Help me find a speaker stereo speaker system for less than $2k [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

PDA

View Full Version : Help me find a speaker stereo speaker system for less than $2k



AngryPenguin309
03-06-2007, 05:50 PM
Well, I was hoping you guys can help me find a stereo speaker system for under $2,000. I will mostly listen to music on it, and I want to make sure I get the best bang for my buck.

I was looking at the following system -

A pair of Polk Audio RTi12's - http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/rti12/

A Harman Kardon HK 3480 Stereo Reciever - http://reviews.cnet.com/Harman_Kardon_HK_3480/4505-6466_7-30920363.html

and a Polk Audio PSW12 woofer - http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=28531

Would that system be alright? Feel free to recommend anything

PeruvianSkies
03-06-2007, 06:23 PM
What do you need? Are you looking for a stereo receiver, tower speakers, and a sub for under that price? If so, you can do much better than what you listed. Please provide more information as far as what components you need.

Carl Reid
03-06-2007, 06:40 PM
Well, I was hoping you guys can help me find a stereo speaker system for under $2,000. I will mostly listen to music on it, and I want to make sure I get the best bang for my buck.

I was looking at the following system -

A pair of Polk Audio RTi12's - http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/rti12/

A Harman Kardon HK 3480 Stereo Reciever - http://reviews.cnet.com/Harman_Kardon_HK_3480/4505-6466_7-30920363.html

and a Polk Audio PSW12 woofer - http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=28531

Would that system be alright? Feel free to recommend anything

As peruvian said... we need more detail...

For mostly music you probably won't need a sub and can spend that extra money on a great set of floorstanding speakers...

Anyway... do you need and amp and speakers for $2K? or just speakers for $2K?

And do you plan to upgrade to home theater eventually or is this just a 2 channel stereo that you are building?

audio_dude
03-06-2007, 07:34 PM
Yeah, there are some MUCH better options in that price range for a complete stereo.

You might want to look into getting a used receiver, because you could potentially dedicate $1500 to speakers and $500 to a used amp, you'd be flying!

basite
03-07-2007, 04:31 AM
dump the sub,
get floorstanding speakers,
get a good integrated amp.

do you want to have radio? because when you don't really need it, you could go for an integrated amp, and buy a seperate tuner if you still want radio then.

you could go for monitor audio silver rs8's, b&w dm604's, kef's, magnepan (if you have room), dynaudio, paradigm, ...

and for an integrated amp, you could go for denon, rotel, outlaw, nad, cambridge audio, maybe even primare...

listen to some things, and tell us what you think about them.

and how big is your room where you are going to use them in?

Keep them spinning,
Bert.

Resident Loser
03-07-2007, 06:07 AM
Well, I was hoping you guys can help me find a stereo speaker system for under $2,000. I will mostly listen to music on it, and I want to make sure I get the best bang for my buck.

I was looking at the following system -

A pair of Polk Audio RTi12's - http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/rti12/

A Harman Kardon HK 3480 Stereo Reciever - http://reviews.cnet.com/Harman_Kardon_HK_3480/4505-6466_7-30920363.html

and a Polk Audio PSW12 woofer - http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=28531

Would that system be alright? Feel free to recommend anything

...I don't see anything wrong with your choices...you might not need the sub since the Polks have a -3dB point @30Hz (which BTW to all and sundry ARE floorstanders if the spikes are any indication)...unless of course you listen to Bach organ works, classical with heavy tympani and basso continuo or electronica...

You have to keep in mind the opinions/suggestions you will get at sites like this reflect a great deal of personal preferences/biases to specfic mfrs.on the part of the respondents. Add to the fact that mfrs. like Polk and HK are mass market items, which have in some way "demeaned" themselves in the eyes of some folks simply because they like to make a profit and advertise quite a bit...I say rubbish...

Ultimately it's up to you to decide, most importantly you have to like the sound of the loudspeakers and that choice will dictate to a great degree the power requirements of the receiver or integrated amp or pre-/power combo...And I mention those other alternatives for your consideration depending on how involved you intend to get in this hobby. As an aside, your HK choice has the required facilities for future expansion.

