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Thread: speakers

  1. #1
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    speakers

    Hello again guys, Been reading alot of the treads here about diffrent speakers. In about a month i will have the money to buy mains , center,rears and a sub. So my room is 20x15 basement,carpet wall to wall, two small windows covered by cloth shades,two doors,cloth seating. So iv been looking at B&W,Paradigm,Monitor audio,JMfocal,PSB,dynaudio bookshelf mains cause that all i can have for mains! I havent been out listening yet just collecting info on all these speakers. I went to a store today that sold both Monitor audio and Paradigm speakers, he was really pushing the Paradigm monitor 5 whick looked very nice! But did not have time to listen to any of them yet.I will go listen to all these in a bout two weeks. I was just wondering why he whould push paridigm more then monitor audio?He told me that the cost of the shipping gets put into the monitor audio's because of being made over seas?He did not slam any other speakers that i brought up on my list that im going to listen to.With so many speakers out there its hard to know where to start! The only componet i did get is a Yamaha 1300 receiver. So i guess i was just wondering whats the best way to go listen to these speakers, with a test cd of some sort. My own music and movies? How can i pick out the different sounds when ive always had crap speakers? Gues im drowning in all the speakers out there. I will be useing the setup for both music and movies,music being rock,pop,jazz,classic. Movies being action,adventure,drama,sci-fi. So i guess im all over the boards with my taste. Oh and i like alot of boom so ive narrowed my subs down to the servo-15,HSU,SVS PB2-plus.

  2. #2
    Suspended markw's Avatar
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    If music plays any part in your future with this system, concentrate mainly on how well the speakers handle music. If they get that right, the movies will fall right into place. All too many times I've read posts that start out "My system sounds great on HT but on music...".

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    thanks for the reply

    thank you for telling me this, this is the things i dont know i guess im lost and i dont wnay to spend my money on crap cause i wont be able to for a long time.

  4. #4
    RGA
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    I agree with Markw. If this is mainly for music listen to music - you have a reference point because we tend to know what voices and pianos are supposed to sound like - we don;t know what a T-Rex stepping on cars really sounds like in real life.

    This approach to listening really works and you don't really need to be an audiophile or expert listener to be able to judge. It is written by a passionate company owner but you do not need apply it just their speakers it should work for every speaker http://www.audionote.co.uk/anp1.htm

    Ignore what the dealer is trying to PUSH - they tend to push the speaker that makes them the most commission. Monitor Audio and other European speakers all have this disadvantage due to shipping but they often make very very good speakers that despite being put behind the 8-ball price wise they manage to do very well over here against speakers that have no cost disadvantages.


    Of the ones I've heard that you listed i like the Dynaudio Audience 42 and I suggest even over that one the Audio Note AX-Two(tough to find) but if you do find a dealer in your town I think you'll be impressed.

    I reviewed several speakers you are considering on this site RGA Reviews <$2000.00 Page 2, Epos, Audio Note, Paradigm, B&W etc.

    I'm not saying you should go by my or any other reviews solely - but do at least try and listen to most of them side by side. I think the AX Two for $550.00 is about what you would pay for the Paradigm Monitor 5 and IMO the Two is far superior - though it is smaller and doesn't look as nice.

    Also Skylan is a good relatively inexpensive stand as I've been able to find.

