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Anyone have thoughts on these bad boys? I bought a pair of (bookshelf) R15's from Fry's a long time ago and I have been extremely pleased.

People generally say that these are the cheapest way to start a new system. Frys also sometimes has R50's on sale for about $70 each, which are 3-way so they offer better audio quality in the mids.

I'm not an audiophile so please correct me if this is wrong.

Build your own speakers with a kit from partsexpress. $130 shipped and they will kick some ass. Real MDF and quality components go into the kit. With the kits, you can't be a dumbass because soldering is required.

Why do people always confuse/associate technical prowess with intelligence? There are plenty of super-smart scientists out there who couldn't hang a picture-frame.

#2 - correct. These are a good "starter" set. I would say pay the extra $40 for the R50s if you can. As is the case with any sound system, always take into consideration: 1. the size of the room, 2. the general acoustics of the room (carpeted flooor, tile, popcorn ceiling, parallel walls, etc), and 3. what you're getting for the $.

If you get a chance, check out your local home electronics/audio store (circuit city/frys) to test these things out. What may sound good to some may not sound as good to you and may sound even worse in your home environment. The opposite is true as well. I would also recommend that you take whatever you enjoy the most home and test it there (like i said, it'll sound different in your home than it will in the store). Be sure there are no hidden re-stocking fees if you plan on returning the product to test out a few others.

You can always build something, but for what's selling these days, you could get away with the convenience of buying something decent for a good price if you know what to look for. Save the process of making a rosewood/maple box w/ some niice speakers until you really know how to appreciate them.

that is the most informative post I've ever seen on here. Wanna make out?

#4, sounds like you can't solder. Oh well, no kit speakers for you.

i use a pair of these for my pc speakers.. they are pretty nice for that. i wouldn't probably use them for home theater, parties or any kind of serious music appreciation type stuff, but well worth the money imho.

#3: "Real MDF"

Wow! Really? Real MDF?! Not cheap immitation generic "Medium Density Fiberboard" but actual MDF brand MDF?!?! Amazing!

LOL #9...but Im laughing at you not with you

Who the fvck needs a "Kit" to build a speaker? Is MDF now a scarce commodity hard to find?

Also, gimme plastic impregnated MDF any day, the stuff is amazingly robust and lasts for a few thousand years.

Damn, I needed MDF that lasted four-thousand years...

Well #12, if you're going to bother building it yourself won't you want to do it well enough that you'd listen to these speakers for decades, maybe even hand them down to kids someday?

Used to be, you could get semi-reasonably priced furniture grade speakers, but alas the solid wood is not as good accoustically. Likewise with any wood actually, as it dries out. One way to prevent it drying excessively is to constantly oil it (with furniture grade solid wood) and other is treatment with a poly sealer of some sort, the most comprehensive of which is to have the sealer as plastic impregnated throughout.