best speakers with denon 3300


I just started with a music/home theater system. I bought the Denon 3300 and would like to buy new speakers as well. I have left $1500 and would like to have front speakers. I will buy later a center and surround in my next paycheck. I like when the sound is well separated (accoustic type) I am listenning some pop, jazz, hip hop and watch many movies. I heard a lot of good review concerning the paradigm speakers. What do you think ? what would be the best speakers matching this receiver and delivering a nice sound. thanks
troubiet3214

Showing 1 response by sober1

first things first--what might sound good to my ears doesn't mean it'll hold true for somebody else's ears- I was told to at least match the tweeters across the L,R, CC, and Rear Surrounds if possible and preferrably the crossovers as well. I recently traded up from the Denon 2800 to the 3300. I was running 4 Paradigm Titans, CC170 and PS 1000 sub. It was being used approximately 80% movies and 20% music. I returned the sub after 2 weeks as it had a nasty transformer hum in the standby mode, was great on movies but was extremely slow and muddy for music. I traded it even up for a MB Quart D1200si, which absolutely smokes on music and is average for movies. I listen mostly to the blues with some rock and a little jazz. I then traded up 2 of the Titans for a pair of 2 month old Paradigm Phantoms (floorstanding 3 driver/2 way). I was extremely happy with the Titans but had to jump on the Phantoms (killer price, under $300). Currently I'm running the 3300 with the Phantoms on the front with the 3300's Left/Right preouts feeding the sub, CC 170 and Titans on the rears.I added a Toshiba SD-2200 DVD. I've ran several DVDs through it, Matrix, A Bugs Life, 3 Kings, new 007, to name a few. This setup just flat out rocks for movies. The audio is absolutely fantasic on DVD's ! Which I attribute to all speakers haveing matched tweeters. As for music it's become a whole other deal. I found listening to CDs rapidly fatigueing, way to bright (in 2 or 5 channel). While trying to figure out which would make the most dollar sense to correct this issue, I built a set of speaker cables (Cat 5, 4 9's OFC, hand twisted and telfon wrapped), this helped a little, but the brightness remained. Considered upgrading to CD Transport with a MSB Link DAC (another grand at least,crap!) In the interm, a friend let me borrow a tube preamp and a 35 WPC Fisher Tube Amp which he bought new in the 60's. I dropped these two units in place of the 3300 and honestly wasn't expecting much if any improve at all. But he wanted me to hear tubes compared to digital. We fired it up with Jonny Lang's " Lie to Me", quickly followed by Koko Taylor's "Royal Blue". Night and day difference- what brightness ? what fatigue? I could have listened all night! The kicker was we where only using the Phantoms with no sub and I absolutely loved it! Feeling bummed out that I had dropped the bucks on the digital setup and was ready to scrap the whole deal, I went and rented Matrix again. Dropped the 3300 back in and wired the Phantoms back into the HT setup and spun it up. And prepared to double check my answer -- yep, this setup flat out rocks for movies. I decided to leave it alone, it's new mission in life is 100% movies/TV. I picked up a Jolida 302 tube amp (used for 1/3 the cost of new one)Friday and have begun building a music system. So my advice to you would be - first and foremost - please your ears and your wallet- check out Paradigm's line- as I put them up against Boston Acoustic and Definitive Technologies and I absolutely love them, especially in the cost versus performance department. BTW the rear Titans where the only ones I bought new. I saved a lot bucks going the audio shop demo/trade in route. I hope this has been some help you.- Enjoy the journey! FireBottles Rule! Mike