Quality Speaker for <$2k

[mizuno]

jamo?

Who got their asses whooped by the Jamo C607.

Says who ?

 

[TjMV3]

Says who ?

Me.

I auditioned the Mozart Grands.....several times. Just to make sure I wasn't mistaken.

The C607 soundly thrash them in every area. Oh, except the real wood finish of the Mozart Grand. That's where the Mozarts win hands down.

Sound wise, it's no contest. The Mozart Grand can't touch the Jamo C607.

 

[mizuno]

not sure about jamo but

I haven't demoed the jamo yet but conducted an additional round of auditions. In particular the VA Mozart Grand, VA Bach Grand and Monitor Audio RS-8.

Overall good speakers but significantly different. My testing started with the Mozart Grand. Wow, these are beautiful speakers. Gorgeous wood, nice reasonable size and much more manageable than the Paradigm Studio 60 or 100s. The room was set up perfectly with high quality amps to drive these 4 ohm speakers. The sound and image were very crisp and overall well balanced across the spectrum. I wasn't as impressed by the staging but this may be because of the toe-in, which these speakers need less of. I also sometimes observed their presence whereas the Spendor 8se were completely invisible and more melodious. Overall strong pick.

I subsequently tried out the Bach Grand, which cost about $2100/pr or a full $900k less. I was expecting the same gulf as the one I noticed between the S8e and the s5e. But to my surprise" , this wasn't the case at all. To the point that when the demo room "operator" (is there another name?), toggled back and forth between speakers I could barely hear the changes. I wouldn't have bet on it. The only differences I sensed with my demo music (ranging from jazz, acoustic, rock, cello suites, orchestra, drum round, and female voices) was a warmer, slightly more coloured sound and upper bass. By honestly, not worth paying $900 extra, if you ask me. Unlike for the Spendors where the $ would be well spent.

taking a step, i would say that the Bach Grand sounded for the same money much better than the S5e, and that both the Mozart and Bach grand sounded less well than the Spendor s8e (in my opinion).

This made me lean towards the Bach grand only to get hammered by the costs of the complementary home theater components of VA. The maestro (Center) and cost of Haydn or Waltz (back) really knocked me over. Where these could be acceptable in cost if one decides to proceed with $3k L/R, the cost is unreasonable when paired with the Bach Grand at about $2k...

Highly disappointed, i decided to try my luck with the Monitor Audio rs-8/6 where the complementary components are much more reasonable in price. Alas, something had to give. And this time it was the sound. The high frequencies sounded really aggressive and raspy in comparison with the VA. I felt that the music sound quality just wasn't there for my needs. It may be ok for someone who's much more in movies, but for a 70% music mix, just a no go. again in my opinion and after back to back testing with the VA, who are significantly higher priced. (I believe that the RS-8 were quoted near $1800k).

Unfortunately based on these tests and budget assessment, I will have to skip both brands. However I would highly recommend the Bach grand for anyone looking at a well priced $2k floorstander pair. Great stuff. Sounds like a good deal to me and in the same league as the Dali ikon 6. they are a bit more warm but also less forward than the Dalis.

My quest continues, but unlike last time, I narrowed down the list. Still looking for a speaker delivering the quality for money level of the Spendor 8SE nearer to $2k and allowing for an ok priced home theater system.

JF

 

[mizuno]

revised list

Here's the list as it stands -

1. Spendor 8se (am in love, pinch me)
2. Dali ikon 6 (probably #1 on my list at this time)
3. Paradigm studio 60 (why not)
4. Energy rc-70 (the one I would still like to love but am in search of better listening conditions to convince my wife that the bass was extreme when we first listened to it because of the room conditions)
5. PSB Imagine (with T65 or T55) (not tested yet, great reviews but a bit concerned by spectrum charts and feedback).
6. Totem Hawk or Sttaf (not tested yet)
7. Jamo?