There are other mfrs. on par with your choices...Klipsch or Infinity for speakers, Denon, Marantz and Yamaha for the electronics...all of which are readily available and won't require subjecting yourself to the likes of eBay and/or snooty audio "shoppes" who sell limited distributor wares at non-competitive prices.

jimHJJ(...good sound on the cheap...)

Carl Reid
03-07-2007, 08:58 AM
...I don't see anything wrong with your choices...you might not need the sub since the Polks have a -3dB point @30Hz (which BTW to all and sundry ARE floorstanders if the spikes are any indication)...unless of course you listen to Bach organ works, classical with heavy tympani and basso continuo or electronica...

You have to keep in mind the opinions/suggestions you will get at sites like this reflect a great deal of personal preferences/biases to specfic mfrs.on the part of the respondents. Add to the fact that mfrs. like Polk and HK are mass market items, which have in some way "demeaned" themselves in the eyes of some folks simply because they like to make a profit and advertise quite a bit...I say rubbish...

Ultimately it's up to you to decide, most importantly you have to like the sound of the loudspeakers and that choice will dictate to a great degree the power requirements of the receiver or integrated amp or pre-/power combo...And I mention those other alternatives for your consideration depending on how involved you intend to get in this hobby. As an aside, your HK choice has the required facilities for future expansion.

There are other mfrs. on par with your choices...Klipsch or Infinity for speakers, Denon, Marantz and Yamaha for the electronics...all of which are readily available and won't require subjecting yourself to the likes of eBay and/or snooty audio "shoppes" who sell limited distributor wares at non-competitive prices.

jimHJJ(...good sound on the cheap...)

Why must you always get so intellectual???? LOL

Seriously though, there are a number of good points in this post....

The major ones being:

1) That you need to listen and decide for yourself what you like. That's the golden rule of audiophilia... we can make suggestions, but they will all be based on our personal preferences.

2) Don't just dismiss products because they are mass market. there are 2 sides to the mass market arguement (as far as I'm concerned, neither side is 100% correct)...

Side 1 - taken by many many many audiophiles is that all mass market stuff is crap. That true quality sound can only be achieved by hand made stereo products produced in a small studio in England or North America.... Now there is a certain element of truth to this point as many market products are more focused on jamming in useless features than on producing high quality audio... but there also strong points against it.

Side 2 - Mass market has the advantage of economies of scale. A major trend in audio (and manufacturing in general) is to use offshore factories to take advantage of cheap labour in other countries. Assuming that the mass market product is properly designed then offshore production is a great way to reduce costs..... now arguements against offshore are that the products are being assembled by cheap labour, who know nothing about audio...

Personally, my only concern is that top class engineers etc.. are used to design the product. after that I could care less where it is manufactured and to be honest I'd prefer it to be manufactured using cheaper labour, since that means I can get a quality product for far less than if it was hand assemebled by the actual designer in a small shop. You don't need an audio engineer with two or three PhDs to assemble a product! You just need someone who can follow instructions to do assembly. the design stage and the quality control inspections are the most important parts of the process....

So all that being said....

For a $2k Budget I would get a Marantz PM7001 Integrated Amp for $650 a pair of Monitor Audio RS6 floorstanders for $999... (and a Marantz CD5001 with the remaining cash) but keep in mind that I'm a strictly 2 channel audio guy... so I could care less about HT...

basite
03-07-2007, 09:12 AM
So all that being said....

For a $2k Budget I would get a Marantz PM7001 Integrated Amp for $650 a pair of Monitor Audio RS6 floorstanders for $999... (and a Marantz CD5001 with the remaining cash) but keep in mind that I'm a strictly 2 channel audio guy... so I could care less about HT...

that would give you about the best you can get for the money...

the Monitor Audio's are very good speakers, and even more so in their price class,
the same goes for the marantz cd player. I haven't heard that amp, but I'm sure it will be very good too...

Keep them spinning,
Bert.

Resident Loser
03-07-2007, 09:23 AM
Why must you always get so intellectual???? LOL

For a $2k Budget I would get a Marantz PM7001 Integrated Amp for $650 a pair of Monitor Audio RS6 floorstanders for $999... (and a Marantz CD5001 with the remaining cash) but keep in mind that I'm a strictly 2 channel audio guy... so I could care less about HT...

