rjs@hpfclo.UUCP (rjs) (02/06/85)
[()]
I am beginning to consider replacing a pair of Bose 901 (model II)
speakers. I plan to be in the $1500 to $2000 range. As I am
saving up for the step up now I have plenty of time to listen to
a wide variety of speakers before I make a decision. Does anyone
have any good speaker recommendations in this price range? So far
I have listened to several B&W's, Klipsh's and Magnapan MGIII's.
To date I have been most impressed with the MGIII's, but I'm
sure that I may well find others that I like as well. I will
summarize any recommendations that I recieve. Thanks in advance.
Bob Schneider
{ihnp4|hplabs}!hpfcla!hpfcl!rjsherbie@watdcsu.UUCP (Herb Chong [DCS]) (02/10/85)
In article <42400005@hpfclo.UUCP> rjs@hpfclo.UUCP (rjs) writes: >[()] > I am beginning to consider replacing a pair of Bose 901 (model II) > speakers. I plan to be in the $1500 to $2000 range. As I am > saving up for the step up now I have plenty of time to listen to > a wide variety of speakers before I make a decision. Does anyone > have any good speaker recommendations in this price range? So far > I have listened to several B&W's, Klipsh's and Magnapan MGIII's. > To date I have been most impressed with the MGIII's, but I'm > sure that I may well find others that I like as well. I will > summarize any recommendations that I recieve. Thanks in advance. > > > Bob Schneider > {ihnp4|hplabs}!hpfcla!hpfcl!rjs if your ceiling is high enough, try accoustat 2+2's or 3's (do they still make these?). there's also the quad esl-63's. i am fond of electrostatics, having heard very good ones and you are in the price range where the the designer does not have to trade off so much for pricing. i have listened many times to B&W 802's and i like them, but they need proper setup and really should be re-wired with heavier wire. the DM3000's are very nice with a slightly smoother midrange than my DM7's before i re-wired them. you should also look into KEF, Celestion, and Mission speakers too. of these all though, i recommend the accoustat 2+2's if you can set them up properly. not all rooms can accommodate them and they will not sound right if improperly placed. Herb Chong... I'm user-friendly -- I don't byte, I nybble.... UUCP: {decvax|utzoo|ihnp4|allegra|clyde}!watmath!water!watdcsu!herbie CSNET: herbie%watdcsu@waterloo.csnet ARPA: herbie%watdcsu%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa NETNORTH, BITNET, EARN: herbie@watdcs, herbie@watdcsu
mwm@ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARPA (02/11/85)
I'm been looking at/for speakers for about 4 months (including a move in the middle). The upper limit on price has slowly crept up from $900 to $1500. At this point, the two best pairs of speakers I've heard are the Celestion SL-600 (*not* the SL-6), and a pair of Tympanies (sp?). The SL-600 are small, very clear, very tight speakers. If you've heard the SL-6, think of a version with tighter sound, a *much* larger sound stage, and much better bass response. They cost $1500, including stands on tip-toes that you're supposed to fill with sand. It's been about 2 months since I heard the Tympanies. I remember them as better than the SL-600 (deeper soundstage, better bass), slightly cheaper ($1400 or so), and large. I'm looking for a pair on sale in the SF Bay, so I can verify that I don't have space for them (sob). I have as yet to hear the much-vaunted JSE-1's. The place where I heard the Tympanies agreed they were excellent speakers, and were going to be selling them. They didn't think that the JSE's were as good as the Tympanies, but considered them much better than any other conventional speakers. Of the three speakers you mentioned (B&W's, Klipsh, and Magnapan), I agree with you about the Magnapan's being the best. However, I think they're a little colored, and I'm not really happy with the soundstage. <mike
wagner@uw-june (Dave Wagner) (02/13/85)
If you have $1500-$2000 to spend on speakers, you really should audition
the Polk Audio SDA-1. These are the speakers which do the same job as
Carver's sonic holography, but they do it acoustically, not electronically.
The effect holds up better as you move around the room than with Carver's
equipment. (I know many of you audiophiles look upon this kind of
processing with disdain, but how many of you have actually heard these
speakers?) Without the crosstalk cancellation cable, these speakers
are very good - extremely natural sound, very extended bass response,
and room-shaking dynamic range.
But with all the cables hooked up, well, they are simply awesome.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Oh no! I've got . . . . . HAPPY FEET!"
