802s i think are much better than 801s. 801s have to much bass. of course i would say buy some tubes . but since you have ss, the 802s will make you pretty happy. good luck . |
You could buy the 801 or 2 but I don't know why you'd want'em. The Biro L/1's at $1,600 new will outperform them in every category minus the deepest bass and highest spl. But if you want it louder and boomier and not as accurate/musical go for it. If you do get the 801's, talk to avahifi.com anyway and see what they did to correct the crossover mistake the B&W engineers made in the original design. I know northcreekmusic.com also has a crossover upgrade for the 801, but at over $1,000 (I believe) its a little steep to salvage an otherwise aging speaker (I get the impression the ava correction/mod is cheap and easily done, probably the cost of one to two crossover parts and a little soldering on your part). I'll admit off hand I don't know the specific difference between the series and if the upgrade apply to which ones. They were good speakers in their day, but not that great compared to what's out there now.
Now I can't tell you what's out there and better for the money since I've been happily married to my system for several years now (is that good or bad-I don't know), hopefully, someone else around here may have some experience listening to the 801 next to another, but I was never to impressed with'em when I heard'em a couple years back. If you're a kind of serious and willing to go the "next level" (of psychosis) I feel more comfortable telling you too look for a nice kit/diy speaker design and walk away with something better for the money and/or cheaper, and possibly get a nicer piece of engineering. With kit projects the crossover parts and cabinet construction can as good as you want them-since there's no production considerations/limitations. You can even opt for non-parallel side walls, something a production designer would cringe at, to deal with internal standing waves better (although cabinet geometry as such is kind of secondary to the effects good internal stuffing). And have fun with it. I remember one individual posted here awhile back thought the zalytron.com Jupiter kit bettered the Wilson WATT/puppy's (Haven't heard those, his claim seemed accurate, and thier X-1 series 1 certainly sucked if that's any indication of Wilson engineering excellence (I do undertand they are a Rolls-Royce type brand and you're paying for more than just performance, but.....(it was that bad). Now you could always get the L/1's and with your change build a sub on your own: its basically the cost of a driver and an amp. Sorry I can't give you any more definitive advice other than: you can do better and if you do purchase your mentioned choices-look into the crossover problems/limitations. |
PSB Stratus gold; paradign studio/100's; energy veritas2.8's; and newform research sound good on solid state. ALso, apparently the big JM labs sound good on solid state. I haven't heard the jms but Peak audio used EAR tube preamps with ss amps on them and these speakers are selling very well....of course, speakers are personable and you'll hear one you will want to try at home....seasons' greetings, bluenose |
kirk930.Your statement is very not accurate.Its the size of the room that dictates which one you buy.Yes the 801 in too small a room will not sound good.that is true for most speakers.Room size is the biggest consideration when selecting a speaker. |
I would check on Watt/Puppy 5.1 or Dynaudio 3.3. I believe, either will satisfy you, regardless of your music taste. |
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In your price range the 801/802 are excellent choices (room size MUST be a factor when considering the 801).
Look around for some Hales Trancendence 3 or 5. Parts availability is an issue if you ever break them, but the current market should allow for that ... giving you a huge bang for your buck.
Although not embraced by the popular press, ACI makes a kit speaker (Sapphire?) and Sub (Titan) that provide a great option as well. I spent time listening to a set built by Gary Galo around the time he reviewed them for speaker Builder or The Audio Amateur ... really nice.
Depending on your need for bass (you cite 'full range' as a criterion), there are lots more very good speakers with extension into the upper 20 to low 30 hz range that in a small to medium room can be just slamtronic as say the 801s would be in a room large enough to support them. |
- quick follow up to my lst post - was just on Ebay and saw a pair of Hales Concept 5s for 1500. Might be worth a look. |
For the price you're talking about, if your room is big enough to handle them, a pair of Duntech Crown Prince's or Princesses would be an excellent match for solid state amps, as those speakers have a little warmth in the midrange that works better with solid state than tubes and otherwise they give you many of the virtues of the Dunlavy SC IVs, which I feel sound better with tubes. IMHO, based on having auditioned them both and having chosen the Duntechs almost 14 years ago over the 801 Matrixes, B&Ws will be more revealing, Duntechs will be a little warmer and more forgiving. Both are excellent speakers, but remember with any full-range speaker that you'll need a big enough room to handle those lower bass notes. |
Energy Veritas v 1.8's are an excellent choice, and can be had on the net used for around 2k. I have had a ton of speakers, and these are the best speaker for jazz and rock i have ever owned. |
The Gershman Acoustics Avant Garde or the less expensive Cameleon which retails for 1699 new. The Avant Garde's are 4400 and sometimes show up used for 2k to 2.5k - both are great speakers with style - check out the website on the Audiogon manufacturers list. If you need more info go to audioreview.com for details on the Avant Gardes or go to a dealers site - soundvideo.com. |
Try used Tannoy D700 (a little-bit over $2000 but worth it) |
I agree with Natalie's comments about the room dictating speaker size. I'll go so far as to say that not only should the size of the room dictate the size of the speaker, the shape of the room, listening distance radiation pattern of the speakers are also important factors.
Look at the BIG picture and the smaller details tend to fall in place. Sean
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Without a doubt the Soliloquy 6.3's are the best all around speaker in your price range. Set them up properly and they will play music to your hearts content. |
Planer speaker-Magnepan 1.6R or 3.5R used
Dynamic speaker- Diva by Swans the best you can afford new the 6.1?? I think. Used perhaps a Spendor or something similar to. I have never been a fan of B&W though plenty of folks do like them, listen for yourself but think about the others people suggested(though I would stay away from paradigm, I don't think of them is "true" hi-fi) Good luck,
Tim |
Totem floor standers. Believe the Sttaf falls in this price range, is dynamic, images very well and is overall quite musical. |
VON SCHWEIKERT VR6.I am using them with a pair of THRESHOLD SA6E monoblocks.they also sound great with tubes and do not need alot of power. RICH |
I almost bought Revel Performa F30; if you can find a used pair under $2500 do check them out. Probably the best midrange in a floorstanding 3-way under $5k.
Have fun. |
