I have recently bought a Pioneer VSX 1014-K A/V reciever. I want to buy pair of book shelf speakers for this amplifier. Can anybody suggest me some good speakers.
My budget for the speakers is $300. I listen lot of music and of all kind. Please suggest me some speakers that will not make me fee fatique listening all day.
I will also be using the same setup for home theatre.
Also please let me know what are the basic things that I need to look in a speaker before buying it. Your suggestion will be of great help
Ascend Acoustics CMB-170s, go to ascendacoustics.com; amazing clarity, accuracy and natural/neutral reproduction with zero fatigue.
What to look for: bookshelves that do not claim to be "full range" because at that size and price range, it just ain't gonna happen. What will happen is such a "full range bookshelf" speaker will have boomy muddy bass, zero midrange, and weak highs---like the Polk R20s I bought cheap on Black Friday and immediately sent to my bedroom mini-system.
If you want stronger bass then you'll have to save up an extra $300-400 for a good subwoofer like an SVS or Hsu.
I am bit confused, one of my freind suggested me to go for KEF Q1 book shelf speaker. I cannot audition the speakers personally coz, there are no dealers carring these speakers near my place.
Please help in selecting between the 3 speakers B & W DM600 S3 B & W DM303 KEF Q1
FYI, I have a Pioneer VSX 1014-k A/V reciever,
Power Amplifier Design: A.D.E MOS FET Surround Power: 110 W x 7 (20HZ - 20kHZ @ 8 ohm, 0.09% THD) Stereo Power: 110 W x 2 (20HZ - 20kHZ @ 8 ohm, 0.09% THD)
I found the Ascends far more pleasing than similarly-priced B&W. (Notice, please, that I use the very subjective term, "pleasing," because there are so many factors related to the listening experience that your findings might contradict mine.) In the B&W line, I thought the 600/601 sounded leagues better than the 303 in a/b tests.
Above 80 hz, I've yet to hear a speaker in the <$800 range that keeps up with the Ascend cbm-170--at least, not in my living room, running off my system, playing my music. *(I'm fond of using "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots," by the Flaming Lips as my audition disc. It's got everything from Wall o' Sound metal to bare vocals to orchestral passages, to acoustic piano.)
If you're looking for that "Polk Audio sound", check out eBay...RT35i's for about $100 to $150 including shipping. This is a great value for the awesome sound imaging of these bookshelf speakers.
I believe that the Polk RTi6 replaced the RT35i but will cost you around $300 with shipping off Ebay. The RTi6 is what I am planning on getting. However, if I find a good deal on some RT35i when I am ready, I might get them instead.
There are really good speaker choices in this price range. Both the Titan and the Atoms are good speakers for their price. The Atom just isn't substantial enough for me but they sound very good for dollars. The Titan in my opinion is a bit more substantial but not quite as well balanced. The Foucus is the best sounding and balanced speaker of the Paradigm Performance Series. I must tell you though, that at $300 I would buy the Epos ELS3. Above that price are so many good choices by so many manufacturers that really all we are doing is giving you a shopping list. For Paradigm I would probably start with the Monitor series. The Mini is $399 but can be had for less. Give those Epos speaker some consideration and a good long listen. Anyone who carries Creek or Music Hall products should have access to those speakers.
I would like to note that the Epos ELS3 is a 4 ohm speaker. That may or may not be a problem with your VSX 1014-K. Forgive me for butting in if it is no problem with that receiver.
andy19191
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I recently bought KEF Q1s in preference to a number of similar speakers from B&W, Monitor Audio and similar. I performed a brief paper study and listened to 4 or 5. No regrets.
However, one of my requirements was to be able to place the speakers on a bookshelf. Many "bookshelf" speakers are simply not designed to do this (rear firing ports, no bungs for the port,...).
Edster, you said the polk R20 has crappy mid-range. What would u say about the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1s then, because they claim a very wide frequency range. The B&W dm303 claim around 75hz but are about as good as the 9.1s supposedly. How have wharfedale managed to sustain the good mid-range with such a wide frequency response?
Don't judge a speaker solely by its frequency range specs; sensitivity is more relevant in many ways.
Don't know about the Diamond 9.1 but have heard the 9.2 which totally did not impress me. For a small bookshelf speaker with awesome midrange and highs for under $1000 I'd say the Ascend 170s are way ahead of the field at $340 shipped.