Looking for New Floorstanders in the $1.5K Range

[Ajani]

So I’m in the market for a new 2 channel rig… I currently have no components and hence will be building from scratch…

I’m looking for suggestions on new, full range (or as close as possible) speakers (around the $1.5K mark) to audition…

So far, I have two top contenders that I auditioned about a year ago and really liked:

Monitor Audio RS8 – Bold & Beautiful. Strong treble and bass emphasis; A very exciting (but for my ears; non-fatiguing) sound
Revel Concerta F12 – Rugged looking but butter smooth neutral

I’m strongly considering pairing them with either a Musical Fidelity X-T100 (50 watt tube integrated amp) or a Parasound Halo P3&A23 Pre/Amp Combo (125 watts)… Other options include the Naim Nait 5i & the Creek Classic. See my other thread on amps I’m considering:

http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=26082

I will eventually add a USB DAC: Either a PS Audio Digital Link III, Musical Fidelity X-DAC V8 or Benchmark DAC1 USB…

So overall I’m really looking to spend about $4K to $4.5K on the system, as follows: $1.5K Speakers + $1.5K Amplification + $1K DAC…

So any new, full range speaker suggestions around the $1.5K mark will be appreciated (even Dynaudio :) )…. And comments on the allocation of my budget are also welcome.

[PDN]

Go and audition the new B&W 683 floor standers. I believe they retail for $1500.00 or close to that. They are outstanding.

[Mtbrider]

You might investigate these:

http://www.salksound.com/songtower.shtml

The company has a forum on audiocircle.com where you can read a number of comments.

[audio amateur]

You might investigate these:

http://www.salksound.com/songtower.shtml

The company has a forum on audiocircle.com where you can read a number of comments.
Probably don't go as low as he'd like, you find bookshelves that do 40Hz

[Ajani]

Go and audition the new B&W 683 floor standers. I believe they retail for $1500.00 or close to that. They are outstanding.

Thanks for the suggestion... The only reason the 683s weren't already on my list is because of my previous experience with B&W... I've auditioned the New CM, 700 and 800 series models and though I was really impressed with the sound of all of them, I found them all fatiguing with any extended listening sessions...

But I think I need to check out the 683s anyway... since maybe these ones won't have the same negative effect, but will provide the same impressive sound....

[audio amateur]

I personally would never spend 1k on a usb DAC. I don't think the sound will be worth the cash outlay. I would either spend less on the usb DAC (definitely under 400$), and splash the rest into amp/speakers, or spend the k on a CD player. But that's just me. A computer audio based system will never equal that of a dedicated cd player. I don't believe it to be all in the DAC.
Just my opinion

[Ajani]

I personally would never spend 1k on a usb DAC. I don't think the sound will be worth the cash outlay. I would either spend less on the usb DAC (definitely under 400$), and splash the rest into amp/speakers, or spend the k on a CD player. But that's just me. A computer audio based system will never equal that of a dedicated cd player. I don't believe it to be all in the DAC.
Just my opinion

Truth is that the DAC is really an optional upgrade for later on.... Keep in mind that all three DACs I'm considering are highly regarded for their coxial/and or optical inputs, so I could always use a DVD player or cheap CD player as a transport, if I found the Computer lacking... though a computer using the USB connection is supposed to be a better transport than a CD player... so you might not want to dismiss computer audio.....

[audio amateur]

Right I hadn't considered the fact that they may also include conventional digital inputs aswell. Cool stuff

[Ajani]

Right I hadn't considered the fact that they may also include conventional digital inputs aswell. Cool stuff

Cool... If they only had USB inputs, then I wouldn't even spend $400 on them... as much as I like Computer Audio, I'm not that adventurous... lol

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Truth is that the DAC is really an optional upgrade for later on.... Keep in mind that all three DACs I'm considering are highly regarded for their coxial/and or optical inputs, so I could always use a DVD player or cheap CD player as a transport, if I found the Computer lacking... though a computer using the USB connection is supposed to be a better transport than a CD player... so you might not want to dismiss computer audio.....

I hope you understand that an external DAC with a DVD player will only work with 2 channel PCM from CD's. It will not work with Dts or DD.