Dave Wagner
University of Washington Comp Sci Department
wagner@{uw-june.arpa|washington.arpa}
{ihnp4|decvax}!uw-beaver!uw-june!wagnerben@moncol.UUCP (Bennett Broder) (02/13/85)
>I'm been looking at/for speakers for about 4 months (including >a move in the middle). The upper limit on price has slowly crept >up from $900 to $1500. At this point, the two best pairs of speakers >I've heard are the Celestion SL-600 (*not* the SL-6), and a pair of >Tympanies (sp?). > >The SL-600 are small, very clear, very tight speakers. If you've heard the >SL-6, think of a version with tighter sound, a *much* larger sound stage, >and much better bass response. They cost $1500, including stands on >tip-toes that you're supposed to fill with sand. I have heard the Celestions, and although I have to agree they are good sounding speakers, I think they are over-priced. A review of the SL-600 appears in the current issue of Audio magazine, and although I don't agree with many of the reviewer's criticisms, he does have a point when he states that there are better speakers available at a lower price. Since I, too, like the imaging and soundstage of a small speaker system, I suggest you audition the speakers I have selected for my system. I have a pair of ProAc Elixirs, with a subwoofer. These speakers ($750 pair) mated with a $500 subwoofer sound better to me than many of the more expensive systems. I think I would even prefer the ProAc Tablette (about $500pr, also mentioned in above Audio article) and a small subwoofer. The ProAc systems are small 2-way systems -- clean, flat and accurate in the midrange and treble, but very weak in the bass. The are made in England and have received very favorable reviews in the Absolute Sound. I realize that three piece speaker systems are not quite as popular today as they once were, but if the subwoofer is carefully matched with its sattelites, I find that they offer a definite price/performance advantage. Ben Broder ..ihnp4!vax135!petsd!moncol!ben ..princeton!moncol!ben p.s. I would be interested hearing other netters comments on both 3-piece speaker systems, as well as ProAc spekers.
rich@hplvle.UUCP (rich) (02/14/85)
I purchased a pair of Vandersteen 1B 's about a month ago and
I'm very pleased with the imaging. These were about $650/pr.
You might give a listen to the Vandersteen 2C's (~$1300/pr).
They are a larger speaker with abit more bass and definition
than the 1B's but with the same open, well dispersed sound.
Rich Manzini
hplabs!hplvla!richwagner@uw-june (Dave Wagner) (02/15/85)
In regards to comments on satellite/subwoofer systems, I think Pyramid
makes the finest systems of this type that have a REASONABLE cost.
The Pyramid Met-7 satellites are two-way systems that are very accurate
and sound very nice, but are weak in the bass. Pyramid also makes a
subwoofer which is designed to be hooked up with the Met-7s, either
singly or in pairs. The overall sound is very nice across the entire
audio spectrum.
But the really nice thing about this system is that it's (relatively)
inexpensive to start and allows you to grow. For example, you can
start with a pair of Met-7s (~$300) and a single subwoofer (~$400);
later you can add another subwoofer and even a pair of Pyramid
ribbon tweeters (these suckers are expensive, though!). I have heard
the entire system as described and it really rivals the expensive
systems (e.g. Kef 105s). You owe them a listen!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Oh no! I've got . . . . . HAPPY FEET!"
Dave Wagner
University of Washington Comp Sci Department
wagner@{uw-june.arpa|washington.arpa}
{ihnp4|decvax}!uw-beaver!uw-june!wagnersasaki@harvard.ARPA (Marty Sasaki) (02/15/85)
> ... I think I > would even prefer the ProAc Tablette (about $500pr, also mentioned in > above Audio article) and a small subwoofer. The ProAc systems are > small 2-way systems -- clean, flat and accurate in the midrange and > treble, but very weak in the bass. The are made in England and have > received very favorable reviews in the Absolute Sound. I realize that > three piece speaker systems are not quite as popular today as they > once were, but if the subwoofer is carefully matched with its > sattelites, I find that they offer a definite price/performance > advantage. > Ben Broder I like the Tablettes quite a bit (especially for the price), but they definitely need a sub-woofer or two. I have found that the placement of the sub-woofer is very important unless the cross-over allows some sort of variable delay. The sound from the sub-woofer should be in phase with the sattelites. This brings up another question. If you use a common sub-woofer with a CD player that uses one DAC, does the phase difference cause any problems? -- Marty Sasaki Havard University Science Center sasaki@harvard.{arpa,uucp} 617-495-1270
mwm@ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARPA (02/17/85)
First, the good news: Celestion, unlike some other British speaker manufacturers, has noted the strength of the dollar. The price for the SL-600 has fallen to $1200/pr, and the SL-6 to $700/pr. I've listened to some M&K three-way systems. They didn't seem to have much more bass, and weren't as clear as, the SL-600's. I thought about three-ways for a while, and decided that, unless I found one that was every bit as clear & sharp as the SL-600, I'd stick with two-ways. I can always add a subwoofer later. As for the JSE-1's, I can't find a pair to listen to in the SF area. Anybody out there in the area mind loaning me there listening room? Better yet, do you feel like shipping me your pair for a week, Bill :-)? <mike
mwm@ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARPA (02/19/85)
