# Good Bookshelf Speakers for less than $200



## sharkz

As the title reads, I am looking into getting a pair of nice bookshelf speakers for less than $200. I am going to be getting a decent receiver of some make soon, but there are so many options for speakers, I am just looking for recommendations of what people have heard. I am leaning toward a pair of Cerwin Vega's now or the Onix xL's from av123.com? Any other comments or suggestions?


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## infinitesymphony

The AV123 speakers are a safe bet. I'd stay away from Cerwin-Vega... They were a popular name in the '90s, but the majority of their speakers seemed to be of very low quality.


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## spacemanspliff

Yeah the AV123 or TAD(Tube Audio Design) 805 speakers are by far and away the best under $200.


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## sharkz

Where can you find the TAD 805's? I have looked around a bit and can't really seem to find anything on them. Thanks.


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## sharkz

I am also looking into the Paradigm Atoms. A huge plus is that I should be able to listen to these at local Sixth Ave stores in New Jersey. Has anyone heard these?


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## trose49

Paradigm is a very good option. I love their products and they are fairly priced.

 My friend has Atoms as his rear channels but they are good for a small room as mains as well.

 Links to the TAD anyone? Never heard of them!


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## sharkz

Are the TAD speakers you are talking about the same ones affiliated with Pioneer? Otherwise, I can barely find any references to them online.


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## happyangryhappy

The TAD speakers are found here - although I have not heard them myself. 

 A friend of mine has a pair of the Onix xl's and for their price they sound really nice. The imaging, focus and separation is quite surprising for a speaker of this price - particularly for their current $165... Other than that the only other speakers in the sub $200 range that I have heard that really stand out are DIY designs.


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## Cata1yst

Fry's has Polk Rti4's on sale for 169$, online they also have another one from the bottom end bookshelf Polks for 69$

 You also have the option of the X-LS, and supposedly TAD is not very reliable, a friend of mine has tried his amp, and has had it constantly returned again and again, until he gave up and returned it fully, Spacemanspiff swears by the stuff, but you could try em out first.....


 Lastly, if you need comparisions between the Polks and the X-LS', the polks have high extensions and clarity, and more punch in the bass (not as much as a dedicated sub though), this is a third person opinion that i have read, am waiting for one of my speaker buddies to confirm this


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## spacemanspliff

Sure there are always problems but if you look here at audiogon the TAD 60 amp is held in high esteem. I myself only tried TAD on a whim b/c I could get the 12" sub for a special deal and like it so much I got the 805 speakers and have been thoroughly impressed by them. Seriously, they destroyed the Usher 520s I had before them in every respect except in the extreme highs. Paul is a one man operation and should be given a lot of credit for his accomplishments thus far. I will get a TAD 60 amp modded by him in a week or two.

AudiogoN Forums: Anybody heard the TAD 805SD speakers?


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## gritzcolin

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *spacemanspliff* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Sure there are always problems but if you look here at audiogon the TAD 60 amp is held in high esteem. I myself only tried TAD on a whim b/c I could get the 12" sub for a special deal and like it so much I got the 805 speakers and have been thoroughly impressed by them. Seriously, they destroyed the Usher 520s I had before them in every respect except in the extreme highs. Paul is a one man operation and should be given a lot of credit for his accomplishments thus far. I will get a TAD 60 amp modded by him in a week or two.

AudiogoN Forums: Anybody heard the TAD 805SD speakers?_

 

They are infact great speakers for the $189 I paid. They look gorgeous as well I get many compliments. They dont sound as good as my Polk LSi7's but those are phenomenal bookshelfs and cost $1000 brand new which was still said to be a bargain when they were reviewed.


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## Cata1yst

eh..i stand corrected, but i wanna hear em before i say my own opinion


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## Austin 3:16

Polks aren't in the same league as Paradigm.


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## aych

i personally picked up a pair of dahlquist new for 75% off. i'd look in the liquidation centers in your city


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## infinitesymphony

From what I've read, Paradigm's house sound (at least for the lower-end speakers) tends to be a little on the bright side, so keep that in mind when considering your listening preferences. That said, I've heard that the Atoms are good values.

 Whatever you buy, try to listen first. Or, listen to speakers that are out of your price range... The more you listen, the easier it will be to narrow down to what you really want, even if it's just by reading others' opinions.


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## Yukon Trooper

Try auditioning some speakers first. Everyone has different tastes in them just like headphones. My two cents.


