Showtime Collection Leather Motion Home Theater Chair Recliner Review

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(More customer reviews)I was dubious about these seats, but after a couple of years, they are still going strong. Note that the other review here doesn't appear to be about the Coaster Showtime seats. These have no speakers, etc.
The look of these is a little cleaner and more contemporary than lots of what is out there in this price range (mostly overstuffed Berkline stuff). The only things I might want are:
1) a power recline option. The manual action works great but only offers three positions. A power recline option would mean many more positions. Some guests have a little struggle getting up out of the reclined position, but that is more of a learning curve than a fault of the manual recline. Still, power recline would help them. One star off for this.
2) Sort of related to above: When fully reclined, I find I need a small pillow under my head to see the TV. That is, either I want to recline not quite fully OR, better, I need a headrest that juts out more or can be adjusted to help aim my head a little better. A second star off for this.
That said, the recline action is not bad, the support is firm and comfortable, the price is competitive, the build is decent (including the wear and the upholstery).

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Showtime Collection Leather Motion Home Theater Chair Recliner This is a brand new leather motion home theater recliner from the Showtime Collection. This comfortable style theater recliner offers cup holders in each arm, perfect for any "Showtime". For all seating areas and areas that user comes in contact with when using the sofa is all genuine top grain leather. The sides and the back of the sofa are made with Vinyl. Dimensions Measure: 39"L 39"W 41"H. Available in black and taupe finished. Because this item is over-sized and/or heavy, your order will be curbsided delivery only (no inside delivery). Ship out within 0-2 business days. Lowest prices guarantee.

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Logitech Z680 5.1 Computer Speakers (5-Speaker, Silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have wanted to go digital for long time. My Logitech Z-5300 was an amazing set of speakers, however its lack of digital inputs/outputs isolated its potential to the home PC. Finally, the price of the Logitech Z-680 dropped to an affordable price.
I sold my Z-5300s to another student in my dorm, and purchased the Z-680 from Amazon.com. Amazingly, I received the set within 2 business days via UPS Ground. Needless to say, I am immensely satisfied with Amazon.com.
Thankfully, I had recently purchased a Philips DVP642 player as well, and after reading that the video coaxial RCA cable was the same as the digital audio coaxial, I was all set and ready to go.
So far, I have tested the DVDs Matrix: Revolutions and Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King. I was amazed by the quality of the sound. However, I agreed with the other reviewers that the bass was a bit boomy, especially in Matrix Revolutions. This can be easily remedied by lowering the level of the subwoofer.
When playing my DivX encoded AC3 movies, I saw that changing to Dolby Movie Mode 2 was almost the same as having true Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. It did an excellent job of separating the audio tracks among the voice, music, and sound effects.
Edit 9/25/04: Please read my latest update which explains the difference between Dolby Prologic Decoding and Dolby Digital 5.1. Knowledge is Power!
I have yet to hook my Z-680s to my home PC, but there was very little hiss while my set was hooked up to my DVD player. The hiss was certainly not loud enough to warrant annoyance or disturbance.
Update 9/06/04:
I hooked the system up to my PC via coaxial s/pdif. There is no hiss at all. However, when using the analog connections, there was a very noticeable hiss. I could even hear it 3-4 feet away, which became very irritating.
Trust me, if you buy the Z-680s, do yourself a favor and use the coaxial connection. You won't regret it. I have decided to leave the Z-680s as my personal home theatre system as opposed to hooking them up to my PC.
Last note: the Philips DVP642 is the perfect complement to the Logitech Z-680s. You cannot go wrong with them. Having the two items has been a blast.
Update 9/16/04:
Still loving the Z-680s. I have it hooked up to my suitemate's Xbox, TV, and the Philips DVP 642. Since the Xbox and TV both use analog inputs, I used the handy RCA to 1/8 converter included with the Z-680s. I also purchased a 1/8 splitter. I am considering purchasing the Xbox Advanced AV Pack to utilize the optical connection on the Z-680.
Warning: the subwoofer has become ridiculous...after breaking in the speakers for two weeks, normal levels of bass not only shake my whole 5th floor, but the 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th floors-no kidding! Surprisingly, the 4th and 6th floors received the most impact--those vibrations go a loooong way! Remember, if you buy this unit, keep the bass at 20%, unless you are watching Star Wars...then pump it up!
Update 9/25/04:
There have been claims that Logitech has been falsely advertising their product as having true Dolby Digital 5.1 when allegedly, they only had Dolby Prologic II decoding.
Now, there is a big difference between the two. The Dolby Prologic decoding technology has been around for a looooong time; I can remember it since 1991 when my family purchased our first home audio set. Dolby Prologic takes stereo channels and converts them into a surround sound environment--to good effect, but nonetheless hardly comparable to true Dolby Digital 5.1, a more recent technology which directs its sound with far greater accuracy to all six channels, frequency, clear separation of effects and dialog, and clarity than Dolby Prologic.
I too, became a concerned consumer after hearing these rumors on forums and consumer reviews on Newegg and here on Amazon. My product box did not dictate clearly whether it had one decoder or the other or both, so I decided to call a Logitech technician. Thankfully, the the Z-680s came equipped with the ability to decode both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Prologic II.
So when you are playing a DVD you should see "Dolby Digital" appear on the LCD screen of the Digital SoundTouch Control Center. The Dolby Music/Movie Mode that you see when you are playing mp3s or watching a DivX movie is the Dolby Prologic II decoder at work and works very well to its credit.
In a side note, screw Dolby Digital and stick to DTS, the other digital surround sound option the Logitech Z-680 offers, when playing DVDs if the option is available. I have had a greater experience with DTS 5.1 decoding with the Z-680s in the 10 movies I have watched in comparison to Dolby Digital 5.1. DTS makes great use of the surround sound even in movies such as Zoolander [which otherwise makes very little directional use of the rear speakers]. Even my five suitemates agree that DTS has a richer, fuller sound and because of the variety of DVDs we watch during the weekends, it is difficult to say that we are influenced by placebo. There IS a difference :-).
New Setup:
Analog Input - from T.V. & Playstation 2 with stereo splitter
Optical Digital Input - from Xbox
Coaxial Digital Input- from Philips DVP642 DVD Player
Update 10/05/04:
Here is a brief comparison between Dolby Pro-Logic II and Dolby Digital 5.1 using two selected movies:
Dolby Movie Mode with DivX encoded movie Man on Fire:
Voice/Dialogue - mostly center channel with slight residual sound from front left/right speakers.
Music/Score - Evenly divided among front and rear left/right speakers
Sound Effects - Non-directional, evenly distributed. During the gun fight scene when the girl is kidnapped, Pro-Logic II simulates a surround sound effect of gun-fire, making it multi-directional.
Dolby Digital 5.1 for Man on Fire DVD collector's edition:
Voice/Dialogue - Isolated to center channel
Music/Score - Directional music: fades from front to rear speakers or vice versa, varying from scene to scene.
Sound Effects - Directional. Isolated use of rear speakers from rear left to rear right when cars drive by. During the gun scene mentioned above, distinct sounds of bullets "whizzed by" from front right to rear left speakers.
Dolby Movie Mode with DivX encoded movie Star Wars Phantom Menace:
Voice/Dialogue - mostly center channel with slight residual sound from front left/right speakers.
Music/Score - Evenly divided among front and rear left/right speakers
Sound Effects - Non-directional, evenly distributed. Surround sound lightsaber effects can be overpowering as a "large hum" especially with the Z-680's powerful subwoofer.
Dolby Digital 5.1 for Star Wars Phantom Menace DVD:
Voice/Dialogue - Isolated to center channel except in large rooms, echoes can be heard in surround speakers.
Music/Score - Directional music: fades from front to rear speakers and vice versa varying in scenes.
Sound Effects - Directional. Spaceship travel from rear left to front right. Close-up light saber swings begin from rear left and travel to front left, front right, and ends with the rear right speaker.
Update 10-24-05:
OMG! I finally got AC3 to work-but I don't know how! Well, I was playing the Casshern DVD back-up encoded with XVID and AC3. I didn't expect the AC3 to work, so I set the audio effect to Movie Mode. However, I suddenly was hearing discrete audio from my surround sound channels. Bewildered, I went up and listened closely to the center channel, and then the front left channel. Hmmm, either I was having a really good Prologic decode or this was playing in Dolby Digital! I glanced at my control pod and I couldn't believe my eyes--it stated it was decoding in Dolby Digital! Wow! Now I am going to check on all of my AC3 encodes...this is too cool.

