Snell made some great speakers back in the day. They also took the time to match drivers and even hand-tune crossovers for every pair to account for any variance in the drivers so that the speakers matched as much as possible.
Just confused about where to start
Hello all,
I'm looking to add speakers to my audiophile setup which currently consists of (very high end) headphones. I want speakers for everything the headphones cannot do - simple enough. Problem is, I'm having difficulty deciding which gear I want to buy. I demoed a pair of B&W 705 S2's today and was very impressed. Unfortunately, my budget isn't that high. It's $1500 total, for the speakers and amp combined. Source is a computer. I listened to a cheaper pair of B&W bookshelf speakers (can't remember which, but were around $1200) and was not impressed. I am leaning toward bookshelf speakers but don't know if getting floorstanding at this price point would be a large increase in quality. The room they will be placed in is only 100 square feet. I am willing to buy used.
So, my questions, summed up are:
Is bookshelf a better option than floorstanding?
Is it worth looking at cheaper B&W models, or should I look at other companies altogether?
At least with headphones, I like a pretty neutral sound, if not a tad warm. Are there any companies that predominantly have this sound signature?
How should the room size inform my choice of speakers?
I'm looking to add speakers to my audiophile setup which currently consists of (very high end) headphones. I want speakers for everything the headphones cannot do - simple enough. Problem is, I'm having difficulty deciding which gear I want to buy. I demoed a pair of B&W 705 S2's today and was very impressed. Unfortunately, my budget isn't that high. It's $1500 total, for the speakers and amp combined. Source is a computer. I listened to a cheaper pair of B&W bookshelf speakers (can't remember which, but were around $1200) and was not impressed. I am leaning toward bookshelf speakers but don't know if getting floorstanding at this price point would be a large increase in quality. The room they will be placed in is only 100 square feet. I am willing to buy used.
So, my questions, summed up are:
Is bookshelf a better option than floorstanding?
Is it worth looking at cheaper B&W models, or should I look at other companies altogether?
At least with headphones, I like a pretty neutral sound, if not a tad warm. Are there any companies that predominantly have this sound signature?
How should the room size inform my choice of speakers?
72 responses Add your response
Good luck on getting the M7's, but keep in mind they will need a substantial amp. I saw where the impedance drops below 4 ohms, so that, the 87 db sensitivity, and manufacturer recommending a minimum of 100 watts means they will need serious power. I would be looking for a high current 200 watt amp that is stable at 4 ohms. You mentioned that the B&W's that impressed you were being driven by a McIntosh amp. Do you remember the amp driving the lesser expensive B&W's that didn't impress? |
@tls49 the salesman used the same amp and simply swapped out the speakers for me. The amp was McIntosh’s brand new hybrid model https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/products/integrated-amplifiers/MA252 Very nice tubey sound with the amp, and quite synergistic with the 705 S2's. I took a listen to a track I knew well and decided the B&W 707 S2’s weren’t for me. The 705 S2’s however, were excellent. Imaged very well and had a very spacious sound. Detail was good too. Shame about the $2500 price tag... |
That room is tiny, so you really do not need massive amplification. Spend as litle as you can on the amplifier (within reason) to have as much budget for speakers. Can you use your headphone DAC/amplifier as a pre amplifier? If you can, you will only need a (modest) power amplifier. You do run a risk with second hand speakers. They may have been abused, and they may have degraded. Many do not perform to spec anymore after only 15 years, or less if they have been in the sun in front of a window. |
To elaborate on the room size issue: the Schroeder frequency of that room will be about 275 Hz. Below that you will suffer room modes (i.e. massive peaks and dips and hence boomy one note bass), and the more so the more deep bass you pump into the room. Hence my preference for speakers without deep bass. The bass that there is will still have to be corrected/equalized. Since you will be using a computer as a source, this is relatively easy. All you need is a cheap UMIK-1 calibrated microphone, using the free REW software. Measure the in-room response (you will be horrified), create a correction curve, and load that into the free Equalizer APO software (if you are using a PC, there are alternatives for other platforms). |
