Picking speakers 3000-5000 budget

Look for used Wavetouch audio Antero V2 speakers. Absolute best sound spkrs regardless of cost. The room in below video is 14' x 22' x 8'. They sound great in my shop (32'W x 40'L x 12'H). Alex/Wavetouch

https://youtu.be/LlYlIvmmg3c?si=fDA2rnJg30fRyIGC&t=153

Maggies - and planars in general - are kind of a love / hate thing, so I would strongly recommend an in-person audition before you commit. 

@unclewilbur mentioned the weak bass. Subs are a must, and so is DSP because planars are so fast that you need to delay them to give the woofers a chance to catch up. 

What wasn’t mentioned is the, uh, directionality of planar speakers (it’s bad form to say beaminess). Here you have to examine your use case. If you’re the kind of guy who sits at length in a one-person chair, you’re golden. If you like to move around the room, or enjoy having people join you on a large couch, planars are probably not going to be ideal for you. 

I love the transparency and airiness of planar speakers, but I can’t live with the mediocre bass response and mandatory head-in-a-vise listening position. It’s a matter of your personal and musical tastes though. Most planars have plenty enough bass for quiet singer-songwriters playing an acoustic instrument or light chamber music.

Don’t forget the power cords. They make a huge difference.

I have the Tritons. They are great. Sometimes I wish I had bought the B&W or Revel, but the Tritons work great.

@twangy57 

It's hard to say how long Maggies last. 

I've never experienced a failure. But there are used Maggies on ebay that are more than twenty years old. Just don't drive them too loud. I'd say you can safely drive them to 90db. I think if you drive them above 100db you'll shorten the life span, just like all speakers. I guess if you use them reasonably at 70db to 80db, and occasionally 90db, you'll probably get 15 or 20 years out of them. But if you overplay them, repairing Maggies isn't too hard if you're handy. Just re-glue the wires onto the mylar.

 

After saying all that, I would suggest buying only the newest models because they are improved. Here is a list of the newest models. The "i" and "+" designates the new improved versions. 

LRS+

.7i

1.7i

2.7i

3.7i

20.7

30.7

And all these speakers (except LRS+) can be upgraded by the factory (by replacing all of the components between the speaker cables and driver with superior parts). ...crossovers, better wires, simpler circuits, etc. The upgraded speakers are designated with an "x" ...1.7x or 2.7x ...

 

So, finally, here's the pros and cons of Maggies. 

Pros: 

Transparency that no box speakers can produce. 

Details that will amaze you. Clarity that will ruin every box speaker experience for the rest of your life.

Very smooth if you choose upstream components wisely. These speakers provide sound that depends on amps and sources. They tell the truth, but they are not unforgiving. Sound stage can extend well beyond your room if the recording and everything is right. Sound will almost always come from the soundstage that surrounds the speakers and very seldom come from the speakers (bad recordings sometimes occasionally emit sound from the speakers.) The bass is tight and natural. 

● 1.7i 40-24 kHz 

● 2.7i 40-30 kHz +/- 3dB 

 

Cons:

The bass won't blow your dress up over your head. ...or pants, whatever. Use a REL if necessary, but many/most don't want a subwoofer because the bass sounds natural for most music, especially acoustic. These speakers are inexpensive compared to boxes because boxes can be tricky to build well. But they need amps that can produce high current, and these amps are usually more expensive. These speakers don't play extremely loud -the safe limit is probably around 100db for the 1.7i and 2.7i. These speakers need space, so put them out into the room about three feet from the wall. Getting them in their ideal position in your room will take some experimenting. They're light, so putting them toward the wall after use isn't any problem at all. One last problem is that Maggies are not their best at very low volume. They come alive at about 30 or 40db.

 

For me, the benefits are very significant!!! 

For me, the problems don't matter because they are so transparent. Music sounds natural. When you hear music without resonance from boxes you will understand. 

 

Of course you may disagree, and that's ok too. 😊

unclewilbur

I have heard talk of this strange and mysterious Maggie.

Just kidding,I have never looked at them for some reason,I was always under the impression they cost big money.

I will take a look at them.I was hoping to keep the cost on the amp to under 5,000,but I guess If I can save on the speakers it's all good.

Us there a useful life span on these,as in what is the cut off on the age of these before I should stay away from a particular pair.

 

@twangy57 
I'm curious. Did you think about Magnepan?
I know they're not for everyone, but I can see them being great for most of your music genres.

Personally, I'm done with box speakers. Planar magnetic speakers are very transparent, detailed, affordable, and the soundstage is phenomenonal! Once you hear music without box resonance you'll be amazed!

