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Entry-level speakers

Hi, I'm just starting out on a decent system. My source is a music hall mmf-5, and I'm considering the PSB Image 4Ts. In about 15 months I'll be moving away to college, and needless to say, I probably won't have a huge listening room. Until then, I'll be listening in my current bedroom which must be about 350 ft^2. Does anyone have an opinion on the 4Ts ability to fill a large room and sound decent in a cramped room? Would the 5/6/7 Ts be overkill? I like the 1Bs, but there's so little bass, and they sound small. I've also heard some B&Ws, Vandersteens, and Martin Logans...each of which sounded good, but probably wouldn't be practical for me. Are there any other speakers I should listen to? Other than space requirements, my only other major limitation is money. I have saved up about 10 thousand and I'd like to use roughly 15 hundred to two thousand on my system (speakers, amp, cables, etc). Thanks in advance for any help.
boxingnun
chelillingworth
309 posts
 
I have a friend who has the 4T's and they are good for the money. They will leave you with a pretty serious upgrade bug pretty soon though.

with your budget this is what I would do. I'd go for a pair of the Jordan single driver based speakers from www.carolinaaudio.com either the floorstander or the monitor. So for $1500 you will have one of the best an most accurate speakers out there at any price with much better bass than the bulky 4T's. carolina is also coming out with a great line of budget cables in the near future. I had a chance to hear them and they are really something.

As you'll be spending a lot of time in a small room you won't need to much power to start with I would go with the excellent sounding little kit here www.tubeaudio.com click on the amplifier kit. quite a little conversation piece and will give you wonderful sound for only $139.

This way you wont have to upgrade your speakers down the road ... just find a nice tube or 47labs style amp down the road and you'll be in heaven.
jvogt
212 posts
 
I'd consider a used pair of Soliloquy 5.0 monitors.
I sold a pair about 2 years ago for about $425 without
the optional stands. They are very musical, obviously
with limited low frequency extension, but outstanding
imaging and soundstaging.
clueless
763 posts
 
I second Chelillingworth.
If you want to go the kit route the basic Speaker he is talking about can be made w/ little fuss too.

The Jordon drivers can be had here for $115 each
http://www.creativesound.ca/products.php?make=Jordan&category=

The basic enclosure used by Carolina audio.
http://www.ejjordan.co.uk/enclosures.html

You could have a good lumber yard(not Lowe's or sosmething)
cut the pieces to dimensions if you do not have access to a table saw. It is an easy speaker to make. I just made one for a relative. Total about $350.

I used the Ella tube amp(kit) from diycable to power it (doesn't need a pre amp if the source is a cd) and it is an
amazingly nice sounding system for the $$$. About $550

http://www.diycable.com/main/default.php?cPath=25&Cid=068b7226f81d6b0a17f3b464ce284d60

This is the nicest sound I've made for under a grand (w/o source). Really exceptional for blues, jazz etc. Both of the kits are easy. There is lots of support online for making the Ella. The manu. has its own forum.

The plans for the enclosure are not exactly how Caroline does it. I'm messing with the depth and tappering of the pipe a little. But the basic enclosure sounds very good!

Cheers,
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