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New member Username: Mbenz7846Post Number: 1 Registered: Nov-05 | Hi, I need help spending around $ 3000.00 on my speaker setup. 65 % of use will be formusic where 35 % home theatre. I will be using a Sherwood Newcastle P-965 Pre-amp and a Sherwood Newcastle A-965 Amplifier. I will need fronts/center/rears and a sub. I was leaning towards floorstanding fronts but would be open to bookshevles instead to save money and possibly get a higher quality sound. I guess that brings me to my first real question, should i go with floorstanding in the front of bookshelves up front? Aesthetics of the speaker dont matter nor does size. I'm going purely for sound quality. If it helps my audio room has 10 ft ceilings, is 17 ft long and 13 ft wide. Currently on the radar: Jm Lab's Chorus line Revel Concerta Monitor Audio Silver Any suggestions help as I am somewhat of a newbie to this whole thing... and thank you in advance. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2300 Registered: Feb-05 | JM Lab's Chorus line gets my vote. Outstanding value. Not sure their are any speakers in their price range that match their performance. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3045 Registered: Mar-05 | Don't know about the JM Lab or Revel, but I would leave the MAs off your list. The speakers I would recommend actually cost a little less than $3000 for 5 plus sub, it's an Internet-direct brand that has consistently drawn rave reviews across the board from pros and consumers alike, ascendacoustics.com Specifically: 2 pairs of CMT-340s, 1 CMT-340 center, plus Hsu VTF-3Mk2 subwoofer, would run you just over $2100 shipped. People have demoed these speakers against much more expensive boutique brand rivals with very favorable results, as you can read about in this thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=591331 |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2302 Registered: Feb-05 | Think I'd stick to the JM Lab. Another brand to look into is Usher. Yes I've read the reviews comparing the Ascends to speakers 3 and 4 times their price just as I've read the reviews comparing Paradigm Studio 20v3's to speakers in 5k and up range. Hey I love my Paradigm Reference series speakers but if you buy those exaggerated claims I have some oceanfront property in Nebraska to sell you...lol. Best thing to do is get out and audition as many speakers as you can and get a feel for what you like. |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa4Post Number: 114 Registered: Jul-05 | Hi Tim. You are at an interesting price point. Its not quite enough to jump up so to speak but I kinda agree with Eddie that you can actually spend less and be just fine with some good stuff. Art is right as well that while Ascends are pretty much the king of price/performance there really is a different class of speaker in the general sense ( meaning more than one brand) where the jump up in price does pay dividends. This doesnt mean that spending money on expensive speakers buys you anything-- but carefully chosen and researched and auditioned choices really will. I do see folks get carried away a bit with Audio and spend more than they can afford always trying to upgrade so perhaps Eddies suggestion is the best bet. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2303 Registered: Feb-05 | Yep, don't go and audition any speakers just buy online and hope for the best. It's your money. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3048 Registered: Mar-05 | Actually what Art likes to conveniently overlook is that just because you buy speakers online does NOT mean you can't audition them against other speakers to REALLY understand what you like or don't like. Two things to remember: 1. Online speakers usually have a 30 day return period. Return shipping will cost you maybe $20-30 which is still a hell of a lot less than restocking fees that most local shops will charge you (usually 10-20% of total price) *IF* they allow non-defective returns in the first place. 2. Unless we are talking about massive hulking floorstanders here, you can always order just a single pair of speakers from an online company and take them with you to local shops to AB directly against their stock. Some stores won't allow that, but most will in my experience. I don't doubt that there are some folks who *can* hear the difference between the $600/pair Ascends and say $1600/pair speakers, or at least will SWEAR that they can. However, if you are not one of them then you could end up pi$$ing away an extra $1K for nothing. |
