Floorstander for C352/C542 combo

 

Bronze Member
Username: Jingka99

Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Post Number: 28
Registered: Aug-06
Hi All,

I would like to ask which floorstander would match well with my C352 and C542 combo. Currently, I have Cresta 10 bookshelves used with a subwoofer...I'm planning to shift to floorstander because I cannot use my sub all the time, it's a nightmare for my neighbor just below my unit...will the floorstanders give better bass extension than bookshelves?

btw, my initial budget is around $500.00...I hope there are still ones around this budget...

Thank you very much...

arnold
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jingka99

Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Post Number: 32
Registered: Aug-06
Anybody heard of the AAD C550? Need your comments on these floorstander...

Thank you.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Nottingham365

MA USA

Post Number: 37
Registered: Mar-06
Arnold,

Take a little time to scan some other current and old threads to get an idea of speaker brands which produce a synergy with NAD equipment. I believe Paradigm and PSB are worth considering.

There are some internet direct speaker companies you could investigate; Axiom, Aperion and Ascend Acoustics among them. At times, you get more speaker for the money going internet direct. These companies often offer in-home trial periods.

Don't automatically dismiss all bookshelf speakers as bass deficient. Some standmounts produce remarkably fine bass.

I am not sure what is available in Malaysia.

Happy hunting.
 

Gold Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 4574
Registered: Dec-04
Arnold, I have been hunting around a bit lately, and would like to offer some observations, which will likely be useless to you in Malasia.
Paradigm is releasing the Studio 20v4 in short order, the price raises an eyebrow, 900 CDN.
I am currently doing an aud with Dynaudio 220's heres the link.
https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/288359.html

I have tried a few speakers set-ups, only to find that the Psb's are quite capable.
I have mod'd these a bit, but I am yet to find a floorstander to match the performance/price.
Please see my post including the Dynaudio 140's.

The Psb's have a 'Canadian' sound to them, similar to Totem(sorry Frank), Paradigm and others, but I like the presentation.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Rysa3

Post Number: 24
Registered: Nov-06
Arnold--are you referring to American Acoustic Development C series speakers?
 

Gold Member
Username: T_bomb25

Dayton, Ohio United States

Post Number: 1463
Registered: Jun-05
AAD,makes some good speakers,often overlooked,but they are in heavy rotation across the pond,in otherwards they should be readily availible in Asia and Europe.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jingka99

Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Post Number: 35
Registered: Aug-06
Hi guys, thanks for all your responses...

Marc, yes I am referring to AAD C550 floorstander...

I am still in the dark right now whether to get a better bookshelfs or really go for the floorstander...Problem is that I have too little time at moment to go around and audition C352+C542 with other bookshelfs or better yet floorstander....I just happen to find a good deal with the AAD C550 floorstander, it is being offered for $325.00. I have heard these babies with C320BEE in one of the audio shops and it sounds good to me, just the right amount of bass I am looking for...I also inquired about the PSB T45 but it's way beyond my budget at US$837.00...also haven't heard this T45 with the NAD combo I have...

How about in the Kef range, which ones would you recommend? I know one shop here which sells the Kef products but I am not familiar with them...

I have also considered the dynaudio 52 and 52SE but then again, i found out that it's quite expensive here, the 52 cost around US$1075.00 and the SE cost around US$1320.00...
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jingka99

Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Post Number: 36
Registered: Aug-06
Also, is it true that standmounts provides more clarity meaning the midrange is much better that the floorstanders?

Thanks...
 

Gold Member
Username: Frank_abela

Berkshire UK

Post Number: 1730
Registered: Sep-04
Not necessarily true. It's also not necessarily true that the bass is better on floorstanders. Put it this way, if you make a cheap floorstander, you've got to spread the lower cost across more material, bigger panels, bracing those panels and the drive units and crossover. If you have a smaller unit to build you have potentially less drive units, a simpler crossover and a smaller cabinet to brace, so you can afford to put in higher quality components and better cabinetry and come in atthe same price as the floorstander. However, since you want to try to reach as far down as possible, your standmount needs to work harder which typically makes it less efficient and more demanding of the amplifier!

So each is a compromise. At the $500 mark and considering it's a 352, I'd suggest Dynaudio 42s. I haven't tried driving 52s with a 352. It might be up to the job, but that would be the limit methinks.

Other brands to look at -

Totem (the Dreamcatchers are tiny but very good, the Mites are also small but great fun)

Focal JmLab - just released the Chorus 700V range and very fine it is too.

Regards,
Frank.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Underarock

Milwaukee, WI USA

Post Number: 69
Registered: Oct-06
Sorry, Nuck, being a newbie, maybe I don't understand the nationalities of speakers. What's a "Canadian" sound, as opposed to, say a "Boston" sound, or any other country's sound? Just curious.
 

Gold Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Post Number: 1970
Registered: Feb-04
I thought that the Canadian sound was associated with the NCR facilities, and that meant fairly neutral speakers. From what I have seen, Totems (made in my province) are far from flat and do have a sound.
 

Gold Member
Username: Dakulis

Spokane, Washington United States

Post Number: 1052
Registered: May-05
Arnold,

Go to Tim's website (Alegria Audio) and look at the Emmas. In your price range, you may have to go a couple hundred dollars higher plus shipping but they may solve the floorstander vs. bookshelf problem. They're somewhere in between in size, they're mostly full range in sound - you don't need a sub and they work incredibly well with NAD, as my friend's system will attest. (It doesn't hurt that they're great looking either.)

