Wow! That is as wide open of a question as I have ever seen. Let's narrow it down.
First, what size room do you have? Second, what is your budget? Third, do you want a "bookshelf" (a/k/a "standmount), or are you thinking of towers? Finally, if they are a bookshelf type, where will these speakers be placed? That is, on stands, in an entertainment system cabinet, on shelves, mounted directly to the wall, etc.
Sonus Faber is a fine choice for the "bee", but we can help you more if we know the answers to the questions posed above.
beginner
Unregistered guest
Posted on
thanks Hawk
my roon size is about 200aq feet. I like bookshelf speakers which will place on the tv cabinet. I like listening different type of music from classic to pop but rock is usually not my choice. my budget is about +/- us$550
Kiwi
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Hi, I'm also looking to buy the NAD 320bee and wondering what speakers will go well with it.
I'd prefer some towers to get as much out of the amp as I can for my rock & downbeat music.
I have a medium sized room, I'm looking for an entry level 'quality' tower speaker, eg Polk R30, Tannoy MX3 etc..
I've got a Nad c370 paired with some Kef Q5's and the sound is very good. I thought it was too bright when I first got the speakers but since they've broken-in a bit they sound lush. Everyone says Kef pair well with Nad amplifiers. The Q3's are on closeout for £199 in the UK and they're better than the new Q4's in my opinion. They also do very nice bookshelfs if floorstanders aren't your forte.
For your budget, I think the best combo is the NHT SB-3 speaker. It is the Stereophile magazine reference bookshelf speaker, largely because it is so smooth, accurate and images beautifully. I was quite taken by the depth of its soundstage. It is an excellent match with the NAD, too.
The MSRP is $600/pair, but I priced them at Kief's for $470/pair. That leaves sufficinet money left over to get a nice pair of speaker stands or wall mounts and still remain within your budget.
Well guys, here's some advice from someone who has sold Hifi for thirty years in all kinds of stores from Dillards to the really high end stuff. The first thing to do is establish your priorities, in other words, how will you use the speaker, in what kind of room and what aspects of speaker performance are important to you. The most important issue is always cost, but remember cost does not always equate to quality. As I have told many customers, the best bargain is seldom the best deal but the best deal is always the best value. Also, a good store will be able to give you a path to upgrade as you go along. Even if you start with a pair of Paradign Atoms you can work your way up to Wilson or Quad without taking it in the shorts (too much, at least). How will you use the speaker means what type of music do you listen to, how loudly do you listen and how often will you listen that loud. The NAD has a lot of short term power so it can suprise you with it's ability to keep up with the demands of the music without clipping and blowing out tweeters, which is what happens when the wrong speaker meets an amplifier owned by someone who thinks the volume knob isn't all the way up so it should get louder. If you don't know why that last statement is true you can go to a store and ask a salesperson to explain the reason to you. If they cannot explain to your satisfaction that is not the store (or at least not the salesperson for you). Speakers are rated with numbers that signify impedance (load) and sensitivity (volume). Those are the only two numbers, pretty much, that mean anything on a speaker's spec sheet; unless, of course, you are looking at a speaker that is simply too big for where you intend to place it or too heavy for your floor to support. A good shop can explain more but understand that most amplifiers don't like a speaker that is below 4 Ohms and just because the speaker manufacturer says 8 Ohms "nominal" that doesn't mean 8 Ohms "all the time". Sensitivity means how loud does it go with a given input. Volume is achieved in the sensitivity of the speaker more than the watts in the amp. Going from 89dB to 92dB is the same as doubling your wattage in the amp, it is not,repeat not, however the same as twice as loud. To play twice as loud you have to have a ten decibel difference. If loud is important to you look for high sensitivity numbers. A big horn loaded speaker will play at 104dB to 106dB with just one watt of power and will get you evicted with a twenty watt amplifier. A minimonitor may work with twenty watts, need fifty watts to sound good and be blown up by a one hundred watt amp. And suprisingly both the horn and the monitor may have the same bass frequency limit. You should know that a fifteen inch woofer, or two tens and a passive radiator may actually produce less bass and worse bass than a good single eight inch woofer in some rooms. Keep in mind a speaker designer balances three things; loudness, size of the box and how low (not the same as quantity) can the bass extend. If you gain one you will probably loose in the other two. There is no free lunch. The room matters because of the size, shape and furnishings. The size thing should be obvious, but, also not all speakers will sound great if you have to listen from four feet away or from fifteen. The shape is a matter of placement. A speaker will sound dramatically different when it is placed in different pi locations. Pi is the space the speaker works into and just like a slice of pie it is 1/2 pi, 1/4 pi or 1/8 pi. Just know if you have to put one speaker in the corner on the floor and the other on the middle shelf of a roon divider they will not sound alike. Most importantly know that your room is