2.1 Home Audio Setup...In Need of your suggestions!!!

[Slutpuppy]

I'm looking for something to put in my apartment that is simple and sounds great but won't break the bank. I am currently looking at the Bose Cinimate Series 2 but figure theres probably a less hyped system out there that sounds just as good if not better. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

[RewdOne]

I use a pair of the A2 Audioengine speakers in a small living room and they work fine. $200, powered, decent bass response that won't annoy your neighbors if you share walls. Low powered (30W) but they don't sound weak nor harsh. The way they're packed for shipping led me to believe the company really believes in them. Every cable you need is included. (Not exceptional cables but good enough.)

Otherwise, JBL's little bookshelf speakers (like the Northridge E series) have always impressed me. They aren't very colorful so I see them as a great way of checking mixes too. I got those at Best Buy ages ago for like $100 each and they're on a really old Pioneer amp (good wire though) at my mom's house.

The Bose stuff always feels impressive at first but gets old and fatiguing pretty quick. I just don't like Bose. Sorry.

[Gohanto]

Originally Posted by Slutpuppy

I'm looking for something to put in my apartment that is simple and sounds great but won't break the bank. I am currently looking at the Bose Cinimate Series 2 but figure theres probably a less hyped system out there that sounds just as good if not better. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

"Sounds great" and "won't break the bank" are both highly subjective. If you state a budget, you can get suggestions for the best speakers in that price range.

And there's a saying about Bose "No highs, no lows, must be Bose". They refuse to release speaker frequency response data, and they spend more money on advertising than all the other speaker manufacturers put together (instead of, you know, designing better speakers instead). The end result is that everyone thinks Bose is the best because of all that ads. Not true by a long shot. Nearly any other company on the planet will give better bang for your buck. (And this is also why you'll never see Bose gear reviewed in pro audio magazines. No pro would ever buy from them)
Here's a fun review: http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html

[Slutpuppy]

Sorry for not stating my price range before. I am looking for something in the $300 to $500 range. I know this isn't much. I guess instead of asking it to sound "great", I should just ask what sounds "great for the money you pay". Again, I don't won't the full 5.1 setup since my living room is ackward and would be a waste of the speakers. I like what Bose did with there all in one 2.1 package and was hoping to find something like it. Intresting article by the way..def makes me think twice about going after a Bose system. Thanks!

[Gohanto]

Couple things for that price range.

Honestly I think you'll get the most for your $$$ going 2.0 and skipping a sub. Good main speakers can hit bass pretty well for most people, and I think the advantages of a sub start to kick in once you're spending $500 on the sub by itself. Here are two suggestions....

Denon D-M37 CD/AM/FM micro system at Crutchfield.com
Onkyo CS-V720 XM Ready bookshelf audio/video system at Crutchfield.com

In an odd room, I'd stay away from sound bars as they're designed to bounce sound off the walls, but if your room isn't 100% rectangular it doesn't work too well imho.

If you don't mind floor speakers....
Polk Audio TSi300 Single floor-standing speaker at Crutchfield.com

Other bookshelf speakers with good bass response...
https://svsound.com/products-spks-scs01.cfm
Polk Audio TSi200 Bookshelf speakers at Crutchfield.com

Receivers
Sony STR-DH100 Stereo receiver at Crutchfield.com
Onkyo TX-8255 Stereo receiver at Crutchfield.com

[Slutpuppy]

thanks a million man!! Im checking them out now..