bmw-k
02-10-2004, 02:19 PM
Hello All,
Been lurking here on this board for a couple months now and finally decided to register. Many of you have some very insightful thoughts, and I wanted to get some general opinions on a new speaker purchase.
Primary Listening Breakdown: 75% music (Jazz, Classical, Blues, Vocals), 25% HT
Room size: 23x13, 20' sloped cathedral ceilings.
Current speakers: 4x Bose 901 speakers (2x Series VI speakers, 2x Series II speakers)
Preferred Available Budget: $1600.
SubWoofer: None. Current thought: HSU 3 or Sunfire True-Sub. This is a secondary purchase.
The problem: Now, before any of you start panning Bose products, please note that I have NO desire to go back to Bose. The 901's that I have performed with high excellence in my previous appartment largely because the apartment layout was ideally suited for the 901's reflective design. Make no bones about it, the 901's CAN work very well in the right environment.
They are, however, pointless for any kind of surround application...and they are next to worthless in my new house. In fact, the best area for listening is on the 2nd floor "landing" looking down on the Living room. Ground level listening is near pointless...
Hence my drive to find a new set of speakers. Perhaps my greatest "need" or desire is to find a set of speakers that exhibits very neutral response, with very high detail, yet still offers decent base response. As noted, I don't listen to rap, metal, etc. Mostly classical, jazz, some R&B, etc.
My test CD's that I bring when listening to music are: Tchaikovsky 1812 with live digital cannon recordings (16-25hz reports...destroys the ability for most speakers to reproduce base at all while cannons are firing), Vivaldi 4-Seasons (tracks 10-12) violins backed by soft harpsichord (violins often drown out the harpsichord), and Sarah Brightman's "Time to Say Goodbye" for obvious vocal testing.
Speakers I have listened to:
Wharfedale Evo 20/30/40: Fantastic treble, but the base is tuned a bit high and gets very muddy, very quickly. Cannot handle 1812 cannons without disrupting the base at all. Can easily & audibly detect "crossover" points where certain notes simply are not reproduced in the midrange. Can buy the Evo 40's for $900usd.
PSB Gold i's: Very good 1812 handlings, base woofer recovers quickly from cannon reports. Midrange & highs are VERY smooth, but very high-highs (Vivaldi) are soft, with Harpsichord almost being lost behind the Violins. At the time of listening, these speakers were hooked up to a large, Jolida 75wpc tube amp and the Tube may certainly have "tainted" the 10k hz sounds... Too large overall for my living area. Price is right at $1600 usd.
Thiel CS 1.6: near immaculate sound reproduction. But at $2200, is right at the max limit of my budget for new speakers. I may have to bite the bullet on the price, but I am sure that something else out there must be available at a lower price. The first couple notes sent shivers down my arms...then again, so did the price.
Definitive Technology: The "Big-uns" with the 12" amped sub built in. Worthless to my ears at any price. Good for Home Theatre, but a waste for symphonies. Base was muddy and the highs just weren't. DefTechs were described by the rep as "childish toys" and I have to agree.
Vienna Accoustics: Bethoven model. Price: $4400. Too expensive, but wonderful highs and midrange. Bass notes could not be reproduced accurately, and the 1812 Cannons simply disrupted the speakers ability to reproduce any base.
Martin Logan: sorry, can't remember the model numbers, but the midrange and treble seemed very shrill. Would require a sub to accurately reproduce any base. So far, electro-stats just haven't impressed me, but then I may be listening to the wrong ones.
PSB Silver i's: haven't listened to yet, but they are about the right size and price ($1100). Dual 6.5 mid-base drivers leave me thinking base may be a bit dead. Any comments on these?
That is a summary of my current foray into listening. What I am looking for are suggestions of other speaker companies to listen to. My current experience has led me to believe that floorstanders are the ideal way for me to go, as I haven't heard any bookshelfs that reproduce base adequately.
