Upgrading speakers

They look like a lot of speaker for U2..

There are a few 'rules' when buying speakers. These include:

Don't buy something that is too good for your electronics;

Don't buy speakers without listening to them at home;

Don't buy something based on reviews;

Don't buy something because it looks like a bargain.

Good list HH. I might add one more:

Don't buy new speakers unheard if you 'really like' the ones you have. (Disappointment is always around the corner).

Exactly what the other guys have said.  In my opinion system synergy is everything and that means that your speakers must work with your electronics and, perhaps more importantly, work in your listening area.

If you like what you have - do you need to change?

Regards,

Lindsay

Birdre - you can take this as a collective 'please don't do it'. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

Birdre - you can take this as a collective 'please don't do it'. 

Count me out of collective please

If the bargain is good enough he just need a 250DR to run those lovely Hawks

Birdre

FWIW I have heard the Hawkes on the end of the Unitiserve 2 at the local dealers and they sounded fantastic. A very dynamic speaker that really rocks. The square demonstration room was about 4x4 m and ceiling about 3 high. I have also heard them at home on a Superuniti , again a 4x4 meter room with a lower ceiling, and again , they sounded great.  Of course you must take into account the wise words of the  above posters into account, but I would love them on the end of a UQ2.

Hungryhalibut posted:

There are a few 'rules' when buying speakers. These include:

Don't buy something that is too good for your electronics;

Don't buy speakers without listening to them at home;*

Don't buy something based on reviews;

Don't buy something because it looks like a bargain.

 

must stay in the lines here...

(trying to step up from my current MA rx2 (wich i like); to a ProAc REsponse db1)

* and will do

I ran Totem Forest on my U2 for a couple of weeks before I bought my Scansonics. I thought they sounded great with it but at times they were just a bit too harsh for me. I've been told it has something to do with the cabinet of the Forest and the Forest Sigs do not have the same issue.  

spurrier sucks posted:

I ran Totem Forest on my U2 for a couple of weeks before I bought my Scansonics. I thought they sounded great with it but at times they were just a bit too harsh for me. I've been told it has something to do with the cabinet of the Forest and the Forest Sigs do not have the same issue.  

Hey, Spurr... MB1? are they.... well... good?

do you miss bass? (speaker its 4" if i recall)

I have the MB-1 but I use those as surrounds. I have 2.5 as my main L,R and they have nice bass. I think yes they are good. There is an article out now, mostly about Raidho, Aavik and Ansuz but it has a little part gushing over the synergy between Naim and Scansonic. If you can get a demo I recommend given them a listen. 

Lik to article.  

http://www.monoandstereo.com/2...th-overview.html?m=1

spurrier sucks posted:

I have the MB-1 but I use those as surrounds. I have 2.5 as my main L,R and they have nice bass. I think yes they are good. There is an article out now, mostly about Raidho, Aavik and Ansuz but it has a little part gushing over the synergy between Naim and Scansonic. If you can get a demo I recommend given them a listen. 

Lik to article.  

http://www.monoandstereo.com/2...th-overview.html?m=1

Thank you Sir . mB2.5... Yes saw Them once. Very elegant. Good taste. ����

Hungryhalibut posted:

There are a few 'rules' when buying speakers. These include:

Don't buy something that is too good for your electronics;

Don't buy speakers without listening to them at home;

Don't buy something based on reviews;

Don't buy something because it looks like a bargain.

 

I don't disagree with your 'rules'.

But out of interest do you think the uniti2 is not good enough electronics  for those speakers? 

"Don't buy something that is too good for your electronics "

 difficult to figure this out.

Birdre posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

There are a few 'rules' when buying speakers. These include:

Don't buy something that is too good for your electronics;

Don't buy speakers without listening to them at home;

Don't buy something based on reviews;

Don't buy something because it looks like a bargain.

 

I don't disagree with your 'rules'.

But out of interest do you think the uniti2 is not good enough electronics  for those speakers? 

I do. Say the amp in a Uniti2 is somewhere around Nait5si or Nait XS level, would you use that amplifier with a £3,000 speaker?

TOBYJUG posted:

"Don't buy something that is too good for your electronics "

 difficult to figure this out.

By something, I mean speakers, and it was in that context I wrote what I did. There have been loads of examples of people buying swanky speakers without a good enough source and amplifier, and then spending shed loads in order to feed their hungry mouths. It's like a cuckoo in the nest of a wren. 

The U2 is plenty for the Hawks. Hell it was fine with my Forest. Could I have used more power with them? Sure but the U2 did a fine job too. Don't know about the other speakers. Never heard them. 

Do you need to change your speakers? Are the current ones broken?

It's always tempting to change something. But a really important question is: why? What do you hope to achieve?

If anything I would look at upgrading your electronics first i.e. Source First principle.

Hungryhalibut posted:

There are a few 'rules' when buying speakers. These include:

Don't buy something that is too good for your electronics;

Don't buy speakers without listening to them at home;

Don't buy something based on reviews;

Don't buy something because it looks like a bargain.

 

Good set of rules Nigel, I'd have put number three in bold and underlined and added "for at least a week" to the end

And of course, Mullets are soooo yesterday.

Adam Zielinski posted:

Do you need to change your speakers? Are the current ones broken?

It's always tempting to change something. But a really important question is: why? What do you hope to achieve?

If anything I would look at upgrading your electronics first i.e. Source First principle.

Well, no, I don't need to change but I have always liked Proac speakers and I have heard the totem sttaf's with a uniti2 and the Epos Epics are, I think, the weakest link in my set up. And I saw the totem Hawks near new at circa half price.....

Another question then... Do you intend to keep your Uniti2? Or is there a chance you may be upgrading in the near future (say now - 2 years)?

Birdre posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

Do you need to change your speakers? Are the current ones broken?

It's always tempting to change something. But a really important question is: why? What do you hope to achieve?

If anything I would look at upgrading your electronics first i.e. Source First principle.

Well, no, I don't need to change but I have always liked Proac speakers and I have heard the totem sttaf's with a uniti2 and the Epos Epics are, I think, the weakest link in my set up. And I saw the totem Hawks near new at circa half price.....

I had a Uniti2 once driving a large, but efficient, pair on Monitor Audios. It never sounded right until I added a 200 power amp. I always thought that Totems and Proacs needed a fair chunk of power to get the best from them but it appears (from others on here) the Uniti2 might drive the Hawks. However, unless you can borrow a pair of either to listen in your system, I would just not go there.

Adam Zielinski posted:

Another question then... Do you intend to keep your Uniti2? Or is there a chance you may be upgrading in the near future (say now - 2 years)?

I'm not intending to upgrade the uniti2 in the short term (but then I wasn't intending on buying new speakers either....). It's a much bigger outlay (than the speakers) to upgrade the uniti2 so it will probably stay for a few more years. 

Then skip the speakers and buy more music to enjoy with what you have.

Regards. Erich