selecting floorstanding speakers

[baberuth]

I am in the market for some floorstanding speakers. What's a good pair for $1,200-1,500 for 2 channel listening? I have a 12" sub as well. I appreciate the help!!!! Also, where is a good online retailer to pick them up? cheers.

[psonic]

The best floorstanders for that money, IMO, are Dynaudio Audience 72 or 62. The 72 has more bass but you may not need it with your sub. Around $1100 - 1500/pr. The only thing with these, they will need a 4ohm happy amp and at least 40-50 clean w/ch.
http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speakers/main-speaker/dynaudio/PRD_124975_1594crx.aspx
http://www.dynaudiousa.com/company/dlr.htm - check and see if there's a nearby dealer - I would be very wary of ANY online speaker seller, especially online - only speakers. Rather, go to local hifi shops and bring some CDs and spend time listening to different gear at all prices, this will give you good reference for what sound you want...

Other Good floorstanders under $1500 deserving an audition -
Energy C7 C5 C9
Vienna acoustics (any model)
B&W (604?)
Kef Q5 Q7
Totem (any)

[Buzz Roll]

Those are all great suggestions (I've heard 'em all!), but after a very long search, I settled with Ohm Walsh series. I have the MicroWalsh Tall, but if your room is larger, than you might go for the 100 Mk2. These are excellent speakers - mid-range purity (no crossover until 8k), absolutely boxless sound, natural tonal balance, big sweet spot, easy to place, great customer service - factory direct: upgrades, trade-ups, no store/distributor mark-up... Just call them up and they'll advise you on which model will work for you. With a 4 month trial period it's worth a try - order a pair and while you have them, audition everything you can.

Other suggestions would be Magnepan 1.6, GMA Europa, Vandersteen 2ce. Also Von Schweikerts are nice, give thes a try, but it all depends on you.

[topspeed]

This thread (http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=10906) should give you more options than you'll ever need. Remember though, the only opinion that matters is yours. Regardless of what anybody else thinks, it's your money so audition everything you can and arrive at your own conclusions.

Enjoy the ride!

[PAT.P]

There so many to choose from and everybody as different opinion .The best test is your ears.This is what I mostly look for in a speaker The Broad Measures of loudspeaker performance capability.1)Sensitivity 2) Frequency response3)Power handling4) Impedance.There also the issue of what kind of tweeter (horn tweeter,dome ect) the size of drivers .I like Energy ,Paradigm, Dahlquist .Pat.P

[Yonettes]

Don't forget to look at Paradigm or JM Lab Cobalt...Great Value. Priced right.

Just remember that buying speakers is like buying cologne. Too many each day, and they all smell they same. Listen to two or three per day and pick the best of the bunch...Next time out, pick that one and one or two more...Repeat until you eliminate all that you want to listen to.

[hermanv]

PSB Stratus Gold always gets great reviews (205 reviews on this site, average rating 4.5), I liked them when I listened. They were $2,500 new, should be in your price range used.

[RGA]

Also note that many standmounts sound better than their floorstanding counterparts -- generally they won't go as loud or as deep - but there are a few exceptions.

For two channel listening there are a number fo good speakers I can recommend -- but I would spend time listening -- NOT reading advertsing magazine or web blather like this. I can rave about strawberries all day but if strawberries make you wretch then maybe it's time to go to the apple basket.

And you'll notice that everything gets great reviews and I can tell you that when 99.98% of everything gets great reviews it's not very helpful when most of that percent is made up of stuff the reviewer would never actually want to own. I recommend lots of stuff I would never buy -- it's reviewed on the belief that OTHERS will like what it has to offer and most speakers have something to offer.

you have to listen first -- or don't bother.

[Woochifer]

If you're already using a 12" sub, you might want to consider a standmounted speaker. Without having to pay for the extra cabinetry and bass extension, you can pick a set of speakers that have much more mindblowing performance with the vital midrange and highs. Just as an example, you could try out Energy' floorstanding Connoisseur speakers or go with the bookshelf models in their Veritas series. In my listening, plenty of floorstanding speakers generate severe cabinet resonance that diminishes the imaging and make the sound less focused.

Also, keep in mind that most speaker companies in your price range specifically prohibit online sales for their products. In a lot of cases, if you find the speakers in the $1,000+ price range sold through an online vendor, it's unauthorized and the consequence to the consumer is an invalidated warranty. As others have suggested, the best thing to do is start listening and comparing. That's part of the fun, and just going off of reviews and ordering something just because you find it cheap online deprives you of that process. Take your time, don't rush into anything, and don't get caught up in hype. Only you know the type of sound that you prefer.