I know if I were a dealer I would stick to my guns and sell them for retail. If I were a consumer (wait a minute, I am!) I would see if that were a universal practice.

Regarding building my own speakers, my time is probably worth too much to me. If I weren't as busy, I would probably tackle it. Of course you're always busy when you're building a house.

In searching for anything on Triad speakers, I came across this forum and thread. I could use a little help with a speaker decision. I was all set to just round out my B&W 603's and center with B&W onwall dipole surrounds, and a sub. Then my CI suggested that I get Triads. Specifically, he suggested InRoom Bronze LCR and Bronze OnWall surounds, and the Silver sub. InWalls are not an option here.

Anyway, as a customer, the problem is hearing the suggested Triads and comparing them to other popular speakers, including the B&W's I mentioned. Fortunately, he did temporarily hook up three Bronze LCR InWalls so that I could listen to them. But that's not the same as A/B'ing them with other speakers. I tried swapping the center speaker cable back and forth from the Triad to the B&W CC60 during Road to Perdition, and asking my son and wife which was better. They seemed to think the Triad was better. Sitting smack dab next to the speakers, it was hard for me to really judge accurately. And there was no way to easily set things up to switch back and forth at will, like they can in stores.

From reading this forum, my guess is that you would rate the Triads as superior to most other simliarly priced speakers from retail outlets (like B&W)? And do you feel that the Silver InRooms are perhaps a little better than the Bronze? Or do they just handle higher volume levels? The sales guy at Triad seemed to think the Silvers were perhaps a better choice for my room (13.5 x 17.5), although he admitted the Bronzes would be okay. My CI doesn't understand his comment about the Silvers. But if there is enough reason to bump up, I'm fine with that. If I did bump up the fronts, I hope I could still use Bronze surrounds.

Sorry to ramble on. It's just hard to spend a lot on something that you really can't compare. And I haven't found a ton of Triad reviews out there either, especially for the Bronze.

Thanks for any help.

JD

Buy the B&W. You'll love them. (Just the opinion of a dealer of both, although admittedly very little Triad)

Good luck finding someone who both stocks and displays both brands...

JMHO,

Norm

Thanks Norm. I looked more closely at my B&W center and it's actually a CC6, not 60. That makes sense since the current 60 and 600 were not around back when I got the speakers. I'll have to check the specs and see if the old CC6 perhaps didn't have as high a frequency response as current models. Or hopefully, B&W has improved the centers a great deal. There was something about the Triad that seemed brighter and more open. The L&R's were different but both sounded good. It's just that center speaker. Would you recommend the CC600?

Jon

Jonny boy

A few things to keep in mind. All 3 front speakers should be by the same manufacturer and of the same series to have similar tone and timber.

As for A/B of both. Your room will have a significant impact on the overall quality of output.

Both would be an awesome setup especially if setup with decent electronics. Don't be to quick to dismiss the in wall Triads. They have the same drivers AND cabinet of their on wall brothers. I'm doing a room for myself, VERY similar to yours 17.5x 15.25 and am probably doing inwall silver fronts and inwall bronze surrounds. All powered by Audio Control Diva/Maestro/Savoy. It's a killer setup.

As for your CI guy, he's steering you in the right direction. If the budget allows go for the silvers or platinums in the front but don't skimp on the electronics. Either way, your going to end up with an awesome room.

It's the LCR600S3, and yes, I would always recommend it over the 60 or 6. Remember that the CC is often doing the heavy lifting by home theater, and if you are just watching TV, 90% of the sound is coming from it. Don't skimp - you'll be happier in the long run.

Thanks OEX. I agree, he's got my best interest in mind. The inwalls aren't an option for the most part because my wife is against it. Although I also like the idea of being able to move them to other locations if and when it becomes necessary, and not having to deal with wall repairs. From what I read, both the inwalls and inrooms should sound similar.

Jon