Man if it was me all I want to do in any price range , especially yours is wait for something great under the money to come along. My choice however would be especially based on your comments to look for a pr of lightly used Magnaplanar MG II,s for around $800 or so. On EBay right now is one of the biggest baddest best sounding underrated bullet proof integrated amps around. Sansui Aud11 for $700 that would make some Maggy’s very happy with its 200 w x 2 huge power supply and just as happy into 4ohms Sold a lot of better audio in my early days and always thought this amp sounded as good as a lot of other gear costing 3x the $ bookshelves can sound great but nothing better at modest volumes than Maggie’s ,they get up and follow you around. Good luck. |
I've never heard the LS50W described as sounding that way. I wonder if there was a problem with that speaker, a poor quality source, etc., but there are plenty of other great options out there and it sounds like you have some you're excited about...pick what sounds great to your ears and best of luck. You definitely aren't obligated to buy from your local dealer, but if you're buying something they offer, I think it's a good idea once you've worked with them to at least make a phone call as a courtesy and see if they can match the price you can get online or elsewhere...many times they will get far closer than you expect and you'll have the benefit of someone local to deal with any issues down the line. They'll appreciate getting the chance to earn your business and most are very understanding that you buy elsewhere when they can't come close on the price...and if they're a total jerk about it, you know you're better spending elsewhere anyway. |
I got them! https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis8gig3-snell-m-7-stand-mount-monitor-speakers-monitors?show_list... $500 in the hole, I can stretch my budget up to $1500, but I’d like to keep it under $1000 if possible. Thanks so much @jond for the recommendation! Haven’t auditioned them sadly, but it seems that this was too good of a deal to pass on. They supposed to be pretty neutral, owing to their inefficient power use. So now that is done, I ’d welcome any recommendations for the amp. The Luxman before has been suggested, so I can contact the seller for that. https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis8f99a-luxman-l-530-stereo-integrated-amplifier-solid-state https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Sansui-AU-D11-II-Stereo-Integrated-Amplifier-Japan-Serviced-Near-MI... The Sansui AU-D11 looks like a good option on paper. Looks like a quality amp, but the specs sheet didn’t tell me what class amp it is. I have this https://www.electromod.co.uk/schiit/amplifiers/lyr-2/ which can be used as a preamp for *powered desktop speakers* I’m not sure about its use with a power amp for passive speakers. I really appreciate everyone providing their input. It's exciting hearing everyone's different takes on gear. With headphones it pretty simple, but speakers have so much more variety in the setups. |
The new Yamaha integrated amp is worth checking out. It has bass management and YPAO room correction, plus more wattage than the Elac Element I mentioned upthread. https://www.soundandvision.com/content/yamaha’s-new-21-channel-receiver-boasts-ypao-room-correction |
If budget is tight, nothing beats Yamaha with their AS 501/701/801 integrated amplifiers or their receivers like the RN803d that was mentioned earlier. I see no point in going second hand with budget gear: by the time you have had them refurbished, you may have spent more than on a new unit. Howeer, you have not yet answered my question about your DAC/headphone amp: can you use it as a pre amplifier? If so, all you would need is something like a $200 Behringer A500 power amplifier. |
@willemj Sorry, guess I didn't tag you in my blurb about the headphone amp. https://www.schiit-europe.com/index.php/producten/lyr-2-high-power-tube-hybrid-or-solid-state-headam... This is the amp. It's stated that it can be used as a preamp with "powered desktop speakers" So does this mean it would work fine with a power amp as well? I'm creating a new thread as has been suggested and will tag you there as well. |
This is volunteer work for the Dutch Cyle Touring Club. The course is taught by the best frame builder in the Netherlands, in his workshop, and I am there to make the coffee and to give a helping hand. Camping in the orchard. I am sure it will get me in the mood for this summer's tour, probably to the South of France. As for your amplifier: since you already have the DAC/pre amp part of the chain, you may want to consider the 2x120 watt Behringer A500. Alternatively, for a bit more money but also better build quality, why not try to find a Yamaha P2500s or P3500s. I bought a 2x250 watt P2500s for my son for only 300 euro, and it is outstanding. The model has recently been discontinued, but you may still find one somewhere, and perhaps at a discount. See here for a review of the 2x350 watt p3500s: http://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum/amplificateurs-de-puissance-haute-fidelite/mesures-ampli-yamaha-p... |
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