Recommendations for music as first priority?

[Tyler]

I am in the market for some new speakers that are designed around music first, home theater second. I am considering either some Definitive Technology, Klipsch, or Paradigm speakers.

Now, I know choosing a speaker is a very personal thing, with everyone having different tastes in what sounds good and what not, but the nearest high-end dealer is a good three hour drive. So, I came here first for at least some suggestions.

Let me start off by saying that I'm not really in the market for that warm, jazz-house sound. I want something that will play in your face heavy metal with THUNDEROUS bass (I need a lot of bass) and brilliant highs. I don't care if they're a little harsh. I want to hear each double bass drum kick on Metallica's Master of Puppets, every slap of the E string on Flea's bass. I want to hear every chime of the high-hat on Korn's self-titled album. At the same time, I want Stevie Ray Vaughn's rendition of Voodoo Child to sound like a live performance in my room, and the solos on Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb to take me to another dimension.

Speaking of my room, these speakers are starting out in my bedroom, and eventually moving to a living room when I get a house built and get out of this condo. So, a little over-kill now is not a bad thing for me. I can always tune them down, but don't want to be left wanting more, ever.

I'm looking to spend less than $2000 for the main speakers, and will eventually get the center, surrounds, and a sub later on. I already have all of those, but my main order of business is getting some kick-ass main speakers first.

The speakers will see a small amount of movies, so as long as they sound decent playing back Gone in 60 Seconds, I will be happy. The surrounds, center, and sub will be for SACD playback, since I just purchased a SACD player.

I currently have just a basic home theater receiver. It's a Yamaha HTR-5250. I *think* it puts out between 100-120 watts RMS 5 ways at either 4 or 8 ohms, I don't recall off the top of my head. It's not the best, but I think it's pretty decent.

Anyways, that's what I'm looking for. Thanks to all for any help you may have for me.

[Wireworm5]

I have the Paradigm Studio 100 v2. I think it fits the speaker your describing. Mine is powered by a Yamaha RX-V2200 which does the job, but 200 to 300 watts is probably better suited for this speaker. It might be difficult to find the v 2 since the 100 v3 are out and sell for $2400 CDN. You can get the v2 for $1800 or less.Keep in mind when you listen to these the bass at flat response is clean. If this is not enough thump for you, then just turn the bass tone control 2 or 3 notches to the right.
I would also check out Klispch RF-7. Haven't heard these, but they might be more to your liking.
Cheers!

[F1]

I have the Paradigm Studio 100 v2. I think it fits the speaker your describing......
Cheers!

I would go different route. I suggest to save the money and get Studio 40 (instead floorstander model) along with good subwoofer i.e Hsu VTF-3. This will give you kick-ass combo better than Studio 100 alone imo. Good luck.

[Wireworm5]

The 40's with a sub might be better in the mid-range. But I don't think it can match the 3 woofers in the 100 v3's. And the 100's can go as low as 27htz, so he may not even need a sub.

[This Guy]

I am in the market for some new speakers that are designed around music first, home theater second. I am considering either some Definitive Technology, Klipsch, or Paradigm speakers.

Now, I know choosing a speaker is a very personal thing, with everyone having different tastes in what sounds good and what not, but the nearest high-end dealer is a good three hour drive. So, I came here first for at least some suggestions.

Let me start off by saying that I'm not really in the market for that warm, jazz-house sound. I want something that will play in your face heavy metal with THUNDEROUS bass (I need a lot of bass) and brilliant highs. I don't care if they're a little harsh. I want to hear each double bass drum kick on Metallica's Master of Puppets, every slap of the E string on Flea's bass. I want to hear every chime of the high-hat on Korn's self-titled album. At the same time, I want Stevie Ray Vaughn's rendition of Voodoo Child to sound like a live performance in my room, and the solos on Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb to take me to another dimension.

Speaking of my room, these speakers are starting out in my bedroom, and eventually moving to a living room when I get a house built and get out of this condo. So, a little over-kill now is not a bad thing for me. I can always tune them down, but don't want to be left wanting more, ever.

I'm looking to spend less than $2000 for the main speakers, and will eventually get the center, surrounds, and a sub later on. I already have all of those, but my main order of business is getting some kick-ass main speakers first.

The speakers will see a small amount of movies, so as long as they sound decent playing back Gone in 60 Seconds, I will be happy. The surrounds, center, and sub will be for SACD playback, since I just purchased a SACD player.

