Best Speakers For $2K USD

[RGA]

You know what - I hope people just ignore RGA and TAH - go listen to the stuff and decide for yourself - all the Measurements techno speak in the world blah blah blah - You pick something you like. If you likes the SS kinda presentation or the SET sound is inconsequential - just make sure you actually bother to listen to both.

People hear it differently - Some reviewers are going to like stats some with ribbons and on and on and some will like Audio Note - Yeah I'm a fan but a LOT of people out there love em - Bob Neil:

"AN-K/SPe

The K is among my very few favorite speakers of all time. While there others, (notably Audio Note J’s and E’s) that go lower and higher with more ease, and make a bigger and arguably more accurate impression, the K’s have a special quality that larger, more effortlessly full-range speakers generally lack. Those who remember with fondness the KLH Six (compared with the Five and Twelve), the larger Advent, and the Celestion SL6 will know what I’m talking about. The K/SPe’s are better speakers than any of those classics; but they share their appeal, their ability to speak incisively and almost personally through the essential midrange, which, because of the K’s lighter low end, is where their balance is centered. They have an immediacy, a presence, exciting leading edge behavior, and tactile musical excitement, along with a beguiling hint of opacity (!), just as their predecessors had. The smaller Reynauds have some of this strange blend of tactile immediacy and opacity. The K’s have sealed cabinets, which clearly account for some of their sonic quality. The KLH, Advent, and Celestion were all sealed; the Reynauds are ported. A substantial benefit of the K’s is that they perform superbly on the modest OTO integrated amp.

AN-J/SPe

The considerably larger, ported J’s are unquestionably "better" speakers than their little brothers, in the sense that they go lower with more authority, go higher with more ease – they are smoother and more open sounding; and they create a larger image. They have less ‘personality’ than the K’s (as KLH Fives and Twelves had less than the Sixes) because they make fewer compromises (cabinet size mainly, which means the smaller speakers have to work harder to cover the spectrum) – and it is compromises that bring personality to a speaker, for better and for worse. The J’s can go literally anywhere and come remarkably close to their big brother E’s sense of effortless transparency. In a small room, they are quite happy on the OTO, though in a large room, I would like to hear them on an amp with a little more oomph to tighten up the low end.

AN-E/SPe

The E is the first Audio Note speaker I heard, so my remarks on them, written soon after they arrived, are considerably more extensive and to some degree apply to all Audio Note speakers.

Audio Note’s are the only speakers I have yet to hear that present a truly viable different perspective than Reynaud’s. Peter Qvortrup says they are "correct and accurate to the recording," an argument I have heard in favor of a great many speakers I admire but am not (any longer) drawn to. Harbeths, most recently. But Audio Note speakers, the E’s in particular, since they are the ones I know best, are very persuasive, whatever the philosophy behind them. Perhaps Peter has sprinkled some fairy dust on them and not told any of us.

They did not take me by storm. I expect this is mainly because they don’t sound at all like Reynauds, which is the speaker voice that has occupied my head for quite a while now. Reynauds generate a sense of almost palpable emotional atmosphere about them: they are wonderfully breathy, naturally warm, and full of musical presence. They are so effective at this that they can make other, quite excellent, speakers sound lean in direct contrast. Which is exactly what they did to a pair of AN E/SPe’s the first few weeks I had them here.

Audio Note speakers are not lean, they are as clear as a New England fall day and, once the transition from JMR speakers is made, exhilaratingly open and gloriously transparent. Violins in particular are transcendent. Transparent to source or performance? To source, it seems, because, unlike Reynauds, they are not especially merciful to bad digital transfers. But to most of mine, and I have a great many, they are full of nice surprises. I have never much enjoyed the sound of Chandos CD’s and they sound very fine on the E’s. They seem to give all decent recordings more than a fair chance to show what they’ve got; though I’ll confess, amplified rock music, intended for automobiles and boom-boxes, comes off a little threadbare. The best recordings sound extraordinary. Every recording sounds distinct from every other recording, which is their designer’s criterion for excellence. If this is what accuracy to source really sounds like when executed with imagination, I may to rethink my catechism.

