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Bronze Member Username: RaksPost Number: 24 Registered: Aug-05 | All, Your posts have influenced me so much that I am returning my Polk R50s this weekend. As posted by audiophones here, I have considered the above speakers as the options for me at this time. I am going to see whether I can get any auditions for them this week. But I will highly appreciate if you can let me know what your opinions are for this comparision. What do you guys consider as the best in these three ? Let us not conider the price difference between them Raks |
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Bronze Member Username: RaksPost Number: 28 Registered: Aug-05 | All, Sorry...I meant Audiophiles...not Audiophones |
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Bronze Member Username: RaksPost Number: 31 Registered: Aug-05 | Hi, These are the speakers I am considering as of now 1. Diamond Wharfedale 9.6 2. PSB Image 6T 3. Aixom Audio M60ti 4. Athena AS-F2.2 Receivers are HK AVR 635, Marantz SR-5500, Marantx SR-8400 Please let me know which one is the best set of speakers. I like Warm Music and not too Bright. Particularly one that gives least listener fatigue. I use the system for 50/50 for HT and Music. Raks |
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Bronze Member Username: RaksPost Number: 32 Registered: Aug-05 | Hi I added one more name of speakers to the list under consideration. 1. Diamond Wharfedale 9.6 2. PSB Image 6T 3. Axiom Audio M60ti 4. Athena AS-F2.2 5. Onix Rocket RS550 Receivers are HK AVR 635, Marantz SR-5500, Marantx SR-8400 Please let me know which one is the best set of speakers in your opinion. I like Warm Music and not too Bright. Particularly one that gives least listener fatigue. I use the system for 50/50 for HT and Music. Raks |
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Silver Member Username: Stu_pittNYC, NY Post Number: 427 Registered: May-05 | Rakesh - Everyone will probably answer differently because everyone has different tastes. Listen to all of them for as long as you can. You won't make the wrong choice by doing this. |
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Bronze Member Username: RaksPost Number: 33 Registered: Aug-05 | Stu, Thanks for letting me know the best way of doing it. Un-fortunately for me: 1. PSB Image 6T is not carried by any dealer in Dallas 2. Axiom is on-line only..No dealers 3. Onix is online only and no dealers. Only Athena in Best Buy and Diamond..I dont even know where. That is why I was asking for the opinio on the forum. Raks |
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Bronze Member Username: QuinnPost Number: 29 Registered: Aug-05 | Of Athena, Axiom, and Onix/Rockets I would take the Rocket 550s. I have not heard the Wharfdales or those PSBs. For the internet direct speakers try their forums to see if someone will let you come listen to theirs. Onix/Rockets- http://forum.av123.com/index.php?s=be2776db8c264e7a8d7097a1167d2cf7 Ascend Acoustics- http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/ Axiom- http://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/ubbthreads.php |
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New member Username: StradivariPost Number: 6 Registered: Aug-05 | Rakesh, I have not heard those Internet direct speakers (God forbid to buy something without auditioning) but I have listened to the PSB's and the Wharfedale's and I liked the PSB's much better, however, when I heard them they were driven by a two-channel amp and not HT receiver. For what you are describing, the Wharfadale's will probably be to "bright" for your tastes. I don't think Athenas are in the same category. |
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New member Username: StradivariPost Number: 7 Registered: Aug-05 | I just realized that your thread title reads Wharfedales 9.1 but your posts say 9.6 so which one is it ? Big difference between the two ! |
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Silver Member Username: Stu_pittNYC, NY Post Number: 428 Registered: May-05 | I haven't heard any of the online speakers either. From what I've heard and gathered here, Axiom is the least liked online speaker company. I haven't heard they were bad, but that they were relatively bright and fatiguing. The very few things I've heard about the Rockets were very good, but I've heard from maybe two or three sources. Many people here like Ascends (another online company). Like i said eariler, I haven't heard any of them to give an honest opinion. I have heard the Wharfedale's, and didn't care much for them. They weren't offensive, just not my cup of tea. They were on the warmer side of neutral, and didn't seem that they would be fatiguing to listen to over long periods of time. I can't say exactly why I didn't care much for them. I own PSB Image T55's. I've also heard the 5T and 6T. The Image line is my personal favorite. The whole line uses the same tweeters and woofers. Some have 5.25" and some have 6.5" woofers. I've found (and PSB states) that they all pretty much sound the same except bass extension. The further up in the line, the deeper and tighter the bass. The Image 6T is a neutral and non-fatiguing speaker. It's bass goes down pretty deep (about 26 Hz?) and is very tight. I think they are a very musical speaker. The new Image line (T65) improves the older line in all aspects, but it isn't a huge dramatic difference. I found the T55's to be a better buy. While the T65 was a little better, I didn't think it was worth the additional price. For the PSB's, look at https://dmc-electronics.com/Default.htm or http://www.hipposaudiovideo.com/closeout1.htm DMC's speakers have a "slight cosmetic blemish." Hippo's are brand new "A-stock." You really should hear them (or anything else) before you buy. If you can't hear them, make sure you can return them if you don't like them. |
