Picking speakers 3000-5000 budget

blackbag20

Thanks for the info.

The Klipsch is a speaker I heard a few times back 20 years ago,and thought I would love to have someday.

I heard them with a tube Mcintosh system,and cranking rockn'roll.

I need to give them another listen to see if I'am just chasing a nostalgic memory.

You are not the first person to recommend the Studio Electric,and I will definitely give them a look.

blackbag20

Thanks for the suggestion.I will look at Revel to see what their about.

everhard

Thanks for the advice,I'am definitely enjoying the hunt.

With all the choice's we have these days it is hard to sort out the instant gratification sound ,from what might serve you well over the long haul.

I like the Wharfedale Linton,and will check out the Eggleston Works.

I would love to get a 8000 speaker used for 3000,and that seems totally doable.

vinylrestingplace

Thanks for the words of wisdom.

I will try and use it going forward.

I have had my current speakers about 30 years and have tried them in every placement imaginable,and they have been in 5 different locations.

They sound good to me about 20 inches from the back wall and away from side walls.

I do put them on the narrow wall and that is where I like them best.

Thanks again.

I'am putting the call out for a face off on 2 speakers that I keep coming back to.

1'Elac FS 249 Black Edition

2.Dynaudio Focal 360

these both sound great to me.

I know they are older designs,but if they sound good that doesn't disqualify them to me.

Anybody have a opinion on either one?

My concern is versatility,can they do rock ,pop,and acoustic singer songwriter stuff.

They are available for around 2-3000 right now.

Thank you.

My concern is versatility,can they do rock ,pop,and acoustic singer songwriter stuff.

@twangy57 

The man I bought my current speakers from was helping me load them when he asserted, a propos of nothing, "these are not heavy metal speakers".

I thought it was an odd thing to say (or believe, for that matter), but sure. He seemed to be a bona fide audiophile with a penchant for jazz being played at polite volumes, so I could see where he came from.

I was thinking about that the other night while blasting Sumac’s excellent album The Healer at a solid 105 dB, which my speakers performed admirably, apparently at ease and enjoying themselves. 

The point of this, which has been made before in this thread, is that great speakers will play everything well.

There are exceptions, usually "uncommon" or single-purpose designs. Planars, single-drivers, ultra-high-efficiency coaxials, all have their idiosyncrasies yet excel in certain areas they make them the perfect choice for some folks, although to be fair most of these folks would probably rather undergo an appendectomy without anesthesia than listen to a Sumac album.

If you’ve auditioned the Elac and Dynaudio in person - that is, you being physically present in the same room while the speakers are playing - and you loved them, go for it! 

you keep asking if a speaker will do x and y well and we keep telling you a good speaker will do x y and z. I lost track of your swinging from one brand to another, with very different sizes, sounds and sensitivities.

(Good) speakers (good meaning neutral) have two main characteristics: playing at various frequencies and distinguishing details. Everything is a combination of these two qualities. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want details. But let’s say you listen to Les Preludes vs.   Aerosmith. You will get very tired quickly when you listen to Liszt on cheap speakers. You will want very sophisticated sound. The point is: do you want speakers that do complex music well or you want a compromise? Your choices and trade-offs are: number of drivers size, driver size, tweeter quality, frequency range, sensitivity, power handling and PRICE. I would decide the type of speaker that works well in your room and then look for one in your price range. 

The easiest first step is: do you want bass and how much and are you interested in a sub or subs. It will eliminate a lot of speakers with smaller drivers/woofers.

@twangy57 , As your musical tastes become very eclectic, you will need a lot more than 1 pair of different speakers, i.e. the same reason i have many very differemt speakers, multiple rigs, etc.

But, not everyone has a thick wallet or space and you say you only have 3k to spend (limited budget)....which pretty much narrows you down to 1 option these days...Tekton.

I would recommend a Tekton model called "Epic 15" for your budget. A local friend has that model and it is unbelievable. But, you should call Tektondesign on a weekday and talk to the speaker designer directly. His name is Eric Alexander and he is also a musician. Tell him all about your eclectic taste in music, different artists you like, what you like about them, what tracks you like, etc.

