ref. sats. vs. quintets

[lpdcan28]

looking to get either the ref. sats with a rw 8 sub or the quintets with a ksw 10 sub. would the refs. really blow away the quintets in music and movies? any comparisons or info. would be great!

[rscotth]

I started with the quintets and a ksw12. I had this set up in a 400 square foot room. The front stage of the quintets was not for me. I upgraded to the RSX-5 and RCX-4 for the front and kept the quintets for the rears. BIG BIG differance. I also upgraded to the RW-8. Not a very good sub for the size room I had. So I then went to the RW-12. Now we're talking. Go with the referance sats. A huge improvement over the quintets. By the way, if you haver a smaller room the rw-8 would be fine and I have one for sale if interested. Only used for a month. Hope this helps.

[Jabez Scratch]

As my equipment info shows, I have both the Quintets and a 5.1 Reference system.

First of all, the Quintets are outstanding smallish speakers -- speakers that small should not sound that full or project that well, but they do. It's comical that the Quintets get compared to the Bose Acoustimass system. In size there is a comparison to be made, but in terms of quality for dollar value, the Quintets are a superior product.

Second and more to the point, compared to the Reference line, the difference is very significant and profound. The Quintets are a fine product, but cannot even remotely come close to the quality of the Reference line.

Of course, you will have to pay top dollar to get Reference quality, but that is a decision only you can make. Provided you are not expecting top-of-the-line sound quality, the Quintets will not disappoint you.

With the Quintets, think of the Honda Civic: a good quality, economical, compact product that will serve you well. With Reference speakers, think of a top-of-the-line Acura: attention to detail, superior craftsmanship, prestige, high quality inside and out, top to bottom, and, to be frank, relatively expensive (worth it? well, that's totally subjective; some people spend $100 for a single bungee jump and love it, others think they're crazy).

Good luck.