Can we get a list of budget bookshelf speakers and amps?

T

TheNewGuy8

Limp Gawd
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I am having a very fun but very time-consuming process trying to find all the different bookshelf speakers and amps I should be looking at.

Price Range for Speakers: $100-$300 / pair.

So far I've got in mind:

PSB B15 and B25
Monitor Audio S1
Paradigm Mini Monitors (used/sale) or Paradigm Atoms

what else?
As amps go I have absolutely NO idea.

I would be SOOO thankful if people could lend their advice.
Thanks!
 
Sonic Impact's gen2 T-Amp is pretty popular for a budget $50.
The Trends Audio TA-10 v1.1 also has really good feedback for $150.
 
Unfortunately I cannot contribute to this, but would love to see such a list.
 
Here's some less expensive stuff that punch above their weight.

Acoustic Research ARXP52 (discontinued/liquidation), more commentary here, look up "AR bargain bin speaker"

Polk floorstanders at Fry's.

Can't link directly so do a search here for the Mission M70S (discontinued/liquidation) and look up the Athena AS-B2.2 while you're there.

Athena LS-100 (discontinued/liquidation), check out their other brands while you're there.

Boston Acoustics CR65B

And especially the AV123 X-series X-LS Encore
 
FWIW, this is my setup (being updated this week, also).

- On-board Realtek optical out to Yamaha HTR-5930.
- JBL Venue Monitors for fronts
- JBL Venue Monitors for rears (this week)
- JBL Venue Voice for center (this week)
- Logitech Z540 sub (to be upgraded at a later date)

The JBL's sound very nice compared the the Klipsch sats I had. I have some classical CD's where the violins seem a little harsh, but that *may* be the on-board causing this.

I got the fronts at BB. Used a 12% coupon and (2) $20 reward zone certs, so they came in cheap. I purchased these mostly because they sounded decent enough for the size (would not be able to find room for anything bigger).

The second set I got from Fleabay (HarmonAudio refurb) for $67 shipped. I got the Voice for $43 shipped using a 1st-time Amazon account.
 
Second AV123 X-LS Encore is $299. 60-20KHz +/- 2db (the measurements back up the claim, rather than certain manufacturers who are a little too optimistic...i.e. Audioengine). Very easy to drive, never goes lower than 7 ohms.
 
Would be nice if the AV123 X-LS Encore speakers were really $299. They only cost that much if you want them in black (which is of course conveniently out of stock). Add another 50 bucks if you want any other finish. Should be $299, period. Jacking up the cost by 50 bucks for a certain "finish" (unless it's gold) really blows, especially in this economy.
 
Gravestone Doji said:
Would be nice if the AV123 X-LS Encore speakers were really $299. They only cost that much if you want them in black (which is of course conveniently out of stock). Add another 50 bucks if you want any other finish. Should be $299, period. Jacking up the cost by 50 bucks for a certain "finish" (unless it's gold) really blows, especially in this economy.
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Why? Certain finishes cost him more to produce, why do you expect him to just eat the cost?

What does the economy have to do with anything?
 
If you saw the quality of the wood used in x-series Encores, you'd understand the price. These speakers are built like fine furniture, in addition to sounding absolutely incredible. Another option is to check AV123's B-stock and occasional sales of discontinued, original x-series. They had a great sale, last month, of original x-ls and x-cs in all the different finishes for as low as $189 for a pair of x-ls in Palisander. Check AV123's forums for info on upcoming sales.
 
Nicolaskl said:
Why? Certain finishes cost him more to produce, why do you expect him to just eat the cost?

What does the economy have to do with anything?
Click to expand...

No, I don't expect anyone to eat the cost. I understand it my cost more to produce certain finishes, but the speakers themselves are not huge and I doubt the difference in price between the materials to makes each finish equates to $50. And as far as the economy goes, in hard times like we're having now (people loosing their jobs, houses, credit crisis) retailers need to lower prices to stimulate sales. Especially so in consumer discretionary themed items.

