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Bronze Member Username: AlderashPost Number: 12 Registered: Jun-06 | Which bookshelf or stand-mounted speakers have impressed you for under $1000? |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyFort Hamilton, NY United States Post Number: 3374 Registered: Oct-04 | The Paradigm Studio 20v.5 can be had for about that price, and it does everything right. http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Pair-Paradigm-Studio-20-Version-5-speakers-/170541908474 ?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item27b51701fa |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyFort Hamilton, NY United States Post Number: 3375 Registered: Oct-04 | ...but in the the sub-$1K category I'd strongly consider the Swan D2.1SE currently on sale starting at $679, I've read nothing but good things about them. http://www.theaudioinsider.com/product_info.php?p=swan-d2-1se&products_id=69 |
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Gold Member Username: T_bomb25Aurora, Colorado United States Post Number: 2235 Registered: Jun-05 | The Usher S-520's are the best I've heard,others that were very good: Swan D2.1SE Era D5 Wharfedale Evo 8 LSA ls1 Gini Ls3/5a Oddesey Epiphony Aurum Cantus Leisure 1 Hsu hb1 mkII Totem Dreamcatchers SVS mbs-01 B&W cm1 Def Tech Studio 450 Klipsch R81 Silverline minutes |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 13286 Registered: Feb-05 | Too many to mention... Harbeth P3ESR Spendor SA1 Devore Fidelity Gibbon 3 Era D4 & D5 Totem Mite Paradigm Studio 10v5 Totem Mite Paradigm Atom v1 Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 To name just a very few... |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 3217 Registered: Jun-07 | Chris if you can have a listen to the new Paradigm Studio 10'sv5's mentioned in Art's list. I actually prefer them to the 20's which I also like. Monitor Audio RX2 Paradigm Studio 10's Totem Dreamcatcher Totem Staff (used for 900 boom) Swans JM Labs Cobalt (used 800) Wavecor Kits List could go on... |
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Gold Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 1027 Registered: Jul-07 | Off the beaten path.... Mapleshade Sirocco S30 (with Mapleshade stands for <$1000) Fritz Mini Monitor Planet 10 Fonken or miniOnken (highly recommended) |
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Gold Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 1028 Registered: Jul-07 | forgot.... Brines - FB-16 |
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Gold Member Username: T_bomb25Aurora, Colorado United States Post Number: 2240 Registered: Jun-05 | We need to define this bewtween new and used and small floorstanders should fit this bill to remember he set a $1000 limit so some used speakers would work wonders in the monitor and petite floorstander catagory. |
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Bronze Member Username: SuperjazzyjamesPost Number: 11 Registered: Oct-10 | My favorites are the Mirage OS3, $250 each. I've heard a lot of speakers that cost way more but don't sound anywhere near as good. In fact, the only speakers I'd rather have are B&W 800 series. |
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Gold Member Username: T_bomb25Aurora, Colorado United States Post Number: 2247 Registered: Jun-05 | Welp if the B&W 800 series is your benchmark,then you have a lot to learn then. |
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Silver Member Username: KevincorrFairbanks, Alaska Usa Post Number: 710 Registered: Jul-07 | I agree with Tawaun that we should know if someone is listing new price. A wild card used price would not mean much unless there were lots of used ones at the same price. Art- I thought that the Harbeth P3ESR was about $2200???? I notice that Stereophile and other critics love the PSB but you don't see them mentioned on this forum? |
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Gold Member Username: T_bomb25Aurora, Colorado United States Post Number: 2254 Registered: Jun-05 | The PSB is a fine choice Kevin,but when theirs deals on the Wharfedales i'd take those any day. |
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Silver Member Username: KevincorrFairbanks, Alaska Usa Post Number: 714 Registered: Jul-07 | I will keep an eye out for the Warf which makes a lot of favorite lists. |
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Gold Member Username: T_bomb25Aurora, Colorado United States Post Number: 2260 Registered: Jun-05 | The Wharfedale Evo2 8 is on sale for $299 at STO. |
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Silver Member Username: KevincorrFairbanks, Alaska Usa Post Number: 719 Registered: Jul-07 | Now it is a decision between a small speaker for the bedroom or better main speakers moving the Quad11L to the bedroom. I was not really planning to upgrade yet but am getting a house next month which has two more rooms to fill, a rec-room and a shop. Fun. So we have already got the shop ready with the Dynaco, except for a cheap cdp. And improved the Quad 11L with a small NHT sub. A pair of Warfs would finish the house unless I decide to upgrade the living room. The rec-room is only about 336 square feet and the bedroom 240 sq/ft. The old Rogers speakers stay in my studio ('the vinyl room'). Art- I was off line for a time and I missed the gap between your getting the Totem Rainmaker and moving to Harbeth. I can assume that it is simply an upgrade, nothing being wrong with the Totem for theoffice as opposed to the main system? The Rainmakers would possibly make my small recroom powered by the Onix amp. The Onix sounds great with my Castle Severn/Apollo set up. It probably could do justice to Totems? |
