Sub upgrade opinions

[lovinthehd]

Not sure how else to compare when I don't have access to hear anything in person. Thoughts?

My thought is to ignore youtube video reviews and demos....

(other than Audioholics of course ).

 

[Pogre]

because of the video, or because of the speakers? Or you listened on a galaxy tablet? LOL

What speakers do you prefer?

Because I'm listening on a Galaxy tablet, lol. You can't judge speakers from watching videos! You might hear some differences but the main thing you're hearing are whatever speakers you're using to listen to the video.

I don't know if I can be pinned down to a favorite speaker because there are so many good ones out there. SVS Ultras were the first speakers that didn't leave me wanting more. Until I heard a pair of Sierra 2s with the RAAL ribbon tweeters. I found a pair on CL for a steal so I bought them. Fast forward a couple of months and I now have the Sierra ribbon towers and absolutely love them. So I guess so far, the Sierras with RAAL ribbons are my current favorites.

 

[txbonds]

Because I'm listening on a Galaxy tablet, lol. You can't judge speakers from watching videos! You might hear some differences but the main thing you're hearing are whatever speakers you're using to listen to the video.

I don't know if I can be pinned down to a favorite speaker because there are so many good ones out there. SVS Ultras were the first speakers that didn't leave me wanting more. Until I heard a pair of Sierra 2s with the RAAL ribbon tweeters. I found a pair on CL for a steal so I bought them. Fast forward a couple of months and I now have the Sierra ribbon towers and absolutely love them. So I guess so far, the Sierras with RAAL ribbons are my current favorites.

The Sierras look really nice and I like the finish options on them. Not much difference in price than the Cantons until you add in the RAAL tweeters. That puts them at $3k with shipping without a center speaker. Not really a comparable price I guess unless you consider the Canton not on sale price.

 

[Pogre]

The Sierras look really nice and I like the finish options on them. Not much difference in price than the Cantons until you add in the RAAL tweeters. That puts them at $3k with shipping without a center speaker. Not really a comparable price I guess unless you consider the Canton not on sale price.

The Cantons are a better deal for sure. It wasn't like I went looking for the Sierras so much as they fell in my lap. That said I do have some SVS Ultra speakers for sale...

You know, once you get up to this range of price and quality, the differences between speakers become smaller and smaller. The Sierras weren't this big huge leap over the SVS Ultras, but I could hear the difference and to me it was worth it. Diminishing returns are a pretty subjective thing. I think if I were where you are right now I would probably go for the cantons for that free Center Channel. That's going to be a really nice upgrade for you I think. By all accounts they are at least on par with the Ultras, if not better. I was very happy with my Ultras until I heard the RAAL ribbons.

 

[txbonds]

The Cantons are a better deal for sure. It wasn't like I went looking for the Sierras so much as they fell in my lap. That said I do have some SVS Ultra speakers for sale...

You know, once you get up to this range of price and quality, the differences between speakers become smaller and smaller. The Sierras weren't this big huge leap over the SVS Ultras, but I could hear the difference and to me it was worth it. Diminishing returns are a pretty subjective thing. I think if I were where you are right now I would probably go for the cantons for that free Center Channel. That's going to be a really nice upgrade for you I think. By all accounts they are at least on par with the Ultras, if not better. I was very happy with my Ultras until I heard the RAAL ribbons.

Thanks for all the feedback and discussions. i do like the looks of those SVS Ultra Towers in gloss black. Also like the try and return policy of SVS. The free center channel is compelling, but I can always add a center which ever way I go. Decisions, decisions.

 

[txbonds]

Crutchfield has a speaker compare tool. You use a pair of headphones (they support quite a few of the more popular ones) then pick up to 3 speakers and listen to some pre-selected tracks. It may be of some help. I tried it once but had a hard time discerning much difference between speakers.

So I tried this out. I picked a KEF Q950, SVS Ultra Tower and Focal Aria 936. Put it on equal power and played the various music tracks they had available. The KEF Q950 sounded best to me from these 3, but again I'm not sure that equates to anything real world.

 

[NINaudio]

So I tried this out. I picked a KEF Q950, SVS Ultra Tower and Focal Aria 936. Put it on equal power and played the various music tracks they had available. The KEF Q950 sounded best to me from these 3, but again I'm not sure that equates to anything real world.

