lancity
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Post by lancity on Feb 17, 2010 11:06:11 GMT -5
Guys please help. I have been reading these boards for a few weeks hoping to find good info on quality speakers. It appears there are a lot of goodies out there but that the price variations are pretty wide. I will be running 50/50 music to cinema, driving my FL and fr with an xpa-2 and my center and surrounds with a upa-5 for now.
I have had some good not great polk speakers that I will work out of my system over time (and into my b set up)
I created a list of speakers that are regularly highly regarded by emo users and have set a 3500 budget (I plan today a lot of pb&j over the next few months)
I ultimately hope to whittle this list down to 3 sets and go from there. I plan to match my LR and c channels and work on surrounds later on.
So Herr is the list, if you guys could respond back with your top 3 I would really appreciate it. The list is in no particular order here but if you could give me you #1 #2 and #3 in order I would really be grateful. Once I. Know the top 3, I plan do what I can to actually listen to each set.
Paradigm studio 100 & cc690 Axiom m80 & up150 Rocket s850 & rsc200 Aperion 6t &6c Emo 8.3 & 6.3 Salk song tower and songcenter
I forgot also mozart grand... vienna acoustics even though its a b it out of budget
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Post by taoggniklat on Feb 17, 2010 11:37:45 GMT -5
Guys please help. I have been reading these boards for a few weeks hoping to find good info on quality speakers. It appears there are a lot of goodies out there but that the price variations are pretty wide. I will be running 50/50 music to cinema, driving my FL and fr with an xpa-2 and my center and surrounds with a upa-5 for now. I have had some good not great polk speakers that I will work out of my system over time (and into my b set up) I created a list of speakers that are regularly highly regarded by emo users and have set a 3500 budget (I plan today a lot of pb&j over the next few months) I ultimately hope to whittle this list down to 3 sets and go from there. I plan to match my LR and c channels and work on surrounds later on. So Herr is the list, if you guys could respond back with your top 3 I would really appreciate it. The list is in no particular order here but if you could give me you #1 #2 and #3 in order I would really be grateful. Once I. Know the top 3, I plan do what I can to actually listen to each set. Paradigm studio 100 & cc690 Axiom m80 & up150 Rocket s850 & rsc200 Aperion 6t &6c Emo 8.3 & 6.3 Salk song tower and songcenter I forgot also mozart grand... vienna acoustics even though its a b it out of budget Many of those are internet direct companies. Perhaps you shold try and find local users who will be willing to show them off for you, so you can see and hear them in person. All of those speakers have their pros and cons, it just depends on what is important to you. Paradigm has a great reputation and honestly, you can't really go wrong with them. Aperion and Axiom have a 30 day in home trial program. Salk Sound is known for their quality build and custom finishes, not to mention excellent sound. Emo speakers have quite the following on this forum, and they are at a decent price point. I have owned Paradigm, Chateaux Research, Syndex, JBL. My current plan is to get some Salk speakers at some point because I love how they sound and look.
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Post by bfisher on Feb 17, 2010 13:49:25 GMT -5
good advice - finding someone local to listen to would be a great idea. Very few people can comment on more than 1 or 2 of the manufacturers you list... and if a couple can comment - why would you trust their assessment? Several people like to play know-it-all I researched all the same companies, and went with Emo most because I knew I was buying their amps so figured I'd give their speakers a shot and return them if I wasn't happy. I was very pleased once I got them and kept them. On your list, I only heard the Paradigms which I was very impressed with too... but decided for the money I could save - I'd give the Emos a serious shot first. Good Luck!
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lancity
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Post by lancity on Feb 17, 2010 14:21:20 GMT -5
I trust the folks on this board... they lead me to some amazing amps so I was hoping they'd help me narrow my list of speakers. I do plan to exhaust all options for hearing these units before buying... but i'd rather focus on 3 and not 6 or more... I know nobody has heard all of them but even opinions on why one over another on the list is extremely helpful
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ntrain42
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Post by ntrain42 on Feb 17, 2010 15:49:30 GMT -5
So basically your looking at a center and mains? Reason why your looking at the typical "internet box speaker" affair? I agree about going to a local high end AV store to check out some offerings other than those. If I am going to spend $3500 on 3 speakers, Im going to be setting my sights a little higher..............possibly even look for some used offerings on Audiogon.
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lancity
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Post by lancity on Feb 17, 2010 21:20:47 GMT -5
So basically your looking at a center and mains? Reason why your looking at the typical "internet box speaker" affair? I agree about going to a local high end AV store to check out some offerings other than those. If I am going to spend $3500 on 3 speakers, Im going to be setting my sights a little higher..............possibly even look for some used offerings on Audiogon. Good thoughts... and that is why I love this place... gives me ideas I wouldn't have come up with on my own.
