Having flirted with the overly-critical audiophile mentality while owning various Theil, Magnepan and Paradigm speakers, I am finally enjoying the music, not the hardware, through my Pinnacle AC-650's. These speakers have no right to sound as good as they do at this price level (I paid only $179/pair from the dealer where I work). The Pinnacles produce a big, full-bodied, open sound with alot less coloration than you might expect at this price. Solid bass that defies the enclosure size, warm mids and non-fatiguing highs. If you love music and are searching for value, these speakers must be auditioned. Based on sound per dollar ratio, the AC-650's earn their five stars.

I bought my AC650s a year ago for $179.00 and have been just amazed at the bang for the buck I get. Julian Hirsch of Stereo Review (SR) reviewed these beauts and gave them very high marks, so I went out and listened to them. The base is outstanding for the cabinet size, SR reported they were -3dB at 36 Hz.The balance of this speaker is awesome, there are no holes in the sound, from the highs, midrange, to the base, its perfectly balanced. The sound stage is broad and deep. I recently took my AC 650s to a friend who is an audiophile dealer. I compared my speakers against several sets of hi-end speakers. Here is my informal results. We compared the Pinnacles against a pair of JM Labs Dalenes and a pair of JM Labs Micron Carats. The Dalenes list for 1400 a pair and the mini monitor Carats are 700 a pair, and received a Class C status in Stereophile magazine. In a nut shell the AC 650s more held their own. The base on the the Dalenes and the 650s were equal, and the overall balance of sound was comparable, although the Dalenes had slightly more precise detailing in the highs, BUT the sound stage and imaging on the 650s was deeper and more impressivem than the Dalenes. The Micron Carats we very similar to the Pinnacles in sound and imaging, but the Pinnacles had much deeper base.

I came away with the satisfaction that these inexpensive speakers can more than hold there own against higher priced brands. The finish is nothing to brag about, but the sound sure is. I have to give them a 5 rating. They are one the great audio values of the last 5 years. I've heard their center channel is just as impressive, so I'm going to get one, and second set of 650s for the rear, and finally, an ACI Titan subwoofer, which is another great audio value. If you haven't heard these 650s, make the effort to audition them before buying soemthing else. At $109.00 each, you just can't go wrong. Five Stars

Having listened to many speakers in a number of price ranges, I can't agree more with the other owners of these wonderful, yet inexpensive speakers. They are uncolored, clean, and capable of high volume. Their bass output is outstanding for their size. Anyone considering purchasing speakers should give the AC650's an audition.

Where can i get a telephone number for Pinnacle repair sevice???????

I would have to say that for the money ($189/Pr), these speakers are tough to beat. The bass response is probably their strong suit, and the highs extend nicely and are relatively flat. Where I feel they lack, at least in my personal listening taste, is in the mid-bass/midrange area, a section which contains most of the fundamental components of all music and vocals. For overall value and listenability, I'd give them a 3-1/2...rounded up to a 4.

If you want to talk bang, bass, quality, or any other speaker definition for your buck, start here. The AC-650s are a great set of speakers for fronts or rears. I am currently using them with an Infinity BU-8 subwoofer and they handle DVD movies well. My only dissappointment with them was handling the complex guitar/drum combos of alot of the music I listen to, but I have found that this was the receiver, not the speakers. Having recently purchased a new Sony receiver the speakers sound crisper and clearer than they had. For the price and their size, I cannot find another speaker close. My only knock against them, while althought the terminals are gold plated and heavy duty, they are tucked away in their housing and I feel are difficult to get to. Other than that, they are great and I highly recommend them.

value, fidelity

look kinda cheap (plain design)

These speakers are probably the best music and HT speakers you can buy under $1000. The reproduce music incredibly well and HT equally well (obviously). For somebody on a budget (or any person who is not stupid. . .), these speakers are worth a look/hear.

other components: yamaha receiver, Pinnacle center and rears, energy sub.

I just picked these up,and they're pretty incredible. Got them for $129 as a demo/open box, but most places have them at closeout prices since they are discontinued. The most impressive thing about them is the full,deep bass they have. The low E string on a bass guitar is reproduced with full power, which implies that these little guys are FLAT to about 40Hz. They are very efficient,also. My NAD 314 is probably putting out 2-3 watts at my average listening level. Treble is nicely unexaggerated, and vocals are clear and present. Sometimes they seem kind of "boxy", a trait which may be thrown into sharp relief when I recieve my MMGs on Thursday, but they are a real steal at the price you'll probably pay. Others speakers I have on hand with which to compare are the NHT SuperOne, CSW Ensemble, and Polk Monitor 5b. The Pinnacles actually sound better than the NHTs, with fuller but just-as-tight bass, and they thoroughly embarrass the CSW and Polks. Buy these. Rating is on an absolute basis, as I was recently exposed to Maggie 1.6. Value is off the scale,especially at closeout.

I bought Pinnacle AC650 speakers for $229.00 to replace $450.00 JBL LX44s. This was a big upgrade in sound quality! I listen to everything from hard rock to lute to opera, and find them very satisfactory. After several hours of loud music, I'm not worn out from harsh sound. These speakers will play loud, yet nicely reproduce the suble details of piano and other harmonic rich music. My Pinnacles sit on stands, and work well with a Velodyne F-1500 subwoofer, although getting this sat/sub system to blend well took a lot of expermentation with the subwoofer level and crossover controls. The Pinnacles have excellent bass considering their small size, but of course, after hooking up an F-1500...well, I'm not taking the subwoofer back! I do recommend that listeners looking for a great value in a versatile speaker audition Pinnacle AC650s.

clean sound

These are good bookshelf speakers.. but if you like bass at all you will want to pair them with a subwoofer. I use them with my yamaha HTR-5250. I think you would be best getting something else unless you can get these for quite cheep.
These are not bad - but look at paradigm mini-monitor or monitor 3... I wish I was a millionare so I didn't have to cut corners on my system... oh well... I graduate soon.