Newb question - trying to replace my Bose speaker setup

[smail.nathan]

Hey folks, definite newb question...searched for answers, but got more answers that trend to the over-my-price range side of things. So, i figured I'd ask.

I, like a few other posters here, have made the mistake of buying Bose speakers for my surround setup. I am using them with a yamaha rx-v663receiver, connected hdmi to a ps3 (primarily for blu-rays) a directv hr20 hd dvr, and a Samsung 40 inch 1080p lcd tv. The speakers I currently use are bose 161's for my fronts and rears, and a different bose center.

The past two weeks, my two bose fronts have started to sound a little garbled or muted. I am extremely limited by both budget (economy sucks) and wife (doesn't want big, floor-standing speakers). Looking to upgrade my two fronts for now...this will have to be a gradual upgrade of all my speakers.

I know the bose suck, and I know I'm not helping myself out with the budget, but this is my situation. i need the best recommendations for my situation, and if you know of a good price/place to get them from online, that would be a help. I've read a lot on here about polks being good for the money...which ones (in the bookshelf or satellites) would you all recommend?

I'm looking at about 175 or less to replace the two fronts. I've also been looking into speaker packages - particularly polk and klipsch. I figure a little extra money over the 175 for a full package wouldn't be a bad idea either, depending on quality/price. The two I'm considering in that option are the Polk RM 10, and the Klipsch Quintet II.

The polk seem attainable for around 200 or so right now on clearance...the klipsch for about 250 through one call. Will I see a significant quality upgrade with either of these two? If not, what would you folks recommend? Is there a model up over the polk rm 10 (obviously, I know the Quintet III would be the upgrade over the two's, but 500 bucks is out of my price range right now)?

Thanks everyone! Sorry for a little bit of a re-post of questions that have been posted before...I'm just looking for some customized suggestions to my situation. Please help me get these bose out of my hair!

And I'm sorry for the "big wall of words"...hopefully this is a little easier to read now.

[stockstar1138]

holy wall of words batman!

try breaking that up into paragraphs and more people would be more likely to help you.

[SS316SRV]

Originally Posted by smail.nathan

Hey folks, definite newb question...

First, sometimes budget limits what you can/should get.

Sell the Bose on craigslist or ebay. Use that little extra cash as a means to get better speakers.

[smail.nathan]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

holy wall of words batman!

try breaking that up into paragraphs and more people would be more likely to help you.

lol..sorry...will do.

[SS316SRV]

http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Cha...9073180&sr=8-6

[arush5268d]

Ouch....I have a migraine now.

[smail.nathan]

Originally Posted by SS316SRV

First, sometimes budget limits what you can/should get.

Sell the Bose on craigslist or ebay. Use that little extra cash as a means to get better speakers.

thanks for the advice...was planning on using bose in bedroom though. Obviosuly, i won't get speakers that won't offer any real upgrade...I'd rather spend more money at that point or not buy any at all. Just curious about the speakers I mentioned in my original post.

[Beta Man]

Use the four 161's for Rear/Surrounds, and for L/R/C I'd look at the AV123 Monitor x-cs line, $90 each for the fronts...... I'd get three of them

[smail.nathan]

Originally Posted by SS316SRV

http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Cha...9073180&sr=8-6

thought about that, but already have a great yamaha sub that i don't want to replace. Thanks though!

[mdabb]

Sit tight and save your money. You are looking for instant gratification and will not likely be had at that price point. If you upgrade now within that budget honestly you will be disappointed. You got Blu-ray for a reason take a little time and research, save and check out some speakers in person. It will help you get an idea of the kind of sound you desire.

Look at decent made bookshelf speakers with a good frequency range. You will in the end save more than you think by buying wise not foolishly and will be less likely to need a "fix" soon after by going with better speakers.

Of course you don't want to go broke but inexpensive doesn't have to be lousy or incapable. Put a little effort into your purchase.

[Driver_King]

Center Speaker

Floor Standing Speakers

Surround Speakers (x4)

Subwoofer

Onkyo 805

Cables

Bose size and similar styling, with close to Bose pricing. Final Outcome: Amazing setup with superior performance.

[problu]

i think this will help http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....54018549&h=387

[Driver_King]

That link doesn't work.

[smail.nathan]

Originally Posted by problu

i think this will help http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....54018549&h=387

hmm...that seems like a really good price. debating between that and a pair of polk rti4's for my front and the polk csi3 for my center....decisions, decisions.

[lojack1976]

You might want to check out the Harman Kardon HKTS 18 5.1 setup. I have the HKTS 11 which are the exact same speakers as the 18. I replacement my Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 setup with these and let me say these Harmon Kardon speakers made a world of difference to my sound. The Onkyo's are decent and are regarded as pretty good budget speakers, but I found the center channel rather lacking and overall sound from the system was a bit muddy. The Harmon Kardon's are super clear and can be cranked up extremely loud with my Onkyo 605 receiver without any distortion. The Onkyo sub in the 7.1 setup was decent, but the box was of cheaper construction and rattled when pushed. DTS soundtracks made this very prevalent. The Harmon Kardon on the other hand is pretty awesome for the price. It's a down firing sub in a very durable box pushing 200watts nominal and I get no distortion or rattle from it. It's very impressive for the money. If you are on a budget I highly recommend this setup since its $449.99 with free shipping on www.jr.com. I checked out the Klipsch Quintet III's at Best Buy and those are good too. They also are very clear and scream when pushed, but after checking out the specs and from what I've read in the forums I would go for the Quintet II's instead since they're much cheaper. Vann's has them $249.99 free shipping on their website and it would be cheaper way to go if you want to use your Yamaha sub, but I still recommend the Harmon Kardon's as a complete setup that sounds terrific. There are only a few professional reviews of these which I had to do a lot of searching for, but I completely agree with their assessment...these rock! The sound blend is what the reviewers were really impressed with and they were right on the money. Anyway, I hope I've been helpful. Peace!

[Driver_King]

Originally Posted by smail.nathan

hmm...that seems like a really good price. debating between that and a pair of polk rti4's for my front and the polk csi3 for my center....decisions, decisions.

Could you say what those speakers or whatever is there because I only get a inactivity notice and am redirected to BB's home page.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

Could you say what those speakers or whatever is there because I only get a inactivity notice and am redirected to BB's home page.

Klipsch - Synergy Series Quintet III 5-Piece Home Theater Speaker System

[Driver_King]

Oh, that still doesn't beat the Mirage speakers! Or the sub for that matter...

[smail.nathan]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

Center Speaker

Floor Standing Speakers

Surround Speakers (x4)

Subwoofer

Onkyo 805

Cables

Bose size and similar styling, with close to Bose pricing. Final Outcome: Amazing setup with superior performance.

checking out the mirage...these particular ones are slightly out of my price range. I was able to find some good deals on Mirage Nanosat Satellite speakers...and it's accompanying center channel (Mirage Nano CC). any opinions on these? Would these be a large step up for me in the world of satellite speakers? Is there a noticeable quality drop from the omnosats you recommended? Thanks for all your help! Would the satellites I asked about be good for fronts, or no?

edit: if the omnisats are a good bit better than the nanosats, how would they fare as my two fronts?

[Driver_King]

if the omnisats are a good bit better than the nanosats, how would they fare as my two fronts?

Better.