I listen to about 40%classic rock,and about 40% pop,soul,blues,with the last 20% jazz classical and misc.

I really need my speakers to be able to rock at a pretty good volume,I know the Klipsch’s would probably do that,but also would like them to sound great for pop,soul,and acoustic stuff.I really like bluegrass and Celtic acoustic music.

Vandersteen 2ce Signature III''s are very good - very natural sound. Need some space around them

Focal Vestia No.3 - Outstanding sound for the price.

I really like my Spatial open baffle speakers. Yoi can find used ones in your price range. They are a bit under the radar, but the money they save on advertising is money the buyer saves as well. At least that's my take. Lots of reviews out there. 

I cannot recommend SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle high enough.

They are $5k for pair. Comparable with 801 D4. But actually sound better IMHO.  In the price range, it really has no competition from sonus perlinston 888 focal and kef.  I own a mac amp 3xs the price, if that isn't proof enough.  

But get them before tariffs tick them up to 10k.

I CAN HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE SVS Ultra Evolution 3-Way Tower Speaker with Quad 5.25" Woofers . I PURCHASED THEM FOR LESS THAN 5 GRAND ! THEY COMPLEMENT MY KLIPSCH CORNSCALLAS ! I RUN THEM WITH MY ROUGE CRONUS MAGNUM TUBE INAGRATED AMP ! OUTSTAND DINAMIC RANGE AND BRODENED MY SOUND STAGE ! BEST SPEAKER FOR THE MONEY $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

ALL THE BEST MY AUDIOPHILE BROTHER !

Thanks to all for the quick response.

I will respond more concisely a little later,as I have to go out soon.

Some of you tell me a great speaker can play anything well,and I understand that,but I noticed on the 2, I mentioned in particular ,there is hardly any demo’s of any rock or pop.

Another reason I brought those up was, when new they went for over double of what is being asked now.

On the downside,they seem kind of large

I think both of them sound great,and I’am trying not to rush and buy something,

so I need to mellow a bit and take a time out.

I will take another look at SVS too,got a lot recommendation's on those.

Thanks.

I feel sorry for @twangy57  because he could never make sense of the hundreds of speaker/amp recommendations that he's been given! 😵‍💫 

I hope Twangy can get to  a store and experience something that sounds just right for him. That's the worst part of this hobby. There are very few places where someone can hear many of these brands, and it would be a huge city. 

Good luck with that.  Life in a city is a horror for me!!! 

unclewilbur

No worries deep down I know it is my nature to never be totally sure I made the right choice anyway,and the sooner I accept that,the sooner I can be happy.

Thanks 

@twangy57 

So what you are saying is that you struggle with indecision!
Well crap!!!

I’m the king of indecision. 

There were three sisters. I met them one at a time, and first was Debbie. She was the most beautiful girl in the world, without a doubt! After school, we  spent every moment together every day for several weeks. She was so sweet!

Then, I met Terri! Wow!!! Oh my, she was definitely the most beautiful in the world, but I was dating Debbie! I didn’t know what to do. My life was a disaster!

But finally, I met Vicki. She was definitely the one for me!!!! She had the most beautiful brown eyes, and soooo sweet!!! We got along so well, she felt like an old friend.

My confusion must have been very apparent to all three of these wonderful young ladies, and I was in complete gridlock!!!!!  I was ruined. ...If I could just pick one without messing up everything...

I was so confused that I avoided them for a week, and then just blew the whole situation!!! Any one of them would have been a match made in heaven.

So, several years later, I met Debbie at a store. She was just perfect in every way that I could imagine. And I knew I would regret my mistakes for the rest of my life!!!

Indecision is the worst.

Hello! I have a  McIntosh MA7900 integrated amp @ 200 w.p.c. since you already have a preamp a MC2200 Mac amp w/ 200 w.p.c. would be nice pick up one for $3,500 or so. Any of the older Mac stuff is good if it's been serviced. My living room's kind of small so best fit for me are the JBL L-100T's  with upgraded crossovers which you can buy on line from the crossover guy. I prefer the sound of these to the more popular JBL L-100's and you can pick up a nice pair for about $2,000. If you have a larger room the JBL4333 studio monitors are just great or their home theater equivlent L-300's , they have a cool glass top. They may need refoaming , rework crossovers or a re-cap but they sound fantastic , cost about $4,000=$5,000. Have fun.

