Thank you all for your replies. They really are helping this audio newbie get his bearings. When we recently remodeled the TV room and bought a new 42" LCD TV, I decided to look for some quality speakers for the first time. We've never had any really "Hi-Fi" speakers in the house-- just your regular stereo system, which is okay for most things, but I wanted to put something with a bit more quality in there.

The A5 speakers were the first ones I tried. They might not seem like much, but they are quite Hi-Fi compared to everything else I have. As the story goes however, they haven't worked out so I'm once again looking, which is a bit frustrating, but it really helps to get some advice from people who are in the know.

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JohnK said:
A+, welcome. It's unlikely that you'll find anyone here who's heard(or even heard-of)the A5s. Their site doesn't have any performance specs for the speaker itself, just a few for the amplifier, and since the M3s are such fine speakers it seems unlikely that the A5s would be comparable.




Well, in their defense, they've gotten really good reviews and I do like the audio quality from them, but the built-in amp is probably the weak point. If the amp hadn't failed (it later turned back on, but it just can't handle a party-type situation, for instance) I wouldn't be looking for new speakers now.

Also the company seems very respectable. They've offered me a full refund, even though I bought them almost five months ago. Here's one of the reviews I read before I got them. I'm sure they would rock as Hi-Fi computer speakers, but I've found that I need more.

BTW, which review sites do you guys recommend?

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Ajax said:
In a room the size of yours, if you are truly interested in HT, you will eventually want to build a surround system with a subwoofer.




I may very well be. Those combined surround sound speakers look sweet. Right now I just don't have the money, though.

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spiffnme said:
The M3ti's are $288/pr via the factory outlet.




How's that? Could you explain the extra letters? I only see these bookshelf speakers on the website. And the M3 model there sells for $320. Are there any more models? And where do I buy these from? I thought buying through the website was buying direct.

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spiffnme said:
A quick look at audiogon.com found a few pieces that fit that bill...




I appreciate the tips on buying used, but to be honest with you, I'm a little wary of buying used until I'm a bit more knowledgeable and confident as far as audio equipment is concerned. I'd rather have a warranty, even if it costs me a little more now.

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Randy_Perkins said:
He talked about playing MP3 and games, so maybe he has a computer that he is using as a source ?




Bingo! Sorry I didn't make that clear before. Basically it's my Mac mini, my Wii and Sat. TV which will be using the speakers. My Mac mini doubles as a DVD player, and it does a decent job at it.

I need the amp and speakers to be able to take a few hours of continuous dance/salsa/etc. music for the occasional party, and yet be able to output some decent sounding instrumental music for relaxation. Basically, I'm looking for a lot of versatility.