Like Audio Note electronics, they are eloquent rather than ingratiating. This seems to have a great deal to do with their speed, their responsiveness to an audio signal. I have never quite understood the importance of this attribute until now. It seems to be what gives the E’s their extraordinary verisimilitude. Music coming through them sounds a great deal like what I heard in the spring of 2004 at the Aldeburgh Festival in Norfolk, England. (http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue14/festival.htm) Notes break the air with great speed and little effort, giving them great immediacy.

They can be difficult to set up. All Audio Note speakers are designed to be in the corners of the room, toed in such that their ‘lines’ cross about a meter in front of the listening position. My room’s corners are eighteen feet (!) apart, so the toe-in here is absolutely essential. They love low-powered SET’s. Once I got my demo E’s snugged back into the corners, the full length drapes (behind them and in front of my floor to ceiling glass wall) drawn a couple of feet past them and pulled away from their rear-firing ports, they began to have their way with me. I drive mine with parallel 2A3 Audio Note Neiros, while many AN-E owners prefer 300B based amps, of which Audio Note makes a great many. I would expect E’s to sound very fine on the moderately priced Meishu integrated, for openers.

Now, several months in, I am convinced that the alternative sonic universe that Audio Note speakers propose is as absolutely as viable as the Reynaud universe. Their openness and clarity throughout their surprising range can be magic. And, as with all things Audio Note, the magic increases as you move up the line, mainly adding more silver wiring and external crossovers. But, as with the OTO integrated amplifier and Dac 1.1x Signature II, the magic is there from the beginning."

You either like it or you don't --- and those who do ---- there really isn't a whole lot else out there that will convince this AN religion otherwise. Since I'm an Agnostic they offer me something at least.

[46minaudio]

You know what - I hope people just ignore RGA and TAH - go listen to the stuff and decide for yourself - all the Measurements techno speak in the world blah blah blah - You pick something you like. If you likes the SS kinda presentation or the SET sound is inconsequential - just make sure you actually bother to listen to both.

People hear it differently - Some reviewers are going to like stats some with ribbons and on and on and some will like Audio Note - Yeah I'm a fan but a LOT of people out there love em - Bob Neil:

"AN-K/SPe

The K is among my very few favorite speakers of all time. While there others, (notably Audio Note J’s and E’s) that go lower and higher with more ease, and make a bigger and arguably more accurate impression, the K’s have a special quality that larger, more effortlessly full-range speakers generally lack. Those who remember with fondness the KLH Six (compared with the Five and Twelve), the larger Advent, and the Celestion SL6 will know what I’m talking about. The K/SPe’s are better speakers than any of those classics; but they share their appeal, their ability to speak incisively and almost personally through the essential midrange, which, because of the K’s lighter low end, is where their balance is centered. They have an immediacy, a presence, exciting leading edge behavior, and tactile musical excitement, along with a beguiling hint of opacity (!), just as their predecessors had. The smaller Reynauds have some of this strange blend of tactile immediacy and opacity. The K’s have sealed cabinets, which clearly account for some of their sonic quality. The KLH, Advent, and Celestion were all sealed; the Reynauds are ported. A substantial benefit of the K’s is that they perform superbly on the modest OTO integrated amp.

AN-J/SPe

The considerably larger, ported J’s are unquestionably "better" speakers than their little brothers, in the sense that they go lower with more authority, go higher with more ease – they are smoother and more open sounding; and they create a larger image. They have less ‘personality’ than the K’s (as KLH Fives and Twelves had less than the Sixes) because they make fewer compromises (cabinet size mainly, which means the smaller speakers have to work harder to cover the spectrum) – and it is compromises that bring personality to a speaker, for better and for worse. The J’s can go literally anywhere and come remarkably close to their big brother E’s sense of effortless transparency. In a small room, they are quite happy on the OTO, though in a large room, I would like to hear them on an amp with a little more oomph to tighten up the low end.

AN-E/SPe

The E is the first Audio Note speaker I heard, so my remarks on them, written soon after they arrived, are considerably more extensive and to some degree apply to all Audio Note speakers.

Audio Note’s are the only speakers I have yet to hear that present a truly viable different perspective than Reynaud’s. Peter Qvortrup says they are "correct and accurate to the recording," an argument I have heard in favor of a great many speakers I admire but am not (any longer) drawn to. Harbeths, most recently. But Audio Note speakers, the E’s in particular, since they are the ones I know best, are very persuasive, whatever the philosophy behind them. Perhaps Peter has sprinkled some fairy dust on them and not told any of us.