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The Logitech Z-680 gives you THX-certified theater-quality digital sound. Both optical and coaxial inputs provide for simple connection to nearly any audio appliance, and with the digital SoundTouch control center and the wireless remote, you can sit back, stretch out, and let loose.
The bass pumps through the Z-680’s 188-watt subwoofer. Four 62-watt satellites and a 69-watt center channel provide crystal-clear midrange and highs.
The Z-680 includes built-in Dolby Digital and DTS hardware decoding. Connect the Z-680 directly to a PC sound card, Xbox, PlayStation2, DVD player, satellite receiver, or other Dolby-ready source and get true surround sound. You can also get 5.1 surround sound from a stereo input through the advanced Dolby Pro Logic II system. You can also connect up to four audio sources simultaneously, while accessing each one at the touch of a button.

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Logitech Z Cinéma Advanced Surround Sound System--2.1 Speakers Review

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(More customer reviews)Logitech Z Cinéma Advanced Surround Sound System--2.1 Speakers
Logitech's Z Cinema Advanced speaker system is an incredibly designed high performance product. I own several Logitech speaker products, as well as others by Creative Creative GigaWorks T20 2.0 Speakers, Altec Lansing Altec Lansing FX5051 5.1 powered speaker system with USB connection, Klipsch Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified Computer Speaker System (Black), Harmon Kardon Harmon Kardon SoundStick II 3 Piece Speaker System, and others. I can honestly say, this is a very impressive unit that is well designed for its task. If you have a media center PC setup, this set will make you very happy. Not only is the speaker system ridiculously powerful, the included software is a huge improvement over previous Logitech entries. The included remote rounds out the system and puts virtually all your audio and video applications at your fingertips.
This speaker system will fill a key market niche. The integrated satellite speaker and subwoofer design has more components than meet the eye. Each one-piece satellite speaker has an integrated mid-woofer and tweeter. So these are much more than traditional 2.1 bookshelf speakers. And when you position the speakers as directed and turn on the software surround sound, the sound quality coming out of these approach that of 5.1 systems.
Pros
+ Control your media center PC with a great all-in-one solution and awesome remote
+ Great performing speakers with a ridiculous 35 watts of RMS power per channel, 180 total RMS output
+ Beautiful black and silver speaker and body design
+ Two tweeters and mid-woofers deliver surprisingly crisp sound with or without surround
+ 110 watt subwoofer is simply monstrous and easily fills large rooms with good acoustics
+ Awesome included remote with media center controls and great features
+ Nice integrated support for apps like iTunes, WinAMP, RealPlayer, Yahoo Jukebox, Pandora and Picasa
+ Remote can be configured to work with any multimedia app or to launch a different media player
+ Very sturdy cables and housing are designed to last a long time
+ Power converter integrated into subwoofer so you can connect with a regular power cable
+ Good looking orange back-lit volume and surround indicators on the right speaker
+ Very nice price point for fully integrated media center speaker system and controls
+ USB cable connection is clean and easy - requires on-board port connection
+ Included standard ports for headphones and auxiliary connections (3.5 mm)
+ Simple instructions and plug and play performance for basic use
+ Very modest hardware, hard-drive space and memory requirements for Logitech software
+ True 24 bit digital audio
+ hardware warranty
Cons
- Perhaps overly sleek minimal design could have been improved with physical power and volume controls
- Very heavy system requires extreme caution and should be installed with care and help if needed
- No simple volume controls on the remote, instead included in adjustment wheel
- Would have been ideal to include a few more ports, such as HDMI and S-Video, on the subwoofer
- Satellite speaker cables, while very thick, could have been longer for more configuration options
- No real expandability of the system is apparent; no obvious ports for other satellites or devices
- Many people still demand RF remote capability, this one is only IR
- Those who don't need the remote for Media Center PCs may opt for 5.1 systems at this price
Installation
Installing this guy is simple based upon the included quick start guide. What's cool is that even before the Logitech software is installed, once you make your connections and turn it on it's automatically recognized as a regular speaker system. You don't need Windows Media Center for this to work as a speaker system. This is awesome, and amazingly a lot of the Media Center buttons still work too.
But just note that in order to really take advantage of this guy you will want a Media Center capable PC, with either XP MCE Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2B for System Builders, Vista Premium Windows Vista Home Premium with SP1 or Vista Ultimate Windows Vista Ultimate with SP1 installed.
Installing the Logitech software allows you to have desktop control of the speaker settings, including enabling surround sound. It also allows you to see the options to toggle between the different media applications, including iTunes and WMP among others. You can change settings and really get some control over your MC PC.
Physically installing this guy can be a challenge. First of all, this is a very heavy unit, mainly because of so many integrated components built into the subwoofer body. This is probably a sign of good construction, but handle with care.
The satellite speaker cables are long but could have been longer. The included diagrams give you the impression this was really well thought out for desktop or workstation installs. However, if you have a component center or cabinet for your stuff, you need to be patient and creative to get this set up.
The speaker cables could have definitely been longer to accommodate more setup possibilities. However, in terms of durability and shielding, these are some of the thickest strongest cables I've had come with a speaker system.
The subwoofer body has a silver rimmed front-piece that is not flush with the body housing. It's not a huge deal, but you have to kind of set it up either with the front piece hanging off your component shelf or rested up at an angle. Perhaps this was intentional based upon the lower configuration location noted in the included diagrams.
Sound
The power level output of these speakers is sick, to say the least. Some will be hung up on the "simulated" surround sound feature, a gimmick that has been tried before. Still, even though I was initially unsatisfied, I learned that if you set these up in the right acoustical setting it does perform well. There are two possible setups. For the basic workstation setup where you are literally seated at your media center PC, it works awesome. For those, who like me, want to set this up at an entertainment center, you have to center the system in a somewhat square room with unobstructed walls. Then you can get the surround sound feature to properly bounce in your room.
The total RMS power of 180 watts includes a 110 watts RMS Subwoofer with each satellite speaker producing 35 watts of RMS output via the mid-woofer and tweeter pair. That means your total power output is something like 400 watts, which is really in AV power range.
But the sound is clean. The built in amplifier is well tuned for multimedia sound applications, including gaming. If you have a good on-board sound processor, you should be fine. If you experience any sound effects, definitely take a closer look at your hardware and setup.
Some may feel that you can only get surround sound out of 5.1 Logitech Z-5500 THX-Certified 505-Watt 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System or 7.1 Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 Surround Sound Speaker System systems. Still, I prefer 2.1 system with high quality components over 5.1 systems with small and disappointing satellites. There's a lot of nice 5.1 systems out there, don't get me wrong. I own several. Still, this system sounds better than a lot of those. Definitely have to test drive it to hear the difference.
Features
The power adapter is nicely integrated into the subwoofer, so you power up via a standard plug, no power bricks so many people hate. The speakers have right and left noted on the bottom. The right speaker comes to life when you turn it on with the remote. It has a nice orange read out that shows when it's on, the volume level and surround sound setting. The right speaker also includes jacks for headphones and auxiliary connections.
I really wished they would have also added physical volume and power control buttons and knobs. That way, when I want to hook up one of my MP3 players, I wouldn't need the remote to turn it on.
The Logitech software is actually vastly improved for them. I've not always liked some of the integrated software in the past, but this one was a huge improvement. The only minor negative I can give it is that it is automatically included in the startup folder even if you install the software with the option of not turning on at startup. So you have to manually remove it from your startup if you don't want it on all the time, a minor inconvenience.
The remote is the nicest part of this set functionally. For those with Universal remotes, you may wonder why you need this. This remote allows you to access your multimedia apps seamlessly. You can set up 4 presets, though it's less than intuitive.
You've also got some basic navigational buttons that allow you to go back to your previous app. There are included buttons for shuffle and repeat plays, and...Read more›

