I’m new to your channel for the US so I might have missed the boat to comment on this one, but here goes. I’m old so much of my experience is with speakers no longer for sale new. I have bought two of three I’m listing. The third is out of my reach but they’re the most dynamic I’ve ever heard. Wharfedale Diamond 230 $450 USD Revel Concerta 2 F36 $2,000 USD Klipsch La Scala. $12,000 USD A good friend of mine bought the Klipsch in 1973. They were just over $1,000 then. Big money! Unbelievably, they are still manufactured today. Those speakers made me crazy! I had to try to acquire gear to try to get close to that sound...
TIME STAMP: to fast forward to the hardware, click: ua-cam.com/video/jR6InRR78x0/v-deo.html SPEAKERS - A HEALTH WARNING: So there I was, sorting this Buyer's Guide. Doing my speaker 'thing'. I wanted to listen to a particular pair to check the sound personality. Knelt down behind this particular speaker pair to insert the cables, took off my glasses to see what I was doing because I don't need glasses for reading and close-up work. Sorted that. Stood up and - you guessed it - stood on my glasses! Arrgghh! So if I look a bit wonky on this one...that's why. They stay together if I don't shift around too much but one wrong move and there'll be lenses all over the place. So. Off to the opticians then. My advice? Before approaching a pair of speakers, take a whip, a chair and a big hat.
As an Oldtimer, 69yo, Steve, your Video is spot on applicable to me.... In 1987, I purchased new "audiophile" stereo equipment. NAD 1300 Preamp, NAD 2600 Amp , Dual CS5000 turntable, and KEF 104/2 tower speakers. Oh throw in a Onkyo CD 6 Disk player. We live in a relatively small Ranch house (1750 s.f.). When I picked up the Speakers , had to "hide" them in the basement until I could cajole the wifey to accept that I was installing them in our living Room......"OOOOOOOHHHHH No your Not !" was the immediate response. after a bit of time, and listening to some of "her" LPs, I won !!!. I am the real music affectionado. For the record, I still have that stereo setup , No Sub woofers were added. As we all know, if you play any sourced music on quality equipment, the difference is Amazing. Enjoy the Music everybody. Stay safe in this Madness unleashed on us (to be continued elsewhere). PS: due to COVID, I worked from Home since March. Now I am retired due to health issues (not COVID related - spinal arthritic conditions [That is Hell as the stiffness / pain NEVER diminishes]. The home office evolved into a Mancave - Basement Studio. Nedw stereo equipment : Denon DRA-800H Receiver; New Tascam CD Player Recorder, New Tasacam Dual Cassette Deck; and a Teac CD / Cassette/ USB player & recorder (to Cassette and USB drives) and 2 pairs of Bookshelf speakers : 1) Elac Debut 6.2s and 2) Fluance Signature Series Bookshelf speakers . Albeit, they are different, but they do Play together very nicely. I may spring for a pair of Triangle BRO3s (saw the rav reviews on other UA-cam channels). PPS: I also set up my Drum kit (a cheapo kit that my wife of all people , gifted to me for Xmas 2018). I play the drums (if you can call it that - didn't play for over 50 years!!), to My Music for retirement enjoyment. Cheers!!
Great topic. For the average British living room I’ve never really heard or have been convinced by floor standing speakers for under a few thousand. So my top three Bookshelf speakers over the last 30 years are: 1. Epos S11 or S14s depending on the size of the room. Magic speed and mid band coherence. 2. Neat Petite 11s. Really fast and sweet treble due to the emit ribbon tweeter. 3. Quadral Aurum Galan 9 bookshelf speaker. This is an incredible speaker that has the characteristics of the above but so much more. They sound huge for such a small cabinet and throw an incredible soundstage. I cannot believe they’re not more popular.
Also Creek amplifier with Epos plus for me quad the s and z series are wonderful speakers without any harsh sound effects also from the 90s the Tannoy D700s Floorstanders and the Spendors with Sugden amplifiers but the Creek audio is my favorite sound Sugden and Exposure also dreaming is a very nice thing as you understand
Over the years, KEF, Paradigm and B & W have done very well for me. That was pairings with Luxman, Nakamichi, and then Rotel. This gear was used from 1988 to 1992, 92 until 2011,and then from 2011 respectively.
After having speakers from a number of manufacturers I have found that ATC scm19's on sand filled Dynaudio stands are a stunning combination with my Naim SN3. I hope to move up to the ATC scm 40 floorstanders at some time. The delivery of soundstage imaging, open and dynamic sound are simply superb....
I took the route of designing and building my own speakers many years ago. Not for everyone but a truly satisfying experience in the end for me. I started simple with air suspension full range driver then progressed through base port two ways and on to transmission line 2 ways. I stopped about 10 years ago with a pair of 2 way transmission lines using Focal drivers. After a huge amount of design effort, testing and tweaking I ended up with the sound I wanted. Great base extension for 5 1/4” drivers, lovely mid range and smooth treble with the Focal inverted dome tweeter with phase plug. I also didn’t skimp on cross-over components using poly caps, non-inductive wire wound resistors and air core inductors. Still sound great, at least to my ear, today. I was striving for as flat a response curve as possible and minimum coloration. Also key was transient response which I think turned out great with the low Qe mid woofer thanks to its low mass and stiff Kevlar/Airogel sandwich cone material along with square wire wound coil and high flux magnet structure. It also has Decent Xmax with good linearity thanks to the metal post/phase plug and rubber surround.
I still have my Bose 601 Series II Direct Array speakers that I bought new in 1984 for $500 each. I turn 57 Saturday and plan to listen to the records I'll get for my birthday on them; "Paul's Boutique" and "Coney Island Baby" remasters.
Gone through a lot of speakers over the years. Ive 3 systems set up. In my main system I have Buchardt S400 signatures. Best speakers I've owned. I also love Wharfdale Linton. And Jamo C93.
I respect you choices...and understand why you picked what you pick... Here are my 3 choices, from smallest to largest one of each Book shelf.. Klipsh RP 600..Towers Tekton Double impact, or Tekton Lures. ( Speaker of the year ) for many, and Dream speakers Wilson Alexx V..
Mission LX 2. Glad you mentioned them. I think it's weird that this speaker has not received more attention. For the price, they are exceptionally well built. I find their ability to reproduce voices and the tonality of instruments as their strongest side. Set up correctly, they can produce a pretty impressive soundstage. They have a rather complicated crossover filter with very moderately priced components. Could be interesting to hear them with an upgraded filter.
Re the person who mentioned the Mission LX2 speakers Spot on !! I have the more recent LX2MARK2 issue & especially for their price point I have found them exceptional, they are quality all the way & I too can't understand the lack of reviews for these speakers So if anyone out there who is looking for their first pair of speakers on a budget or starting out on their first system these Missions will more than satisfy
Hi Paul. The best pair of speakers i have ever owned were the Rogers Studio 1 (made in England), which i purchased in 1984 for $1600 dollars Australian.
Top of my list original Wilson Benesch ACT One, got second hand and then upgraded with latest drivers by factory 2 years ago. Balanced neutral true to the source sound, shines with every kind of music. I'll never need anything else from a speaker. Next Kef XQ 40, great across the frequency range from a relatively small footprint. Lastly back in time to the speakers that made me fall in love with floorstanders TDL RTL3SE more bass than I previously thought was possible, and still high & mid range detail to stay truly musical.
Bit late in the day but I run Q Acoustics 3050 in the living room and Fyne Audio 301 in the bedroom. Bit budget but I rate both pairs highly especially the 301's which offer great performance and value especially in a smaller room.
I've got a soft spot for my old B&W DM603's. I got them and a nice little Roland Stereo Receiver and a Roland CD player back in 2001 as a present to myself (celebrating my first "good" job) and they've been lovely. I'm more a music lover and electronics/IT nerd than a true audiophile so we have happily enjoyed them as our living room audio for 20 years as I built out the home theatre in the basement over the years. I recently expanded that setup into a 2.1 configuration with a subwoofer to help it reproduce the really deep tones of throat singing (Heilung, The Hu) as my tastes grew more eclectic. I might add a decent turntable to the mix once my little one is old enough to trust around vinyl.
My top 3 speakers are: 1) heybrook hb 1 original from the 80s the best vintage speakers for ever...... 2) jpw mini monitor gold they're great tiny speakers for there size. 3) B&W 805 d3 that's my favourite dream speakers
I'm interested in the Klipsch heresy floor standing speakers. Very expensive around 2,000 American dollars each or around 1800 euros/pounds, but they look amazing and vintage and I bet they sound as good as they look
Yesterday, I picked up a pair of 1980 Heresy speakers from a craigslist seller in Dallas, TX. Price seems good at $550/pair. Cabinets a tad rough, but not terrible. I do understand the later version models were an improvement. Haven't test driven them yet. Gen one prices look to be $750 to $950 for really pristine sets. Then there's shipping-!!!