...accused of that...

I'd second the suggestion of the PM7001 @ $649 MSRP...it has a 3yr. warranty plus connectivity up the wazoo...

jimHJJ(...see some intellect, eh?...)

TSH
03-15-2007, 05:23 AM
Another option in the budget could be the Monitor Audio speakers suggested with NAD C352 integrated and NAD C542 CD player. This is what I purchased as my first "decent" 2 channel setup last year and I am really enjoying it.

topspeed
03-15-2007, 09:42 AM
That's a really healthy budget to work with. I agree with everyone that you really need to audition as much as you can to find what floats your boat. Don't just listen to different makes of speakers, listen to different types of speakers; planar, acoustic suspension, bass reflex, transmission line, line array, etc. Every design has it's pros and cons, the key is to find out which approach sounds the best to you in your room. Allocate the majority of your budget towards the speakers as these will have the most dramatic effect on perceived sound. This is not to say the source isn't important, merely that at your price point, it's going to be hard to hear a dramatic difference between $3-500 cdp's or integrateds.

I also agree with Basite that you should forget the receiver and go straight to a good integrated such as the Cambridge Audio 540a V2, NAD C320bee, or Rotel RA1062. These are all reasonably priced yet offer excellent performance. If you really need radio, get a used tuner and be done with it. CDP's from the same companies or Denon, Sony, or even Panasonic are all worthy alternatives.

As an aside, while I was goofing around on the Von Schweikert website yesterday, I noticed they had a pair of VR2's ($3K retail) for only $1,349. This is a stunning deal on a fabulous speaker. A TAS Recommended Component, this transmission line speaker sports a dynamic envelop solidly into the mid-20's hz range. You will not need a sub unless your listening habits include pipe organs. Personally, I'd snatch these up, pair 'em with a Cambridge 540a & 640c and still have enough left over for tons of tunes.

Good luck in your search and let us know what you decide on.

audio_dude
03-15-2007, 09:46 AM
I second the vote for the Marantz CD5001...
I own the previous model the CD 5400, and it is amazing. I am sure the CD 5001 will impress the pants off you.

basite
03-15-2007, 09:57 AM
I ordered the cd5001 OSE (a while ago, stupid delay...)
It is a really good player, it beat the more expensive onkyo I compared it with, it even came close (if not the same) as the rotel rcd-06, for which you will pay $200 more.

the monitor audio RS6's are also really good speakers, and they don't need a 'behemoth amp' to power them.

Keep them spinning,
Bert.

spminor
03-26-2007, 10:43 PM
For the same price as the Monitor RS6s, you can get a pair of B&W DM603 S3. They sound much better than the Monitors. I heard them and enjoyed them for a while. Then I started to hear the limitations in the high frequency range. The B&Ws will not give you listening fatigue like the Monitors. The B&Ws were Stereophile's Budget Product of the Year for 2005. You will not be disappointed. They are good with low watt receivers/amps, but are better with more power. They are not power hungry, but get better with time after breaking in.

emorphien
03-27-2007, 06:23 AM
I second the CD5001, but I will also recommend the NAD C542 as it has been great for me and I like the sound from its analog outs a bit better.

You can't go wrong with either.

I also agree you should consider an integrated amp. There's a bunch of brands you'll see at most hi-fi stores like NAD, Cambridge, Rotel which are worth hearing and Marantz is really pushing hard in that area now too. But you're bound to see other things around too. I'd really suggest finding your local hi-fi store and telling them what you want to get out of this system, if you run in to an honest sales person (which can be hard to do) they can help you a lot in making sure you hear things in your budget.

I'd focus on floorstanders if you want that full range sound, but I'd skip a sub for now. Some bookshelves can get quite low but they pretty much all bottom out by 40Hz so the towers can get you another half octave or in some cases full octave. PSB, Focal, Paradigm and B&W are all probably some of the easiest brands to find in hi-fi shops again but you shouldn't limit yourself to those. I'd suggest going to every local audio store you've got and hearing everything they've got. If you need a CD player the Marantz CD5001 is the least expensive one I'd consider, and it's truly an awesome product. That leaves you with $1700 for speakers and amplification, of which you can split up various ways but I'd probably not spend more than $500-600 on amplification and suggest focusing on the speakers the most.