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Gold Member Username: T_bomb25Aurora, Colorado United States Post Number: 2263 Registered: Jun-05 | I like the Rainmakers,but the Arro's are far better if you have electronics,but the Rainmaker is ethusiastic fun no doubt about that. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 13303 Registered: Feb-05 | The Harbeth's are the main speaker now, Kevin. I sold the Rainmakers quite sometime ago and did 90% of my listening with my main system for the last year or so. Keep in mind that the move to Harbeth from DeVore is not due to anything lacking in the Gibbons. They are a fabulous speaker and I love their sound for every type of music. They are simply too much for the room that the system is moving into. The Harbeth's share the same value for music that the DeVore's do and so it was a natural choice. After a week of listening to them I like them more with each play. After fussing with placement just a bit last weekend they simply disappear in my room. All I hear is wonderful music. The Totem's were simply all that was offered me by a dealer who sold me the Epos M12i before Epos fixed the bright high end with a resistor. The Rainmakers were fun but not a seaker I would choose to buy were I in the market. In fact I probably would not choose any Totem as their sound doesn't meet my needs. I certainly see why folks do though as they are a very fine speaker. Would be fun to hear the Arro in my home, just for fun. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 3227 Registered: Jun-07 | Art - I have found that every Totem model sound very different from each other. Has anybody else found this? I find the Rainmakers a little too edgy. I really dig the Arro's and Staff's. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 13304 Registered: Feb-05 | They sound different but seem to meet Vince's requirements (whatever those are). Meaning that in spite of their protestations to the contrary they have a family sound. They vary in how bright they are from the Rainmaker, Dreamcatcher and Arro which many folks find difficult to listen, to the Sttaf, Mite and others which are easier on the ears if a bit less exciting. Though I find them to have a family sound it isn't to say that they sound like different sizes of the same speaker like the Rega R and RS series or the Monitor Audio RS and RX series as well as the Paradigm Studio speakers. Instead the Totems simply sound like the same folks were involved in the design and execution of the design. I find that I like some Totem models better than others based on long term listenability but again that's just my ears and they are obviously a great speaker. |
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Gold Member Username: T_bomb25Aurora, Colorado United States Post Number: 2264 Registered: Jun-05 | I agree with Art,I like the Arro,Model 1 Sigs,Dreamcatcher,and the Hawk,the Forrest takes a bunch of work to sound like their worth their pricetag.The Mite,Staff,and Rainmaker simply dont have the kind of resolution im after,but i can see the allure for the Staff out of those 3,The Main-2 simply are to hard to power for my amp choice,they make you make moves with amps that you may not want to but have to because of the zero's behind their rating,which is not the way to choose a amp it should be based on sound quality only,with the new class D amps out now it makes it a bit easier,but the Mani-2 is still not worth the money in the end,and at their pricepoint i consider the Dynaudio C1,Kef Ref 201 and the Joseph Pulsar far superior,and even the Usher 718 Tiny Dancer DMD is better at nearly half the cost.The new Wind i havent heard,the old 1 was a little on the bright side and a little uncontrolled in the bass,and they lacked some lower midrange warmth.The Arro is a different beast from all of them,it still sounds like Totem but less so than the rest and more like Quad EL63's in its tone and imaging and sounstaging. |
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Gold Member Username: T_bomb25Aurora, Colorado United States Post Number: 2265 Registered: Jun-05 | Art just curoius if your room wasnt a issue,which speaker would you prefer the Harbeth or the Devore? that particular Harbeth does sound very similar to the Devore sound the rest of the Harbeths no so much.Which model Devore do you have is it the 8's upper model 8 and why didnt you go after the 3XL's since you were already in the Devore family? |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 13305 Registered: Feb-05 | Good questions T. I like the near full range sound of the DeVore but I can hear deeper into the music with the Harbeth's. Simply put, I prefer the little P3's. I have the DeVore 8's not the Super 8's. The 3's and 8's are exellent with both solid state and tube gear. The more recent models, the Super 8's, 9's and 3XL's do not sound good with solid state gear and I prefer a speaker that is more flexible. I have extensive listening experience with all DeVore models except the Silverbacks and they are a wonderfully musical speaker. The 3XL is way out of my price range and would not match up well with my Sonneteer integrated. They also aren't a speaker that I would put in a 9x10 room. The Harbeth's are magical in my small space. I also am enjoying my wife's new setup with her Era D4's what great synergy she is getting in her room as well...we're having fun and enjoying music and that's what it's about. |
