Favorite standmount speaker under $2,500

[Ajani]

While visiting the Totem site I happened to see the Totem "Hawks". If I was going to have a floor standing speaker something simple in aesthetics like the Hawks might work. The RS6's sound better than they look.

I find it interesting that you find the looks of the RS6 so unappealing... A large part of its appeal has been its looks... As it is generally regarded as a stylish speaker... But I guess aesthetic preferences are probably even more subjective than listening preferences...

[JohnMichael]

For my tastes, yes to the Paradigms, no to the Vienna Acoustic Haydens. Haven't heard the PSBs or Bose anything.

Has someone already mentioned Gamut speakers or Raidhos? Oh wait, what was the price range again?

Sorry no Gamut money here.

[JohnMichael]

I find it interesting that you find the looks of the RS6 so unappealing... A large part of its appeal has been its looks... As it is generally regarded as a stylish speaker... But I guess aesthetic preferences are probably even more subjective than listening preferences...

Now the RX6 is a better looking speaker IMO. I like that the Hawks look like rectangular columns with only the two drivers. No trim rings of different colors just an understated look. Please forgive me Paradigm owners but I think what has kept me away from the brand is how busy the cabinets look. There seems to be a lot of plastic added to the enclosures. I also like the PSB Imagine T's looks.

[Ajani]

Now the RX6 is a better looking speaker IMO. I like that the Hawks look like rectangular columns with only the two drivers. No trim rings of different colors just an understated look. Please forgive me Paradigm owners but I think what has kept me away from the brand is how busy the cabinets look. There seems to be a lot of plastic added to the enclosures. I also like the PSB Imagine T's looks.

I get you... Based on the pics of your listening room, I get the impression of someone more interested in refined elegance than 'bling bling'... So I can see why all the silver trimmings on the RS series and the Paradigms would be a turn-off...

[woofersus]

Being as I'm also in central Ohio, I could bring over a pair of ACA Trinity's for you to check out in your own room. (of course you could listen to them here also, but I don't mind packing them up) They are just under $2k still, although they are going to jump up above in January.

Adam reviewed them a couple of months ago: Angel City Audio Trinity bookshelf loudspeaker Review - Equipment Reviews - Dagogo

Just let me know if you're ever interested.

[JohnMichael]

I tried to call one audio shop since I have the day off and their number is no longer a working number. I checked online for another and their web page is gone. I did not try to look up their number since their site being down probably is not a good sign. If you live in a major city you have some shopping options but otherwise good luck. There are other stores but the speakers I wanted to hear today are now unavailable.

[frenchmon]

You got a Canton dealer near you? Dont know if these are too much bling for you and no plastic... I love them and they have that new ceramic tweeter, trickled down from the Canton Reference series.

The 820's retail for $2000 a pair. The 830.2 is a bigger stand mount with the upgraded tweeter. I assume they are right around your budget.

Canton Vento 830.2

[JohnMichael]

I am finding it tough to listen to speakers I want to hear. Since both pairs of speakers are enjoyable and I would like to combine the best of both in one speaker I am slowing down my search. I may take an audio vacation in March to a city with a number of good audio shops. I can spend my days trolling the stores and if I hear something I like I can go back multiple times.

I now have both pairs of speakers in the living room. The young college women below me were playing something too loud so I brought out the RS6's to blast some Amy Winehouse. They have been quieter since then. The OML1's cannot quite drive home the point like the RS6's can do.

[frenchmon]

I lived on the east coast down in Durham/ Raleigh/Cary NC. Its the biggest technology center in the country. The Research Triangle Park. Thus its a white collar city, which means a very large upper middle class community. Lots of money. They have a lot of high end audio shops. They are up and down the east cost.

Heres a link to the Park so you can see all the technology.

Home Page | The Research Triangle Park


Thats where the money and the audio shops are.

[tsweers89]

to many choices

[JohnMichael]

I have decided to live with the RS6's until I can do some serious shopping. When the OML1's are in use I find I miss the lower end. I pulled out a pair of single wire Ultralink cables which are stranded cables. I put the jumpers in place and connected the cables to the top speaker binding posts. The top pair supply the middle driver and tweeter and the lower driver is fed the signal by the jumpers.

