graebener (BG) ZSub

Total Price - $2400.00

i have listened to both and at the moment favor the BG, the BG are Planar speakers and the Monitor audio are standard. any suggestions or comments on these two speakers or any recommendation on other speaker systems i can look at in this price range. I listen to music (Cd's, SACD, DVD-Audio) about 70% and watch DVD and movies about 30%.

I am also looking to buy a A/V Receiver and Universal DVD player. The equipment i am currently looking at is:

Integra DTR 5.5 Receiver - $699.00
Integra DPC-8.5 Universal DVD - $699.00

Thanks for any suggestions on the speakers and audio equipment

bill408

I Purchased My Speaker Package From Cambridge Soundworks "300.5 Package" The Fronts And Center Are Model S300 And The Surrounds Are Mc300 (multi Pole) The Sub Is Their P500 Model Which Has Two 8 Inch Woofers With Remote Control-----fantastic Value For The Money, The Sound Is Very Distinct And True

miamivice55

Have been in the d.j. business almost 30+ years used Klipsch great speakers.However for all my home theater for the last 10+ years I have used Cambridge Soundworks.I presently am running two complete
home theater systems with there products.My main system uses there T500's,and regardless of what anyone says, I state with the highest of confidence these speakers will run up against anything you can buy for three times the cash,hands down! Value and efficiency wise they are unbeatable period.And yes, I have made all the comparisions before laying out the dough. GOOD LUCK ,MIAMIVICE55

"Install King"

I understand that you feel that these speakers in your opinion are better then speakers costing 3x's the price of the cambridge regardless of what other people say. But keep in mind most people who buy any brand of speaker feel that they got the best deal regardless of what other people feel. People in general have to justify the money spent.

I am not doubting your opinion but having installed thousands apond thousands of speakers (different brands) they all have their own sound and the way you justify the expense is you listen. I can place a couple of cheaper speaker compared to cambridge behind a screen and you will not really hear that much of a difference unless you are spending major bucks and spend major bucks on components.

miamivice55

I agree with you ,just trying to save someone a little money. May have been to over the top in my reply. In some cases I think members have to be less objective and more honest about specific products (good / bad) ,it would create an easier less confusing buying experience for some.I know as helpful as all of you have been ,there have been times when I wish the more knowledgable members in this forum could be more brand specific in the sense that if the products a bone then say so between my common sense and your expertise I can make a more informed decision. I for one respect the opinions of everyone on this forum and having served in my occupation (public safety )dealing with an extremely busy city for 31 years,this is the last place I want to go to have an argument ,just some downtime to spend amongst others whom share the same interests .

rbinck

It is difficult to make recommendations on equipment because most is very personalized. What I consider as great sounding speakers might not match your preferences. Many people have been brought up listening to their parents system and have grown accustomed to a certian colored sound, for example.


Other issues particular to speakers include the room shape, size, furniture, and other deadining. These issues can have more to do with the resulting sound than the selection of the speakers in many cases.

For some reason here lately we have been installing speakers in houses that are very bright. Hardly any sound asorbing material in the rooms at all. These rooms can be very difficult to get good sound in reguardless of the quality of the speakers. If Moma won't allow a rug, there is not much that can be done other than installing some sound sinks, which Moma usually don't like the looks of either!

Fortunately, so far the in-wall speakers have been satisfactory with the addition of a Sunfire sub, but someday we will run into an audiophile and we will have some selling to do. Selling sound asorbing materials, most likely.

Just like I have said about TVs, the best opinion you can use for speakers will be the one that comes from your ears. If you are going high end, try to get a demo in the room you are going to use them in.

Edit: I mentioned the Sunfire subwoofer by Carver. That is one speaker if you can fit into your budget that I will recommend. It will perform all the way from the subtile to the pounding. We never have a complaint other than it is not shielded and needs to be located away from a CRT type TV.