Building 1st setup, complete noob looking for help and advice <3

[bluesman]

2 hours ago, DuckToller said:

Nonetheless, I'd like to advise you to get your active speakers of any brand with a 30 day test period to ensure that you are comfortable with their "house sound" if you can't listen to them at a dealer.

Great advice!  I’m also a happy Edifier owner who thinks highly of their products and their approach to customer relations.    JBL also offers multiple models spanning a broad range of size & price.  JBL now sells direct with a 30 day return, but I’ve only bought their speakers from authorized dealers- so I don’t know how their customer support compares.  Fortunately, I’ve bought multiple items over the years and never needed to find out. Right now, I have 4 of their LSR305s set up as MC (with a Yamaha sub) and can recommend them highly too.

[bluesman]

8 hours ago, GregWormald said:

Definitely think seriously about powered speakers. They have an amplifier built in each cabinet and use a standard crossover. Active speakers have the crossover first and then use separate amplifiers for each section of the speaker box. These are generally quite expensive.

Actually, some of the greatest values in audio are found in inexpensive powered speakers.  My JBL 305s list for under $200 (USD) and I got both pairs on sale for under $100 each.  The same series with bigger woofers (more bass) are only a little bit more.  My Edifiers cost $130 for the pair.  Many excellent brands have even better speakers for well under $500 USD per pair.  All of these have enough clean power to play well and loud.

 

Sure, you can pay ten+ times this amount. But for the system sought by the OP, actives are the way to go for sound and value.