One speaker not mentioned is the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G. Stereophile Class A rated, Absolute Sound, HI-Fi News, Soundstage, and about any other magazine who listened to them gave them highest reviews and 'Best of ...' awards. My first thought when I heard them were "This is what JBL's should sound like". Same dynamics and punch, but much better balance, tighter more extended bass than any Klipsch and better imaging. The dual rear ports allow a fair amount of bass tuning for your room, and the bulid quality is way above the price point. At $3200 a pair, the Sterophile reviewer thought that was a typo, that they were $3200 each, and a bargain at that price. I also drive mine with an Adcom MOSFET or Marantz amp, they're not a difficult load for 4 Ohm happy amps, and 100 W is just fine. Honestly, I'd have to go well north of $10K per pair into Wilson-land for even incremental improvement.

Your very, very, very best value in that price range is a used set of the Linkwitz Orion system - open baffle loudspeakers, active crossover and amplification.  Typically priced at $3000 - $5000.  It's an insane value.  They image well and sound good everywhere in the room.  You don't have to cement yourself into the sweet spot to enjoy great sound.

They are especially good on voices, acoustic piano and acoustic instruments.  They have terrific power handling and can do full orchestral levels in large rooms.

Sounds like you want punchy rock speakers - but refined. JBL 1400 Arrays will do that, a used pair may just fit with your requirements. 

To get the job done I would recommend Tekton Moabs with Wyred 4 Sound SX 1000R's and a preamp of your choice. Not the most congenial speaker brand but there is real independent thinking in the design. You might also like the GR Research Brute/Bully with Benchmark Audio AHB2 amp(s) and their whole suite. 

Notice these are all tariff resistant choices. 

unclewilbur

Man I thought for sure there was a joke at the end of that story.

One thing I can tell you is,I wouldn't of had a problem in that situation because I always go for the Debbie if there is one.

I don't know what it is ,but Debbie's and me have always got along..

Matter of fact I kind of wish I would of married one in particular,maybe I would still be married.

panzrwagn

Thanks for the info,Monitor Audio Silver 500 7g will go on the list.

zx10

I really like what I have heard of the JBL Jubals.

Have you heard them,and if so how do they compare to the ones you mentioned.

incorrigable

Thanks but those Moabs are to large for my liking.

I will look at the GR research stuff though.

bishop148

I think If I got a sub to go with my Polk M10's they probably could do the loud rock thing,I guess I'am getting old because I want a big helping of classy sweet finnese on speakers.

I like the JBLs for what they do though.

russbutton

thanks for your suggestion,I will take a look at them.

@twangy57 

I’m located in Lockport,IL if you want to demo the Revel f328be and a buddy nearby with f328s and f228s. Just shoot me a message 👍. I used to have Monitor Audio Silver 10s 5g. 

If the used market in the area is anything like the SF Bay area I'd take the time to explore it.  Gear at this level has been well treated generally and an in home listen beats a showroom imo.  There are some outstanding deals from folks just looking to move on.  Also of course the bigger speakers become problematic to ship so local buyers have a little leverage.

curt_d

Thanks for the offer.

I have been checking out the Revel's this morning.

I really like the F226BE for the price.I;am trying to stay around 5,000

What advantage do the 328's have over them?

guscreek

That is what I would like to do.

I'am looking at a pair of Elac FS249 BE that were 8,000 new.

They are asking 2,800 now.

without the luxury of brick amd mortar, I’d get the best b&w speakers you can, along with the benchmark ahb2 amp. Rave reviews on the amp, reasonably priced, Made in the US. 

as for type of music. Classical is the most challenging, It has the widest variety of instruments (timbre). If classical music sounds good on a system, everything will sound good, 

I’m still bummed about thiel’s demise. Jim Thiel was an amazing engineer, The drivers are of his own design. When I bought the cs 2.4’s years ago, nothing else came close to the soundstage and frequency response

No one has mentioned LINN speakers. I just bought a set, not to replace, but in addition to my Klipsch Heresies. They sound great to me, and I haven't even started bi-amping them.

