Help finding new Speakers for about $800 or so

[TulsaHIFI]

I am looking for very good sounding Front speakers for my living room in the $800 or so range. I also need something that has a good center speaker that would go with it to put my total around the $1100 range that will be good for music as well as movies. I would rather not have to get a sub so my wife will be happy and I have a dedicated room upstairs for when we really want to get into movies with great speakers and 2 subs. I have a Denon 3805 that I would need to run them with and already have rear speakers that I will use. Any advise would be helpful, thanks.

[drseid]

Maybe the Tyler Freedom line would be a good fit for your needs and budget. The line can be found on this page here: http://tyleracoustics.com/freedom.html . If you couple a pair of F-2s at $775/pr. with an FC-1 center at $350, you are pretty much there. The downside is these are only sold direct over the net, so there is an element of risk involved that you don't have with store brands. Pictures follow....




Other new speaker options are speakers from Rega, Linn, Opera Audio Consonance. Used allows you to look at brands like Spendor, Von Schweikert, Sonus Faber and many others...

---Dave

[topspeed]

Are those Revaltor tweeters in the Tylers?!? That's a nice tweeter for under $800!

In addition to Dave's excellent suggestions, you might also consider Paradigm Studio 20v3's. These are terrific little monitors, image like crazy, and are considerably easier to find and audition.

I just saw this smoking deal on audiogon on brand new Von Schweikert VR1's! These are stunning monitors, especially at this price, and have a measured response down to 40hz (FR charts for each speaker are included and signed by Albert himself) so you shouldn't have to worry about the sub for everything short of large scale orchestral or pipe organ music. I bought these after auditioning monitors up to $2K and found their imaging, dynamics, cohesiveness, and ridiculous off-axis response to be unbeatable. These speakers simply blanket your room with sound! With a minimum of only 5 ohms and 89dB efficiency, they will be an easy drive for your Denon as well. Add the LCR15 down the road and you're ready for serious hi-rez multichannel. Highly recommended for your audition list.

Hope this helps.

[bacchanal]

$800 is what I paid for my Paradigm Studio 40s. Nice speakers with a pretty decent low end, so you'd be okay without a sub. I don't use the sub all that much for music. Mine are the V2s (which are slightly more bassy than the V3s) and were demo'd. Pretty good bang for the buck though. You could probably find a similar deal on audiogon.

I agree with the others too. Never heard the Tylers, but they look nice, and I'm definitely a fan of VSA! You don't get as much low end with the smaller monitors, but the good ones (like the VR1) are very articulate. Also I would pay attention to where you plan to put the speakers and whether they are front or rear ported designs. You have a bit more freedom of speaker placement with a front ported design (imo).

[drseid]

Are those Revaltor tweeters in the Tylers?!? That's a nice tweeter for under $800!

In addition to Dave's excellent suggestions, you might also consider Paradigm Studio 20v3's. These are terrific little monitors, image like crazy, and are considerably easier to find and audition.

If they were Revelators at that price for the Freedoms, I would be buying myself. :-) Actually, I think that is the VIFA Ring Radiator tweeter. It is a great tweeter in its own right, but no Revelator. Ty uses the Revelator in his Taylo line.

---Dave

[superpanavision70mm]

Get the PSB 7PT's with the built in powered sub. They require little to drive them because they have a built in amplifier to power the subwoofers built inside so all you need to do is drive the midrange and tweeter on them...which your receiver could easily handle. They will deliver staggering bass that you may not even need 2 subs. I hardly turn mine on for movie listening as the towers deliver enough. At DMC-electronics you can get the PSB Image for under $800 and have a superb floorstanding speaker that blows away practically any speakers twice it's price!

[drseid]

I just saw this smoking deal on audiogon on brand new Von Schweikert VR1's!

That is a good deal on the VR-1s... At that price, they would be an excellent choice IMO (they are at full retail too, of course).

---Dave

[TulsaHIFI]

I have heard both the 20 and 40 Paradigm studio speakers and thought they were excelent. Do you guys think the VR-1 is a large step above thee Parasigm speakers? and what about the PSB speakers how is the detail compared to the bookshelf's Im talking about? Thanks.

[TulsaHIFI]

would move me up to something much better. Has anyone heard the new NHT Classic four? I have read about that speaker and its seems great but Im not sure my little Denon would be up to the task.

[topspeed]

I haven't auditioned the Studio 40v3, but the Studio 20v3 is a very, very good speaker. Where it fails to compare to the VR1 is in the arena of sheer dynamics, which is not a slam because I didn't hear anything else that could either. The S20 is rated to 54hz and the S40 is 62hz (don't ask me why it's higher). The VR1 is a solid 40hz. That's a considerable difference in extension and weight and it's augmented by superior speed and control. There is no overhang with this speaker. Both exhibit very neutral midranges and excellent integration, although I felt the VSA's soft dome tweeter had slightly better extension and air. Off-axis response on the VR1's is unmatched by any speaker I've encountered. I have no idea what Albert does with his GAIN crossover, but it's enough to be patented and the results are extraordinary. The sweet spot it simply HUGE! You can literally get up, move around, and still get great sound. Unbelievable. Build quality on the S20 is very good. Build on the VSA is flat ridiculous for this price class. Consider: Real wood veneers (not vinyl as on the Studios), countersunk drivers, chamfered edges, Cardas Rhodium binding posts, braced and foamed grills(!) to control dispersion...you get the idea. The VSA is a serious speaker.

After all that, please understand my opinion means squat. As with everything in audio, you'll have to audition them yourself and determine which sound better to you. I can say, at the price they're at on audiogon, if for some unfathomable reason you don't like the VR1's, you could probably flip them without losing a cent.

Hope this helps.