My first speakers, Monitor Audio's MA16s, are still with me 40 years later. Beautifully refined sound, real teak veneer - they don't look or sound like entry-level speakers and it's a shame they were MA's only foray into that end of the market. For a small room or nearfield listening I can recommend the little aluminium-cased Technics SB-F1 - again from circa 1980. They have a surpisingly rich and dynamic bass for such a small speaker, and being sealed boxes they can be placed near a wall if space is tight. They usually go for £100 or less online. Finally, a brief thumbs-up for Canon's unusual 90s design, the S-35 - they look like a cross between an Alien and Darth Vader. They disperse sound around the room, so you don't have to just sit in one sweet spot to get a good stereo experience. Sound staging suffers a little, but they're decent all-rounders and can be had for around £50-100.
Thanks Paul for all you do in making this hobby so enjoyable. Possible most watching with not be be thinking of upgrading their speakers at this moment in time, but I myself still enjoy your informed take on things. As the on street outlets continue sadly to disappear, I rely more and more on the words of wisdom obtained from channels like yours . You I’m sure would be the first to say try before you buy, but I have found doing a bit of research . And listening to experts in the field such as your good self, can result in informed decisions. If nothing else it help narrow the field to be considered. Obviously I only seek total unbiased reviews from those with no connections to a manufacture or distributer . You’re approach is always considered and fair, never impolite. But when things are not as they should be ,you say so with clear reasons for your remarks. And that’s what keeps me loyal to grate channel. Best wishes and kind regards from Mike in the U.K.
Spendor D7.2 - Detail, naturalness, mid range, demand attention. Speed good, when up against PMC’s , PMC’s were slow tried 26i’s/24i’s perhaps because of the TL? Preferred Spendor sound. Buchardt S400 - soundstage, bass, bass and bass lol.... treble good, Mids slightly recessed. KEF LS50. - great imaging, VFM, soundstage decent. I have all the above. D7.2’s thru Rega Aethos, Bluesound Powernode2i with LS50’s and S400’s. Am selling LS50’s as S400’s beat them for full range and soundstage.
Personally I am running a pair of old Kef Reference Model One and quite happy with the performance.A big favorite of mine are the Jamo Concert 8,gorgeous looking and amazing sounding speaker!
Am very happy with the Tannoy Precision 2.1 floorstanders. I was, frankly, startled at the width and depth of soundstage when I played them first. A friend said he initially looked around the room to see where the other speakers were that created such a wide soundstage. (With Moon pre-amp and Moon amp.)
It's very difficult to give advice for speakers. Your recommendations are very, very good. However, the problem is that everyone hears differently; each of the ways the speaker is constructed gives a specific sound and almost every reputable company that makes speakers has its own signature on the sound. So first advise is to set a budget, then listen to as many different speakers as possible (and the way they recreate the sound), choose the favorites and then try to hear them in your environment. At the end It is impossible to like equally dynamic and electrostatic speakers, horns and transmissions, ribbon and calottes, etc .. or Bowers and Monitor Audio, Dynaudio and Focal, Proac and PMC, etc... or a huge florstender in a small space and vice versa, etc. At my age, the choice is Proac (starting with Response D2R, which is probably too much money for a pair of small speakers). Cheers!
Just beginning to take small steps into the hifi world. I would love to see a video focused entirely on budget options i could use to explore what i want in a speaker
price is key of course. IF Ya get a ' mini set ' like the first described here ( especially. the Q 3020 ) You can add a decent Sub bass ( $ 150. or so )later to fill in the missing bass. no speaker with 5 inch bass can produce legit bass, simply a matter of moving air. for instance, the Q are very, very good in the mid / treble. You can get 'pretty good' receivers for $ 150. or so from Pioneer, Yamaha... basic $ 50. 'big box stores ' DVD players do a real good job with standard CD's. don't fall for records - LP's. a decent LP player costs $200. and the discs are WAY more fragile than CD's.
Rick has given you a good reply - I concur in giving vinyl a wide berth. Consider if this is a one time purchase or if you want an upgrade path - if the latter, eventually you should aim (imo) for the best speakers you can afford. 2nd hand is the way to 'enter' as a 'hobby' - you can trade and not lose much - if you just want something to play music that is a different matter. A 'no brainer' good budget 'front end' can be had through cambridge audio ex-dem and returns (with full guarantee) @ cambridge audio direct via ebay. Depends what you mean by budget too - Rick's hints are probably aimed cheaper than mine and possibly more relevant. I am thinking twixt £400- £500 the lot, which would get you a decent separates starter system - I would say well worth the extra. Final tip; err toward more purist items - i.e. avoid amps with built in DAC's/Bluetooth unless you need them.
Auditioned bookshelves initially for my mid size room. Dynaudio Special 40 and B&W 805D3 stood out. Ultimately went for floorstanders and Spendor A7. Relatively compact, beautifully made and partner brilliantly with Naim electronics.
Fluance XL suite, Monitor Audio bronze & silver series, Klipsch. Really too many to narrow to just 3, that's why the occasional rotation is necessary for me: BA Polks DCM JBL BIC Yamaha Good explanations!
As with any " best of" listing, it's difficult to recommend something that you have never heard. That said, my favorites are the KEF LS 50s, the Tannoy Revolution XT 8F's, and on the high end, the Harbeth 30.2 Anniversary Editions. These, of course, are currently in my possession, and in frequent rotation.
Dahlquist DQ20i, amazing imaging and detail and wide soundstage. Infinity Interlude IL50s, great dynamics, imaging and detailed sound built in powered Sub. The Infinity speakers I've owned for 19 years
A female audiophile here! The best speaker- stratospheric - I've ever heard is the Avalon at about 125K Coming down to earth: Wilson speakers are pretty awesome at about 40K and then splashing into the ocean - ATC 40 are pretty brilliant but the best are Hyperion 938's- the best I've ever heard for the price.
My Quad 33/303 died recently so I bought a Quad Vena 2 and it is driving a pair of KEF Cadenzas bought new in the 70's. Not perfect but I love the sound which is improving as the Vena burns in.
Axiom M3 has been with me for 15ish years. I have them mounted into wall beams with their accessory bracket due to toddler safety. A loose stuffed sock partially plugs the port since they're close to walls.
I think a holistic look at a budget system would be a great idea. Maybe even starting from the assumption that the music will be running from spotify on very high. with Tidal and the like as an upgrade point in the system. Might be making myself look like a tiny baby here, but I haven't bought a CD since 2009/10, and a lot (maybe even most) people don't have a CD Player or physical music collection (which is an interesting topic in and of itself) These points could also feed into the recommendations at a given price point, should you be choosing speakers that work in a music room, or on a desk, or next to a TV etc.as they are prob pulling double duty. Or is there a consideration on choosing between speakers and headphones under certain space or price constraints. It's really tough to find resources on this kind of stuff, so hopefully it could motivate some discussion in the comments. Personally, my main experience is in headphones sub £300, so I can't really contribute on speakers here :P
A splendid overview broadly speaking. Speakers are likely 'THE' most important aspect of pure hi-fi audio playback. I believe if you spend £10,000 on a system, then the speakers should cost 'at least' £4000 of this investment. My "Jean-Marie Reynaud Euterpe Supremê" Floor-standing speakers are just immense, mounted independently on spikes on granite marble 2 inch platforms to isolate sound spaced equally for a true stereo sound 0.5m away from any wall. Honest, pure and clear in sound, what you throw at these, you get delivered back with proudness and clarity and punch. Also recommended, Dynaudio Evoke and KEF Q950. A good place to start is What HiFi and HiFi Choice magazines...
@Chris we all have our theories about such a subjective hobby, I guess what I am saying Chris, is that speakers are a fundamentally important aspect of building a hi-fi system. To express this in monetary investment terms was perhaps crass, yet gets the point over. Start with the best speakers your budget can allow in my personal view then work to upgrade what your throwing at it. Nobody would have the perfect advice on how to build and match that perfect system, but Paul is projecting this particular review on speakers. Nobody wakes up one day and says they want a hi-fi system, everyone has components, even those ghastly digital streamer things - it's all a matter of building a better system for your ears and then, of course - enjoy the music. 🤓📻
@Chris ...when I find myself hurtling towards a money pit blackhole of Audiophileness, I tend to revert back to the age old comment - TRUST YOUR EARS!!! 😂 However, I have invested in many audiophile attributes that improve my listening experience. Thus....my enjoyable hobby. Thanks.