I currently have just a basic home theater receiver. It's a Yamaha HTR-5250. I *think* it puts out between 100-120 watts RMS 5 ways at either 4 or 8 ohms, I don't recall off the top of my head. It's not the best, but I think it's pretty decent.

Anyways, that's what I'm looking for. Thanks to all for any help you may have for me.

Look at the Klipsch reference speakers. They sound perfect for your music, they got bass, and VERY loud. I'd take a listen of these. http://www.klipsch.com/

Look for the RF-7 with dual 10" woofers. They also have a pretty musical sub in the reference line up as well.

-Joey

[RGA]

For the type of music you want the Klipsh or Paradigm should do a reasonable job. One of the big Klipsh modesl is going for $999.00Cdn up here.

Neither makes me believe i'm listening to live music because neither is dynamic enough in the bass nor art they timberally correct. And box resonance occurse at louder levels. But for Metaliica? Both should do quite well and knocking you on your butt.

The Horns in the Klipsh will really jump out and they have plenty of kick..I like their extremes better and while they're less balanced than the 100 they sound more lively...ie you either like their "personailty" or you don't. The 100 has a big bold sound is better built and is superior in the mid band. A little lifeless overall to me.

But you are correct you need to go out and listen. You'll find a lot of slim line designs using multiple small ~6 inch woofers lack a big sound. Adding subs help bass depth, but still cannot fix the lack of dynamics in the midrange.

If you can find a used set of Klipshhorns(must be placed in a corner) that would be a rocker's dream...and it'll play all music very well.

It's a shame really, If you were living in BC I could let you listen to my 10 year old Wharfedale Vangaurds which were about 2k back then. They use a small horn tweeter(is round) a 10inch woofer and 5 inch mid with contour controls for the mid and treble. It would have the Paradigm and Klipsh for lunch as a rocker...certainly play louder than either one and more dynamic sounding. Unfortunately Wharfedale was bought out and don't really make a pure rocker anymore...perhaps the Zaldek line...but they're cheap boom boxy appearance is tough to take.

You may want to look at the Axiom M80ti. Several people on forums have liked this Axiom speaker better than the Paradigm 100 and it's about 30-40% less money. Trouble is they are an internet shipper.

Still, th comparisons are often drawn so if you LIKE the 100's sound - then you may want to order the Axioms and try them out...You can always return them. The Axioms LOOK better and if the sound matches then that's a good deal for $1100.00. They need a lot more power than the Paradigms...but you have $900.00 for a good power amp...you'd only need about $500.00 for a Rotel or Adcom etc. http://www.axiomaudio.com/m80ti.html

[ryewoods]

$2000 is a pretty nice sized budget that will allow you to step up to speakers beyond that of Paradigm, B&W, Energy, etc. Check out offerings from Jean Marie Reynaud, Dynaudio, ACI, Harbeth, Soliloquy, Sonus Faber, Spendor, and Von Schweikert. I would also highly recommend the Ellis Audio 1801b. However, there's about a 1 year waiting list for the 1801. If you feel like waiting, it uses drivers found in speakers costing $5000 or more, and a top notch cross over. Their cabinets are a thing of beauty, all for about $1400.

[RGA]

$2000 is a pretty nice sized budget that will allow you to step up to speakers beyond that of Paradigm, B&W, Energy, etc. Check out offerings from Jean Marie Reynaud, Dynaudio, ACI, Harbeth, Soliloquy, Sonus Faber, Spendor, and Von Schweikert. I would also highly recommend the Ellis Audio 1801b. However, there's about a 1 year waiting list for the 1801. If you feel like waiting, it uses drivers found in speakers costing $5000 or more, and a top notch cross over. Their cabinets are a thing of beauty, all for about $1400.

Yes his budget is very nice and all but he wants a pure rocker with LOUD bass response. Most of the speakers you list are proabably better speakers, but for ROCK? no sorry they're mostly gutless...especially Sonus Faber and some Dynaudios which tend to be laid back and rather soft. Though I like both better overall than some of the others...Paradigm Klipsh and Axiom for pure gut renchig raw power are about as good as one can do under 2k.

If he's less discerning of quality and want to kick the volume and bass up another level the big Cerwin Vegas can crack plaster in your wall with its big 15 inch woofer. And these are a lot less thn 2k

[ryewoods]

Yes his budget is very nice and all but he wants a pure rocker with LOUD bass response. Most of the speakers you list are proabably better speakers, but for ROCK? no sorry they're mostly gutless...especially Sonus Faber and some Dynaudios which tend to be laid back and rather soft. Though I like both better overall than some of the others...Paradigm Klipsh and Axiom for pure gut renchig raw power are about as good as one can do under 2k.