Any thoughts? Your help much appreciated.
Been lurking here on this board for a couple months now and finally decided to register. Many of you have some very insightful thoughts, and I wanted to get some general opinions on a new speaker purchase.
Primary Listening Breakdown: 75% music (Jazz, Classical, Blues, Vocals), 25% HT
Room size: 23x13, 20' sloped cathedral ceilings.
Current speakers: 4x Bose 901 speakers (2x Series VI speakers, 2x Series II speakers)
Preferred Available Budget: $1600.
SubWoofer: None. Current thought: HSU 3 or Sunfire True-Sub. This is a secondary purchase.
The problem: Now, before any of you start panning Bose products, please note that I have NO desire to go back to Bose. The 901's that I have performed with high excellence in my previous appartment largely because the apartment layout was ideally suited for the 901's reflective design. Make no bones about it, the 901's CAN work very well in the right environment.
They are, however, pointless for any kind of surround application...and they are next to worthless in my new house. In fact, the best area for listening is on the 2nd floor "landing" looking down on the Living room. Ground level listening is near pointless...
Hence my drive to find a new set of speakers. Perhaps my greatest "need" or desire is to find a set of speakers that exhibits very neutral response, with very high detail, yet still offers decent base response. As noted, I don't listen to rap, metal, etc. Mostly classical, jazz, some R&B, etc.
My test CD's that I bring when listening to music are: Tchaikovsky 1812 with live digital cannon recordings (16-25hz reports...destroys the ability for most speakers to reproduce base at all while cannons are firing), Vivaldi 4-Seasons (tracks 10-12) violins backed by soft harpsichord (violins often drown out the harpsichord), and Sarah Brightman's "Time to Say Goodbye" for obvious vocal testing.
Speakers I have listened to:
Wharfedale Evo 20/30/40: Fantastic treble, but the base is tuned a bit high and gets very muddy, very quickly. Cannot handle 1812 cannons without disrupting the base at all. Can easily & audibly detect "crossover" points where certain notes simply are not reproduced in the midrange. Can buy the Evo 40's for $900usd.
PSB Gold i's: Very good 1812 handlings, base woofer recovers quickly from cannon reports. Midrange & highs are VERY smooth, but very high-highs (Vivaldi) are soft, with Harpsichord almost being lost behind the Violins. At the time of listening, these speakers were hooked up to a large, Jolida 75wpc tube amp and the Tube may certainly have "tainted" the 10k hz sounds... Too large overall for my living area. Price is right at $1600 usd.
Thiel CS 1.6: near immaculate sound reproduction. But at $2200, is right at the max limit of my budget for new speakers. I may have to bite the bullet on the price, but I am sure that something else out there must be available at a lower price. The first couple notes sent shivers down my arms...then again, so did the price.
Definitive Technology: The "Big-uns" with the 12" amped sub built in. Worthless to my ears at any price. Good for Home Theatre, but a waste for symphonies. Base was muddy and the highs just weren't. DefTechs were described by the rep as "childish toys" and I have to agree.
Vienna Accoustics: Bethoven model. Price: $4400. Too expensive, but wonderful highs and midrange. Bass notes could not be reproduced accurately, and the 1812 Cannons simply disrupted the speakers ability to reproduce any base.
Martin Logan: sorry, can't remember the model numbers, but the midrange and treble seemed very shrill. Would require a sub to accurately reproduce any base. So far, electro-stats just haven't impressed me, but then I may be listening to the wrong ones.
PSB Silver i's: haven't listened to yet, but they are about the right size and price ($1100). Dual 6.5 mid-base drivers leave me thinking base may be a bit dead. Any comments on these?
That is a summary of my current foray into listening. What I am looking for are suggestions of other speaker companies to listen to. My current experience has led me to believe that floorstanders are the ideal way for me to go, as I haven't heard any bookshelfs that reproduce base adequately.
Any thoughts? Your help much appreciated.