Another ubiquitous thread about needing help choosing inexpensive speaker. Help?

[funk-o-meter]

Yup... another one. I know, I know, your all nauseated reading another "which is better between these cheap speaker" thread, but I've been doing lots of research and I've kind narrowed it down to a few.

Here's what I'm looking for: Looking for bookshelf, but will go with a tower if it's in the price range. Price range is around 200$ tops. Build quality really doesn't matter to me. They probably won't be around for 10 years. I'm looking mainly for stereo listening. It'll be part of a HT system, but thats not the priority. If I go with bookshelves, I'll probably add a modest sub later.

Here's what I like: I like quick, deep bass, but hate boomy, love a crystal transparent top end. I generally hate any metal tweeter (a la JBL). Generally dig a silk dome the most. So that rules out most cheap stuff. I think JBL, and Bose are crap. (not that they sound that bad, just sound bad to me especially for the price) I've got a set of Even 20/20 bas active bi-amped active monitors that I LOVE. I generally like the sound of most Kef's but worry about them being a bit easy to smoke. I've seen it done, I used to sell KEF. Also, its got that "British base" which is generally a bit lacking.

Kef Coda 7's (used via Ebay)
Kef Coda 70's (Ebay)
Bic Venturi DV62i's (maybe mod them)
Bic Venturi DV 64's or 84's (can't find many revues, haven't hear them, but might take a gamble at the price. Maybe get Bill Frias to mod them.)
2x Bic Venturi DV62CLR-S's as LR
Axiom M3ti's

I'll be pushing them with a Denon 1801.

I'm considering just buying a pair of BIC's for now and waiting a bit to snipe a more expensive set of mains off Ebay. Maybe some Kef Model 1's or something floor standing like that. Then the Bic's would be relegated to rear's or outside on the beer-drinking porch. Do these things really sound as good as people say they do? And has anybody got the towers? How are they? I can't find many reviews on them. Also interested in using the famous centers "DV62CLR-S" as a LCR config. A bit more expensive, but if they really sound as good as the reviews I've read, I'll bite.

BTW, anybody got any price info on Ed Frais's moded BIC's? I read you can just buy them from him already moded. And does that guy have a website?


Thanks guys, this forum and site is great.

[RGA]

Some of the kefs use metal tweeters! I think they compete but are not my cup of tea.

You could try the staple Wharfedale now basically under the Quad umbrella. The Diamond 8.1 or 8.2 bookshelf would be nice speakers and not shrill -- but neither will they be as open or extended sounding as the Kef. There are tradeoffs with everything. The Kefs and B&Ws (303) are more expensive they off a bigger sound -- more treble extension but at the same time that treble extension comes with shrillness -- so if you can stomach the shrillness they are probably better speakers if you cannot then the Diamonds which are a little more subdued are also smoother more listenable long term IMO. All of them are good mind you - it's simply going to come down to what YOU can listen to and what YOU cannot. And don;t judge all metal tweeters off of what JBL is doing.

You know I saw a set of Wharfedale E70 loudspeakers on E-bay that end up selling for about $300.00Cdn. I have a set of Vanguards circa 1990 that look similar. If you ever see these on E-bay they are not the most accurate things in the world but then nothing is perfectly accurate so the goal should be enjoyment. These things will rock and are not shrill...The Vanguard was $2199.00US in 1990 and you could probably get them for a $250-$400.00 today. I use this only as an example there are probably a THOUSAND other vintage or getting to be vintage speakers that you could get for a song. http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/hfw/oldeworldehtml/wharfedalee70.html

Also try here for used speakers http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/vintage/bbs.html

[funk-o-meter]

Well, I can't find anything that really interests me at the moment for what I have to spend, and as my receiver is going to arrive in a few days, I needed something! So I just ordered a pair of the BIC 62's for now. I'll pick up something better of "TheBay" sometime soon. For now I can take my time and really find something I'll love for years. And probably have some more bones to spend on them by then anyway. If the BIC's don't suck, I'll use them as rears later on. If they suck, they'll go on the beer drinking porch for grill out's. If they sound good, I'll buy the center and have them all modded by Ed. If they sound unbelievable, I'll by 3 centers or a set of the towers and be happy as a fat man at a buffet.

I'm really interested to hear these things since so many people have been tweaking out over them. I've heard a lot of good speakers in my day. And a lot of bad. I've been working in studio's so long, I've not bought anything "home audio" in probably 10 years. I've always had a pair of good nearfeilds around for critical listening and never bought a good set for the living room. I know nothing I can buy for a reasonable price (up to a few thousand) is going to come close to the reference systems I listen to when I'm making a records. (Dynaudio in wall mid fields, Genelec's and such) especially when most of my listening sources are 2" 24trk tape or a HD Pro Tools rig running at 196khz/48bit and all through a Neve's or an SSL's. And not to mention when I get to sit in on mastering sessions. I always love doing that (greatest thing I ever heard was Bob Ludwig's mastering studio while he was mastering Roy Orbison's Black and White Evening DVD). But I'm delving in to this cause I want to pick up a universal player and start listening to the good SA and DVD audio stuff, along with all my old vinyl. And I realized I haven't been listening to enough music lately.

So, when they come, I'll do my best to give a reasonable review. I've never reviewed gear for the audiophile crowd. I talk gear all the time, but us musicians have a different lingo.
I'm getting impatient. :p

Stay tunned....