Mr. Wolf said:
If you saw the quality of the wood used in x-series Encores, you'd understand the price. These speakers are built like fine furniture, in addition to sounding absolutely incredible.
Click to expand...

So are you saying the quality of the material of the other finsish that's $50 less is poor? Then charging less than $299 for the lower grade finish would make more sense.
 
Gravestone Doji said:
and I doubt the difference in price between the materials to makes each finish equates to $50.
Click to expand...
AV123 insists on top grade veneer, they have refused shipments of veneer that were subpar, which increases delay and therefore costs the company money. These are invisible costs that companies have to eat, or pass on to us. Those who follow AV123 know they have suffered plenty of lost business due to delays (chronic backorder)

Applying high end veneer is also more labor intensive than any black finish, black finish is also is also much less expensive. Therefore when you add up the time it takes to install quality veneer, and the price of the veneer itself, $50 starts sounding like a bargain. Additional time + additional expense = $50 more for veneer.


Gravestone Doji said:
So are you saying the quality of the material of the other finsish that's $50 less is poor? Then charging less than $299 for the lower grade finish would make more sense.
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Doesn't make sense from a business standpoint when demand nearly outstrips supply. Like i said before, they were barely able keep up with demand for their X-series, personally i would say they couldn't keep up with demand, and AV123 was definitely experiencing growing pains at the same time.
 
Gravestone Doji said:
No, I don't expect anyone to eat the cost. I understand it my cost more to produce certain finishes, but the speakers themselves are not huge and I doubt the difference in price between the materials to makes each finish equates to $50. And as far as the economy goes, in hard times like we're having now (people loosing their jobs, houses, credit crisis) retailers need to lower prices to stimulate sales. Especially so in consumer discretionary themed items.



So are you saying the quality of the material of the other finsish that's $50 less is poor? Then charging less than $299 for the lower grade finish would make more sense.
Click to expand...

It appears that you're not very familiar with AV123s products. Hand applied top quality veneers are not cheap, even their "cheap" finishes are top notch, and the value of all their products is exceptional. You're wrong on all counts.

You already noted that they can't keep the $299 item in stock, you're saying they should charge less for an item that is in such demand they can't keep it in stock? You're saying that makes sense?

No, I don't expect anyone to eat the cost.
Click to expand...

It costs them more, you expect them to sell it at the same price, but you don't expect them to eat the cost? Who's eating the cost then? The tooth fairy? I'm sorry, but your posts make no sense.
 
To get this thread back on track i found a few more budget contenders:

The Infinity Beta 10 BK for $88 and the larger Infinity Beta 20 BK's for $118

Monitor Audio B1 $199 and the B2 for $279: http://www.saturdayaudio.com/picturepages/bronze_gala.htm

And i keep reading about what a good budget amp the Audiosource Amp-100 is. (a more powerful, solid-state T-amp alternative ?)

Kef IQ1 (walnut) $219: http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...ookshelf-Speakers-in-Walnut-Pair-SALE-/1.html

ED home audio: http://www.edesignaudio.com/index.php?cPath=2_42

PSB Alpha T and C series: http://www.saturdayaudio.com/picturepages/PSB_ALPHA.htm
 
Nicolaskl said:
It appears that you're not very familiar with AV123s products... It costs them more, you expect them to sell it at the same price, but you don't expect them to eat the cost? Who's eating the cost then? The tooth fairy? I'm sorry, but your posts make no sense.
Click to expand...

You're correct, I'm not familiar with their products and have never owned any AV123 offerings. It sound as though you have though. If so and you find their finishes on their speakers are top notch, and claim the value of all their products are exceptional, then I respect your opinion and perhaps I'm mistaken. I just thought it was rather ironic that after reading how great a value these were @ $299, that no such price is currently available. Any perspective customer has only the higher priced finishes to choose from. Like as in, ain't that always the case? Of course it couldn't be the pricier stuff that's on back-order, lol.

