I got a Yamaha HTR-5650 HT receiver. The receiver it replaced was a RCA STAV-3870 ( 5.1). For the RCA I had Sony 12" 3-way mains with dual Sony 4" centers(front and rear center) and sony 2-way 4"W with 1.5"T bookshelfs for the surround. For the RCA the sound was decent but nothing to brag about. I hooked up the Yamaha to the same speakers and pretty much realized that with a good receiver I can no longer get away with crappy speakers. Yes the Yamaha sounded much better but when I heard the later model at FRYs yesterday which has all of the same features as my 5650, I knew that something is missing.. SPEAKERS ARE MISSING!!! I know that Sony isn't the best and if I want better sound I may have to spend some money. The big question for me is, what matches up well with Yamaha? I think I want to buy a good set of surround speakers for it but also get some good mains for music as well. My question for those that either have Yamaha or just know, what is a good match for this receiver without having to spend a huge amount of cash for? I have been looking at some JBLs, BOSE, and infinity speakers but when I go to a place and hear them it is usually on a different receiver. What matches up well with the Yamahas? what is the best bang for the buck. I could skimp a little on the surround speakers and put up a little more for the *MAINS* but I want to stick with something better than "OK". I am looking to buy a complete 6.1 set of speakers and a good set of mains as well. Most bang for the buck. I do not want to spend $2k on speakers.

Thanks for looking..

-Z

Z-

I bought a set of JBL's for my Yamaha 5650, and they sound great. I'm not a big Bose fan. I think they sound tinny for the price (just my opinion, not Bose bashing). Good option if you don't have the space for a set of big surround speakers. To showcase the sound of my system to friends, I pop in the Last of the Mohicans DVD. The opening musical score with the credits running is unbelievable.

I don't remember the exact model #'s (I can check at home if you'd like), but I got 2 large standing 3-way speakers for the front, a 3-way center channel, 2-way speakers for the back, and a 10 inch sub. If I was going to use a rear channel, I'd get a JBL 2 way center.

I know some people recommend using the same speakers all around for surround sound, but I also wanted large fronts for music.

Let me know if you need any more info.

Joe

whats the budget? you said not 2k but how about 1900 or 1000 or what. dont be so vague and youll get decent feedback

I wasn't trying to seem *vague*, I am simply looking for information. I was curious to know what matched up well with the Yamaha receivers. I heard from another source that BOSE and KLIPSCH don't seem to go well with Yamaha even though they make good speakers. I heard that JBL and top of line infinity sound really good. Im not that educated in the matter as you can see from my initial post, I had an RCA with Sony speakers before I bought this Yamaha. Obviously a good receiver with crappy speakers is a bad combination. Since you asked about my budget, all I can say is I am unsure at this point. I know I won't fork out $2k for speakers but I could very well spend up to $1k or even more. What I really want is to have a good surround system so that when I watch movies I get a better experience. I also enjoy music very much and want to be able to have quality sound. I think that music sounds like crap when the receiver is on any setting other than 6-channel stereo. The surround modes just don't do it for music in my opinion. I could also fork at some extra $$$ initially for the surround speakers and then wait a month to buy good mains. I just want to know what the Yamahas like. Especially from those that have them. Thanks for your reply..

JOE,

I am interested in some of the JBL setups I have seen. I need to do some more searching on the matter too. Also, are the Yamaha speakers any good? I have seen some 6.1 Yamahas for pretty cheap which makes me question the quality of the speakers.


Thanks
-Z

check out the def tech 100.5 Pro Cinema System MSRP $1,000 mated with a ProSub80 MSRP$350. Will smoke the harsh Klipsh or the BLOSE. Should work for an average size room.

[Link: definitivetech.com]

Talk to Wally at Underwood HiFi . . .a couple of months ago he was clearing out some AAD E Series speakers for a great price (my son bought a pair of towers for under $400) . . . these are some of the best sounding and well reviewed speakers in the $1000 range (their normal price). Wally is available thru his website . . .www.underwoodhifi.com. . . .
You might also want to check-out Audiogon (and Videogon) . . . . there are some great deals on slightly used (and new) speakers . . .and there is lots of info on all sorts of equipment.
Just a suggestion, besides the def tech (which are OK speakers) you can do much better than the other brands mentioned in this thread . . .JBL and Klipsh just don't sound good for the money . . Yamaha (like Sony) suck, and Bose is WAAAAAAAY overpriced. Good speakers make the system!!!