Which Floorstanders for my Budget??? [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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fountboy
03-12-2004, 11:29 PM
I am looking to buy a pair of floorstand speakers. I am going to use them for a mix of HT, tv, and music. The music I listen to is Trance, Hip Hop, Jazz, Pop, etc. My budget is $800 or less, used or new. Here are a few models I am looking at.

Kef Q7 used 700
KEF Q5 595
Rocket 550 699
Rocket 550 used 599
Rocket 750 used 725
Paradigm Monitor 7 and CC370 750 obo
Paradigm Monitor 7v3 550obo
Paradigm Monitor 9v3 575obo

I have listened to the KEfs and like them a lot. I havent found a place to audition Paradigms, and no one near me has Rockets per Audioenvy.com. Does anyone have any suggestions on these speakers or anything in my price range. Thanks for any help.

bacchanal
03-13-2004, 08:19 AM
I'm a newbie to the world of hi-fi/mid-fi, so take that into condiseration. However, I've been searching for a pair of mains to start my system off for the past couple weeks, and I've found that the one charactaristic that makes a big and immediately audible difference in the sound is the tweeter design. Both the Paradigm and the Kefs use metal dome tweeters, which some people find to be harsh or what bright (not sure if thats the right word). I've found that I gernerally prefer speakers with metal dome tweeters in your pricerange (which is equivilant to mine). The Rockets have a Vifa Ring Radiator tweeter, and I have no idea what that is. You may want to listen to speakers with dipole or horn tweeters as they have a totally different sound. I don't prefer it, but some people do.

I don't have Rockets or Kefs in my area to listen to, so I can't comment on those (though the Kefs do look beautiful). Some of the speakers I've really liked are:

Paradigm Studio 40 (big sounding bookshelves) - $1100 MSRP, I found them for $800
Paradgim Monitor 7v3 - $650 approx
Boston VR2 (3 way floor standers) - $850 MSRP
B&W 602S3 (big sounding bookshelves) - $600 MSRP (I think)

I set out looking for a pair of decent floor standers, and ended up finding myself liking some of the bigger floor standers. Right now I'm down to the VR2s and the Studio 40s, but I'll probably get the Studio 40s. I'm going to give them one last listen today before I make my purchase. You may or may not want to consider looking at some larger bookshelves like I did. Also, I definately recommend checking out the VR2s if you can find them in your area.
The only speakers in your list that I've actually listened to are the Monitor7s. I think they are a great value as far as sound (amount and quality) for the money. They have a good dynamic range and reproduce music quite clearly and are suitable for both HT and music. I just found them to be too big for my space (size and sound wise), and I prefered the Studio 40s, which I could get for not too much more $$$.

Good luck with your search. It all comes down to what sounds the best to your ears (in your price range). So hit the road and listen to anything you can find.

nusiclover
03-13-2004, 01:23 PM
ill put in my two cents. i like jazz, female vocals and some pop. my gf like trance, disco and electronic. so, after listening to dozens of speakers and taking 2 months in research, we decided on the Dynaudio 52 ($900). I know you said floorstanders, but if you are going to use it for HT and are thinking of geting a good subwoofer then you should really try these speakers for the types of variety music you listen to. The Dyns may be the first non-metal tweeter you hear and this could be good since your types of music all have shrill highs to begin with, the soft dome tweeter could help mellow it out for long hours of listening. The LAST thing you want is listening fatigue once you bring home an 800 dollar investment. The Dyns worked for us, and we really like them. In the End Let Your Ears Decide. And, like me, take months on this.

psonic
03-13-2004, 10:24 PM
Hey I was in the same situation the last few months, I just bought a pair of Dynaudio Audience 60 floorstanders from audiogon, they just arrived and are amazing, but check out my post here:

http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=2768

I also liked the kef Q5 and the Energy C5 too, though not nearly as much as the other three. FWIW there are a pair of Dynaudio 62 listed on audiogon right now for $685! And I recently saw a Totem Staff and a Vienna Bach for $800. All Steals after you audition them, make sure you give them a good listen if possible! Have fun and enjoy!

RGA
03-14-2004, 11:20 AM
Look speakers are something that can last you 20 years +. Why not get something a little out of your budget even if you have to scrape for another 6 months.

There are some good speakers out there - I prefer speakers using silk or soft domes. The have superior break up and generally sound just as extended and a lot smoother. Cheaper speakers however using them can sound shut in or strained.

The Dyn 52 is very good but a little polite. However they have a 52SE which is said to be a lot better.

I'll recommend my own speakers to you the Audio Note K. It runs $1950.00US but there some deals on last years model for nearly half off. My dealer had 15 in the shipment and sold 12 of them in a couple of months. So perhaps you won't find em. http://www.audionote.co.uk/

Certainly check out VR and Dynaudio and Gershman Acoustics if they're in your area. The Gershman X1 is very nice indeed for $1500.00Cdn ~$1000.00US.

paul_pci
03-14-2004, 09:02 PM
The Dyn 52 is very good but a little polite. However they have a 52SE which is said to be a lot better..[/QUOTE]

I auditioned the Audience 52SE today and I was in absolute heavven. Clearly the best bookshelf speakers I've had the fortune of listening to. My mind is made up and I can't wait to get up enough money to purchase them. Of course, you're not going to get the same bass response as a floorstander, but well worth looking into. Little cabinet, amazing sound.