FYI, I also removed the vandersteen 2ce - unlikely to be suited for HT

 

[zumbo]

You are doing a good bit of auditioning. Are you sure you wouldn't like to audition MB Quart in your home?

http://store.audioholics.com/search?xSearch=mb+quart+alexxa+s-one

 

[TjMV3]

Nicely done, mizuno.


I know it doesn't seem like like it, but I really loved the Mozart Grand on many levels. But they just couldn't handle the lower frequencies and they couldn't handle music material with very busy midrange.

I loved their tonality/timbre, their warmth, their overall musicality and of course their beautiful cabs. But those weaknesses were a deal killer, for me.

When I turned to the Jamo C607 and really took the time to place them/set them up correctly and give them some time with my quality amps, pre amps and sources; I found a very similar and equally satisfying tonality/timbre, warmth and overall musicality. The Jamo's being slightly less warm than the Mozarts. A very slight difference. But warm nonetheless.

This opinion/perspective was absolutely shared by my friend who went to audition the Mozart Grands with me and then sat there with me and listened to the Jamo C607, several times.

All I know is this, I'm getting extremely satisfying musicality from the C607 and absolutely love these speakers. I could have gone for the Mozart Grands. But why? Aesthetically nicer cabinets? $2,000 more in price?

I passed on that.

The sound of the C607 is wonderful. I chose to save all that money and pass on the aesthetic upgrade. The C607 look fine to me. Not fancy looking, not refined looking. They just look like your standard (although thin in width) box-shaped floorstanders. And I'm perfectly fine with their aesthetics.

When the music plays, I couldn't care less about the aesthetics.

We all hear just a little different from one another and we have different preferences, tastes and priorities in sound, budget and aesthetic appeal.

Give them an audition. Maybe they tickle your musical bone, like they did for me. Maybe not.

But it's worth auditioning them and putting them to the test ....for your ears.

It's a win-win situation if you end up loving them as much as I do. Certainly you lose nothing but an hour or two of your day, if they don't tickle your musical bone.

 

[bandphan]

Here's the list as it stands -

1. Spendor 8se (am in love, pinch me)
2. Dali ikon 6 (probably #1 on my list at this time)
3. Paradigm studio 60 (why not)
4. Energy rc-70 (the one I would still like to love but am in search of better listening conditions to convince my wife that the bass was extreme when we first listened to it because of the room conditions)
5. PSB Imagine (with T65 or T55) (not tested yet, great reviews but a bit concerned by spectrum charts and feedback).
6. Totem Hawk or Sttaf (not tested yet)
7. Jamo?

FYI, I also removed the vandersteen 2ce - unlikely to be suited for HT

This hobby will make you nuts

 

[jamie2112]

I am not as Jamo happy as TjMV3 but I agree with him on most of his statements. The Jamo's are an amazing speaker they just aren't that well know over here as in Europe. I can say that I A/B'd my B&W DM 602 against my Jamo C603 speakers. I was in total shock as the Jamo's wiped the floor and put the broom away under lock and key over the 602's. I am a huge B&W fan and although I am not a "fanboy" but I can honestly say that the Jamo speakers are freaking amazing for the price. I like the look of mine and they sound great. I was going to sell them as I really have too much gear but the sound has kept me from making a bad decision

 

[TjMV3]

Could you blame me for being so Jamo happy, Jamie?

I saved myself $2,000 and I found the right speakers for the rest of my house, to compliment my Wharfedale Opus 2 system. Speakers that sound absolutely musically wonderful to my ears!!! To my ears, better than over a dozen speakers that are much more expensive.

You'd be giddy too.

And remember, I'm not a guy who changes speakers every few months and has a revolving door of equipment beings ushered in and out of my house.

I audition a lot of speakers. A lot.

I've had the Wharfedale Opus 2 for over four years. The Opus 2 are big speakers....Big. Ain't getting rid of them any time soon. I'll probably keep them and play them till they fall apart.

But I can't have speakers that size all over the house, in the other rooms.

The Jamo C607 and C603 fill the needs for the rest of the house. The C607 are getting as much play as my Opus 2. And another pair for my bedroom will be great and that will complete the house.