Superb video! Love the attitude :) P.S. I consider myself a beginner still and currently own a pair of MA Bronze 2s paired to a Schiit Modi/Saga/Vidar combo. P.P.S. Would love to hear more about other budget options though my next pair of speakers will probably be a bit pricier than the current. When time comes, of course :) Cheers!
Over the decades, I've owned Sony SS E70s, Tannoy J95s, Q Acoustics 3020s, and recently bought a pair of Bowers &Wilkins 606s which I really love. I run them on B&W stands filled with zinc ballast making them sound far better. I thoroughly recommend them if you want speakers that are totally transparent and don't shape the audio at all.....
There are some great vintage speakers on Ebay for some good prices. I saw a pair of Celestion 3s on sale for $135.00, free shipping. I have a pair of them and I'm not interested in an upgrade.
Had a pair of Atc scm 11s for about eight years now still sound impressive as long as you get the right size Atc for the right size room thats why they make bigger speakers you dont need a sub to decay what they can do
Like a fine meal, its impossible to fake good speakers once you've heard some of them. That being said, there are a ton of fine recipes being delivered out there by some great audio chefs. Ive been in this hobby seriously since 1999 and I think as long as you're going up into the 3000-6000 pound zone you might as well start talking about some of the great names like Vandersteen, Magnepan, Von Schweikert, Linn, German Physiks, Alon, DynAudio, MBL, Theil and Dunlavy. Some of them still producing classics with over 30+ years of engineering knowledge in them (and without being consumed by the Harmon mega corporation). Having said that I'm currently in the market for new, relatively modest bookshelf speakers for a small-medium sized living room. I'm an engineer so of course I have to keep myself from designing the ultimate system lest it completely take over the room and my bank account. Here are the speakers I'm currently looking at (starting from the high quality low-end) up to about $2000. I could go higher, but I have to cap it somewhere. 1) ELAC UB52 $549 2) KEF Q350 $700 3) NHT C3 and SVS Ultra Bookshelves at around $1000 4) Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2-EX $1500 5) Magnepan 1.7i $1990 5) Revel M106 $2000 If I had to guess at what I might settle on I'd probably say either the UB52, NHT C3 or Revel M106. (I threw the maggie in there because I've always wanted something the size of my wall that just emitted beautiful music). If I could buy my favorite used bookshelf speaker of the last 25 years, I'd say a pair of Dunlavy SM-1s -- an astounding bookshelf monitor and the closest I've ever come to "being there". Every single one tuned and time-aligned by hand by John Dunlavy (praise his name) :). Alas they would need a re-cap and re-driver by now. Good luck everyone in your search. BTW: Excellent channel. You're reviews are thorough and congenial. It's like hanging out with a music buddy.
Just found your Excellent channel. Really like the vinyl cleaning series. I just shelled out $550 US for a pair of early 1980s Klipsch Heresy spkrs. (So far hidden from my wife!). I'm 67 yrs old and only got into this hobby with vintage receivers about 3 yrs ago. Hoping to connect the Heresy set in my mancave tomorrow... hope they are as awesome as their reputation. Sensitivity rating of 99....should go good with my 1959 Sherwood S5000. Recapped. I have a pair of KEF Q100s that I really like too. Subscriber now-!!!!
I kept my B&W dm602s due to sentimental reason as my dad and my late mum bought me them when I was about 13 and first step into hifi separates back in 2001. And also I keep the grilles on as I find it's pointless keeping them off. I think the 3 speakers I would recommend would B&W dm602s, mission 701s and dynaudio audience 42, floorstanding mission 702e, B&W dm603s and monitor audio silver rs8
My last 3 speakers; Reference 3a MM De Capo / Oscar Heil Kithara dipol/ Forsman D2/10 dipol open baffle from Norway, all high sensitive speakers to suit my 845 tube amplifier!
I thought you were saying butchered speakers. Lots of those. I purchased the wharfedale linton's. A little crossover tweak , w/ two SVS SB 1000 subs. I think I will have this set up for quite a while it really sounds wonderful.
Despite everything said here, Logitech's Z130 powered speakers are great to have on a mantlepiece as I do. Just connect Logitech's Bluetooth adapter to them and great, your phone or laptop does the rest. I did have them connected to an Audio Technica LP60x for a while and they sounded quite full and great. Now I have the turntable connected to my legacy Goodmans amplifier with 6 speakers. Magnificent.
Thanks. I almost made a mistake of putting my turntable station in a shelf so you kinda save me from that mess (even my interior designer did not know this…) 😅
My current speaker is the Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor M bookshelf with matching stands. Love them a lot with my amp. Always loved Dynaudio as well. Preference goes to a little warm/neutral sound. Used to have a pair of standmount Totem Acoustic Forrest as well but their sound is too thin for my liking nowadays. Sound preference do change when you get older!
Yamaha NS 500. These are large old school shape 2 way speakers with a 10inch bass and beryllium dome tweeter, but front ported unlike their larger brother, the NS 1000. They have tremendous power and scale are open detailed and transparent. they are rated at 30watt rms and 60 watt peak power and an unbelievable 96db per watt per metre. They need to be partnered carefully to prevent a strident sound. I have found that they perform better with quality high powered amps. I have used 120watt amps, forget 30watts the more power the more focussed and controlled they are. Unfortunately i blew up a tweeter some time ago by shorting it out.(Long story) Then put them in the loft and the bass units surrounds have perished. Can't buy a new tweeter they are like gold dust. Got a set of Monitor Audio B4's and silver 5's. thinking of getting the Q Acoustics 3030i's. because i now haw a small listening room and the MA B4's are boomy. Nice review thanks.
Just stumbled upon your channel because I am... yes, wait for it... looking to buy a pair of speakers! Thanks for the guide; no nonsense and apparently not biased - traits not to be taken for granted today. I am lucky enough to have a good music system in our sitting room which drives a pair of Piega Premium 701s and I am now looking to put together a budget system in order to establish a guitar/music room for myself. It will be a much smaller space and I am considering a pair of used B&W 685 S2s which would be stand-mounted. My first question - how much advantage would be gained by pairing the speakers with an appropriate sub-woofer? Thumbing through your video listing, I didn't notice the Budget Guide To Buying Speakers which was mentioned, so if that is still a possibility, I would be most interested. Many thanks in advance for any help which anyone is able to provide.
Nice one Paul! Been enjoying your written reviews online for a while now as well. It would be nice to see your recommendations on headphones in the budget/midrange/high end - they are speakers after all! Currently I own some Dynaudio Focus 110's, which I am pretty happy with, so I'd recommend those on the used market. Another thing, what are your preferences for sealed v ported designs?
Thank Ade and I'll make a note on headphones, sure. As for sealed/ported? It depends. Which is a terrible answer, isn't it? But it does. Mostly because the port or lack of it is so dependent on what the rest of the design is doing or failing to do. Hence, I like to look at each design independently.
A nice variety there. I use a pair of vintage Tannoy Eaton, which I bought for around £600. I heard some at a Wam show and realised they were my favourite sound there. I love them and they make my previous mains, ls-50s, sound small. LS-50 maybe more resolving, but I much prefer the overall qualities of the tannoys. Definitely recommend them if the legacy version are a bit pricey for you and you’re not to scared of used!
maybe come across the pond because there are few if any places the speakers you mentioned can be purchased from in the U.S. that being said very rarely does anyone explain or explain wattage capabilities. ohms ratings from 8 ohms down to 2 ohms_and what happens when ratings arent Copacetic. like putting a 2 ohm speaker on an 8 ohm system or putting an 8ohm speaker on a down to 2 ohm receiver. what is less obvious is also speaker wire, length of wire and gauge and if you overload a system when you put 2 speakers on 1output line or if an amp can handle it without any issues or ohms range being effected by how many speakers you add per channel and if its got a whole new set of problems with adding component like a pre-amp with amp with : an EQ and of course cd player and a powered sub woofer included! its a handful but it goes without saying that these simple questions are essential to understananding what to look for and to keep for a long while to come!
It's been swilling around my head. I even interviewed the MD at a hifi show with a view to sorting that out: theaudiophileman.com/bristol-hifi-show-2020-fyne-audio-speaker-news/ ...but stuff kept getting in the way. I hope so but my current review queue is scarily long.
