Try updating the midbass drivers! I've been told that Madisound has a nice replacement.
Review: Optimus LX-5 Monitor
Category: Speakers
This is a radioshack speaker, and can be had quite often on sale for $150 a pair. It uses a Linaeum tweeter that is a ribbon element that radiates in all directions. I use these as rear channels in my home theater. They are great in this use, the dipole tweeter element really creates a great sense of ambience compared to the Polks. For music, however, these little speakers leave something to be desired. Compared to the 10X as expensive B&W, there is no contest, the B&Ws resolve much more, do it faster and more musically. The Polks also are faster, and have a lot more in the way of bass, as well as a rich tonal quality that I greatly enjoy. So as fronts, these speakers sound compressed up until the crossover to the ribbon element, where they sound great. As rears, however, they reproduce howling wind and ambient effects beautifully, as the tweeter really spreads the sound around nicely. The midrange still leaves something to be desired as does the bass, but the tweeter is most important in an HT surround speaker. For the price, these with a subwoofer would be a great little speaker system even for music, but compared to more expensive speakers, they lack a lot in way of detail and refinement.
Associated gear
Pioneer Elite vsx 24-tx receiver
Toshiba SD-3109 DVD player
paradigm monitor 9+ cc350 front/center speakers
Similar products
B&W N805
Polk Monitor JR 5
This is a radioshack speaker, and can be had quite often on sale for $150 a pair. It uses a Linaeum tweeter that is a ribbon element that radiates in all directions. I use these as rear channels in my home theater. They are great in this use, the dipole tweeter element really creates a great sense of ambience compared to the Polks. For music, however, these little speakers leave something to be desired. Compared to the 10X as expensive B&W, there is no contest, the B&Ws resolve much more, do it faster and more musically. The Polks also are faster, and have a lot more in the way of bass, as well as a rich tonal quality that I greatly enjoy. So as fronts, these speakers sound compressed up until the crossover to the ribbon element, where they sound great. As rears, however, they reproduce howling wind and ambient effects beautifully, as the tweeter really spreads the sound around nicely. The midrange still leaves something to be desired as does the bass, but the tweeter is most important in an HT surround speaker. For the price, these with a subwoofer would be a great little speaker system even for music, but compared to more expensive speakers, they lack a lot in way of detail and refinement.
Associated gear
Pioneer Elite vsx 24-tx receiver
Toshiba SD-3109 DVD player
paradigm monitor 9+ cc350 front/center speakers
Similar products
B&W N805
Polk Monitor JR 5