 

[jostenmeat]

hi mizuno. Do you mind if I confuse you some more, possibly?

Depending on the types of volumes you might need, I might consider a pair of bookshelves + sub. I'd like to recommend Ascend Sierra-1s for an audition, and add a decent sub.

Otherwise, keep up the good work, I'm sure you are going to find what's best for you.

 

[Warpdrv]

hey muzino..... you have taken quite a journey thus far and I commend you, you seem to have a descerning ear towards what you are after.... This might be the time to possibly take another strategy.

My first time out I auditioned quite a descent amount of speakers and ended up with my first dedicated 5.1 system consisting of Paradigm Studio 100's CC and 20's surround... I just kept coming back to them from so many different choices, they just hit me the right way....

From that point I chose to explore the higher end venues for my bedroom setup. I turned to audiogon for a better quality of sound for up to a 50% discount from retail pricing. Knowing I liked the Paradigm sound I bought some Signature S4's brand new in box for 1/2 the price of retail.

My Point...

Go audition speakers a little less then double your budget and find something that really just gives you it all and buy used from Audiogon.... I vowed to never pay retail again, and I never looked back. That is the only way I will shop from this point forward. Far more bang for you buck, and you end up with feeling your money was spent really well...

Good luck on your journey....

Warp

 

[Nuance AH]

I'll second (or third) the recommendations for the Salk SongTower's and the Revel F12's. I auditioned dozens of speakers before making a purchase, and both the Revel's and Salk's are fantastic for the money IMO.

 

[gus6464]

Since you like the Spendor so much check out Harbeth. Something like a pair of HLP3-ES2 new for $2k or you can also get a pair of used Monitor 30's for that price as well.

www.harbeth.co.uk

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrmoni&1232483099&/Harbeth-Monitor-30-nice-M30-pa

 

[mizuno]

new route??

Interesting ideas. I'm actually considering taking an ever bigger switch, i.e., buying a separate speaker set for my HT (ok quality but doesn't have to be stellar), and a better quality stereo sound system with separate amp?

would this work? what would i have to watch out for if i were to try to use some components in each system? e.g., sub.

I might consider adding the magneplanar 1.6/qr to the list if i go with a separate audio system.

mizuno

p.s. what amp would work well with a spendor 8se? is integra quality AVR good enough for spendors/ mp 1.6?

 

[gus6464]

Interesting ideas. I'm actually considering taking an ever bigger switch, i.e., buying a separate speaker set for my HT (ok quality but doesn't have to be stellar), and a better quality stereo sound system with separate amp?

would this work? what would i have to watch out for if i were to try to use some components in each system? e.g., sub.

I might consider adding the magneplanar 1.6/qr to the list if i go with a separate audio system.

mizuno

p.s. what amp would work well with a spendor 8se? is integra quality AVR good enough for spendors/ mp 1.6?

A lot of people in this forum have separate HT and 2ch systems so it is a good idea. As far as amp for the Spendor I say get the most powerful thing you can afford that way you can keep it for a long time in case you were to upgrade later on to better speakers.

 

[mizuno]

some progress

Just wanted to give a quick heads up after all the great input.

First, I couldn't resist. I found a set of spendor 8se on ebay for $2k and splurged.

Then I decided against buying the matching surround system (despite finding on audiogon and ebay the surrounds for $750k/pair and new, and the CC9 center center with rave reviews for $950k (used vs $3k new). Movie is just not that important for me, and I'd rather invest in higher quality parts for my music.

So I ended up buying the main elements for a decent quality HT to still fulfill the initial request of my wife ("can we have some music and a tv with some gound sound"...). I decided to go with:

1. Energy take classic (<$600) - I would have been able to by for less than $550 a better system on eBay (2 pair of c-50, c-c50 center and 10' sub) but the depth of the c-50 is a bit too large (as the HT will get relegated to a smaller room). Yes I found a way to buy some energy component. May it not be the energy rc-70 I initially wanted to like, and somewhere deep down still like. Energy please fix your dealership!