Anyway, I appreciate your informing me and others how you feel about AV123 products. Point taken. But perhaps the reason the higher priced finishes are readily available is due to perspective customers (like me) hearing how great these are for $299, only to go onto their website and find the product available at the moment 17% above what they were expecting to pay. In a booming economy that may not deter, but in hard times a 17% price premium for a "finish" upgrade is a tough sell. Even at a 10% premium (which would be more reasonable) it's probably a tough sell in these times.

Again, I appreciate your informed opinion. But this is a very difficult economy and all retailers are struggling. This Friday the Jobs Report will be released and will further indicate just how tough things are out there. Tough times calls for tough measures to move products, or risk the fact that you'll end up with a whole lot of inventory with "nice" finishes. That's all I was trying to say and I'm sorry if that "make no sense" to you.
 
Tough times calls for tough measures to move products, or risk the fact that you'll end up with a whole lot of inventory with "nice" finishes. That's all I was trying to say and I'm sorry if that "make no sense" to you.
Click to expand...

That's not the case with AV123, practically everything they've got is backordered from here to Christmas. That's why it makes no sense, it's just not true (in this case).

That's NOT all you were trying to say, and the OTHER stuff you were saying is the stuff that doesn't make sense, ie, I'm still curious who's eating the cost if they're selling them at the same price and it costs them more. You're saying they should be $299, period, yet you know nothing about the product, nothing about costs, nothing about their sales figures, nothing at all, really. THAT makes no sense.
 
Easy there Cochise. You don't have to take everything I say so literally. Damn, you must have stock options or something the way you defend them so fiercely. :rolleyes:

Although I apparently know nothing about the product, nothing about costs, nothing about their sales figures, nothing at all, really. I know that they're likely making some nice profit margins and it wouldn't hurt (cause them to loose money on the the actual sale, i.e. eat) by reducing the cost to customers of the upgraded finishes (as I doubt it actually cost them an addition $50 to produce). And by the way, practically everything they've got is NOT back-ordered from here to Christmas. The Cherry Satin and Moho Satin finishes are readily available and in stock. My guess is they'll continue to be and probably have quite a few of them at their current $50 premium.

Let me ask you something; Ya think if they lowered the cost by 5 or 10 percent they'd move more product? Yeah, I bet they would. Think they'd still be making a profit? Yep! So therefore NO ONE is eating the cost. They still make a decent profit and the customer doesn't pay quite as much for a premium finish. Move more product = more revenue. More revenue = more profit. That make sense to ya, Cochise? Or is that, too, difficult for you to comprehend? :rolleyes:
 
It is hard to place a price on the craftsman labor involved with veneer, but imho it is well worth a $50 price increase, more even, but everyone perceives value differently so i'll just leave it at that. To move product more quickly AV123 can always just have another one of their famous sale events or upgrade promo's. What they also build at these sale events is a larger following. People who may later return to purchase a center channel, an amp, maybe even some accessories.

I imagine the black finish selling out quickly due to price and low cost of entry for younger/poorer audiophiles, not to mention that black is a popular color and easier to match. Another thing to consider is the infamous wife acceptance factor aka "WAF". Wifie may not approve of expensive black speakers, but she may approve of a veneer that compliments her furniture and decor. Many people would easily pay an extra $50 for WAF alone.

And like Mr. Wolf mentioned earlier, keep an eye on their B-stock, you can often score great deals on both newer and older product lines, most of it in near perfect condition. Their forums are also an interesting place to stop in every now and again.
 
Ascend Acoustics CBM-170SE also looks good, it's $300 right now. Phenomenal accuracy, the measurements show that the variance is less than +/- 1.5 db from 80-22KHz.
 
Those Ascend Acoustics look very nice and wow, they really have some awesome looking very high quality hand painted automotive-grade finishes available in a rainbow of colors. Perhaps I was a bit hasty in my evaluation of premium finishes. I can certainly see the value in getting a custom finish on a set of these. And I agree that it's hard to place a price on the craftsmanship and labor involved with veneer and is likely well worth a $50 price increase as well with the AV123 X-LS series. So lets just leave it at that as I don't want to get into any pissing matches over speaker finishes.