We are currently looking at the Paradigm Founder 40B for our living room stereo set up. We can't go higher price wise and we love the idea that these are made close to where we live (we're in NW Ohio). They seem like beautiful speakers that are of exceptional quality. We listen to vinyl, CDs, stream movies and play games (this last one does not require great speakers for me but it's just domething we do). Currently we use a pair of B&W 601 from the late 90s. I do love these speakers and they are actually there temporarily as I use them as the rear surrounds for our home theater system which is in another room. So I guess my question is, for our purposes, would spending so much money on new speakers make a difference? We are using a Yamaha receiver.
I'm a real fan of Audio Physic high end speakers. I currently own Midex Floorstanders . Black glass and high gloss rosewood. Loved in Europe but no reviews in UK.
Thanks for a great video and nice to hear a fellow scouser! I just bought the Mission LX2s on your recommendation and wondering if you have any thoughts on a centre speaker I can pair them with please?
I'll mention a couple of Canadian brands, both designed in Canada made in China. PSB Imagine B(bookshelf) and T(tower) series. They are in the above 1k$ range, very nice sounding, same company also makes NAD brand components. Fluance XL8F towers, unusually inexpensive around the 800$cdn/pair mark, have not heard these personally. And a couple of non-Canadian brands Don't forget the old KEF LS50, currently being discounted heavily (in the 800$cdn/pair range) as the new "LS50 Meta" hit the market. And my current favorite the Klipsch RP600M's So many brands, so little time & cash :)
Happy New Year first. Then well as I bought speakers almost like I am buying perfume if I like how bottle looks like that's how I bought Wharfedale Evo 4.2 and put them on Wharfedale Jade speaker stands and now I have a problem with my amp and question for you here what do you think would REGA Brio mod 2017 be good choice for my speakers????? Thank you for your time and your answers....
best advice i s going for sealed cabinet design, open baffle if you got the room for it. stay away from ported derivatives of it, sound quality should come first in hifi.
Hi Paul.If you like you can test the new Mission LX-3 MΚII 350 euros.This new speaker was designed by Peter Comeau who i think also design the wrfs 225s! Against q acoustics 3030i and wharfedale 12.2s.I think its a winner.
I've noticed in the last decade or more and with most your showing, that new speakers are all usually 2-way speakers which usually lack either mid or lows and sound thin or hollow not giving a full rich sound like 3-Way or 4-way like they used to be which means they require a sub. I listen through vintage stereos and prefer vintage sound with 3 or 4 way speakers I only use 2-way with a sub for movies
Hi I'm about to upgrade my system , fun times :) I'm going to get the Cambridge 851A integrated Amplifier, the Cambridge 851N Network player and I was planning on the Wharfedale Evo 4.3 (small room so not the 4.4) floorstanders . What do you Paul and anybody else think about that match up and about those speakers in general ? I will audition them if I am able to, although in these difficult times that might be impossible and I might end up having to buy blind :( Comments and advise would be appreciated !
Hi Andy - in broad terms that set up sounds fine. I would urge a demo if you can. Home demos are becoming more common now so talk to your dealer about that. A home demo is preferred anyway because you get to hear your hifi in your own listening room.
@@TheAudiophileMan Ho Paul , Thanks . I will try for a demo but I'm buying from Richer Sounds and I live in Birmingham and the Richer Sounds in Birmingham is closed and as I'm without a car, so I can't get to the ones that are open. Richer sounds were running an option that if you were not happy with items you had bought you could return them once they reopened, not sure if they are still doing that but its not exactly a home demo anyway . I guess I probably will have to take a risk and buy blind. I've always liked Cambridge and Wharfedale equipment so i will hope for the best. As always a great review/buyers guide thank you .
I would urge those who are after a live, free-breathing, dynamic, truly natural sound, as opposed to a "refined" hi-fi sound should check out Klipsch. The Heritage series if you can stretch that far, but the RP series is also not bad. Valve amps or lowish powered A-class designs will bring out the best in them. And no, they are not just rock speakers, chamber music and vocals can be breathtakingly real as well.
TBF, I could recommend the powered Triangle Elara LN01. You get a complete system for 400€ which sounds pretty darn great. Unless you're a speaker hobiest, it's really hard to justify spending more.
I'm well aware the recommendation was not to choose powered speakers, however, I'd really love to hear the opinion of experienced people about the Audioengine A5+ (wireless or not, I don't really care about Bluetooth stuff), as well as the Kanto YU6 ones. Would anyone be able to chip in on these?
Could you make a dedicated review on the mission series LX2 and the QX2 as well and compare them against the most reviewed speakers like Q acoustics KEF etc. There are not many references for those available online.
Hi Paul, Are there any particular attributes or designs to look for when shortlisting speakers and building a system that sounds great at low to moderate volumes? I shall soon be moving to a new non detached house and do not want to annoy the neighbours. Am I right in thinking I should go for a small stand mount (diamond 12,1, Evo 4.1 etc), or would a small floorstander provide the quality at lower volumes? A decent set of headphones are already in mind. Many thanks and all the best.
very informative video! perhaps just a quick tip for future videos if I may. you might want to run the audio that's going to end up in the final video through a piece of software called "a de-esser". This will improve the audio quality of the videos alot. Apart from that, nothing but good quality information here!
Thanks for the tip - in just about every video I do try and change, enhance and improve. Doesn't always work out, I have to say. Sometimes my tweaks fall flat on their faces but I learn from every one and move forwards. Part of the issue is funding too of course so, when I can upgrade software/hardware, that helps too and I have a shopping list here :) But yes, I'll keep on tweaking so, over the weeks and months you'll hopefully see the results of that.
I’m new to your channel for the US so I might have missed the boat to comment on this one, but here goes. I’m old so much of my experience is with speakers no longer for sale new. I have bought two of three I’m listing. The third is out of my reach but they’re the most dynamic I’ve ever heard.
Wharfedale Diamond 230 $450 USD
Revel Concerta 2 F36 $2,000 USD
Klipsch La Scala. $12,000 USD
A good friend of mine bought the Klipsch in 1973. They were just over $1,000 then. Big money! Unbelievably, they are still manufactured today. Those speakers made me crazy! I had to try to acquire gear to try to get close to that sound...
TIME STAMP: to fast forward to the hardware, click: ua-cam.com/video/jR6InRR78x0/v-deo.html
SPEAKERS - A HEALTH WARNING: So there I was, sorting this Buyer's Guide. Doing my speaker 'thing'. I wanted to listen to a particular pair to check the sound personality. Knelt down behind this particular speaker pair to insert the cables, took off my glasses to see what I was doing because I don't need glasses for reading and close-up work. Sorted that. Stood up and - you guessed it - stood on my glasses! Arrgghh!
So if I look a bit wonky on this one...that's why. They stay together if I don't shift around too much but one wrong move and there'll be lenses all over the place.
So. Off to the opticians then.
My advice? Before approaching a pair of speakers, take a whip, a chair and a big hat.
Will you be reviewing those spendor A1's ? I've been thinking about purchasing them for some time now.
@@dazaudio2131 I'll certainly add those to my review list, sure.
Sorry to hear you’re as clumsy as I can be too. Good luck at the opticians. Thank you
This is my favourite speaker round-up. As they aren't dominated by US brands. Meaning, these are relevant to us in the UK. Cheers!
As an Oldtimer, 69yo, Steve, your Video is spot on applicable to me.... In 1987, I purchased new "audiophile" stereo equipment. NAD 1300 Preamp, NAD 2600 Amp , Dual CS5000 turntable, and KEF 104/2 tower speakers. Oh throw in a Onkyo CD 6 Disk player. We live in a relatively small Ranch house (1750 s.f.). When I picked up the Speakers , had to "hide" them in the basement until I could cajole the wifey to accept that I was installing them in our living Room......"OOOOOOOHHHHH No your Not !" was the immediate response. after a bit of time, and listening to some of "her" LPs, I won !!!. I am the real music affectionado. For the record, I still have that stereo setup , No Sub woofers were added. As we all know, if you play any sourced music on quality equipment, the difference is Amazing. Enjoy the Music everybody. Stay safe in this Madness unleashed on us (to be continued elsewhere).
PS: due to COVID, I worked from Home since March. Now I am retired due to health issues (not COVID related - spinal arthritic conditions [That is Hell as the stiffness / pain NEVER diminishes]. The home office evolved into a Mancave - Basement Studio. Nedw stereo equipment : Denon DRA-800H Receiver; New Tascam CD Player Recorder, New Tasacam Dual Cassette Deck; and a Teac CD / Cassette/ USB player & recorder (to Cassette and USB drives) and 2 pairs of Bookshelf speakers : 1) Elac Debut 6.2s and 2) Fluance Signature Series Bookshelf speakers . Albeit, they are different, but they do Play together very nicely. I may spring for a pair of Triangle BRO3s (saw the rav reviews on other UA-cam channels). PPS: I also set up my Drum kit (a cheapo kit that my wife of all people , gifted to me for Xmas 2018). I play the drums (if you can call it that - didn't play for over 50 years!!), to My Music for retirement enjoyment. Cheers!!