They did not take me by storm. I expect this is mainly because they don’t sound at all like Reynauds, which is the speaker voice that has occupied my head for quite a while now. Reynauds generate a sense of almost palpable emotional atmosphere about them: they are wonderfully breathy, naturally warm, and full of musical presence. They are so effective at this that they can make other, quite excellent, speakers sound lean in direct contrast. Which is exactly what they did to a pair of AN E/SPe’s the first few weeks I had them here.

Audio Note speakers are not lean, they are as clear as a New England fall day and, once the transition from JMR speakers is made, exhilaratingly open and gloriously transparent. Violins in particular are transcendent. Transparent to source or performance? To source, it seems, because, unlike Reynauds, they are not especially merciful to bad digital transfers. But to most of mine, and I have a great many, they are full of nice surprises. I have never much enjoyed the sound of Chandos CD’s and they sound very fine on the E’s. They seem to give all decent recordings more than a fair chance to show what they’ve got; though I’ll confess, amplified rock music, intended for automobiles and boom-boxes, comes off a little threadbare. The best recordings sound extraordinary. Every recording sounds distinct from every other recording, which is their designer’s criterion for excellence. If this is what accuracy to source really sounds like when executed with imagination, I may to rethink my catechism.

Like Audio Note electronics, they are eloquent rather than ingratiating. This seems to have a great deal to do with their speed, their responsiveness to an audio signal. I have never quite understood the importance of this attribute until now. It seems to be what gives the E’s their extraordinary verisimilitude. Music coming through them sounds a great deal like what I heard in the spring of 2004 at the Aldeburgh Festival in Norfolk, England. (http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue14/festival.htm) Notes break the air with great speed and little effort, giving them great immediacy.

They can be difficult to set up. All Audio Note speakers are designed to be in the corners of the room, toed in such that their ‘lines’ cross about a meter in front of the listening position. My room’s corners are eighteen feet (!) apart, so the toe-in here is absolutely essential. They love low-powered SET’s. Once I got my demo E’s snugged back into the corners, the full length drapes (behind them and in front of my floor to ceiling glass wall) drawn a couple of feet past them and pulled away from their rear-firing ports, they began to have their way with me. I drive mine with parallel 2A3 Audio Note Neiros, while many AN-E owners prefer 300B based amps, of which Audio Note makes a great many. I would expect E’s to sound very fine on the moderately priced Meishu integrated, for openers.

Now, several months in, I am convinced that the alternative sonic universe that Audio Note speakers propose is as absolutely as viable as the Reynaud universe. Their openness and clarity throughout their surprising range can be magic. And, as with all things Audio Note, the magic increases as you move up the line, mainly adding more silver wiring and external crossovers. But, as with the OTO integrated amplifier and Dac 1.1x Signature II, the magic is there from the beginning."

You either like it or you don't --- and those who do ---- there really isn't a whole lot else out there that will convince this AN religion otherwise. Since I'm an Agnostic they offer me something at least.

You have out done yourself this time by posting this ad.In short reviews are only good if they support AN (Pro and consumer).Measurments only mean anything if they show flaws in speakers other than AN.If one does not like the likes of AN you get this

I find you have terrible taste in music reproduction..

Here is a good one,ANs are not effected by a room..However If one does not like the ANs the room is to blame..Recievers SUCK DONKEY BALLS,and SS amps are worthless..RGA you need medical help...

[kexodusc]

I've long suspected Bob Neil started selling Audio Note (or at least planned to) long before he ever wrote that review...hence an inherrent conflict of interest...Even if I'm wrong that review ranks right up there with reviews I've read of how "the 901's twist time and space into an ethereal sonic fabric bringing you to the stage"....yaaawwwnnn!!!!

RGA: What in the blue hell have you done now? This thread has gone waaaaay overboard!

Perhaps Peter has sprinkled some fairy dust on them and not told any of us.

The only dust sprinkling going on here is to line up the cocaine some of these AN users are obviously snorting.

