$500/pair Tower Speaker Round-up for Two-Channel and Home Theater Listening

gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
Looking for some floorstanding speakers to listen to your CD collection, Internet radio, LP’s, or just looking for some quality front/all channel speakers for your home theater for around $500 a pair? We have compiled a short list for your consideration. Some are available at your local big box retailer and some are only available online.

Take a look at this list and feel free to post your suggestions in the related forum thread below.



Read: $500/pair Tower Speaker Round-up for Two-Channel and Home Theater Listening
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Why aren't sensitivity specs included in the comparison chart?
 
BoredSysAdmin

BoredSysAdmin

Audioholic Slumlord
by using my completely unscientific method and practically baseless, I'd look more close at JBL and Sony offerings, but at only few pence more, Elac's Debut F5 could be a very serious competition and I get the feeling that price of these will be lowered soon enough to reach same $500/pr price point. ...

But If I was looking to upgrade my tSc's and aiming at generally same budget, I'd be looking only at one pair of "tower" speakers and they would be Ascend CMT340se's
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
Why aren't sensitivity specs included in the comparison chart?
I trust very few manufacturer's sensitivity specs. It is so badly gamed that it is just not a useful spec to list anymore. I only trust that spec from certain manufacturers. Unless you know exactly how that specification was measured, it is not worth anything. The only sensitivity spec on that list I trust is JBL's, and, go figure, it is the lowest.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
I trust very few manufacturer's sensitivity specs. It is so badly gamed that it is just not a useful spec to list anymore. I only trust that spec from certain manufacturers. Unless you know exactly how that specification was measured, it is not worth anything. The only sensitivity spec on that list I trust is JBL's, and, go figure, it is the lowest.
I was more asking the author, I'm aware of your position on the subject. Just as useful, if not more useful than, max watts, nominal impedance and unspec'd frequency response as shown in the chart....
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
Gene, I suggest adding the Sony Core Towers to the mix. I would think they would do quite well imho. Here is a link:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-core-series-dual-5-3-way-floorstanding-speaker-each-black/5926456.p?skuId=5926456


I am not really a tower guy, but really like how these sound. Just thought that I would mention it.


Cheers,

Phil
I've seen a few of our normal crew praising these speakers, and I trust your opinions.

I'm not a Sony fan, but what really gets me on these is the "Super Tweeter". That always seems dubious to me! My hearing starts dropping out around 15kHz, so what's the point on a Super Tweeter?

What are your thoughts on that?
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
I've seen a few of our normal crew praising these speakers, and I trust your opinions.

I'm not a Sony fan, but what really gets me on these is the "Super Tweeter". That always seems dubious to me! My hearing starts dropping out around 15kHz, so what's the point on a Super Tweeter?

What are your thoughts on that?
To be honest here, I never thought in a million and one years that I would recommend a Sony speaker. But, the Core towers really are very good. Keep in mind that I am not a tower guy. The Core bookshelf sounds even better inmho. For those in the market for affordable towers, the Sony Cores should be considered.

As far as the "Super Tweeter" thing goes is it merely marketing to help sell the speakers. Have read though that a tweeter that is extended usually sounds better over all. My hearing is close to yours from the way you describe it. But, there are others out there that can hear beyond 15K Hz. Therefore, extended frequency response would be a plus to them. Sony did a very good job with the Cores!


Cheers,

Phil
 
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
I've seen a few of our normal crew praising these speakers, and I trust your opinions.

I'm not a Sony fan, but what really gets me on these is the "Super Tweeter". That always seems dubious to me! My hearing starts dropping out around 15kHz, so what's the point on a Super Tweeter?

What are your thoughts on that?
I cannot begin to answer your question, I know my hearing drops off around 15kHz, but, IMHSO (S for subjective) these speakers sounded great when compared with others in the same price range. They even compete with the Philharmonitor AA's in treble (IMHSO again) - the Sony has nowhere near as much bass and some coloration compared to the AA's, however the high end is very nice - better than most soft domes I have heard (I have no idea if the super tweeter is involved in that).

I agree with you on Sony. They consistently charge a premium for their name. I have learned if they make a product I want, I can routinely find an equivalent or better product for around 20% less. The Sony Core series is an exception.

I should credit ZiegLJ01 (and drop his name) as the guy on AH who "discovered" this speaker (to my awareness).

Probably one of the best aspects of the Sony Core Series is in the US, we can walk out of any Best Buy today with a pair for a 14 day fully refundable in-home trial (BB's return policy).

Edit: I should make clear that I have the bookshelf version of the Sony Core. I have not heard the towers. They have the same drivers (plus a second woofer). I would expect the same sound on the high end and likely some added resonance in the low end from the towers.
 
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S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
One thing a super tweeter can help with is alleviating the higher frequencies of the regular tweeter's playback range. This can enable the designer to use a tweeter that can play lower than typical, but at the expense of the higher end; a fine trade-off when a super tweeter is employed. By using a tweeter than can play lower, you can avoid many of the problems of having the mid woofer play higher frequencies. I don't know if the Sony speakers do this though, I can't seem to find its crossover frequencies.
 
J

Jersey Jim C

Enthusiast
The Elac Debut F5 is so close at $560 it seems a shame to exclude it.
 
B

bsf

Audioholic
which of these 3 would you like best? Sony Core Series, Fluance Signature Series, or ELAC F5 tower
 
JohnBooty

JohnBooty

Enthusiast
This is hilarious. I trust Audioholics' opinions and I was highly amused to see that BIC America RtR-EV15 on the list.