I look forward to finding a pair of speakers that I can enjoy long term. I do not dislike either speaker just trying to find the best combination for sound until I meet the dream speaker. Well as much as you can dream at my budget.

[RGA]

Sounds to me you want a standmount with all the inherent advantages but that has "full range" floorstander capabilities with all their advantages.

Been there - join the club. The list of those is very very small. And of that list the ones that are affordable is even smaller.

[Feanor]

Sounds to me you want a standmount with all the inherent advantages but that has "full range" floorstander capabilities with all their advantages.
....

Monitors, (i.e. standmounted), plus a quality subwoofer will typically beat floorstanding, (maybe excepting very large rooms). Monitors are generally cleaner sounding and better imaging than typical floorstanders. A good sub will go deeper and play louder than than typical floorstanders.

Some care has to be take with sub placement and selecting crossover points but these aren't usually big problems.

[JohnMichael]

The OML1's and a subwoofer might be a good idea. The only thing that would concern me is my apartment is on the second floor. My neighbors might not appreciate the bass. My room is 12ft wide by 15ft with 8ft ceilings so I do not know how much bass the room would support.

[BadAssJazz]

The young college women below me were playing something too loud so I brought out the RS6's to blast some Amy Winehouse. They have been quieter since then.

Ha, that's good stuff. There's almost always one inconsiderate neighbor that has to be shown the error of their ways.

[RGA]

Monitors, (i.e. standmounted), plus a quality subwoofer will typically beat floorstanding, (maybe excepting very large rooms). Monitors are generally cleaner sounding and better imaging than typical floorstanders. A good sub will go deeper and play louder than than typical floorstanders.

Some care has to be take with sub placement and selecting crossover points but these aren't usually big problems.

Unfortunately I have yet to hear a "well integrated" sub/sat system - by well integrated I mean for music where the sound is utterly seamless. H/T I have been okay with but music not at all - and that is likely why many makers make full range speakers. I remain hopeful to hear a great sub sat system - interestingly I have been more favorable to subs when they've been in systems with full range loudspeakers - perhaps because the crossover is set much lower and the sub is used for feeling ambiance. Perhaps I just need it crossed at say 40hz than 80hz - but that requires a speaker to be very solid at 40hz at level.

[Feanor]

Unfortunately I have yet to hear a "well integrated" sub/sat system - by well integrated I mean for music where the sound is utterly seamless. H/T I have been okay with but music not at all - and that is likely why many makers make full range speakers. I remain hopeful to hear a great sub sat system - interestingly I have been more favorable to subs when they've been in systems with full range loudspeakers - perhaps because the crossover is set much lower and the sub is used for feeling ambiance. Perhaps I just need it crossed at say 40hz than 80hz - but that requires a speaker to be very solid at 40hz at level.

I have had two music systems that integrated subwoofer quite well. First my Magneplanar MMG + PSB Subsonic 6; in this case the both high and low pass were set at 80 Hz. Second is my MG 1.6QR + PSB Subsonic 5 where the Maggies run full range and the sub's low pass is at 50 Hz.

In the first instance perhaps placement of the sub was favourable, i.e. it was placed between the main speakers, (not is some odd corner), so there some phase problems were probably avoided. Arguably in the second instance all the really music is carried by the main stereo speakers since they are good down to 40-45 Hz where virtually all fundamentals occur, (pipe organ excepted)>

[Ajani]

Unfortunately I have yet to hear a "well integrated" sub/sat system - by well integrated I mean for music where the sound is utterly seamless. H/T I have been okay with but music not at all - and that is likely why many makers make full range speakers. I remain hopeful to hear a great sub sat system - interestingly I have been more favorable to subs when they've been in systems with full range loudspeakers - perhaps because the crossover is set much lower and the sub is used for feeling ambiance. Perhaps I just need it crossed at say 40hz than 80hz - but that requires a speaker to be very solid at 40hz at level.

I have yet to hear one either, however I suspect a lot of this comes down to listening preferences... Some persons swear by monitor/sub combos...

I remember auditioning a monitor/sub combo with a friend and he was in love with the sub, while I hated the sub with a passion and preferred the sound when the sub was off... In fact every time I heard a sub in a 2 channel combo I asked the dealer to switch it off...

[blackraven]

I have yet to hear one either, however I suspect a lot of this comes down to listening preferences... Some persons swear by monitor/sub combos...