Of the speakers I mentioned I'd say PSB and Focal are my favorites, I find Paradigm and B&W both fatiguing and don't care for them. Like I said there are many more brands you should consider, I'm just not awake enough to think of them right now.

Carl Reid
03-27-2007, 02:05 PM
For the same price as the Monitor RS6s, you can get a pair of B&W DM603 S3. They sound much better than the Monitors. I heard them and enjoyed them for a while. Then I started to hear the limitations in the high frequency range. The B&Ws will not give you listening fatigue like the Monitors. The B&Ws were Stereophile's Budget Product of the Year for 2005. You will not be disappointed. They are good with low watt receivers/amps, but are better with more power. They are not power hungry, but get better with time after breaking in.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

You're recommending B&W's over Monitors, because B&W's WON'T give listening fatigue!!!

That's ironic given that the reason I prefer Monitors is because B&W gives me terrible listening fatigue....

Seriously, I'm not trying to be an elitist jack.... but you should avoid saying things like "They sound much better than the Monitors".... just say that you prefered the sound... since better is relative, so it's likely that someone else will totally disagree with your opinion... as I do....

Also, yes the B&Ws were "Stereophile's Budget Product of the Year for 2005", but The Monitors were the runner up for "Stereophile's Budget Product of the Year for 2006" only beaten out by the more expensive Revel F12s.... and they were loudspeaker of the year in Hi-Fi Choice for 2005 (UK).... so if you go by awards, I think Monitor has won more and garnered more critical success....

BUT all that is irrelevant anyway, it really comes down to what sound the original poster prefers.... and what components he intends to drive the speakers with...

spf
03-28-2007, 03:52 AM
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

You're recommending B&W's over Monitors, because B&W's WON'T give listening fatigue!!!

That's ironic given that the reason I prefer Monitors is because B&W gives me terrible listening fatigue....

Seriously, I'm not trying to be an elitist jack.... but you should avoid saying things like "They sound much better than the Monitors".... just say that you prefered the sound... since better is relative, so it's likely that someone else will totally disagree with your opinion... as I do....


Agreed! The B&W's '6' line does not sound as smooth IMO as the Monitor RS line and smooth is what I go for normally. I would actually compare the Monitors to the B&W '7' series but then there is no comparison in price at it makes it irrelevant.

This may be pushing at the budgets limits but I think a nice pair of bookshelves with a small sub could give great sound as well. (ie. Paradigm Studio 40s with a SVS PB10-NSD sub) Just another POV for ya. Cheers!

Shane

TIC
03-28-2007, 01:27 PM
AngryPenguin309,

I think it would be helpful if you could provide us with a little more information. Here are a few specific questions that will enable AR'rs to help make a recommendation:

1. Are you going to buy from a retail store or are you buying via the internet?

2. Are you looking for "name brand" equipment like you find in a big-box retail store or are you open to specialty brands that are only sold in higher-end Audio/Video specialty stores?

3. If you are open to internet sales, would you be interested in superior products from "cottage industry" builders?

4. What kind of music do you like?

5. What kind of room is it going in, ie Living room, bedroom, dedicated listing room?

6. What sources will you use, ie CD, radio, DVD?

Help us out here!

All that said, you can get a really great sounding system for $2000. You could stretch your dollars even further if you consider buying used. Heck, my current system cost about $1300 total and it easily bested some of my previous systems that cost $5K. Admittedly it's not pretty, it was purchased used and none of the manufacturers are household names. But it sounds really great in my room with my musical preferences.

Enjoy,

TIC

nightflier
03-28-2007, 05:58 PM
I think AngryPenguin309 flew away...

PeruvianSkies
03-28-2007, 10:24 PM
I think AngryPenguin309 flew away...

