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Need help with buying decision-mains

I'm working to build a decent home theater system without breaking the bank. 80% of the use of the speakers will be home theater and 20% will be divided among classical (mainly symphonic stuff with a lot of "full sound") and older jazz recordings. My current setup is:

Denon AVR-3801 Receiver
Yamaha CD Player CDC-91
Harman Kardon HKTS-12 Speakers (boxed 5.1 set) (I know this is probably an affront to everyone here)
Panasonic DVD Player

The receiver is decent and I'm hoping to upgrade the speakers in stages. I'm thinking of mains and a center channel to start with that I could use alone for music and in the system for surround.

I've listened to and/or read a ton of reviews on the followings: Axiom M60ti; Paradigm Monitor 7v2; NHT 2.3; PSB Mini; Magnepan MMG. I love the sound of the Maggies, but, my room has a ton of different angles and I think I'd smother them. Also, I'd like something with a little more umph for the HT.

Budget is around $1100 for fronts and center channel. I'll definitely consider used. My long range plan is to upgrade all of the speakers to a decent 7.1 system and then move to separates and better CD/DVD players.

Any help is appreciated. I'm, obviously, new at this.
twinpackdaddy

Showing 1 response by sbank

sbank's avatar
sbank
3,381 posts
 
check out the Onyx Rockets on av123.com. I bought them as a downgrade from Aerials that cost $10k, and I couldn't be more pleased. If you buy a package they discount significantly. It makes little sense to buy these used, since the packages make up most of the difference vs used prices on individual pairs or center.
This company offers great value for $, the products look & feel like they cost 3x their price. They only sell direct, but customers volunteer to do home demos(without compensation).
Sonically, they are dynamic, but balanced slightly to the warm side; not a bad thing w/most lower-priced receivers and HT use. Many DVDs are "tipped up", resulting in bright sound on lots of lower-priced gear.
Sounds like a perfect fit for your needs.

Cheers, Spencer
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