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Some major improvements have been made in speaker technology and construction over the past 20 years.
If you have $1500 to spend, I would suggest that you look at the following excellent speakers:
1) The Monitor Audio Silver 6 speakers, which are $1500 per pair.
2) The PSB Imagine X1T speakers, which are a steal at only $900 per pair
3) The KEF Q700 speakers, which are $1500 per pair from KEF Direct.
Those are all excellent speakers.
Also, keep in mind that speakers that are 15 or 20 years old are usually in need of refurbishment or repair, and sometimes the correct replacement parts are not available at any price. I would strongly advise against speakers that are that old.
Especially stay away from speakers with foam surround, most of those lost elasticity after two decades or more.
It is more than just refurbing - you can run into other sissues
A lot of those mid 90's speakers were power hogs. I own a pair of Infinity Kappa 8.1s which are amazing quality speakers that you could buy for $750 used. But, if you can't send 300w of power from an amplifier that can function at 1.7 ohms, you will be constantly blowing fuses.
There is so much to be said for new equipment. If you want floorstanders, I would second all three of commsysman's reco's. Those are excellent speakers.
If you want bookshelf speakers, the Kef LS50s are great, I would also seriously look at the Revel Performa3 M105s, Dynaudio Excite X14 and the B&W CM5s. All outstanding speakers at $1500 and really a matter of personal preference which one is best.
I had a buddy give me a pair of epicure model 3's for helping him move a bed,$800.00 back in the day. the woofer surrounds were rotted so I ordered replacements online for $25.usd about an hour work and viola they move serious air. They were never "high end" speakers with hot tweeters and over the top bass but real wood veneer and the perfect balance for ht maybe 32 years in construction has damaged my hearing to the point that all the advancements in tweeters is beyond my hearing abilities but I can't believe anyone would turn their backs on class A loudspeakers for class D prices because theres a bit of dust on them.
Buy new. Vintage are crapola but so are the PSBs
I have owned version one of:
Bowers & Wilkins CM5 Version 2.
I whole heartedly recommend these. I still regret selling off my version 1's to this day.
They are very capable bookshelves with following high level specs:
Frequency range -6dB at 45Hz and 50kHz
Frequency response 50Hz - 28kHz ±3dB
I just saw this question for the first time, interesting.
I have to disqualify my own designs of course (bias).
I can't really think of speakers unless they are part of a specific room. I'm not hearing the speakers, but I am hearing how they activate the acoustics. I almost always get pulled toward speakers that have next to no cross-over and not more than two drivers. I also hate the sound of MDF and Baltic Birch. Lighter weight cabinets with a propper connection to the floor, now we're getting warmer.
vintage
So at $1500.00 I'm looking at $400.00 in acoustic treatment and probably a 2-way low mass bookshelf that uses a simple driver design, and if the bottom is not there finding the right sub to take things below 80. There are a few simple drivers made today but not nearly as many as when the older Vifa basket design was around. There were maybe 5 great stamp driver designs back in the 90's so, if older I would probably go in the direction of maybe a Dali or older PSB. Decote' for sure which you'll never find. I might think about a TC-50 or even a 208 Spectrum. If I absolutely had to go D'apps maybe Mike's SF Tesla (which never got a fair shake). Of course all of these (except the Decote') would be used with a used HSU sub. There are a lot more to add to this list.
new
I wouldn't want to say because I'm not as pleased with the sound of the newer speakers. Something is clearly missing in the way of soundstaging and there is a prevailing plastic sound that for some reason the high end audio camp can't figure out and get right. They act like it isn't there and blame CD's or D-amps for this sound but it sticks out like a sore thumb. I would, and have, rather take a pair of DA-652's and mod them for my specific room, and decide if I wanted to add a simple sub or not.
however
This day and age, buying a pair of speakers under or over $1500.00 without having them taylor made for my room seems a little mass market for myself. Why do I want to listen to someone elses sound? I'm more than surprised that in this hobby people are still buying things that were designed for someone else and trying to make them fit. This makes no sense to me, and hasn't for some time now. The speaker/room interaction is still way behind what it should be. Go listen to someones system that has mastered his room/speaker combo then go listen to any hi fi show on the planet and hear the difference. Honestly I still don't get why high end audio has become mass market, when it comes to certain things and yet can't stand the thought of mass market on the things that have been done correctly. All turned around in my book.
oh well got some James Carter to listen to, then maybe some Dave B trio :)
michael green
MGA/RoomTune
http://tuneland.techno-zone.net/