I don't know what's worse...the fact that people suck you into these pointless flame wars or your propensity to engage in them...

[RGA]

Bob Neill sells very few pieces of audio gear - and he sells what he owns. He reviewed the product based on a recommendation liked it so much that he decided to be a dealer. The review above is not a formal review that would be printed in a magazine or on a web-zine. It his his opinion of the speakers he actually bought and on his web-site for his company only.

I think people like Bob are about the best people out there to purchase from because they ONLY sell what they love. I lasted 3 days in sales because I could not look someone in the eye and say Bose is a great value and you'll be happy with your purchase. I could only sell what I could stand behind. That's the kind of dealer I would be looking for. Which does not in th least suggest that people will agree with Bob's taste but nevertheless at least you know the guy isn;t just ttrying to move any box at any cost like the folks at Audio Video Unlimited or FutureSHop selling Paradigm and Bose. They don't know good sound and thye don't care if you ever do either.

I post reviews of speakers I like but from people who seem not to be paid off - AN doesn't pay in any way to the people reviewing - and any company who does is in a conflict of interest - so it's odd that Bob gets called out but the hundreds of thousands of dollars B&W and Paradigm have paid Stereophile --- well there's no conflict there??? Give me a break.

I suppose I should not post reviews if I'm not for them - but some people will only consider a speaker that gets a good review - so to pander to such people I post them and usually always say that I would not truust the reviews - their is no hypocracy in it because I state here's a review - BUT....don't go by the reviews alone.

Measurements? Firstly, some people like to imply that what they LOVE is neutral and or accurate and that because they LIKE itthen AN or other companies are not accurate or not neutral blah blah blah. Well forst there is no perfectly accurate speaker - and the Genelec I illustrate is clearly NOT. It has frequency anomolies period just as Audio Note and Reference 3a and a host of other speakers I like do.

I have said for a long time that if you like that spiked sound great I don't but please stop saying it's more accurate. Some people will hear that as neutral - other people will hear it as cold and bright. Some people will hear AN as neutral others might say something else.

To me SS amps suck for the most part compared to the SETs I've heard. Ahh RGA is not aloud to have taste he must conform only to what 46min audio and TAH likes --- ahh man I'm not even American and I know about the Freedom of opinion. I have heard a LOT of gear over the years a lot directly compared to eachother in several rooms. I'll stand by the choice I make and I will try and convince people to not make the same MISTAKES I made by believing the rags and the advertising hype. Kevin F not a reviewer just an audiophile guy has had a very similar experience - though he spent way more money a 20kGBP system and relied on the rags solely. http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.pl?...45133&review=1 We have found the panacea in AN. And I was interested in the system that he used to own here as well because his experience with some pretty big name stuff is exactly the kind of stuff I have heard...his result isn't the least bit surprising to me.

I'll take the abuse - I am glad I largely avoided several purchasing moves I was close to making over the years based off of forums and magazines. And i'd like to save a few other people from what Kevin and I have gone through. Some people who have never heard better than Bose may think Bose is great - but if they do they may go "Nuts...I could have brand X which is far far better for less than half the price...Double Nuts"

[MusicLG]

Yo! You guys are supposed to be sharing your knowledge and opinions to help answer the question we newbie posters are asking. This shouldn't be a political debate or a personal attack on each other. Let's keep it to the question! It's all about the music, isn't it?
MusicLG

[Florian]

LOL !!!!

Everytime, in every single post someone is *****ing with someone. I myself have *****ed a tons of people. Does this site ever change ?

As far as i go, i have no freaking clue about Pro sound, All i know is that the VMPS 626R is a awsome speaker for music, and that the Nautilus 800 series (bookshelf) and the dynaudios are great.

[46minaudio]

Bob Neill sells very few pieces of audio gear - and he sells what he owns. He reviewed the product based on a recommendation liked it so much that he decided to be a dealer. The review above is not a formal review that would be printed in a magazine or on a web-zine. It his his opinion of the speakers he actually bought and on his web-site for his company only.

