You could buy a 2nd hand pair of Infinity Renaissance 90's for that money. The Rens are incredibly, fast, transparent & have good bass when paired with a strong ss amp (atleast 200 watts, or lower wattage with low loss, high current and a high damping factor). The Rens almost sound like dipoles & have great imaging. Sound staging is also impressive with excellent off-axis performance. Though they are getting a bit old, so you need to check the condition of the foam for the transmission line midrange at the back of the speaker as some examples have crumbling foam. Also, the grille which is an integral part of the sound needs to be in good condition with undamaged pegs & cloth. But if you can tick all those boxes & find a good, original example they are a mega baragin at their price point. |
I think you'd be happy with those new Psb's or the Psb gold i's which are more than likely even better.
Honestly, thers quite a few good choices on the used side for $1200 as well. Vandersteen 2ce's, possibly Paradigm S2's with Berrylium Tweets, Monitor Gx100's, Soliloquys, Zu anything...
Peachtree is nice sounding; sweet, sparkle and punchy. It mates well with anything but I see it with Magnepan and Zu at shows.
Research a bunch of speakers and find a pair that suits your musical preference and personal tastes in sound. Your peachtree gear isn't picky so just find some speaks that you think you'd like. Take into consideration your room size and how you'll be listening (sitting down with your head in a vice-Maggies, up and around moving-Vandersteen...). |
If you like acoustic music you have to go a long way to top the Rega RS-3 which is $1300 new . Shows up here once in awhile , usually around 800 bucks . |
Eminent Technology LFT-8b's. About the same price as Maggie 1.7's, but an easier amplifier load (8 ohms and needing less power) and a built-in 8" cone woofer that blends well with the magnetic-planar panels. |
Magnepan MG12 or 1.6 with CROWN XLS 1500 / 2000 / 2500 |
SONUS FABER TOY TOWERS & CHANGE OUT THE TUBE IN THE PTA TO AN NOS MULLARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
I've had a pair of Usher CP-6311 floorstanders, for about five years, that I've been really happy with, and not yet found anything at that price range I've liked better. They were $1200 if I remember correctly. They can go loud and still sound musical, fairly revealing, a bit laid back, never too in your face, maybe a hint of harshness if you really crank them. The quality of paint finish is great too. Their one big trade off in my opinion is lack of bass, more like what you'd expect with a monitor.
Probably anything from Usher around the $1k mark is a safe bet, if their taste is your cup of tea, and especially if you can find one with the beryllium tweeter at that price. I'm just getting around to upgrading from mine, and I feel I have to look at speakers costing 5-10x as much to get "significant" improvement, which is a great compliment to the 6311's I think. |
Magnepan 1.7's can be had (and cherished) near this price... |
Klipsch KG 4's can be had for about $300 in good condition.
Can do a Crites Titanium Tweeter upgrade and a crossover rebuild for next to nothing.
Blow the Roof off on Mini Watts, Not amp fussy, great bass and detail, plus they sound Great with all types of music.
Bullet proof. Not position or room fussy. |
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1. Klipsh 5.5
2. Zu omen
Both can get loud and sound good.
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The PSB x2t would be an excellent choice. I really liked their predecessors,
the T6. Another speaker you might want to check out is the Bowers and
Wilkins 683 S2. If you can find them used they should be within your
budget and with a bit of a discount new should be close to your budget as
well.
With your large room and high level playback I think you're on the right
track with the PSBs. I was going to demo them but the B&Ws wouldn't let
me leave without them last Sunday.:-)
Good luck with your search. Take your time and enjoy the journey.
Cheers,
Scott |
There is a new pair of Golden Ear Triton 7 speakers listed for around 1,300.00 |
I appreciate the responses. I have little time and ability to test options, but will see what I can do. Folks' personal experiences in this area are insightful though.
Also, I was actually finally able to locate my earlier post with a similar question I posted earlier in the year (I couldn't figure out how to find my links older than 30 days), so I apologize for the similar posts. In any event, I appreciate the thoughts and responses to this and the other one. thx |
big and loud speakers require big and loud amp.
$1300 for Vandy 2c is too much they go $7...800 and they're not loud. |
There is a few pairs of Vandersteen 2C's listed here that is in your price range. You should check 'em out! |
I would suggest the speakers that sound best to you, are within your stated budget and can be properly driven with your electronics.
Since there are literally hundreds of speakers, used and new to choose from, how could I possibly recommend one? This is the one component that must be auditioned and heard. Suggest you go out and listen to a few new models that sound good to you - then start hunting down used ones that have the same sonic signature, driver design and specs. Once you have put together a short list, then ask for opinions from actual users.
What your doing right now is the equivalent of selecting a vacation destination while blindfolded and throwing darts at a map. |
