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$5k Pair Full Range Speaker Shootout - Help me pick

Hi Guys,

Around the holidays I will be purchasing a pair of (roughly) $5k/pair full range stereo speakers for use in a 2-channel only system. My current JBL Synthesis HDI-1600’s will be accompanied by the matching HDI-4500 Center Speaker and likely an Arcam AVR30 and used exclusively for Home Theater use.


Here’s what I’m currently considering for the 2-Ch speakers. If you all could relay any experiences or impressions you’ve had with these specific speakers, or speakers in their range, it would surely help me make the right choice. I know a lot of people say "I listen to all genre’s", but I truly do have an enormous digital music collection that spans all genre’s. Everything from current EDM and Pop to High Res Classical, Audiophile tester type selections, every one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s top 500 albums of all time in FLAC (classic rock and funk heavy), etc. I like to put all of this content on shuffle and just listen to whatever happens.

2-ch system will continue to be powered as follows:

Digital - Foobar2000 --> SMSL SU-8 v2 --> Classe CAP-151

Analog - Technics SL1300mkII --> Ortofon 2M Red --> NAD PP-3 --> Classe CAP151


The speaker choices:

JBL L100 Classic

https://ibb.co/yhjJHn1

Revel Performa F208

https://ibb.co/TK4PNBD

B&W 702 S2

https://ibb.co/D4qPFcH
128x128dougeyjones
cd318
2,636 posts
 
I’m familiar with the original JBL L100s but haven’t been able to find a single comparison between them and the new ones. Very strange, as that would be the first thing I’d want to know.

The originals are fabulous speakers, open, airy and clean and quick with just a bite in the treble. If the new ones are better then they must be excellent.

So then why has no one claimed that the new ones are better? Not even JBL. I’m now beginning to suspect that maybe they aren’t.

Whilst I’m certain that the B&W 702s will be excellently engineered speakers, how could they not be, I’d still go for the Revel F208s which will have a lot of practical and technical know-how behind them.
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
I’m familiar with the 702S2. Not a bad choice at 5k. I’d suggest adding Spendor A7 and the $5k Dynaudio model (forget what it is called) to your list if you are open to options. 

When I did my speaker search 18 months ago those were my top picks under 5k before I raised my budget. 

At 5k I also thought Focal 948 was solid. Those are the ones that come to mind, and maybe also a Linn model. Again, sorry don’t remember the number. 

Listen to as many as you can. Doesn’t matter what we think, only you. Those are what I liked at that price point
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,313 posts
 
Go gently used, and you can widen your horizons considerably and get a lot better than those three.
gdnrbob
4,419 posts
 
I think you need to broaden your search. 
Considering your minor hearing impairment(mentioned on another thread), I would look at a phase/time aligned speaker like Vandersteen, or an electrostatic like Magnepan or Sound Labs.
Not that they would alleviate your hearing issue, but they seem to not aggravate it.
At least in my opinion.

Bob
 
jjss49's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
bad choices in the lot
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