The Quest for the Best Budget Speaker
Hi everyone, I need help! I am searching for 2 bookshelf speakers, to put in my den/office. Its dimensions are 20x16 feet, and it has wood floors, wood paneling and a fireplace in the middle of the horizontal wall.
My system is composed of a Parasound HCA 800II amp, and a Carver SD/A- 490t, a Linear Single-Bit Reference Compact Disc Player with Vacuum Tube Output.
First let’s define the budget! Like most people, I would love to spend less than more, however for the sake of the quest, there are some boundaries that one should put in place. In order to listen to my sound system today, the budget would be under $300 for the pair In order to listen in 6 months time, under $500, and just in time for Christmas, under $1000.
I listen to a very wide range of music, from the whole ECM catalog, to classical concerto’s recitals and Thomas Tallis, to large choral works , to classical guitar and piano pieces to progressive rock, (Pink Floyd, ELP, Yes, Uriah Heep, Led Zeppelin) to Joe Cocker, JJ Cale, Dire Straits, Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Jethro Tull, Lady Gaga, Peter Gabriel Seal and Christina Aguilera among many others, so I need a Swiss army knife type speaker that can present all these styles with aplomb!
Speakers I have owned and loved their sound were the Mission 753 floor standers and the PSB T6 towers. Those speakers gave me the tonality and soundstage that I am looking for. I have started to audition some equipment.
a) Did not like the B&W range under $500
b) Definitive technology were awful without a sub and not great with one
c) Infinity Primus 153, was too brash and in your face.
d) PSB Alpha B1-ok, but did not move me.
e) Polk RTI4 a little too forward and muddy in the mid-hi range, fair to acceptable.
f) Audioengine 5+ which were great when I heard them sourced from an iMAC with a Dragonfly DAC
Pioneer SP-BS22LRs’ which are terrific amazing bargains for the price of $63 for the pair, the sound is terrific for these little marvels but they don’t provide the soundstage/clarity I am looking for and need a little more bass.
I really don’t want to add a sub.
Speakers that blew me away were way at the end of my budget, the Golden Ear Aon, Totem Dream Catcher Speakers that I would love to audition are: Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 Cambridge S30 The only problem is that there are no stores in the Dallas area that carry these models, and those who carry PSB speakers have no bookshelf speakers set up in a listening room.
How can you sell product that way???? It is so ironic that there is obviously a large selection out there in “online world” when one cannot listen to them locally in order to make a decision!!! .
Any suggestions guys???????? All suggestions, opinions advice is more than welcome, Sincerely, Ari
The Quest for the Best Budget Speaker
Hi everyone, I need help! I am searching for 2 bookshelf speakers, to put in my den/office. Its dimensions are 20x16 feet, and it has wood floors, wood paneling and a fireplace in the middle of the horizontal wall.
My system is composed of a Parasound HCA 800II amp, and a Carver SD/A- 490t, a Linear Single-Bit Reference Compact Disc Player with Vacuum Tube Output.
First let’s define the budget! Like most people, I would love to spend less than more, however for the sake of the quest, there are some boundaries that one should put in place. In order to listen to my sound system today, the budget would be under $300 for the pair In order to listen in 6 months time, under $500, and just in time for Christmas, under $1000.
I listen to a very wide range of music, from the whole ECM catalog, to classical concerto’s recitals and Thomas Tallis, to large choral works , to classical guitar and piano pieces to progressive rock, (Pink Floyd, ELP, Yes, Uriah Heep, Led Zeppelin) to Joe Cocker, JJ Cale, Dire Straits, Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Jethro Tull, Lady Gaga, Peter Gabriel Seal and Christina Aguilera among many others, so I need a Swiss army knife type speaker that can present all these styles with aplomb!
Speakers I have owned and loved their sound were the Mission 753 floor standers and the PSB T6 towers. Those speakers gave me the tonality and soundstage that I am looking for. I have started to audition some equipment.
a) Did not like the B&W range under $500
b) Definitive technology were awful without a sub and not great with one
c) Infinity Primus 153, was too brash and in your face.
d) PSB Alpha B1-ok, but did not move me.
e) Polk RTI4 a little too forward and muddy in the mid-hi range, fair to acceptable.
f) Audioengine 5+ which were great when I heard them sourced from an iMAC with a Dragonfly DAC
Pioneer SP-BS22LRs’ which are terrific amazing bargains for the price of $63 for the pair, the sound is terrific for these little marvels but they don’t provide the soundstage/clarity I am looking for and need a little more bass.
I really don’t want to add a sub.
Speakers that blew me away were way at the end of my budget, the Golden Ear Aon, Totem Dream Catcher Speakers that I would love to audition are: Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 Cambridge S30 The only problem is that there are no stores in the Dallas area that carry these models, and those who carry PSB speakers have no bookshelf speakers set up in a listening room.
How can you sell product that way???? It is so ironic that there is obviously a large selection out there in “online world” when one cannot listen to them locally in order to make a decision!!! .
Any suggestions guys???????? All suggestions, opinions advice is more than welcome, Sincerely, Ari