Based on Your reviews, a year before I bought Q Acoutics 3020i and I'm really happy with it. Thanks.
Great topic. For the average British living room I’ve never really heard or have been convinced by floor standing speakers for under a few thousand.
So my top three Bookshelf speakers over the last 30 years are:
1. Epos S11 or S14s depending on the size of the room. Magic speed and mid band coherence.
2. Neat Petite 11s. Really fast and sweet treble due to the emit ribbon tweeter.
3. Quadral Aurum Galan 9 bookshelf speaker. This is an incredible speaker that has the characteristics of the above but so much more. They sound huge for such a small cabinet and throw an incredible soundstage. I cannot believe they’re not more popular.
Also Creek amplifier with Epos plus for me quad the s and z series are wonderful speakers without any harsh sound effects also from the 90s the Tannoy D700s Floorstanders and the Spendors with Sugden amplifiers but the Creek audio is my favorite sound Sugden and Exposure also dreaming is a very nice thing as you understand
Over the years, KEF, Paradigm and B & W have done very well for me. That was pairings with Luxman, Nakamichi, and then Rotel.
This gear was used from 1988 to 1992, 92 until 2011,and then from 2011 respectively.
After having speakers from a number of manufacturers I have found that ATC scm19's on sand filled Dynaudio stands are a stunning combination with my Naim SN3. I hope to move up to the ATC scm 40 floorstanders at some time. The delivery of soundstage imaging, open and dynamic sound are simply superb....
Just checked these speakers out. Did you end up buying them? I'd need a second mortgage and probably a divorce, but not necessarily in that order.
I took the route of designing and building my own speakers many years ago. Not for everyone but a truly satisfying experience in the end for me. I started simple with air suspension full range driver then progressed through base port two ways and on to transmission line 2 ways. I stopped about 10 years ago with a pair of 2 way transmission lines using Focal drivers. After a huge amount of design effort, testing and tweaking I ended up with the sound I wanted. Great base extension for 5 1/4” drivers, lovely mid range and smooth treble with the Focal inverted dome tweeter with phase plug. I also didn’t skimp on cross-over components using poly caps, non-inductive wire wound resistors and air core inductors. Still sound great, at least to my ear, today. I was striving for as flat a response curve as possible and minimum coloration. Also key was transient response which I think turned out great with the low Qe mid woofer thanks to its low mass and stiff Kevlar/Airogel sandwich cone material along with square wire wound coil and high flux magnet structure. It also has Decent Xmax with good linearity thanks to the metal post/phase plug and rubber surround.
Fascinating stuff. Got any pictures Jim? You're welcome to post a link.
The Audiophile Man I have lots of pictures I will see if I can figure out how to post them.🙂
Cost me more then 14 years to find my ultimate speaker. The Jean Marie Reynaud Offrande monitor speakers. I'll keep them for life.
Hope Doctor hasn't given you bad news recently? If not, THAT'S a BOLD statement!
@@yarsivad000.5 I know! :-)
I still have my Bose 601 Series II Direct Array speakers that I bought new in 1984 for $500 each. I turn 57 Saturday and plan to listen to the records I'll get for my birthday on them; "Paul's Boutique" and "Coney Island Baby" remasters.
Gone through a lot of speakers over the years. Ive 3 systems set up. In my main system I have Buchardt S400 signatures. Best speakers I've owned.
I also love Wharfdale Linton.
And Jamo C93.
I respect you choices...and understand why you picked what you pick... Here are my 3 choices, from smallest to largest one of each Book shelf.. Klipsh RP 600..Towers Tekton Double impact, or Tekton Lures. ( Speaker of the year ) for many, and Dream speakers Wilson Alexx V..
Mission LX 2. Glad you mentioned them. I think it's weird that this speaker has not received more attention. For the price, they are exceptionally well built. I find their ability to reproduce voices and the tonality of instruments as their strongest side. Set up correctly, they can produce a pretty impressive soundstage. They have a rather complicated crossover filter with very moderately priced components. Could be interesting to hear them with an upgraded filter.
Mission is a nice speaker indeed! Well chosen.
Re the person who mentioned the Mission LX2 speakers Spot on !! I have the more recent LX2MARK2 issue & especially for their price point I have found them exceptional, they are quality all the way & I too can't understand the lack of reviews for these speakers So if anyone out there who is looking for their first pair of speakers on a budget or starting out on their first system these Missions will more than satisfy
Good video! My favourite speakers atm at different price points
Quad ESL-2912
Magnepan LRS
Epos K5i
I like the Spendor A1 my current speaker of choice, Q Acoustics 3030i and I recently heard a pair of Spendor D7s and wow!
Hi Ken - yes, I wouldn't mind doing a full test of the D7s, Must make a note...
Hi Paul. The best pair of speakers i have ever owned were the Rogers Studio 1 (made in England), which i purchased in 1984 for $1600 dollars Australian.
Top of my list original Wilson Benesch ACT One, got second hand and then upgraded with latest drivers by factory 2 years ago. Balanced neutral true to the source sound, shines with every kind of music. I'll never need anything else from a speaker. Next Kef XQ 40, great across the frequency range from a relatively small footprint. Lastly back in time to the speakers that made me fall in love with floorstanders TDL RTL3SE more bass than I previously thought was possible, and still high & mid range detail to stay truly musical.
Bit late in the day but I run Q Acoustics 3050 in the living room and Fyne Audio 301 in the bedroom. Bit budget but I rate both pairs highly especially the 301's which offer great performance and value especially in a smaller room.
We've got a pair of the Q Acoustics 3020i speakers in our bedroom driven by the Quad Vena II. We love em. 👍
KEF LS55 I think. As my first speakers, I believe they sound good, most reviews confirm that. Thank you.
I've got a soft spot for my old B&W DM603's. I got them and a nice little Roland Stereo Receiver and a Roland CD player back in 2001 as a present to myself (celebrating my first "good" job) and they've been lovely. I'm more a music lover and electronics/IT nerd than a true audiophile so we have happily enjoyed them as our living room audio for 20 years as I built out the home theatre in the basement over the years.
I recently expanded that setup into a 2.1 configuration with a subwoofer to help it reproduce the really deep tones of throat singing (Heilung, The Hu) as my tastes grew more eclectic. I might add a decent turntable to the mix once my little one is old enough to trust around vinyl.
My top 3 speakers are:
1) heybrook hb 1 original from the 80s the best vintage speakers for ever......
2) jpw mini monitor gold they're great tiny speakers for there size.
3) B&W 805 d3 that's my favourite dream speakers
My choices - Dali Zensor 3s, Wharfedale Evo 4.4 and Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 below 1K. Buchardt Audio s400, Klipsch Cornwall and B&W 707 S2.
I just got myself the wharfedale Evo 4.4 recently, great speaker for the Price.
I had the Spendor a7 for 3 months and sold them because I felt my Monitor Audio Silver 8 sounded equally as good at 1/3 the price.
What front end source and amps were you running?
I'm interested in the Klipsch heresy floor standing speakers. Very expensive around 2,000 American dollars each or around 1800 euros/pounds, but they look amazing and vintage and I bet they sound as good as they look
Yesterday, I picked up a pair of 1980 Heresy speakers from a craigslist seller in Dallas, TX. Price seems good at $550/pair. Cabinets a tad rough, but not terrible. I do understand the later version models were an improvement. Haven't test driven them yet. Gen one prices look to be $750 to $950 for really pristine sets. Then there's shipping-!!!
My first speakers, Monitor Audio's MA16s, are still with me 40 years later. Beautifully refined sound, real teak veneer - they don't look or sound like entry-level speakers and it's a shame they were MA's only foray into that end of the market.
For a small room or nearfield listening I can recommend the little aluminium-cased Technics SB-F1 - again from circa 1980. They have a surpisingly rich and dynamic bass for such a small speaker, and being sealed boxes they can be placed near a wall if space is tight. They usually go for £100 or less online.
Finally, a brief thumbs-up for Canon's unusual 90s design, the S-35 - they look like a cross between an Alien and Darth Vader. They disperse sound around the room, so you don't have to just sit in one sweet spot to get a good stereo experience. Sound staging suffers a little, but they're decent all-rounders and can be had for around £50-100.