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Onkyo HTS894 5.1 Channel Complete Home Theater System w/ Single Disc DVD Review

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(More customer reviews)I just received my HT-S894 a couple of days ago and have spent quite a bit of time setting it up and reading through the manuals that came with it. The system looks good, sounds great, and comes at a nice price, especially if you shop around (I wish I'd known that refurbished models were available about a week ago... Their price is quite surprising).
Now for the stuff I wish someone had told me... Not that the info would have necessarily stopped me from buying the HT-S894, but I think others will find these details important. If you connect the receiver to your TV with component cables, then anything connected to the receiver through HDMI will not display any picture. This is verified in the manual. Stranger yet, if you hook the receiver to your TV with HDMI, then anything connected through component cables will not show a picture on the TV. On top of that, the receiver's on-screen menu will not display on your TV through the HDMI output. Very irritating, considering HDMI was one of the selling points that convinced me to choose this system. I can't even use it now, because I want to be able to use the setup menu and have more devices that use component outputs than HDMI outputs. It's really a shame that I have to choose between using HDMI or component connections. Some may want to note that the receiver uses HDMI v1.1.
Movies sound great out of the box, and music sounds just as nice with some tweaking. I prefer to turn down most of the channels by about "3" or "4" and crank the LFE (subwoofer) up by "8" to get the punchy sound that I like. With default settings, the sub seemed almost ignored. I've yet to figure out how to save the adjusted channel settings. They keep getting reset when I turn off the unit.
One very pleasant surprise was that the included DVD player handles DivX files. I've tested out quite a few files that all played fine, except for some high-definition movie rips that are over 2GB, meaning they're burned with the UDF file system (if I remember correctly), which is not supported by the player. Otherwise, TV shows and standard-definition rips work nicely.
While it sounds like I'm not extremely happy with this system, I really do like it enough to hold on to it and just ordered two pairs of Sanus EF-SATB speaker stands for the front & rear speakers [...]

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Onkyo 5.1 HDMI HTIB w/ Single Disc Dvd HTS894

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Mirage Prestige S8 - Subwoofer - 200 Watt Review

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(More customer reviews)Mirage makes one of the best speakers for home theater and this subwoofer is not the exception, and with the recent reduce price ($249.88), it's a must buy.
It has 200 watts of continuous power and 800 watts of dynamic peak power, this subwoofer is made for larger rooms so for small or midsize rooms it will shake your house. If you look at others subwoofers with the same specs you will find that they cost over $500, so this subwoofer at this price it's a bargain.
If you want a great subwoofer for the best price, buy this one, you won't regret it!

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The elegantly crafted Mirage Prestige S8 subwoofer manages to bring powerful and undistorted bass response to your music and movies by utilizing advanced technologies that are typically found in more expensive designs. Engineered to be a great bottom-end complement to our OMNISAT v2 and NANOSAT Prestige home theater systems as well as select speakers within our OM Design series, the S8 is a bass-reflex design with a single rear-firing port. The S8 employs a robust 8-inch front-firing fiberglass composite driver with patented Ribbed Elliptical Surround(TM). This proprietary design eliminates any surround dimpling, enabling the subwoofer to play lower with greater output and fidelity. A high-performance BASH(R) amplifier allows this hard-hitter to generate 200 watts of continuous power and 800 watts of dynamic peak power. It also features low level and stereo high level inputs and has an 18dB/octave variable low-pass filter that is continuously adjustable from 40Hz to 120Hz. A fully variable phase control from -180 to +180 facilitates the ideal acoustical integration of the S8 subwoofer with other speakers in a Mirage home theater system. Available in a high gloss black lacquer finish with a black cloth grille, the S8 offers a clean, modern design that easily integrates into any living environment. Acoustically decoupling spike feet and rubber bumpers are included with each model to provide stability and minimize resonance on any floor surface.

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Creative SBS 5.1 560 Surround Sound Speaker System Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought these speakers a few years ago, when they were a new product...they worked fine, for a while, but when I began having a static crackling in my speakers I went to the web site for drivers. I was told that the product had reached "the end of its service life"! That's funny, I thought, they still reporduce noise?!? Shouldn't I be the one that determines when I consider a product I've purched obsolete?

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CREATIVE LABS (51MF4005AA001) Creative SBS 5.1 560-PC multimedia home theater speaker system-5.1-42 Watt (tota

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Bose 901 Direct/Reflecting Speaker System - Walnut Review

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(More customer reviews)I owned a pair of 901s in the early 80s, they are excellent speakers in term of dynamics and their ability to fill a room with sound. Back then I used Phase Linear equipment to drive them. Phase Linear was designed by Bob Carver and were considered entry level high end at the time. Paired up with the 901s they produce some of my best memories of music. As I grew older and purchased a home with an open floor plan their limitations started to become more apparent. These speakers use reflected sound waves to produce a wide sound stage and excellent imaging, in an open area this effect is loss and you experience what others have called no highs or lows. The equalizer can compensate for some of this but not entirely. My advice is to carefully consider where you will use these speakers and if they fit the environment they can sound spectacular. They are not everyones cup of tea but they just may be yours.