Back on topic: I'd like to know if the AudioSource Amp 100 would be a good choice to power a set of these Ascend Acoustics CBM-170SE or the AV123 X-LS Encores? I'm thinking this would be more powerful and worth the extra $50 over the Sonic Impact T-Amp Gen 2. But how about an inexpensive receiver like the Insignia - 200W 2.0-Ch. Stereo Receiver ? You wouldn't need a pre-amp if you wanted to connect other audio sources and it has an AM/FM tuner. Would this be a better choice than the T-amp or the AudioSource Amp 100 ?

Also: how about adding some budget receivers to this list? Would be helpful to have some alternatives to power-amps or the Insignia receiver.
 
A 2.0 stereo receiver would be a great choice imho, though that insignia is likely a low end sherwood rebadge. You'd probably get the greatest sound quality for your dollar by purchasing a used stereo receiver at audiogon or even craigslist. There are so many excellent models that it would be impossible for one person to list, and many of them at bargain basement prices. Stereo receivers are nice because they offer gobs of power, good connectivity options, and many have extremely good sound quality. I'm sure there are audio forums that specialize in the topic but i can't think of any popular ones offhand. You can always start here, and maybe google up some more.
 
That again is excellent advice and I thank you. Buying that Insignia receiver would probably be a mistake. I'm learning. you really get what you pay for with audio components. Speaking of mistakes, I wish I could take back what I said earlier about AV123. The more I read it definitely sounds like those X-LS Encore speakers are an excellent value and worth every penny, even for the beautiful upgraded finish. Thanks to Nicolaskl for setting me straight.

I'm not really audio savvy enough to trust buying used and I admit I was a bit lost on Audiogon. But it didn't take me long to sift through some of the threads on AVS forum (thanks for the link) to discover the Harman Kardon 3485 120-Watt 2-Channel Stereo Receiver . This is on sale for $250 with free shipping and no tax. Unless you or anyone else on here can tell me a reason not to buy the Harman Kardon 3485, I'm in.

Let me be clear though that I do NOT want a surround-sound 5.1 or 7.1 receiver. I want true stereo for music listening. I also have in my PC a 2.0 channel M-Audio Audiophile 2496 sound-card that has analog RCA stereo outs that I want to connect to the receiver. Would the Harman Kardon 3485 be suitable for this?

Now I just need to decide which speakers to go with. Those Ascend Acoustics look very nice but so do the AV123 X-LS Encore speakers. Decisions, decisions.
 
I personally like the Panasonic SA-XR57. For only about $250 you get a class-d switching amp that's very small as far as receivers go, since it does not need large heatsinks like traditional Class A/B amps. In stereo mode two amps will power each channel, which means a much larger amount of available peak power.

It's clean as heck and THD ratings--Sound & Vision measured the older SA-XR70 (same amps) with 0.03% THD @ 1W/1KHz which is comparable to higher end analog amplifiers. They also measured distortion at reference level (no mention of what speakers they used) and the THD remained at 0.03%. Power output at clipping was just short of 90W/channel (which is very impressive considering you're average Sony or Onkyo in this price range output at about 35-50W/channel at clipping--which you can see if you check S&V's reviews online).

I'm surprised how Panasonic actually sells a class-d amp at a decent price considering most manufacturers are selling digital amps are extremely ridiculous prices (easily several grand)--especially when u consider the digital amps (usually ICE power) don't actually cost that much themselves.

Anyway, 90W/channel at clipping (it's slightly below 80W/channel with all channels driven) is very impressive considering you usually need to spend around 1K (Denon or HK) for this kind of power. At 4ohms the Panasonic manages to maintain only a 8% power loss (168W/channel with 4ohm load). These measurements are from Stereoplay August 2005.
 