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Bronze Member Username: QuinnPost Number: 30 Registered: Aug-05 | "(God forbid to buy something without auditioning)" That is whole reason for the 30 day in home trial period. Your room, your equipment for 30 days. I won't buy again without a lengthy in-home trial period. Again, if you're worried go to the ID forums and see if someone in your area will let you come listen to theirs. In my case shipping is cheaper than going to the stereo stores in my area. |
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Silver Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 228 Registered: Apr-04 | Raks, You won't like the Athenas. They are fine but will be too bright for you and they can only be purchased online at this point. I don't recommend that because you can't listen to them and if you didn't like them, the return would be expensive and a hassle. (Always check online return policies.) I tried and returned the Axiom M50ti towers...one inch titanium dome tweeter and two six inch aluminum woofers. Now I don't know about the M60ti, but I thought the M50ti midrange was colored and bass was not enough for me. They use multiple bass ports that which makes them difficult to position. I must say the treble was sweet, smooth and tad bright which I liked. How about PARADIGM |
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New member Username: StradivariPost Number: 8 Registered: Aug-05 | That is whole reason for the 30 day in home trial period. Your room, your equipment for 30 days. I won't buy again without a lengthy in-home trial period. And how would you know that that those are the speakers that you really want? Would you be willing to do 5 or 6 or 7 of these trials? While it could be ok to audition certain brand for 30 long days, I still prefer to go to a place where you can listen to different speakers in a shorter period of time and have the ability to do side by side comparisons, but that is just me; of course, the "place" that you would go to plays a very important role as we all know. |
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Bronze Member Username: QuinnPost Number: 31 Registered: Aug-05 | I agree that you need to get out and listen. But if you're already familiar with the market at that price point then an in-home audition of IDs is great. I have heard ID speakers that in my opinion the only way they can be selling is people's lack of comparitive auditions. But then Bose sells too. |
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Silver Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 229 Registered: Apr-04 | I agree. It was $55 to return ship the Axioms from Michigan to New York and it was a huge hassle to repackage them. Fortunately, I'm a little guy and could crawl into the box to position the foam before I carefully guided the speaker in. I taped them up like a mummy (I was so proud of my work.) and UPS openned them up to check the packing prior to insuring...ARRRRGH!!! If you listen to speakers in a showroom you CAN get an idea of speaker perfomance and IT IS fairly representative of what you'll hear at home...certainly enough to make a purchase decision. I don't recommend the Athenas anymore simply because you can't listen to them. They are trying to create an off-line distribution network but it remains to be seen. One just has to listen before buying. It's a waste of money otherwise. |
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Bronze Member Username: QuinnPost Number: 32 Registered: Aug-05 | I live in the fourth largest city. My "local" Paradigm dealer is over 30 miles away. Going by edmunds.com true cost to own figure back when gas was barely over $1 a gal my car costs 50 cents a mile to operate. Cost to operate includes , insurance, maintenance, depreciation, etc. The quickest way to get there is the tollway which takes about 45 minutes each way add two tolls each way for $5 all told. So my "free" Paradigm audition costs over $35 and an hour and a half of travel time. But this shop will allow a 2 day audition. Of course the cost of the return is another $35 plus and a hour and a half of my time. |
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Bronze Member Username: RaksPost Number: 34 Registered: Aug-05 | Stradivari, You said: "I just realized that your thread title reads Wharfedales 9.1 but your posts say 9.6 so which one is it ? Big difference between the two !" I am actually considering Wharfedale 9.6. If this is the case, will your opinion change and if so, what do you suggest ? Thanks Raks |
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New member Username: StradivariPost Number: 9 Registered: Aug-05 | Rakesh, Sorry I did not reply earlier; for some reason I could not open the ecoustics page yesterday. Anyway, well yes, if the 9.6 are the ones you are interested in I can tell you that it would be a good option, now, I don't really want to say that you should buy them because that is your decision and I hate the fact that it's very difficult for you to audition them but, all things considered, I certainly do not see how can you go wrong with either the PSB's or the Diamond's 9.6; although the Wharfies are more expensive. Stu's suggestion on the PSB's T-65's is a good one specially for the price offered at Hippos Audio Another hint, of the three receivers that you are considering, I would go with the 8400 no question. Good luck! |