Whole bunch of sleek modern towers, and then...

"What the hell is that thing doing there?" I thought. Looks like a big monkey coffin speaker from the 1970s, complete with a big Cerwin-Vega-esque "look at me!" painted 15" woofer that's bigger than most peoples' subwoofers. And it's selling for $175ea at Wal-Mart with free shipping? "Oh, this could be fun..."

Read some reviews around the web. Not many reviews but people really like these things. Hmm. Praise from some home theater types. 95db efficiency!? Damn, I need (want) some speakers for the garage and outdoor parties. I already have lots of fancy bookshelf speakers. "Let's try something new," I thought.

So I pulled the trigger. Holy crap, these are the most hilarious and fun speakers ever. I have them sitting atop stereo subwoofers in my garage and they are literally physically intimidating, like a pair of linebackers.

The SPL these put out is ridiculous. Sound is completely not bad at all! Smooth and natural. Nothing overhyped. Dynamics are incredible; lots of tactile midbass. Are they as detailed as my KEF Q100s or my (DIY build) Speedsters? No, but they are not an embarrassment either.

While these do play very deep... you may still want a subwoofer or two if you really want *punch* in your deep bass. Those big 15" woofers are big and move a lot of air, but excursion is pretty modest. That may change if you use a more powerful amp than me; I'm using a HK3390 amp that puts out a very honest 80wpc into these guys. However, they are rated to take up to 225 continuous watts, so... these guys have potential I haven't heard yet.

One thing to note that's not obvious from the WalMart product photo: they do come with a removable black cloth grill cover, and it completely hides that big red woofer. That's nice because without a grill cover these look like something that should reside in the back of a 1993 Honda Civic. With grill covers on these can look acceptable in an adult living room, if you're okay with the size. (Though personally, mine will stay in the garage)

Really made me reconsider "modern" speakers. We do all this crazy stuff to get powerful sound from tiny 3", 4", 5" drivers. Little high-tech marvels with cones made from futuristic materials with insane levels of excursion. It's impressive, but maybe the "old ways" weren't so bad -- if you're willing to be low tech you can just use a giant 72-pound cabinet and pull off things that tiny modern speakers struggle with.
 
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JohnBooty

JohnBooty

Enthusiast
Also, surprisingly, these are a ton of fun for classical music. Classical's not even my main thing, but the high output of these speakers is crazy fun for songs where it's mostly quiet parts followed by a huge orchestra slam (ie, any kind of content with a large dynamic range).

Really have to thank the Audioholics crew for recommending something I absolutely never would have considered otherwise.
 
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KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
which of these 3 would you like best? Sony Core Series, Fluance Signature Series, or ELAC F5 tower
I have not yet heard the fluance signature series, but do have a pair of bookshelf speakers on the way. I have heard both the Sony core and the Elac in the bookshelf versions, and for me there is no contest. The Sony Core is a great speaker for me the Elac is lacking in detail and excitement!
Piano trills and grace notes played on a sax were where I noticed lack of detail on the Elac. I think it may ultimately be the same issue that caused the ELACs to sound dull.
But we all have different preferences. I would encourage you to pick up a pair of the core from Best Buy you'll have 14 days to return them and I assume you can still get the elac from Amazon with their return program for 30 days. You might want to do the test using the bookshelf for convenience of packing and transport.
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
I have not yet heard the fluance signature series, but do have a pair of bookshelf speakers on the way. I have heard both the Sony core and the Elac in the bookshelf versions, and for me there is no contest. The Sony Core is a great speaker for me the Elac is lacking in detail and excitement!
Piano trills and grace notes played on a sax were where I noticed lack of detail on the Elac. I think it may ultimately be the same issue that caused the ELACs to sound dull.
But we all have different preferences. I would encourage you to pick up a pair of the core from Best Buy you'll have 14 days to return them and I assume you can still get the elac from Amazon with their return program for 30 days. You might want to do the test using the bookshelf for convenience of packing and transport.
Not to mention Best Buy will be offering the Sony Cores at 50% off very soon. Personally, I have heard both the Core Towers and the Core bookshelfs. Of the two, the Core Bookshelf did everything better inmho. For the money and when on sale, there is not much out there that can best them. Got mine for like $152 a set! So, it is worth waiting until they go back on sale. Might snag me a set myself to use for my desktop. Have not fully made up my mind just yet. Like always, it all depends on my funds.

Cheers,

Phil
 
D

Dennis Murphy

Audioholic General
One thing a super tweeter can help with is alleviating the higher frequencies of the regular tweeter's playback range. This can enable the designer to use a tweeter that can play lower than typical, but at the expense of the higher end; a fine trade-off when a super tweeter is employed. By using a tweeter than can play lower, you can avoid many of the problems of having the mid woofer play higher frequencies. I don't know if the Sony speakers do this though, I can't seem to find its crossover frequencies.
I don't think that's the explanation in the case of the Sony's. I've examined a pair, and they aren't crossing the main tweeter particularly low. And there wouldn't be any point in a second, smaller tweeter if it were just a matter of on-axis response. But what the small tweet does provide is greater dispersion above 10 kHz, and you can hear that even if your ears drop off like a cliff at 15 kHz. Of course, it adds to the parts cost, and that's going to come out of some other design detail at this price, but the Sony is a nice little speaker if you don't need a lot of bass.
 
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