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Large room but not large budget-suggestions please

We are moving to a new house in December that will have a fairly large listening room (about 22x25)with a 2-story vaulted ceiling. I originally posted this question in the amp forum a couple months ago when I thought I would be moving to a similar sized smaller room and could upgrade amp and speakers but that is not the case now. My budget is $1000-$1500 tops.

We listen mostly to Classic Rock, Jazz, Blues as well as some vocal and classical. Most listening is moderate volume. We currently have a Cambidge Audio Azur Integrated (60wpc)and some Altec bookshelves. The speakers will not be doing HT duty. I am considering the Totem Arro's, Monitor Silver 6, Vandersteen 2Ce Signature, and Revel Concerta F12's.

I know I should probably upgrade the amp as well as speakers but the budget will only allow one for now. I want to get the most bang for my buck and I'm thinking that the speakers will make the biggest impact. What are some opinions on the speakers I'm considering, are there any better ones (used/Audigon) is fine.
ruleof72
timrhu
2,779 posts
 
Of the speakers on your list I've owned only the Vandersteens. They were way too large for the room I had at the time so they never got a fair evaluation. That being said, I'm going to recommend you check out the Polk Audio LSi-15. These speakers are extremely well reviewed and fit within your budget. I find them to be very revealing but never hard to listen to.
Okay, so they aren't esoteric. They are worth investigating.
arni
313 posts
 
Jalapenos has a very strong point, and I second his order of importance. However, given your altec bookshelfs and the size of the room, you will probably have to focus on speakers first. If you are sticking with the Azur for the time being, I would look for large, sensitive (90db+) but forgiving speakers. I'm surprised that nobody has recommended Klipsch La Scala (used on Ausiogon for 900-1300) or other good Klipsch models for that matter given your music preference, room size, and amplification limitations. But there is a lot of options out there....
jburidan
803 posts
 
Buy a used pair of Infinity Intermezzo 2.6 active speakers, with powered subwoofers and RABOS room equalizer onboard. These were Stereophile Class 'A' and will fill rooms twice the size of yours. NOTE: you don't want the passive version.

Later when you can afford it, look for a push-pull tube integrated amp with 40 watts, such as an SLI-80 Signature, or comparable BAT, Jolida, Canary, etc. -- you can build a great system around a pair of Intermezzo 2.6's.
kotta's avatar
kotta
649 posts
 
An older pr. of Snell floorstanders would be an outstanding choice. I own E/III's and J/IV's and these are both GREAT spks. Check out the Snell D/C/B's as well. Forget the Arro's. Too small for the room and IMO a little overpriced. The Vandersteen would be good option as well. Good Luck!
artk's avatar
artk
33 posts
 
I have to second the B&W 600 series suggestion. They will fill a large room and have the grunt to carry off classic rock and blues very well. They are not quite subtle enough for jazz for me but they really are a punchy speaker that should work well with the Cambridge amp.
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