IMHO, most HT speakers do not sound good for Music. This is why I use Alon 2 Mk2 speakers. They are built buy Carl who used to be the lead design for Dalquist.

I find Ascend speakers to be good for the center and fronts, they can play both formats well.

Lizard,

I got curious since I'd never heard of Alon speakers before. It seems they are now sold as Nola by the designer you mentioned. Is the Alon 2 comparable to any of Nola's current offerings?

ez2,

Listening to speakers in your own space is very important as each room contributes greatly to what we hear. Most internet direct sales companies offer a 30-day return policy but you generally have to pay shipping. If you can't get a local store to loan you a set of speakers you like it may be worth it to try out speakers in your price range from the internet companies Gonk listed. Just my $.02.