You know, speaker preferences and tastes are so incredibly objective that, asking a question like this on a forum like this really is quite useless, and really is quite a waste of time, IMHO. Happy listening.
New speakers for a new start?
Hi all, this is my first thread on this forum. I am returning to audio after a 20-year hiatus, and I am planning a new-to-me, music-only, 2-channel system. I'm pretty excited!
Other than my Thorens TD-320 series I, I am (re-)starting from scratch. I plan to focus on speakers, then build the rest of my system around them.
I look forward to hearing folks' feedback and advice during this process.
How I listen: I have a pretty big room, 9' ceilings. I can set speakers in a 10' triangle with about 16' clear behind them and 3' to 6' to the sides. I normally listen around 75 - 85db at 10', but sometimes I like to crank things way up. Also, I can't sit still for extended periods of time so I tend to move around quite a bit.
What I listen to: 30 - 40% blues, 30 - 40% industrial, punk, post-punk, noise, and hip-hop, 10-15% ambient, 10 - 15% various pop styles, 5 to 10% jazz and classical. Nearly all are studio recordings. Source-wise, 75-80% digital streaming, 20% vinyl and (very occasionally) CDs.
Things I like in speakers: A generous amount of fast, tight, well-controlled bass with great extension. Little to no coloration - it can always be added in later through component selection. Fast transient response. Detail. Coherence. Transparency. Great dynamics. I'm OK with "analytical" or "dry" within reason.
Things I don't like: Boominess. Flabiness. Ear-piercing mids.
Here are a few speakers I'm interested to learn more about (in no particular order):
- Thiel CS5
- Dunlavy SC-4, SC-5
- Tyler Acoustics D1x, D10
- Nearfield Pipedreams 21
- Infinity IRS (probably not the Reference behemoths though... realistically)
- I am also intrigued by open baffle designs (Spatial, Jamo R909)
I prefer full-range speakers because I don't love subs with music listening. They're a must in a home theater though.
I love planar speakers for their speed and transparency, but the fact that I can't sit still in their minuscule sweet spot for very long, coupled with their general lack of bass probably makes them a less than ideal choice for me.
I will buy used gear unless something I want happens to be available new at a huge discount. I am more interested in value than in staying within a specific dollar limit and be able to resell at par or at a modest loss if, as time goes by, I find I'm no longer as enamored with them as I once was.
I am interested in your experiences, especially with the speakers I mentioned above, but any and all feedback is appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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My thoughts entirely
Hard to drive yes, but not an issue since I am getting amps to match the speakers. And since I have an irrational fondness for massive monoblocks anyway, any pretext to buy them is welcome
These were not on my radar, but they are now. The active version is very cool. Would have to be sourced used though, because
Well... How about the projected resale value of the speakers a year from now. That's to be safe in case I did decide to sell after a short period of ownership, although that is NOT my intent. I am looking for speakers to live with for a long time, Otherthan that, I don't have a hard dollar limit. I do think $5K should buy me what I want in the used market. But I very seriously considered a set of Pipedreams 21 with four, two-18"-woofers-per-sub subs and 126 speakers, finished in the most beautiful exotic veneer and simply stunning. They were offered far north of $5K
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Thank you to everyone for your helpful and informative comments so far!
Well @kennymacc my goal here is to listen to folks with more experience than I. As far as being "useless", this thread already alerted me to Legacy Audio Focus that were not on my radar and are now on my list, so, no, it is not useless - far from it. |
Don't have to be wary of Thiel. There are guys up in Boston who are experts on the brand and are deep in parts for all models. Rebuilt a set of CS 3.6 for me and they came back better than new. Drove them with a big classic Perreaux amp & pre. Wonderful speakers that I'd probably still have today but I've gone 100% stand mount. Easier to move around. There's a trade off for sure but for me and my room, its the best formula. Can be had for under $2K too and are about as good as it gets in that price range. Just my opinion |
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