Unusual choices and very interesting. Thanks for that.
It's also very dependant on where you live. Here in the US for example.
Thanks Paul for all you do in making this hobby so enjoyable. Possible most watching with not be be thinking of upgrading their speakers at this moment in time, but I myself still enjoy your informed take on things. As the on street outlets continue sadly to disappear, I rely more and more on the words of wisdom obtained from channels like yours . You I’m sure would be the first to say try before you buy, but I have found doing a bit of research . And listening to experts in the field such as your good self, can result in informed decisions. If nothing else it help narrow the field to be considered. Obviously I only seek total unbiased reviews from those with no connections to a manufacture or distributer . You’re approach is always considered and fair, never impolite. But when things are not as they should be ,you say so with clear reasons for your remarks. And that’s what keeps me loyal to grate channel. Best wishes and kind regards from Mike in the U.K.
Spendor D7.2 - Detail, naturalness, mid range, demand attention. Speed good, when up against PMC’s , PMC’s were slow tried 26i’s/24i’s perhaps because of the TL? Preferred Spendor sound.
Buchardt S400 - soundstage, bass, bass and bass lol.... treble good, Mids slightly recessed.
KEF LS50. - great imaging, VFM, soundstage decent.
I have all the above. D7.2’s thru Rega Aethos, Bluesound Powernode2i with LS50’s and S400’s. Am selling LS50’s as S400’s beat them for full range and soundstage.
Personally I am running a pair of old Kef Reference Model One and quite happy with the performance.A big favorite of mine are the Jamo Concert 8,gorgeous looking and amazing sounding speaker!
Am very happy with the Tannoy Precision 2.1 floorstanders. I was, frankly, startled at the width and depth of soundstage when I played them first. A friend said he initially looked around the room to see where the other speakers were that created such a wide soundstage. (With Moon pre-amp and Moon amp.)
It's very difficult to give advice for speakers. Your recommendations are very, very good. However, the problem is that everyone hears differently; each of the ways the speaker is constructed gives a specific sound and almost every reputable company that makes speakers has its own signature on the sound. So first advise is to set a budget, then listen to as many different speakers as possible (and the way they recreate the sound), choose the favorites and then try to hear them in your environment. At the end It is impossible to like equally dynamic and electrostatic speakers, horns and transmissions, ribbon and calottes, etc .. or Bowers and Monitor Audio, Dynaudio and Focal, Proac and PMC, etc... or a huge florstender in a small space and vice versa, etc. At my age, the choice is Proac (starting with Response D2R, which is probably too much money for a pair of small speakers).
Cheers!
Hi ,love listening to you talk about speakers..trying to get my hands on the Dali's I guess you need to make a follow up video 👍
Just beginning to take small steps into the hifi world. I would love to see a video focused entirely on budget options i could use to explore what i want in a speaker
price is key of course. IF Ya get a ' mini set ' like the first described here ( especially. the Q 3020 ) You can add a decent Sub bass ( $ 150. or so )later to fill in the missing bass. no speaker with 5 inch bass can produce legit bass, simply a matter of moving air. for instance, the Q are very, very good in the mid / treble. You can get 'pretty good' receivers for $ 150. or so from Pioneer, Yamaha...
basic $ 50. 'big box stores ' DVD players do a real good job with standard CD's. don't fall for records - LP's. a decent LP player costs $200. and the discs are WAY more fragile than CD's.
Rick has given you a good reply - I concur in giving vinyl a wide berth. Consider if this is a one time purchase or if you want an upgrade path - if the latter, eventually you should aim (imo) for the best speakers you can afford. 2nd hand is the way to 'enter' as a 'hobby' - you can trade and not lose much - if you just want something to play music that is a different matter. A 'no brainer' good budget 'front end' can be had through cambridge audio ex-dem and returns (with full guarantee) @ cambridge audio direct via ebay. Depends what you mean by budget too - Rick's hints are probably aimed cheaper than mine and possibly more relevant. I am thinking twixt £400- £500 the lot, which would get you a decent separates starter system - I would say well worth the extra. Final tip; err toward more purist items - i.e. avoid amps with built in DAC's/Bluetooth unless you need them.
I'll make a note of that, thanks Logan.
For tower speaker I really like tekton speakers specially for tube or low power amps
Auditioned bookshelves initially for my mid size room. Dynaudio Special 40 and B&W 805D3 stood out. Ultimately went for floorstanders and Spendor A7. Relatively compact, beautifully made and partner brilliantly with Naim electronics.
Fluance XL suite, Monitor Audio bronze & silver series, Klipsch.
Really too many to narrow to just 3, that's why the occasional rotation is necessary for me: BA Polks DCM JBL BIC Yamaha
Good explanations!
I would like to see a budget specific video. I am a college student considering getting into vinyl. It looks/sounds interesting.
I'll make a note.
Awesome video, definitely made me consider elements that I wasn’t previously focused on
I had KEF Q100's, I thought they were gOOD. Now I have the ELAC Debut References, they are EXCELLENT!
As with any " best of" listing, it's difficult to recommend something that you have never heard. That said, my favorites are the KEF LS 50s, the Tannoy Revolution XT 8F's, and on the high end, the Harbeth 30.2 Anniversary Editions. These, of course, are currently in my possession, and in frequent rotation.
Dahlquist DQ20i, amazing imaging and detail and wide soundstage. Infinity Interlude IL50s, great dynamics, imaging and detailed sound built in powered Sub. The Infinity speakers I've owned for 19 years
A female audiophile here! The best speaker- stratospheric - I've ever heard is the Avalon at about 125K Coming down to earth: Wilson speakers are pretty awesome at about 40K and then splashing into the ocean - ATC 40 are pretty brilliant but the best are Hyperion 938's- the best I've ever heard for the price.
A woman can be an audiphile too why do you have to declare your gender literally no one cares
My Quad 33/303 died recently so I bought a Quad Vena 2 and it is driving a pair of KEF Cadenzas bought new in the 70's. Not perfect but I love the sound which is improving as the Vena burns in.
In the U.S. Polk monitors are great neutral musical speakers, sort of a poor mans Kef. I also love most Canadian speakers especially Paradigm.
Axiom M3 has been with me for 15ish years. I have them mounted into wall beams with their accessory bracket due to toddler safety. A loose stuffed sock partially plugs the port since they're close to walls.
Based on other "experts'" reviews top 3 - 1.SVS Prime Bookshelf 2.Wharfedale 12.1 3. ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2. What can you say about my choices?
I think a holistic look at a budget system would be a great idea.
Maybe even starting from the assumption that the music will be running from spotify on very high.
with Tidal and the like as an upgrade point in the system.
Might be making myself look like a tiny baby here, but I haven't bought a CD since 2009/10, and a lot (maybe even most) people don't have a CD Player or physical music collection (which is an interesting topic in and of itself)
These points could also feed into the recommendations at a given price point, should you be choosing speakers that work in a music room, or on a desk, or next to a TV etc.as they are prob pulling double duty.
Or is there a consideration on choosing between speakers and headphones under certain space or price constraints.
It's really tough to find resources on this kind of stuff, so hopefully it could motivate some discussion in the comments.
Personally, my main experience is in headphones sub £300, so I can't really contribute on speakers here :P
A splendid overview broadly speaking. Speakers are likely 'THE' most important aspect of pure hi-fi audio playback.
I believe if you spend £10,000 on a system, then the speakers should cost 'at least' £4000 of this investment.
My "Jean-Marie Reynaud Euterpe Supremê" Floor-standing speakers are just immense, mounted independently on spikes on granite marble 2 inch platforms to isolate sound spaced equally for a true stereo sound 0.5m away from any wall. Honest, pure and clear in sound, what you throw at these, you get delivered back with proudness and clarity and punch.
Also recommended, Dynaudio Evoke and KEF Q950. A good place to start is What HiFi and HiFi Choice magazines...
@Chris we all have our theories about such a subjective hobby, I guess what I am saying Chris, is that speakers are a fundamentally important aspect of building a hi-fi system. To express this in monetary investment terms was perhaps crass, yet gets the point over. Start with the best speakers your budget can allow in my personal view then work to upgrade what your throwing at it. Nobody would have the perfect advice on how to build and match that perfect system, but Paul is projecting this particular review on speakers.