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The introduction of the revolutionary Bose 901 speakers in 1968 redefined the phrase high fidelity. For the first time, a speaker was capable of reproducing music with much of the impact, clarity and spaciousness of a live performance. Today's 901 speakers incorporate some 350 enhancements over the acclaimed original. 901 speakers work by reflecting most of the sound off walls and other flat surfaces, instead of aiming all the sound toward you, as conventional speakers do. With Direct/Reflecting speaker technology, anything you listen tofrom the latest DVD audio to your favorite vintage recordsacquires lifelike realism, because the speakers reproduce the natural concert hall balance of direct and reflected sound. The result is what we call Stereo Everywhere speaker performancestereo performance that is clear and lifelike everywhere in the room, instead of in just one "sweet spot." You'll experience balanced sound throughout the listening environment, no matter where you sit or stand. Just as you enjoy beautiful music reproduction from these speakers, you can also experience thrilling home theater effects from your home theater components. These speakers are an appropriate choice for use with your surround sound receiver, and can be used in conjunction with other Bose home theater speaker options.

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Cerwin Vega VE-5C Center Channel Speaker Review

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(More customer reviews)You have the big front/lefts, you have the big 15" subwoofer that rattles the street, you have the 25 different surrounds all mounted on your wall, you have the 1000watt+ HT receiver tuned just perfectly. You think you got it all figured out... until you skimp on the center channel. Now your left scratching your head wondering why the voices are low, action scenes are insanely blaring, and theres just an overall unevenness in all your movies.
If you find yourself turning up the movie/show during dialog and then turning it down during action, It's time to get a real center, dump the satellite speakers that pretends it can accurately reproduce movie soundtrack and voice dialog, most of them fail.
Insert 70 dollar Cerwin Vega ve-5c. This speaker brought out the sounds in movies I knew were getting drowned out by the incompetence of a satellite speaker. Although the center doesn't handle bass, for giggles I set it to large and watched some intense action scenes from star trek/transformers/saving private ryan, and the amount of clean, snappy bass that this 1 speaker produced was quite impressive. It has great excursion and can seriously move some air when cranked up.
Oh yeah, thats another thing - this baby is loud, but thats a Cerwin Vega trademark. While some audiophiles always ding Cerwin Vega for being "too loud/bassy" I find this to be perfect because it allows more flexibility in tuning. This speaker eats up anything you throw at it at beyond deafening sound levels, and it does it with authority. I would really recommend this center for the price... 70 dollars is nothing, and you get outstanding value.

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Cerwin Vega VE-5C Center Channel Speaker VE-5C Component Speakers

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Antec Soundscience Rockus 2.1 Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently bought a 27in iMAC and was not satisfied with the speakers that came with the monitor. I intend to use my desktop monitor to watch movies in my bedroom and wanted a more powerful sound system. I was looking for something within the 150-200 range and was deciding between the Bose Companion 3, Harmon Kardon Soundsticks, and the soundscience Rockus. Bose is obviously a known brand, however, it's a bit expensive and I really didn't want to spend that much on speakers. The Harmon Kardon sounsticks are beautiful but these speakers have been on the market for quite some time and I wanted a newer technology. What initially drew me to the Rockus is the chrome finish on the speakers which looks great in my room. After reading about the 3D sound technology, I couldn't wait to test these speakers out. And it does not disappoint, the sound is crisp and despite what some reviews may say, I thought the bass was pretty powerful. I turned them up and walked out of my building and still heard the thumping from the bass. Loved the 3Dsst technology, it really brings action movies to live and enhances the movie watching experience. I've also connected these speakers to the tv in my living and it sounded great as well. You can also easily hook this up to your ipod, iphone, ipad, and other mp3 players. I switched it to music mode and it sounded 100 times better than my speakers on the iMAC.
Overall, the speakers look and sound superb! You cant really go wrong with these, I recommend this to anyone.

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soundscience rockus 3D|2.1 speaker system is the best way to experience all your game and movie sound in 3D. Utilizing our proprietary 3Dsst audio technology, the rockus 3D|2.1 speaker system creates realistic, immersive 3D soundscapes for your movies and games. Switch rockus into music mode and you\'ll hear audio optimized for superb stereo sound reproduction.soundscience puts 3D cinematic sound and high-fidelity music in its place: your room.

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Altec Lansing VS3251 5.1 Gaming & Music Surround Speaker System Review

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(More customer reviews)Edit/just wanted to add: This item is somehow not eligible for Amazon Prime, even though it's direct from Amazon! Since the option for 1-Day via 1-click was available, I clicked it... Shipping cost way more than the speakers did! Not sure why it's excluded, since I've bought an over-the-range Microwave and a Lawn mower from Amazon, and have gotten them overnighted for just $3.99 each...These speakers are great! I had an Altec Lansing m604 dock/speaker thing for my Zune and, while it sounds ok, I was looking for "fuller" sound. I tried, for a few days, the Bose Sounddock - the $399 version, since that's the only one with an aux input - and it truly disappointed.
Then I saw this set... I bought this along with a Zune Dock, and it sounds great, is super easy to use, and the remote, in my opinion, is both easy to use and full featured. I especially like that I can adjust the bass, center, surround, and everything else with the remote, that way, I can hide the main unit and forget about it! The batteries the remote came with were junk, which could be why the other reviewer had no range with his remote. I especially like that the "eye" for the remote is detached from the subwoofer/main unit...so that way I can put each component in an optimum location.
Obviously, the sound quality isn't going to rival a $1,000+ setup, but for passive type listening (i.e. when you're not sitting there waiting to hear every breath the artist takes and every time his/her shoelace drags across the floor), gaming, and movies, it's not bad! Do take note that for surround sound with movies/games, your computer will have to have discrete outputs for the rear, front, center, and subwoofer. With an MP3 player plugged into the aux jack, I'm really happy with how well it "assigns" sound to the front and rear speakers.
What I ended up doing was putting one speaker on each wall of my bedroom, and the center speaker directly above the middle of my bed. It's amazing how much easier it is to relax and fall asleep with music all around you! So...in conclusion, GET THIS! Cheapest price out of anywhere I've seen...by far. Also, it blows the socks off of the Bose Sounddock, for 1/8th of the price! I could literally buy a plane ticket out to the Altec Lansing HQ, pick up my VS3251, and fly back, for less than the cost of a Bose Sounddock!