[We don't need your fascist groove thang.] In the continuing search for audio excellence, I ran into yet another interesting speaker, the ITC 1. These are small (I would say less than half the volume of the Celestion SL-6/600) three-way speakers (5" midrange, 1 1/2" tweeter, 1" 'super-tweeter'). The image depth is incredible. When I pumped sound through them, the speakers proper dissapeared from the audio image. I've never run into that effect before (well, Bose does it, but they don't image at all), but I like it. So, questions: 1) Does anybody know anything about the ITC 1? The dealer claimed that there had been rave reviews in the underground press. 2) Is the dissapearing act (spaciousness?) liable to dissapear when I move those speakers into my house. Oh, yeah, the price: $800/pair, with stands. <mike
mwm@ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARPA (02/19/85)
I forgot: The ITC 1s use some kind of active box between the preamp and the amp (tape loop for those with recievers/integrated amps). Anybody know what kind of magic this box does, and how much harm leaving it out, or putting it in on other speakers will do? Thanx, <mike
gig@ritcv.UUCP (gordon ) (02/21/85)
> > ... I think I > > would even prefer the ProAc Tablette (about $500pr, also mentioned in > > above Audio article) and a small subwoofer. The ProAc systems are > > small 2-way systems -- clean, flat and accurate in the midrange and > > treble, but very weak in the bass. The are made in England and have > > received very favorable reviews in the Absolute Sound. I realize that > > three piece speaker systems are not quite as popular today as they > > once were, but if the subwoofer is carefully matched with its > > sattelites, I find that they offer a definite price/performance > > advantage. > > Ben Broder > > I like the Tablettes quite a bit (especially for the price), but they > definitely need a sub-woofer or two. I have found that the placement of > the sub-woofer is very important unless the cross-over allows some sort > of variable delay. The sound from the sub-woofer should be in phase with > the sattelites. > Marty Sasaki > Havard University Science Center > sasaki@harvard.{arpa,uucp} > 617-495-1270 If you can find someplace that has KEF 101 satellites and an Audio Pro B2-40 or B2-50 subwoofer, its worth having a listen. The cost new is approx. $600 for the KEFs and $700 for the B2-40 subwoofer but these are made for each other and the sound is fabulous. Placement of the subwoofer does not seem significant in my apt. The subwoofer's crossover, when properly adjusted to the satellites, cleans up the midrange of the KEF's significantly. Since these speakers and the subwoofer have been around for a few years and as noted above are not as popular as they once were, used KEFs and Audio Pros are available. The KEFs are delightful by themselves (although a bit shy of response below 60 Hz) and I lived with them alone until I found an AudioPro being sold as a demo by a local shop. My guess is that with persistence and patience, you could get the lot for about $1000. They also sound great with a CD player. Gordon @ RIT p.s. The Audio pro subwoofer must be connected between the preamp and amp so that the crossover can filter out the deep bass before the signal is fed to the amp (and the satellites). Many recievers and integrated amps have "pre-out" and "amp-in" jacks to let you accomplish this. If you can't do this, the Audio Pro's crossover doesn't do you much good and the sound would just be ok.
ehl@Shasta.ARPA (06/04/85)
Hi, all. I'm looking at upgrading my audio system and would like to solicit some speaker suggestions from those on the net. I've read previous speaker discussions with interest, but unfortunately they covered speakers which are out of my limited price range. I'm looking at spending around $600 for the pair. So far, I've listened to: B&W DM220's, Magneplanar SMGA's, Vandersteen 1B's, ADS 780's, and KEF Carlton's. Of these, I prefer the Vandersteen's, which I suppose (without any real information) are the baby brothers of the 2C's which have been mentioned in previous messages. I would be very interested in hearing about any other speakers in this price range that I should listen to (or whether I should bag new speakers and just get a CD -- seriously!). If it makes any difference, my current system is: NAD 1020 Preamp NAD 2140 Power Amp NAD 4150 Tuner Denon DP1250 turntable with Infinity Black Widow tone arm Grace F9E cartridge Nakamichi LX-5 cassette deck Polk Audio 5 speakers. Thanks, Elgin Lee -- Elgin Lee UUCP: ..decvax!decwrl!glacier!navajo!ehl ARPA: ehl@su-navajo.ARPA, ehl@su-score.ARPA
kek@mgweed.UUCP (Kit Kimes) (06/06/85)
If you can stretch your budget to about $700, I recommend you listen the the Design Acoustic PS-30 setup. This consists of two of their PS-5 speakers and one of their PS-LF sub-woofer. I heard this set up at the Summer CES a couple of days ago and it really blew me away! I wouldn't have believed that small speakers could sound this good. The speakers are 11 1/4 x 7 3/8 x 5 1/2 inch and the sub-woofer is 21 1/2 x 16 x 16 inch. They are easy to place in a room also. If you can spend just a little more, substitute the PS-6's for the 5's and it is even better (I think). By the way, I heard about six to eight speaker demos and every one was using CD as the source. Made me feel good. Kit Kimes AT&T Consumer Products Montgomery Works Montgomery, Il. 60538-0305 ..!ihnp4!mgweed!kek
chris@oberon.UUCP (Christopher Ho) (09/21/85)
This has probably been asked many times before, but... I am looking for recommendations regarding home speakers. I have a 60w/ch receiver and will be playing CDs mostly; my budget goes somewhere up to $500 (so I'm poor :-). If buying used speakers will enable me to get better quality at that price, I may do that (assuming I can find some for sale). I realize opinions are highly subjective, especially in audio speakers. What do people have to say about (in Southern California) RogerSound Lab speakers? KEFs? Boston Acoustics? Others? I love mail!!