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With so many brands to choose from it is somewhat overwhelming to select speakers, especially because when you live in a small town you can’t find showrooms with speakers to listen to!
Amir and Erin review are very useful, but it doesn’t replace listening to them!
Ideally we should compare speakers in our own environment to determine which one we prefer, regardless of how well they performs on the test bench.
Klippel NFS or a preference algorithm doesn’t replace listening!
Until audio shows are available again please share what brand, and model you are using and what made you choose these speakers over other!
The answer is rather simple. The best front 3 home theater speakers are the same as the best front 2 music speakers + 1 more. The selection criteria are the same. If it has all the qualities needed for excellent music reproduction, it will do just as well for movies.
Without a budget, it is difficult to make specific recommendations.
If you must have a horizontal center, then selection is limited to speaker lines with competent 3 way centers, such as KEF, Infinity, ELAC, and Revel. Although, using DRC on the entire FR makes "matching" centers much less important.
The answer is rather simple. The best front 3 home theater speakers are the same as the best front 2 music speakers + 1 more. The selection criteria are the same. If it has all the qualities needed for excellent music reproduction, it will do just as well for movies.
Without a budget, it is difficult to make specific recommendations.
If you must have a horizontal center, then selection is limited to speaker lines with competent 3 way centers, such as KEF, Infinity, ELAC, and Revel. Although, using DRC on the entire FR makes "matching" centers much less important.
3 JBL LSR 308 mk ii speakers are pretty good. Pushing it a bit for bookshelf size. You'll be all in for well less than $1000 total and they are powered. No amps needed. You could drop down to the LSR 306 if you need a smaller size cabinet.
Genelec or Kef imo. Wide directivity is not really that useful in Mch, at least not in the same way as stereo. Typically you are absorbing more reflections so why create them? Coaxials make the most practical and high performance centers.
There can sometimes be an argument to make surrounds wider but in this case neither brand is really narrow, more like medium, so they work just fine there too.
If budget is truly unlimited, D&D 8Cs or add W371As.
I think the idea of CBTs is interesting but the JBL ones are a bit large to be bookshelves already lol.
I realized that I can never truly reproduce Michael Jackson's voice properly.
so one day I went to his house and I stole him and he's been living in my basement ever since singing the Thriller album for me every single time I want to listen to it.
I've had him for so long he looks like David Bowie now. but a while ago his voice coil burnt out so I was forced to get these dynamic speakers:
I figure this is a thread just to look at what other people have done to solve the puzzle so here are some I have used either while living out of hotels and doing installs or renting places at different locations for work and rooms.
Not Bookshelf, but got them at a Best buy for $400 a PAIR as they were scratched dented and missing the the grills.
Nice being an installer.
I had this in my Motel close to LA for a few months. Not bookshelf. But your going to need stands anyways right?
These were great just throwing in my rental car, and setting up for a week or two in the hotel. They were smooth, And I got them of course in Nevada at Best Buy doing an install for less then 200 a PAIR! Small room? Amazing for the size. And passed the Piano distortion test for me.
I bought these while I was in Texas. Again, AT a BEST Buy. this is where I have to say the diminishing returns start. This is probably one of my favorite overall speakers just because it just does everything just right doesn't have any real issues or problems to speak of and just kind of sounds right no matter what the music you feed it. Never harsh, and really worked well with movies.
I got 3 of these because they were cheaper then the Bookshelf and they look nice. And they were all floor/Display models all of the tweeters needed to be replaced and I got them for around $25 each. After fixing them? Used them as Mains and center. Worked out really well. Sounded great. And with some Wood polish, made them look even nicer.
Great when your Shelf is wide, but not tall. surprisingly it was lacking in detail at the top end. this is the speaker that got me into upgrading crossover parts.
I gave these to my Son. But they were not bad. Just not what I would call ELAC good. Or Polk well rounded. I thought they sounded fine if a BIT missing some detail if that makes sense. the high-end was buttery-smooth in my opinion. but it really lacked Authority and it would have done much better with a subwoofer.
try as I may I can never really get it to blend in real nice with my room like the Energy speakers that I ordered.
if you are familiar with Automotive component speakers? this is the closest thing there is to that kind of sound.
I nicknamed the speaker binocular for obvious reasons. Got them for $25 bucks on Offerup.
I have had 4 pairs of these. This is the very definition of your First girlfriend. You know the love story is not going to last. But you sure had some good times. Fix the crossover, and it does good things. Still no where near as good as Polks old High end line due to a cheap tweeter. Still sounds good in movies. Not so much for music.
I went to go pick up a weed wacker for 15 bucks, long story short? Got these for helping out with a problem they had with their TV/Internet install for Free. I was not going to accept them. But he was a Pretty big guy And his wife insisted. OKAY!
I REALLY did not need another set of speakers. But I did try them out.
I know a lot of people like the sound of these speakers but they just didn't appeal to me. I don't know what I did not like about them but again I already have a lot of speakers already and these really aren't something that I would consider tasteful.
maybe it's the voicing or just the aesthetics.
I gave these away to a young man at Concordia who helped me Tie a Tie for me in a double windsor.
You know how some people love something and you think its right up there with a trip to the DMV?
I sold these at a garage sale for 10 bucks. 984 people are smoking crack.
I hated this speaker. it was so hum ho... It was IMO worse then a factory car stereo system. Not only did I happen to have the Mid-range go out. But the tweeter was Meh. The Woofer has as much bass as a piccolo, And its only merrit was that it would be right at home in a race car due to it being a featherweight.