Dropped all that money at BB or CC and now thinks it sounds soooooo good and doesn't need our help anymore.

bostonaudi
04-03-2007, 06:05 PM
Well, I was hoping you guys can help me find a stereo speaker system for under $2,000. I will mostly listen to music on it, and I want to make sure I get the best bang for my buck.

I was looking at the following system -

A pair of Polk Audio RTi12's - http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/rti12/

A Harman Kardon HK 3480 Stereo Reciever - http://reviews.cnet.com/Harman_Kardon_HK_3480/4505-6466_7-30920363.html

and a Polk Audio PSW12 woofer - http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=28531

Would that system be alright? Feel free to recommend anything

There are only two choices of manufacturer in this price range, Quad or Magnepan. If you have a big enough room, get MG12's, if not so big, MMG's. this will leave enough cash for a receiver and cd player. Even cheap ones will sound great through MMG's. If you have a fear of planar speakers, the other choice is Quad 21 or 22L's, best damn box speakers unders $2k. I've heard the Polks, they made my ears bleed badly. Good luck.

nightflier
04-04-2007, 09:37 AM
There are only two choices of manufacturer in this price range, Quad or Magnepan. If you have a big enough room, get MG12's, if not so big, MMG's. this will leave enough cash for a receiver and cd player. Even cheap ones will sound great through MMG's. If you have a fear of planar speakers, the other choice is Quad 21 or 22L's, best damn box speakers unders $2k. I've heard the Polks, they made my ears bleed badly. Good luck.

While I think there are lots of other options in the $2K price range, I have to say that for a whole lot less than that, the Quads 21L or 22L are a fantastic value. Yes they are made in China, and yes they are box speakers, but that's about all the griping (if you can call it that) anyone can have. They have tremendous bass, are beautiful to look at, come from a respectable designer with experience in the business, and have an incredibly well balanced tweeter.

Now I own both these and the MMGs and the Quads are a whole lot better than the planars, in my opinion. I have yet to get the MMGs to sound good. Maybe its placement, maybe its overly high expectations, maybe its my amps, maybe its bass, I don't know, but the Quads blow them away. I suppose since Quad also makes planars, they know a thing or two about good sound. Maybe when I get a bigger house I'll give the Magnepans 1.6s a try, but for now, I am very happy with the Quad 22Ls. I've put them up against a lot of speakers in the same price range, and there aren't many that I've liked as much.

bostonaudi
04-04-2007, 09:53 AM
While I think there are lots of other options in the $2K price range, I have to say that for a whole lot less than that, the Quads 21L or 22L are a fantastic value. Yes they are made in China, and yes they are box speakers, but that's about all the griping (if you can call it that) anyone can have. They have tremendous bass, are beautiful to look at, come from a respectable designer with experience in the business, and have an incredibly well balanced tweeter.

Now I own both these and the MMGs and the Quads are a whole lot better than the planars, in my opinion. I have yet to get the MMGs to sound good. Maybe its placement, maybe its overly high expectations, maybe its my amps, maybe its bass, I don't know, but the Quads blow them away. I suppose since Quad also makes planars, they know a thing or two about good sound. Maybe when I get a bigger house I'll give the Magnepans 1.6s a try, but for now, I am very happy with the Quad 22Ls. I've put them up against a lot of speakers in the same price range, and there aren't many that I've liked as much.

My MMG's are heavily modified, so they sound very good, but I thought they were still pretty good stock. I currently have Quad 12L monitors, they indeed do some things better than the MMGs, speed and dynamics are definitely superior. The Maggies do bring that sense of realism that boxes cannot emulate too well, I think it has to do with the large wave front they create, much like a live band or performance would create. I also have 1.6's, and they are better in most respects than the Quads, but again the Quad is superior in its attack and speed. The Quads are pretty amazing for a box speaker at that price point.

Carl Reid
04-04-2007, 11:19 AM
There are only two choices of manufacturer in this price range, Quad or Magnepan.

I won't even bother to explain what's wrong with that statement..... I think that one is so wrong, that it requires no objection on my part....