I set her up with a NAD integrated and the Emmas and dang if it doesn't sound pretty cool. So, my thoughts on this one. Good luck.
 

Silver Member
Username: My_rantz

Australia

Post Number: 935
Registered: Nov-05
dang?
 

Gold Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 4607
Registered: Dec-04
Hot diggety dog, if it ain't the bee's knees!
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jingka99

Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Post Number: 37
Registered: Aug-06
Thank you to all for sharing their opinions and trying to shed light on my questions....

Thanks Frank for clarifying that floorstanders does not necessarily mean more bass than standmounts as well as that floorstanders are not generally lacking in the midrange...

Well, i had the opportunity to try the PSB T45s with C532+C542 and it's great! I love the warm sound it produced, the bass is not punchy or boomy, it's deep but accurate(that is, of course, in my ears), the midrange is also accurate but the trebel is a bit less detailed that is compaired to my kef bookshelfs....but I think this is the best speakers I have heard so far that matches both C352&C542 and my sound preference...though it's a shame that it's cost is a way beyond my means currently...it's tag is around $835.00...the guy in the audio shop actually made a good offer to me to buy out my kef cresta 10 less 10% of the original price(bought it 6 mos ago)...it turns out to be around $250.00 but then again, I have to top up $585.00 which is still too much...

After a few visits to the audio shops here, I am leaning towards just upgrading my standmounts with betters ones and not go for floorstanders...in the PSB line I am looking at the B25s, any advice, opinions on this model? The other model available in that shop are the Missions but the guy there is reluctant to recommend this, I am not exactly sure why but he said that PSBs are better...???

I can also trade-in my Kefs with another kef but I am not familiar with kef's later models(standmounts), any suggestions please?

thanks again to all, appreciate very much...

arnold
 

Gold Member
Username: Stu_pitt

Irvington, New York USA

Post Number: 1517
Registered: May-05
PSB has a great synergy with NAD. They're also owned by the same company. The B25 uses the same drivers and materials as the T45. The B25 may actually sound better than the T45 in most regards. Where it loses out is bass response. The T45 simply goes deeper. If you really liked the T45's sound, you won't be disappointed with the B25, unless you need the extra bass extension.

If you can't afford the T45, you may want to consider getting the B25 and saving money for a good subwoofer down the road to fill in the bottom end.
 

Gold Member
Username: Frank_abela

Berkshire UK

Post Number: 1737
Registered: Sep-04
Arnold,

If you've actually found something that you really like and would love to own, I strongly recommend that you go for it if you can possibly do so. One of the reasons for the success of forums such as this is that all the lack of success that people have had mixing and matching or compromising. From what I can tell, you'd have to find the extra $85. Is this really a step too far for what appears to be your ideal preference?

Regards,
Frank.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jingka99

Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Post Number: 38
Registered: Aug-06
Hi Frank, I fully understand what you're trying to say here and I realized that I could not rush things up and eventualaly made the wrong decision again.

With this, I have decided to wait for a little while until I have the required budget and then really go for the one that I really would like to have that matches my current equipment.

Thank you very much to all for your support.

Arnold
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jingka99

Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Post Number: 40
Registered: Aug-06
Just an update, after so many hours of contemplating and many hours of searching the net plus of course so many hours of roaming around the town in search of the best replacement for my current kefs, I decided to get the PSB Image B25, I received them last night in exchange of my Kef Cresta 10. I had them hooked up with my NAD C352+C542 and based from my initial listening, I can say that this is really the one for me...I am not implying that this is the best bookshelfs there is but there are several factors that made me decide. First is that it gave me the right amount of bass that I am searching for which was obviously not there in my Kefs but the high and mid frequencies, I cannot tell yet as I need to give it more time to bed-in, second it matches my current budget allocation and third I read a lot of good reviews on this standmounts......

When I opened the box, I was amazed at the size of this bookshelfs, my 4 yr old son said "Dad, it's huge!".....because he was used to seeing my kefs which are of normal bookshelf size....


So, with this, I would like to express my gratitude to all who responded in this thread, without you guys, it would have been harder to decide....since I joined this forum, I learned a lot from guys like you who have been very helpful even there are times that newbies like me are so inquisive ....

And Nuck, you're absolutely right when you said "If you really liked the T45's sound, you won't be disappointed with the B25, unless you need the extra bass extension", Thanks mate!

These completes my setup and I have to say that it may take sometime before the next upgrade!!!I've exhausted the WAF (Wife's Approval Factor):-)

Thanks a lot to all!

arnold
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jingka99

Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Post Number: 41
Registered: Aug-06
Oops, sorry, it was Stu Pitt and not Nuck...
 

Gold Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 4637
Registered: Dec-04
I agreed with Stu, too, Arnold.
Glad you like the Psb's. I don't know another bookshelf with that type of bass, in response and controlability.
They ain't small, is they? hehehe

Enjoy!
 

Gold Member
Username: Stu_pitt

Irvington, New York USA

Post Number: 1530
Registered: May-05
Arnold,

Glad to been of help. In my experience, synergy is probably the most important aspect of a stereo system. Your components and speakers were all made for each other.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jingka99

Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Post Number: 43
Registered: Aug-06
Thanks Nuck and Stu, I wish i had the same experiences as yours that I would be able to help other newbies out there who are just starting up with their system....but as long as you two and the rest of the guys (Frank A., Jan Vigne, Tawaun, Tim.....), rest-assured, newbies will get all the support they need from this forum...

I just hope that I will not be struck again by the disease known as "upgraditis" in the near future he he he...

rgds,

arnold
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