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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
jimman2's avatar
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jimman2
55 posts
 
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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tykozen OP
3 posts
 
So some advice new. I tend to like the idea, I would never be suspicious whether they sound as good as they should. ELAC Navis? Nobody seems to recommend these or any expensive bookshelf speakers, like Harbeth for example. I guess the public for these kind of forums are mostly for big speakers. 
Used speakers: I prefer this idea because I can buy better for less money. Of course the con of this is that I can get crap. Unless I buy from a serious place. What placed do you recommend? The Music Room? Here? Reverb? 
Also there are some B&W 802 S3, they seem fine, "new" woofers installed in B&W, $2000, what do you think? For the same price I get the Navis, new. Your thoughts? Does your preference for Floorstanding only responds to size of room and low frequencies? What do you have to say about the idea that bigger woofers give better sound than modern smaller ones?
I checked some of the suggestions given above, like Zu and Ohm. Don't understand how a speaker with a single driver and tweeter can be more expensive and sound so much better than, let say, the Veneres, for a fraction of the price, more drivers, and supposedly, still good quality components. Are they really so good? 
I appreciate all the opinions said here. Most of you really showed the intention of helping people. It is a good place. 

mapman's avatar
mapman
21,928 posts
 
Best thing to do always is read and learn what is out there then decide. 

Also take every opportunity to listen to gear at shops shows peoples homes etc. 

Buying used is is a good idea to start.  You can always sell and move on with minimal loss that way.  
vtvmtodvm
66 posts
 

Re. jhw9’s comment about the stability of modern polyester film crossover capacitors…

Yes, poly-film caps are surely better than the old oil-filled crossover network caps of yesteryear—also those awful “non-polarized” electrolytic caps that proved so popular—but plain polyester film and PET-type caps are hardly optimum; polypropylene caps are preferable.

Regardless, an age-related decline in passive crossover accuracy involves more than basic network drift—it also encompasses age-related drift in loudspeaker characteristics too. There’s really a compound aging variance in effect.

Passive crossover networks are truly an archaic and imprecise means for the control of loudspeaker passbands. There are far better ways to accomplish this task today.



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