I may be interfering with you conceived plans, but couldn't resist suggesting Maggies. The 2.7 or 1.7 would work in your room, and buying used is a good option. Audiogon has a nice pair of used 1.7i for $1,795. Just get an amp (class AB) with high current that doubles it's watts from 8 to 4 ohms. 150 Watts would work, but get more (500 watts) if you can. Audiogon has a nice used Pass Labs x250.8 for sale for $6,500. This amp gives you 500 watts into 4 ohms. So, if you bought these two suggestions the total would be around $9,000 including shipping. 😃

The 1.7i could even be placed on your long 20' wall.
...Just thinking, and maybe I want everyone to appreciate planar magnetic speakers like I do. 😊

mapman

I don't doubt it.

I will try to find some more demo's.

Just to be clear,you are referring to the 888's?

Thanks

@twangy57 I don’t go out on limbs very often but I will predict you would love them for pop/rock music.  They have a lot going for them that I look for:

1. Concentric design for phase coherency
2. A well known designer
3. On the more massive  side for speakers in their class these days
4. 8” driver.  Size matters when it comes to speakers as long as done well. 

I heard them at a show. They should excel with all music and be near top of the heap in their class for pop/rock, which I listen to a lot.

 

 

 

mapman

Yes ,I must say they sound really good.

I haven't been able to find any demo's with the type of music I listen to though.

The demo's are all modern tight synth sounding stuff to show off their bass

That is one thing ,they seem to be tight,and almost to modern for me.

I think I might like their smaller stand speakers more.

Will have to some more listening.

Thanks

Have not heard them all but I’d lean towards the Mofis were it me in your shoes.  

mapman

Thanks,your not there first recommendation on the Walsh's.

I will check them out.

I have found some speakers I’am interested in after a lot of suggestions.

This is a ongoing process,as I have more time than money.

! guess I’am looking for off the cuff thoughts on these.

Things that would automatically knock them off your list(if you liked rock,and pop mostly)

Also after thinking it through some more and listening to demos of some of the suggested speakers,I have come to the realization that I don’t want any huge speakers with pounding bass.Just a good balance with enough bass when I want it,or with a sub.

Here are a few that I want to check out more.

Elac 249 Black Edition see a pair used for 2800

Totem Dual Bison see used for 3600

Tekton 2x10 perfect pair new 2100

Dynaudio Focus 360 used 2100

Mofi Sourcepoint 888 new 5000

Acoustic Zen Adageo tower used 3000

Klipsch Forte 4 new 4000

Sonus Faber not sure what I can afford on these maybe sonneto or olympica?

This is what I’am looking at now.

Anybody have the Elas’s, Acoustic Zen’s,or Dynaudio’s?

The Dynaudio Focus 360 sounds great to me,but hard to find any clips playing rock.

I just wanted say my budget for a power amp is 5000 or less,and I will be using a McIntosh mx110 preamp.

Thanks.

I’d recommend considering Ohm Walsh www.ohmspeakers.com. Pick the speaker size based on room size,  throw a good quality modern Class D amp at them, give them just a bit of distance from the wall and most will be done for good. 

g2the2nd

Yes,I will take a look at those,Thanks

emuagogo

Yes,I think I might want to stay away from the ported too,as my room is only 20X13.

I'am on and off with The Klipsch's.Do you think they would be to much for my room?

Thanks

I'm quite happy with my Klipsch Forte IV's with a pair of 12 inch subs in a very large room.  I have plenty of room for the Cornwalls but do not care for ported speakers!

Consider Golden Ear Triton Reference 

 

a great all genre speaker

When you have "next level" speakers, they will do a good job with everything. It’s kind of like asking Elvis: "but can you do Old MacDonald?"

Thanks,I see your point.

 

ericgen94947

I know I have heard some of those.not sure of the exact model

Thanks I will put it on the list.

Pretty sure OP was after 2-channel speakers, not home theater stuff.

Arendal 1723.  THX certified.  Cabinet is very solid HDF.  Huge crossovers with top notch components.  Hard to go wrong there.

Will they do a good job on classic rock on occasion?

When you have "next level" speakers, they will do a good job with everything. It's kind of like asking Elvis: "but can you do Old MacDonald?"

