opinions/reviews of Pioneer Bookshelf speakers - help!
 

So i'm trying to put together a passable HT for now, but i'm pretty well limited as far as funds go. I just got a Pioneer S-H052C-K Center Channel to go with the generic floor speakers I have for left and rights (inherited from an old roomate - i suspect they were bought from a van ;) ) and since I have the Pioneer 811 receiver, it seemed both affordable and a decent match. I want to downsize the speakers to provide more room for dvds (:lol: ) and I know it's a good idea to keep speakers in the same family, so I'm looking at the Pioneer bookshelf systems they offer. primarily the S-H252B-K to go with the center channel. Those run around $75 each. However, I just noticed that the older model S-DF1K and S-DF2-K are widely available for about the same price - even cheaper in the case of the S-DF1Ks. This is precisely where my budget allows me to consider purchasing things right now, and I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience with either of the series. Should i stay with the newer models? I did read an old review of the S-DF1Ks and it placed them at the top of the class in this range, but that doesn't tell me anything about the newer ones.

And if these are to be avoided, are there any suggestions for alternatives? How important is it that your speakers be of the same brand/family? Could I piecemeal out and get Bose 201s one at a time and be better off?

thanks to anyone who persevered through this rambling query...especially any who can answer!! :D

P.S. I'm also partial at this point to the S-DF series because they look way cooler :)

IMO, you're going to be much better off in the long run going with somebody else for your speakers (especially if you can save for awhile and raise your budget some).

I had some Pioneer speakers for awhile back in the college days. While they were loud, they were definitely not what I'd call good speakers. Treble was strained, bass was boomy.

If you can swing some extra money, look into some of the less expensive lines by PSB, Paradigm, JBL, or Infinity. You're going to be much better off in the long run. Also, personally I'd avoid Bose (but if they sound good to you, that's all that really matters)