Bookshelves as fronts

[browndk26]

My room is 12 x 18 with TV on the 12 foot wall. I sit about 9 feet from the TV(against the opposite wall). Would bookshelf speakers be ok as my fronts? I would like to upgrade my current Sony speakers. If I had up to $400, any suggestions for 2 bookshelf speakers and a center?

[HomeTheaterVirgin]

If you really want audio that bad I would buy just 2 book shelf speakers for now no center and use that while you save up some money.Then when you have enough money saved you can buy the front stage that you really want towers if that is the case.Then just move the bookshelfs to the back.

[Hammie]

Two bookshelves and a decent sub will sound great for a front soundstage. I ran some Polk Audio bookshelves for about 4-5 years with a sub and thought they did a great job.

[roxyv]

Buy Polk RTia1 for Fronts for now then upgrade to floorstanding RTia5 , Csia4 then move the RTia1 as surrounds....or buy the Polk Monitor series at newegg, quite cheap...

[Big Daddy]

Buy three identical good quality bookshelf speakers for your front. An identical vertical center speaker is better than a horizontal center speaker. In the future, add one or two subwoofers and two bipole surround speakers.

If you plan to buy a good subwoofer in the future, you do not need tower front speakers. Even if you buy tower speakers, you will have to set them to SMALL for best blending with your future subwoofer.

[Beta Man]

I use bookshelves, and they work great for me...... I actually had them as surrounds and sold my fronts to move them there, since I couldn't justify using them as surrounds ( I don't listen to much multi-channel music)

I agree though, that you should spend the $400 on the L/R, and save for a center.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

I use bookshelves, and they work great for me...... I actually had them as surrounds and sold my fronts to move them there, since I couldn't justify using them as surrounds ( I don't listen to much multi-channel music)

I agree though, that you should spend the $400 on the L/R, and save for a center.

And I have just the perfect pair for him!

John

[solarrdadd]

howdy, i use these TSi200's as surrounds and I use the TSi100's for surround backs. I highly recommend using the 200's for fronts take a look at them. they give incredible sound, look nice and they are bi-amp/bi-wire ready! Can't go wrong at 300 for these and they are free shipping!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16882290098


save a little more and get the timber matched center and your in business, should you need a center that is! they are on sale for 119 and free shipping!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16882290106

these will make a perfect set, but, if you really want to step it up then save for the center and buy this one to go with the 200's the CS20 goes for 349 but is on sale for 199 and free shipping.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16882290108


this is the big brother to the CS10. you should jump on it and just think the TSi200 set and the CS10 front will only put you 100 over your budget but you will have a timber matched front 3 sound stage in eithe rblack or cherry all shipped for free all with 5 year warrenties. like i said, i have the 200's and all my other speakers are Polks so I stand by my recommendations from first hand knowledge! If your budget is really, really tight then go with the TSi100's for fronts and get the CS10 for the center and that will cost you, 320 and shipping is still free! I have the TSi100 for surround backs and they are great too. they are the little brother to the TSi200's. you can't go wrong either way!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16882290108



best of luck!

[hagar852]

I have bookshelf speakers and a big sub myself, and works plenty fine.

[Hammie]

Originally Posted by browndk26

My room is 12 x 18 with TV on the 12 foot wall. I sit about 9 feet from the TV(against the opposite wall). Would bookshelf speakers be ok as my fronts? I would like to upgrade my current Sony speakers. If I had up to $400, any suggestions for 2 bookshelf speakers and a center?

If you pay for shipping costs (packaging + shipping charges), I have a Polk Audio CSi3 Center and RTi4 Bookshelves in Cherry finish for sale.

[callas01]

Brown....

One of the guys here just went with some PSB Image B25s for bookshelves in a 2 channel operation, Here is the thread and these are the speakers.

A little over budget, but great speakers.... Can't go wrong with PSBs.

[ZedsDead]

I am also contemplating using bookshelf's for fronts for a future upgrade (hopefully sometime next year). The variety and value of bookshelf's is very appealing.

[jomari]

as others have mentioned, bookshelves are a great option to look into as your initial purchase. a good quality set of bookshelves paired with a well blending subwoofer, can definitely outperform a mediocre set of towers.

as mentioned earlier, i would suggest finding the appropriate pair towards your liking, and research on its paired center. or as BD has suggested, finding a good retailer can also get you another bookshelf speaker to work as your center. the suggested speakers mentioned above are all great candidates, but as always, audition, audition audition your speakers prior to purchase. we all have our own preferences in regards to what we hear, and my hearing yet alone each member here, is different from each other. you want to research on finding out the characteristics of a great speaker versus an overpriced one.

im surprised we havent suggested klipsch, mirage or energys on here. all in all, save up as much as you can, and bite the bullet to buy the complete frontstage, instead of waiting out to get the center. remember: most companies phase out their speakers in a year or two, thus may have you hunting down the matching center in the future.

just a thought.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by jomari

as others have mentioned, bookshelves are a great option to look into as your initial purchase. a good quality set of bookshelves paired with a well blending subwoofer, can definitely outperform a mediocre set of towers.

as mentioned earlier, i would suggest finding the appropriate pair towards your liking, and research on its paired center. or as BD has suggested, finding a good retailer can also get you another bookshelf speaker to work as your center. the suggested speakers mentioned above are all great candidates, but as always, audition, audition audition your speakers prior to purchase. we all have our own preferences in regards to what we hear, and my hearing yet alone each member here, is different from each other. you want to research on finding out the characteristics of a great speaker versus an overpriced one.

im surprised we havent suggested klipsch, mirage or energys on here. all in all, save up as much as you can, and bite the bullet to buy the complete frontstage, instead of waiting out to get the center. remember: most companies phase out their speakers in a year or two, thus may have you hunting down the matching center in the future.

just a thought.

Great post jomari!

And isn't is refreshing to hear little or more of the same (see bolded)

John

[jomari]

ive suggested those brands considering it can be 'close' to his budget. definitives are another brand, but im not sure if their bookshelves are as mighty as their towers.

i could suggest other great speaker companies, like dynaudios, but then again, its not within the budget.

thanks for the compliment.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by jomari

ive suggested those brands considering it can be 'close' to his budget. definitives are another brand, but im not sure if their bookshelves are as mighty as their towers.

i could suggest other great speaker companies, like dynaudios, but then again, its not within the budget.

thanks for the compliment.

I highly recommend to look at all of these:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=100022

[jomari]

or end up looking for a good mom and pop shop around town, and audition em as much as possible.

[browndk26]

Thanks for all the advise. Leaning towards Polks when the money is available.

What is the difference between the Monitor line and TSI line? The speakers look very similar except the price.

[callas01]

There really is not much difference between the monitor and TSi lines, to me there are cosmetic differences mostly and the TSis seem to have a sligtly smoother sound, but that differnece is not much.

Seriously if you want bookshelf speakers as fronts, there are no better in the lower price range then these IMHO. The PSB Image B25s available here for $349 for the pair. You could pair it with either the Image C40 or C60 and have a setup better then most towers in the $500/pr range.

[langn08]

Originally Posted by callas01

There really is not much difference between the monitor and TSi lines, to me there are cosmetic differences mostly and the TSis seem to have a sligtly smoother sound, but that differnece is not much.

Seriously if you want bookshelf speakers as fronts, there are no better in the lower price range then these IMHO. The PSB Image B25s available here for $349 for the pair. You could pair it with either the Image C40 or C60 and have a setup better then most towers in the $500/pr range.

+1 on PSB, I would even look at the Alpha B1 pair for $189, I would buy them over the TSI's if I were you.