I remember auditioning a monitor/sub combo with a friend and he was in love with the sub, while I hated the sub with a passion and preferred the sound when the sub was off... In fact every time I heard a sub in a 2 channel combo I asked the dealer to switch it off...

Most systems that I have heard with a sub have had the sub turned up too high. It should disappear and be seamless with the mains.

[RGA]

I have yet to hear one either, however I suspect a lot of this comes down to listening preferences... Some persons swear by monitor/sub combos...

I remember auditioning a monitor/sub combo with a friend and he was in love with the sub, while I hated the sub with a passion and preferred the sound when the sub was off... In fact every time I heard a sub in a 2 channel combo I asked the dealer to switch it off...

I think some of the posters are correct - I suspect the reason they turn the sub "too high" is because stand mounts (and sorry most panels) tend to be completely anaemic in "bass dynamics" To compensate for either or both a lack of bass depth and drive they turn the sub up high to give the system some much needed drive.

But the problem with that of course is you always hear the subwoofer and it doesn't mesh right. Turning it down where it "should be" and has better integration - now you still don't have the dynamics - but you do get some add bass.

I had a class B Stereophile rated powered sub way back - you could have it set up to defeat LF going to your main speakers - the idea being to save the mains the work of producing bass - or you could run the sub passively and your amp would drive the mains and the sub. The latter sounded a lot better but it still wasn't great while the former had severe integration issues. Placing the sub directly between the speakers helped but it still wasn't very good. It's one of the few things in audio that I purchased and was glad to get rid of.

I tried Rel's flagship sub and was roundly unimpressed given the whopper of a price tag. M&K's set-up has probably been the best one I have heard - George Lucas' favorite HT rig. If their main speakers sounded better it might have been something.

One company has been working on an 845 tube powered subwoofer for a number of years but have yet to be happy with it - Perhaps it will yield a different (better) result - but so far no.

[Feanor]

Most systems that I have heard with a sub have had the sub turned up too high. It should disappear and be seamless with the mains.

This is my observation too. Many typical system owners feel they ought to be able to "hear" their subwoofers. However you should never hear the sub as separate entity.

If you are playing, say, pipe organ music you will occassionally hear very deep bass that you wouldn't hear at all otherwise but this isn't typical listening.

[Feanor]

I think some of the posters are correct - I suspect the reason they turn the sub "too high" is because stand mounts (and sorry most panels) tend to be completely anaemic in "bass dynamics" To compensate for either or both a lack of bass depth and drive they turn the sub up high to give the system some much needed drive.

But the problem with that of course is you always hear the subwoofer and it doesn't mesh right. Turning it down where it "should be" and has better integration - now you still don't have the dynamics - but you do get some add bass.
...

It's true enough that small planars, like the Magneplanar MMG's, don't have enough bass dynamics. However it doesn't follow that adding a sub can't add dynamics or mesh well.

Weren't you listening? I said obtained fine integration with my MMG's and sub. No doubt this largely resulted from an appropriate choise of crossover point and complementary high- and low-pass filters. Do you think you're the only person around here with ears? Get over yourself.

[RGA]

Feanor

It may sound integrated to you - but if we we're going to actually trust each other's ears then that is a two way street and would apply to more than "sub integration." It is pretty clear to me we don't hear audio systems the same way and as such I don't just accept forum poster's who claim something when I have yet to hear it. If it were ears I trusted with a track record of hearing it the same way I would be on board with the claims.

[Feanor]

Feanor

It may sound integrated to you - but if we we're going to actually trust each other's ears then that is a two way street and would apply to more than "sub integration." It is pretty clear to me we don't hear audio systems the same way and as such I don't just accept forum poster's who claim something when I have yet to hear it. If it were ears I trusted with a track record of hearing it the same way I would be on board with the claims.

Well, after all, who can argue with trust your own ears, eh?

I gotta admit I've never hear your beloved AN speakers, so I suppose I should just shut the 'F' up, (while you ramble on).

[Ajani]

While I certainly agree that dealers generally turn up the subs too high, I don't think just turning down the volume solves the problem for all users... I've had the dealer turn the volume down and down and down, and in the end I still preferred that the sub be turned off... My friend on the other hand, loved the sound of the sub even on the initial volume setting the dealer used...

So I still think it's more a matter of listening preferences...