1. Think long, future flexibility, options, desirable future additions now.
2. efficient speakers: sensitivity 1w/1m: 90 db or more.
IF you can find efficient speakers you love, THEN it will reduce your power needs. That will reduce: cost, size, heat; and increase: equipment choices, placement options.
AND, critically, with all those advantages: enable trying TUBE equipment.
3. bi-amp speakers capability, limits your choices, but increases your future flexibility.
4. sub(s) now or in the future. Video: 1 sub can add some dinosaur stomp. Music: I recommend a stereo pair of subs, no ports, front facing located adjacent to the mains, so fundamentals and their overtones can establish directionality.
5. speaker placement flexibility. I advocate steady placement with easy movement, i.e. felt feet, plastic slip sheets, or wheels (if so, 3 wheels with anti-tipping corner blocks). Find ideal placement and ideal toe-in for you alone, and adjust toe-in for 2 listeners to get both a wider center and retain some l/r imaging
6. Buy, Keep, Return/Exchange Speakers.
Any speaker, the very best, is designed for an imaginary space, and any speaker might sound great, good, or down right lousy in your space.
If you cannot listen first, find a seller with several viable options in your budget that will allow an evaluation, refund or exchange.
7. Existing Equipment, Better Equipment Later, according to the long range plan.
You can use your existing equipment to ascertain the new speakers sound in YOUR space, then later you change to better equipment so those speakers can reveal more of the source.
2. efficient speakers: sensitivity 1w/1m: 90 db or more.
IF you can find efficient speakers you love, THEN it will reduce your power needs. That will reduce: cost, size, heat; and increase: equipment choices, placement options.
AND, critically, with all those advantages: enable trying TUBE equipment.
3. bi-amp speakers capability, limits your choices, but increases your future flexibility.
4. sub(s) now or in the future. Video: 1 sub can add some dinosaur stomp. Music: I recommend a stereo pair of subs, no ports, front facing located adjacent to the mains, so fundamentals and their overtones can establish directionality.
5. speaker placement flexibility. I advocate steady placement with easy movement, i.e. felt feet, plastic slip sheets, or wheels (if so, 3 wheels with anti-tipping corner blocks). Find ideal placement and ideal toe-in for you alone, and adjust toe-in for 2 listeners to get both a wider center and retain some l/r imaging
6. Buy, Keep, Return/Exchange Speakers.
Any speaker, the very best, is designed for an imaginary space, and any speaker might sound great, good, or down right lousy in your space.
If you cannot listen first, find a seller with several viable options in your budget that will allow an evaluation, refund or exchange.
7. Existing Equipment, Better Equipment Later, according to the long range plan.
You can use your existing equipment to ascertain the new speakers sound in YOUR space, then later you change to better equipment so those speakers can reveal more of the source.