"RichK" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Not really a repair...and I do not see this asked here much.

Am interested in installing a couple of decent, but not very expensive
speakers in the kitchen. Say, in the $250 range.

Would prefer surface, or on speaker brackets. Do not want a separate
subwoofer, as it needs cables and space.

Anyone can recommend a good brand from experience?

There's a box near the ceiling with cables, which is OK for one speaker.
Would have to run something from that one to the other speaker on the
surface.

Mainly looking for a recommendation on speakers. They may have to be a
bit
bigger to produce acceptable base without a subwoofer.

Rich

Another vote here against Bose. Advent & Boston Acoustics both make some
very nice small speakers. Keep in mind that bass, when performed live, comes
from instruments (or speaker cabinets) that contain or move quite a bit of
air. Think of the inside of an upright bass, a long organ pipe, the volume
inside a bass drum, and the cabinets that electric bass players use. When
you think you're hearing this accurately in a small speaker, it's really a
form of trickery done well (hopefully). There's no way a speaker the size of
a shoe box can really create the same bass that you hear live, but in some
designs, it still sounds good.

The variations are very subtle, so the best thing to do is audition some
speakers at a real audio store, not the Circuit City type places where it's
so noisy that you can't hear the subtle differences between speakers, and
the speakers are often incorrectly placed. Find a store where they'll give
you a quiet room to listen, and bring some of your own CDs.

As Pete C mentioned, you also have to consider the amplifier/receiver you'll
be driving them with. And, consider the surroundings. If you need to
overcome lots of background noise (dishwasher, for instance), you'll need
more power. Otherwise, in your attempt to get more volume, you'll drive the
amplifier to the point of distortion. The result will be lousy sound, or
worse, you'll cook your speakers.