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## sharkz

I do need to go audition some speakers. Apparently 6th Ave in New Jersey is a Paradigm dealer, so I might have to go see what they have their. I would really like to hit Spearit Sound in Boston while I am here, but the next week and a half is going to be insane with finals so I doubt that will happen. I will have to find some good places around Northern NJ that have a selection of decent speakers.


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## Lazarus Short

Eventually, I am going to sound like the proverbial broken record: consider Minimus 7's with any kind of a subwoofer. Mine are amazing with a garden-variety BSR sub I picked up at a garage sale. Crossover mods are available for them too.

 But what do I actually use? Currently, my best friend's highly modded Fisher 104's - only the grilles and cabinets are original. They're floorstanding, or rather, standing on the floor, and would barely qualify as "bookshelf".

 Laz


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## sharkz

Looks like I have a lot of deciding to do. I really need to find a decent receiver for around $100 first though. That is a problem in itself. I know there are a lot of good deals to be had through craigslist or ebay, but its just a pain being in the right place at the right time. Anyone have a any good suggestions for a good receiver around $100?


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## jaduffy007

I have to say...I HIGHLY recommend looking at positivefeedback.com or "Bound for Sound" websites for real audiophile bargains. They exist.

 Is your $200 budget rock solid? Stretch just a bit?

 Polk, Paradigm...yikes...really biting my tongue here. There are MUCH better values out there.

 For a start: Still fairly mainstream, but....
NHT - Now Hear This ®
PSB Speakers | Music and Home Theater Loudspeakers

Amazon.com: NHT N-2B Classic Two Speaker (Black): Electronics

 I would go for the NHT Absolute Zeros ($230) or Classic Two ($350). The PSB Alpha is a good solid choice too ($279). I would suggest checking audiogon for a pair of NHT Classic Two....prolly around $200.

 NHT..serious bang for the buck and well known, highly reviewed enough to resale.

 Good luck!


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## sharkz

My budget might be flexible, but $300 is almost 1.5x my budget. I also need a receiver for now so I doubt I can spend that kind of money. Supposedly the Paradigms are good value for the money though, at least from everything I have read. It all comes back to needing to audition them though.


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## meat01

Quote:


 Try auditioning some speakers first. Everyone has different tastes in them just like headphones. My two cents. 
 

I couldn't agree more with this. A lot of it comes down to what sound you like. That said, I think you will find that Polk, Infinity, NHT or Paradigm will sound better than Cerwin Vega. Cerwin Vega is a bassy party speaker, rather than a speaker that tries to reproduces a signal accurately.


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## sharkz

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *jaduffy007* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I have to say...I HIGHLY recommend looking at positivefeedback.com or "Bound for Sound" websites for real audiophile bargains. They exist._

 

Just curious, where is positivefeedback.com? It seems that that domain doesn't exist any more? My other question is about Bound For Sound. Did you mean good deals can be found out about by subscribing or do they have an actual classifieds section?

 Just wanted to thank everyone for their help. I am still looking a ton, there are a ton of models I am interested in. Best options for now seem to still be a pair of Paradigm Atoms for around $180 or it seems I might be able to get a pair of Monitor Audio Br-1's for $190 (retail price, maybe less) which are supposed to be good. I will be busy with finals for the next week, but after that I should have some time to play around and find out about a receiver which is my first priority right now.


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## happyangryhappy

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *sharkz* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Just curious, where is positivefeedback.com? It seems that that domain doesn't exist any more? My other question is about Bound For Sound. Did you mean good deals can be found out about by subscribing or do they have an actual classifieds section?_

 

It's here. As far as I know neither site has a classified board, but both do a good job of rating budget gear which I think jaduffy007 was referring to.


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## spacemanspliff

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *sharkz* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Just curious, where is positivefeedback.com? It seems that that domain doesn't exist any more? My other question is about Bound For Sound. Did you mean good deals can be found out about by subscribing or do they have an actual classifieds section?

 Just wanted to thank everyone for their help. I am still looking a ton, there are a ton of models I am interested in. Best options for now seem to still be a pair of Paradigm Atoms for around $180 or it seems I might be able to get a pair of Monitor Audio Br-1's for $190 (retail price, maybe less) which are supposed to be good. I will be busy with finals for the next week, but after that I should have some time to play around and find out about a receiver which is my first priority right now._

 

Lol ok. The Monitors are ok and so are the Atoms but I have heard both an the Tad 805 or the XLS speakers are what you want man. Trust me.