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Bronze Member Username: 2morexExmore, Virginia USA Post Number: 19 Registered: Nov-05 | I do not like to swear, but I do curse when I drink and swear when I don't. Anyway, most modern day towers are little more than a bookshelf speaker with a subwoofer installed. Viewed this way, would not a good pair of bookshelves (maybe bought on line) and a good subwoofer be preferencial to large towers? they offer better room response adjustment, among other benefits. Edster has a point, at least one worth investigation. Good luck |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa4Post Number: 118 Registered: Jul-05 | If we take a quality floorstander with a range from, lets say, 25hz-20,000, and compare to monitors and a sub, also from 25hz-20,000, IN GENERAL, you get better tonal balance and full reproduction from the floor stander over the monitor sub mix closer to what the original sound engineer envisioned while mixing in the first place. There are specific reasons for this,largely based on the electronics of receiver frequency crossover points, whcih actually has nothing to do with the actual subwoofer itself. We can go into a more detailed discussion I suppose but somewhat off topic. It is quite possible to get a very good musical result via the use of subs and monitors as well. BTW- a full range floorstander does not have to be a hulking monster! |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 1057 Registered: Sep-04 | In direct contrast to Edster's advice: Since the majority of the time will be spent listening to music, I would suggest you would be best served by finding a dealer and having a few demos comparing just 2-channel speakers which have surround options. This way you can build a picture of the presentation you like with a little help and guidance from someone who's doing this day in day out. Try more than one dealer too, not just to waste their time but to check out different philosophies since different dealers have different ways of doing things and different tastes in music presentation. A little research here will be well worth your while. I would argue that it is possible to hear differences between any different make $600 speakers, let alone $600 and $1600 speakers. I strongly disagree with Edster about this. I'm not suggesting you ignore him, just that you don't discount the benefits of using the dealer network. The Focal JmLab Chorus range is certainly in the frame as a good value, high performance range with flexible options. I like these speakers quite a bit. I'm not a fan of Monitor Audio. I have never heard Revels in a system and environment I know well, so I can't comment about them other than they are very highly regarded by the magazine fraternity. Other brands which would be well worth your while checking out would be: Dynaudio. Wide range of very high quality transducers. Totem Acoustics. Not quite as wide a range as Dynaudio but very good value, particularly in the Americas since they're Canadian, somewhat quirky designs too which are interesting. Magic in the right system. EPOS. Limited range, so not much in the way of upgrades, but if you like them you'll love them. Regards, Frank. |
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Bronze Member Username: 2morexExmore, Virginia USA Post Number: 20 Registered: Nov-05 | I agree with you Mark. My point is that satisfying results can be found in a bookself/sub set up. Depends on you room, WAF, etc. I do not think that Tim should simply dismiss bookshelfs, particularly if he listens to primarily 2 channels. I have also found my greatest musical satisfaction in the midrange and highs, that said, there must be some bottom end, how much he desires is personal. |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa4Post Number: 120 Registered: Jul-05 | Agreed! |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3049 Registered: Mar-05 | Ideally, a shop should allow you to home demo their speakers before you buy, at least the floor-demo or open-box models. I know of one local shop that does this, you leave your credit card info or a check as collateral. Most do not offer this option, unfortunately, at least not in my city. Otherwise keep in mind that how a speaker sounds in a store, on the store's gear and with the store's room accoustics, can be very very different from how it will sound in your specific listening space. This is another advantage of the Internet-direct route. The dealer network does have some advantages too, mainly with quicker service for manufacturer defects or equipment failure. Just bear in mind that when you buy from a local dealer you are paying handsomely for these services, whether you end up ever needing them or not. And while you can learn a lot from a knowledgeable dealer, there's always the question of how much their advice and expertise is based on their own economic self-interests (i.e. expensive cables and interconnects) so a good BS-filter is required. Yes there are decent and honest professionals out there selling audio and count your blessings if you meet one, but as with anything there are also some real slimey characters too. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2306 Registered: Feb-05 | "Actually what Art likes to conveniently overlook is that just because you buy speakers online does NOT mean you can't audition them against other speakers to REALLY understand what you like or don't like." I don't forget much as I would like to but you never let me. I just don't think that one should go blindly into a purchase first then go out and listen to speakers. Go to the dealers and listen first, then if everything sucks (which ofcourse it won't unless you live in Rock Springs, Wyoming) then go blindly into an internet buy. Frank has the right Idea. Take advantage of the expertise and product choices available with the dealers. This is a major purchase I wouldn't look to save a few bucks as a first priority, after all you may have to live with your choice for quite sometime. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3052 Registered: Mar-05 | > I don't forget much as I would like to but you never let me. LOL!!! Tim, Internet buying does *not* have to be blind at all if you do your research ahead of time, through online reviews and also through browsing audio forums like this...you'll get a very good general impression of what people like and why. Then once your speakers arrive you can use the only foolproof method, which is AB listening tests in store. Yes this requires some legwork but is well worth the effort, since there are always other things you can spend your savings on. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2307 Registered: Feb-05 | Research and listen, just researching without the listening may not be blind but it is certainly deaf. What Edster is really saying is that his speakers are better than the rest so buy them(and yes it is buying whether you can return it or not) then go out and about with his speakers tucked under your arm from store to store doing comparisons. If you don't believe that the Ascends are better than the JM Labs then how much easier would it be to not buy them first. If you must buy the Ascends which with your budget I have no idea why you would, then first do your own research and listening at the dealers, buy your favorite, then buy the Ascends and compare them at home. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3060 Registered: Mar-05 | LOL Art, you've got it HALF right. I don't know that my Ascends are really "better than the rest." Nor do you. The only way for anybody to know is to AB them against other speakers, which is exactly what Steve Callas, the original poster in that AVS Forum thread I posted actually did. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=591331 Otherwise your opinion is ultimately just as meaningless as mine or anybody else's on any forum. Incidentally, Steve ended up choosing BA speakers (costing almost double) over them, but my a narrow margin and found that he did prefer the Ascends to many much more expensive speakers, the Paradigm Studio 40s being one of them. Now that is not to say that EVERYONE will have the same results, but at least Steve now can rest easy knowing that he bought the speaker he liked best, regardless of pricepoint. > If you must buy the Ascends which with your budget I have no idea why you would, then first do your own research and listening at the dealers, buy your favorite, then buy the Ascends and compare them at home. Art again conveniently overlooks the fact that most brick and mortar dealers will NOT allow non-defective refunds, and the few which do, will charge a hefty 10-20% restocking fee to cover the lower profit they'll make reselling it as an open-box or floor demo item. In contrast, with an Internet-direct speaker you are only out the $20-30 return shipping, and don't have to deal with some (potentially) pushy salesperson trying to hang on to more of your money, just drop it off at your nearest UPS store and wave adios. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2308 Registered: Feb-05 | Edster you've become a joke. Most brick and mortar dealers allow a return within 30 days. Perhaps not the junk stores you frequent in Texas but in the real world I know of none that don't have a return policy. Most of the time you won't be returning them to the brick and mortar store anyway because you listened to them. Look I'm not going to argue this anymore. Other than at the big box stores I've never even heard of a restocking fee. |
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Silver Member Username: DakulisSpokane, Washington United States Post Number: 698 Registered: May-05 | Ed, Art, Mark and RD, As Art and Ed know, I A/Bed 15 speakers including the BA VR 1s, 50s and 60s. The 50s and 60s were closest thing I heard to the Ascends with similar midrange and highs and the 1s, floorstanders, had much better bass range. I thought the 50s had a slightly better range on bass than the 170s but I never looked at the specs, just by my ears. Anyway, I did it Art's way although I wanted to hear Paradigms but never got the chance until after I bought the Ascends and it was the Studio 60s not the 40s and, like the VR 1s, they're far outside the 170s' price range. Anyway, I would listen to the Ascends, take a look at their site and see whether the 170s or 340s look to be more your cup of tea before ordering and order two. You'll pay $15-$20 to return 170s and about 1 1/2 times that to return 340s. I thought the VR 50s, which I listened to much longer than the VR 60s, were a toss up with the 170s in quality of sound but they were $700/pr. vs. $328/pr. and that was the deciding factor. IMHO anyway, Dave. |
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Silver Member Username: DakulisSpokane, Washington United States Post Number: 699 Registered: May-05 | Art, "Go to the dealers and listen first, then if everything sucks (which ofcourse it won't unless you live in Rock Springs, Wyoming) then go blindly into an internet buy." Now, everyone knows that Spokane, WA and not Rock Springs, Wyoming is the "audio desert." LOL |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2309 Registered: Feb-05 | Yeah but evryone is pretty sure that Rock Springs ain't the cultural and commercial capitol of the west. |
