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Best speakers to "abuse" for around $2k ?

Thinking about getting additional speakers just for hard rock/heavy metal and sometimes bass heavy music (not rap tho). Amp would be Classe 300w with classe preamp.

Something I can really crank up Kansas ' carry on wayward son and get loud without blowing tweeters. I cranked up that song with audio physic sparks and blew the tweeters. Did same thing with Magnepan 1.6s and 3.6s (fuse blew on those thankfully).
I probably shouldnt have gotten rid of the NHT 3.3s I had but a move to a smaller place necessitated it.

Cerwin Vega maybe work for this spec? thanks
427cube
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 

07-19-12: Mapman
Ive never heard a pair of cerwin vegas that did not sound bloated and undefined in the bass but maybe i never tried the rjght amp.

The reviews that showed up both in Soundstage and Absolute Sound indicate that the bass in the CV CLS-215 speaker is reasonably quick, or at least not notably slow or thick. They *do* tend to have diecast frames and very powerful magnets, which helps. TAS also praised them for overall neutrality and for providing the bottom end to do Mahler justice for the price of a decent minimonitor. They also verified that they can play LOUD distortion free, and with a 90+ dB sensitivity rating, can safely absorb 500 watts input. That's a usable max. SPL somewhere around 120dB.

If you want faster bass at the OP's max budget, then CV's new CMX-212a towers give you twin 8" woofers on a narrow baffle, augmented by powered side-firing 12" subs. No doubt that would tighten the bass significantly.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,340 posts
 
Using a more modern amp with higher damping factor 50 or greater might help with CV bass as well.

I have not heard them in years so its quite possible things have gotten better.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 

07-20-12: Mapman
Using a more modern amp with higher damping factor 50 or greater might help with CV bass as well.

Frat-boy speakers were most likely powered by a frat-boy receiver--some over-sized walnut-encased monstrosity with more knobs than you could count, with a marginal power supply and low damping factor.

These days, inexpensive high current separates and integrateds are all over the place. Witness this 125 wpc Emotiva power amp on sale for $314.10 with a damping factor of >500!
ngjockey
1,042 posts
 
Audio Physic Sparks:
Looks like Peerless 6.5's in a 2.5 way with a 1" Vifa silk dome. One way to go is to "upgrade" to the Vifa Dual Ring Radiator" which have a higher wattage rating. Except for the 5 screws, instead of 4, might "plug in". Problem is that Vifa offers many verions of nearly identical looking tweeters that vary in impedance, range and power handling. Change the impedance and the crossover won't work as planned. Any model #'s for the tweeters?

If you want more bass and dynamics as well... go bigger. The Sparks do quite well for their size.
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