***Help With Speakers***

I had that setup a while back with SBLs...

interested in a nice black pair?

Shinpad,

I think the question of speakers is so dependent on rooms, personal preferences and budget that no real consensus can be reached.

The 'usual suspects' at (or around) your budget include 2nd hand SBL's, Linn Ninka (although opinions are very divided), Royd, Ruark and Neat.

Lots of people here will often suggest a source upgrade instead.

At the end of the day it's your money you're spending, and your ears you've got to satisfy.

I guess what I'm saying is there's no substitute for chosing a few options and having a listen

Regards,
Steve.

hi,

well, i listened to the following speakers at home in my system which is exactly the same as yours.

- harbeth hl3pes (+x-tenders)
- b&w 601
- b&w 301
- celestion 3
- jamo concert 8
- royd minstrels
- audio physic tempo
- and of course my sbls.

in the long run i still prefer the sbls to all others. BUT. the royd minstrels made me think if the difference in price was fully justified. it probably is, but the minstrels swung just about as good as the sbls. the audio phyiscs did that too, but i always found them to be a bit on the bright side of life. apart from that they are much more expensive than the royds.

the harbeth are very good at what they are trying to be. monitors. (the x-tender sucks)

the jamos made everything right. thanks.

celestion and b&w 601 made only a short performance because i bought them for my parents/girlfriend.

the 301 surprised me a lot. it's remarkable what you can with that little money they cost.

yes, but the royd surprised me and they swung quite well. i think they are even less than what you want to spend so maybe the next bigger brother in this family might suit you.

quote:

---

Originally posted by PAUL VENABLES:
Sonus Faber Concertinos work brilliantly for me. Can't say why - they're just...emotional - not hi-fi. Everything else I listened to sounded flat.

I might add that the other half absolutely loathes the look of them , and she still agreed to buy them with me. They sounded THAT much better.

---

My wife loved the look of the Concertinos but much preferred the sound of Credos in the demo. We heard both with CD3.5, 92R, Flat, 90 (and with other electronics) and while I like the SF's I didn't feel they worked all that well with the 90. The SF's sounded rather nice with a Copeland CD and hybrid amp though.

For anyone in the 700-1000 price range though I'd certainly include them in the list to audition, along with used Credos, SBL's and others. If the room was big enough I'd also consider used Isobariks and possibly even Saras.

Regards
Steve

My vote goes for the Neat Petite mkIII - within your budget, and a speaker that will continue improving if and when the rest of your system does. One of the great bargains in hifi.

TC '..'
"Girl, you thought he was a man, but he was a Muffin..."

thanks for taking the time to reply.
I realise that the only real way of knowing what's best is to take the rest of the kit along and demo various speakers, but it's good to get an idea of what I should be looking at.

quote:

---

Can someone suggest some speakers to demo that will run with 102+napsc/HiCap/180/CD3.5
budget is around 700-1000 GBP
thanks

---

Very difficult! Despite what others may say I am not sure that any demonstration is worth the time and effort unless it is in your room and with your equipment.

Perhaps a good idea is to take the list provided in this thread and look for any of them second-hand. Not a lot is lost if you buy a pair of speakers and later decide to change them. You can probably pick up £1000 worth of speakers for £300 this way. Example of that is Linn Keilidh with plinths (not favoured much in this Forum though).

If you have any diy skills there is much to be gained from making up a kit obtainable from various outlets like Wilmslow Audio.

As others have said in this thread speakers are a very 'personal matter'. Differences between speakers from different manufacturers are great but anone who has modified or has constructed speakers can testify to the ease by which the sound character of any pair of speakers can be changed easily. DIY speakers can give you an opportunity to experiment.

Terry

But I must. I suggest Reference 3a De Capo I's. Just lightning quick (no xover) with tremendous coherence. Terrific quad like mids. i got me a CDX/72/flatcap/140 and i am finally... home with these babys.

As everybody says, it depends on your room size too. Here's a few options:

EPOS m12 on EPOS stands (£600-ish) Not much bass, not incredibly open treble, wonderful midrange, fab swing and real emotional impact.

Dynaudio Audience 52 on Dyn Masterstands (£757). Loads of presence, great dynamic range, remarkable bass. Possibly not as emotive as the EPOS - still good though.

Totem Arro (£900?) Thin floorstander with remarkably big sound for the size. If you like it, you'll love it.

Linn Katan on either Linn Katan Stands or Dynaudio Masterstands (£635 + stands at either £135 or £200). Fabulous standmount. Not as much presence or scale as the Dyn 52, but very lyrical and no cabinet resonances - clean as a whistle. I prefer the slam and attack of the Dyn Masterstands but others prefer the more fluid nature of the Linn stands.

Naim Intro2 (£800-ish). Loads of bang for your buck. has presence like a Dyn52, but lyrical in the Katan mode. Can be a little wild in the wrong room.

Regards,
Frank.
All opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of any organisations I work for, except where this is stated explicitly.

maybe able to get some Monitor Audio Studio 50's for about £1000 - any thoughts on these?? The Monitor Audio speakers don't seem to get mentioned much on here, is that down to the speakers not being up to much or peoples preferences??