Nobody wakes up one day and says they want a hi-fi system, everyone has components, even those ghastly digital streamer things - it's all a matter of building a better system for your ears and then, of course - enjoy the music. 🤓📻
@Chris ...when I find myself hurtling towards a money pit blackhole of Audiophileness, I tend to revert back to the age old comment - TRUST YOUR EARS!!! 😂
However, I have invested in many audiophile attributes that improve my listening experience. Thus....my enjoyable hobby. Thanks.
Superb video! Love the attitude :)
P.S. I consider myself a beginner still and currently own a pair of MA Bronze 2s paired to a Schiit Modi/Saga/Vidar combo.
P.P.S. Would love to hear more about other budget options though my next pair of speakers will probably be a bit pricier than the current. When time comes, of course :)
Cheers!
I'll make a note, thanks Janez.
I enjoy both my Fluance bookshelf and floor standing speakers. Terrific quality at a reasonable price.
Over the decades, I've owned Sony SS E70s, Tannoy J95s, Q Acoustics 3020s, and recently bought a pair of Bowers &Wilkins 606s which I really love. I run them on B&W stands filled with zinc ballast making them sound far better. I thoroughly recommend them if you want speakers that are totally transparent and don't shape the audio at all.....
There are some great vintage speakers on Ebay for some good prices. I saw a pair of Celestion 3s on sale for $135.00, free shipping. I have a pair of them and I'm not interested in an upgrade.
Had a pair of Atc scm 11s for about eight years now still sound impressive as long as you get the right size Atc for the right size room thats why they make bigger speakers you dont need a sub to decay what they can do
I have a pair of Yamaha NSF-51 floor standing speakers that are amazing for their price range
Like a fine meal, its impossible to fake good speakers once you've heard some of them. That being said, there are a ton of fine recipes being delivered out there by some great audio chefs. Ive been in this hobby seriously since 1999 and I think as long as you're going up into the 3000-6000 pound zone you might as well start talking about some of the great names like Vandersteen, Magnepan, Von Schweikert, Linn, German Physiks, Alon, DynAudio, MBL, Theil and Dunlavy. Some of them still producing classics with over 30+ years of engineering knowledge in them (and without being consumed by the Harmon mega corporation).
Having said that I'm currently in the market for new, relatively modest bookshelf speakers for a small-medium sized living room. I'm an engineer so of course I have to keep myself from designing the ultimate system lest it completely take over the room and my bank account. Here are the speakers I'm currently looking at (starting from the high quality low-end) up to about $2000. I could go higher, but I have to cap it somewhere.
1) ELAC UB52 $549
2) KEF Q350 $700
3) NHT C3 and SVS Ultra Bookshelves at around $1000
4) Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2-EX $1500
5) Magnepan 1.7i $1990
5) Revel M106 $2000
If I had to guess at what I might settle on I'd probably say either the UB52, NHT C3 or Revel M106. (I threw the maggie in there because I've always wanted something the size of my wall that just emitted beautiful music).
If I could buy my favorite used bookshelf speaker of the last 25 years, I'd say a pair of Dunlavy SM-1s -- an astounding bookshelf monitor and the closest I've ever come to "being there". Every single one tuned and time-aligned by hand by John Dunlavy (praise his name) :). Alas they would need a re-cap and re-driver by now.
Good luck everyone in your search.
BTW: Excellent channel. You're reviews are thorough and congenial. It's like hanging out with a music buddy.
Just found your Excellent channel. Really like the vinyl cleaning series.
I just shelled out $550 US for a pair of early 1980s Klipsch Heresy spkrs. (So far hidden from my wife!).
I'm 67 yrs old and only got into this hobby with vintage receivers about 3 yrs ago.
Hoping to connect the Heresy set in my mancave tomorrow... hope they are as awesome as their reputation. Sensitivity rating of 99....should go good with my 1959 Sherwood S5000. Recapped.
I have a pair of KEF Q100s that I really like too.
Subscriber now-!!!!
Thanks Bill!
I’d like a speaker just for listening for music, high volume and i would like excellent Base and clear sound. I need your suggestion
Be useful to learn about your hifi chain and a budget figure.
What about Focal speakers? In my experience, they offer great detail and dynamics, with models in many price ranges.
I kept my B&W dm602s due to sentimental reason as my dad and my late mum bought me them when I was about 13 and first step into hifi separates back in 2001. And also I keep the grilles on as I find it's pointless keeping them off. I think the 3 speakers I would recommend would B&W dm602s, mission 701s and dynaudio audience 42, floorstanding mission 702e, B&W dm603s and monitor audio silver rs8
Being the happy onwer of a pair of Legacy Eaton for more than a year now, I can tell that they are special!!
Aha! Nice to hear that you own a pair :) Nice one.
My last 3 speakers; Reference 3a MM De Capo / Oscar Heil Kithara dipol/ Forsman D2/10 dipol open baffle from Norway, all high sensitive speakers to suit my 845 tube amplifier!
Hi Lars - oh yes, love my 845 mono blocks. With you there...
Top 3:
Bookcase: Wilson TuneTot
Floor Fun Sound: Klipsch Forte IV
Floor Audiophile listen: B&W Nautilus
I only listen to speakers in nearfield at my computer and for that I use ATC SCM-11.
how dp you get any work done?
B&W 805signature served me well. Followed by meridian 7200SE DSPs. Currently using stenheim Alumine 3 which represent end game for me
I thought you were saying butchered speakers. Lots of those. I purchased the wharfedale linton's. A little crossover tweak , w/ two SVS SB 1000 subs. I think I will have this set up for quite a while it really sounds wonderful.
Despite everything said here, Logitech's Z130 powered speakers are great to have on a mantlepiece as I do. Just connect Logitech's Bluetooth adapter to them and great, your phone or laptop does the rest. I did have them connected to an Audio Technica LP60x for a while and they sounded quite full and great. Now I have the turntable connected to my legacy Goodmans amplifier with 6 speakers. Magnificent.
Thanks. I almost made a mistake of putting my turntable station in a shelf so you kinda save me from that mess (even my interior designer did not know this…) 😅
My current speaker is the Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor M bookshelf with matching stands. Love them a lot with my amp. Always loved Dynaudio as well. Preference goes to a little warm/neutral sound. Used to have a pair of standmount Totem Acoustic Forrest as well but their sound is too thin for my liking nowadays. Sound preference do change when you get older!
Yamaha NS 500. These are large old school shape 2 way speakers with a 10inch bass and beryllium dome tweeter, but front ported unlike their larger brother, the NS 1000. They have tremendous power and scale are open detailed and transparent. they are rated at 30watt rms and 60 watt peak power and an unbelievable 96db per watt per metre. They need to be partnered carefully to prevent a strident sound. I have found that they perform better with quality high powered amps. I have used 120watt amps, forget 30watts the more power the more focussed and controlled they are. Unfortunately i blew up a tweeter some time ago by shorting it out.(Long story) Then put them in the loft and the bass units surrounds have perished. Can't buy a new tweeter they are like gold dust. Got a set of Monitor Audio B4's and silver 5's. thinking of getting the Q Acoustics 3030i's. because i now haw a small listening room and the MA B4's are boomy. Nice review thanks.
JBL L300's have been my faves for the last 25 years. Before that I liked my CV 12TR's which sound pretty good.
Just stumbled upon your channel because I am... yes, wait for it... looking to buy a pair of speakers! Thanks for the guide; no nonsense and apparently not biased - traits not to be taken for granted today.
I am lucky enough to have a good music system in our sitting room which drives a pair of Piega Premium 701s and I am now looking to put together a budget system in order to establish a guitar/music room for myself. It will be a much smaller space and I am considering a pair of used B&W 685 S2s which would be stand-mounted. My first question - how much advantage would be gained by pairing the speakers with an appropriate sub-woofer?
Thumbing through your video listing, I didn't notice the Budget Guide To Buying Speakers which was mentioned, so if that is still a possibility, I would be most interested.
Many thanks in advance for any help which anyone is able to provide.
Might answer this in next Friday's video, David. Watch the skies.
Nice one Paul! Been enjoying your written reviews online for a while now as well. It would be nice to see your recommendations on headphones in the budget/midrange/high end - they are speakers after all! Currently I own some Dynaudio Focus 110's, which I am pretty happy with, so I'd recommend those on the used market. Another thing, what are your preferences for sealed v ported designs?
Thank Ade and I'll make a note on headphones, sure. As for sealed/ported? It depends. Which is a terrible answer, isn't it? But it does. Mostly because the port or lack of it is so dependent on what the rest of the design is doing or failing to do. Hence, I like to look at each design independently.
