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Nighty
09-05-2006, 02:27 PM
Hi all,

First of all thanks for reading. =) I really appreciate your help.:blush2:

I need a new set of speakers, as my old set of Infinity IL-50 Broke during shipping and it cost more to get it fixed than getting a new one.
So I thought I might as well upgrade my speakers.

Currently I am looking for a pair of nice floor stand or bookshelf and a sub.
I usually listen to lounge, house, jazz, vocal jazz and trance.
And my budget is around $1,000 – 2,000 USD
by the way like CyndyC posted earlier. I do prefer something thats smaller, prettier and more elegant.

Do you guys have any suggestions? :confused:

Thanks a lot!

Someone told me to get these Quad Electrostatic flat panel speakers ESL57
http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/2608/picture20rig20004ah3.jpg

Yes? No? I have no idea~ please help

dingus
09-05-2006, 05:18 PM
the ESL57 isnt what i would consider a small speaker. though not tall, it has a fairly large footprint.

with that budget and music taste, i would try to find a pair of Vandersteen 2c Signatures. failing that, the 2ce's would fit the bill nicely and can be found for around $600 or less.

stock photo of the 2c. its a floor stander that isnt too big and i think looks great.
http://www.youngbloodsystems.com/images/speakervandersteen2ce.gif

Dusty Chalk
09-05-2006, 07:34 PM
Quad 22L -- US$1600 MSRP
Focal something (716S? Cobalt 806?) -- US$1100
Vandersteens aren't a bad suggestion, neither, I wouldn't scratch them off your short list

Meh, that's all I can think of, right now. I could usually reel off a lot more.

paul_pci
09-05-2006, 09:11 PM
If you have good amplification check out Dynaudio and Vienna Acoustic speakers in your price range.

drseid
09-06-2006, 12:05 AM
I would suggest looking at a used pair of these Tyler Acoustics Taylo Reference Monitors http://tyleracoustics.com/Images/speakers/cherry_lg2.gif ($1100/pr. with 2 yr warranty on the Tyler site): http://tyleracoustics.com/taylo.html

coupled with one of these ACI Force XL subwoofers ($750 new in black) found here: http://audioc.com/speakers1/forcexl/forcexl.htm

Great combo, especially for music use.

If you would prefer only new speakers, then the Tyler Acoustics Freedom series F-4 floorstanders http://tyleracoustics.com/Images/speakers/Freedom/F4LG.jpg ($1650/pr. new) are in your price range. A link to information about them is here: http://tyleracoustics.com/freedom.html

I personally think the former option will sound better, but both are good bang for the buck options that will provide high performance, IMO.

---Dave

JoeE SP9
09-06-2006, 07:32 AM
Hi all,

First of all thanks for reading. =) I really appreciate your help.:blush2:

I need a new set of speakers, as my old set of Infinity IL-50 Broke during shipping and it cost more to get it fixed than getting a new one.
So I thought I might as well upgrade my speakers.

Currently I am looking for a pair of nice floor stand or bookshelf and a sub.
I usually listen to lounge, house, jazz, vocal jazz and trance.
And my budget is around $1,000 – 2,000 USD
by the way like CyndyC posted earlier. I do prefer something thats smaller, prettier and more elegant.

Do you guys have any suggestions? :confused:

Thanks a lot!

Someone told me to get these Quad Electrostatic flat panel speakers ESL57
http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/2608/picture20rig20004ah3.jpg

Yes? No? I have no idea~ please help

Everyone has given you some nice suggestions. Myself, I lean toward the ESL 57's although I would not recommend them for you. I would suggest you go out to the local dealers and listen to what they have to offer. Buying any speakers without hearing them first is a crap shoot. There are several manufacturers that allow in home auditioning. Ohm and Magneplanar are the most well known. You could try a pair of Magneplanar MMG's. They are $500 a pair and can be returned for a refund in thirty days. The Ohm's are available under the same deal. If you purchase the Magneplanar's, within a year you can trade them in for a larger pair and apply your purchase price to the new ones. If you add a decent sub woofer to the Maggy's they may be all the speaker you'll ever want.
In any case, get a home audition or listen to them first. Under no circumstances buy any speakers unless you have heard them first. There are speaker reviews in the review section on this site. You might want to check them out.:cool:

Nighty
09-06-2006, 08:18 AM
Hi all,

Thanks a lot for all the sugesstions, they really helped me a lot and i got to know a lot more brands. :blush2: THANKS!

