04-30-10: MetmanYou mean the NHT Four's, right? They're $999 each, not per pair. Currently Audio Advisor has them on sale at $750 each, or $1500/pair.
These are available from both Audioadviser and Best Buy (the Magnolia room) for $1000.00 I don't own them but heard them playing at Best Buy on a HT receiver and they sounded great. Not sure you could do a whole lot better new for the money
Speakers for a large room for around $1000
I am moving soon into a new house where the main room is about 12x14ft with a vaulted ceiling up to the second floor (maybe about 15-20 ft high).
I am looking for 2-channel stereo speakers exclusively for music. I don't really play my music that loud, but I do like the music to really fill up the room. I'm not a huge audiophile (meaning I'm not going to spend a lot of time analyzing or obsessing over my speakers)--- all I'm looking for are some good solid speakers that have a good frequency response (and might sound good with a tube amplifier).
My budget is about $1000. I could stretch that up to maybe $1300, but I'd have to be convinced the extra is really worth it. I'd also really prefer to have new speakers, mostly for the warranty. Though again, I could be convinced otherwise if it's worth it.
I've considered speakers from a whole bunch of manufacturers, i.e, Paradigm to B&W, Axiom, DefTech, Klipsch, Polk, etc, but due to my geographical location I'm really not able to demo many, so I'm stuck trying to make this decision based on online reviews. It's tough for me to separate audio speakers from home-theater speakers just by reading reviews.
Any and all help is really appreciated!
I am looking for 2-channel stereo speakers exclusively for music. I don't really play my music that loud, but I do like the music to really fill up the room. I'm not a huge audiophile (meaning I'm not going to spend a lot of time analyzing or obsessing over my speakers)--- all I'm looking for are some good solid speakers that have a good frequency response (and might sound good with a tube amplifier).
My budget is about $1000. I could stretch that up to maybe $1300, but I'd have to be convinced the extra is really worth it. I'd also really prefer to have new speakers, mostly for the warranty. Though again, I could be convinced otherwise if it's worth it.
I've considered speakers from a whole bunch of manufacturers, i.e, Paradigm to B&W, Axiom, DefTech, Klipsch, Polk, etc, but due to my geographical location I'm really not able to demo many, so I'm stuck trying to make this decision based on online reviews. It's tough for me to separate audio speakers from home-theater speakers just by reading reviews.
Any and all help is really appreciated!
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Correct! Magnolia Audio-Video (formerly Magnolia Hi-Fi) is a reputable dealer of high quality home entertainment electronics, originating in Seattle many years ago. Being a Seattle resident for several years I've been accustomed to visiting their high end rooms and seeing/listening to Krell, McIntosh, Sonus Faber, Vienna, Martin-Logan, Def-Tech, etc. for some time. A few years ago they struck up a deal with Best Buy to set up high quality audio/video rooms in some of the Best Buys, meaning you can get Martin-Logans at some Best Buy stores. I just got my AudioAdvisor Closeouts catalog and was going to recommend those M-L Prefaces on this thread but you beat me to it. I will add, however, that these M-Ls have a sensitivity rating of 92 dB (good for a large listening area), and M-Ls have traditionally worked well with tubes. |
Now you are headed in the direction of seriously good sound, although maybe not with a high WAF. Martin Logans are poplular electrostatics, but to do their magic they will want to be reasonably far out from the back wall (check the Cardas formula) and they won't resemble much else in the way of typically high WAF furnishings. I'm not sure how much ML speaker you can really get for $1k, but if you can relax the budget and the WAF specs, there is no doubt that in a decent room electrostatics and tubes can reproduce music beautifully. If you can consider MLs you might also audition some Soundlabs and Quads, and probably some Maggies (not electrostatics, but planars). Maybe your wife will think planars are cute :) and then you are in. |
05-04-10: Hi_hifiNot these M-Ls. They aren't electrostats; they aren't dipolar at all. They use a proprietary M-L "ATF" (Advanced Thin Film) forward-firing driver for the treble, augmented by 3 woofers in (I think) a 2-1/2 way configuration. They occupy a fairly modest 9"w x 17"d footprint, are slightly under 40" tall, and don't have to be far out into the room to "breathe." Also available in dark cherry finish. Read about 'em here. Developing this ATF driver combined with dynamic mid/woofer drivers enables M-L to compete more effectively in the HT and WAF market segments. |
05-05-10: SgtrDepends on room size and shape, listening habits, positioning flexibility, and amp type and power driving the speakers. Also your musical and tonal preferences. For example, Paradigm and PSB are both Canadian companies that do a lot of research as Canada's National Research Foundation. Yet Paradigm tends to have more boom 'n' sizzle while PSB is known for a transparent, honest midrange and incredible frequency linearity. They're both similar in sensitivity, impedance load, and dispersion pattern. Personally my taste strongly prefers PSB, but YMMV depending on taste and music selection. TAS has chosen SIX different PSB speakers at different price categories for at least the last two years running. Still, each of the speakers you listed has special "gifts." Vandersteens have a realistic tonal balance, focused midrange, low cabinet resonances and diffraction distortion. They're phase coherent which makes for the most scintillating imaging and facilitate hearing deep into the music and the soundstage. Quads are famous for sounding lifelike at low to medium volumes. Paradigm probably leads the four for bass slam and overall speed. I consider the PSB to be a well balanced all-rounder with a better-than-expected midrange, both timbrally accurate and transparent. |