If he's less discerning of quality and want to kick the volume and bass up another level the big Cerwin Vegas can crack plaster in your wall with its big 15 inch woofer. And these are a lot less thn 2k

True. I had originally missed the part about the bass, and then didn't feel like editing my entire post. ;-) Most of those companies make speakers that are known for their "finess." That being said, I would recommend the Vandersteen 2Ce Signature, which uses a 10" and an 8" woofer to produce enormous bass down into the 20s. Check out the Stereophile review. It also uses Scan Speak and Vifa drivers, which are higher quality than most of what is used in "mass produced" equipment.

http://vandersteen.com/pages/The%20Model%202Ce%20Signature.html

[trauski]

sounds like you are on the right track for the speakers you are looking for. i just took the plunge a month ago and purchased the paradigm studio 60 v2. they are the same as the studio 40 which was mentioned previously but housed in a bigger cabinet. im running a small 8 inch veladyne sub with them and love the sound i get. i will upgrade sub one day but really cant complain. have gone thru 1/4 of my music collection and loving every minute of it. you would be happy with the studio 40, 60 or 100;s. but i think you would want a sub as some movies have some intense Lfe in 5.1 that might be a bit much for mains to handle especially with the amount of power you are pumping out unless you got a more powerful reciever. plus i just like what the sub adds to the 60's with music. it clearly makes a big difference. i listened to a 25,000 dollar system at a shop and they were swithching a 4000 dollars sub on and off and i could barely hear the difference and they were using some killer bookshelves with it.obviosly i have mine crossed over at a different setting than the killer system did but i want to hear a difference. i know of a pair of studio 100's v2 at a dealer for 1200 that are floor demos if you are interested in black. weight about 100 pounds each for shipping. good luck. p.s i bought a used record the other day. fetchin bones. listened to the first song STRAY and cranked it and it rocked on those speakers the bass lines where killer.

[Tyler]

I'm thinking right now that the Klipsch RF-7's might be the way to go for me. It just doesn't seem like they would have much in the way of mid-bass, what with the horn and two tens. But, they seem to get rave reviews.

[rb122]

You mentioned Metallica's "Master of Puppets" which I have not heard. How would you rate this against the so-called "Black Album" or "St Anger", both of which I have heard?

Sorry this isn't a speaker post.

[topspeed]

True. I had originally missed the part about the bass, and then didn't feel like editing my entire post. ;-) Most of those companies make speakers that are known for their "finess." That being said, I would recommend the Vandersteen 2Ce Signature, which uses a 10" and an 8" woofer to produce enormous bass down into the 20s. Check out the Stereophile review. It also uses Scan Speak and Vifa drivers, which are higher quality than most of what is used in "mass produced" equipment.

http://vandersteen.com/pages/The%20Model%202Ce%20Signature.html

Are you serious? Jeez, the 2ce's I heard driven by Theta amps were the very essence of "laid back." They make SF sound "forward" for Pete's sake! I've gotta agree with everyone else here, for rock he should look into Klipsch or Paradigm. RGA's suggestion for used Klipschorns was right on the money. Some Forte II or Heresy's would do very well too and will be much easier to find.

[Woochifer]

It sounds like you've got the right list of speaker brands lined up for trial, given what you're looking for. As a satisfied Paradigm Studio 40 owner, I would recommend them for an audition, with some caveats. The new Paradigm Studio series v.3 models gained a lot of bass accuracy, but has a little less thump than their v.2 models did because Paradigm evened out the bass response in the midbass. But, the Studio 100 is a beast with very good bass extension, and it's right at your price range.

However, the sound more comparable to what you'd hear from the Klipsch RF series and the Def Tech BP series would the Paradigm Monitor series. It has a more aggressive and forward sound than their Studio series, but still has good accuracy in the midrange and excellent imaging. Give them a good listen, and don't be afraid to consider bookshelf speakers paired with a subwoofer. A separate self-powered subwoofer gives you a lot of flexibility with how the bass sounds, and it allows you to more easily compensate for problems with room acoustics, since the main speakers are typically placed along middle of the front wall where the bass response is weakest and a separate subwoofer allows you to use a parametric equalizer to reduce boominess.

