Sounds good, goes low enough with a port on the back. Tweeter is awesome, tsk tsk tsk. Btw, looks hansome in black metal grille. This a classic boys. They dont make them like these in USA anymore.

None so far.

Sounds good, goes low enough with a port on the back. Tweeter is awesome, tsk tsk tsk. Btw, looks hansome in black metal grille. This a classic boys. They dont make them like these in USA anymore.

None so far.

sonic detail, great seperation, quality build, average looks. great all around bookself/standmount speaker for music or home theater.

bass could be deeper,(but most of us have a sub to handle the lows anyway). metal grills.

these replaced some old bose 301s. now i know what i was missing all these years!the bose 301s have i limited range. the CR8s go much higher with much more detail. they have a crisp and clean, yet mellow sound. maybe a tad shy in the lower freqs. i have mine on 24" steel floorstands and they really sound impressive. i have CR6s in the rears and 5 channel stereo sounds enveloping. a good dolby digital dvd will have you jumping off the couch!

Similar Products Used:

boston acoustics CR6s klispch sc.5 bose 301s (sent them to the kids room)

Rock SOlid Build

Not as good for classical or vocal performance

This is a straight-forward, sonically neutral speaker with tendencies more toward rock than jazz or classical. The bass is somewhat hollow though, but placement can manipulate the results quite a bit. Good value for those who like hard-hitting, clean sounding speakers for a reasonable price. Try Dire Strait's Money for Nothing on these speakers, and turn it up loud!

Very clear, accurate, detailed sound. Great for music. Capable of filling a small room if used as mains. Price was good compared to competing speakers of equal quality. Nice look in black.

Well, they're discontinued, for one. They're a bit large (15" tall) when used as rear speakers. Bass is tight but not a lot of 'oomph' (keep in mind that they are intended as bookshelf speakers).

I purchased the CR8s around 5 years ago, and they've been a great little set of speakers. I used them as my mains for several years while in college, and they were definitely up to the task. They're a bit light on bass if used in that capacity, but their detail and imaging are excellent. I liked these speakers so much that I eventually bought more Boston speakers for my new mains and center. I moved these to the rear, and I still enjoy their sound. Also, some people complain about the metal grille. Yes, it is a little more difficult to take off than a normal fabric cover and I guess it could get dented. However, I think the metal grille actually provides a little more protection against kids/pets etc. so I don't mind them at all. Mine still look new after 5+ years. These speakers were replaced by the CR85's, so if you want CR8's you'll have to look on the auction sites.

Similar Products Used:

Bookshelf speakers from KLH, Klipsch, Infinity, Bose, etc.

Very clear concise sound

Lacks a little in the bottom end of the frequency range but accompanied by a Boston PV 600 subwoofer there is much bigger sound than speaker

My first set of speakers but after listening to every speaker in Victoria in this price range the Boston Acoustics CR 85 did the best job of both music and movie.

Clarity, detail, precision, good soundstage.

May need subwoofer in large rooms. May sound a bit "edgy" or "harsh" in high frequencies with "agressive" amplifiers.

These are wonderful little speakers. I have owned a $1400 PSB stratus Silvers before but they sounded "muddy" compared to these, or maybe my room was too small for PSBs. Anyway, the difference between PSBs and Bostons is as if you "clean up the windows and let the sun in". Percussion, guitars, cymbals, all so alive and clean. Detail detail and detail. The guy at the store I bought them in was right "you won''t believe their sound". However, I noticed that they lacked bass when I was auditioning them in much larger store room. However, as soon as I brought them home they just sounded great in my room with great tight bass ! My advice, buy a subwoofer if you have a large room. Also, they may sound a bit "edgy" or "harsh" in high frequencies with some more "agressive" amplifiers. Overall, great performers for good price.

Invisible. Incredible imaging. Wonderful highs. Excellent midrange. Bass is solid give the size of the bass driver

Front covers don't exactly go on and off easily. Packaging from Boston Acoustics is poor given the relative sensitivity of such a product.

Just bought these things today. I will be using them for surround speakers.

I friggin' love these things. The imaging is incredible. Right now I just have them sitting on my coffee table for a brief listen. They're about 2 feet apart and it's like they aren't even there.

I have BA 960s for my mains and I almost wish I had CR8s all the way around. Without an actual A/B comparison, I must say I think the CR8s compete nicely with the 960s in the highs and mids. The bass isn't as strong, but then the bass driver is 1" smaller and isn't driven by a built-in amp. Plus it's a much smaller speaker.

I was going to purchase the CR7s, but the CR8s were much more efficient, fuller sounding, more open sounding, and just plain wonderful.

I would HIGHLY recommend these speakers for either mains or surrounds. But you will need a sub if used for mains.

Another quality product from Boston Acoustics.

P.S. Oh, and because there are only two dealers in my area, I paid full MSRP. Worth every penny.

Similar Products Used:

CR7

Excellent clarity and smooth bass.

None yet.

I absolutely LOVE these speakers and I am throwing all my Infinity speakers away (or maybe ebay) and getting all new BA's. I am so impressed with the sound I am going to spend more cash on 4 more BA's. I am using them as my mains with 28 inch metal stands and the first night I got them my Fiancee even noticed how "awesome" the sounded to "Gone in 60..."DVD. (Keep in mind she could care less if it is a mono tv speaker or a full THX system.) I had it running in Dolby Digital with the Sub DISCONNECTED and it ROCKED! Anyways, I would TOTALLY recommend these speakers to anyone in the market!!!!

Similar Products Used:

Infinity...all infinity....till now ;)

Good balance, Neutral, and in my case good price

Poor grill design, inefficient

They are selling these out as new models are in. I picked them both up for 160.00 for den speakers. I could not resist at that price. First the bad news---they come with the metal grill covers on. Leave them on or you will be sorry. They are difficult to take off and reinstall and there is a reasonable chance you will dent or damage them in the process. This is no big deal unless you are one of those people who must look at the raw speakers---Probably a bad idea anyway since they are exposed to harm.
They have a 90db efficiency rating. I am used to the Klipsch with 95db, so they require more power. Actully they are closer to the norm than Klipsch in this regard. They do not compare price and qualitywise with the Klipsch RB5s. The SB3s are a better comparison for price, size etc. I frankly prefer the Klipsch for most material and HT. The exception is mid range "elevator" type music.This is not meant to be a negative comment since much of what we actually listen to falls in or close to this range. They don't excite like the Klipsch, but are very pleasant for lower volume listening in a smaller room which is the case in the den where they are used.You would want a sub if you used them for HT or other heavy bass material.Boston has limited dealers and does not discount or they would sell more of these. I also have an two year old set Polk RT 35s and they present a better comparison. You can hear those at Circuit City anywhere. If you cannot find the Bostons locally, go hear the Polks. The Bostons are similar with a much better(more detailed) high end. They do not produce the listening fatigue that the Polks do.This review will be partially obsolete since Boston 8.5 have already replaced these. The 8.5s are about the same with an updated look and a better grill situation.If you like accoustic jazz, classical, or clear female vocals, you will like these a lot.If you are into rap,poundng rock or want a speaker for thunderous HT special effects, look elsewhere. If you want a clean sounding speaker with good detail in this price range for a moderate size room, these are a reasonable deal. Note that I gave 4 stars for value, since most folks will have to pay nearly the retail on Boston products.I would have given 5 stars if the CR8s or 8.5s were reasonably discounted everyday.

Similar Products Used:

Own Klipsch RB5s and Klipsch SB3s