What speaker could safely be ordered without hearing it first?


Hi everyone,

I’m in the midst of my speaker search and curious about something.......as noted above. There are some brands I would be interested in based on reputation, reviews, looks etc but may never be able to hear first.

I’m curious what the collective group thinks would be a safe choice having never heard them first. I know there are variables as in size of room, current gear etc. Just want to see what people would suggest. The one I would note based on what I have read is Joseph Audio. I’d also be curious if people would say the same about Borresen.

So it may be a frivolous exercise but I’ll ask the question anyway. Let me know your thoughts.

128x128mtbiker29

For sure when i spoke about buying speakers on reviews analysis , i spoke about relatively low cost speakers...

i dont have the money to buy high cost speakers anyway...

What i know is in many cases it is better to buy relatively low cost good speakers with acoustic basic knowledge in a dedicated room than to buy high cost speakers put in a living room... 😊

Speakers design matter yes, but is of no great use in a living room sometimes... No living room is the same for sure but...

Speakers/room relation for me was the discovery...not just the speakers design...

i always looked for speakers/room soundfield filling the room out of the speakers plane with the intimacy and details of headphone... And i always look for an headphone with a soundfield filling the room out of the head and with speaker like realism...

the headphone case is the harder bill to fit acoustically... Almost all headphones are failure... At least the 9 i bought, save one...I never listen to 5,000 bucks headphone, but reading the reviewers attentively dont put any shade on my AKG K 340 the most mythical flagship of AKG history... No it is not the K1000... Because headphone must have very deep bass too to be speaker like...

i know because i succeeded to reach these acoustic level to seme satisfying degree in the two journey speakers and headphone ... Acoustic basic knowledge beat most price tag..not all but most... 😊

Recommanding brand names is usdeless, because there is many very good speakers brand name... But there is only one room : the owner room... And his ears will be in the obligation to couple and pair the speakers to the room...nevermind their brand name...

 

 

I bought my Volti Razz without hearing them previously. 

Original plan was to attend an audio show to audition them. That plan fell though. 

I arranged with "Greg the creator" to come and visit and have a listen. It was a drive sure, but I've driven plenty to go look and sometimes buy sports cars... so what's really the difference I thought?? If I'm not satisfied or turned off in anyway no big deal, I just keep my money and keep looking. (just like hunting for a special car). 

In the long run taking the drive to meet Greg, listen to his amazing creations, visiting the super cool shop floor, and having some tasty Mexican was more economical than going to a show anyway. For me the experience and the hunt was a wonderful memory.

I'd like to put it out there. If you are interested in hearing the Razz, or even say my current set up. (Margules ACRH3, Line Magnetic LM 24 CD, MoFi Ultradeck and Parasound JC3 jr. pre and you live within a decent drive of NE Ohio, I'd be happy to host. And no, I'm not an Ax murderer.. 

There are different types of speakers. Horn, electrostatic, powered, regular and menthol to name a few. If I was to buy with no prior hearing I would at least know what flavour I prefered. Naturally the room will color a great deal.

Big Magicos, Focals (fast) or maybe Big Sonus Fabers might land well in my new upcoming treated room. I like those brands that I have been able to hear. Many folks like what they have or hanker for. I’m a big proponent of subs.

Fot a big purchase like killer speakers get thee but out (even far away) and check out some speakers. You could be a horn man or not!

 

 

I’d very seriously consider upgrading the bluesound and steaming supporting components first/too. You could be amazed. 

With few caveats, loudspeakers from Legacy Audio may be safely ordered without hearing based on reputation, reviews, build quality, cosmetics, etc. As OP, @mtbiker29 , already mentioned, room size and existing (or planned) gear must be considered. For example, I agree with @falconquest about the Focus SE; however, as a long-time owner of various Focus models, I can tell you that they are not ideal near-field monitors. Ear to tweeter distance must be at least ten feet for all six drivers to fully integrate. If you are in a 15 x 10 ft room, you probably don't have space for them to perform optimally. Buy one of Legacy Audio's smaller models instead.

A few folks, including Randy (The Cheap Audio Man) claim that Legacy Audio speakers have had an issue with sibilance based on auditions at audio shows. I would take observations like this with a grain of salt since a lot of factors come into play, including what music happened to be playing at the time. Put more trust into observations from folks with long-term experience listening to Legacy Audio speakers.

Apart from that, I've not found anyone who had anything negative to say about Legacy Audio. They have been around for a long time and are kind-of a sleeper brand. Not the most cutting-edge brand name, but Bill has been continuously innovating and improving his time-tested designs with better parts and technology. I've owned four different versions of the Focus loudspeaker over the past 23+ years and each one has been a substantial leap forward from its predecessor. I'll probably be a Legacy Audio customer for life.

Focus XD Details