I too have owned the Shearwater HRs and Kestrel HRs and agree the Kestrels are the better sounding speaker; sold the Shearwaters, kept the Kestrels. I'm sticking with the Polks as a recommendation. Hard to beat for the price, |
Ah, come on Oz, they're not that bad. No real mystery what to expect from them with such a common driver. Add the fact that it is a well designed TL with a simple first order corssover and can be had at 1K, it makes it one of the posters few good options. I personally prefer the Kestrel 1, but find all three are a steal used. |
I had the HR Shearwater for about a week. I couldn't unload those fast enough. Probably one of the worst audio purchases I ever made.
Oz |
I agree wtih Veroman, pick up a pair Meadowlark two ways, either of the Kestrel models or a Shearwater. Personally, I prefer the Kestrel I HR and I have owned all three. They fit what you are after perfectectly, you can listen to them all day long, and they will fill that room. |
Veroman, the question must be asked, have you spent any time listening to the Polk's LSi series speakers. Prior to the LSi-15s I was using Vandersteen 2CE Signatures and Meadowlark Audio Shearwater hot rods, both highly regarded speakers, and the Polks are in the same class. Very articulate, smooth and balanced. |
imo polks are more rock 'friendly' than more 'high end' spkrs for same $. more pronounced bass and 'crisp' sound. BUT, you mentioned you did not need LOW bass and brightness. unless you address room acoustics they may be a bit bright in YOUR space. at risk of sounding snobbish, polks may not be as capable of delivering the goods as you move away from rock n roll. most rock was poorly recorded and less 'accurate' speakers can overcome this. well recorded material will be better served with more articulate spkrs. just my opinion, you are final judge:) |
I'm using a Classe CAP-151 with a Toshiba SD-9200. The Polks replaced Kestrel hot rods which moved into a closet for now.
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I am not sure I'm sold on their looks but they have a pretty cool modern appearance that could grow on me. From the midrange up they sounded smooth as butter. Down below it's hard to judge in a Tweeter; the room and placement have so much to do with these things.
What amp do you run yours with? |
I'd make a pitch for my beloved Neat Motive 2s, but they are over your budget, and I haven't a clue how they sound with that stuff you have, so I won't. |
It's funny you mentioned the LSi-15s as I would've suggested them except for the size. The Polks are currently installed in my system and I'm extremely happy with the sound they create. They won't be overwhelmed by the size of your room. Very nice looking also. |
yes, I read the post. I did miss the $1K until re-reading. The Verity Tamino X2's can be had used from $1500.
Jim |
Hoggshead,
Did you EVEN read the original poster's query? I don't think he will find a Verity Audio product for $1K.
Oz |
How about the Hornshoppe Horns? |
So today I heard the JM Labs 816 and the Polk LSi15. Although the Polk are larger than my stated criteria I will get another audition at (gasp) Tweeter and if they pass the WAF it's likely I am leaning towards them. They do have nice cabinetry and a good form factor. And, there is something very right about their voicing.
The JM had a more etched quality and accentuated the room acoustics in the recording. The Polk just sounded natural and did not have the sibilant emphasis I heard on the JM Labs. More auditioning is needed but I've found an early front runner in the sweepstakes. |
Give the Verity Audio Tamino X2 a listen.
Jim |
I realize that with a 35" or so maximum height my requirements won't be easily met. That's why I asked for ideas from the crowd here whose combined experience is much greater than my own. In the past I've seen some transmission line speakers do well with smaller cabinets so I'm a little surprised PMC hasn't been mentioned. I've seen used ones go in the $1k range.
The saving grace is that these need not blow out windows or recreate concert level SPL's. It will be mostly used for background music. |
You might want to listen to the B&W CM4. It's a small floor standing speaker with a big sound for it's size. I had a pair and enjoyed them very much.
Eben. |
Vienna Acoustics. http://www.sumikoaudio.net/va/idx_clsx.htm |
The original post specifies 35 inches as max height. You are asking for quite a lot from a speaker of this size. |
Thanks for your opinion. When I mean 'getting lost' it isn't all about soundstage size although that is part of it. Mostly, it is the speaker's ability to energize the room and not sound like it is is whispering.
It's been a long standing practice of mine to match speakers to the room they are in. For my den (12x12) I would probably go no larger than Kestrels size. A speaker like a Spendor S8 would likely overpower the room. And, the drivers might not integrate well at too close a distance. In a large room I want something that will be able to provide a solid foundation. It needn't go down to 20hz but it has to have enough drive that it doesn't sound lightweight, or lost in a room that is close to 4000 ft3.
I hope this makes sense.