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6 piece music and gaming speaker system - Surround Sound with wireless remote

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Acoustech H-100 Cinema Series 500-Watt Front-Firing Subwoofer, High-Gloss Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I was very hesitant to buy this speaker but I had just lost my old one and money was very tight, so I did'nt have much of a choice. I researched it at Bic's web page and every audio page that I could come up with. I did'nt read one negitive thing about it. The only thing I could say that may turn someone away, would be that this is a sub for a normal,(small to medium) size room.
The encloser, grill and speaker all look very high quality, very nice fit and finish.
The sound that comes out is quite good, of course your placment will change the sound to your own tastes.
I have it set up to about one half volume and to the parameters of my receiver, it fills my room with full rich bass and responds beautifully to movies, I turn it down for music because I don't really like my music with bass as the focus.
Mike from Canada


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Listeners who want to treat themselves to the best in home theater sound need look no further than the Acoustech H-100 front-firing subwoofer, which reproduces powerful, room-filling bass. Featuring 150 watts of continuous power output (500 watts peak) and a 12-inch, front-firing, long-throw woofer, the H-100 makes movies sound explosive and gives music a deep, full-bodied appeal--all without causing unwanted boominess or distortion. The subwoofer delivers a wide frequency response of 24 to 200 Hz, along with a max acoustic output of 115 dB SPL (sound pressure level). It performs particularly well when teamed with Acoustech's other home theater speakers, which are customized to match the subwoofer's output.
A further bonus stems from the sub's striking rear-vented cabinet, which is outfitted with a high-gloss black finish (think piano surface) on the top and bottom. The finish adds extra flair to the sub's design, as does the copper color of the woofer (revealed when you remove the grille).
The H-100 measures 15 by 17 by 18.25 inches (W x H x D) and weighs approximately 42 pounds. It's also covered by a two-year warranty on parts and labor.
What's in the Box H-100 subwoofer, user's manual.

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Phoenix Gold ATi6 6.5-Inch In-Wall Speakers, White (Pair) Review

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(More customer reviews)Yes, these are not audiophile grade speakers. However, I can drink $2 Chuck and Insignia (Phelps) and appreciate them for what they are. These speakers installed easily and are clean and attractive on my walls. The pointable tweeter is a nice touch as I can aim them toward my ears on my couch. Most of the sound coming from them when watching movies/tv is appropriate for the quality of the speakers. I no longer have to wonder where the wires will run or the speaker stands will go for my surround speakers, its all in the wall. Buy 'em, you won't regret it.

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Save space without sacrificing sound quality with this pair of Phoenix Gold ATi6 in-wall speakers. Each two-way speaker is equipped with a 6.5-inch polypropylene cone woofer for the low and mid-range frequencies and a 1-inch pivoting tweeter that handles the highs. The upshot is a high-performance speaker with a wide frequency response of 40 Hz to 20 kHz. More importantly, the speakers are designed to flush mount within the walls of your living room, bedroom, or kitchen, where they'll reproduce your favorite music or movie soundtracks while taking up a single inch of shelf or floor space. Each ATi6 even includes a paintable grille, so you can alter the speakers' appearance to match your wall or furniture colors.
Further enhancing the sound quality are the swivel tweeters, which users can angle toward the main listening area for the best possible directional sound. The swivel tweeters remove the stigma of many in-wall speakers, which otherwise limit your listening options by emitting the high frequencies in one direction only, where they can easily get lost amidst the room's acoustics. Add in the tweeters' treated ferro-fluid-cooled voice coils, which extend the highs and minimize distortion, and you'll enjoy crisp, intense audio that fills up the room.
Additional features include a moisture-resistant housing (appropriate for hot tub enclosures and other traditionally "wet" indoor locations), a power handling capacity of 200 watts, and Butyl rubber surrounds for durability. Each speaker requires a mounting cutout of 7.62 by 10.81 inches (W x H) at a depth of 3.38 inches.
What's in the Box Two ATi6 in-wall speakers, mounting template, user's manual.

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MartinLogan Motion 12 Floorstanding Speaker (Black Ash, each) Review

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(More customer reviews)The first impression of these speakers came as I unpacked them. The packaging is excellent as it should be to provide the proper protection. So, no surprise, they were delivered in perfect condition. These speakers are beautiful to look at and come with very classy baffles that connect magnetically to hid the speaker cones. Connecting them was very easy since they come with high quality connections that make it easy to make solidly connect with a variety of different kinds of wire connectors.
These speakers really deliver whether you are listening to Rock and Roll or classical music. My listing choices ranged from ELP's first album to Debussy's La Mer. Both kinds of music, even though wildly different, sounded great. You get the necessary powerful crunch needed to appreciate rock music, and when listening to classical music they very nicely reproduce subtle musical nuances required to fully appreciate the piece. They work very well for watching television or movies. My wife and I found the clarity to be excellent and made understanding vocals, and thus following conversations, easy.
I tested these speakers 3 different ways.
First, I tested them alone as a stereo pair. They seemed to disappear and the sound seems to come from the back wall. This is a great illusion that is a mark of high quality speakers! If you get out of the center sweet spot, the illusion dissipates somewhat but they still sound very good nevertheless. They were lacking a bit in the very lowest bass. For that reason, I would recommend coupling them with a nice sub-woofer for reproduction of frequencies below 60hz. This would probably only be noticeable with certain kinds of music played at fairly high volume levels.
Next, I tested them using a sub-woofer. This really helped get that powerful feeling that comes when these lower frequencies come into play. My subwoofer allows setting the frequency where it takes over and so I chose the 60hz. This worked great and I found that it was basically transparent as far as telling where the sound was coming from - which is a very good thing!
Finally, I tested them along with a center speaker and rear surrounds. All of my speakers were from the same manufacturer and were also of very high quality. When you get all of your speakers from the same vendor in the same speaker family, the good ones are matched with regard to the tone; or overall sound. As a result, properly setup, they can sound almost like a single large speaker that envelopes you. Replacing the two front speakers with these lost that illusion some, but in my opinion, still managed to improve the overall sound quality! The sound seems more accurate, crisp, and powerful! I love it!
That said, from this point on, since the main way I listen to my audio/video system is via a 5.1 surround setup, my remaining comments will be based on that listening experience.
It is very important to understand that the sound that is eventually delivered to your ears is not totally dependent on the speakers themselves. Equally important is the placement of the speakers and the acoustics of the room in which you are doing your listening. Working within the confines and shape of my living room, I placed the speakers 10 inches from the back wall and 7.5 feet apart from each other. My flooring is wood laminate so I didn't use the MiniETC spikes (which are a very nice touch if you are installing on carpet) that were included; instead I chose to use the pre-installed rubber feet. I have absolutely no doubt that these speakers could sound even better of I had different room size and acoustics to work with.
For my listening tests I chose some of my favorite pieces of music and those that I consider to be of the highest quality. Using high a high quality source is extremely important for testing speaker quality. The reason is that if you are testing $5000 speakers using an mp3 recorded at a bit rate of 128kbs, you may as well be listening to a pair of $500 speakers, The more expensive may sound slightly better, but the source itself would limit what the speakers are capable of producing. So, for starters, I have long considered "Emerson, Lake, & Palmer's" first album to be a great way to test any kind of audio gear; partly because of my familiarity with it, and because it is sonically spectacular. I found the experience to be spectacular. In my younger days, I owned Bose 901's, and have always considered them to be the best stereo speakers I have ever heard. These sounded as good and in my humble opinion, that is really saying a lot! Listening is a joy! In all fairness however, the Bose were all by themselves as a speaker pair and I'm listening to these as part of a 5.1 surround system. I can tell you that the sound is definitely an improvement over my previous main speakers. I really wanted to blast these up to ear-shattering levels, but alas, I share walls with 2 neighbors... For a short time however, I did approach that volume and it sounded sweeeeet!
Next up, I chose to listen to an SACD by "Porcupine Tree" titled "In Absentia". This sounded fantastic using my previous speakers. So good in fact that I found it hard to believe it could sound any better but - wow - the Martin Logan's sound even better - amazing.! The power and clarity is almost overwhelming. By the way, I can't recommend this album any more highly. It is one of my favorites in my entire collection.
For one of my classical music listening tests, I chose a piece by Debussy called "La Mer" that was recorded in DTS Surround. Again, I found these speakers to be quite excellent! I could easily hear all kinds of subtleties and make out the individual instruments. Shutting my eyes, I could easily imagine being seated at a live performance. It doesn't get much better than that. Other pieces I listened to were very convincing at reproducing the nuances of the violin and piano.
Not forgetting that an important part of today's home theater system is watching movies and television, I also checked out a few movies and again found that these speakers really deliver. For example, I put in a DVD of "The War of the Worlds" starring Tom Cruise. I jumped to the part where the lightning strikes start happening (close to the beginning of the movie) and was wowed by the awesome power and clarity. Continuing to watch the next 10 minutes of the movie it just sounded great. In fact, everything I've listened to on these sound great. They can definitely deliver crunch and power but still allow voices to be easily heard and understood.
My wife was skeptical about their size but she too has decided she loves these speakers. In most ways she was perfectly happy with our previous setup but what really impressed her the most was how much easier it is to understand dialogs when watching a movie. While she agrees that listening to music sounds even better, that's what really makes her the most happy.
I have listened to other, lesser quality, speakers in the past and find that after an hour or two, I experience what has been called listening fatigue. I think this is because your brain has to work harder to process less than perfect sound. That is clearly not the case with these. I was still immensely enjoying these even after having them on for several hours.
Overall, the words that come to mind to describe the sound these speakers produce are: powerful, controlled, accurate, crisp, tight, solid... For the money, one would be hard pressed to find speakers as good as these. These speakers are well worth considering for anyone who really cares about getting the best sound in the under $3000 price range.

