under $300 bookshelfs: does excitement exist?

I just have to add more for the benefit of Buscis2 (where's 1?). I did own the RTS5s, and they were so musical (the type of component which leads you to just listen to music for hours on end and damn the high end), that I bouhgt a pair of ASL Wave 8s and listened happily to pure music for two years without upgrading a thing, except for cartridges - I left the rest of my high-end stuff in boxes. I had my doubts about the new Athena Technology line, with their more "consumer-oriented" clothing and square black box, but I have to say they sound like quite a jump up in performance from the Sound Dynamics, more of everything, but still with that magic musical ability of theirs: if you check the specs, they're the same electrical design, same crossover, same sensitivity. The new "Teteron" tweeter really is better (I thought the old was quite good), and the bass seems to be more accurate too. There's some kind of Black Magic going on here I don't understand...go listen! For your info, I was using tube amps and Joseph Audio speakers for years, but this line of speakers somehow just gets straight to the heart of the music in a way I've never heard before (of course, this special quality requires experience to identify, I think, but trust your nodding head!), which has freed me from high-end neuroses. I am agog. I must find out more about the designers, maybe e-mail them.

Athena is part of API which also makes Energy and Mirage. Athena is their budget line made completely in Asia.

Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 is $328. They are known for their flat response and being neutral. Ascend link

thanks for all the feed back, the collective knowledge of y'all is awesome. "truly curious" was just an expression to convey that i wasn't making any judgement on the answers but had reservations about purchasing items at a place such as best buy. i had come across the athena line in print, saw they were from best buy and dismissed them. i was under the impression(foolishly i gather now)that one couldn't get good get good gear from there. you guys are great. thanks again. oh, and i am running klipsch sf-1's and a $500 onkyo. simple, inexpensive, but pretty good. i was looking to do something a little different with the books and sub. one last, of course you can call me dylan.

John, I'm almost positive that Athena speakers are produced by Audio Products International Group in Canada. If memory serves, Athena is the new renamed Sound Dynamics. API produces several different speaker lines. One of them includes Energy. I forget the other brand.

Before purchasing my Energy Veritas 2.2s. I had several different conversations with one of the design engineers at API. These boys are VERY serious about their products, and really know their shit. Needless to say, theoretical design criteria, no matter how well thought out, may not necessarily create a good sounding product. But these guys spent over 2 years, non stop, developing the Veritas line.

They subjected these speakers to every possible modification and design change imaginable. Countless hours were spent in many different listening environments tweaking and adjusting. It Shows.

If you get the chance, click on my system. I am using some pretty nice gear. The usual reponse I get from people..... Geez, why are you using Energy speakers? I have learned to not be a "Name Brand Nancy". I let my ears tell me the truth. And I am a music FREAK. And have been all of my life.

I've learned.... GET PAST THE NAME BRAND and listen to the MUSIC. If YBA or Audiomeca started selling their gear in let's say, Best Buy, would it change the design and engineering that went into the product?

I still scratch my head and try to figure out why my RTS-3s sound so damn good @ $200.00 a pair. But ultimately? Who cares!

It's nice to know someone else has ignored the name and instead, is listening to the music.

Happy listening.

I'm with Buscis2. Find yourself some pre-owned Sound Dynamics RTS-3's. Get 4 of them, set your processor to phantom center (no center channel speaker), put a sub in for the movie Boom-Boom, and not only will you have a competent movie rig, it makes for some really good casual listening as well. the RTS-3 is a great little product. It is at its's best if you can put them on good stands, and get them out away from the rear wall. We have them set up in our family room for HT in less than optimal conditions and we are quite happy with them. I have used them a lot for 2 channel listening too. They do turn up from time to time here, but get bought up pretty fast.