The Insides were CHEAP. The X/O was based on Magic Beans. And the ONLY nice thing was the looks.
Even when Brand spanking new, (I had 4 of these) all of them had a different timber our voice.
The same person that likes this speaker is the same person that goes to jail to get laid. There I SAID IT! THIS SPEAKER SUCKS!
If you have a life, Friends, and like to actually do things in a garage or big space? These to my ears sound Good when placed far apart in a room. They lack the sizzle I like, but they sound very good. Even passing the Piano test, and not having a crappy crossover stock.
They have bass. The sound great on a wall. And anything can drive them loud. Basically, they make even the worst recordings sound listenable. That what these do best. Bought a pair and their old model as well.
there are far better speakers to be used in home theater unless YOU HAVE KIDS. You will love these then.
Also if you have a Business like a clothing store? Bar? Or need wide coverage? They work great. get an inexpensive Piezo tweeters and put it on the back of this unit and you'll have a pretty pleasing sound system for a wide coverage area or outside on the deck for an outing or party with freinds.
Honorable mentions for SMALL spaces that just sounded perfect for what they were but are not hard to find on the second hand market:
Denon HTIB system.
If you can find these? THESE work PERFECT in small odd rooms. Not only that? They sound fantastic!
you have to use a sub-woofer obviously. But these are no cheap speakers. from the enclosure to the drivers they are top-notch in my opinion. At least with how Denon implemented these speakers into a wonderful package but even listening in Stereo it's wonderful.
this is the closest that I have heard from speaker this size and at this price that almost sounds like it's a coaxial or point source. No harshness. Just smooth and detailed. Not overly either. They don't sizzle. They bloom into a room.
Energy Speakers. These ones. The stupid Plastic face ones not my cup of tea. These? Very good. Dynamic, and punchy.
I really like these with country music.
Hard to find these days but worth it for a larger room in a bookshelf format.
And sue me, but I like Dannys speakers, but they are kits. And as of now... ALWAYS out of stock....
Also the Hi-Vi Kit. I have only heard others speakers and systems and liked them quite a bit. And great price!
Also? Going FULLY active out of the box is really the way to go.
I think there may be a conceptual issue here. Controlled directivity just means the off-axis response either rolls off smoothly with no significant peaks or dips, or rolls off very little--with no significant peaks or dips. When comparing the KEF R3 with the BMR, the issue isn't whether one has "controlled" directivity and the other doesn't--they're both controlled. The issue is whether you want very wide, controlled dispersion or narrower controlled dispersion. The current science doesn't have an unambiguous answer to which is superior. It depends on the music you play, the room in which you listen, and your personal taste.
These are all good recommendations... I have had M16, m106, and also the 308P. I liked them all. A few comments..
-On a budget, the m16 is really tough to beat. Against a wall they have way a very high amount of bass which needs to be tamed with EQ.
-M106-Another great speaker (yes, better than the M16) but in an HT environment, it would be interesting to do a blind test (never had them at the same time).
I would have kept either of them but wanted to experiment with playing at louder levels and I don’t thint a single 6.5 inch woofer is quite up to the task as one would expect at high spl’s at a seating distance of about 12-13 feet. I was limited to putting the speakers below a 122 inch wide screen, so opted for 3 C208’s and they do handle the higher spl and sound very good (although don’t measure as well as an M106). And the wide 70-80 degree dispersion works very well. If you do have a large projection screen, I would recommend something wide dispersion for the center.
I think there may be a conceptual issue here. Controlled directivity just means the off-axis response either rolls off smoothly with no significant peaks or dips, or rolls off very little--with no significant peaks or dips. When comparing the KEF R3 with the BMR, the issue isn't whether one has "controlled" directivity and the other doesn't--they're both controlled.
which show also the biggest problem of wide directivity designs, namely it is harder to keep the directivity smooth so the off-axis response are smooth with no significant peaks or dips.
Some people question the audibility of those though, imho it depends alot on the room acoustics and a bit less on listeners preference, in my previous more damped listening rooms I had no problems with loudspeaker with not perfectly smooth directivity, but in my current less optimal one I unfortunately tend to hear such problems.
I know some people prefer a speaker with elavated highs for HT, gives it that zing and zap if you know what I mean. And that is why Polks are great for HT, they have just that trait. And some bass boost too. Heck even the R200 I own have that trait, just to a lesser degree. For HT, floorstanders are thry way to go, so maybe take a look at the Polk S series under a thousand bucks, maybe the S60. And subs. Plenty of subs. Thats what I love about HT, people into HT arent as anal as 2 channel enthusiasts and that can be a very good thing.
I would personally go with the Arendal 1961 bookshelf that Erin recently reviewed if the listening distances are around 2 meters (little bit more or a little bit less).
I think there may be a conceptual issue here. Controlled directivity just means the off-axis response either rolls off smoothly with no significant peaks or dips, or rolls off very little--with no significant peaks or dips. When comparing the KEF R3 with the BMR, the issue isn't whether one has "controlled" directivity and the other doesn't--they're both controlled. The issue is whether you want very wide, controlled dispersion or narrower controlled dispersion. The current science doesn't have an unambiguous answer to which is superior. It depends on the music you play, the room in which you listen, and your personal taste.
The R200s are good speakers to be sure. They have narrower dispersion thanks to the ring radiator tweeter, so that needs to be considered. They may also be a little hot in the treble, as many Polks are, which can be good or bad, and can also be corrected with DRC if desired.
I would personally go with the Arendal 1961 bookshelf that Erin recently reviewed if the listening distances are around 2 meters (little bit more or a little bit less).