It doesn't.

 

[lovinthehd]

So I tried this out. I picked a KEF Q950, SVS Ultra Tower and Focal Aria 936. Put it on equal power and played the various music tracks they had available. The KEF Q950 sounded best to me from these 3, but again I'm not sure that equates to anything real world.

I wouldn't count on it. Were your headphones one of the ones they "adjusted" for?

 

[mazersteven]

Its like looking at TV's at the Big Box stores when they are all together. I was recently shopping for a Samsung 75". I looked at the Q60 (Which is what I went looking for) and Q80 next to one another. The Q80 was $800 more, just a little out of what I wanted to Spend. Was the Picture better? Maybe. But not $800 better. That was 50% more then the Q60. When the TV is in my house and away from other TV's I can't tell the difference anyway

They are All Good Speakers. Get the ones your Heart is telling you to and Don't Look Back

 

[NINaudio]

So I tried this out. I picked a KEF Q950, SVS Ultra Tower and Focal Aria 936. Put it on equal power and played the various music tracks they had available. The KEF Q950 sounded best to me from these 3, but again I'm not sure that equates to anything real world.

I was in a similar quandary to you a while back. I found a local shop that had Paradigm, Focal, Kef, Klipsch, and some other brands (but not SVS). I went there and did some listening and my remarks are found here:

https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/thinking-its-time-for-an-lcr-upgrade.115976/page-2#post-1343912

Long story short, I liked the Paradigm's (800F) best followed by the Kef (Q750's) and then the Focals.

 

[txbonds]

Think I'm going to get the sub installed this weekend and recalibrate my receiver. Then keep researching front speakers and receivers for a while longer. Might mean missing out on the canton sale with free center, but I don't want the free center to drive my decision (which I feel like I'm letting it do right now).

Thanks for all the insight and guidance so far.

 

[lovinthehd]

Patience is a good thing.....usually

 

[txbonds]

Well shoot. so much for that. fedex tracking now shows delivery of my sub tomorrow. guess it didn't make it to town in time to get on the truck this morning. Not sure my patience level allows for such things. LOL


Back to looking at speakers.
Another thought crossed my mind. We have a 90 lb dog that runs through the house wild, especially when he hears the mail truck. He also is on medicine for seizures, but still has a surprise one every so often. How stable are these canton 596.2 speakers to tipping or being knocked over? It is something I hadn't thought of before now and might be why I originally went with the on wall deftechs way back when but can't remember.

 

[mazersteven]

Hard to say how Stable they are. I don't think anyone has a Linebacker in the house. They are 50lbs

 

[txbonds]

Anyone have a toddler that bumps into or pulls or climbs on it? That might be be the next closest comparison. Not sure anything will stop him from knocking stuff over until he remembers they are there. But I'm guessing some of the speaker designs are going to be more stable than others. Some have wider feet on the bottom too.

 

[txbonds]

How do you think the Salk Song Towers upgraded with RAAL tweeter would compare to the canton 596.2?

 

[ryanosaur]

The Cantons may play louder, the Salk Speakers will probably sound a little more refined. Its been a while since I looked for Bench Tests of the Cantons (that I could tell, none existed at the time). But Salk and Dennis Murphy team up to produce some truly stunning speakers that are best described as Neutral and Accurate with a very flat FR.
These will be different beasts.
As an avowed Dennis Murphy (Philharmonic Audio) Fan, his speakers are the closest thing I've heard which achieve the "Almost-There" sound of the recorded event.

 

[mazersteven]

And its a little more demanding of Amplification

 

[NINaudio]

Well shoot. so much for that. fedex tracking now shows delivery of my sub tomorrow. guess it didn't make it to town in time to get on the truck this morning. Not sure my patience level allows for such things. LOL

How do you think the Salk Song Towers upgraded with RAAL tweeter would compare to the canton 596.2?

I haven't heard the Cantons, but I can tell you that after hearing the Raal tweeters on a pair of Song 3's I was in love with them. I heard details I hadn't heard before in songs I've been listening to for 20+ years. Just be warned that if you do go the Salk route, you will be waiting at least several months for them to be built.

 

[ryanosaur]

But Salks are worth the wait!