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Post by roadrunner on Feb 18, 2010 0:45:16 GMT -5
There are so many fine speakers out there in your price range. Buying speakers has to be the single most subjective thing we do when building a HT system. What any of us love may not be what you would choose for your unique tastes.
From the list you presented, I have listened to the Emotiva, SongTowers and Paradigm Studio 100s. My tastes are driven primarily for music reproduction; and, with that in mind, I would rank them as follows.
1. Emotiva ERT-8.3/ERM-6.3 2. Salk SongTower/Salk Center 3. Paradigm Studio 100/CC690
Use high quality media you are intimately familar with when you audition speakers. If at all possible, make your comparisons in your own listening room using your own gear. The same Speakers can have tremendously different sound performance depending on the differing acoustic properties from one location to the next. This is why it is so important to try A-B 'ing the candidates in your own home. Good luck in your quest.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2010 0:59:50 GMT -5
If at all possible, make your comparisons in your own listening room using your own gear. The same Speakers can have tremendously different sound performance depending on the differing acoustic properties from one location to the next. This is why it is so important to try A-B 'ing the candidates in your own home. Great and essential advice. ;D
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Post by shawmcbigdis on Feb 18, 2010 23:35:41 GMT -5
I've only heard the Emo's and the Paradigm's on your list. I would say that for the price of the Emo's I've never heard anything that comes close to beating the Emo's. That said, I sent them back within the 30 day trial period. The reason being, I am willing to buy used and got a great deal on some B&W 804S's and an HTM3s on eBay. As good as the Emo's are they don't hold a candle to this setup. But you have to be willing to buy used, and wait for the good deal to pop up, and you may not get the cabinet color you want, or other little things like that when buying used. Also when buying higher end used gear like that, it causes a trickle down or maybe that should be trickle up?) effect. So while it seems like higher end speakers aren't really that much more expensive, you have to remember you now need matching surrounds, and possibly higher end electronics. In my case, I just bought a new Onkyo receiver and an XPA-3, since I've gotten the B&W's I've been longing for 3 XPA-1's and a good dedicated pre/pro. So not only did the speakers cost a little more, but now I'm looking at spending another $4k on electronics. I just ordered a pair of UPA-1's to help hold off the XPA-1 urge. So beware the spiral that "getting a good deal" can cause, it often ends up way more expensive than the not so good a deal
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lancity
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Post by lancity on Feb 19, 2010 9:18:43 GMT -5
Funny you mention that.... I was very happy with my speakers up until I discovered emotiva and while the new gear greatly enhanced their performance it also amplified their deficiencies.
The Tyler acoustics pb line looks curiously intriguing to me. Has anybody heard them?
Where I live there are very few (more like none) speaker shops and nothing has Nice high end gear... about the best I can hope to do is travel to the Detroit or grand rapids area to check some stuff out...
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ntrain42
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Post by ntrain42 on Feb 19, 2010 11:03:32 GMT -5
Funny you mention that.... I was very happy with my speakers up until I discovered emotiva and while the new gear greatly enhanced their performance it also amplified their deficiencies. The Tyler acoustics pb line looks curiously intriguing to me. Has anybody heard them? Where I live there are very few (more like none) speaker shops and nothing has Nice high end gear... about the best I can hope to do is travel to the Detroit or grand rapids area to check some stuff out... Let me ask you this: Do you like a laid back flat neutral sounding speaker or do you like a more forward in your face sound?
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lancity
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Post by lancity on Feb 19, 2010 12:00:40 GMT -5
I like crystal clear highs, strong bass, and well defined mids... so whatever that is, I like it.
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Post by taoggniklat on Feb 24, 2010 12:33:47 GMT -5
Funny you mention that.... I was very happy with my speakers up until I discovered emotiva and while the new gear greatly enhanced their performance it also amplified their deficiencies. The Tyler acoustics pb line looks curiously intriguing to me. Has anybody heard them? Where I live there are very few (more like none) speaker shops and nothing has Nice high end gear... about the best I can hope to do is travel to the Detroit or grand rapids area to check some stuff out... I believe Salk Sound is located near Grand Rapids so if you are interested in checking them out, contact them and they might be able to assist you. www.salksound.com/contact.shtml
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ntrain42
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Post by ntrain42 on Feb 24, 2010 12:37:14 GMT -5
I like crystal clear highs, strong bass, and well defined mids... so whatever that is, I like it. Hehe, well I think that is a given for all. For example, Paradigm "reference" speakers have a sound that is more forward in front of the speakers, more "in your face" if you will. A set of Kefs on the other hand are more laid back with a soundstage that seems to emulate back behind the speakers instead of forward.