Take a look at the the Harman Kardon 3485 for the same price. I like that it features a high-performance phono preamp, pre-out/main-in jacks, a Subwoofer Output and a cable for direct audio/video connection to an iPod® player or MP3 player. Would you choose the Panasonic SA-XR57 over the HK 3485 ?

Edit: the Panasonic SA-XR57 is a 7.1 receiver. I'm specifically looking for a 2.0 channel receiver.
 
Well the strength of the Panasonic is the stereo performance, *in addition* to its processing and 7.1 capabilities. As far as outputs and inputs go the Panasonic have a lot as well, although I have not made a direct comparison between the two.

As far as power, the HK does look like it provides more power at 8ohms although from HK's own specs it suffers a 38% drop in current moving onto 4ohms (from 120W/channel in 8ohms to 150W/channel in 4ohms). Stereoplay August 2005 measured the Panasonic's stereo performance at 93W/channel in 8 ohms and 168W/channel in 4ohms, which is less than 10% drop in power. I think the Panasonic can provide a little more power at lower impedence (class-d amps do tend to have less trouble with lower impedence), although caveat is whether HK is understating its power output at 4ohms. Not that you are likely to run into a 2ohm load or anything, it's slightly trivial but more of a "just in case" if you ever get speakers that provide a heavier load.

The Panasonics will also provide somewhat cleaner power, Sound & Vision measured THD at 0.03% at reference level playback (not your standard 1W input), which is the same performance you would get from a $1k+ Denon analog receiver. The first sign of this I noticed when comparing the Panasonic's with other analog amps is the total lack of noise from the tweeters at high volume with no signal. With analog amps you will get a high level of noise/hissing at very high volumes.

Of course these are all minor stats, in the end, as long as you go with a good company (HK is among the best under 1K) I don't think you can go wrong. Although the Panny's do give you a little more futureproofing while simultaneously having a much smaller footprint--at pretty much the same price or lower, to boot.
 
Well you sound very knowledgeable but I don't quite get why anyone would buy a 7.1 receiver for it's strength of stereo performance. I reckon it would be nice to have the ability to connect a surround sound system and a DVD player and do video switching, but I don't watch much TV. Music I listen to all the time though and thus is the reason I was looking for a stereo receiver. And to stay on-topic with the thread, I'm leaning towards a stereo amp or a two channel receiver.

I came across this Yamaha RX-497 Stereo Receiver which is about a 100 bucks more than the Harman Kardon 3485 . The Yamaha looks nicer and has Speaker A, B or A+B selection and Multiple zone Output that lets you enjoy perfect audio in multiple zones throughout your home. I don't think the HK 3485 has that which I think is a nice feature.

Thoughts on these two receivers or thoughts on the Yamaha vs. the Panny 7.1?
 
Well the main thing I was trying to point out was the fact it has 7.1 processing and multichannel performance is a bonus if you consider it can match most stereo amplifiers. (Given the fact that it runs with four amplifiers in stereo mode, and six amplifiers if you bi-amp, from a pure current standpoint (in amperes) I don't think you'll find a stereo receiver even at a much higher price bracket that can match this much power).

I'm more of a ergonomic type. I don't wanna pay a couple grand for a upsampler and a few grand more for a pre-pro when I can just get a tricked-out HTPC that does the same things at a similar (or less) price as all those electronics combined. Some people are more minimalist so they are willing to pay more for the individual components. Depends on the consumer preferences.

Anyway I would move this question over to AVSforum.com and see what responses you get. That's probably the busiest forum I've ever seen in my life, which is very, very good as I don't believe there's a larger (and wider demographic) for an A/V forum anywhere online.
 
The XR-57 is probably another good idea, and ironically one of the few complaints i've read about it was it's 2.0 stereo performance, unfortunately i can't remember the nature of the complaints. Granted even it's heralded thin clean sound gets complaints because sometimes people want some solid state grunt in their audio. While i think i understand what they're trying to say, i also think it's just a person's listening preference and not necessarily a drawback of the XR-57. Suffice it is to say is that a stereo guru would probably recommend a good stereo receiver everytime over a surround receiver for stereo performance.