Carl Reid
04-04-2007, 11:31 AM
While I think there are lots of other options in the $2K price range, I have to say that for a whole lot less than that, the Quads 21L or 22L are a fantastic value. Yes they are made in China, and yes they are box speakers, but that's about all the griping (if you can call it that) anyone can have. They have tremendous bass, are beautiful to look at, come from a respectable designer with experience in the business, and have an incredibly well balanced tweeter.

Now I own both these and the MMGs and the Quads are a whole lot better than the planars, in my opinion. I have yet to get the MMGs to sound good. Maybe its placement, maybe its overly high expectations, maybe its my amps, maybe its bass, I don't know, but the Quads blow them away. I suppose since Quad also makes planars, they know a thing or two about good sound. Maybe when I get a bigger house I'll give the Magnepans 1.6s a try, but for now, I am very happy with the Quad 22Ls. I've put them up against a lot of speakers in the same price range, and there aren't many that I've liked as much.


I've recently auditioned both the Quad 21Ls and the magnepan MG12s.... The Quads sounded very promising despite being in a terrible listening room (the front of the store with lots of noise and no seating)... while the MG12s were totally dissapointing in a dedicated listening room with ultra-expensive McCintosh Gear driving them.... Now I suspect that I would have been able to enjoy the Maggies more, if I had different tastes in music.... So depending on your tastes the maggies may not suit you...

bostonaudi
04-04-2007, 02:04 PM
I've recently auditioned both the Quad 21Ls and the magnepan MG12s.... The Quads sounded very promising despite being in a terrible listening room (the front of the store with lots of noise and no seating)... while the MG12s were totally dissapointing in a dedicated listening room with ultra-expensive McCintosh Gear driving them.... Now I suspect that I would have been able to enjoy the Maggies more, if I had different tastes in music.... So depending on your tastes the maggies may not suit you...

I auditioned McIntosh driving back to back Theil 7.2's against very modest Quicksilver components driving the same speakers, the Quicksilver set up was much more open, refined and clear. I've never heard Maggies sound bad unless in a bad room or driven with murky components. The 1.6 and 3.6's are absolutely fantastic.

I don't believe there is much else that provides the same bang for buck hifi quotient per dollar spent than Quad or Magnepan. Sure, there are lots of other speakers, you can get smaller steely sounding Martin Logans, or perhaps some of the Canadian speakers (I do like Paradigm's a lot too, check those out) but overall I think these two are the value winners for the sound quality you get per $ spent.

bostonaudi
04-04-2007, 03:39 PM
I won't even bother to explain what's wrong with that statement..... I think that one is so wrong, that it requires no objection on my part....

Hey, I expressed an opinion. Apparently you feel you are so correct that you needn't explain yourself, which is really somewhat arrogant when you think about it. I posted an opinion, and then went on to explain why. You apparently cannot be bothered, however I would take time to read whatever differing opinion you'd like to express, I am always open to new ideas on speakers! I've tried many, and have come to the conclusion that at under $2k these two companies make very good products well worth considering.

Carl Reid
04-04-2007, 04:20 PM
Hey, I expressed an opinion. Apparently you feel you are so correct that you needn't explain yourself, which is really somewhat arrogant when you think about it.

Hmmm... you think my statement was arrogant, yet it was in response to this claim you made:


There are only two choices of manufacturer in this price range, Quad or Magnepan.

That statement seems extremely arrogant to me and highly debatable at that.


I posted an opinion, and then went on to explain why. You apparently cannot be bothered, however I would take time to read whatever differing opinion you'd like to express, I am always open to new ideas on speakers! I've tried many, and have come to the conclusion that at under $2k these two companies make very good products well worth considering.

Maybe my point wasn't clear, so I will attempt to clarfiy: I don't object to your choice of speakers.... Both Quad and Magnepan are well regarded... BUT to say that they are the ONLY two manufacturers worth considering is so over-the-top and arrogant, that I find it to be absurd. I know nothing about you, but I'm 100% certain that you haven't listened to EVERY speaker in the $2K and under range... which means that there is ABSOLUTELY no way that you can dismiss all other manufacturers as not being worth considering...

