Boston Acoustics Horizon Series MCS100MDNT - Feedback Requested

[SDon1969]

Hey all - I have been looking to upgrade the weakest link in my home theater setup, my speakers (I have already been told that my first step should have been to get speakers, but I goofed up and went TV, PS3, Receiver - and saved speakers for last). Right now I have a 7.1 setup, using cheapo Sony bookshelves from a HTiB. So please go easy on me for some questionable decision-making, but right now my focus is getting better speakers.

Right now Amazon's hot deal is the Boston Acoustics Horizon Series MCS100MDNT. The hot deal is a mark-down from $599 to $199. I am very tempted. With X-Mas around the corner, I don't really have much dough to spend on myself, but heck, I can swing $200. My question is, is it worth it? Are there better options in this cheap price range? Some day I can go with expensive speakers, but not anytime soon. These could tide me over in the meantime. Any feedback is appreciated.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...A3V64HJMS5Z7T0

[Chocolatejas]

I like my Boston's but I have only ever owned BA's. Even have some for my computer.

[aramis109]

The first review from that link really says it all:

Boston Acoustics Horizon MCS100MDNT - A Nice Starter Set, But Definitely Not For Everybody, November 26, 2008
By Mark "Technology, Music and Movies" (East Coast) - See all my reviews


The Boston Acoustics Horizon Series MCS100MDNT 5.1-Channel Speaker System is a decent set of speakers as far as 5.1 systems go. The shielding and the cases are good quality. But these speakers may be somewhat undersized for many home theatres. This set is designed well for certain purposes, but you should be warned about it's limitations to make sure this set is for you.

I happened upon the Horizon MCS set as I was searching for a nice starter set. I was helping somebody just starting their home theatre. They had already purchased a Yamaha receiver that was rated for much more total power as these. That fact, along with the high price, were my main reasons for recommending that they look at alternatives. If not for their insistence, this would not have been one of the sets we chose to test. Ultimately, they returned this set in favor of another, but the point is the same. Make sure that your speakers are a good fit for your amplifier and receiver!

PERFORMANCE

While the bass response of this set is probably more than adequate, the overall output is really only enough for smaller spaces and starter AV systems. Most disappointing is the performance of the center channel. I also previewed the Boston Acoustics Horizon Series MCS130 5.1-Channel Surround Speaker System and the center channel that comes with that set should be the smallest one sold for a 5.1 system. This one seems too weak for a center channel speaker. Some of the speakers included in the satellites also seem to be weak.

That really begs the question, why would anybody without a high quality AV receiver pay this kind of a premium on the speakers? And those who have a high quality receiver would probably want and need more power per channel. If you're going to spend your money somewhere, get the best receiver you can first. If you just want an entry level set, you can probably get almost this level of performance with more features for less money.

THE PROS

In terms of durability, the speaker cases are really pretty good. In my opinion they are not all that attractive, but the construction should hold up relatively well. The connectors are also top quality. The binding posts make nice strong connections, so there are some positives. My main gripe regarding performance and quality is that the external body components seem to be higher quality than the internals, at least based upon performance.

THE ALTERNATIVES

When it comes to comparing to alternatives, Boston Acoustics is very similar to Bose. Even brands produced by the same parent company give you more for your money.

I am not a purist when it comes to speaker brands. Yet even as somebody who is not a huge Polk enthusiast, I still have to note that the Polk Audio RM6750 5.1 Channel Home Theater Speaker System is a quality set and tends to be priced about half this BA set. The construction is about equal, and that set performs better. In addition to more power, it is designed to accommodate an easy upgrade to 6.1 or 7.1 much better than this BA set.

As another point of comparison, the Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 Channel Home Theater Speaker System is a 7 channel set that has more power and a better price point. There would almost be no reason not to choose that instead. Even if you only plan on using 5.1, you can store those extra 2 speakers till you upgrade your AV equipment.

Even the Klipsch Synergy Quintet III Home Theater Speaker System and Harman Kardon HKTS-18 5.1 Channel Speaker System deserve comparison at this price point. This particular BA set may not be as good as other units by BA. They are banking on people buying this based upon brand name alone. For me, that is simply not enough.

CONCERNS AND ISSUES

1. The list price of this set, and BA speakers in general, is excessive. This is a nice quality starter set, but not worth anywhere near the list price.
2. The power rating is good enough for a smaller living room on the order of 150 square feet. But if you have a much larger room, these speakers are underpowered.
3. If you already have a receiver, check the power rating on it. For some people, 100 watts will fit their AV receiver perfectly. Others will find this power rating to be inadequate.
4. If you're going to buy an entry level set with these kinds of power ratings, why not purchase an all-in-one set instead? It's a much better value, and other than the shielding there is little noticeable difference at this output rating.
5. If you are determined to buy a 5.1 speaker set, give serious consideration to alternatives, many of which are a better value.
6. Yes, the sound is good. But it's easier to produce clear sound in lower-powered components.
7. Are you sure you want 5.1 sound? These speakers do not lend themselves well towards growing into a larger set with add-ons. I personally still have 5.1 sound on my primary unit, but most new systems are designed to take advantage of 7.1 sound. That means you will quickly outgrow this set if you are going to a full high-definition home theatre. Do you have BluRay or want to use full HD sound in your home theatre? Give this some thought. You can always buy more speakers, but if you mix and match different speakers you have to take various power ratings into account.

Once again, your receiver choice will be a big factor in this. And some alternative speaker sets are better designed to scale up to 7.1 if you decide to do so in the future.

For the price you are paying for a set that is easily outgrown, it may make more sense to buy an integrated AV speaker system and save your money for a better surround sound speaker system in the future. All in one systems like the Harmon Kardon CP40 Home Theater System are nothing to sneeze at in comparison to an entry level 5.1 speaker-only set like this. The value is much better for most of those sets and over time 5.1 sets are going to only drop further in price or become less common.

CONCLUSION

If you still want to buy components for a 5.1 setup, you can do a lot worse than this but you can do a lot better too. I personally am open to all manufacturers. Check out the alternatives before you pull the trigger.

Happy shopping.


************************

Note: This review was written based upon the prevailing price. The price is now discounted as part of a deal of the day promotion. At the discounted price, it may be a better option for some. Still, I urge you to do more research on your own home theatre set up before simply purchasing these on brand name alone. Though I think they are an easier buy at the deal price, these are far from a *one size fits all* type of speaker system.

I would take a look at the Polk RM6750 or the Klipsch Quintet set if I were you. They're both ones that I would've recommended anyway.

[SDon1969]

Originally Posted by aramis109

The first review from that link really says it all:



I would take a look at the Polk RM6750 or the Klipsch Quintet set if I were you. They're both ones that I would've recommended anyway.

Thanks, I will check those out.

[blu master]

You should def take a look at the Klipsch Synergy Quintet III i just pick up a set of these myself for $299 and they are really good with my yahmaha 6160

[Chocolatejas]

Down to $189.97