A nice variety there. I use a pair of vintage Tannoy Eaton, which I bought for around £600. I heard some at a Wam show and realised they were my favourite sound there. I love them and they make my previous mains, ls-50s, sound small. LS-50 maybe more resolving, but I much prefer the overall qualities of the tannoys. Definitely recommend them if the legacy version are a bit pricey for you and you’re not to scared of used!
Good advice there Wayne and a nice comparison with the LS-50s.
maybe come across the pond because there are few if any places the speakers you mentioned can be purchased from in the U.S. that being said very rarely does anyone explain or explain wattage capabilities. ohms ratings from 8 ohms down to 2 ohms_and what happens when ratings arent Copacetic. like putting a 2 ohm speaker on an 8 ohm system or putting an 8ohm speaker on a down to 2 ohm receiver. what is less obvious is also speaker wire, length of wire and gauge and if you overload a system when you put 2 speakers on 1output line or if an amp can handle it without any issues or ohms range being effected by how many speakers you add per channel and if its got a whole new set of problems with adding component like a pre-amp with amp with : an EQ and of course cd player and a powered sub woofer included! its a handful but it goes without saying that these simple questions are essential to understananding what to look for and to keep for a long while to come!
I have had my ESS HD 1500A speakers since the mid-80s. I have reconed the woofers three times.
Any plans to review any of the Fyne Audio range? The F302 and F303 in particular seem to be flavour of the month with certain other HIFI reviewers.
It's been swilling around my head. I even interviewed the MD at a hifi show with a view to sorting that out: theaudiophileman.com/bristol-hifi-show-2020-fyne-audio-speaker-news/
...but stuff kept getting in the way. I hope so but my current review queue is scarily long.
Focal Aria 906
Kef LS50
Dynaudio Evoke 20
We are currently looking at the Paradigm Founder 40B for our living room stereo set up. We can't go higher price wise and we love the idea that these are made close to where we live (we're in NW Ohio). They seem like beautiful speakers that are of exceptional quality.
We listen to vinyl, CDs, stream movies and play games (this last one does not require great speakers for me but it's just domething we do). Currently we use a pair of B&W 601 from the late 90s. I do love these speakers and they are actually there temporarily as I use them as the rear surrounds for our home theater system which is in another room.
So I guess my question is, for our purposes, would spending so much money on new speakers make a difference?
We are using a Yamaha receiver.
That depends on your source and what type of receiver you're using and the rest of your hifi chain.
I'm a real fan of Audio Physic high end speakers. I currently own Midex Floorstanders . Black glass and high gloss rosewood. Loved in Europe but no reviews in UK.
Thanks for a great video and nice to hear a fellow scouser! I just bought the Mission LX2s on your recommendation and wondering if you have any thoughts on a centre speaker I can pair them with please?
This one perhaps? www.mission.co.uk/lx-c1-mk2/
I'll mention a couple of Canadian brands, both designed in Canada made in China.
PSB Imagine B(bookshelf) and T(tower) series. They are in the above 1k$ range, very nice sounding, same company also makes NAD brand components.
Fluance XL8F towers, unusually inexpensive around the 800$cdn/pair mark, have not heard these personally.
And a couple of non-Canadian brands
Don't forget the old KEF LS50, currently being discounted heavily (in the 800$cdn/pair range) as the new "LS50 Meta" hit the market.
And my current favorite the Klipsch RP600M's
So many brands, so little time & cash :)
Happy New Year first. Then well as I bought speakers almost like I am buying perfume if I like how bottle looks like that's how I bought Wharfedale Evo 4.2 and put them on Wharfedale Jade speaker stands and now I have a problem with my amp and question for you here what do you think would REGA Brio mod 2017 be good choice for my speakers?????
Thank you for your time and your answers....
Hi I have a pair of Yamaha NSF 51 floorstanding speakers..and I luv em!
best advice i s going for sealed cabinet design, open baffle if you got the room for it.
stay away from ported derivatives of it, sound quality should come first in hifi.
Hi Paul.If you like you can test the new Mission LX-3 MΚII 350 euros.This new speaker was designed by Peter Comeau who i think also design the wrfs 225s! Against q acoustics 3030i and wharfedale 12.2s.I think its a winner.
I've noticed in the last decade or more and with most your showing, that new speakers are all usually 2-way speakers which usually lack either mid or lows and sound thin or hollow not giving a full rich sound like 3-Way or 4-way like they used to be which means they require a sub. I listen through vintage stereos and prefer vintage sound with 3 or 4 way speakers I only use 2-way with a sub for movies
Hi I'm about to upgrade my system , fun times :) I'm going to get the Cambridge 851A integrated Amplifier, the Cambridge 851N Network player and I was planning on the Wharfedale Evo 4.3 (small room so not the 4.4) floorstanders . What do you Paul and anybody else think about that match up and about those speakers in general ? I will audition them if I am able to, although in these difficult times that might be impossible and I might end up having to buy blind :( Comments and advise would be appreciated !
Hi Andy - in broad terms that set up sounds fine. I would urge a demo if you can. Home demos are becoming more common now so talk to your dealer about that. A home demo is preferred anyway because you get to hear your hifi in your own listening room.
@@TheAudiophileMan Ho Paul , Thanks . I will try for a demo but I'm buying from Richer Sounds and I live in Birmingham and the Richer Sounds in Birmingham is closed and as I'm without a car, so I can't get to the ones that are open. Richer sounds were running an option that if you were not happy with items you had bought you could return them once they reopened, not sure if they are still doing that but its not exactly a home demo anyway . I guess I probably will have to take a risk and buy blind. I've always liked Cambridge and Wharfedale equipment so i will hope for the best. As always a great review/buyers guide thank you .
I would urge those who are after a live, free-breathing, dynamic, truly natural sound, as opposed to a "refined" hi-fi sound should check out Klipsch. The Heritage series if you can stretch that far, but the RP series is also not bad. Valve amps or lowish powered A-class designs will bring out the best in them. And no, they are not just rock speakers, chamber music and vocals can be breathtakingly real as well.
Fyne audio if looking for rogue Tannoy engineers. I am really happy with a pair of F303s.
I cannot improve on your recommendations. The Spendor A4 is a speaker of great interest to me and your mention of the Tannoy Eaton is most intriguing.
If you are serious I would audition Monitor Audio Silver first. I sold my A7 to keep my old Silver 8 because they sounded equal at 1/3 the price.
@@buttonman1831 thank you for the pointer.
@@buttonman1831 the monitor audio silver 8 are wonderful speakers with a combination with Sugden amp better than honey but is an expensive amplifier
@@parisstromatias637 I always paired mine with Hegel amps. The work exceptional even with the entry level h90.
@@buttonman1831 Hegel amplifiers very good but they try to be like Creek amplifiers sound signature
TBF, I could recommend the powered Triangle Elara LN01. You get a complete system for 400€ which sounds pretty darn great. Unless you're a speaker hobiest, it's really hard to justify spending more.
I'm well aware the recommendation was not to choose powered speakers, however, I'd really love to hear the opinion of experienced people about the Audioengine A5+ (wireless or not, I don't really care about Bluetooth stuff), as well as the Kanto YU6 ones. Would anyone be able to chip in on these?
Could you make a dedicated review on the mission series LX2 and the QX2 as well and compare them against the most reviewed speakers like Q acoustics KEF etc. There are not many references for those available online.
I'll add that idea to my list - thanks.
Tannoy speakers are lovely. These days, I mostly listen to music stored on my Apple devices. I love Devialet Phantom.
I wish you tube would provide a search / sort function in the comments section to find occurrences of what people say about brand/model x, , z...
Hi Paul,
Are there any particular attributes or designs to look for when shortlisting speakers and building a system that sounds great at low to moderate volumes?
I shall soon be moving to a new non detached house and do not want to annoy the neighbours. Am I right in thinking I should go for a small stand mount (diamond 12,1, Evo 4.1 etc), or would a small floorstander provide the quality at lower volumes? A decent set of headphones are already in mind. Many thanks and all the best.
very informative video! perhaps just a quick tip for future videos if I may. you might want to run the audio that's going to end up in the final video through a piece of software called "a de-esser". This will improve the audio quality of the videos alot. Apart from that, nothing but good quality information here!
Thanks for the tip - in just about every video I do try and change, enhance and improve. Doesn't always work out, I have to say. Sometimes my tweaks fall flat on their faces but I learn from every one and move forwards. Part of the issue is funding too of course so, when I can upgrade software/hardware, that helps too and I have a shopping list here :) But yes, I'll keep on tweaking so, over the weeks and months you'll hopefully see the results of that.
Great video! I love my Spendor Classic 3/1’s. Good job, Paul.
Thanks Art.