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Used vs New vs Vintage vs Floorstanding vs Bookshelf vs ..... OMG!

OK. I am new in this (new in HIFI, in Audiogon, in discussion forums). I need to buy a pair of speakers for a newly-to-be-built HIFI system, and I am getting a little overwhelmed about all the options and possibilities (and opinions). By the way, I am NOT rich so that helps me a lot to discard a bunch of options.

I started checking vintage HIFI speakers for around $500, basically old JBLs, Technics, and the like (eBay, Craiglist, Letgo). Of course as soon as I began I started checking newer and pricier loudspeakers... and I am trying not to be a consumerist… Either way first  I decided for a pair of JBLs vintage. Until I watched John Darko's youtube review on the ELAC Navis ARB-51. So I changed my mind, I raised my budget and changed from vintage to new, from big to small.

Then I learned about the huge immense used HIFI market. For the same price of the Navis I could buy speakers from enormous brands like Sonus Faber and Focal and B&W in the used market. There I could find Sonus Faber Veneres for 1500, B&W 802 for 2000, and so on. When I contacted somebody from another webpage (The music room) about which was the best option.... the response was... Vandersteen 2Ce signature, "by far". I looked for opinions about it and all I read about them was "OK but meeh". 

So I was really confused. Until I learnt about the Tekton Double Impact, and now I started to get some dizziness. "The best loudspeakers for that price range", "the best period", etc. I contacted Eric Alexander, who kindly took his time to explain me why paper speakers are still the best, and so on. So they are great, really great, for "just" $3000... and I raised my budget again.

Either way, I have read so much, heard so much, watched so much, and I haven't learned much really. Different experts have different opinions, whether the speakers should be flat or not, colored or true, whether it is a matter of "taste" or "you should listen and like them". Well I am no expert, I am 45 years old and I probably won't listen wavelengths of 50 Htzs or lower.

I just want a pair of good speakers so I can enjoy King Crimson, Ramones or Beethoven.

Can anybody help? PLEASE???....

tykozen
larryi
4,054 posts
 
Elizabeth has offered good advice about just finding something you like and not worrying about if there is something "better" out there.  There is too vast an array of candidates to hear even a small fraction of what is out there.  Also, in time, your own taste will change. 

As to your question about floorstanders vs. bookshelf speakers, I have heard many small, compact systems that sound very good.  But, none of them sound that good used as "bookshelf" speakers--they all sound better on speaker stands set off some distance from nearby walls.  I've heard very expensive speakers which where put into wall units or mounted in the walls themselves, and only those specifically designed for in-wall location sounded reasonably good.

A compact, stand mounted speaker can compete soundwise with a tall floorstanding model.  For example, ProAc has a floorstander DT8 which is about the same price as their small stand-mounted speaker the D2 (the D2 is a little bit less but requires a good stand so the costs are comparable).  Both sound very good for the money, but, if it were my dollars being spent, I would go with the D2.  The Harbeth line also offers stand-mounted speakers that sound very good.  If your taste runs to warmer sounding speakers, you must make an effort to hear Audio Note compact speakers.  
 
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
tykozen asks:
Oh I have another question: is there really any difference between a Sony CD/Blu ray reader and an incredibly-expensive used CD reader from Audiophile brands?

and
Don't understand how a speaker with a single driver and tweeter can be more expensive and sound so much better than, let say, the Veneres, for a fraction of the price, more drivers, and supposedly, still good quality components. Are they really so good?


Yes. And no.

Depends.

Look, a bunch of guys have been saying you need to go and listen. I'll go even further. If there is one thing you can learn that will help you more than anything else its that you have to go and listen because nobody knows.

Because if one guy knows then next thing you know the secret gets out and everyone knows. Which look around, hasn't happened. So nobody knows.

The downside of this is you can't just sit there at your keyboard and click the mouse a few times and have your dream system droned to your door. You have to go and listen. The upside is you can quit wasting your time on theory, design, materials, models, new, used, other peoples opinions, all of that. Anything and everything you think you might be interested in, the only thing you care about is finding one to listen to in person.

The big, big, BIG upside to this is by going and listening you will eventually discover there's really cheap unbelievable bargains out there. Bargains nobody here will ever tell you about because they don't even know about them. Because they can only be found by searching and finding and listening to them. 


fleschler
2,021 posts
 
I think you should start with an easy to enjoy speaker, not necessarily a high end speaker.  I use Legacy speakers in a high end system but in your smaller size room, you could be satisfied with Harbeths.  They're easy to drive with amps and have great mids.  Sure a Magnepan can get you more audiophile quality sound but require prodigious power or really excellent quality amps and probably is too dynamically limited for your type of music.  I would definitely start with good used gear.  You could run a pair of Harbeths with a  low power 1970s Yamaha receiver or even for $50, a 7100 Sherwood receiver (lower power ones sound better) and get really enjoyable sound.  I've set up beginners systems this way and they have many positive musically enjoyable features.  Your choice of a $3,000 speaker (new) would require some nice equipment and room acoustic treatment to extract high end sound.  It will cost both money and effort to achieve great sound.  Start out small and improve your gear incrementally over time is my advice.
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drumbe
7 posts
 
After trying the kef Ls50's and many others, I finally went back to a pair of Polk LSi9 speakers.  I had them previously and they are now back on stands and sounding fantastic.
One thing to keep in mind... they are rear ported so do not like being too closed in... like in a corner (port noise can occur).  The LSi9 were around $1000 new and can be found, in nice condition, for around $500-$600.
My audio friends and I like them better than the key LS50's!
I'm a retired drummer... so pretty picky!  Drumbe
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