$2,000-3,000 Tower speaker comparison: Need help picking the contenders

[NewHTbuyer]

It is my turn to ask advice from all the experts.

I am getting close to upgrading the speakers in my basement. It will be a 2.0 channel room, no subwoofer planned at this time, and I am looking at getting full range floorstanding speakers in the price range of $2,000-3,000.

The room is 17 feet wide by 16 feet deep with 7.5 foot ceiling. I will sit about 11 or 12 feet back from the front wall. I will be powering the speakers with a Harmon Kardon HK3490, 120wpc, stereo receiver. I also plan to do some room treatments (separate budget).

I have read many threads here and I hope to do what many people recommend. I plan to bring in 3-5 different sets of speakers at the same time in my own home so that I can compare and end up with the set I like the best. I am also, as a relatively new enthusiast, trying to have fun during this process and learn what kind of sound I like out of my speakers. Therefore, I am looking to compare speakers that are different in design and components to see what I like better. I mostly listen to rock and classical music off of CDs. Sometimes jazz/blues. I will be watching TV also, but I am looking for primary music performance for this room, as I have a 5.1 setup upstairs. I want dynamic speakers that stay clear when loud, but are also accurate and have a good soundstage.

I have done a lot of reading and I have a good idea of which speakers I want to order, but I would love any and all suggestions, both on which speakers to try and how best to audition them.

I plan to mostly stick to ID, direct order, brands. They allow anywhere from 30 to 90 day free trial period. I will make the rounds to the local stores, and I actually have a good selection here in Denver, but most do not seem to be agreeable regarding home auditions.

Contenders:

1)Ascend Sierra tower with Raal tweeter ($2700), 30 day trial
I have read so many great things about these speakers that they seem like a no brainer to be at the top of the list in this price range.

Sierra Tower Bamboo Loudspeaker

2)VonSchweikert VR-22 ($2,895), 90 day trial. I heard these at RMAF and was very impressed.

VR-22 : Von Schweikert Audio

3)SVS Ultra Towers ($2,000), 45 day trial. I also heard these at RMAF and liked them. They are not even released yet, so it will be cool to be one of the first to give them a test drive. Plus, they are offering 45 day trial with free shipping both ways.

Ultra Series Speakers - SVS

4) Anthony Gallo Classico CL-IV ($2,495), 60 day trial. I am attracted to the idea of a speaker with a large sweet spot and good low freq extension. They seem to get very good reviews.

Anthony Gallo Acoustics :: Satellite Speakers | Audio Loudspeaker | Speakers

I would say that I am 99% going to audition the Ascend and the Von Schweikert. The SVS and Gallo are less certain and could be replaced with other speakers.

I have already considered and eliminated the Salk Songtower with ribbon upgrade and the Aperion Versus Grand. The reasons are because the Salk, which I heard and liked very much, is similar to the Ascend but does not play quite as deep and may distort more at loud volumes without a sub. I compared the Aperion to the SVS at RMAF and liked the SVS a bit better.

Other possibilities:

Tekton Pendragon or Lore-S. I have read many good reviews on these, but have not seen any measurements. I did not totally love the sound of the Zu speakers I heard, and these seem similar. Also, they don’t pay for shipping and have a 15% restocking fee. Still, trying out a design with high efficiency and single driver technology might be interesting.

XTZ 99.36. Read a bit on these. A new company in the US. They seem to have good components. Only a 21 day trial.

Emerald Physics CS2P. Totally different design. Open baffle, dipole below 1000Hz, external DSP flattens freq response and lowers -3dB limit into the 20s. Not sure I am ready for these quite yet, as they are definitely different than most regular speakers. Still, they did impress me at RMAF.

As far as B&M models that I am going to audition, the ones that look attractive to me are the Goldenear Triton 2s or 3s, Paradigm Studio 100s or 60s, Kef Q900 or R500, PSB Imagine T, Monitor Audio RX8. Again, I will listen to those and, if I can get a dealer to agree to it, might bring one B&M model home. Of these, I am most interested in the Goldenear Triton 2s.

So, do you like the 4 I have listed? Should I replace any? Which ones am I missing? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

When I do get them all in my room, probably in January or so, I will start a new thread to post lots of pics and my listening impressions.

Thanks!

p.s. I started a similar thread over at AVS

[ImcLoud]

Im going to have to say Tekton Lore S, they are the only speaker I like with out a sub. Another option would be finding a pair of Wharfedale Opus 2-3's, these stand alone very well, I have a friend at WD and He may have a set left, I want to say he was selling them for $2700 or so , they were originally $6000... But for the money the Lores are worth the wait...

http://soundimport.com/opus2-3.html recommended 600watts and I was told they can handle 1000, and they make LOTS of clean bass..
with one of these http://www.amazon.com/Crown-XLS2000-...rown+amplifier Is INSANE!!!
I heard that setup in a 20x15 room and it was crystal clear at 3/4 volume, we couldnt bare to turn it up anymore than that, it had to be almost 110db 10 feet from the speaker!!!

