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Good Sound under $500

Hello All,
I'll get to the point, I'm downsizing and looking for a good sounding, inexpensive speaker to hold me over until I can get a pair of Proac 1sc or the newer D1. I presently have an Arcam AVR300, Oppo BDP83, Totem Hawks, Totem Signature 1 Center, HSU VTF2 sub. The Totem Hawks and Signature are going to waste because I live in a duplex and we share a common wall in our living rooms which happens to be 13x18x8. I've always felt the Hawks had a little more bass than I needed, I'm not a bass hound. But I do like a good solid detailed bass, The Hawks's bass is a little overwhelming and not very detailed. I went to a local audio store and listened to the Usher Tiny Dancer BE-718, an amazing sounding speaker but out of my budget now or in the future but it's sound was more of what I am looking for. Definitely different than the Hawks.

I'm looking for a decent stand mounted Speaker with clarity, imaging, and decent bass down to about 60 or 70 hz. The sub can handle the rest if needed. Is the size I quoted above for my living room considered small or medium?

Some I've been thinking about are:
Epos els3
ERA D4/D5
PSB Image B6
Silverline Minuets (too small?)

To name a few. I've been reading the forums for the last month or so, this is where I decided on the Proac's but I have to wait till some come up for sale. Plus I will need a center channel speaker for these present and future speakers.

I listen to 50/50 movies/music, my musical tastes are Dave Matthews, Eric Clapton, acoustic guitar, blues, female vocals like Sarah Mclaclan, Bonnie Rait, etc.

I'm open to suggestions folks and thanks for your help.
denon53
denon53 OP
66 posts
 
Thanks JP, I'm with you, I don't want a speaker that is too fussy with it's placement. I really don't want speakers sitting in the middle of my living room. Thanks Cdc, you've sparked my curiosity of the purpose of a phase plug. This is why I enjoy audiogon's forums, they help me advance my knowledge of the reproduction of music.

Bruce
cdc
1,783 posts
 
Denon53, you might want to start a thread about phase plugs. What I can suggest is:

1) Seas likes them because it reduces air pressure build up behind the driver so it moves more freely. May not be important if the x-over point is under 1,500 Hz.

2) I think the voice coil is NOT attached to the driver cone so it is lighter.

3) The phase plug is designed to reflect sound of the inner diameter of the cone so you get more even dispersion as the frequencies increase. Normally dispersion is less and becomes more directional as the frequency increases.

I have directly compared Seas Excel W12CY003 which has a phase plug vs. Seas Prestige CA12RCY (solid cone) and even though the measurements Seas Excel W15LY-001 (Nextel) vs. Seas CA15RLY like harmonic distortion appear worse with the phase plug driver, the Excel sounds noticeably better. It is more dynamic, more detailed, and more alive sounding. This has happened generally across the board with commercial speakers like Revel, Focal, B&W etc. But since the Sierra is over twice the price, maybe it is better in spite of the driver's inherent shortcoming, IMHO.

Again, dome midrange are a whole other league and worth asking about if at least for information's sake.
jet21
3 posts
 
Harder to find these days, but the older Epos ES-11 and ES-12 are outstanding. Articulate bass, great midrange, treble and soundstaging. They only get better as you upgrade your amplification. These are under-rated classics that can easily be had for under $500.
tawaundabomb
38 posts
 
If you were listening to the Usher Tiny Dancer and left the store,then you missed the best value under $500 the Usher S-520,its probably won more global awards than any other speaker and speaker history,its not hype either they really are that good.Others to consider are:

Wharfedale Diamond 10.2
Hsu hb1MkII
SVS SBS-02
Arx 3
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
Your bass is a bit too strong and not too clear? From Totem Hawks?

Hmmm... Maybe you just need some bass traps in the corners.

Do you still have the Hawks' shipping boxes? To see if you need traps, take those boxes, stuff them full of wadded up newspapers, and stick them in the corners behind the speakers. If they improve the bass level and clarity, then go shopping for some real traps which will better control the bass while looking a lot better.
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