Click Here to see more reviews about: MartinLogan Motion 12 Floorstanding Speaker (Black Ash, each)

Inspired by MartinLogan's ultra-high-end electrostatic loudspeakers, the Motion Series was created to provide stunning sound for your ultimate-performance home theater or stereo. MartinLogan's dedicated in-house engineers carefully crafted the Motion Series to create an extremely affordable and compact product line that seamlessly blends our exquisite Folded Motion transducers with powerful, compact bass technology. The result is a smooth, refined sound with stunning dynamic range and jaw-dropping clarity. The Folded Motion Tweeter works by moving air (which creates sound) perpendicular to the folded ridges of the diaphragm, similar to how an accordion works. This extremely low mass diaphragm "squeezes" air and requires almost 90% less excursion than the typical 1" dome tweeter, which drastically minimizes distortion while providing a lightning fast response time. The increased surface area also provides a wide, yet controlled sound dispersion to create a realistic and carefully etched sound stage. Convenient push-style speaker terminals and curved inserts help guide speaker wire effortlessly into place. The rubber end caps on the terminal are also removable for the use of banana plugs instead of bare wire. So simple, you'll actually enjoy hooking up these speakers.

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KEF KHT5005IISATBL Speaker System (Set of 5, Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are reading this you likely know how wonderful KEF speakers sound, but if you don't know, they are among the finest personal use speakers around. And that isn't just my random opinion, it is pretty much fact. Because most audio lovers will already know how amazing these are, I will offer the review and advice I just gave my best friend when he was in the market for speakers.
Another fact is that you should purchase speakers for your main purpose. Much like if you have kids you should be looking at minivans, not sports cars as your main vehicle. That doesn't mean you can't still have the sporty red two door, but it shouldn't be your main car. Speakers work the same way--you should select them by first deciding what you main use will be.
For personal use that normal breaks it down into listening to music or watching tv/movies/playing games. These two types speak to what type of speakers you should focus on. Normally music people should look at a really nice pair of American made 3 way speakers which are normally pretty good sized. The result is a nice warm sound that "rocks".
Whereas the second type--TV/Movies/Games do better with more speakers to better build the sound field and create a surround experience. Because we don't have a ton of space, the speakers typically are smaller with a separate sub-woofer helping replace the larger speakers. This allows you to save money, space and to allow you to fill your world with separate "locations" of sound. It is key that all the speakers be from the same manufacturer and the same quality and range (which comes with the same size of speaker). The result is balanced and highly detailed sound.
Now that we have covered that, let us assume you are looking at these because you fall into that second category. One point for me to bring up is that a sub-woofer is designed to replace the largest speaker to cover the low frequencies (the bass). They are not designed to cover the mid-range frequencies (normally voices--both in music and in TV/Movies), but when you get a tiny speaker surround system, you are forcing the mid-range into the sub-woofer and the tiny tweeters (designed only for high-frequencies). This is way the Bose Acoustimass and their more expensive Lifestyle systems are poorly reviewed by anyone who knows what audio should sound like. Bose does wonderful demos that focus on the highs and the lows and allow most people to not realize what is missing.
As you can imagine, voices are VERY important across the board no matter what you are listening to so keep that in mind if you are considering 1-way plus sub-woofer based systems. One quick way of figuring out whether you are looking at 1-way or 2-way satellite speakers is simply to look at the size of the speakers. True 2-way speakers can not be tiny because the mid-range requires a slightly larger speaker.
So we have decided you need a 2-way satellite plus sub-woofer based system so what is next? Should you go with an intergraded system that includes the dvd player, receiver, etc? These are commonly known as a home theater in a box or HTIB for short. The short answer is almost always no. These packages focus on "value" but rarely deliver quality in the speaker department. The speakers are normally decent to down right poor and the other components are almost weaker compared to the stand alone units.
Past that I normally recommend buyers choose a brand to focus on and see what they get at the different price points. KEF is a European designed brand which means they are a little more tight and detailed in sound quality than their US designed competitors. That is exactly what you want in this category. While I think KEF makes amazing speakers across their entire product line, their "Home Theater" speakers really stand out for me because of this detail. The fact that these speakers have cast aluminum cabinets means the sound has a solid base to stabilize itself so you get to enjoy exactly what is produced. That helps create the clarity of these satellite speakers that allows you to here tiny details you might not have heard before, like a breath behind you or soft footsteps to your right. It is that clarity that makes you feel apart of whatever you are using them for--whether it be playing an Playstation 3 game or watching Band of Brothers.
This hauntingly good sound is why KEF has been the number 1 Home Theater speaker in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years straight. You don't hear much about them for two reasons. One they would rather spend their money making better speakers instead of advertising and they aren't sold at many US retailers. Now why is that? Because they don't have the profit for the stores that American designed speakers do and once you compare KEF to others, you would realize it isn't a fair fight. That is why you will find most Best Buy Home Theater Mangers have non-best buy speakers even with their very generous discount.
These KEF 5000 Series speakers are small and compact, but not tiny which allows for a nice full mid-range to come out of every speaker. The fact that you are effectively getting 5 of the exact same speaker means the sound field will be level and you won't have to attempt to adjust it using your receiver controls. They come with built in wall mounts that all you need to do is un-screw the hinge in the back of the speaker, revert it and screw it back in and you are ready to go. Nothing else to buy and you don't have to worry about the mounts breaking or damaging the speakers like other 3rd party mounts can. Buying these speakers separately would cost $1,750 here on Amazon.On Amazon only you can buy these KEF 5000 Series speakers with or without the designer sub-woofer. Everywhere else forces you to buy the set with the sub-woofer or purchase the speakers separately which gets expensive. This might seem minor, but KEF isn't known for amazing sub-woofers and yet with this set elsewhere, you are paying full list for the sub-woofer. Below I have linked this 5 satellite plus KEF sub set on Amazon. KEF KHT5005.2 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System (Black)