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Bronze Member Username: SuperjazzyjamesPost Number: 21 Registered: Oct-10 | A lot to learn Tawaun? The B&W 800s are fine sounding speakers especially when powered by a Mac amp! Anyone who knocks these has A LOT to learn! |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyFort Hamilton, NY United States Post Number: 3420 Registered: Oct-04 | I have to admit, I'm pretty fond of the B&W 800, even moreso when pair with McIntosh. |
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Silver Member Username: KevincorrFairbanks, Alaska Usa Post Number: 723 Registered: Jul-07 | Interesting! I guess I will wait to get to the states to hear the better speakers. These cheap ones the thread started with are a better gamble to buy 'blind' so to speak. It is really amazing how many inexpensive little units are on the market! I was tempted to buy the Arros just out of curiosity. I guess it is just personal taste why the guys in Seattle did not recommend them for my Rega Mira3. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 13309 Registered: Feb-05 | I don't think that the Mira 3 would facilitate the magic that many folks feel is a part of the Arro s presentation. The Mira 3 is a better match for the Rega speakers. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittStamford, Connecticut USA Post Number: 4035 Registered: May-05 | Kevin, With all those rooms to fill with music, have you reconsidered something like Sonos for sources? They have one or tow units that are amplified with speakers built in. While that won't compete with a true system, does it really need to in a place like a shop? That actually sound quite good for their intended application. You could get an amplified version and connect your own speakers in a room or two, and get a non-amplified version and connect a good DAC for the main system. Rather than trying to remember which CD got left with which system, it would be like carrying every CD you have everywhere you go. Buy an iPod Touch refurbed from Apple, and you've got an inexpensive controller. Just a thought. The Sonos systems are probably the least fussy and shortest learning curve systems. They're also great sounding. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 3229 Registered: Jun-07 | I played a ton with the Sonos stuff and I agree with Stu its a great way to take a source/server and turn it into multiple room, networked music. It actually sounds fairly good as well. I would recommend. Art/Tawaun - thx for the explanation. |
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Gold Member Username: T_bomb25Aurora, Colorado United States Post Number: 2266 Registered: Jun-05 | Gotcha Art,pretty good stuff when we can back track to another speaker,similar in a lot of ways,but better at what we're looking for without really breaking the bank.I heard the lil Harbeths at the RMAF last year and i was extremely impressed with them including their bass and dynamics and thats something thats always left me wanting outside of the the big 1's of course those are excellent and are a very good buy in highend world. |
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Silver Member Username: KevincorrFairbanks, Alaska Usa Post Number: 728 Registered: Jul-07 | Stu and Nick- Very good suggestion but..... I will enter this century one of these days. I have read about the Sonus and other systems, but for now I have to stick with simple and easy being just too busy to get into a server. A few months ago I even came close to getting an Apple TV and setting up a computer server. The thing is, I already have so many LPs and CDs that it is just too easy to stick with the old. You know how old retired guys and granpas are with new technology. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Canada Post Number: 3240 Registered: Jun-07 | Think about how fun it would be to rip all your LP and CD to FLAC/WAV ? lol its easy breezy. One day Kevin. One day. hehe. |
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Silver Member Username: KevincorrFairbanks, Alaska Usa Post Number: 729 Registered: Jul-07 | This is another thread but: Would be great, but I gave up on that. Stereophile, Aug 2010, discussion of copying LPs Mr Fremer says: "....first set of maddening choices...incomprehensible to all but the most technically informed. ...I found out by blowing two midrange power resisters in my MAXX3 speakers. ...closely resemble a completed Federal tax return. ...Depending on your comfort with computers, you're sure to get lost in the digital labyrinth...even with frequent calls to...I ran into frustrating problems. ...numerous glitches, mysterious malfunctions, crashes, sudden losses of sound.... ....speaker damaging problems... steep learning curve... This article was not exactly encouraging to me, who can't even understand what Jan is saying half the time |