[drseid]

I haven't auditioned the Studio 40v3, but the Studio 20v3 is a very, very good speaker. Where it fails to compare to the VR1 is in the arena of sheer dynamics, which is not a slam because I didn't hear anything else that could either. The S20 is rated to 54hz and the S40 is 62hz (don't ask me why it's higher). The VR1 is a solid 40hz. That's a considerable difference in extension and weight and it's augmented by superior speed and control. There is no overhang with this speaker. Both exhibit very neutral midranges and excellent integration, although I felt the VSA's soft dome tweeter had slightly better extension and air. Off-axis response on the VR1's is unmatched by any speaker I've encountered. I have no idea what Albert does with his GAIN crossover, but it's enough to be patented and the results are extraordinary. The sweet spot it simply HUGE! You can literally get up, move around, and still get great sound. Unbelievable. Build quality on the S20 is very good. Build on the VSA is flat ridiculous for this price class. Consider: Real wood veneers (not vinyl as on the Studios), countersunk drivers, chamfered edges, Cardas Rhodium binding posts, braced and foamed grills(!) to control dispersion...you get the idea. The VSA is a serious speaker.

After all that, please understand my opinion means squat. As with everything in audio, you'll have to audition them yourself and determine which sound better to you. I can say, at the price they're at on audiogon, if for some unfathomable reason you don't like the VR1's, you could probably flip them without losing a cent.

Hope this helps.

I was about to type up a nice long comparison between the 20 and the VR1, but Top's post pretty much is what I was about to type, so no need. Bottom line is I liked both, but preferred the VR1. I too have not heard the 40.

---Dave

[accastil]

have a good listen to the paradigm studio reference 20 V3 and tell me your thoughts about it in comparison to other speakers

[bobsticks]

Although I went a different way, I found the 20v3 to be a very good speaker in terms of imaging and presentation. Conversely, to these ears the 40s were heavyhanded and muddied.
While I have no experience with the VR1s, I trust TS and Dave along with the considerable reputation VS has accrued. I will say this however; at some point in this lifetime I will own a pair of Linbrook Sig Monitors in Italian Carpathian--despite the fact I'm running out of rooms in which to install A/V systems

Cheers and keep us updated...

[TulsaHIFI]

Me and my wife went to a local dealer and listened to the b&w 603 s3 towers and I thought they sounded great much better then the Paradigm we went to relisten to later in the day. What are your thoughts on this speaker and my wife would like to see me get a floorstander because new baby and speakers on stands dont add up good or else i think i would go with the VS VR1.

[topspeed]

I compared the VR1's to the 602s3's as I have a full compliment of B&W CDM NT's, which are a step up from the 600's, as my main rig. Therefore, when shopping for standmounts, B&W stood at the fore and sufficeth to say I'm very familiar with the house sound.

I think the 600 series are excellent speakers for the money. The 602 in particular offered good tonal neutrality, although it was a bit polite in the lower octaves, especially compared to the VR1. The tweeter isn't as refined as the CDM NT or 800 series, but that's to be expected, right? When pushed, the treble can become a bit sibilant and aggressive. The overall sound is very good, if not particulary involving. It's just kind of "there," and doesn't pull you into the music. In all honesty, the VR1's true competitor within the B&W family isn't the 602, 603, or even the 705. It's the 805, a speaker that is three times as expensive and even then, still doesn't offer the explosive dynamic envelope of the VSA. Remember, this is coming from a B&W guy!

As for the standmounts vs. floorstanders, tell your wife the standmounts are sturdier. No joke. B&W likes very narrow baffles to combat diffraction anomolies. Combined with their typical deep cabinetry, you get a speaker with a narrow footprint that also happens to be top heavy thanks to the driver's mounting position. My CDM 7NT floorstanders have been knocked over into my armoire, despite spikes anchoring the speakers to the foundation.

OTOH, my VR1's are on custom Skylan stands (www.skylanstands.com) that were specifically designed to withstand my two young boy's relentless onslaught. Noel, the owner of Sklyan, made a top plate the exact size of my speakers, which is then rear biased on the risers so the mass of the speaker is in the center of the stand. Speakers are almost always front-heavy thanks to the magnets of the drivers. To counteract this, Noel sets the top plate towards the rear. Smart. We then oversized the base for more stability. 36lbs of Playsand for mass loading and some Blutak later, the VR1's would need to be hit by a runaway train to be knocked over...not that my kids haven't tried, believe me.

[TulsaHIFI]

So do the vr1's attach to the stands so they cant be knocked over from on top of the stands and if so how do they attach? I dont want to go drilling holes in the speakers if I get the vr1's. Thanks for all the help also.

[wgriel]

I think that the 603s are an excellent speaker for the price. I haven't heard the VR1s under discussion, but I have compared the 603s with some Paradigm offerings and I much preferred the 603.

Bill

[TulsaHIFI]

Thanks bill I will keep that in mind.

[topspeed]

So do the vr1's attach to the stands so they cant be knocked over from on top of the stands and if so how do they attach? I dont want to go drilling holes in the speakers if I get the vr1's. Thanks for all the help also.

You use BluTack, a puddy-like reusable adhesive to attach them to the top plate. This negates the vibration absorbing ceramic pucks that Noel puts into the plate, but whaddya gonna do? I'd wager three dime sized balls of this stuff would give you enough adhesion to lift a mass loaded stand by the speaker itself.


The downside to this level of grip is that BluTack has been known to tear the vinyl wraps off speakers. While this isn't a concern with the VR1 as it's solid wood, if you choose something like the Studio 20 or 40 which use vinyl wraps over MDF, make sure you twist the speaker off the stand to lessen the chance of a tear. Either that, or use a similar product from 3M or Elmer's that isn't quite as sticky.

Hope this helps.