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Want speakers for 700 but none sound good.

Hello all,

I apologize for asking a question which might have been asked many times before, but I have a small problem at hand. I need speakers around <$700 and I have auditioned quite a few incl B&W 602.5 S3, Triangle Titus 202, JBL S38II, Paradigm Studio 20 v2 etc. These are all good speakers I am sure but somehow don't do it for me. I am probably like the other guy who said he had 'audiophile tastes but a poor man's budget' or something.

The speakers above were auditioned at home. I have a NAD c350 amp, Cambridge audio CD player with Straightwire Maestro interconnects and apature speaker cables. The (small) listening room measures about 10'x12'x8' (LxWxH) w/ hardwood floors (I know bad!). The speakers are going to be replacing the excellent Boston Acoustics A70 speakers from the late 80s. Very very good for it's time but, sadly, dead with torn woofers and distorting tweeters. I may not get good replacements knowing the only mid-fi quality of current BA drivers (some may beg to differ).

Sorry for the longish post but I need help getting room filling sound with tight bass and good detail/imaging from speakers that you recommend. Not much concerned with playing too loud. New age electronic/ acoustic and some rock music.

Thanks a lot!
pranagas
mes
393 posts
 
Just put together a system for a friend which included a NAD C-370 and Maggie MMG's. The MMG's are incredibly good and there is a nice synergy between them and the NAD. I agree with Danheather,the MMG's are outstanding speakers, particularly for $550 shipped.
pcs
109 posts
 
No one has mentioned Spica TC-60's. At times I feel they just disappear in my room that is approximately 12 X 16 and also has a hard floor. Since they are only available used, they will be hard to audition. I haven't heard most of the speakers above but I have always liked the sound of Magnapans.

Regards,
Paul
danheather
108 posts
 
TC-60 is another great alternative, however, I didn't want to recommend it because I had gotten the impression that Panagas was trying to avoid the used market.

I actually just received my pair of TC-60s yesterday and had a great time listening to them last night. I'm still working on placement, but they're very impressive. People talk about their "holographic" imaging, but it's really true. The soundstage extends much wider than the physical placement of the speakers and the layering and depth are tremendous.

I've never had any SUPER expensive speakers, but I've had some in the $3,000 range and none of them sounded 6X better than the MMGs or the TC-60s. You could spend a WHOLE lot more money and do MUCH worse than either of these two choices. TC-60s in good shape will run you about $400-450 plus another $150-200 for stands and you're in business and under budget!!
jeffloistarca
1,004 posts
 
I've tried all kinds of speakers in a similar set up; the list included B&W 302, B&W 303, B&W 601, YBA, Celestion 600's, ProAc Tablette 2000's. The clear winner: Totem Rokk.
kt_88
242 posts
 
Well no one has bothered to mention Vandersteen Audio, I used a ton of them and found they were good with everything I threw at them. In fact I found them quite good with SS gear. Meadowlark Kestrels are also quite good, I have a pair right now that disappear in my room quite nicely. In fact now I stay up too late because I enjoy listening so much. But the Vandersteens are a bit more forgiving, which is what I would recommend with SS. You can find a pair of used Vandersteen 2ce's on Audiogon for about $700.

But I understand what your wife is saying about being so familiar with your old speakers. After listening to Vandersteens for years I turned my nose up to speakers that were 3 times as good. I think we can have some sort of thermostat in our ears that doesn't like a different sound. It reminds me of a church I used to go too. There was a woman who absolutely threw a fit if she didn't get to sit in the same pew every Sunday. Maybe your ears need to look for a different seat.
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