PSA Polk Subwoofers < $100. No.

If you will ever use the system with a TV, Denon AVR-S530BT $150 refurbished 5.2 with HDCP 2.2 for 4K HDMI.

Stereo: Look for a used stereo or AV receiver for under $100 first. New: ONKYOTX-8140 $230 refurbished or Onkyo TX-8220 $200.

Better speakers on sale:

ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 for $250, Polk Audio Signature S20 $250, NHT SuperOne 2.1 $200 a pair, Polk Audio Signature S15 $180.

Wavecrest Audio HVL-1, order on sale here $80 each + shipping. To me, comparable to the popular KEF Q100.

Low Budget: Dual 5.25" Polk Audio Monitor 40 Series $100 or Energy CB-20 $95.

DIY C-Note $100

Don't forget Speaker wire, self adjusting wire strippers or basic.

Speaker Stands: Sanus Basics Select height by center of speaker or tweeter at ear level while seated.

Subwoofer:

Lowest budget Dayton Audio SUB-1200 12" $140 with parts-express $10 off coupon.

u/Shike · 2 points r/audiophile

Depends. If they're at a reasonable volume level and within a fair distance there's plenty of speakers that can sound pretty good without being large. If you're seeking volume, bass, low distortion, and filling a larger room things start getting more complex (and expensive).

Personally I don't feel Orb are particularly worthwhile due to using fullrange drivers which will have dispersion issue in the upper register. Instead NHT has some affordable bookshelf speakers that compare well. Considering the bargain basement pricing you could go with 5x SuperOne 2.1 from NHT with a BIC subwoofer here for a relatively compact system. Use the additional $100 to buy the wallmounts and the system should kick the Orb's ass in most objective performance criteria.

If you only need a 2.1 system, you could still go for a pair of the SuperOne and a better quality sub and get really solid performance considering. You could also step up to a more boutique speaker like Focal. Hell, if looking used you might be able to grab NHT Classic 3's for around $500/pr on Ebay which are excellent in performance being three way bookshelves. Of course, any of these would need stands, so expect a minimum $120 bump (IME) if using something quality.

This is where aesthetics, budget, room size, and performance criteria all start to play in.

u/Armsc · 2 points r/BudgetAudiophile

Here are some others I would consider

Polk S15 $200 - Decent sounding book of medium size. The smaller S10 may be a better fit if you're going to get a sub sooner than later.
Boston A26 $200 - This is very smooth sounding bookshelf speaker. Currently on sale.
Boston A25 $150 - a bit smaller than the above but you will loose a bit on the low end.
NHT Super One 2.1 $200 - Larger sealed bookshelf that will probably need sub even though it's larger.
NHT Super Zero 2.1 $120 - Small sealed book this will sound very thin without the sub but the reduced price will help get that sub quicker.
Fluance Sig Series $200 - Medium sized, front ported speakers.

u/snowtx · 2 points r/BudgetAudiophile

noaudiophile review is critical of the SX6 without DSP correction but liked them after major adjustments (computer source): http://noaudiophile.com/Fluance_SX6/

Here is a comparison of Pioneer BS22 vs. Fluance Signature: https://www.reddit.com/r/BudgetAudiophile/comments/9erosl/speaker_shootout_fluance_signature_bookshelf_vs/

Based on my ownership experience, I would rank some of your options as follows: KEF Q100 > Polk S15 >> Pioneer BS22. In other words, the KEF and Polk are fairly close and are noticeably better than the Pioneers.

Here's another great choice, especially for the price, NHT SuperOne 2.1 at $252 CAD. I have had their smaller SuperZero 2.1, which have great sound quality. Much better than Pioneers IMO. These are acoustic suspension/sealed boxes and can more easily be placed close to walls, if that is a consideration for your setup. https://www.amazon.ca/NHT-Audio-SuperOne-2-1-Bookshelf/dp/B00LJX4HCY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1541084741&sr=1-1&keywords=nht+superone+2.1

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u/Zeeall · 2 points r/audiophile