[bobsticks]

Hey Ajani,

I have a couple of questions before even considering making a recommendation. Is this a new rig to replace or supplant an existing rig? A "secondary" rig? What size room will this be in?

Of course th room-size question should be obvious and taken at face value. As for the others, personally I prefer my secondary systems to be different from what I already have going on----to give me a different presentation of the music, if you will.

Just curious.

---sticks

[Jack in Wilmington]

Let me throw one of my favorite floor standers in the $1500 range into the mix.
Try to listen to the Usher V604. Heard it mated with a Cary CAD 211 tube amp and it was so smooth. Just saw a pair used on Audiogon that looked primo, but you did say new.

[bobsticks]

Let me throw one of my favorite floor standers in the $1500 range into the mix.
Try to listen to the Usher V604. Heard it mated with a Cary CAD 211 tube amp and it was so smooth. Just saw a pair used on Audiogon that looked primo, but you did say new.

Great combo! And, a great comment as well. Buying audio equipment is similar to buying cars in terms of resale value. Why purchase something that is devaluated twenty to thirty percent the second it drives off the lot? For 5k you can buy gently used components so clearly superior to the same 5k outlay on something new that it's almost embarassing.

[Ajani]

I hope you understand that an external DAC with a DVD player will only work with 2 channel PCM from CD's. It will not work with Dts or DD.

Yep... doesn't matter to me though, as I only want it to decode computer audio and CDs...

[Ajani]

Hey Ajani,

I have a couple of questions before even considering making a recommendation. Is this a new rig to replace or supplant an existing rig? A "secondary" rig? What size room will this be in?

Of course th room-size question should be obvious and taken at face value. As for the others, personally I prefer my secondary systems to be different from what I already have going on----to give me a different presentation of the music, if you will.

Just curious.

---sticks

The room is about 30 ft x 15 ft (20 x 15 is useable for the setup, as the rest is the kitchen)... I'll be moving to a larger room later, so I'm not worried about bass overpowering the setup...

I am replacing my main rig, which I sold when I migrated.... It consisted of Mission V63 Floorstanders, Rotel RC1070 Pre, Rotel RB1080 amp & Marantz CD5001 CD player... though I really liked that setup, I want to try something different...

Also, I agree with you about having a secondary that is different from the main... when I'm finished with the main, I'll probably try a small exotic setup in a bedroom.. maybe even DIY...

Oh used is out, since I'm kind of in the middle of nowhere so I'd have to get everything shipped without auditioning... I don't buy used unless I can audition it first....

[Ajani]

My Updated list of options (In case anyone else is considering purchasing in this price range):

PSB Image T65 $1.2K
KEF IQ9 $1.2K
Monitor Audio RS8 $1.5K
Revel Concerta F12 $1.5K
B&W 683 $1.5K
Focal JMLAB Chorus 716V $1.6K

[topspeed]

I admire your desire to buy only what you can audition. This is really the only way one can know whether the sound is to their liking. That said, unless you audition gear with your gear in your room, you don't really know for sure if it will be the right one. I mention this because if you purchase a piece of gear off audiogon at the right price and don't like it, there's a very good chance you can re-sell it and break even. At least this way you can listen to the gear in your own rig and get a true sense of the synergy (or lack thereof).

I'm a firm believer in dedicating the majority of your budget to the speakers as they have the most profound affect on sound quality. If you reallocate your budget towards a speaker bias, you can find lightly used Von Schweikert VR4jr's on a'gon for $2K. If you've never heard this speaker, google it and you'll find favorable reviews from tons of audio rags. I remember TAS preferring it to the much pricier Wilson Sophia and closer in performance with the hideously priced Wilson WP7. While I don't agree with that assessment (Sophia yes, WP7 no way), there is no denying it was one of the screaming bargains in hi-fi before Albert got off his med's and cranked his prices to Pluto. This is a true full range speaker diving down to 25hz (-3dB) and could easily form the cornerstone of any system as it's capable of resolving every upgrade to the front end you care to throw at it.

