Hoffer71...I am not familiar with the Adagios but I do ownt he 2.4s and they are a great speaker. I would only say that your 12x18 room is not too small for the Thiels. I was in a similar room for years (14x18) and I actually had the speakers set up on the long wall (so the distance to the speakers was only 9 ft as I had them placed 2.5 ft into the room from the wall behind them) and they sounded great. You want a minimum of 8ft from the Thiels for the drivers to integrate properly, other than that, your room should be fine. In any case, good luck and hope you enjoy whichever speaker you end up with.
Acoustic Zen Adagio vs Thiel 2.4
So I've been struggling to find the right pair of floor standing speakers for my listening space. Since it's only 12x18 (listening position is 10 feet away), I'm fairly limited in terms of size. My friend has a pair of Thiel 2.4s which sounded great to me, but they're just too big for my room.
I've been reading great things about the Adagio, and after talking to their owner (great guy), he convinced me I would be fine with them in my setup. Problem is, the closest dealer is 200 miles away.
Has anyone compared these two? They use a similar "underhung driver" design, albeit the Acoustics use a ribbon tweeter. I was not a huge fan of my previous B&Ws 7nts (too technical for me), so I don't suppose the ribbon tweeter would be an issue.
I will drive them with a mcintosh SS amp (mc202). Listen to mostly rock/jazz.
Any input would be great. Thanks!
I've been reading great things about the Adagio, and after talking to their owner (great guy), he convinced me I would be fine with them in my setup. Problem is, the closest dealer is 200 miles away.
Has anyone compared these two? They use a similar "underhung driver" design, albeit the Acoustics use a ribbon tweeter. I was not a huge fan of my previous B&Ws 7nts (too technical for me), so I don't suppose the ribbon tweeter would be an issue.
I will drive them with a mcintosh SS amp (mc202). Listen to mostly rock/jazz.
Any input would be great. Thanks!
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Thanks Cmalak. Question though - how far apart are your speakers from one another? I can do no better than 7 feet apart, which would leave less that 2 feet from the side walls (same distance as you from the back). From what I've read about the Thiels, I think they would do much better further spaced apart. Also, setting them up lengthwise isn't an option for me. |
Hoffer71...when I had them in my 14x18 room they were on the long wall so they were 8' apart and the left speaker didn't have a wall to it's side for 15+' because the living space opened to the kitchen on that side. The right speaker was 4' from the side wall. If you can't do long wall placement, then you would have to do 2' from each sidewall, which would have the 8' apart. Bring them out 3' from back wall which will add some depth to the soundstage. In this configuration, I would toe the in more aggressively to minimize sidewall reflections. If toucan audition them at home in this set-up before deciding, I would give it a shot to see if it works for you. By the way, what amps will you be using to drive either speaker? |
Heres my plug for the adagio.Went from forests to adagio.Yes the ribbon tweeters are a lot better for me.i also dont have experience with theils,do wonder what mac sound like with the adagios.You do need to bring out to enhance sound stage(on any speaker you chose)toe in isnt necessary..eveyones room and tastes are differant.did get some baffling in each coroner and made a huge differnce as to cancell secondary reflections.hard to recommend anything without trying for yourself(imho) |
Cmalak: I'll be using a McIntosh mc-202 200w SS amp. Should be plenty given my room. Digs: Why did you move from the Forests to the Zens? Totem was also on my short list.. I might have a chance to audition them both in my room, or at least side-by-side. Obviously, this would be ideal. It's just hard to accomplish where I live, given the dearth of dealers in my area.. |
I have the CS2.4 in a 12X15X7' room and it works fine I use the short wall. My speakers are round 7.5 feet apart and I sit 8.5 feet back. I do have them out 4 feet (from the front of the speaker) from the front wall though. You need to sit 8-12' with Thiel speakers for the best results concerning driver integration. If you sit closer a lower seat will help, if you need to sit farther back try a higher seat (you can also tilt the speakers a little). The CS2.4 will be fine in your room and no more compromised than any other speaker in the same room. You will be hard pressed to better the CS2.4 for the money. Many good pairs used on this site too $2700-$3400. Never heard of the other speaker you listed. |
The forests were quite an amazing little speaker.Just couldnt get past the aluminim dome tweeter sometimes would be a tad much.image like crazy.The adagios just are more relaxed,warmer presentation.listen to mainly jazz and vocal stuff.I am content i made right decision...wouldnt mind having a pair of totems for s**ts and giggles. |
You should look at the Alon speakers being sold on Audigon. The model IIs, IVs and Vs are fantastic speakers going for cheap. I heard the early versions of the Adagio spekaers and was not impressed with them. I don't know if they have improved upon them since I last heard them. Even the dealer thought that they were just ok and he pushed them on the HT side versus the audio side of his sales. Just my 2 cents. |
Hoffer 71...eventhough I am a fan of the 2.4s and definitely think you should audition them, I did see this Agon ad for the Adagios and on the face of it, it looks like a decent deal for a brand new pair: http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1301365488&/Acoustic-Zen-Adagio-Brand-New Again, I have never heard the Adagios so don't know if they are good or not but when I saw this ad, I figured I'd flag it for you. |
I own them and have spent time with them,not just a passing judgment made..they are more than ok,ive been playing professionally for more than 40 yrs and have owned alot of speakers..i think there are better speakers out there and they are not the end of all speaker searches.audition at home if you can before rush to judgment.there are allways tradeoffs with any speaker, anybody that tells you something else??? |
Cmalak - thanks for the link. I noticed it too, but as you and others suggest, I think I'm better off auditioning them first. Bigkidz - Thanks for the suggestion. Doesn't look like there are any dealers near me though. Pity - one of the many reasons why I'm struggling to commit to a pair. On the bright side, I think I may have a chance to audition both the Zens and the Thiels in my house side-by-side. I also may be looking at some speakers from Focus Audio, as I found a dealer who carries them and the Zens (I'll strong arm my friend into letting me listen to his Thiels at my house). I'll let you know what I decide upon.. |