2. Onkyo 805 refurbished ($500) bought through eBay from accessories4less.
Watch out the return policy is different when you buy direct vs eBay. check the fine print. Net cost is a bit better on eBay after cashback and discounts. I chose this one because it good good AV reviews and it buys me some time to select the component for my Spendor. I thought about going with the cheapest yet quality video avr i.e., onkyo 606, but the onkyo 805 is certified 4 ohm (the spendor swings from 8 down to 5), is high powered and handles high current burst (needed given the average sensitivity, high phase and impedance swings of the spendor). The 706 could have been ok, but I took the 805 because the price was the same and the quality is way better (actually way better than the 806 because the quality of components). Progress is not always better... The only catch is that the 805 (or 806 for taht matter) doesn't have speaker A/+b setting, so i will need to use the zone 2 for the spendors. The only issue is that the zone 2 only works with analog avr sources...

3. Then I bought myself a PS3 for bluray/ cd for the ht (which i can use while i choose a CD component). I found a good PS3 AV out converter cable to link my ps3 for audio to my avr. I still plan to use the hdmi for bluray/ video.

4. Instead of buying the $170 monster cable HDMI cables the sales person recommended I bought on amazon $9 ones that I tried out at my friend's place on 1080p without any difference. These cables connect my PS3 to my AVR and AVR to my TV. This is the biggest rip-off to avoid.

5. Then instead of opting for the monster power protection ($350) the same sales person recommended, I ended up buying the PS Audio duet ($199) on amazon per avguide.

5. While I can stream music from my pc through the PS3, I may buy myself a sonos for $350 and a mini NAS server ($150) to get access my digital music library without having to turn the TV/ PS3 on. Not urgent.

I just need to find some decent speaker cables for the HT, and good quality cables for the spendor and am all set to use a decent HT that should work ok with my spendor and well for HT.

Then the search starts for the CD and amp for the Spendors. Here i could really need your help again.

I'm considering for CD:

NAD C524
CA 540C, 740C
Rega Appolo
Rotel

I'd like to stay below $1k. but used stuff is ok (arcam? CA 840c?)

For amplifier (heading for integrated at this time)

NAD C372
Rotel ?
Not sure if arcam should fit in.
Or used stuff but not exceeding $1 to $1.5k..any idea?

Any guidance???

JF

 

[WmAx]

"5. Then instead of opting for the monster power protection ($350) the same sales person recommended, I ended up buying the PS Audio duet ($199) on amazon per avguide"

Actually, I am interested in the Furman units like the PST-8. They supposedly use a complete different type of protection as compared to most, and are far more effective, supposedly. In addition, they are not destroyed with huge surges - they just reset.

Locally, an alarm company now uses these exclusively, because it is the only type they have found could save gear when lightening struck. All other units were fried, along with the gear attached to them, but the Furman PST-8 units saved the connected gear.

Sure, this is just anecdotal evidence so far, and I'm still looking for a properly conducted 3rd party test demonstrating the ability of the Furman unit to stop huge surges such as lightening.

-Chris

 

[joabraun]

Axiom?

I went with an Axiom system and am very satisfied.

M22, VP100, QS4, EP400 - slightly over 2K but they have system for less.

 

[TjMV3]

I'm happy to see you decided on something and got what you liked!!!


Enjoy and best of luck to you!


Personally, I'd go for either the Rotel CD player or Rega Apollo. But make sure you're getting an Apollo without any glitches or functional issues. There are some out there that have some problems.

But the NAD NAD C524 is a no-brainer for a real good CD Player, at a bang for the buck price.

 

[gus6464]

Right now audio advisor has the Cambridge Audio 640A v2 integrated amp for $399 and the matching 640C cd player for $399 as well. That is over $500 off normal retail for brand new units. Both would make an pretty awesome combo for your Spendors.

640A v2
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CA640AV2

640C v2
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CA640CV2

This would be a pretty damn solid system for the money. If you want a universal player for SACD and DVD-A substitute the 640C for a Parasound D200 for $599 which would still put you right at your budget.

Parasound D200 universal player
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=PACD200