You might also consider the Maggie 1.6qr. This is a panel speaker and therefore requires a bit more room to breath, most recommending at least 3' to the rear wall. It will also require a bit more oomph, however you have the luxury of purchasing a matching front end so this shouldn't be a problem. Panel lovers are fanatics (ask Flo), so clearly there is something about their presentation that grabs some people the right way. Audition them if you can.

Vandersteen's 2CE is another fan fave. Extremely open and supremely forgiving, these are, like the Maggies, revered by owners. Now that I think about it, Vandy and Maggie have two of the most dedicated, fanatical owner groups in audio. Hmmm...there has to be reason, right?

Keep in mind, I personally don't care for two of the recommendations I've given. However, all three sound vastly different from one another, all have certified pedigrees, and I think it's important to listen to different types of speakers until you find which one suits you best.

Hope this helps.

[Ajani]

I admire your desire to buy only what you can audition. This is really the only way one can know whether the sound is to their liking. That said, unless you audition gear with your gear in your room, you don't really know for sure if it will be the right one. I mention this because if you purchase a piece of gear off audiogon at the right price and don't like it, there's a very good chance you can re-sell it and break even. At least this way you can listen to the gear in your own rig and get a true sense of the synergy (or lack thereof).

I'm a firm believer in dedicating the majority of your budget to the speakers as they have the most profound affect on sound quality. If you reallocate your budget towards a speaker bias, you can find lightly used Von Schweikert VR4jr's on a'gon for $2K. If you've never heard this speaker, google it and you'll find favorable reviews from tons of audio rags. I remember TAS preferring it to the much pricier Wilson Sophia and closer in performance with the hideously priced Wilson WP7. While I don't agree with that assessment (Sophia yes, WP7 no way), there is no denying it was one of the screaming bargains in hi-fi before Albert got off his med's and cranked his prices to Pluto. This is a true full range speaker diving down to 25hz (-3dB) and could easily form the cornerstone of any system as it's capable of resolving every upgrade to the front end you care to throw at it.

You might also consider the Maggie 1.6qr. This is a panel speaker and therefore requires a bit more room to breath, most recommending at least 3' to the rear wall. It will also require a bit more oomph, however you have the luxury of purchasing a matching front end so this shouldn't be a problem. Panel lovers are fanatics (ask Flo), so clearly there is something about their presentation that grabs some people the right way. Audition them if you can.

Vandersteen's 2CE is another fan fave. Extremely open and supremely forgiving, these are, like the Maggies, revered by owners. Now that I think about it, Vandy and Maggie have two of the most dedicated, fanatical owner groups in audio. Hmmm...there has to be reason, right?

Keep in mind, I personally don't care for two of the recommendations I've given. However, all three sound vastly different from one another, all have certified pedigrees, and I think it's important to listen to different types of speakers until you find which one suits you best.

Hope this helps.

I actually agree with you on the advantages of buying used, in-room auditioning and spending the majority of the budget on speakers...

If I was still in Canada or anywhere in North America, I'd be all over Audiogon or Canuck Audio Mart... but I'm pretty much up a creek right now... since I'm in the eastern caribbean... so shipping costs would be ridiculous + the import duty on electronics is 65%, so even if I bought something for half-price on Audiogon, I'd end up paying more than full price to get it to me... and I wouldn't be able to recover the shipping costs and duty in a resale :(

Also, to get a real improvement in speaker quality (based on my auditions so far) I'd have to jump from $1.5K to between $3K & $4K, which would leave me with only enough money for say a cheap Panasonic or Sony receiver... So even though my favourite speaker is a Monitor Audio Gold GS20, I'm not sure if the GS20 + a Sony Receiver would sound better than a Monitor Audio Silver RS8 + Musical Fidelity X-T100... But I'll see if I can do a similar test in the store when I get a chance...

Thanks for the speaker suggestions, I'll check online to see if any of those brands have dealers in Puerto Rico or St. Maarten.....

[topspeed]

Your location definitely poses more than a few challenges and I'm sure you don't have the most extensive dealer network at your disposal. I know when I was auditioning, I had to drive all over the California to find what I was looking for (ironically, it was only an hour away), but there's a big difference between driving to hear something and having to jump on a plane.

Good luck in your search, I hope you find what you're looking for.