Since Amazon normally doesn't allow a lot of prices, I will simply say that if you purchase the set without the sub-woofer (B002KKCS0S, which is what you are looking at right now) you can either save money and go with a cheaper JBL sub-woofer that still has more range and power than the KEF one or you can pick up the mack daddy of them all Velodyne which still saves you money over the all KEF packaged set.
To compare the KEF sub-woofer to the Velodyne, I looked at wattage, sound quality, woofer size and frequency range.
Wattage: KEF 250 watts, JBL 400 watts, Velodyne 750 watts RMS
Woofer Size: KEF 10 inches, JBL 12 inches, Velodyne 15 inches.
Frequency Response: KEF 30-150Hz, JBL 25-150Hz, Velodyne is 14-240hz
Now after reading all of that, realize the sub-woofer with the smallest woofer, the least amount of power and the least amount of range is the most expensive...only because it is prettier than the other two. Now the interesting point to note is that the sub-woofer can be somewhat hidden as it doesn't need to be out in the open to be part of the show so you are spending money to get a lot less sub just so it will look better should someone happen to notice it. Now I can tell you everyone you have over will notice if you have that Velodyne instead because of the range and quality of sound which is why it is so highly rated.
Here is the JBL JBL ES250PBK 400-Watt High-Powered 12-Inch Subwoofer - Black and here is the Velodyne Velodyne DEQ-15R 15-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Black)
Having sold home theater equipment for many years I have been able to experience hundreds of different home theater systems/setups. This set of satellites combined with the JBL (to reduce costs) or the Velodyne would crush even much more expensive systems. The sound is balanced, clear and impressive. They show you can have quality without spending a huge amount. I always tell customers and family to spend more on speakers because if you get quality ones it is common to have them 15+ years and these fit into that category. Over time they will not only not please you every time you use them, they will save you money of cheaper speakers or "packages" like HTIB that you will upgrade at least a few times. If you want a 6.1 or 7.1 setup simply grab the extra speakers from Amazon at this link. KEF HTS5001.2BL Satellite Speaker (Single, Gloss Black)
These speakers are the cheapest I currently own, yet they are my favorites. (Can you tell I am a fan of them?) While you can pay more to get them elsewhere or in the normal bundle, like I have explained, I would grab this set without the fancy looking sub-woofer so you can pick your own for less. Make sure to come back here and review these if you purchase them so other people understand just how great they are.

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5 -satellite system featuring a dedicated centre channel and four 3-way satellites with high output aluminum 3-Inch Uni-Q drivers and twin long throw 3' mid-bass drivers, cast aluminum cabinets with integrated foot sand / wall mount, fine high gloss black finish

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BOSE 301-V Stereo Loudspeakers (Pair) - Cherry Review

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(More customer reviews)The reviewer below identifying himself as "An Electronics Fan" obviously has a deep bias against Bose. His multiple reviews about Bose products--here and elsewhere--are transparently motivated by some animus against Bose. Was he fired by Bose? Did a member of the Bose family reject his romantic advances? Did a Bose executive accidentally run over his cat? Did he drop a Bose speaker on his foot and hurt his toe? The true motivation for this guy's negative reviews would be fun to know. In the meantime, what we do know is that he has no credibility, and his reviews (two here, others elsewhere for other Bose products; he's made maligning Bose his life's work, apparently)) should disregarded.
I bought a set of black 301's several years ago to go with my Onkyo receiver. We have it hooked up to a television and DVD player for movies. These speakers are in constant use both for the DVD and for music of all types. The room in which they are placed is huge, with an 18 foot-high flat ceiling. The speakers saturate the room with exquisite sound day after day. The speakers work fine for spoken audio for DVD's; we can hear dialogue perfectly; I feel no particular need for a surround-sound system. Several times my young daughters have turned on the 100 watt amp with the volume turned all the way up or close thereto. I feared a ruptured speaker cone, but the 301's are very forgiving, no damage has been done. The cats sleep on the speakers; they clean right up and still look new after five years. These speakers keep on giving total satisfaction, and I quite simply love them.
About three years ago I decided to go all out in another room and bought the highest quality stereo stuff on the market, or at least what I determined to be best after a lot of research. This included a set of the gold-series tower speakers from Monitor Audio. (The speaker cones are metallic, with some amount of gold, and gold connections, etc., etc.) These Monitor Audios have to be the best looking speakers ever made (real wood veneer cabinetry, with the gold cones and the black covers, etc.). These speakers cost well over a thousand dollars each. Well, I must confess, as awesome as the Monitor Audios sound, I can't really say they sound any better than the Bose 301's!!! They can maybe handle more power, but I assure you the Bose 301's will play loud enough to bring the cops to your doorstep in five minutes or less.
So, when I recently set up my third stereo in a bedroom, I looked forward to buying a third type of speakers. I ran around and listened to what I could find on display. Well, after much contemplation, I went for a second set of the Bose 301's!!! They just couldn't be beat, and I would have gladly spent more if I had found something I liked better. But I'm not going to spend more just so I can say I spent a lot...there has to be increased performance. And, in my opinion, the 301's couldn't be out-performed by any other bookshelf speaker of any price range.
My first set of 301's were black. This time I went for the cherry. Folks, these are absolutely beautiful speakers: almost as cool looking as my Monitor Audios. The black cover and the black housing fixture in the back really accentuate the cherry colored wood. No, it is not real wood, but it looks very nice. These things are simply gorgeous. The kind of "mod" or futuristic shape which Bose has designed really stands out in this lighter-colored version. And, yes, they sound just as good as my original pair. I listen to soft music (jazz, typically, or ambient) in the morning and these speakers deliver all the nuances at very low volume; I listen to hard rock at high volume on other occasions, and the 301's don't scare away or distort at all: these things would tear the house apart before they'd lose sound quality.
So, yes, I recommend these highly. They'd still be the speaker of choice for me at three or four times the price.