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## infinitesymphony

The X-LS are on sale for under $200 at the moment. The TAD-805SDs are $289 plus shipping, so probably a little over his budget.

 Here's a link to the Audioholics review of the X-LS.


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## sharkz

Those look pretty good for that price. Might have to try them eventually. I really need a receiver though. I have been thinking possibly Onkyo. They have some nice refurbed ones for under $200. I need to decide if I want a 5.1 one or just a 2 channel one. Not really sure for now. Anyone else have any receiver suggestions?


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## infinitesymphony

If you want to be the guinea pig for a new integrated amplifier with absolutely killer specs for the price, look at the Emotiva BPA-1 for $129 (with free shipping). Like AV123, Emotiva is another factory-direct manufacturer, and all of their equipment has received great reviews, including their high-end separates.

 Some more typical choices are:

Integrated amplifiers (typical class AB amplification)
 Pioneer Elite A-35R ($175 retail)
 Harmon HK3485 ($280 retail), possible reliability issues

Integrated amplifiers (class T amplification)
 Trends Audio TA-10 ($119 retail), winner of class T shoot-out
 Sonic Impact T-Amp v1 ($30 retail), was flavor-of-the-month but not that great

Refurbished receivers
 Onkyo
 Pioneer
 Yamaha

 An integrated amplifier will give you much better sound quality than a budget receiver--a fact I learned with first-hand experience. The lower-end models in a given line-up have significantly lower quality parts. In terms of value for the money, Onkyo and Yamaha offer the most bang-for-the-buck, with Yamaha having the edge in the low-end (sub-$400), IMO.

 But I'd seriously look at the Emotiva.


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## sharkz

Well the problem with this whole scenario is that I have a nice Yamaha receiver sitting at home. It was damaged during a lightning strike a few months ago and my Dad replaced it with a newer model. It is a pretty nice unit, so I guess my first recourse will be to try to fix this up. Hopefully it is just a small power supply issue that I can fix, but we will see. I would think a receiver would be the best option for me though, better than just an amp.


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## infinitesymphony

If you eventually want surround sound, a receiver might be a better way to go... Here's an option: if you have a receiver with preamplifier outputs, you can hook them up to much better power amplifiers. That way, you could have the fronts powered with a nice amp and the rest powered by the receiver's built-in amps.

 To revive your receiver, try a factory reset, which should be detailed in the manual. If that doesn't work, try replacing any blown fuses in the unit with identically-rated new ones.


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## zachary80

I ordered a pair of XLS (add $50 for shipping) and an Emotiva BPA1 last week because there are no speaker shops carrying my other choices around here and from what I've read online, the XLS/Emotiva is a a great budget combination. I won't be able to tell you how it sounds for another couple of weeks though


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## spacemanspliff

you will dig those. too bad the 805s price went up. still worth the $$.

 of course I got a pair for $150 and the matching sub for $120. That was shipped 

 LOL best deal ever.


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## sharkz

That is a great deal. I can't believe the shipping on those speakers is $50. That's just ridiculous. I can't believe it can cost that much. My dad just had a nearly 50lb Dayton sub shipped to our house in 3 days for free from parts express.

 My new biggest pet peeve is listing the price for one speaker. I keep finding nice speakers for what I think is an unbelievable price, only to find the price is per speaker. Just a major annoyance of mine, don't know if this bothers anyone else.


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## infinitesymphony

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *zachary80* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I ordered a pair of XLS (add $50 for shipping) and an Emotiva BPA1 last week because there are no speaker shops carrying my other choices around here and from what I've read online, the XLS/Emotiva is a a great budget combination. I won't be able to tell you how it sounds for another couple of weeks though_

 

I'm interested to hear your opinions of both when they arrive. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 $50 shipping does seem expensive for a 42 lb. shipping weight (and would have pushed the sale price over $200), but I've read that the speakers are well-packed and double-boxed, which significantly increases the size of their shipping container.


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## TheBends

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *infinitesymphony* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I'm interested to hear your opinions of both when they arrive. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 $50 shipping does seem expensive for a 42 lb. shipping weight (and would have pushed the sale price over $200), but I've read that the speakers are well-packed and double-boxed, which significantly increases the size of their shipping container._

 

Here's an extensive discussion at audioholics on av123's shipping policy and the quality of the good courier (not fedex or ups) that they use.

