Benito31
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Bookshelf speaker for creek audio evo 50a
commsysman
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Benito31 wrote:

Hi,

I have just bought the creek audio evolution 50a because I was looking for a decent integrated amplifier with small dimensions.
I am now looking for bookshelf speakers to join the amplifier on my living room wall unit. I do not need a lot of power as I live in a coop apartment, but I am more interested in getting good quality of sound. I mainly listen to rock and jazz.
I would be grateful with any recommendation and advice.

Spec for creek audio evo 50 a:
Power output @ 1% THD 55 watts into 8 ohms, 85 watts into 4 ohms

Thanks

Really, since that has 85 watts at 4 ohms, you are not limited very much.

Any speakers with a sensitivity of 88 db/watt or higher should give you all the sound you want.

I would recommend the Dynaudio Excite X14; they are excellent speakers ($1400/pair).(see Stereophile review)

I would also recommend the Monitor Audio Silver Series 2; another excellent one ($1049/pair).

Amazon has an excellent deal on the Focal chorus 706V right now, only $500/pair, in black, which is maybe $300 off of list price. these are very good. Crutchfield also has them for $549 in walnut or rosewood finish.

The Wharfedale Diamond 10.2 is another very good speaker, and it sells for under $500 per pair. Amazon has reduced the price to $379 now.

rrstesiak
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Benito31:

I purchased the Creek as my first decent Integrated when it came out.

Since then, I have auditioned the following speakers in my home:

1. Wharfedale Diamond 10.2
2. Wharfedale Diamond 10.1
3. Bowers & Wilkins CM6
4. Bowers & Wilkins CM5
5. Epos Epic 2

Of all of those speakers, of course the most expensive (B&W CM6) sounded the best. They had the most mellow, analogue sound... but also could deliver crisp yet not shrill highs.. and near perfect mid-range.think acoustic guitar and vocals.. all amazing.

However, I actually ended up returning them due to an unforeseen financial hardship!

So, I was forced to do a lot of research and borrowed from friends as well as a few "try before buying"...

I ended up delighted with the recommended Epos Epic 2 speakers with the Epos Speaker stands. At the time, the speakers were on clearance for only $400, and the stands were around $300 to my memory.

The Epic 2's are no longer being produced, but I am certain any speaker in the Epos line still will sound similar and recommend them for this amplifier.

Epos is actually a sister-company to Creek, so there is some engineered compatibilty and synergy already with the Creek.
A couple of points I can pass on that I learned:

1. Go for at least a 6.5" driver. 5" is just too small and will not produce enough bass.
2. DEFINITELY purchase the manufacturer's speaker stands if buying bookshelf speakers, as the stands are also engineered to integrate perfectly with the speaker.
3. As the amp is excellent, sensitivity is not a big deal

So that's my experience and advice -
Best of luck, and most importantly, have fun!

Benito31
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Thanks a lot for your suggestions.
I have to run this through my wife (oups)
We do not have a lot of room and she does not want something too big and overwhelming... Are there some "vintage looking" speakers of small size around? (I know it sounds ridiculous but I am trying to negociate!).

Thanks for your help!

commsysman
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Benito31 wrote:

Thanks a lot for your suggestions.
I have to run this through my wife (oups)
We do not have a lot of room and she does not want something too big and overwhelming... Are there some "vintage looking" speakers of small size around? (I know it sounds ridiculous but I am trying to negociate!).

Thanks for your help!

I suggest that you get the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 speakers.

Amazon has them for $299 in the attractive cherry finish, and they are relatively small yet will give you very good sound.

commsysman
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commsysman][quote=Benito31 wrote:

Thanks a lot for your suggestions.
I have to run this through my wife (oups)
We do not have a lot of room and she does not want something too big and overwhelming... Are there some "vintage looking" speakers of small size around? (I know it sounds ridiculous but I am trying to negociate!).

Thanks for your help!

I suggest that you get the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 speakers.

Amazon has them for $299 in the attractive cherry finish, and they are relatively small yet will give you very good sound.

rrstesiak
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I agree on the Wharfedales for the WAF....however, bump up to the 10.2's; as they have that (to my ears) larger mid-bass/woofer.

Ron

rainsoothe
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+1 for Monitor Audio Silver 2 or Q Acoustics Concept 20 (if you want small and good). These two + the wharfedales are being suggested because the Creek can sound a bit harsh, so whatever you do, don't get very exciting speakers (like Monitor Audio Bronze range, B&W 685s2 and the like).

kevinfairbanks
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I too have been considering both these integrated amps for some brand new Monitor Audio Bronze 5 floorstanders. The speakers were a gift, so I have never auditioned them. Some comments around the web seem to point to the Bronze as being bright, but the new version has been redesigned, so I don't know if that is necessarily true. The speakers will be used mostly for rock and fusion (lots of electric guitar, drums) in a medium sized living room. Listening fatigue is what I'm trying to avoid. I'd like to sit down and enjoy music for hours without brightness or glare. Sources will likely be SACD, CD and digital files. Any suggestions?

bierfeldt
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brightness is in the ears of the listener and will be impacted by your room. Those Bronze 5s are pretty efficient at 90dB so 50w should be plenty to drive them.

There are several ways to address brightness and get the sound just right. First is complimentary equipment and the Creek and Rogue are pretty neutral and detailed. If anything, the Rogue might be a little bright. I know that is counter intuitive with a tube unit but it is not a straight tube unit, it is a hybrid unit and as a result it doesn't have those rolled off high's that you might expect.

If you want an integrated that is a hair warm, the Marantz PM8005 is a nice unit and in a similar price range at $1199. Marantz doesn't get a lot of love here, but I have been consistently pleased with my Marantz units (I have 5) and feel they deliver at or above expectations.

At a slightly lower price and a hair warmer than Marantz, the NAD 356BEE is nice. I have not heard it with the Monitor Audio Bronze but I have heard it driving the Silvers and Polk RTi's. It is a nice sounding amp, with the Silvers it was a hair warm and with the Polks I thought it was neutral. At $799 it is a strong value, gets a perfect 5 star rating at Crutchfield and NAD is most definitely not fatiguing.

Finally, the Rega Brio R at $899 is a great little amp and when I talked to the guys at Needledoctor, they said it was one of the warmest amps that they carried. It is a great sounding, non fatiguing amp a good match for a speaker that is a bit forward or bright.

The second way is altering the room. Equipment matches can be improved or harmed based on your room. I moved my system into a new space that was traditional and set up to optimal specs, (proper toeing, etc) and it sounded flat and way to warm despite the fact that I have a slightly forward speaker and an amp that is definitely forward. I did nothing to the hardware but focused on altering placement and have the sound exactly the way I want it now.

The point is, if you pick a warm amp and the room is overdamped you might find that the sound is too warm and will sound flat and lifeless. In a room that is underdamped you might find that same combo harsh and fatiguing.

The best advice I can give is read reviews and pick the unit that seems to make sense for your speakers, room and your budget and then buy it from a place with a liberal return policy like Crutchfield or Needledoctor. That way, if you guess wrong, you can return it as opposed to living with an amp you aren't happy with.

kevinfairbanks
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Thanks bierfeldt. Those are some great suggestions. I've had some system matching fails in the past, so your advice is appreciated.

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