Im going to take this slowly, and do more detailed research. As i read more i realize how little knowledge i have in speakers and audio systems.

I went to listen to the Castle Acoustics Conway 3. They were GREAT and pretty, the size was just right. But i thought maybe the sound was so great because the dealer had like a HUGE & pro amp.

I only have a CLICK ME (http://www.shopping.com/xPF-Sony_STR_DE1075) as my receiver, i know they arent that great. But lets see what we can match it with.

I really like the design and size of the Castle Acoustics Stirling 3 too. Never heard how it sounds tho.

http://www.castle.uk.com/media/classic_media/classic_models/classic_conway1.jpg

The Tyler Acoustics Taylo Reference Monitors with a sub is an awesome idea also but im not sure if my reciever is good enough to push out the best sound of it. Maybe i can get a new real amp too tho.

by the way my living room (where im putting the speakers) is really small 4.5x4.5Sq.Meters. Maybe that will effect our choices too? =D

I will do more research and people please give me more advice! THANK YOU ALL SOO MUCH!!!

Dusty Chalk
09-06-2006, 01:46 PM
Well, the nice thing about having an amp is that it allows you to take longer to shop around for a new one. Take your time with all of this -- it's important to get a good "synergy". I heard that the Manley Stingray and the Dynaudios both "rock", but they ended up not being that good a match.

If you get a pair of speakers to please you with your existing amp (I.E. easy to drive), then you'll probably be fine just upgrading your amp later. BTW, the Sony is not really that bad -- just a little harsh/edgy, but other than that, it's fine.

You could do worse than the Castles. I don't know how good a match they'd be with the Sony, but just make sure they're returnable.

4.5x4.5? Ugh, you may want to consider treating your room. (Square is bad.) Search on the name "Ethan Winer". But sizewise, that's not bad.

thekid
09-06-2006, 02:59 PM
I can't speak to the sound quality of the speaker you pictured but it looks like a couch cushion on wheels but the SQ is the aim here so go for what your ears hear not what your eyes see ....... :)

bigfanga
09-07-2006, 05:58 AM
The ESL-57's are classics, regarded by many as the greatest loudspaker ever made, but they do have some serious drawbacks, namely bass response (extremeyl weak) and room placement (extremely picky). I feel pretty confident in telling you that they will not work in a square room. Peter Walker (Quad founder) once said that they work best in a very rectangular room, about 1/3 of the way into the rectangle (I hope I am making this clear) along the long walls.

My musical tastes are very similar to yours and I'll take this opportunity to plug the Quad 22L, which I have. The finishes are all top notch (veneer with 7 coats of laquer) , especially the birdseye maple. The sound, once run in properly (100-200hrs), is simply fantatsic and the price ($1600 retail, but you can find much better thru A-gon) is right in your wheelhouse.


EDIT: Oops, I forgot to add this. I am driving my Quads with a Pioneer VSX-1014 receiver (110 per channel) and while it certainly punches above it's weight and is a superb receiver for the $$, it is not the greatest ever made. My point is that the Quads sound fantastic with this entry-level receiver so you should be safe with the Sony until you can upgrade.

Go to Quad's website and take a look at them. Also, see if they have a dealer in your area for audition. I think you will really like them if you listen (and look) at them.

bobsticks
09-07-2006, 06:26 AM
Checking out the specs on the Sony I see that you're limited to just a sub preamp output. That is going to make adding an additional amp impossible, and that leaves you back with Dusty's suggestion of moderate to highly efficient speakers.

I own electrostatics and love them. That said, if house and trance are major parts of your musical diet, you probably need to audition panels with some of that music. They are not "bad" but the presentation will be much different than you are used to. Also, it must be noted that most stats will require more juice than the Sony can provide to really sing.

I think the Castles are most likely a safe bet, and I love Dave's suggestion of the Tylers and a sub (you can choose among a variety of finishes if those pictured do not meet your conceptions of elegance) and I would consider auditioning KEF Q11s.

Cheers and have fun

Bernd
09-07-2006, 06:51 AM
Hi all,

Thanks a lot for all the sugesstions, they really helped me a lot and i got to know a lot more brands. :blush2: THANKS!

Im going to take this slowly, and do more detailed research. As i read more i realize how little knowledge i have in speakers and audio systems.