I don't think I have half the ear or care of most of you guys, but I would be curious to hear the opinions.

Maybe new Fyne F501 or F502 new including shipping on eBay.

If you want a highly efficient speaker, a used Volti Razz is an excellent choice with many very favorable reviews. 

arnieco

I only rarely listen to classical,and from what people tell me B&W don’t really represent rock and blues too well.

I have listened to them in person,but only as background music levels.

Thanks for the info though.

charleyprice

I have never heard of Linn speakers before.

Is this the company that makes turntables?

kennyc

I haven’t seen these two before.

I will take a look for them.

thank you for bringing them to my attention.

UPDATE!

I did some searching on the Fyne speakers.Nice.

Wish this setup was in my budget https://youtu.be/qPhfqe0zPzQ?si=ypVlK8NE_joLLW-x

You should be able to get some excellent sounding speakers for that budget - especially if you buy used, and you’ve gotten a lot of great advice here so far.  It doesn’t sound like you have been doing a lot of listening to different speakers and systems recently.  I heartily recommend you go to Chicago and listen to as much modern gear in person as possible.  Or take a trip to someplace like The Music Room in Colorado where they have a bunch of high quality used speakers in your price range advertised here on Audiogon.  The investment in time and travel cost will be paid back in spades in raised awareness.

While I agree that it is difficult to guess how a speaker that sounds great in the showroom is going to sound in your room with your gear, there is a lot to be gained listening to different gear combinations to see what they do well and what they lack.  I listened to all kinds of gear at all price levels in showrooms around the country to understand things like amp and speaker matching and came to understand that for me, tone, timbre and dynamics were more important than soundstage and spatial resolution.  That experience ultimately drove my buying decisions because I was able to focus on those characteristics when demoing the amp and speakers that I ultimately bought.  

Different elements of sound reproduction may be important to you, but building your personal listening vocabulary is critical to getting what you like on your budget, and even to more effectively demoing gear in your own space.  Imagine doing research ahead of buying some expensive visual art without ever looking at any pictures or visiting any galleries to see the pieces in person, but just basing your buying decisions on critics reviews and the opinions of other art collectors.  I hope you get my point.

All that said, some of the speaker suggestions already made here seem potentially well suited for your musical tastes and can provide a bit of narrowing for your search.  ProAc, Vandersteen, Dynaudio, Monitor Audio, ATC, Totem and Revel all have potential to reward.  I would add Spendor and PMC to that list.  At $5,000 speaker budget, I might suggest a very nice stand mount in combination with one or two subwoofers.  For a warm and woody sonic hug, check out a pair of Wharfedale Super Lintons and an REL Classic 99 sub.  Or, you can go all in on an active tower like a used pair of ATC - SCM40a Active Floor-Standing Speakers, or something like a Dynaudio Focus active stand-mount plus two REL S/510 subs. With active speakers you can do without a new amp entirely and put your whole $6-10k budget into powered speakers (and subs), and just drive them all with your preamp.

No matter what, I really suggest you get out and listen to some of the newer gear with your own ears.  I think you will be blown away with how good hifi has become in the last 25 years at lower price points - especially with respect to bass reproduction and dynamics.

kn

KLH Has a new MODEL 7 that is what I believe to be the best sounding 4K speaker in the entire industry. They won't hit the market for another 30- 60 days.It's the Model 5 on steriods. Fantastic Speaker!

knownothing

I appreciate your thoughtful and detailed post.

I know it would seem a good idea to go hear some newer speakers in person,but in my experience,for me that doesn’t really insure I will be happy with my purchase.

I have bought and sold quite a few guitars,amps and effect pedals.Many I tried in person and ended up getting rid of not long after.

I guess it just takes me living with and using something for a while to determine if I really like it enough to keep.

I find it just as useful to watch and listen to as many video and audio samples as I can find.