what you hear as much as or more than the speaker. What it sounds like in your room is not the same as it sounded in the store. Ask the salesperson why. What is important to you, individually, will vary from person to person. Within a store or the various reviewers in a magazine everyone listens for something different. Though usually everyone in a store will know what's good, better and best they may pick them for differnt reasons. You want to find a salesperson who can help you find what you like. They should ask a fair amount of questions and you should feel they are heading you towards a balanced system approach. Balance is, as in all things, the key. A well put together $2,000 system will be more enjoyable than a $20,000 system that is made from what was recommended by this magazine and what you got a great deal on and what you bought cause it sounded great in the store. Again, find a salesperson you can trust. Be prepared. Read some reviews and make sure you understand the terminology of imaging, soundstaging, pacing and so on. If you really aren't sure have a salesperson demonstrate and explain. Have them sit you down in front of the best system that store sells and impress you with music not the HiFi. Ask questions, most salespeople chose that profession because they like talking about what they sell. Please do remember this is a profession for most salespeople. This is how they earn a living. If you have never sold for a living give them the benefit of the doubt until they prove otherwise. Don't expect a three hour demonstration on a Saturday afternoon. Go in on a slow weekday (call ahead to see if they can spend some time with you) and expect to make more than one trip. If you are comparing products at two or more stores try to visit them on the same day, your audible memory is pretty short but you may only need to listen for a few minutes as you start to realize what is and is not important to you and begin to narrow the selection. Take your own music with you (five or six selections should be enough) and know what you are expecting from each. Even though, more often than not, my clients seldom listened to Elvis, Frank Sinatra or Dolly Parton I kept a recording of each because everyone has some idea what those voices should sound like. That brings us to (pause for effect) ... listen to the midrange first!!! It is a very true fact that if a speaker gets the mids right most everything else will follow. That does not mean "it sounds so clear I can hear every word" but it definitely means Elvis sounds like Elvis. When Elvis finishes "Such a Night" (the best performance of this is on the album by the same name and you get an absolutely terrific performance of "Fever" thrown in) do you want to stand up and applaud the performance or do you feel like you just listened to a good stereo system. Buy the one that has ALL the Elvis! From there you start to make trade offs usually based on money, yours and the designer's. This is where a good salesperson can guide you through how to get the most for your money by laying out the possibilties for upgrades. Be prepared to spend some cash on cables and stands but don't throw money at tweaks unless you can hear an improvement not just a difference. Unfortunately no one can tell you which speaker is best for a given amplifier they can only point out what speakers may not be the best choice with a certain amplifier. (And what is best for someone who plays music and listens from on stage will not probably be the best for someone accustomed to listening from row twelve.) Part of the pleasure of a music system is the hunt through the myriad of choices. But don't get paralyzed by the process. Don't turn this into the search for the Holy Grail of components. Components change every few months for most stores but, what doesn't change is the music. That is why I can spend the day selling the latest and greatest and then come home to my forty two year old McIntosh tube amps that I've had for over twenty years and a VPI turntable (with Rega arm and Grado catridge) that is almost twenty years old and put it all through Spica Angelus speakers that are pushing fifteen years. I always bought as if I were never going to upgrade but always could. I know what my system does and where it could be better but it plays really, really good music. If you buy the music you can walk in any store or friend's house and appreciate the new system and still be happy with your own gear. If you buy the HiFi you will always be searching for what will make your system "sound" better. Lastly, if you find a salesperson that has helped you and they have the product you want buy from them. Don't waste their time and don't screw the guy over and buy from mail order or a competitor just to save a few bucks. A good salesperson will be able to help you for years to come but not if they are forced to go sell cars.
I have just bought AXIOM M60's and they are fantastic with NAD! What a great company. I cannot say enough for the quality sound these speakers have. I tried so many for the past year before getting these (without hearing them!) and am blown away. The bass is very tight and the mid-range is amazing.
I plan on buying the NAD 372 very soon and that had a lot to do with buying a speaker of this size. I want a "B" channel to add a second pair of speakers to give an extra sound.
Tam
Unregistered guest
Posted on
How would the Wharfedale Diamond 8.4 floorstanders sound with the Nad C320? Haven't had the chance to trial these together but am looking for a budget speaker and these seem to get good reviews.
I think the Wharfedale Diamonds are a great budget speaker and you won't go far wrong with them. They'll pair well with the 320BEE, not being too bright a speaker.