Wall mounted speakers

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freitasm

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Topic # 11859 15-Feb-2007 12:44

Because of the baby at home we bought a Sony Bravia LCD TV... The plan is to put it on the wall, replacing our old widescreen CRT TV (80KGs!), taking things off of the floor.

But I can't find good wall mounted speakers! I am actually looking for a speaker set with a decent but not large centre option. I found a Polk Audio set for about $1300, and then another one for $2000 (surround and centre). The $1300 one needs to be ordered into the country, since the last set was sold a week ago.

I can't find any other decent, small, good looking wall mounted speaker set in Wellington! Sound Expression and Absolute Audio are not of much help. Perhaps Bose (which is likely to be over the $2000 for a speaker set)?

Any other ideas where to get something decent?

By the way, I have floor stand Polk Audio speakers, soon to be going on auction...

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BDFL - Memuneh
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Reply # 60880 15-Feb-2007 12:50

Actually I am just looking on-line at Bose and the New Zealand prices are not bad... Better than Absolute Audio trying to charge an incredible margin on Polk Audio...

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cyril7

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Reply # 60881 15-Feb-2007 13:01

The only issue with Bose is the sound quality. You should not have to search long and far to find reviews and reports that both subjectively and technically find major flaws with small Bose speakers. Many other manufacturers produce superiour speakers without such issues. Bit short on time to advise, but may find time latter today.

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Reply # 60882 15-Feb-2007 13:17

cyril7: The only issue with Bose is the sound quality. You should not have to search long and far to find reviews and reports that both subjectively and technically find major flaws with small Bose speakers.

"No highs, no lows, must be Bose."

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Reply # 60887 15-Feb-2007 13:46

Absolute Audio used to have some speakers that were little sphere's but for hte life of me I cannot remember the name.

Also there's a guy out in the Hutt (WT Audio) that sells AAD speakers - http://www.fixya.com/support/p3400-aad_e_30_main_stereo_speaker

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Reply # 60890 15-Feb-2007 13:52

I bought some Mission wall-mounted speakers a few years ago which were great. I think I got them from Active Audio in Newmarket but it's a long time ago so can't be sure.

Bose Lifestyle have all the slick marketing but as Alasta says, the audio quality of some of their products leaves a lot to be desired. Mind you, the design of any wall speaker is a big compromise so it is difficult.

Some of the flash houses I've seen lately have gone for "IN-WALL" speakers i.e. you cut a big hole in your wall and I guess put some courtelle in behind it as an acoustic dampener. That idea wouldn't appeal to everybody though...

JAMMAN2110

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Reply # 60892 15-Feb-2007 14:00

My Creative T7700 Speakers sound fantastic and you can stick them on the wall with standard picture hooks, use the desk stands provided or get floor stands. I use them with the picture hook and two blobs of bluetac to stop them moving at loud volume levels. Fantastic sound. 7.1 speakers for $250.. Made for the PC but you can also get a cable that connects the speakers directly to your home theater system.

freitasm

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Reply # 60897 15-Feb-2007 14:14

Thanks guys. I know about the Bose fame, from years ago when I bought my first stereo DD/DTS system... Absolute Audio is charging a lot for the Polk Audio ones, but they are the best looking. And the guys is not clear on about the stands, which are clearly part of the set in the official website, but he doesn't know if it comes or not on the set they have here. Useless.

I will call another place (the one in the Capital Gateway) to see if they have anything.

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Reply # 60904 15-Feb-2007 14:39

The guys at Soundline are usually great as long as they think you intend buying something as they don't sell any "low end" stuff. When I've dealt with them they've been very knowledgable and helpful. The guys at Sound Expression are usually fairly helpful but seem to do a lot of referring to catalogues etc. for information on product. Please don't touch Bose speakers for the reasons expressed above, they're horrendously overpriced for what you get. Most smaller bookshelf-type speakers should have provision for wall-mounting, my old Energy e:XL bookshelfs have optional wall mounting brackets although they're probably a bit larger than you'd be wanting. Little pod-style speakers ala the Bose lifestyles are pretty much always going to suffer from lack of great fidelity at any sort of useful volume merely due to the limited size & there isn't a great deal you can do about it unless you start going really high-end. It might end up being a case of settling for form over function if aesthetics are an issue. Talk to the soundline guys though, they should have some good ideas. Bose stuff is fine if you like listening to Sarah McLachlan and the like, but too limited if you like using them for movies.

freitasm

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Reply # 60906 15-Feb-2007 14:47

No muisic here - it's movie business! Yes, Soundline. That's the name. I will go there today.

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Reply # 60909 15-Feb-2007 15:00

Try the Real Music Company too. 9 Marion St

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Reply # 60913 15-Feb-2007 15:37

Yep go to Soundline, the B&W Lesure monitors have always seemed pretty good stuff in that market range, cannot comment on price, but these are things you only upgrade every decade or so, so within reason you must take that into account when purchasing speakers. Beyond that have you concidered in wall or in ceiling speakers. There are quite a few options on that one, however they do require a little more constructive disturbance before you get any results

As with all smaller speakers you will need a sub to handle the <80Hz region.

Also check out;

ImageAudio

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Reply # 60915 15-Feb-2007 15:55

Psycik were the spheres you were thinking of these? http://www.orbaudio.com/

Not sure where if anywhere that have them in NZ though.

freitasm

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Reply # 60926 15-Feb-2007 17:51

I have now been to Sound Expression, Absolute Audio, Soundline and The Real Music Company. In terms of features, cost and return I am tending to go for the Polk Audio set from Absolute Audio. It's also the cheaper one at $2000.

I just have to clear with them why they can't find the mount pieces when the Polk Audio (see my links in a previous reply) site clearly says it's part of the set... I will go there tomorrow (16 Feb) to check.

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Reply # 60928 15-Feb-2007 17:59

Eastern HiFi are the agents for Polk Audio in the middle to upper North Island and they don't charge as much as $2000 for ANY of the Polk Audio Home Theatre series:

Search Results

Your search returned 6 products. Displaying 1 to 6...

Polk Audio CSi 3 $499

Polk Audio FXi 3 $899

Polk Audio LSi C $1,499

Polk Audio Monitor CS1 $399

Polk Audio RM6750 $1,399

Polk Audio M-Series $1,696

Maybe I'm not comparing apples with apples here but it would be worth checking out especially as I noticed that you will be in Auckland next week.

I hope that will save you some money Mauricio. $2000 sounds like an awful lot to pay for Home Theatre speakers.

freitasm

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Reply # 60929 15-Feb-2007 17:59

Just so do you know what I am replacing:

Polk Audio R40 (left, right)
Polk Audio CS175i (center)
Polk Audio R10 (surround left, surround right)

Shame to see these going...

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