Started with $1k speakers … what now?
I got into this hobby during Covid, browsing YouTube reviews my first speakers were Polk L100s and Sonus Faber Lumina 1s. Not bad as an entry point, but wondering what would be the next level is where a speaker is built with fewer compromises in the drivers and crossover design. My hope was that in the $5k range truer “hifi” entry points may be found in a small room system with a REL t5x. My source and amplification is already in the $5k range.
I visited a hifi store recently but was overwhelmed by the amount of choice and unsure what would be an upgrade based on first listening impressions alone.
Thanks in advance for any insights.
@deep_333 , it sounds as if you are saying that this is kind of inflation in reverse (at least when it comes to speakers)? What I mean by that is: 20 years ago 1k sounded like more money than 1k sounds like today, but from what you have said, for 1k today, one would buy way more pewrformance than what one would have bought for 1k 20 years ago. In my own case, going on about 30 years ago, I bought a pair of B&W 805 Matrix speakers that listed for $1600/pair. At the time, I thought I was spending a lot of money (I was just getting started in the audiophile game). How much would I need to spend today to realize a significant upgrade in sonic performance over those older B&Ws? Over the years I've upgraded everything (more than once) except for the sub and the speakers, and that was because I just always thought those B&Ws sounded great. With that typed (and I am not saying this sarcastically) this was probably because I never knew any better. |
IMO, your space is going to define what speakers are an upgrade. I sit about seven feet in front and my speakers, Klipsch RP5000s are less than four feet apart. I would upgrade them if I didn't feel it would be a waste of money, since the space I have wouldn't let more expensive speakers 'breath.' I would call my apartment 10x12 and I can't imagine spending a lot of cash on speakers so that I can hear the sound bounce off four walls, five if you include the low ceiling (thankfully I have acoustic on mine!) Space is a limiting factor for me. |
@jdavis234 seems you didn’t start with $1K speakers but the challenging pattern of 2x $1K speaker pairs. Why two different models the same [not inexpensive] price? That’s rhetorical - it’s a question to ask yourself; none of my business. What gets you happy in live performances - what elements or physical / tactile cues are most compelling/energizing? If you can answer that for yourself, then you can start to tease apart the challenges in your way for home audio best suited to your own tastes. Among others - space (too little / too much / room boundary shapes and composition); transducer format stereotypes [pun!] (do panels or cones do the 2 Ch. parlor tricks you favor… and what about tweeter formats, and crossover points…); media (are you gonna be a vinyl guy, or keep it high res digital - all mastered playback sources are woefully victims of dynamic compression compared to live music in a way no hifi kit can truly defeat within the bounds of a typical home)?
My advice is to be question-driven IF you prefer something more than a perpetual shop-a-thon from the stereo hobby. Educate yourself with real literature over off-the-cuff video reviews, based on your personal preferences in hearing. Virtual shopping advice from others could be great, but would mostly be by chance (their preferences from their experiences - not with your ears nor in your room). Hold respectfully suspect any advice that describes greatness / superiority of a product based on “pattern instead of process” (this really is the Achilles heel of so many ebullient suggestions online). Price is inherently indicative of nothing other than what you’ll pay from your bank account. Learning the basics for how different types of drivers work and how wavefronts and room boundaries interact will make you more than someone who shops for clothing and matching accessories in the shape of audio products. So basically you have to ask yourself how you wound up with 2x $1K pairs of speakers (truly no judgement here - just running with an observation, mind you) and figure out if cycling through various kit over time will be part of the fun for you. For some folks it clearly is, and that’s fine as long as it’s not assumed to be a good route for everyone. If that is not you, then there are plenty of learning points to start with before searching up the best $5K proxy price tag. Letting cost lead you in this arena, as a few others suggested, can be an obstacle. Hopefully that’s clearer than mud. 😉 |
