Speaker Recommendations

[Durvelle27]

I have a new HTR-5940 that was given to me but don't have any speakers. It does 5.1. I already have a sub so that's not needed. My budget right now is $50.

 

[Soccerman06]

Honestly I can't think of any 5.0 setups that come near your budget, for that matter anything that isn't cheapo 2.0 computer speakers.

 

[Durvelle27]

what about used ?

 

[88MVP]

I would scour craigslist to find something local. Your two best bets would be to either find someone dumping old 5.1 HTIB speakers (I found a few of these for $50-75 on my own local cl page just now) or two slightly-less-awful bookshelf speakers to use in stereo instead of 5.1

 

[Durvelle27]

ok i found some ONKYO 8ohm surround speakers for $50 on craigslist. there the whole 5.1 setup. i might just get those

 

[gevorg]

might also explore local Goodwill or garage sales, sometimes you'll find nice gems there for really cheap

 

[Rio Rebel]

I think speakers are a very good idea for an audio system. I recommend them.

 

[Durvelle27]

our goodwill sucks they never have any good electronics. these are the speakers i'm thinking of getting

http://memphis.craigslist.org/ele/3043634347.html

 

[sdifox]

deleted...

 

[NutBucket]

For $50 one can't afford to be too picky. However, there are tons of used speakers around (as you found out) that are quite cheap. Just be sure you listen to them before buying to make sure they're not damaged.

 

[Durvelle27]

yea don't wanna be picky just want some that are 4 ohm, 6 ohm, or 8 ohm because that's all my receiver can use ?

 

[kornphlake]

I can't find anything to suggest your receiver is 4 ohm stable, I'd stick with speakers that are 8 ohm or higher.

 

[Durvelle27]

at the bottom of the manual its states the speakers that can be used

http://media.onecall.com/Image_Products/Yamaha/01_om_htr-5940.pdf

 

[NutBucket]

Best to stick with 8ohm...and chances are 90% of what you find will be 8ohm anyway.

 

[JackBurton]

$50? Seriously? For 5 speakers or 2? Well, that really doesn't matter because $50 isn't even going to get you a decent 2 channel setup anyway.

As for my recommendation, save more money. If you only have $50 for speakers, use that money for something else you need.

 

[alkemyst]

The old insignia's at BB were damn good $50 speakers...if I were the OP I'd get the best two speakers I could and run phantom surround (I think that Yamaha can do it).

Then add as I go.

 

[Rio Rebel]

The old insignia's at BB were damn good $50 speakers...if I were the OP I'd get the best two speakers I could and run phantom surround (I think that Yamaha can do it).

Then add as I go.

I second this.

50 bucks is too tight a budget for 5 speakers, unless you basically want anything that can produce sound without unbearable distortion. You may be able to snag a pair of something half decent for that, use a phantom center (if your receiver can do it, look in the manual). Then put up basically anything for your surrounds until you can get more money...or do without.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I second this.

50 bucks is too tight a budget for 5 speakers, unless you basically want anything that can produce sound without unbearable distortion. You may be able to snag a pair of something half decent for that, use a phantom center (if your receiver can do it, look in the manual). Then put up basically anything for your surrounds until you can get more money...or do without.

Whether or not the comparison is relevant, my [PC] Logitech Z640 5.1 system cost me about $80 (years ago) when I got it "on sale" at PC Club. It was an impulse buy, but I never regretted it. But I can neither connect it to my AV Receiver, nor is the power-handling a good match if I could.

If you have a new AV Receiver, you should invest a reasonable sum in getting a 5.1 speaker system. Luckily or as you say, you have a subwoofer. Not completely sure, but I think you could probably get two 2.0 speaker-pairs for maybe twice what you want to pay.

Even so, I still think it may be "false economy." Unless you can find a used set of four or mix and match two matched pairs, I'd invest (emphasis: "in-vest") at least three times your budget. You might be keeping the speaker system for as much as a decade.

Point being: You can check the Egg, J&R, maybe Directron and other online sources to find that a set of JBL Cinema 500's (like mine) has had a price of nearly $500 or $700, but they're being marked down now to as low as $299. Same for a 5.1 Polk-Audio kit: MSRP close to $600 -- marked down to (Memorial Day sale) $219. I'd looked at several other kits sporting maximum sustained power-handling of between 100 and 125W per channel -- all marked down to within that same price range.

In other words, the difference between "used" and "new" may not be that great if you consider last year's models and shop for bargains without sacrificing reasonable quality.

 

[Durvelle27]

the reason my budget is low because my money is up on my new rig now

 

[007ELmO]

I will loan you $150. If you can pay it back in the next couple of months, maybe you can buy a used 5.1 set like the Energy take series.

IMO for $200 you should buy just 2 OK mains and get the rest later. I ran with 2 high quality mains (and no center, rear channels) in a setup that featured a $10,000 projector for years, and nobody complained (my friends/viewers, or myself). 5.1 can be overrated, especially on a budget.

In my experience - I like to spend 1/4th of my speaker budget on a receiver. The rest is majority on the subwoofer/front mains, then the center/surrounds.

So if you will eventually work with $1000, $250 on receiver. $300 on a subwoofer, $500 or so on the speakers.

 

[JackBurton]

I will loan you $150. If you can pay it back in the next couple of months, maybe you can buy a used 5.1 set like the Energy take series.

IMO for $200 you should buy just 2 OK mains and get the rest later. I ran with 2 high quality mains (and no center, rear channels) in a setup that featured a $10,000 projector for years, and nobody complained (my friends/viewers, or myself). 5.1 can be overrated, especially on a budget.

In my experience - I like to spend 1/4th of my speaker budget on a receiver. The rest is majority on the subwoofer/front mains, then the center/surrounds.

So if you will eventually work with $1000, $250 on receiver. $300 on a subwoofer, $500 or so on the speakers.

I'd choose a quality 2 channel setup over a crappy 5.1 setup any day of the week.

 

[007ELmO]

To that point as well, as many 5.1 setups as we all have seen, have you noticed how poorly setup each is? Things like Audyssey can help to a degree, but most people basically put their rear sounds wherever they look hidden (WAF).

So much in fact, that I had to look up information and call some speaker companies to get exact directions of where speakers should go in a 7.1 setup. I thought I knew what I was doing, but seeing so many varying placements of 5.1 makes it confusing.

 

[Rio Rebel]

I'd choose a quality 2 channel setup over a crappy 5.1 setup any day of the week.

And a quality 5.1 over a mediocre/poorly arranged 7.1.

 

[Durvelle27]

horrible situation but a sub woofer is not need as i have one that a friend gave me ? YAMAHA SW315

 

[JackBurton]

And a quality 5.1 over a mediocre/poorly arranged 7.1.

Yep.