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The 301-V series speakers employ the renowned Bose magic, in the form of Direct/Reflecting speaker technology. These versatile bookshelf speakers bring a lifelike spaciousness to movies and music. The combination of direct and reflective sound mimic a live performance, whether it's cinema or concert.
The speakers stand alone, mightily, but they also work well with a center channel speaker (the Bose VCS-10) to recreate a true cinema experience. Stereo targeting tweeters, a rear-firing tweeter, spatial dispersion lens and an 8" woofer fill a room with sound without filling it with cabinetry.
Automatic protection circuitry prevents drivers from being overdriven and provides increased reliability.
For its class, the 301 Direct/Reflecting system sounds much bigger than its price suggests.

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Polk Audio TSi200 Bookshelf Speakers (Pair, Cherry) Review

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(More customer reviews)Hard to believe these are "bookshelf" speakers., February 12, 2009
By Dr John Ficarro "Dr John" (Hollywood, SC USA) - See all my reviews
I decided to upgrade from my $400 range Pioneer home theater 5.1 package. At the moment I have a Yamaha RX-V663 receiver and a pair of cherry TSi 200s. With just these two speakers, the listening experience far exceeds what you here from the typical $300-$600 complete home theater packages you would typically find at Best Buy or Costco. Although I have the rest of my sytem on order, I could be happy if I only had these speakers. If you are a music lover, these will keep you happy.
That said, I should point out that my taste in music leans toward all things acoustic. Listening to a range of music from bluegrass to string quartets to full symphony, these have great clarity and you can hear every instrumen. Drum sounds are tight and even without a subwoffer, the mid-range / bass sounds really good. And vocals (think Nora Jones, Alison Krauss, or the gravelly voice of Dave Von Ronk), are handled with ease.
And if you like the look of speakers with the grille removed, get the cherry. It certainly looks like real wood veneer and the construction just oozes a look of quality.
The sky is the limit with speakers, but at $300 for the pair, these will make your ears as happy as speakers costing a lot more. These have very clear treble, I didn't notice any boominess in the midrange, and bass response was nice and tight. Based on these speakers, I expect that movies with effects should be amazing when the rest of the speakers arrive.


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The Polk Audio TSi200 bookshelf speaker is the best performing bookshelf speaker in the TSi series; great for use where high quality audio is needed. The dual 5.25-inch mid-bass produce rich and warm sounding making your music and movies sound their best. The new TSi Series is a quality-built, affordable line of high performance loudspeakers for music and home theater. The TSi Series boasts a stylish look that complements today\'s flat screen technology, with wood grain finishes, piano black top plates and pewter trim rings. Built for value and sound quality, the TSi Series is a great introduction to high performance sound.

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Logitech Z 5500 Digital - 5.1-channel PC multimedia home theater speaker system - 505 Watt (total) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this originally for my computer setup to listen to my music, play games in surround sound, as well as watch DVD's in full 5.1 surround sound. The sub on this system is UNBELIEVABLE!!! This system is so good I've transferred it to my TV and use it as a home theater system and I plan on buying a second system for the computer. This is as loud as you will ever need out of a system. The loudest I've taken it is maybe 60-70% power and TRUST ME that was loud as all hell and shook all the glassware in my kitchen upstairs. Unless you have your own house and got this system in the basement you will never set it louder or even that loud without the cops coming to your door.
I have never said this about any electronic purchase I've done, but for the first time ever I've found a product that I will NEVER have to replace or upgrade. This system serves ALL my movie, game, and music needs. I am happy with this purchase for the rest of my life and I am quite the audiophile. I will only buy another speaker system if this one breaks, and I would replace it with the same system. That's saying a lot as there is pretty much no electronic device out there that you can say you'll never have to upgrade to a better one.
This set comes with a control box that has all the volume controls and inputs. From here you control the volume individually to the center, surround, and sub speakers. It has a direct line in (Front, center, surround, and sub) as well as a digital line in and even a optical. I have the direct and the digital lines used. For DVD's I switch over to digital input and the control box does the audio decoding itself in THX surround sound. I've found that this produces the best quality sound and is much better than using the software decoder on your computer. Just set the computer as "pass-thru" no decoding.
For music for some reason I've found that it works better as a direct connection. Maybe this has something to do with the audio card decoding and processing the music. It just seems fuller, louder, and generally clearer in direct connect with music. Also you can set it at direct, stereo, stereo x 2 (uses front and rear speakers) this stereo X2 is my personal favorite for music. It also has a Dolby Prologic Movie and Music setting. I never use the Music setting, it's useless in my mind, it tries to process the music into 5.1 sound and that just doesn't fly.
The Pro Logic Movie setting I've never used until just recently (I've had these speakers for 2-3 years.) I never saw the benefit of the Pro Logic movie setting as I just watched the DVD in the control box's THX setting. I did however recently find he use for the Pro logic movie setting. If you are watching a move that has been downloaded off the internet and only has the Stereo audio then the Pro Logic actually does a pretty good Job at turning it into 5.1 surround. I watched a few movies using this setting and it did an amazing job and turning the audio into surround. Not sure how it can do this, but give it a try on video with only a stereo track and it does a great job. I discovered this by accident watching "Imax Magnificent Desolation" a DVD about the Apollo moon landings and for some reason I had it on Pro Logic Movie. When the spacecraft was landing on the moon it kicked up a bunch of dust and I got startled for a minute because I heard the dust and sound coming from behind me. The system was able to accurately surround sound this event. I watched it again in regular stereo mode and I was astonished at how well the PL made it surround. I cannot watch any video now without the PL Movie setting (unless it's a DVD with authentic 5.1 sound).
So to conclude this system rocks, it's as loud as you'll ever need it and is very multipurpose. Yes I know there will be people saying that this system sucks when it comes to a home theater setup and that you need to buy a $2000 home theater speaker set up. Well perhaps these $2000 systems are better, but I've compared this to those and honestly my ear can barely tell any difference at all, and when you look at the price difference then it's a no brainer to get this system. Oh yeah and the Sub is Huge and gives you all the bass you can handle and then some. I know having a great Sub and bass is what makes a system and to a point this is true as the sub is what makes you "feel" the music and this sub definitely kicks you. I have it about 3 feet away from me and it vibrates my pants when it's set on a pleasant "Metallica" volume '


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Logitech has taken its award-winning Z-680 speaker system and made it even better. How? By improving everything from the subwoofer to the satellites and adding new innovations like real-time digital sound equalization.The result is the Logitech Z-5500 Digital, a THX-certified, 505-watt 5.1 surround sound speaker system that offers everything you could possibly want... and some things you didn't even know you needed. And once you plug in your PC, DVD or music player, or video game console, you'll never want to listen to anything else.

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