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Used vs New vs Vintage vs Floorstanding vs Bookshelf vs ..... OMG!

OK. I am new in this (new in HIFI, in Audiogon, in discussion forums). I need to buy a pair of speakers for a newly-to-be-built HIFI system, and I am getting a little overwhelmed about all the options and possibilities (and opinions). By the way, I am NOT rich so that helps me a lot to discard a bunch of options.

I started checking vintage HIFI speakers for around $500, basically old JBLs, Technics, and the like (eBay, Craiglist, Letgo). Of course as soon as I began I started checking newer and pricier loudspeakers... and I am trying not to be a consumerist… Either way first  I decided for a pair of JBLs vintage. Until I watched John Darko's youtube review on the ELAC Navis ARB-51. So I changed my mind, I raised my budget and changed from vintage to new, from big to small.

Then I learned about the huge immense used HIFI market. For the same price of the Navis I could buy speakers from enormous brands like Sonus Faber and Focal and B&W in the used market. There I could find Sonus Faber Veneres for 1500, B&W 802 for 2000, and so on. When I contacted somebody from another webpage (The music room) about which was the best option.... the response was... Vandersteen 2Ce signature, "by far". I looked for opinions about it and all I read about them was "OK but meeh". 

So I was really confused. Until I learnt about the Tekton Double Impact, and now I started to get some dizziness. "The best loudspeakers for that price range", "the best period", etc. I contacted Eric Alexander, who kindly took his time to explain me why paper speakers are still the best, and so on. So they are great, really great, for "just" $3000... and I raised my budget again.

Either way, I have read so much, heard so much, watched so much, and I haven't learned much really. Different experts have different opinions, whether the speakers should be flat or not, colored or true, whether it is a matter of "taste" or "you should listen and like them". Well I am no expert, I am 45 years old and I probably won't listen wavelengths of 50 Htzs or lower.

I just want a pair of good speakers so I can enjoy King Crimson, Ramones or Beethoven.

Can anybody help? PLEASE???....

tykozen

Showing 1 response by jimman2

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jimman2
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Several years ago I went to a somewhat local hi-fi store that had a nice selection of vintage used speakers to upgrade my speakers.  My budget was intended to be in the $800 range.  I listened to a few different mid sized speakers and after so the owners said he wanted me to listen to a new at the time speaker that KEF had put out - the LS50.  Compared to the vintage speakers I auditioned, they blew me away.  So I upped my budget and bought those and a few months later bought a decent subwoofer.  Bliss at least for me within my budget.  They really are worth a listen.

Fast forward a few years and I started reading about Tekton speakers.  I spoke/emailed Éric at Tekton for his opinion of his Impact Monitor and he felt the LS50s were not in the same league (despite comparable pricing).  I bought the Impact Monitors fairly recently but life got in the way (I started my own business/retail store) and I haven’t had the chance to listen to them sufficiently to say wether or not they are far superior to the KEFs.  I switched/added some equipment to my system (added a DAC which I am still trying to set up) and I just haven’t had time to set my system up.  I can say they (the Tektons) are awesome speakers for the price and many people that have actually listened to them agree.  I can say for certain that you will NOT need a subwoofer as I did with the KEFs.  So this might be a speaker to consider within your budget.  
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