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New member Username: DavidpaPortland, Oregon US Post Number: 5 Registered: Nov-05 | been reading this thread and had to respond. 1st I am "one of those guys" who has continually upgraded, with the thought that if I spent a little less, but got a speaker that "compared to a better model" Id be alright. NOPE. You really IMO dont save money by getting a speaker that fits your budget right now, because you will probably at some point decide what you have isnt quite what you thought, and it probably isnt. The point Im trying to get at is this, Tim, if you have 3 grand right now, ( I cant presume how long it took you to get it) and its not burning a hole in your pocket...WAIT, save a little more, then go and audition some quality speakers, your real close to price range where the options really increase for quality, I wish I wouldve taken the same advice, because I was always looking for the best bargain, and after all these different setups, I couldve bought very expensive gear out of the gate. While your auditioning speakers right now, keep setting $ aside, you wont regret it, and it will be money well spent, I would think everyone here (or most anyway) have upgraded at some point, ITS INEVITABLE if you truly are looking for pure quality sound, I just think IMO youd be better served to add a little to your stash, and get something much better than what your price range is at at this point. Could be wrong, but just couldnt resist. Good Luck! Dave |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3066 Registered: Mar-05 | Art, it may well be a regional thing, because the big box stores here in Houston are the only places that DON'T have a restocking fee. From what you claim, your corner of Oregon seems like a veritable audio mecca. Tim, I recommend you call ahead to see which of your local shops have restock fees or will only allow returns for store credit not cash. This would be an interesting forum-wide member survey, actually. I'd be curious to hear just how usual or unusual Art's audio shops are. Heck, I don't blame small shops for having restock fees since they can't resell open-box items at regular price. They probably have much lower volume than the big box stores so they have to hope for a higher margin per sale/customer. |
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New member Username: DavidpaPortland, Oregon US Post Number: 6 Registered: Nov-05 | I live in ptld, ore, and all of the dealers that ive dealt with here, (and theres a few!) have always let me take home product and test it here before buying, and not once have i had to pay a restocking fee, of course i had to pay for the item first, just in case it stayed here. now keep in mind these are dealers that specialize in higher end products. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3067 Registered: Mar-05 | > Most of the time you won't be returning them to the brick and mortar store anyway because you listened to them. btw Art, that's a totally nonsensical argument. My point is very simple: listen to a good Internet direct speaker like the Ascends side by side with the boutique brands in the store, IF the store won't allow you to home-demo their speakers or give you a no hassle refund policy. You may decide they sound just as good if not better than retail speakers costing much more...or you might not. Bottom line is you'll never know unless you try it. Now if you want to buy local just to support your local dealers who might be wonderful and knowledgeable people that need to feed their families, sure there's nothing wrong with that. Just be up front about it, instead of pooh-poohing Internet retailers for some bogus, made-up reasons. Tim: of course if you desperately want to blow $3K on speakers just for the sake of blowing $3K on speakers, without first ascertaining whether YOU (not me, or Art, or anybody else on these forums but YOU and YOU alone) can personally hear much of a difference or not between those $3K speakers and less expensive ones---well that's your prerogative of course, and I'm sure the local economy will thank you for it. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3070 Registered: Mar-05 | DP, Hmm, it does look like the Pacific NW is a nice place to go audio shopping. Two questions: 1. When you say "higher end" products, can you provide some ballpark numbers? For example, what's the cheapest receiver or speaker that they carry? 2. The products they let you take home, were those brand new or open-box/floor-models? |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2311 Registered: Feb-05 | "btw Art, that's a totally nonsensical argument." Just the facts. If you've made a speaker choice based on hearing them and liking them it is less likely that you will return them. That may be nonsense to you but that says more about you than the statement. "boutique brands" Would that be "wine and cheese" brands Paul...lol! The JM Lab and Revel Concerta speakers that Tim mentioned in his initial post are world class bargains and get my vote as speakers to listen to within Tim's budget. I would also suggest Usher, PSB, Energy, B&W, Paradigm, EPOS, Totem, Dynaudio and many many more. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2312 Registered: Feb-05 | Edster why ask questions of DP that you have already received answers to. You asked me the same questions and DP and I shop at some of the same stores. Portland area retailers have products that run the full range of the price spectrum from very inexpensive (under $200 per pair speakers) to the very expensive. To answer your second question it would depend on what they had available in the store. I know you didn't ask me but I do know the answer. DP, great to hear Portland represent! :-) |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3071 Registered: Mar-05 | > Just the facts. If you've made a speaker choice based on hearing them and liking them it is less likely that you will return them. That may be nonsense to you but that says more about you than the statement. Actually this says more about your hopelessly ONE-SIDED logic. "If you've made a speaker choice based on hearing them and liking them it is less likely that you will return them"---well DUH, that could apply to *all* speakers, local retail *and* Internet-direct. No, I was using "boutique brands" for any local retail brands not commonly found in big box stores. Certainly not meant as a pejorative. I have no beef against listening to any of the brands you mentioned. What I do have a problem with is the implication that it is not feasible or desirable to include any Internet-direct brands in the list of speakers to audition...THAT is just pure sophistry, and you know it. Like I said, if you just want to support your local dealers because you like them personally as well as the service that you automatically are paying them for, nothing wrong with that---just be up front about your motives, there's no need to pull the same old bogus arguments against Internet direct brands out of your @ss. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3072 Registered: Mar-05 | > Edster why ask questions of DP that you have already received answers to. heh, two reasons: you never actually told me what was the cheapest receiver your friend Teri sells, and also DP might have gone to a few different stores than you even though you two live in the same state. (I have no idea how close Portland and Albany are geographically.) > To answer your second question it would depend on what they had available in the store. I know you didn't ask me but I do know the answer. Well this is actually the case at the one local shop where I bought my Marantz AVR, open-boxes are allowed full refunds. It really doesn't make any business sense for a small shop to refund you for brand new items, unless they intend to resell opened items as brand new. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2313 Registered: Feb-05 | Run around in circles Eddie, that's what you do. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2314 Registered: Feb-05 | Edster I told you that Stereotypes is in Portland. I didn't give you an exact figure of Teri's cheapest receiver but told you as I just did that she sells products in all price ranges. I didn't call her up and ask what her cheapest receiver costs. Portland = 65 miles from my house. Eugene = 45 miles from my house. Salem = 30 miles from my house Corvallis = 10 miles from my house. Portland has several good high end dealers including Stereotypes. Eugene has 2 high end dealers one of which is Bradford's which has a huge range of both sffordable and high end gear. Salem has 1 high end dealer and they have clueless kids running the show. I would not shop there. But boy do they have a great record store. Corvallis is home to Northwest Audio Labs, very little choice but the benefit of the most knowledgeable audio man I've ever known, Jim Ott. His assistant Steve runs a close second. All of these communities have countless cool music stores and live events. That's the Northwest music scene back to you Eddie. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3073 Registered: Mar-05 | No I'm not, I'm methodically taking apart your anti-Internet-direct house of cards. ; ) |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2315 Registered: Feb-05 | Really. I make online purchases frequently. I ordered a Mechell record clamp just 2 weeks ago from Music Direct. I also order from Acoustic Sounds and Amazon as well as others including my purchase of a Hsu sub. I just think that your speaker audition methodolgy is bass-ackwards. Back to drawing board for you I guess. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3074 Registered: Mar-05 | Nothing backwards about it, just as honest and scientific as possible. LOL, I see that like Paul, you just can't get past your hang-up about POSSIBLY having to put a small pair of bookshelf speakers back in the box and shipping them back for a full refund, or taking them around (yes, a pair of 15lb. Ascend 170s would fit nicely under each arm) from shop to shop to demo against other speakers. BTW I just got off the phone with Stereotypes, talked to a guy named Brett. He said the cheapest AVR they carry is the 5-channel Onkyo Integra DTR 4.5 for $500 which means that the next model up 7-channel DTR 5.5 is probably around $700. Not sure I'd call this "very inexpensive" if someone (not Tim the original poster of course) has only $1500-2000 for an entire HT system. Also confirmed that there is no restock fee on new items though he would have to ask the owner to be sure, and that they do prefer to have you home demo open-box items. Funny thing is, he said they no longer carry Marantz due to QA problems but then did a bit of verbal acrobatics when I asked about the hum and hiss issues with the NAD receivers they still carry. Sounds like a nice guy though. |
