Looking for speaker recommendations under $5K

Hi Deringer,

Well, at least the first step is to admit that you have an Audio Problem at home. (LOL).

You can get some wonderful speakers for $5000, but if your goal is to build a high-end audio system, than I think that money should be spread around a little more. Although your Pioneer Elite Receiver is a decent receiver for background music and perhaps a Movie. I wouldn't consider it to be the foundation of a High-End Audio System, to be used for critical listening

I think you need to view this system as more than just buying $5000 speakers. You can buy $10,000 speakers hook them up to your modest Pioneer Receiver and they will probably sound terrible. You could also buy $2000 Speakers, a $2000 Amplifier, and a $1000 external DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) to be hooked up to your very good Pioneer Elite CD/DVD Player to be used as a Transport and get an absolutely wonderful sound. I think that's what your goal should be.

I know you're probably asking yourself what's an external DAC? All CD players have an internal DAC to convert the sound from Digital Bits to Analog Music, so that we may hear the sounds through our stereo system since we can't hear in digital. For the most part, these internal DAC's in modest CD Players are usually inexpensive, and bare bones just to get the job done. An external DAC, will attach to an input on the back of your Pioneer Elite CD player, using a digital cable, and it will take your musical reproduction to new heights. These external DAC's may cost anywhere from $250 to $25,000 however you can buy an excellent used DAC from $1000 to $1600 in my opinion, and then about $100 for a decent digital cable. The good news is that your Pioneer Elite CD/DVD Player will be more than up to the task.

Now onto preamps; a preamp will allow you to control the volume and select a source that you would like to listen to. Now, more bad news, the preamp in your pioneer receiver is not very good, sorry but true. The good news is that a lot of the new external DAC's on the market have built in volume control's and some even have a built-in source selector. Some people only listen to CD's and they don't need source switching capabilities.

If I were designing your System, I would recommend that you get; Floor-Standing Speakers for that very large room of yours, a separate Amplifier, and an external DAC; with a Volume Control, remote, and possible switching source ability depending on your needs.

To give you a starting point of reference..., I absolutely love the build quality, form factor, value, and musical reproduction of Bel Canto gear. I own a Bel Canto Ref1000 Monoblock Amplifier, and I can highly recommend it; check out all of the reviews on the internet. This amp was $4000 new, but can now be had for $2000 here on Audiogon, because the new Ref II model just came out this year. I also have owned the Bel Canto DAC3, which I absolutely loved as well, and this was $2500 new, and approx. $1600 used.

Speakers, are a more personal selection, but you can probably get used speakers here for $2000 and up that would meet your needs, that originally sold for $5000 new.

I would think you need a tower speaker with at least 3-4 drivers that goes down to at least 30Hz-35Hz for the bass region in that huge room of yours. A few brands that I can recommend you check out are; Vandersteen 3A, Von Schweikert VR-4jr, Aerial Acoustics 7B ,Verity Audio Fidelio, and the Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Concert Grand.

Read some reviews, find a good dealer, sometimes you could get a good deal on demo gear, listen to some speakers, and then after you decide on speakers, then you could match up an Amplifier, DAC and Cables.

Regards,
Rich

But Mikey Fremer liked the Pioneer VSX 59TXi. It's been blessed by one of the high priests of the faith.

First let me say I am very biased toward dipole planer speakers.I own both box(Snell E) and planers(Acoustat 2) and I love them both, but if I had to give one up it would be the boxs. That said,buy yourself a nice set of Acoustats. You can get them here on Audiogon or Ebay for less than $1000.00! Then spend the rest on a Antique Sound labs Hurricane tube amp(used).These speakers are special. I have had mine for 29 years without any problem except for cats climbing them (I am on my third set of socks). Once you have experienced these speakers, it is hard to go back to boxes.Detail,imaging,presence are all words my audiophile friends use when they hear them.
Also indestructible.I have had these with kids,cats,dogs,moved across the country twice and survived it all.
I suggest the spectral models if you can find them (2200,3300,4400).If not those then get the 1+1,2,2+2,3,3+3. Preferably with medallian transformers, but you can always have the transformers modified.(big improvement!)
The bigger the model,the more efficient it will be.
Do not get the ones with the sub woofers. ESLs and subs never,NEVER work! The subs are too slow for the super fast panel and timing suffers.Martin Logins sound disjointed and not homogeneous because of this.
Just sit back and enjoy some Joni,Solti,Kings,Monk or whatever you like and enjoy.

You might want to take a look at the Odyssey Lorelei's. You wouldn't need a sub with these and Klaus has a 30 day home trial.

good luck in your search

Jeff

"But Mikey Fremer liked the Pioneer VSX 59TXi. It's been blessed by one of the high priests of the faith."
With appoloiges to the late great Frank Zappa: "...And remember kids, there's a difference between kneeling down and bending over."