What $351, You have to be Shipping me!!!!! - Audioholics Home Theater Forums

 the guys over at audioholic love the av123 x-series and i think it's for good reason, they're quite impressive AND the bookshelves have a completely risk free trial where they even cover return shipping if you don't like them.


 NOTE: i just checked the site as of 6pm est and the price on the bookshelves is back up, i would suggest calling them to ask if you can get the older sale price... i also hear that the shipping quotes are slightly less if you call them up...


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## sharkz

Kind of disappointing that that price changed so much. The blacks are no longer on sale either, now only the woodgrain ones. I would be curious to see if they change again though, those prices seem to fluctuate a bit.


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## infinitesymphony

$219 is the usual price. The $165 speakers were without grills, so they were probably the last of those in stock, hence the clearance price.


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## TheBends

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *infinitesymphony* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_$219 is the usual price. The $165 speakers were without grills, so they were probably the last of those in stock, hence the clearance price._

 

it was $185 with grills on sale


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## infinitesymphony

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *TheBends* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_it was $185 with grills on sale_

 

Ah, that's right... Yeah, price changes are a little off-putting if there's no apparent reason. They stopped me from buying the TAD subwoofer when it was on sale.

 I agree with your suggestion to call and ask about getting the better price, since the speakers with grills weren't clearance items.


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## soloz2

well I just got a bunch of speakers from av123 a week ago today and couldn't be happier.

 I purchased 
 a pair of Reference 1 LE's for mains
 Reference 100 center
 Reference .5 for rears
 ULW 10 with the new 500w amp

 And I basically got a pair of X-LS free. I have to say that these are amazing speakers and better than the PSB Alpha B1, Paradigm Atom or mini monitor. They can compete with the PSB B25 and Paradigm Titan Monitor. I have not heard the TAD speakers, but they are basically a glorified single driver speaker since they don't use a crossover.

 I highly recommend the x-ls, they fit in your price range and sound great.


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## infinitesymphony

Geez, soloz, you must have gone on a buying spree. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 A complete AV123 7.1 system, eh? How do the X-LS speakers compare with the Reference 1 LEs, just out of curiosity?


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## sejarzo

A used pair of Epos ELS3's would be a decent option. Had a pair in a second system driven by a Cambridge 640C/NAD C320BEE and was pretty impressed--only sold it due to lack of use.


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## soloz2

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *infinitesymphony* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Geez, soloz, you must have gone on a buying spree. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 A complete AV123 7.1 system, eh? How do the X-LS speakers compare with the Reference 1 LEs, just out of curiosity?_

 

yeah, my wife kinda gave me a stern talking to about that one... lol.

 I also got a Marantz SR7001 and a Toshiba A2.


 Well the x-ls do not extend as high or low as the ref 1's. They are not as detailed and have a bit of a lower midbass hump before they start to roll off, but they have sweet mids and are very smooth and musical overall. The ref 1's are in another league, but then again they are priced $1k more as well.

 I do want to point out though that the x-ls is a fine speaker and the best I have heard at the price point. I would pit it against speakers costing 2-3x as much any day. It might not always win, but I am sure it will always win in the bang/buck category and it will best many speakers priced under $500. It's shortcomings are not readily apparent, but were moreso for me as I listened to my ref 1's then put the x-ls on the stand.


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## sharkz

These are all interesting solutions. I can't wait till I get home and am actually able to do something about this. First thing will be to try to get my receiver working again. I am heavily considering getting the reburbed SACD player from Sony for $60. If not, I have an old school, twin tray pioneer cd player which I am hoping will work ok. Guess I need to see though.


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## TheBends

On a slightly different note but still under $200.

Insignia® - 6-1/2" Bass-Reflex Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - NS-B2111

 i haven't heard these myself but there is no shortage of praise for these on various forums across the interweb. Probably don't compete with the Onix or Athena B1.2s even but for $50 (they're usually somewhere from 60-80) you can't go wrong and they're easily available for audition at all best buys.


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## sharkz

I have been looking into these actually. I have heard them a few times at best buy (hard to really get a good audition in there though). Sound great for the money, but I can't help but feel that stepping up to a decent brand (ie Paradigm, Monitor, Onix) would be a big difference in the end. Guess I will see though. I have tracked the price of these a while and this is the cheapest its been the past few months. However last year, these were selling for like $25-30.


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## bundee1

Do yourself a favor and get the Onix and not the Insignia. For $50 they are probably ok but as you upgrade your gear your going to be annoyed by their shortcomings. It looks you will need a new receiver and cd player and you will probably step up to something better than what you have now so buy a speaker you can build a system around.