I like how the ascends sound, but with the smaller towers, the bass I want may be present but not powerful enough to fill the room, but this all depends on you and your music and music listening level.. I like everything from classic rock, alt., jazz, r&B, rap, country, ect... So the system has to be very versatile, that why I like music systems with subs.. IMO you will get a better sound with a couple towers that have 6.5" drivers and then add a couple sealed musical subs. Like my 2.2 -I bought the evo2-40 towers and added a pair of subs for less than the cost of a speaker that would have enough bass for me to stand alone... Plus you get to separate them, and your amps power isn't getting sucked up by the bass notes, instead it is getting dedicated to your mids and highs, the subs amps are doing all the hard work...

[Steve81]

I'd toss Philharmonic Audio into the mix. If you like the Salk ST, I'd expect you'll enjoy these too. They dig deep (32Hz for even the Phil 1) so no special need for a subwoofer with most music. Aside from that, I'm partial to Ascend.

[JerryLove]

I don't think Salk has a trial period though; and they are not easy to go audition (unless you live near Pontiac, or know someone); so they may not be right for his list (given his criteria).

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The Phil3 definitely kicks a$$ on bass.

It is a superb speaker overall. The on-axis and horizontal off-axis up to 60 degrees look great. The speakers sound great. I believe in 2.0 mode, the Phil3's can output as much bass as the $24,000 B&W 800D2.

Unfortunately, no in-home trial either, so does not fit criteria.

I've owned the DefTech BP7001SC and BP7000SC. They have more bass than any speaker I've ever heard, except the RBH T2/P. the Triton 2 should be similar to DefTech, except not as much bass as the 7001/7000. But GoldenEar and DefTech get no respect around here. Neither do Paradigm, Tekton, and some other speakers.

The SVS 45" tall towers look awesome (piano black sexy ). Tested at NRC anechoic chamber, dual 8" woofers. If they sound as great as they look and as great as their super subs, it might be a winner, especially with the 45 day trial. I expect full measurements since they were measured at NRC.

[Steve81]

For B&M models, I'd also toss out the NHT Classic Four as being worth a shot. The built in powered subs ought to give it some useful low end, and the top end is effectively the Classic Three, which is pretty good stuff IMO.

[psbfan9]

If you contact Salk, you can get a list of owners that will let people come to their homes and audition speakers. But, since you've eliminated the ST's, I guess this is a moot point.

I would like to suggest EMP 55ti. I have a pair and like them.

EMPtek E55ti Floorstanding Loudspeakers — Reviews and News from Audioholics

The Philharmonics get great reviews here as well.

Philharmonic Audio

Good luck with your search.

[Steve81]

If you contact Salk, you can get a list of owners that will let people come to their homes and audition speakers. But, since you've eliminated the ST's, I guess this is a moot point.

I would like to suggest EMP 55ti. I have a pair and like them.

EMPtek E55ti Floorstanding Loudspeakers — Reviews and News from Audioholics

The Philharmonics get great reviews here as well.

Philharmonic Audio

Good luck with your search.

Some PSB fan you turned out to be

[billy p]

I generally use my sub when listening to music...but I wouldn't say the bass drivers used in the Sierras fall short in prodcuing deep bass. I know these drivers differ from the ones used in the Sierra 1's....being made from a slighly lighter material & less rigid... helps them produce a quicker/ or punchier feel which IMO gives the bass a more tacticle feel. Having owned the Sierra 1's what sold me on the Sierra Towers was the review from enjoythemusic in which the reviewer call them bona fide rockers he even listed 4 of my favorite bands that I listen too and enjoy the most.....

Looking forward to reading through all your progressions both here and AVS....

Re: Bill...

[walter duque]

I recently had the opportunity to check out Alex's Phil3. On my way there I didn't expect much. To me most speakes are very boring and don't excite me at all, that includes a lot of major brands. When I listend to a speaker it has to give me that certain rush. To my surprise the craftmenship is top notch. I know a lot of people say they're ugly, to me they are a work of art made with love. The sound stage is awesome. When listening to 2 channel I could have sworn the Salk center was on. I asked Alex if the center was on and he said no, I had to put my ear up to the center just to make sure and it was off. Bass is plentiful and thight. For the price I think the Phil3 are the bargain of a lifetime. BTW I did get that rush. I also think they do need some good power to do them justice. Alex powered them with a 350x2 watt Cinepro.