 

I would highly suggest you consider a pair of Ohm Walsh Tall speakers for your room.  I have had a pair of Ohm Walsh Tall 2000s since 2019 and I am very, very happy with them.  They are semi-omnidirectional, with their 8” Walsh driver placed at the top of a floor standing tower speaker a total of 39” in height.  They start to roll off above 6K but include a super-tweeter which fully takes over from 8K out to 20K.  The high frequencies are suppressed at the rear of the speaker, with the super-tweeter mounted on the front.  This gives them much better imaging than is possible with fully omni speakers.  And it delivers full stereo sound throughout your listening room, not just in one sweet spot.  As for the bass, it is quite incredible.  In my listening room, which is slightly larger than yours, it is flat down to 32 hz, so there is no need for a subwoofer.  And the bass it produces is not only very deep, it is very tight, detailed and dynamic as well.  You have to hear it to believe it!  Please go to the Ohmspeakers web site to take a look.  Select Speakers -> Walsh Tall -> Series 2000 for the model that is the perfect size for your listening room (the same one I bought for mine).  They list for $3800 a pair, and are hand-built in Brooklyn, NYC, so no tariff issues to deal with.  And they ship them right to your home with a 120 day return policy, no questions asked.  But I guarantee you, once you have  heard them properly set up in your room, there is no way you will want to part with them!  And they love to play loud and sound great with every kind of music.  They can play cleanly up to 95 db in my 25’ by 15’ room with my 120 watts-per-channel Sansui integrated amp, with the speakers placed 12” from the front wall.  They are actually 6 ohm speakers, so a 100 watt amp will output somewhere around 120-130 watts, so you don’t need to spend a lot on an amplifier to drive the Ohm 2000s.  I actually bought a Yamaha A-S701 integrated amp as a backup in case my old Sansui AU-D11 amp craps out, and it sounds great with the Ohms, and for as low as under $650 out on the web. So you’re looking at around $4500 total!  And the A-S701 has a built-in DAC as well, although I would recommend purchasing a good standalone DAC as an alternative.  Anyway, enough said.  I will be happy to answer any questions you may have about any of this, and no I do not work for Ohm Acoustics.  I am just a very satisfied owner.  Cheers…

fatdaddy2 Klipsh Forte 4's

I really like the old Klipsch Chorus 2's,are the Forte 4's that much better?

I know someone selling a pair of the chorus 2's for 1500.

But now I'am thinking do I want a pair of speakers that are over 20 years old.

audioman58  The Sonus Faber Sonetto 2's

I think those are one of the models I thought sounded great.

Will they do a good job on classic rock on occasion?

Thanks.

mbmi

Thanks for the suggestion.it will go on my list.The KLH 5 are still in production?

unclewilbur

Me too!I usually like female voice's with kind of a raspy side,but hers is so sweet!

 

 

doyle3433

Thanks I will see if I can find some to check out.

@twangy57 

I feel the same way. Karen's voice affects me in profound ways.

She makes me melt like I'm falling in love! 

speed121

I  agree with a lot of what you say,I'am the same way with musical equipment.

I just recently found a huge box full of guitar accessories that turned out to have have a couple thousand dollars worth of guitar pedals.

I'am lucky as I have a local guitar shop that pays a decent amount for used stuff and he loves to trade;I just make sure I eat before going there,because you will be there a couple hours working on the deal.

Let me know if you decide to have a equipment swap.

thanks

 

 

I

unclewil

I second that..

I have come to love her voice,it has the ability to release all my stress in a single moment.

As usual, I agree with just about everything that the usual suspects have to say here.  I don't post often as I mostly just read and listen.  But on this subject, I do have an opinion to share with the OP, a fellow Midwesterner. 

In my opinion, it does very little good to go to local hifi shops to listen to their speakers, driven by their amplifiers/ preamplifiers in their rooms.  I have done this my whole life and as much as I can agree that it does give you an idea of the different house sounds of speakers and possibly amplifiers, it has very little to do with what the sound you will hear in your room with your gear.  I am not preaching room treatment, even though that is a very big part of getting the sound you want.  I will simply tell you what I would do and have done when I was in the situation that you are in.

