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Speakers for a large room for around $1000

I am moving soon into a new house where the main room is about 12x14ft with a vaulted ceiling up to the second floor (maybe about 15-20 ft high).

I am looking for 2-channel stereo speakers exclusively for music. I don't really play my music that loud, but I do like the music to really fill up the room. I'm not a huge audiophile (meaning I'm not going to spend a lot of time analyzing or obsessing over my speakers)--- all I'm looking for are some good solid speakers that have a good frequency response (and might sound good with a tube amplifier).

My budget is about $1000. I could stretch that up to maybe $1300, but I'd have to be convinced the extra is really worth it. I'd also really prefer to have new speakers, mostly for the warranty. Though again, I could be convinced otherwise if it's worth it.

I've considered speakers from a whole bunch of manufacturers, i.e, Paradigm to B&W, Axiom, DefTech, Klipsch, Polk, etc, but due to my geographical location I'm really not able to demo many, so I'm stuck trying to make this decision based on online reviews. It's tough for me to separate audio speakers from home-theater speakers just by reading reviews.

Any and all help is really appreciated!
blnd2spll
sgtr
9 posts
 
I am also in the market for that price range. How about the following:

a. Vandersteen
b. Paradigm
c. Quad
d. PSB

Any ranking of these please?
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
05-05-10: Sgtr
I am also in the market for that price range. How about the following:

a. Vandersteen
b. Paradigm
c. Quad
d. PSB

Any ranking of these please?
Depends on room size and shape, listening habits, positioning flexibility, and amp type and power driving the speakers.

Also your musical and tonal preferences. For example, Paradigm and PSB are both Canadian companies that do a lot of research as Canada's National Research Foundation. Yet Paradigm tends to have more boom 'n' sizzle while PSB is known for a transparent, honest midrange and incredible frequency linearity. They're both similar in sensitivity, impedance load, and dispersion pattern. Personally my taste strongly prefers PSB, but YMMV depending on taste and music selection.

TAS has chosen SIX different PSB speakers at different price categories for at least the last two years running.

Still, each of the speakers you listed has special "gifts." Vandersteens have a realistic tonal balance, focused midrange, low cabinet resonances and diffraction distortion. They're phase coherent which makes for the most scintillating imaging and facilitate hearing deep into the music and the soundstage. Quads are famous for sounding lifelike at low to medium volumes. Paradigm probably leads the four for bass slam and overall speed. I consider the PSB to be a well balanced all-rounder with a better-than-expected midrange, both timbrally accurate and transparent.
rleff
1,065 posts
 
Which way are you leaning now?
rleff
1,065 posts
 
I see you are getting suggestions for soundlab's;I own soundlab M2's and I would remind you that if you are considering a soundlab speaker make sure that your amp(s) can drive them properly;if they can you may never want another speaker again.
srlaser
17 posts
 
Hey I have a pair of OMD-15s and my friends' jaws drop with envy when they hear them.
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