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Silverline Preludes : Still a good buy?

Hi, thought I'd ask the question as I know there are a few owners of the Preludes here at AG.
I'm very close to signing up for a pair of these slimline floorstanders and it's a bit of an undertaking as I'm in Australia and they'll end up costing me about $500-600 over their US starting price by the time they arrive at my door down here.
I looked at Totem Arro's and I've looked at several Aussie manufacturers as well but I keep coming back to the Preludes and everything I read about them pleases me but I'm probably breaking cardinal rule #1 Audition your speakers...listen before you buy!
I can't of course but I see them as a way for me to advance my modest system as it stands at the moment.

I'll be driving them with either of my two intergrateds, my Rega Mira3 or my Redgum SonofaGum(you may not know this amp in the US) with a Rega Apollo doing cdp duty and I'll try bi-wiring and single but I've read that these will go well with tube amplification and that's what I'd like to do eventually.

Do you think these are still a good buy, are there any other slimline floorstanders I should be thinking about in this price range?
The Silverline company itself has been very helpful so far in quoting for freight and providing info and that also helps sway you when people come across as helpful and not every company does as I know from exp.
Buying from overseas can be fraught with pitfalls but I'm hoping that this will go smoothly if I take the plunge.

Any advice you could supply would be appreciated.

Cheers TL
thelid
thelid OP
15 posts
 
Thanks again Wolf for the info. :D
Once I get to hear them and get them a bit run in, I'll look at maybe getting a sub if the SQ calls for it.

Can't wait to try them on some tubes but that may take a bit longer unless I grab one of those ultra cheap Chinese models which some people just bag and others say they're ok for what you pay...plenty of time of course.

Have you listened to any classical through them? While it's not my main listening music I do like to listen to it when I'm on the PCtyping or reading every now an again.
martykl
3,578 posts
 
For big bass energy from a small footprint, I think that the Prelude is pretty tough to beat.

They're not exactly neutral tonally (and - as Wolf notes - they don't go particularly deep), but they can deliver the thump of a kick drum with surprising oomph given the tiny footprint. Even if they won't produce a particularly flat FR graph (they produce a serious bass hump in my set-up), they're definitely close enough - especially over +/- 150hz - for my purposes. I have a pair in my exercise room where floor space is tight and loud rock is essential (if I'm going to survive on a treadmill for more than 10 minutes). IME, the Preludes fills that particular niche as well as anything I've ever heard anywhere near the price point.

Marty
wolf_garcia
6,759 posts
 
I do listen to Classical and the Preludes do that just fine. I'm a believer that good speakers should work with everything. Musical information among different genres is the same thing really...complex acoustic piano harmonics, orchestras, well produced bands...all have lots of things for a speaker to sort out.

The Preludes in my room don't have a bass hump (in my listening spot anyway), but there are some standing waves around the room that are interesting but harmless.
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