  5. #5
    Galactic Patrol Lensman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by madmax1
    Hello again guys, Been reading alot of the treads here about diffrent speakers. In about a month i will have the money to buy mains , center,rears and a sub. So my room is 20x15 basement,carpet wall to wall, two small windows covered by cloth shades,two doors,cloth seating. So iv been looking at B&W,Paradigm,Monitor audio,JMfocal,PSB,dynaudio bookshelf mains cause that all i can have for mains! I havent been out listening yet just collecting info on all these speakers. I went to a store today that sold both Monitor audio and Paradigm speakers, he was really pushing the Paradigm monitor 5 whick looked very nice! But did not have time to listen to any of them yet.I will go listen to all these in a bout two weeks. I was just wondering why he whould push paridigm more then monitor audio?He told me that the cost of the shipping gets put into the monitor audio's because of being made over seas?He did not slam any other speakers that i brought up on my list that im going to listen to.With so many speakers out there its hard to know where to start! The only componet i did get is a Yamaha 1300 receiver. So i guess i was just wondering whats the best way to go listen to these speakers, with a test cd of some sort. My own music and movies? How can i pick out the different sounds when ive always had crap speakers? Gues im drowning in all the speakers out there. I will be useing the setup for both music and movies,music being rock,pop,jazz,classic. Movies being action,adventure,drama,sci-fi. So i guess im all over the boards with my taste. Oh and i like alot of boom so ive narrowed my subs down to the servo-15,HSU,SVS PB2-plus.
    Not sure why he was pushing the Paradigms, but they do sound considerably different to me, so he might be advocating his personal preference for the Paradigm sound. But they are both fine speakers. On the other hand, Paradigm will begin shipping version 4 of their Monitor line in about 2 weeks, so he might be trying to sell off his existing version 3 inventory. I've never heard the "shipping" angle on MAs or any overseas speakers. As a rule Paradigm just generally tends to be less expensive than most other manufacturers.

    So how do you audition speakers? I recommend you do it with material that you know well. That way you can tell when you hear something is different and in what way.

    Before you make the rounds, go through your collection and pick out a few tracks from some of your favorites. Make sure they reflect the diversity of your tastes. As mentioned, music is most telling, so emphasize it in the material you choose. You’ll probably have to go to several stores and often won’t be able to A/B your choices. Since it’s often hard to remember details of what you heard, take a pen and pad with you and make a few notes to look over and compare later. Try to listen to the different speakers at as close to the same volume level as possible. Make sure to center yourself between the speakers. It’s best if the speakers are arranged so the tweeters are somewhere near ear level. Just about any decent audio store will set things up this way. Once you’re set, here’s some things to listen for:

    1. Imaging – If you close your eyes, can you tell where each instrument/singer is located? Is it in a hazy, approximate area or a pinpoint precise location?

    2. Soundstage - Does the size of the reproduced stage seem spacious and open and extend beyond the space in between the speakers? Do instruments/people appear to be standing/sitting at different depths in a three dimensional space, or do they seem to be located in a two-dimensional field at the same distance as the speakers?

    3. Vocals –Listen to both male and female. Are sounds natural or are they hollow, nasally, or sound like they’re coming through a tin can or cupped hands?

    4. Detail – Listen carefully. Do you hear little things in your recordings you never knew were there?

    5. Compression - When listening to music with a lot of energy and dynamics, do you loose track of the fine details when there is are peaks (loud points) or does everything from the soft to loud hold together?

    6. Fatigue – Is the sound from the speaker comfortable or does it sound harsh or piercing? Do you feel like you could keep listening to them forever?

    7. Disappearing - When you close your eyes and listen, can you tell where the speakers are or do they seem to disappear in a field of sound?

    5. Dispersion – Now get up and walk around. Do the speakers still sound great and seem to produce even sound as you move around the room?

    Since you’re setting up an HT system, I'd recommend you also pick out scenes from a couple of movies to test the matching surround sound setup to see how convincingly and evenly the surround field envelopes you.

    Take your time and don't make an impulse decision, even if you're offered a deal. Saving $50 on speakers you find mediocre or worse isn't a deal. You indicate you plan to have these for a while, so make sure you like them.

    As for drowning in speakers? Well that can be a lot of fun!

  6. #6
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    Thanks guy

    Thanks for all the input! Dont get me wrong im looking forward to listening to all these! Just dont want to make the wrong choice. So when i do start listening to these speakers i'll be writing back with my findings! thanks again for all the input it helps!!!

  7. #7
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    the subs

    Out of the three subs i listed is the paradigm worth the $1600 vs the SVS $1300

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