[Woochifer]

You mentioned Metallica's "Master of Puppets" which I have not heard. How would you rate this against the so-called "Black Album" or "St Anger", both of which I have heard?

Sorry this isn't a speaker post.

IMO, "Master of Puppets" is the definitive Metallica album. It retains the raw speed metal roots from their earlier work, but it's much more focused, complete, and fully realized. The album has aggression and purpose, and knows how to express it.

I don't know if you can really rate it against their self-titled album or "St. Anger" because the "Black Album" is really where Metallica made a deliberate break from their earlier albums and went with a more mainstream sound. Most of the songs on Master of Puppets are sprawling adventures that unwind in long form, loaded with off rhythms, abrupt timing and key changes, hyperfast riffs, and fairly complex layering of sounds. Starting with their self-titled album, they pared things down to shorter songs, simpler timing and keys, and a generally more conventional approach to songwriting. It's still often good stuff, but nowhere near as ambitious as their earlier work.

I personally think that Master of Puppets is one of the best metal albums ever made, and easily whoops anything they've done since then. That album along with the previous album, Ride The Lightning, really changed the direction that metal music would take. It may sound somewhat dated given that the albums came out in 1984 and 1986, but you can't really appreciate how important those albums were unless you know how far down in the dumper metal music had gotten creatively by the early-80s with all the hair bands that were dominating by that time. Highly recommended.

[Pat D]

You may want to look at the Axiom M80ti. Several people on forums have liked this Axiom speaker better than the Paradigm 100 and it's about 30-40% less money. Trouble is they are an internet shipper.

Still, th comparisons are often drawn so if you LIKE the 100's sound - then you may want to order the Axioms and try them out...You can always return them. The Axioms LOOK better and if the sound matches then that's a good deal for $1100.00. They need a lot more power than the Paradigms...but you have $900.00 for a good power amp...you'd only need about $500.00 for a Rotel or Adcom etc. http://www.axiomaudio.com/m80ti.html

The NRC measurements indicate a sensitivity of 90 dB.

http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/measurements/axiom_m80ti/

While it is certainly best considered a 4 ohm speaker, so is the Paradigm Studio 100, v. 3, which has a sensitivity of 88 dB andgets down close to 3 ohms in the mid-bass.

http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/measurements/paradigm_studio100_v3/

It looks to me that the Axiom would be somewhat easier to drive.

[RGA]

The NRC measurements indicate a sensitivity of 90 dB.

http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/measurements/axiom_m80ti/

While it is certainly best considered a 4 ohm speaker, so is the Paradigm Studio 100, v. 3, which has a sensitivity of 88 dB andgets down close to 3 ohms in the mid-bass.

http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/measurements/paradigm_studio100_v3/

It looks to me that the Axiom would be somewhat easier to drive.

The Studio 100 V2 is an 8ohm speaker...I am unfamiliar with the V3. Ideally you don't want to run a junk amp with any speaker...but of course DBT supporter could obviously runa $140.00 JVC ghetto blaster because after all 400 watts from one of those is no worse than a 150 Watt Bryston. In fact the JVC must be better it has more watts.

[Pat D]

The Studio 100 V2 is an 8ohm speaker...I am unfamiliar with the V3. Ideally you don't want to run a junk amp with any speaker...but of course DBT supporter could obviously runa $140.00 JVC ghetto blaster because after all 400 watts from one of those is no worse than a 150 Watt Bryston. In fact the JVC must be better it has more watts.

The Paradigm Studio 100, v. 2, is a 4 ohm speaker, or at least that's how I would class it since it's impedance drops below 4 ohms in a musically energetic range.

http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/252/index5.html

[RGA]

The Paradigm Studio 100, v. 2, is a 4 ohm speaker, or at least that's how I would class it since it's impedance drops below 4 ohms in a musically energetic range.

http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/252/index5.html

What you class it as makes no difference. Paradigm rates the speaker as 8 ohms...Axiom rates their speaker as 4 ohms. Plenty of speakers rated at 8ohms will dip to 3. Speakers at 4 ohms may dip to under 2.

My Sugden ran the 100 better than i've ever heard the Studio 100V2 run and my amp will blow it's fuse at ~2ohms at high volume levels with bass and treble heavy music that did not happen. It might not happen with the Axiom either.

Maybe neither designer knows their nominal impedence in which case they're both incompetant and they should have John Atkinson run their companies.