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Silver Member Username: DakulisSpokane, Washington United States Post Number: 700 Registered: May-05 | Art, I'm sitting about an hour from Wyoming right now. Should I visit Rock Springs and test your theory? LOL |
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New member Username: RoadwarriorPost Number: 4 Registered: Nov-05 | The owner of the store I visited today has a friens who ownes Chelsea A/V in Portland OR. Any reviews of the place? Art? |
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New member Username: DavidpaPortland, Oregon US Post Number: 7 Registered: Nov-05 | I can comment on chelsea audio, have bought there before, rotel gear to be precise. Kyle, one of the salesman actually came out to my house after purchase just to make sure everything was in good order, not because I requested him to.. he just did. And the gear I bought was brand new in a box, and was returnable if it didnt work out. Thats just one example. Maybe the market in this area demands a little more customer service, I dont know, since I havent traveled, or should say havent had to travel, beyond this area for quality gear and service. And edster since Im not always looking at the cheapest gear, I would suspect all the way down to entry level, and on the flip side OUT OF MY RANGE! But definately a wide selection. And good service. The dealer I seem to purchase most of my equipment ends up being Freds Sound Of Music, I havent ran across a more knowledgeable staff yet. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2316 Registered: Feb-05 | Fred's is fantastic. They have a wide range of gear from classic used components and speakers to inexpensive AV gear. Knowledgeable staff and also the ability to leave you alone to listen to music set it apart from poor stores like Hear no Evil in Salem. They cut me loose in the listening room that has the Bryston amps Thiel and Paradigm Signature speakers and a whole host of other gear. I listened to disc after disc for for quite sometime without interuption. I don't frequent Chelsea so I can't speak to their service but from what I'm reading it sounds typical of good retailers in this area. Dave, why don't you give that Rock Springs thing a try. Then again you might find there is more to choose from there than in Spokane (the audio desert)..lol. Yep Eddie I told you a long time ago that the dealers that I use have seen more QC problems with Marantz than any other brand. Remember when you found the great deal online for Marantz AVR's I threw out a warning for those who were unaware. BTW it ain't Onkyo Integra no one calls them Toyota Lexus or Nissan Infiniti or Honda Acura. Yes Onkyo makes Integra but it's in another league. Ofcourse dealers do prefer that you home demo open boxes but most will open one if they don't already have one open. I know all of them have done that for me. Brett is a nice guy but really is not very knowledgeable compared to Teri and especially compared to Jim and Steve at NWAL. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3081 Registered: Mar-05 | Yeah I do remember your Marantz warnings, esp. pertaining to the 5400 CDP. As I remember you did say the SR5400 though was the most reliable of the bunch even though it's the second-cheapest in their whole lineup. It puzzles me that Teri would stop promoting Marantz and yet continue to carry NAD...have never heard audio forum people complain about Marantz QC problems anywhere as often as they complain about NAD QC problems. Well I gotta hand it to you Art, along with fewer mosquitoes, humidity and hurricanes you PNW folks pretty much have us beaten down here in Space City for local audio shops. Not that this would stop me, even if I lived in your neck of the woods, from ordering Ascends and taking them out for a spin anyways, mind you...LOL |
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Silver Member Username: DakulisSpokane, Washington United States Post Number: 702 Registered: May-05 | Art, Just so you know, Sound Decision Audio is the hot spot in Rock Springs, WY. so I want you to find another small burg because this one is all wired up. LOL Dave |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2322 Registered: Feb-05 | Edster I think that the there are higher expectations on NAD gear partly due to the cost and partly due to their audiophile credentials. Also most of the QC complaints against NAD are due to the hiss/hum problem which really annoys audio enthusiasts. The hum and hiss ofcourse comes as a result of NAD's attempt to clean up the interface between the power supply and the listener which makes it all the more frustrating. The NAD's however seldom suffer catastrophic failure like the Marantz and HK models. The all out failures are the ones that Stereotypes is most concerned with. Many people buy the NAD's and never notice the hum and his problem especially if all they use is the digital interface. Dave there ain't no evidence online of any such dealer in Rock Springs....keep tryin'....lol! |