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Post by taoggniklat on Feb 24, 2010 12:41:19 GMT -5
I like crystal clear highs, strong bass, and well defined mids... so whatever that is, I like it. Hehe, well I think that is a given for all. For example, Paradigm "reference" speakers have a sound that is more forward in front of the speakers, more "in your face" if you will. A set of Kefs on the other hand are more laid back with a soundstage that seems to emulate back behind the speakers instead of forward. Room placement and acoustics is a big part of that as well.
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ntrain42
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Post by ntrain42 on Feb 24, 2010 13:34:32 GMT -5
Hehe, well I think that is a given for all. For example, Paradigm "reference" speakers have a sound that is more forward in front of the speakers, more "in your face" if you will. A set of Kefs on the other hand are more laid back with a soundstage that seems to emulate back behind the speakers instead of forward. Room placement and acoustics is a big part of that as well. This is assuming that, but with a room like mine thats accoustically treated, Paradigm's Fz response is so that they are forward sounding compared to the Kef's which I used as a known example to myself.
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Post by briank on Feb 24, 2010 13:49:46 GMT -5
There's just no substitute for running around and auditioning a bunch of speakers. I think it's the only way to really find what your looking for. Reviews and forums can help you narrow your list sometimes but that's about it. Some other good speakers to check out are Revel, Magnepan, Selah Audio, Thiel, Joseph Audio, and the list goes on . . . . . . I'm right behind you too as I plan on buying some new speakers next year. Also, Emotiva should have a new line of "state of the art" speakers available next year if you want to wait and spend about $2500 or more for a pair of towers...... but, shhh you didn't hear that from me.
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Post by sanjaygolf on Feb 24, 2010 14:20:42 GMT -5
Are you upgrading your sub as well?
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Post by briank on Feb 24, 2010 15:02:22 GMT -5
Sanjaygolf, Not sure if you mean me or the OP, but as for myself, I don't plan to upgrade my sub in the immediate future. It's about 10 years old, but it does an awesome job and I'm still very happy with it. It's bass is pretty tight for a ported 15inch design. It's a 15tl plus model with a 700 watt amp. I sold almost all of my hometheater stuff along with my house after a divorce, so pretty much starting from scratch again. The only two pieces I kept are my sub and some little, circa 1995, def tech monitors that I used to use as surrounds in my first home theater. I painted them and put them on some cheap stands and they still sound unbelievably good considering their age and price paid. (thanks to the Emo electronics) They'll get me by until I can buy some new speakers come tax time next year. This year's goals are to complete my electronics purchases with an ERC-1, XMC-1, and an Oppo Blue Ray player. Speakerwise, I'm strongly considering driving to Raleigh, NC and auditioning some of Rick Craig's(Selah Audio) new Verita 2 way speakers that he's working on.
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lancity
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Post by lancity on Feb 26, 2010 13:01:42 GMT -5
There's just no substitute for running around and auditioning a bunch of speakers. I think it's the only way to really find what your looking for. Reviews and forums can help you narrow your list sometimes but that's about it. Some other good speakers to check out are Revel, Magnepan, Selah Audio, Thiel, Joseph Audio, and the list goes on . . . . . . I'm right behind you too as I plan on buying some new speakers next year. Also, Emotiva should have a new line of "state of the art" speakers available next year if you want to wait and spend about $2500 or more for a pair of towers...... but, shhh you didn't hear that from me. Thanks Brian! I actually did just run out on my lunch hour and give a listen to some Gen 4 Studio 100's... I kinda hate stereo places because you have to prove that you know what the heck you're talking about and you never do get some quality one on one time with the system (plus the guy was powering them with a receiver over something with real power... like an Emo Amp if you will) I did not know there was a new set of Emotiva Speakers coming in 2011... that might be a game changer. I admit it, I'm a fanboy for Emo gear. There really isn't anything WRONG with my current speakers, they are okay for a relatively amature set up like I have... but the more I hang around here the more sophisticated of a system I end up wanting. If the sub question was directed to me... yes, but that will definitely be a purchase that comes after we move and I get a dedicated HT. The wife has never understood why this black box needs to clutter up our living room, and she doesn't get why every movie needs to shake the house from the foundation.... women. I explored Salk a little bit but I didn't realize they were near Grand Rapids... I grew up there so I end up going back to visit family and friends about once a month. Might be a nice trip the next time my wife and mother take the Plastic to woodland mall.
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