I have multiple systems in my home with two dedicated listening rooms, one of which is also a HT setup.  I also have whole house, front porch, rear porch, side porch, back yard pool area, breakfast room, bedrooms, etc.  Along with this, I have an entire room dedicated to the overflow of different amps, preamps, speakers etc. that have come my way for me to try or buy for little more than a song.  I can imagine that I am not the only person on this forum that has this same room.  Anyway, my suggestion is to look around for used speakers and try as many as you have the energy to deal with.  Admittedly as I get older this is not as fun as it used to be, but there is always someone willing to help carry in a new set of speakers to give them a try.  My point is this:  I'm sure that if you look around fairly locally to you, there are several audiophiles who have plenty of speakers that they never bothered to get rid of that are perfectly good to try and see if they synergize with your setup.  I actually run Adcom GFA 55 for my outdoor speakers and Adcom GFA 565 Monoblocks for my main speakers in my main listening room.  I'm very happy with them.  I have Polk LS90's from years ago that are excellent but have very little value.  I have JBL L-100's, Von Schweikerts, KEF's, Alon's, Sonus Fabers, just to name a few.  All are very good but have very little value in the used market cause no one wants to pay to ship them.  Over the years I have graduated up the ladder to the final sets of speakers that I do have.  I have many buddies that are the exact same way with rooms and basements full of good stuff but no time or interest in selling on Marketplace or CL.  To be honest, my buddy and I were on our way home from Axpona last weekend and were debating on whether we should organize a local Midwest Audio Swap Meet to get our stuff in the hands of people that may want it or need it.  It is all moderately priced gear but nice stuff that's getting up in the years yet perfectly good.  Some of it may even be excellent gear but is aesthetically compromised.  I am one of those audiophiles that listens and doesn't stare at my equipment.  In fact, most of my best gear is behind doors or in closets so I don't see it at all.  One way to assure that your gear isn't subject to tariffs is to buy used gear and buy it local if you can.  I buy and sell all around the Midwest and not once have I had a seller tell me that they wouldn't meet me half way if it was a long drive for me.   I've also never met an audiophile that I didn't like.

soix

Thanks,If I decide to make the trip that looks like the best option.

The reviews on the Totem really sound like they are definitely worth checking out.

The ones that were recommended to me were the dual bison and new there are 4000. so they are at the top of my list.

 

@twangy57 

If a system can't do justice to Karen Carpenter's voice, it's worthless! 😊

 

devinplombier

Thanks for the suggestion.

Will the Tekton's do sweet vocals like James Taylor or Karen Carpenter well too?

kennyc

My life story,always just missed the action.lol

I will add the Golden Ear Triton to my list.

Thanks

My usual recommendation is to make an effort to visit as many dealers as possible.

If you don't know what sounds good for long term listening, then you are opening yourself to a possibly expensive dissapointment.

I know dealers are now located only in major cities, but if you can make, say, a late week audition to as many dealers located in an area near you, I think it would serve you well. 

Bob

+1 on Klipsch, but would suggest Forte IV's if Cornwalls are too big for your space.  Roughly the same footprint as your Polk 10's.

There are so many speakers that would fit your budget it’s hard for many here to advise you. I have the Tekton Double Impact SE and with grills on they look like about 90% of all the tall floor standers out there. I also have Vandersteen speakers, but the Tektons are the loud type and will rock your world.  Also look at JBL, Dynaudio, Klipsch, Volti, Zu Audio and a newer one getting alot of attention, O Audio . Good luck.

The Mofi coaxial speakers are doing well and great value 

if you can go to $6500 retail the New Sonus Faber Sonnetto- G2 with dual 6.5 inch bass drivers down Irving port can get them under $5500 the best value per $dollar imo.

 

KLH Model 5! I heard so many good things too :)

I have 14 pairs of speakers ranging from Mirage , Klipsch.....all the way up to $11K Borresen X-3's.......If you can't spend 11K, then the best sound comes from the amazing KLH Model 5's !!!!

All excellent suggestions already, but here's my two bits..

If you like to listen at moderate to high volume, enjoy really excellent dynamics and listen to a variety of genre’s I would have you seriously consider Volti Razz. Looks and behaves somewhat like a Klipsch Forte, however in my opinion performs much better. Got to Volti’s website and take a look. Build quality is to a very high standard and you can pick the veneer from mild to wild, grill cloth also. 

Rare to see them up here or on USAM. There may be a pre-loved pair on The Music Room site for 5k. 

Golden ear and the Paradigm Founder series are also very good. 

I also checked out ATC.I like the scm80 and scm 100,the latter out of my price range.Most reviews were very good.Going to check these out some more.  I also was looking at the ProAc Response DT8 There is a pair used for 2500 on ebay.  Anyone have any thoughts on these.

Saturday Audio Exchange carries ATC and Klipsch, and while you’re there Monitor Audio, Paradigm and GoldenEar would also be worth a listen in your price range.  ProAc speakers are all-around excellent speakers (one of my personal faves actually) and ProMusica carries them along with Totem and Dynaudio that are also very much worth hearing.  Holm Audio has MoFi, Dali, Sonner, and several others.  You’re lucky to be relatively close to all these brands — take full advantage of it!
 

 GoldenEar Triton us a good suggestion

I wish it were so simple  texasblues1959

I am an optimist, I walk across the desert and the mountains to see a sliver of light for optimism. If there is any.

Tektons do seem appropriate actually

I can't believe I'm even writing this

@twangy57 you just missed AXPONA audio show last weekend in Chicago with 200+ rooms of high-end audio demos and gear.  It was fantastic

For rock maybe GoldenEar Triton speakers