$1500 budget for speakers

 

zed
Unregistered guest
hi,
i just got my rx v1400,im searching for a speaker around $1500u.s.my room is smsll to med size,want the best highly detailed great imaging speakers for home theater and music at a budget of $1500,leaning towards ascend series2000 any advice?
 

zed
Unregistered guest
oh and also prefer near wall or corner bookshelves speakers,really half to make up my mind w/in this week.thanks.
 

zed
Unregistered guest
hi guys,
any advise on ascend series2000?I half to buy the speakers soon.thanks
 

Bronze Member
Username: Robertinchico

Post Number: 14
Registered: Apr-04
Here's a recommendation with some pedigree: I am going to upgrade my very fine performing Paradigm FOCUS (where I use Straight Wire SEXTET cables) for some Paradigm Monitor 5's. While auditioning other Paradigms and the Monitor 5's, I BI-WIRED the 5's with my Straight Wire NEW Symphony Cables AND the SEXTET cables. The salesman and I both agreed it was sonic paradise. Having owned Allison, KEF 104.2, Thiel 2.3, I was amazed what a $550 speaker and $250 worth of cables produced sonically these days. A clean titanium tweeter with no hiss, sophisticated driver materials virtually free of distortion modes, a modern crossover and a sturdy cabinet all for $550ish. Sonically, about 90% of what I got from my THIELS at 1/5 the cost. Even if you add in stands, you'd be at WELL under $1000 for a musically satisfying system suitable for any music or theater setup.
 

zed
Unregistered guest
chicobiker,
have you tried listening to ascend? i read wonderfull reviews about it,want to know if someone had tried ascend on rxv1400,coz i have heard that the speakers and receivers should be well match.im thinking of ascend (second) is nht or paradigm.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Robertinchico

Post Number: 15
Registered: Apr-04
ZED - well I haven't heard Ascend, but if you like them, you find that the frequency response is satisfactory, you find the sound that hits your EAR to be what you want in your hi-fi system then I would say trust your own preferences. I often compare what I have owned and the price I payed, which was sometimes a tad spendy, to what is available today. For example, I find that my current 24 bit NAD $400 is completely superior to my older Denon which was about $900. Similarly, referring to my older KEF 104.2's which had underdeveloped mid's and highs (but sufficient, albeit muddy bass)and my Thiels 2.3's which were sadly a bit disappointing for $3300, to the Monitor 5's which I look forward to having for 1/5 the price of those others. Amazing musciality, clarity, presence and soundstaging on a par with my others for $550ish. The only very minor shortcoming is in VERY LOW bass, which is a function of the driver size and cabinet tuning limitations. But take your favorite CD's in and audition the Ascents, if you find them to be a good value, attractive, stylish and musically satisfying then they are right for you.
 

mab
Unregistered guest
400 watt a channel 8-ohm rms amplifier doulbe shielded rca jack gold plated dual 7 band graphick eq boos amplifier to 500 rms a channel kenwood am and fm stero tuner pioneer dvd and cd player 14 gauge car speaker cable am/fm stero atena klh 9915 floor standing speakers 4 wat set-up 8-ohm 300 watts rms each each with 2 3'' port tubes 2 super tweeter dual 15'' woofers amplifier has bass and treable positive and negative for less than 1000 dollars and dual casst tape deck turn-table 5-cd's
 

mb
Unregistered guest
you could get a pair of klh 9915 floor standig speakers used for less than 400 dollars
 

zed
Unregistered guest
chicobiker,
im overseas so i cant audition ascend, i read great reviews about them,do you think that ascend are a good match for rxv1400? coz if not i will go with nht or paradigm.anyone?
 

Silver Member
Username: Gman

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Post Number: 424
Registered: Dec-03
I've heard the Ascend's and bought them for my office. I think 2 pairs of CBM170's and the 340 center channel, along with the HSU VTF-2 for $1308 is one heckuva deal. They aren't the most stylish speakers around--the 170's are small and black, but you can see every cent in the drivers --top notch. But I don't know about buying them if you are overseas. In the USA you can get the whole package delivered for $60 and even return them after 30 days if they aren't your cup of tea. That gets pretty difficult if you are overseas. So it is probably smarter to buy either NHT's or Paradigm's from a local dealership, rather than worry about whether you will be happy with Ascend's that you must have shipped to an overseas address and then worry about returning them if you aren't happy. Even though they have a 30 day return policy, that will be an expensive return shipping bill. I have had both PSB Alpha's and NHT Super Zero's in my office and I definitely prefer the CBM 170's. But there was no risk and nominal shipping expense in my situation, even if I didn't like them.

The CBM 170's need a good subwoofer like the HSU VTF-2 for HT use and to get any reasonable bass. But in the frequencies from 100Hz on up they are wonderful. They are small though and aren't meant for a very big room. But they can image great, sound very good even off-axis, and have a smoother frequency response than 99.9% of the much more expensive speakers out there.

 

zed
Unregistered guest
gregory stern,
i can purchase ascend online,yes,its true that its hard to ship it back if i dont like them, its becoz i have read impressive reviews about them, im in the philippines and want to know if yamaha rx v1400,cbm170 and svs 25-31pci sub will match together? why did you choose 2 pairs of cbm170 than apair of cbm170 and pair of htm200? is there a sound difference?
 

zed
Unregistered guest
gregory stern,
i can purchase ascend online,yes,its true that its hard to ship it back if i dont like them, its becoz i have read impressive reviews about them, im in the philippines and want to know if yamaha rx v1400,cbm170,cmt340 and svs 25-31pci sub will match together? why did you choose 2 pairs of cbm170 than apair of cbm170 and pair of htm200? is there a sound difference?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Robertinchico

Post Number: 23
Registered: Apr-04
ZED - it's impossible to guess what various components sound like and what would be to your liking. Being overseas WOULD involve some high shipping costs. If you trust the reviews, I still would audition them, as I have often fully disagreed with reviews. I hate to see anyone waste money.
 

zed
Unregistered guest
chicobiker,
thanks for you info,your right! im blinded by the reviews,today,im going to buy either paradigm or nht,thanks very much for the input.
 

Silver Member
Username: Elitefan1

Post Number: 358
Registered: Dec-03
Zed,
I would recommend the Paradigm Studio 40 since you mentioned a bookshelf type. These are a bit large [21"] but for the money are outstanding and a great match with your 1400. The Studio 20 is also a great little speaker if the 40 is too large.
Chicobiker,
I am glad you like the Paradigm 5's so much but I question spending $250on cables on a $550 pr of speakers. That's overkill IMO. To each his own.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Robertinchico

Post Number: 25
Registered: Apr-04
Realelite fan - what signal you send to your speakers is what you hear. Typically knowledgeable audiophiles alot/spend 10% of their system budget on cables and/or interconnects. I like upgraded cables/interconnects SO WELL, I spend more money on them. The cables last almost forever, they re-sell quite readily, amortized over a 5 or 6 year ownership period they cost about 1/2 cent PER DAY and they give sonic upgrades as dramatic as old paper speakers being replaced by Kevlar drivers or old 16 bit CD players vs 24 bit players. Plus you are never hearing what you pay for in a spekaer UNLESS you give it a good signal.
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