That along with reading a whole lot of reviews usually gets me close.

I retired last year after being on the road driving a semi for the prior 21 years.I just do not care to drive much these days.

That being said,I may go into to Chicago as I need to take care of something else and if I don’t buy something before that I will at least check out 1 or 2 places.

I’am looking at several of the brands you mentioned,but will add spendor and PCM to the list.

Thanks.

mbmi

Thanks for the heads up on the new KLH 7,I will be watching out for it.

again KLH is value on steroids

I’m surprised that the Aerial Acoustics line of speakers haven’t been mentioned. They are another company that frequently go “under the radar”. Disclaimer: I own a pair that are nearly 30 years old.

Oh sure, I get that audiophile itch but then I play something and that seems to relieve it. Additionally, after listening in concert and coming home and reproducing the venue (as well that can be expected given the room) I’ve been satisfied with the  performance.

No ego involvement here; there are a number systems that should satisfy you and if I were to start again, I may get something different (but the current Aerial Acoustics line would be on the list).

Good luck on your hunt!

I can’t keep track ot the many speaker suggestions and amp suggestions that you’ve received, and your reactions to these suggestions. But I think you mentioned that Proac speakers were interesting to you. And I assume Chicago is your nearest city. Am I correct?

If so, you might want to look at the website for "Quintessence Audio." 

Click on their pre-owned items, and you should see a used pair of "Proac Response 3.8." The speakers were $8800 new, and are selling for $3199. 

They have other  pre-owned items that may interest you.

Quintessence Audio is in Morton Grove, just north of Chicago. 

I assume this is relatively near to you?

I can’t keep track ot the many speaker suggestions

the tracking algorithm broke :)

@gano 

How many speaker recommendations have there been?

...well over 100?

I'm glad that Twangy is getting all these suggestions!!!

I have a few questions of my own that I'd like to have answered!!! 😵‍💫

Anyway this thread has been interesting!

ProAc definitely make some great-sounding speakers, but keep your fingers crossed that nothing ever goes wrong with them.

You've had some good advice and the good and bad about asking in a forum such as this as you are going to get as many suggestions as you can possibly handle. Another issue is that reviewers, especially YouTube reviewers, mainly review products from usual suspects because those companies can afford to send out review samples and pay for advertising in various rags. 

Your musical taste is pretty diverse and would require a speaker to handle harsh sounding recordings (classic rock) along with complex multitudes of instruments (classical) and then you have jazz and the acoustic music you like. While I am a fan of Magnepans, they aren't that dynamic and they are picky with amplifiers and need a lot of current. There are open baffle speakers like Spatial Audio (you can probably find the X3s for a fantastic deal) and they are large and need to be pushed out into the room. There is also the Pure Audio Project speakers and Steve Guttenberg has raved about these on his Audiophiliac channel. 

I am going to suggest Nola speakers. They might be too expensive new but there is what looks on the surface of a screaming deal here but requires local pickup although it is one state over for you in northern Ohio. The seller would also give you the opportunity to demo the speakers and to use your own gear if you wanted.

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650200805-nola-ko/

Here are some snippets about the speakers:

http://www.nolaspeakers.com/shows/RMAF2015/index.html

http://www.nolaspeakers.com/reviews/HPsoundings/2012-11NolaKO/index.html

Or maybe a Nola Contender or, if you want bookshelf, Boxer.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/nola-contender-loudspeaker

I had a Adcom gfa 555-2 and a Adcom gfp 565. I thought I needed new speakers because there was a harshness in the upper midrange. I have Canton ergo 80 speakers. I purchased a Rogue audio cronus dark. When I started using the Cronus dark , my Cantons lost all harshness. I added two svs 2000 pro subwoofers. Now I couldn't be happier with my system. The problem was the Adcom amp and preamp. Thr Cronus dark is vastly superior to the Adcom components. Maybe you don't need new speakers 

@dz13 

I gladly accept the problems of planar magnetic speakers because the benefits are fabulous. 

Is there a cure for phobia of box speakers? 🤔...haven’t heard it yet!

But I’m definitely open to open baffle speakers.