Seems like monitors are getting "picked on" at the moment...suffice to say...your room really dictates bass response...and in a smaller rooms...monitors can sound bigger and deeper than their specs would indicate...floorstanders in small rooms can be a bit boomy...and as already stated...the imaging precision of monitors is unrivaled.... |
Try listening to the Green Mountain Europa. They have a HUGE sound and go down to about 45hz. They really do sound like floorstanders. I love them. |
I was in the same boat...and after an exhausting search....settled on the new Quad 12L...huge soundstaging,3-d imaging,legendary Quad transparency and speed,and surprisingly....phenominal bass from a standmount...conservatively rated at 45hz...but dont let the specs full you...these sound like they are going a lot deeper...for 1k new...you are not going to find a monitor with a more full presentation...in short...they dont sound thin and bright...to get this type of bass performance from SPendor or Sonus Faber....will cost u 2x as much.... |
Hello Tcpip,
I recently did an in home demo of the Jean Marie Reynaud Trentes and I've never heard a monitor speaker go so low with such presence and authority. I've owned the Revel M-20 and currently own the Dynaudio 1.3MkII and the Trentes put them both to shame with their low-end extension. If I were able to I would buy the Trentes right now, unfortunately, I have to wait a while. They also throw up a very impressive soundstage and are not that difficult to drive. If you have an opportunity, find a dealer and have an in home demo and see if you get the same results in your own system. Happy hunting........John |
Although I personally haven't heard all the other speakers mentioned, I bought and absolutely love the Totem mani-2s. I needed bass from a small monitor because of my small listening room - 15x12. They fit the bill just right and they will bring out the best of any upgrade you put in front of them. Most likely not the most uncolored speaker, but they have soul baby yeh! They rank class B full range in Stereophile. |
I have heard, though not firsthand, the Avalon Monitor (no longer in prod) is quite good. Sweet mids and satisfying, though not exactly visceral bass. Ditto on the nod to the 3a's above. I have found my Proac Response 1sc's to be an excellent compromise between tonally coherent lower octaves and the palpable magic of the midband. If you want full-range, however, clear the room for a floorstander and get out your checkbook. |
Disclaimer: I am a Talon Audio dealer.
Tcpip...You didn't mention your budget, but I highly recommend you add the Talon Khite-C to your short list. You won't believe the BIG sound that comes from these small speakers. They are FLAT to 35Hz and can produce SPL that is incredible given their size. As mentioned above, the Totem Mani-2 is also a very good monitor that produces a big sound and decent SPL.
Regards...Mike - Father & Son Audio
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I own, and love the Revel M20s. While their extension is quite amazing, they require a sub (for me that is). They, also, require, like all monitors, killer stands, to sound their best. The stands that come with the M20s are horrible. (but then, again, the stands that come with the 805s, are equally poor) I use the Sistrum Mini Monitor support system. While pricey, it cannot be beat, for taking your monitor to places where no other stands can. My review is in the archives. |
Vandersteen has a monitor he wanted to get flat to at least 40hz to mate with his sub's 6db/octave crossover. (On the drawing boards still?) Wilson Benesch monitors go fairly low. For less money, and less extension, there is the Infinity 2.6 active or the Revel M20. The Totems mentioned above are a good choice, also. But I agree the question is worth examining - floorstanders really can take up just as little room by the time you add stands, and have extra cabinet volume. Monitors are not for full range sound. They are for imaging and lack of cabinet vibration and/or mating to subs. |
Hi, The Platinum Solo's are a full range used monitor bargain at $700 to $800 if you provide your own stands, probably more if the optional factory stands are included.(more expensive to ship.) The company is gone, but the loyal listeners occasionally put their speakers up for sale. I have driven them successfully with 35 watt per channel Sound Valves tube amp, and Quad 303 transistor amp The speaker easily reveals subtleties in recordings along with startling, accurate bass from modestly powered amps when listened to at nearfield monitor distances. This may be worth a few weeks wait to see the next time it comes up on Audiogon, or Audioweb. P.S. The premium version called the Reference 1 is a more expensive and awe inspiring monitor speaker, but have not heard the De Capo lauded in the first post in this thread, for comparison. |
No mention of quantity of bass vs. quality of bass? Anyone ever hear quality deep bass from a monitor? How many dozens of dB down and how pathetic was the SPL in anything but a 7ft x 7ft bathroom? Getting down to the 20's is not that hard to do, doing it flat down and pushing enough air, that is something else. For $8K you can buy some of the finest full range towers available, with quality sound from top to bottom.... |
Hello,
The Totem Mani 2, which is an Isobarik design, will produce bass in high 20's! |
Greetings "Tcpip",
There was a loudspeaker company (they might still be in business) that built a minimonitor that could play faithfully down to 35 Hz @ -1.5 dB. I know this was true because I had auditioned this rather amazing minimonitor, especially considering it only had two 3" mid/woofer drivers to do this with, and it still was able to accomplish an 87 dB sensitivity rating. Is was from a company called Digital Phase, and the model was called the AP-.7. I believe that the website is still available at http://www.digitalp.com. If not, you might do a search on the internet or here on AudiogoN for them.
A few that are currently available from companies like Talon Audio (that has a large rather expensive monitor that plays below 20 Hz if I remember correctly), Silverline Audio, and Paradigm I believe still has an active monitor that goes down into the low 30's.
Hope this helps you some.
Authorized dealer for http://www.SilverlineAudio.com
Best regards,
-Donald
http://www.wenterprisesnw.com |
Avantgarde SOLO the new active monitor speaker that goes flat on 25hz with built-in 150W/side amp that has an integrated sub active crossover. They tended by designer to work with HT but they're damn great when play music.
I was probably among the first 'philes who auditioned them in NY or US in whole.
Their price is $8000 but you pay actually for amp/speaker combo which is I think a steal.
They consist of consentric horn loaded midrange and tweeter and dynamic woofer. The tweeter is the same as in Avantgarde Uno. |
Comment? Full range and small size are antithetical. How full and how small? |
Well, it kinda depends on what you mean by "full range". I've owned about 10 different stand mounted monitors (I like the imaging!) and the only one I've owned that I consider "healthy" in the bass department is my current pair of Reference 3A MM De Capos.
The Reference 3A MM De Capo plays down into the mid 30hz region and is an overall excellent speaker. This is easily the best speaker I've ever owned. This speaker is currently built in Canada, but was originally designed and built in Europe. It sold for over $4000 when built in Europe, but the current version sales for $2500. I have seen some discounts when searching for a new pair. For $1500, a slightly used pair is a steal in my book!
Enjoy,
TIC |