I think people like Bob are about the best people out there to purchase from because they ONLY sell what they love. I lasted 3 days in sales because I could not look someone in the eye and say Bose is a great value and you'll be happy with your purchase. I could only sell what I could stand behind. That's the kind of dealer I would be looking for. Which does not in th least suggest that people will agree with Bob's taste but nevertheless at least you know the guy isn;t just ttrying to move any box at any cost like the folks at Audio Video Unlimited or FutureSHop selling Paradigm and Bose. They don't know good sound and thye don't care if you ever do either.

I post reviews of speakers I like but from people who seem not to be paid off - AN doesn't pay in any way to the people reviewing - and any company who does is in a conflict of interest - so it's odd that Bob gets called out but the hundreds of thousands of dollars B&W and Paradigm have paid Stereophile --- well there's no conflict there??? Give me a break.

I suppose I should not post reviews if I'm not for them - but some people will only consider a speaker that gets a good review - so to pander to such people I post them and usually always say that I would not truust the reviews - their is no hypocracy in it because I state here's a review - BUT....don't go by the reviews alone.

Measurements? Firstly, some people like to imply that what they LOVE is neutral and or accurate and that because they LIKE itthen AN or other companies are not accurate or not neutral blah blah blah. Well forst there is no perfectly accurate speaker - and the Genelec I illustrate is clearly NOT. It has frequency anomolies period just as Audio Note and Reference 3a and a host of other speakers I like do.

I have said for a long time that if you like that spiked sound great I don't but please stop saying it's more accurate. Some people will hear that as neutral - other people will hear it as cold and bright. Some people will hear AN as neutral others might say something else.

To me SS amps suck for the most part compared to the SETs I've heard. Ahh RGA is not aloud to have taste he must conform only to what 46min audio and TAH likes --- ahh man I'm not even American and I know about the Freedom of opinion. I have heard a LOT of gear over the years a lot directly compared to eachother in several rooms. I'll stand by the choice I make and I will try and convince people to not make the same MISTAKES I made by believing the rags and the advertising hype. Kevin F not a reviewer just an audiophile guy has had a very similar experience - though he spent way more money a 20kGBP system and relied on the rags solely. http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.pl?...45133&review=1 We have found the panacea in AN. And I was interested in the system that he used to own here as well because his experience with some pretty big name stuff is exactly the kind of stuff I have heard...his result isn't the least bit surprising to me.

I'll take the abuse - I am glad I largely avoided several purchasing moves I was close to making over the years based off of forums and magazines. And i'd like to save a few other people from what Kevin and I have gone through. Some people who have never heard better than Bose may think Bose is great - but if they do they may go "Nuts...I could have brand X which is far far better for less than half the price...Double Nuts"

If I wanted to I could pick through this post and find where you have contradicted your self on every remark.But Im not...Seek help fast...you need it...

[Florian]

I think people like Bob are about the best people out there to purchase from because they ONLY sell what they love

Sorry my friend. But every single dealer i bought equipment from (real stuff, no cheap ****) loved the products they sell. They only carry one brand too.

[RGA]

Sorry my friend. But every single dealer i bought equipment from (real stuff, no cheap ****) loved the products they sell. They only carry one brand too.

Then maybe you have a good dealer...Like I said you don;t have to AGREE with them - but if I were selling audio gear I would have to sell what I believed in. My dealer sells lots of stuff that they themeselves wouldn't want to own adn don;t own and some they don;t even like - but it's a business and you have to sell what the market demands at least a bit. Soundhounds finally has a home theater room - they have resisted for a LONG time but they have a dedicated converted room. Sometimes you as a businessman have to make compromises - there is a super high end dealer in ancouver that has picked up Bose another admiited to me they would love to carry B&O that a competitor had the rights to. Not because it's any good but because most people demand style over quality. Serge a terrific dealer at Commercial Electronics was given free trips and serf borads from B&O as selling more B&O than anyone in the country or was it anywhere.

He always told people straight out that it wasn;t nearly as good sounding as much of what they carried - but that they fit a look etc blah blah enter sales pitch -- but he was honest and it worked. You learn not to sell - customers rarely ask good dealers what they would buy.

Terry at Soundhounds has said - very few people want advice -- they have picked out their speaker from the magazine --- and have read piles of reviews and phone up to see if they carry model X come down listen for several minutes and buy. Very few bother to spend several hours listening or make a few trips. For people like myself who set up an appointment to listen to a list of speakers - they added one to my list(I bothered to ask - please add one you like that I may not be familiar with). Then I get to hear a product that the people listening to gear day in day out for 20-30 years like - gee maybe they have been down the road - maybe they are themselves audiophiles not just salesman.

