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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
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.
south43
386 posts
 
I will also mention the Meadowlark Kestrals. These spkrs are the sleepers of the hi end market imo. They are built well and placement is easy. I have mine in a loft and have had tube and ss on them. Great sound!
thorty40
149 posts
 
Jean-Marie Reynaud Twinn Mk II betters the speakers you have mentioned by a large margin in my opinion. I have heard them at length in my home with B&W 805's and there was no comparison, we returned the 805's the next week. Price comparison is substantially different with the JMR's retailing for just under a grand.

Not that this is the last word but check out Audioreview.com for some input from owners of the Twinn MKII.

Good Luck,
Chris
gumbydammit
186 posts
 
I ask you: what kind of music do you like to listen to most often?
Part of home theatre, or dedicated music room?
How important is bass?
placement?

For all around speakers in this range BTW, I second the suggestion of a pair of small REGAS. They really impressed me. (they even have bass)
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