The ATP3's aren't half bad, however, they really have to be set up properly to shine, and I say that because they sound like junk when they're set up in most stores, however, once you get them home into a smaller room, they sound much better.
I personally bought a set of ACS54's for my girlfriend a few months back, and at the time they were the best sounding set of speakers for the price, and I paid $59 for them at best buy. Online you can find them even cheaper. They sound REALLY good for $60 speakers and even the BA790's IMHO didn't sound as good. Since I'm a big fan of Boston products, my opinion comes very unbiased towards the Altecs.
Another option would be to get the BA4800's, spend a few more dollars, and only use 2 of the 4 satellites. With this setup you'll pay $130 for the 4 but the sound of these computer speakers is excellent. Very warm, very neutral (no over exaggerated bass) and the highs are crystal clear and do well on nearly ANY type of music. A very good set all around, with a subwoofer that has a pretty decent punch for its size.
<< I don't hold much hope in Boston Acoustics either because their home audio stuff is basically junk. >>
That's very strange that you say that, many very high-end audio shops carry Boston Acoustics. If all their home audio stuff was basically junk, why do such respected shops who CHOOSE their products, carry BA products? Boston is known as one of the best values on the market for their price point. Many higher priced companies simply can't compete with Boston due to the value factor.
<< The CSW aren't bad speakers at all. >>
Cambridge Sound Works makes some of the most horrible sounding multimedia speakers I've ever heard. The only one I have yet to hear is their highest end package, the FPS-3500's, but at over $200 there's no way they're worth the cost.
<< I've heard good things about the Klipsche speakers, but those are $150 for the 2.1's. >>
Can you really say anything good about a product that YOU personally have not heard? Come on, stop recommending stuff that you don't even know about yourself. That's like a Cadillac salesman trying to sell a Lincoln. While he knows everything about the Cadillac, he also knows Lincoln is his biggest competitor and with the dislike he has for his competitor, there's no way he's going to be able to sell it. Case in point, only recommend what you know.
<< I'd forget the Altec Lansing's. I personally think they're junk. >>
True enough Altec makes some junk, but guess what? Sony makes some junk too! But look at the rest of their ES product line, such as their SACD (Super Audio CD player), or their progressive scan DVD players. These are top notch products, made from a company which can produce junk, at the right price! Sure Altec has faltered in the past, but they have 2 or 3 sets of multimedia speakers out there right now, which sound really damn good!
Anyhow, to really summarize this, your BEST bet is going to be to spend a little extra cash, grab the BA4800's, and use 2 of the 4 satellites the system comes with. Later on if you EVER have a need for 3D positional gaming, you have the speakers available.
If you really want to stick to a 3 piece set (2 sats 1 sub) then the Altec ATP3's or ACS54's would be your best bet. I've listened to a LOT of speaker systems and can honestly say these are the 2 best I've listened to for under $100. My personal preference is the ACC54's (hey, I bought them for crying out loud, they sound great!) but the ATP3's might sound better to you, so take a listen to both.
dm