Wayne |
i listen to the kestral 2's in a big space and they don't seem 'lost' altho i'm not sure what that term means exactly. i think the 'soundstage' is quite large actually. to me it is about 'soundstage' rather than speaker size. some large cabineted speakers can have a very limted soundstage and vice versa. don't mean to lecture, i just wanted to share my experience. happy hunting! |
Thanks for all the replies. I'll check into the Dali and JM Labs lines. Someone here in Chicago must have them. I like the Kestrels a lot but worry that they and the Totem's might be too small for the space. It's really a system for lower level background listening but the room could swallow up a small system. |
meadowlark kestral 2's are great, but i just saw an ad for their big brother shearwater hotrods on a-gon this A.M. for @$1,200! snap up those guys and you will have bought a heckuva speaker for a great price! they will deliver extra bass the room calls for. |
Any of the Soliloquy floor standers would definitely fit the bill. They are no longer in business, but are a great bargain on the used market these days. Better to find a pair local to you as they are very HEAVY, and really require better packing than the factory provided for them in order to safely use a ground shipper. Great value for the money! I'd suggest a pair of 5.3's - two on A'gon for $600 but one marked sold. That is an outright steal for the quality of both sound and construction you will get.
Marco |
The only Totems you'll find under $1000 are Sttafs and Arro. Neither is really a rock speaker and they're probably not adequate for your room. If you add a subwoofer (you may be able to get a decent one if you squeeze a little more budget, and buy them used) to complement the Sttafs they may do nicely, especially if you don't need hi volume (they play loud, just not real loud. They do really nicely with Jazz and Vocal music. Given the child, you will want to mass-load the bases, and maybe even consider adding a larger plinth or outriggers as they can be a little tipsy.
Another option that isn't a floor stander but is a great rock and jazz speaker IMO is the GMA Europa. If you get good heavy stands they can be pretty stable. Again with them you may need a subwoofer to fill that room.
The good part is you can add the subwoofer after trying any of these and determined you need it.
Finally - if you can squeeze more $ (ie closer to $1500), the VonSchweikert VR2's may be an ideal choice. |
Often read where someone wants to acommodate a "bright" piece of gear with "gentle" ICs or other equipment somewhere in the chain. That can be a mistake because that piece is more likely exposing a weakness than being the fault. The same goes for the room. It will perform it's best when you feed it the best.
There are some old Kappa 7s up for auction. No relation. |
Just purchased a pair of Totem Arros and could not be happier, for now at least... |
Meadowlark Audio Kestrel Hot Rods meet your needs exactly and can be had for less than your budget. I was looking for a speaker with same size requirements and smooth sonic signature when I lucked upon these. They have adequate bass and work exceptionally well at low volumes. I never tried them in a room as large as you describe but few speakers meeting your size requirements will do better.
Mine are currently in the closet and come out occasionally. These Kestrels will be with me for a long time |
First off let me say to Ekobesky, the Sqeezebox does not merit $200 speakers, I have a Bolder digitally modded SB3 running to a Benchmark DAC-1 and I am very pleased. I find it very much the equal of many of the high end cd players I have howned previous such as the Sim Audio nova, Electrocompaniet EMC1-up and Ayre CX-7e providing you store the material without lossy compression.
I have owned the Quad L's and they are very nice speakers, pretty polite and would likely work well in an undamped room. They do not however have much bass slam or true high frequency extension.
I would highly recommend checking out the Dali Ikon series, I own the Helicon 800's and the Ikon's do many of the same things well and have an energy and transparency that is addicting. Pair the Dali's with a decent tube preamp and a good SS amp and you can have an excellent system that won't crack the budget. |
That is a pretty big room to fill with sound for 1K. None of the Totems that you will find at that price will do it. I tried a pair of Forests in a 26X16 room for a weekend and they definitely weren't enough. Neither are the smaller Spendors going to do it. You will have to go to at least the S8e, and that won't happen at your budget. I think you are either going to have to live with the limited dynamics and absolute volume you will get with the size constraints you have stated. Or else go with a larger more expensive speaker.
Oz |
Wdrazek,
I went through a similar discovery exercise about two months ago.
Here are some of the contenders I seriously looked at:
AV123s Ref1s, RS250s and their hot little x-ls w/mods
Von Schweikert VR1s
NOLA Mini
AVS sbs 01
Acoustic Energy AE-1 (used)
Reference 3A (used)
NHT 2s or 3s
Axiom M3V2
Aperion Intimus 532
Ascend CBM 170SE
The choice you make is dependent on not only your equipment but also what sound signature you prefer. My personal preference is clear and natural sounding vocals and horn instruments, tight lower midrange and bass, wide and deep sound stage, 3-D affect, and detailed upper frequencies; yet have a warm, liquid, high resolution and engaging overall sound. I play commercial Jazz cds, which are all over the map when it comes to sound quality. After listening to many of the above, I choose the x-ls speakers and moded them.
All these speakers are going to sound even better is you add a subwoofer with a fast steep cut-off X-O and cross it over very low. Trust me on this one point because it made a world of a difference. My sub happens to be a Vandersteen 2W with a non-Vandy plate amp set at around 50HZ.
Have a fun journey,
L |
ohm micro walsh....small statureass, with big soundstage and real bass. |
I would highly recommend the JM Lab Chorus line. Beautiful speakers with fantastic imaging and high-end detail that belies their modest cost. |
Given the source, how about spending a little less? Mission M31i is an excellent speaker that you can find very affordbaly (well under $300 a pair, sometimes less than $200 if you really shop around) and they are an excellent rock and jazz speaker. I owned a pair, wish I kept them. |