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## TheBends

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *bundee1* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Do yourself a favor and get the Onix and not the Insignia. For $50 they are probably ok but as you upgrade your gear your going to be annoyed by their shortcomings. It looks you will need a new receiver and cd player and you will probably step up to something better than what you have now so buy a speaker you can build a system around._

 

You speak the truth. I personally got a pair of insignias just because i have store credit left over from when my old mp3 player died and everything except dvds/cds on sale and these are pretty much a rip off that i can get cheaper online than at best buy. That being said, if you can take the $50 hit and have a diy itch in you... i think i might be doing some cabinet reinforcement over christmas. 

 If $50 is serious, then stick with something better first. i myself am also getting a pair of xls over break so i'll be able to compare them


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## happyangryhappy

I completely agree with the previous posts. Having heard both, the insignias are nowhere near the onix's in terms of sound quality, imaging and ability to present a decent soundstage. 

 Zaph audio has an article about the insignias and modding them where he states: _"Here's a few bits of my opinion - For $50 per pair you can't get anything better. On the other hand, only spending $50 on your speakers is setting your sights pretty low."_ Article

 The x-ls's are a great little speaker and if you put them on a pair of stands and place them correctly in your room I think you will be quite happy.


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## afireinside

Quote:


 And I basically got a pair of X-LS free. I have to say that these are amazing speakers and better than the PSB Alpha B1, Paradigm Atom or mini monitor. They can compete with the PSB B25 and Paradigm Titan Monitor. 
 

:O

 I often see the Atoms suggested when someone asks for ~200-300 dollar speakers and I was beginning to think my pair of x-ls were inferior... Guess not!

 Have you seen the skiing ninja crossovers?

Skiing Ninja Systems - x-series upgrades

 I've been considering purchasing them.


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## spacemanspliff

oh yeah ninja's mods get great praise.


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## Brainyhead

There seems some pretty good reviews about GigaWorks T20 on Cnet and there less then $200.


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## jung

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *soloz2* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_And I basically got a pair of X-LS free. I have to say that these are amazing speakers and better than the PSB Alpha B1, Paradigm Atom or mini monitor. They can compete with the PSB B25 and Paradigm Titan Monitor._

 

I like KEF iQ3 better than PSB B25. I got iQ3 for $350 a pair new from a local dealer. So they are not much more expensive than x-ls plus shipping.

http://stereo.50webs.com/


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## panda

psb alpha b1
 i own the older alpha a/v model and use it in my home theater but they sound great for music also. they even scale well to better associated equipment.


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## walls

I also own some PSB speakers and I love them. I would look for either the Alpha B or the Image line bookshelf models.


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## soloz2

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *jung* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I like KEF iQ3 better than PSB B25. I got iQ3 for $350 a pair new from a local dealer. So they are not much more expensive than x-ls plus shipping.

http://stereo.50webs.com/_

 

I auditioned a pair of those and thought they had really nice highs but were a little bass light. I think they would give the x-ls much more of a run for the money than psb or paradigm, but the x-ls are still a better price/performance point.


 I know this is all personal preference, but I listened to a pair of the psb image t55's and I'd take the x-ls over them any day. The psb tower was a bit more extended in both highs and lows, but the x-ls is just as detailed and much more lively and engaging, all at less than half the price.


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## classicalguy

I have the Insignia speakers, and they are by far the worst speakers I own. I bought them real cheap when they were on sale a while back, but the praise is very overstated. They are pretty bad, and are clearly bested my many of my older bookshelves (Kef Chorale III, B&W 302, original NHT Superzeros). I do not recommend them. The other speakers in the discussion are significantly better.

 Now, how about the Celestion F15s? I have the big brother, the F20 floor standers (very LOW floor standers), but I'm impressed with both the look and the sound. The "dark apple" looks like an expensive speaker - nice fit and finish. It's got a killer good tweeter, and is well matched to an ample woofer. Here is a good review of the F15s here.

StereoTimes -- The Celestion F15 Loudspeaker

 Celestion is now owned by the same company that makes Quad and Wharfedale - designed in england and manufactured in china.

 Available shipped for $140/pair from Buy.Com.

Buy.com - Celestion F15 DARK APPLE 5.25'' 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Dark Apple) - F15 DARK APPLE

 Any opinions on these?

 Another thing: If you don't already have an amp, how about the audioengine speakers? I have not heard them, but they've gotten great reviews.


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