Looking for some advise buying used hi-fi or bookshelf speakers.

[keenan]

Tiny bit of backstory..

I bought my first "Home Theatre In A Box" bundle exactly 10 years ago and I was still using the same Pioneer S11 satellite speakers that was bundled with it up until a few weeks ago..

I then went and bought a used 10" subwoofer from a well known auction site which resulted in quite the ordeal.

After repairing the sub and putting this all behind me I'm quite impressed with the presence it brings compared to the included Pioneer passive sub!

However, I am now interested in finding out if replacing the front and center satellites would be beneficial in any major way and if so, which to choose from the plethora of older used speakers available..

If the answer to the above is yes, would something like the Denon SC M50's or Mission M71i's be a decent way to go in regards to the front left and right?

Or..

Should I rather go for something like Wharfedale Diamond's or Q Acoustics to better match the center with the front left and right?

The main aim is to get the best richness and clarity on a budget.

In case it matters, I'm using an Onkyo TX-SR607 receiver.

 

[tom_nieto]

Mission M7x speakers are pretty decent. I liked my M72’s a lot. They also have matching centre speakers available, I had the M7C2 for a while which again was decent. I think you’ll do well upgrading the fronts and centre for not a lot of outlay on the second hand market.

 

[hornetstinger]

Personally I'd just buy complete 5.1 speakers

 

[lucid]

Tiny bit of backstory..

I bought my first "Home Theatre In A Box" bundle exactly 10 years ago and I was still using the same Pioneer S11 satellite speakers that was bundled with it up until a few weeks ago..

I then went and bought a used 10" subwoofer from a well known auction site which resulted in quite the ordeal.

After repairing the sub and putting this all behind me I'm quite impressed with the presence it brings compared to the included Pioneer passive sub!

However, I am now interested in finding out if replacing the front and center satellites would be beneficial in any major way and if so, which to choose from the plethora of older used speakers available..

If the answer to the above is yes, would something like the Denon SC M50's or Mission M71i's be a decent way to go in regards to the front left and right?

Or..

Should I rather go for something like Wharfedale Diamond's or Q Acoustics to better match the center with the front left and right?

The main aim is to get the best richness and clarity on a budget.

In case it matters, I'm using an Onkyo TX-SR607 receiver.

Personally I'd give the SC-M50s a miss. IMO too many sellers and buyers have their rose tinted glasses on with these; "Oh, they're really Missions under the skin" like they just dug up some treasure.

Yeah, they're Missions, but made to sell cheap or bundle as part of a mini system deal. They're made down to a price, but this misplaced nostalgia is inflating used prices beyond the real value of the speakers. A used set for £20-£30 is fine, but some of the asking prices on Ebay are £40-£60 for a pair of speakers that had a supposed retail of £99 when new.

Mission M71/72/ and the 'i' variants that came after make a far more sensible buy. They were ball park £150-£250 depending on the model, but there were some spectacularly cheap deals as the models went end-of-life. Depending on physical condition, I'd expect used prices to be somewhere in the region of £40-£60 unless particularly abused.

There are plenty of Mission centre speakers to match the sonic character of the front pair. The M7C2 as @tom_nieto suggested or, if you can find one, the 77C1.

Wharfedale is good. The centre speaker range isn't quite as extensive as with Mission, but you should be able to find a match to make the front three a whole set. It's a similar story with Q Acoustics, though the centre range is smaller again. You might want to have a look at KEF's range of speakers too. All the above though will be a significant step up from the Pioneer speakers.

 

[keenan]

Thanks for all the valuable input everyone.

In the end I was set on getting a set of M30's due to their smaller size, but they seem to come at an even more inflated premium.

I saw a listing for 4 x M40's, but pictured was clearly M70's and a M7C1i center for £50, so I went for 'em.

I also got a M3C2 in case the M7C1i really is as bad as everyone says, so hopefully it matches the M70's tonally..