Are you looking for new or used?
Speaker recommendations welcomed
Hi everyone,
Looking for some speaker recommendations for a second system and would love to hear your input. Here's a list of what I'm after
Budget around $5k
Prefer no bookshelf speakers
Non-agressive tweeters
Excellent imaging
I don't have electronics yet and have only started my speaker search. Thanks!!
41 responses Add your response
They’re a little above your price target, but both the ProAc D20 and Joseph Audio Profile offer detailed yet very natural sound (i.e. not bright) with outstanding imaging and an expansive 3D soundstage, and both are among the best at disappearing as a sound source in the room and neither are a difficult load for an amp. IMHO either of these is well worth stretching your budget a bit given what you’re looking for. Best of luck. |
Spendor A7- read the Stereophile review too. It's difficult to find speakers as satisfying as the Spendor A and D series once you have worked them into your system and discover whet they are all about. Smooth and detailed (silk dome tweeter), exceptional bass and transparency yet with a speed and rhythm micro dynamic capability nearly unrivaled. On the down side they need lots of burn in hours, but you are rewarded on the back end. . |
@hk_fan These are very large enough to be mini floorstanders. Sourcepoint 10 Master Edition In Black or In Walnut and get these low slung stands - https://www.etsy.com/listing/1343688505/custom-speaker-stand-made-upon-order |
If you don't mind putting the speakers together yourself, there is nothing better out there than the Linkwitz LX 521. You can get the kit and the drivers from Madisound and the active 5-way crossover PLUS amplifier from the Linkwitz store in Stuttgart. In terms of spacial presentation and soundstage there is just nothing else at this price range. I am the happy owner for over ten years now. They got Product of the Year at AS two years ago: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-linkwitz-lx521-4-dipole-loudspeaker-review/ |
After for years being an almost lone voice in recommending the Eminent Technology LFT-8b, it’s great to be joined by others. But that recommendation is dependent on a number of factors, ones that make the recommendation non-universal. Not everyone likes planar loudspeakers, or dipoles. And planars are not appropriate for all rooms, or all systems (ones for instance with very low power amps). So my recommendation of the LFT-8b has always been offered to those who are considering Magnepans, or even electrostatics. One listener who considers the ET LFT-8b (and 8c) superior to all Magnepans and electrostatics he has heard is Steve Guttenberg (The Audiophiliac). Not everyone agrees with him about that, so my recommendation is not to buy a pair of the ET’s, but just to look into them. The LFT-8b meets a number of the op’s requirements. It’s under $5000, is not a bookshelf speaker, has a non-aggressive tweeter, and images well (in planar/dipole fashion).
|
Love the Revel Performa recommendations, and I will also get behind that! I currently have Revel’s in my main system after having been through so many over the years….
I will also throw out Dynaudio Evoke 50’s. The Dynaudio sound is wildly addictive. Just keep in mind you’ll want to really give them some good, clean power to get their best…
Enjoy the journey and good luck!
|
You didn’t mention how big your room is, and whether you can pull speakers 3 feet to 5 feet out into it while listening to music or how far you will be from them in your listening position. You didn’t mention whether you listen loud, medium, or at lower levels. Some speakers don’t "come alive" until you get them into the 82 or higher dB range while others can excel at lower volumes. What you get should cover what your listening bases are and whether or not you are a bass head. Good luck. |
@hk_fan Major or core sound system components (e.g. speakers and amplification source) should be matched or compatible with one another in order to achieve optimum sound quality. I would recommend that you consider this in your shopping expedition. The recommendations you are and will be getting here are basically individual preferences, in general. The dimensions and acoustic properties of your sound room, speaker placement within a room, etc. are also major factors in speaker and component selection, not to mention the type of music you like. Lastly, the most important factor is your own ears. What sounds great to Joe Blow may not necessarily sound the best to you. There are many great choices in your budget range. Many have been mentioned here but there are many others, as well. |
Some good questions from everyone so I will answer: Electronics: Really considering Michi P5 S2 and S5 amplifier for electronics, some sort of streamer as yet to be determined. I also like Coda and Pass Labs. Room size: Approx 20W x 30L x 10H this will be a dedicated room so I can pull speakers out from the walls. Will have some acoustic treatments. Usage: Not part of a theater, dedicated 2-channel setup. Listen at low to medium volumes most of the time so a speaker that can project detail and dynamics at lower volumes is important - thanks for that question @moonwatcher. Music: Varied but tend to bounce between jazz, some classic rock, grunge, old country - fairly eclectic. Live recordings are some of my favorites for critical listening - Dire Straits, Nirvana, Johnny Cash. Sting. I've started to research the Golden Ear T-66 and it checks a lot of the boxes on paper. I'm a sucker for ribbon tweeters! |
Your room is pretty massive. I don't think a lot of these recommendations are really going to fill out a room like that. Big room, need big speakers, simple physics In my similarly sized room, I love my tekton double impacts. Yes they have seven tweeters, but mostly they are for the mid range which is blissfully smooth and accurate. The high end is ultra smooth and relaxed. But if you're a bass head at all, you'll want subs with whatever you choose in that large of a room. Unless you get lucky with the gods of nulls and room peaks and wind up with decently even output down to 30 hz. Could also go Tekton Nebo if you want to try the larger array. Both of these speakers are well under your budget and will outperform similarly priced speakers in a larger room typically. Check out this review https://www.stereotimes.com/post/tekton-designs-double-impact-loudspeakers/
|
I guess for $5k, this is the best floorstander you could get in terms of value. TAS, in particular, did a fantastic job of describing its sound character. But, you probably need to invest multiple times that amount in electronics to unlock its full potential. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeL7DvkbHgE https://www.stereophile.com/content/svs-ultra-evolution-pinnacle-loudspeaker-measurements |
I am partial to ATC as I own one. ATC are very precise and presents music as how it was recorded. with the correct power amp. it will sing. as you have stated you want front standers. the ATS scm 40 will do the job. NOW, another option is to go active rather than going separates (since you do not have an amp as of now) consider going active on the atc, If budget is limited, then another speaker i will recommend is the Maggie LRS + and just supplement it with a subwoofer by REL. this combination i used to own and is very satisfying, provided your give it a 1) a large enough room 2) very good amplification,
|
@hk_fan The CODA is my preference over the Mich P5 and any PASS (a bit too warm for me). The CODA #16 is great (own it), and the CODA #8 is very good (owned it). However, for $2k the Schitt Woton (own it) is a contender with the #8. I would take the Wotan over the Mich. The Woton needs a lot of break in. Your room is a great size. Add a bit more to your speaker budget and get something you want to keep for a long time. To save some more money get a used Sonore OpticalRendu streamer. You can get one for about $800. I have 3 of the older models and they do the job very nicely. When one of my 3 streamers die, I will look at the new $5k Lumin U2 streamer. Lowering the price of the amp and streamer gives you more speaker $$ to work with.
|
I can recommend 2 speakers which I have and love and fit your budget. Both from the US. Omega Speakers- Junior 8 XRS. My favourite speakers. Love them enough, that I bought a tube amp from Louis (who is amazing to talk to) and buying 2 more pairs of speakers in the next few days. Half of your budget the Junior 8. And yes, I shipped everything to Dubai from CT. DeVore Fidelity- O Baby- got them earlier this year. Love them too. Amazing to look at. Sound lovely. This would hit the top range of your budget. |