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Best Speaker Reviews and Buying Guide:With all the high end television sets being sold, more and more people are switching their home audio speakers so that they can get surround sound. The sound quality is nearing that found in movie theaters once you put in ceiling speakers, wall speakers, speaker stands in your home theater room. It used to be the bigger the better when it came to speakers, but now the bookshelve speakers take up less space and are more powerful than the old box speakers that stood on their own. We will go into them further below, but with the latest wireless speakers and outdoor speakers your options are unlimited on how you decide to setup a nice home theater system these days. Let's start with the best brands of speakers and that usually leads to Bose, Infinity, Klipsch, Harman Kardon and Polk Audio. I used to have a pair of Cerwin Vega speakers that really rocked, but they were too big and bulky to keep around after I got married, so I replaced them with a nice pair of KLIPSCH SB-2 Synergy Series Bookshelf Speaker System ($249). For reviews on the best selling speakers, keep reading below.
Outdoor Speakers:We went to best source for outdoor speaker information, Crutchfield.com. They have an excellent section dedicated to helping you choose outdoor speakers and also an installation guide. The first tip is to choose outdoor speakers with a "warm, full bodied sound" and that means providing enough bass. Just as important will be the durability of the speakers, since they may be exposed to elements that are harsh. Placing them beneath a porch roof or eave is best. The higher up they go, the greater the sound projection. The closer to a wall you mount your outdoor speakers will improve the bass output. When mounting your outdoor speakers, try to attach them to solid wood or masonry surfaces and not to cedar or aluminum siding (which may not support them). Speaker wire should be run through the wall to reach outside (this will take some time when it comes to installing the speakers), while ideally you could buy wireless outdoor speakers to eliminate the hassle of all the wiring. The best outdoor speakers are the Bose 251 White Pair ($398), Polk Audio Atrium55 White Pair ($299.99), and the Boston Acoustics Voyager4 (Pr) ($219.99). The Bose 251's are water resistant, have adjustable wall-mounting brackets included, and the multi-chamber bass-reflex design helps improve sound quality when outdoors (see all Bose speakers here ). The Infinity Outrigger Jr. Pair ($179.99), although not rated as high for sound quality by reviewers, were easier to setup and mount outdoors (which has to be a consideration for do it yourselfers). For a unique look, the Niles RS6 Speckled Granite ($239.99) is a 6.5" rock outdoor speaker that resembles a granite rock and will blend in with your landscaping.
Wireless Speakers:Wireless speakers are somewhat of a newer concept but have already become very popular since they eliminate the tedious wiring projects that homeowners used to take on when setting up a home audio system. Speakerworks.net carries the latest line of wireless speakers and we took a look at what they offer. The ACOUSTIC RESEARCH AW-871- Wireless Stereo Speakers ($139) transmit audio signals through floors, walls, and ceilings up to 300'. The ADVENT ADV-W801- 900Mhz 20 Watt 2-Way Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Speaker ($95) has an operating distance of 150' and is splash proof (great for outdoors). The new ACOUSTIC RESEARCH AW-920 - 2.4 GHz Digital Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Speaker ($129) is water resistant and have an auto sleep mode which powers down the speakers when no signal is found. The SONY SRS-RF90RK- RF Wireless Speaker System ($139) used reflector technology to power our great audio. Other top sellers on Amazon.com include the RCA WSP150 900 MHz Wireless Speakers ($119) and Sharper Images ZipConnect 900MHz Wireless Outdoor Speakers (SR288) ($149.95). RECOMMENDED: One of our favorite wireless speaker systems is the Audio Unlimited Wireless Speakers for just $75. I love their hefty, modern look and the sound is even better - you won't be disappointed.
Ipod Speakers:Ipods have surged into the music forefront of late with technology and convenience that is unmatched. Ipod speakers are just as popular as users don't want headphones on all day and would like good sound quality from a reasonably priced pair of speakers. Now manufacturers are making Ipod speakers for the millions of Ipod owners out there. The most popular speakers for Ipods are the JBL On Stage Speakers for iPod ($115), Altec Lansing inMotion IM3C Portable Audio System for iPod ($114.99), JBL ONSTAGE 2 - Speaker System for iPod and MP3 Players ($114.99), and the Logitech mm22 Portable Speakers for iPod ($42.45). Each gives a little different sound quality and provides a nice docking station for the iPod to sit in while the music is blasted through the small speakers.
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, Aluminum (Pair) ($499), Sony SSM-F750H 3-Way 200-Watt Floorstanding Tower Speakers, Black Ash (Pair) ($250), Polk Audio Monitor 60 3-Way Floorstanding Speaker, Cherry Finish (Single) ($271), Cerwin-Vega CLSC-15 Classic Series 15-Inch 3-Way Tower Speaker, Black Ash (Single) ($307), and the Yamaha NS-125F 2-Way Bass-Reflex Tower Speakers, Black (Pair) ($199.99). As we mentioned, now with home theater systems, in-wall and in-ceiling speakers are a must and they do provide excellent surround sound quality. The top sellers on Amazon are Polk Audio RC60i In-Ceiling / In-Wall Speakers, White (Pair) ($194), AudioSource IC5S Round Ceiling Speakers, White (Pair) ($24.98), JBL HTI8 2-Way 8-Inch In-Wall Speakers, Pair (White) ($224), and the Infinity 2-Way 6 1/2" In-Wall Speaker ($107). Bowers and Wilkins (B&W) speakers are state of the art home audio and home cinema speakers that create a unique sound experience. You can find out more on those at Bwspeakers.com. We also suggest Bose speakers at Bose.com for bookshelf speakers and and their "Virtually Invisible" line of stereo speakers. If you are ready to buy online, we recommend Amazon.com. We are always impressed by their competitive prices (often the lowest), fast shipping, and customer service -- plus almost everyone already shops with them and trusts them. You can browse their up-to-date