My dealer carries so much stuff that it really doesn't matter to them what you buy. Bob Neill could carry more "appealing" speakers and equipment and easier to sell stuff. I like to post Soundhounds because they're a terrific no hard sell dealer.

I should just tell people to do what Steven Rochlin says "what's important is that you .....enjoy the music."

[theaudiohobby]

Yo! You guys are supposed to be sharing your knowledge and opinions to help answer the question we newbie posters are asking. This shouldn't be a political debate or a personal attack on each other. Let's keep it to the question! It's all about the music, isn't it? MusicLG

Apologies for the missile guided flames, , have you auditioned any speakers yet? I am planar guy, currently own some excellent planar hybrids, so I am extremely sensitive to boxiness i.e. do not like it nada and that trickles down to my standmounts choices, I am very big on dynamics, transparency and midband clarity, good deep articulate bass is a definite plus. Many small speakers as a rule do not excel in the dynamics department and certainly not deep bass, larger less expensive speakers are more dynamic and have more bass but many sound boxy and that robs them of some midband clarity and transparency. The ELACs 310iJET (the pocket rocket) is right up there in terms of midband clarity and tonal integrity, I gather that the 330iJET is better, has better dynamics because of its larger woofer, but it costs twice as much even on the used market. The 310iJET excels in vocals, rock and small band jazz, on large scale orchestral music, it dynamics limitations are exposed though this can be addressed to an reasonable extent by using a subwoofer equiped with a high-pass filter to relief the woofer of deep bass, the solution also does wonders for the midband i.e. less distortion, more clarity. What attracted me to the Genelec 8000 is lack of boxiness, it makes for a wonderfully clear midband, which is in doubt aided by a very capable inert cabinet, it sound delineation is right up there, each instrument and voice occupying their own well defined space. IMHO, the 8050 is equipped with a great woofer driver, coupled with the cabinet it makes very good music, however it costs mucho money , I like the Sonus Faber Guerneri very unboxy and sweet sound but it costs even more and does much less well in the bass department still requires outboard amplification. So there, my motivation for my preferences.

[JoeE SP9]

If you have the space Magnepan MG1.6QR's are IMHO the best bang for the buck. $1600 per pair and worth every penny. If you have never heard planers you owe it to yourself to give these a listen. They do need some real watts. They have a rather low impedence so 40WPC channel receivers need not apply.

[MusicLG]

Thanks for asking, theaudiohobby. So far, I've auditioned the Paradigm Signature 100s, Audio Monitor Gold 20s and Silver 8s, a planar called Eminent, JM Lab Cobalts and Electras. Lots of others, too, not worth mentioning including some Italian speakers I don't recall the name of which were too expensive and sounded awful. My heart's with the JM Electras. Any thoughts on this, anyone? Thanks!
MuscLG

[nate dog]

I dont have a lot of experience with various speakers, but a friend has NHT T5's which sound amazing to me. His system is without a doubt the best sounding system that I've ever heard. It easily surpasses any demo room (or theater) I've been in.

Just my .02

[theaudiohobby]

Thanks for asking, theaudiohobby. So far, I've auditioned the Paradigm Signature 100s, Audio Monitor Gold 20s and Silver 8s, a planar called Eminent, JM Lab Cobalts and Electras. Lots of others, too, not worth mentioning including some Italian speakers I don't recall the name of which were too expensive and sounded awful. My heart's with the JM Electras. Any thoughts on this, anyone? Thanks!
MuscLG

Nice to hear that you like the Electras, they are good speakers, good treble, some top end sparkle, very nice midrange and excellent soundstaging. I have some reservations about its bass delivery especially at that price, I will be seriously consider trying out the Electra 907 Be with a subwoofer. I think well set up it will give you cleaner bass and a more sprightly speaker than the 927 Be/ 926 or 946/947 Be, it might even be cheaper to go that way, your speaker positioning as well as bass tuning options increase, the right subwoofer will probably even give more bass slam, the midrange tends benefit from good subwoofer integration.