So to summarize; your recommendation is fine... but your statement is ridiculous and hence I gave it an appropriate response....

bostonaudi
04-05-2007, 05:25 AM
Hmmm... you think my statement was arrogant, yet it was in response to this claim you made:

That statement seems extremely arrogant to me and highly debatable at that.

Maybe my point wasn't clear, so I will attempt to clarfiy: I don't object to your choice of speakers.... Both Quad and Magnepan are well regarded... BUT to say that they are the ONLY two manufacturers worth considering is so over-the-top and arrogant, that I find it to be absurd. I know nothing about you, but I'm 100% certain that you haven't listened to EVERY speaker in the $2K and under range... which means that there is ABSOLUTELY no way that you can dismiss all other manufacturers as not being worth considering...

So to summarize; your recommendation is fine... but your statement is ridiculous and hence I gave it an appropriate response....

Debatable, yes, of course, that's what this forum is for. Replying with an equally arrogant statement also makes you... arrogant.

My original assertion wasn't intended as an "I know best" type of statement. It was an opinion based on the result of many years of listening and owning many different brands of speakers over the years and coming to a conclusion. There are always new models and brands coming out, so overall I like to keep an open mind and try new things. However, there is a lot of hype and a lot of misinformation regarding qualities of different speakers out there, I was attempting to foward my view on what would sound great under $2k from past experience and allow the OP to hopefully benefit from it. I stand by my assertion. Debate it all you want.

Carl Reid
04-05-2007, 06:48 AM
Debatable, yes, of course, that's what this forum is for. Replying with an equally arrogant statement also makes you... arrogant.


I don't mind being called arrogant, but your statement is still ridiculous and deserved an arrogant response...



My original assertion wasn't intended as an "I know best" type of statement..

Well, that's exactly what it came off as... you should have edited/re-worded it if you didn't want people to think it was an "I know best" statement...


It was an opinion based on the result of many years of listening and owning many different brands of speakers over the years and coming to a conclusion. There are always new models and brands coming out, so overall I like to keep an open mind and try new things. However, there is a lot of hype and a lot of misinformation regarding qualities of different speakers out there, I was attempting to foward my view on what would sound great under $2k from past experience and allow the OP to hopefully benefit from it. I stand by my assertion. Debate it all you want.


You are not standing by your original assertion... you are now making a reasonable claim... I doubt anyone (myself included) has a problem with your new assertion (that based on your experience, Maggie and Quad sound great under $2k)... but as I've said repeatedly.... claiming that Maggie and Quad are the ONLY speakers worth considering is just absurd....

bostonaudi
04-05-2007, 07:39 AM
I don't mind being called arrogant, but your statement is still ridiculous and deserved an arrogant response...




Well, that's exactly what it came off as... you should have edited/re-worded it if you didn't want people to think it was an "I know best" statement...




You are not standing by your original assertion... you are now making a reasonable claim... I doubt anyone (myself included) has a problem with your new assertion (that based on your experience, Maggie and Quad sound great under $2k)... but as I've said repeatedly.... claiming that Maggie and Quad are the ONLY speakers worth considering is just absurd....

I suspect everyone is bored of this.

Carl Reid
04-05-2007, 10:08 AM
I suspect everyone is bored of this.

Agreed. :ciappa:

Feanor
04-05-2007, 10:38 AM
There are only two choices of manufacturer in this price range, Quad or Magnepan. If you have a big enough room, get MG12's, if not so big, MMG's. this will leave enough cash for a receiver and cd player. Even cheap ones will sound great through MMG's. If you have a fear of planar speakers, the other choice is Quad 21 or 22L's, best damn box speakers unders $2k. I've heard the Polks, they made my ears bleed badly. Good luck.

Without knowing AP309's taste in music and the nature of his listening room, it is reckless to recommend Magneplanars. (I say that owning MG 1.6's and loving them.)

Magneplanars are not a rockers kind of speaker and that is particularly true for the MMGs. I owned the MMGs for over two years and loved them, but they were severely challenged with bass-heavy music, or beyond moderate levels classical orchestral crescendos, etc.

IMHO, to compensate, the MMGs demand a subwoofer to carry all the music below 80 Hz. They are much better that way, but having to buy a sub cuts into their bargain status quite a bit.