My opinion OP is that you give the subject some research time, maybe even demo some new/used receivers while you're at it. That Harman Kardon does look nice otherwise, and the brand quality is pretty consistent.
 
One of the main complaints is the sterile sound due to fact that it's very neutral and adds very little noise to the signal compared to analog amps.

Another complaint, which is true of all class-d amps is that the distortion (while very low) is composed of odd-order harmonics, which are less pleasing to hear than even-order harmonic distortion. It's possible a combination of a lack of even-order distortion (which people might have gotten used to as "pleasing sounding"), the low noise level, and the odd-order distortion that causes some people to dislike the Panny's.

For most people this is not a problem--digital amps are very, very popular at very high price ranges as well (mostly based off of ICEpower). I'd love to get my hands on Axiom's a1400-8 (if I had 4 grand sitting around). Like the Pannys and all class-d modulation amps, it's very small, light, and produces a ridiculous amount power with low distortion. 1400Ws (at 8 ohms!!!) of power that can dynamically adjusted to any number of channels. No more blowing speakers because your amp is clipping!
 
astrallite your explanation of the panny sounds familiar, and was probably the nature of the "complaints" i was referring to. The XR-57 does pack a wallop of features though, i've debated purchasing one for a while now.

Gravestone is your head spinning yet with all of these good choices?

Anybody else think the OP fell of the face of the earth? :D Talk about an epic hijack :p
 
LOL, I was just thinking how badly this thread got hijacked and came back here to say sorry to OP. Then I read your post. obviously it's quite a jack-job. I didn't consciously intend to steal this thread for my own personal investigative research of stereo receivers. But I know it certainly appears that way. And yes, my head is spinning and my mind is all a clutter now. Thanks guys. :D

Edit: To add to the "choices" I came across this excellent THREAD on audioreview.com. Some good info here.
 
Speakers:

Tannoy Mercury F1
Wharfedale Diamond 9.1
Quad L-ites
Monitor Audio BRONZE B2s

Amps:

Rotel RA-04
Cambridge Audio Azur 340A
NAD C325BEE

These are a few suggestion that are not of the ever so popular "internet direct" type of speakers.
 
Well since the OP has not been heard from, I reckon it's safe to assume that he doesn't mind the mild hijacking incident that's occurred over that last couple days. So I wanted to ask a question about receivers and integrated amps. One warning, this questions may include real noobie overtones. OK, here goes:

One feature I feel that's important is the ability to run some long speaker wire into another room and connect another set of speakers. Reason being is I'd like to have my stereo receiver pump music to my living room and my office both. In looking at receivers I noticed some specifically say they're capable of "Multiple zone Output" that lets you enjoy audio in multiple zones throughout your home. The Yamaha RX-497 Stereo Receiver is one unit that I've found that states it has this feature. But as you know I was also interested in the HK3485 receiver. I found two websites that reviewed this receiver and despite the HK3485 having the ability to power two pairs of speakers, they say the HK3485 does NOT offer multi-room capability!

You can read THIS REVIEW of the HK3480 (which the 3485 is just a newer version of w/out the VMax) and the second to last paragraph where they compare it to a Denon, it states that the Denon offers multi-room capability and the HK does not. And again THIS CNET REVIEW states one of the weaknesses is "no multiroom capability."

So my question is how can a receiver have the two sets of speaker connection to allow two pairs of speakers to be connected yet not support multiroom capability? I don't get it. What, you're not allowed to have two sets of speakers connected at the same time and have one set in another room? As I stated I feel this is an important feature and I want to be able to do this. Hence, I figured as long as the amp or receiver has at least four speaker connections I'm good. But now I'm confused. Please help me to understand what to look for to ensure the receiver or amp I buy has multiroom capability.
 
hehe, I'm not gone! I had sort of left after the AV123 disruption, but actually the veering towards reciever territory is great because I've decided on speakers and now need to get an amp!

so all worked out well.

the info you have all provided is great, thanks! That HK amp is GORGEOUS! although rather gigantic.

What do folks think of the Trends TA-10.1 amplifier? I'm a bit worried of having these large recievers on my desk, and would love something smaller. But I'm aware of quality as well, so...
 
Yeah, sorry about the AV123 disruption, my bad. Obviously I was wrong and hey, at least I'm man enough to admit it. I get that stubbornness from my dad who claims he's never wrong. Actually he says he was wrong once when he thought he was mistaken about something, only to find out he was right, lol.

Anyway, glad you're not peeved about the hijack. Yeah, I really liked the HK receiver too and was set to buy it until I read that it doesn't support "Multiple zone Output" which means that it has "no multiroom capability."

I really can't understand this. I mean it has two sets of speaker connections. So why can't it support Multiple zone Output? What is it about this receiver that would prevent me from connecting two pairs of speakers (because it has the connections for them) and then running long speaker wire into an adjacent room and placing a pair of speakers in that room? Please, someone who knows and understands this "Multiple zone Output" will you please explain to me what I'm missing here? i.e., What does the Yamaha RX-497 Stereo Receiver have that the HK3485 does not that allows the Yamaha to support multiroom capability?
 
I actually own a Panasonic XR-57K (purchased from J&R) that's setup in one of my rooms with Mirage speakers right now and it's an excellent, clean sounding amp! Gobbs of power if you want to go loud, without distortion, and doesn't necessarily require highly efficient speakers to do so.

It also does the bi-amping and dual amping of your front 2 channels (as mentioned earlier) if you're not using the surround back speaker terminals. It also has the ability to accommodate speakers that can take advantage of bi-wiring and can dual amp those as well by utilizing the rear surround channels if those aren't in use. Multi-room, 2 channel sound is also an option. All in all, it's a very versatile little starter receiver at a great price right now.
 
Gravestone Doji said:
Those Ascend Acoustics look very nice and wow, they really have some awesome looking very high quality hand painted automotive-grade finishes available in a rainbow of colors. Perhaps I was a bit hasty in my evaluation of premium finishes. I can certainly see the value in getting a custom finish on a set of these. And I agree that it's hard to place a price on the craftsmanship and labor involved with veneer and is likely well worth a $50 price increase as well with the AV123 X-LS series. So lets just leave it at that as I don't want to get into any pissing matches over speaker finishes.


Back on topic: I'd like to know if the AudioSource Amp 100 would be a good choice to power a set of these Ascend Acoustics CBM-170SE or the AV123 X-LS Encores? I'm thinking this would be more powerful and worth the extra $50 over the Sonic Impact T-Amp Gen 2. But how about an inexpensive receiver like the Insignia - 200W 2.0-Ch. Stereo Receiver ? You wouldn't need a pre-amp if you wanted to connect other audio sources and it has an AM/FM tuner. Would this be a better choice than the T-amp or the AudioSource Amp 100 ?

Also: how about adding some budget receivers to this list? Would be helpful to have some alternatives to power-amps or the Insignia receiver.
Click to expand...

I bought the low end Insignia NS-R2000 merely for music playback through the Insignia bookshelves. It reproduces a really nice sound for uber cheap - my HD280's are clear and undistorted. For spending pretty much nothing, its a good buy for 2.0, but thats about it... no HDMI, Optical, SPDIF connections or woofer pre-out.
 
Another vote for the Panny SA-XR57. I'm continually amazed at the sound quality it pumps out. The small footprint is a major bonus, too.

Glad everyone got back to the point of this thread. ;)
 
Just to let you guys know, Ive been following this thread for awhile.

Anyways, Tweeter Clearance sale, picked up a pair of Polk Audio Monitor 30 for $38.00 each. Thought this was a steal and would be perfect for budget pc audio solution
 
Using the $100 Insignia receiver currently, would there be an increase in audio quality moving up to a nicer Denon or the like??
 
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