I went to listen to the Castle Acoustics Conway 3. They were GREAT and pretty, the size was just right. But i thought maybe the sound was so great because the dealer had like a HUGE & pro amp.

I only have a CLICK ME (http://www.shopping.com/xPF-Sony_STR_DE1075) as my receiver, i know they arent that great. But lets see what we can match it with.

I really like the design and size of the Castle Acoustics Stirling 3 too. Never heard how it sounds tho.

http://www.castle.uk.com/media/classic_media/classic_models/classic_conway1.jpg

The Tyler Acoustics Taylo Reference Monitors with a sub is an awesome idea also but im not sure if my reciever is good enough to push out the best sound of it. Maybe i can get a new real amp too tho.

by the way my living room (where im putting the speakers) is really small 4.5x4.5Sq.Meters. Maybe that will effect our choices too? =D

I will do more research and people please give me more advice! THANK YOU ALL SOO MUCH!!!

Hi,

I like Castle speakers. Indeed a safe and reliable company. The Conway3 is not voiced the same as the Stirling 3.
The former is on the warm side and a little bit coloured. The Stirling3 is a real star. It is smaller than the Conway but much clearer and more musical. I used to have the Stirlings at home for a while and heard the Conways at a dealer. Also used to own the Harlechs2.
I would like to add the ART Stiletto to the mix. A little bit higher priced than the Stirling but in a different league. www.loudspeaker-art.com
And they will stand a big upgrade in amp if and when.
Many good speakers out there. take your time in finding what is right for you. You got to live with and listen to it.

Peace

Bernd:16:

JoeE SP9
09-08-2006, 09:59 AM
The ESL-57's are classics, regarded by many as the greatest loudspaker ever made, but they do have some serious drawbacks, namely bass response (extremeyl weak) and room placement (extremely picky). I feel pretty confident in telling you that they will not work in a square room. Peter Walker (Quad founder) once said that they work best in a very rectangular room, about 1/3 of the way into the rectangle (I hope I am making this clear) along the long walls.

My musical tastes are very similar to yours and I'll take this opportunity to plug the Quad 22L, which I have. The finishes are all top notch (veneer with 7 coats of laquer) , especially the birdseye maple. The sound, once run in properly (100-200hrs), is simply fantatsic and the price ($1600 retail, but you can find much better thru A-gon) is right in your wheelhouse.


EDIT: Oops, I forgot to add this. I am driving my Quads with a Pioneer VSX-1014 receiver (110 per channel) and while it certainly punches above it's weight and is a superb receiver for the $$, it is not the greatest ever made. My point is that the Quads sound fantastic with this entry-level receiver so you should be safe with the Sony until you can upgrade.

Go to Quad's website and take a look at them. Also, see if they have a dealer in your area for audition. I think you will really like them if you listen (and look) at them.

ESL 57's with no sub woofer, say it ain't so. All kidding aside I realize how difficult it is to integrate a sub woofer with ESL's of any type. I have found it is easier when you use two subs. My current speakers have better bass than the 57's but even that's not enough for me. So I have two subs crossed over at 80hz.:cool:

topspeed
09-08-2006, 04:43 PM
For the kind of driving, rhythmic, bass happy music you listen to, I don't see how a panel speaker could possibly work...especially when paired with your Sony receiver. I'd suggest something with a little more, well...balls to it! The challenge is finding one that is not only dynamic, but also doesn't suffer from a lot of overhang or boom. Suggestions for audition include:

Von Schweikert VR2 - Speed, speed and more speed and likely the most dynamic you will find in this price range. Easily driven by your Sony. (Albert raised the price to $3K, but you can get them within your price range if you haggle)

Paradigm Studio 100's v3- not as fast as the VR2's and exhibit a bit of overhang, but they still offer tremendous bang for the buck.

Canton Ergo (?) - Warm, lush and more tolerant of bad recordings.

Usher 6311 - Beautiful to the eye and ear. Highly musical and very engaging.

B&W 704 - Speed and clarity, albeit not as engaging as the Usher or dynamic as the VSA.

Above all, listen to as much as you can and vote with your wallet. Remember the only opinion that matters is yours.

Hope this helps.

Rock789
09-12-2006, 06:23 PM
X2 for Focal JM Lab or Von Schweikert

does anyone know of any dealers in the ohio region (or pa or wv?)
my supplier has gone out of buisness!!!!
ya I know :17: