What bookshelf should I get + Is this a good find?

[Gil111000]

I wanted a pair of secondhand Dali Zensor 3 but someone else bid higher, so these are off the table. Now there's a pair of Elac debut 6.2 I can get, and a pair of Kef Calinda which are bigger, and are supposed to be high quality.
I can also buy new Dali Spektor 2/Dali Zensor 1.
What are the core differences between the Zensor and Spektor series, and should I opt for the Kef Calinda instead for fronts?
The price for all these is kind of identical.

I have an SVS subwoofer so any of these will be paired with a sub. The reciever is Yamaha RX-V373. I've been told it has a relatively bright sound.

My usage is primarily music, but the system will be for movies too. Those will be fronts. I currently have an old pair of Bose Interaudio 4000XL as fronts and I'll move them to rears when I'll have a better pair.

 

[lp85253]

I wanted a pair of secondhand Dali Zensor 3 but someone else bid higher, so these are off the table. Now there's a pair of Elac debut 6.2 I can get, and a pair of Kef Calinda which are bigger, and are supposed to be high quality.
I can also buy new Dali Spektor 2/Dali Zensor 1.
What are the core differences between the Zensor and Spektor series, and should I opt for the Kef Calinda instead for fronts?
The price for all these is kind of identical.

I have an SVS subwoofer so any of these will be paired with a sub. The reciever is Yamaha RX-V373. I've been told it has a relatively bright sound.

My usage is primarily music, but the system will be for movies too. Those will be fronts. I currently have an old pair of Bose Interaudio 4000XL as fronts and I'll move them to rears when I'll have a better pair.

Idk about the speakers.. But I'd look elsewhere for info about your avr.. Avr's don't have a sound signature...

 

[lovinthehd]

People who describe avrs as bright or dark or chocolately or whatever aren't very trustworthy IMO. Maybe some of the dsp they employ might have a certain kind of signature, but definitely not my experience in with avrs in a general sense over a variety of brands/models in any case.

As to speakers, really go by what you like to listen to rather than internet opinions....get out there and listen to some speakers to get an idea. I've never even seen a Dali myself and Kef's maybe 20 years ago I might have heard an offering. I don't live anywhere near a good place to audition anything, I takes my chances with user experiences, measurements and availability by an internet service that offers returns just in case

 

[Gil111000]

People who describe avrs as bright or dark or chocolately or whatever aren't very trustworthy IMO. Maybe some of the dsp they employ might have a certain kind of signature, but definitely not my experience in with avrs in a general sense over a variety of brands/models in any case.

As to speakers, really go by what you like to listen to rather than internet opinions....get out there and listen to some speakers to get an idea. I've never even seen a Dali myself and Kef's maybe 20 years ago I might have heard an offering. I don't live anywhere near a good place to audition anything, I takes my chances with user experiences, measurements and availability by an internet service that offers returns just in case

Same case with me, can't really audition them anywhere... Especially if it's secondhand.

 

[lovinthehd]

Same case with me, can't really audition them anywhere... Especially if it's secondhand.

Cool....so what are your sources (in terms of considering worthy things) for particular things you're proposing?

 

[Gil111000]

Cool....so what are your sources (in terms of considering worthy things) for particular things you're proposing?

I found a deal on used B&W CM5, and I'm contemplating between these and brand new Monitor Audio Bronze 2. I'll be using a sub with any.

 

[lovinthehd]

I found a deal on used B&W CM5, and I'm contemplating between these and brand new Monitor Audio Bronze 2. I'll be using a sub with any.

Why do you want those particular brands/models, tho?

 

[Gil111000]

Why do you want those particular brands/models, tho?

The B&W model isn't too old and the price on these when they were new is pretty expensive, much more than the Monitor Audio B2. So I suppose they're not budget speakers, unlike the B2's.

Why the B2's - mainly reviews, I don't have a place to audition them as I wrote which is a bummer, but they seem to fit my needs. Also, they're described as bright, and I suppose using a subwoofer will balance it somewhat. The B&W's I looked at are bass heavy as I understood.

So it's either a secondhand expensive speaker for the same price of the B2, or a new pair of B2's - which are budget speakers.

I'm leaning towards the B2's for the bright sound but I honestly can't check them anywhere, and I barely have time to audition the secondhand one's. I mean I can, but I'll have nothing to compare them to...

Generally, are B&W's worth the money? I'm afraid they'll be too bass heavy considering my subwoofer, but also don't want to pass on this deal, if they are indeed worth the money and are better than most budget speakers.. I mean the price gap is noticeable between both models when new, around three times the B2's, at least here in Israel...

 

[lovinthehd]

First thing that made me go NO! is the thing about "bright" speakers and using "subs" to counter. Where did that come from? I really haven't heard that one before....and I've heard lots of nutty stuff being proposed, too.

Just get away from those subjective review comments and judge for yourself, not everyone "hears" the same thing let alone in the same room, which has a huge influence on a speaker. Personally I'd bypass B&W speakers altogether, have not found them particularly good (with some demos of the 6xx series) let alone cost effective. Where you are located can be a consideration (like if you're in the UK speakers like B&W or subs from REL would be possibly more available but personally I'd not consider either brand particularly as they're just not that good IMO).

 

[Eppie]

I wanted a pair of secondhand Dali Zensor 3 but someone else bid higher, so these are off the table. Now there's a pair of Elac debut 6.2 I can get, and a pair of Kef Calinda which are bigger, and are supposed to be high quality.
I can also buy new Dali Spektor 2/Dali Zensor 1.
What are the core differences between the Zensor and Spektor series, and should I opt for the Kef Calinda instead for fronts?
The price for all these is kind of identical.

I have an SVS subwoofer so any of these will be paired with a sub. The reciever is Yamaha RX-V373. I've been told it has a relatively bright sound.

My usage is primarily music, but the system will be for movies too. Those will be fronts. I currently have an old pair of Bose Interaudio 4000XL as fronts and I'll move them to rears when I'll have a better pair.

The Spektor and Zensor are very similar on paper. The Zensor is a slightly older model, but it has a higher sensitivity (requires a little less power) and has a higher cross-over frequency (2900 Hz as opposed to 2600 Hz for the Spektor). Both have wood fibre cones and soft dome tweeters. Without seeing any frequency response graphs I would guess that they sound rather similar. I have not heard the Dalis but there are a number of dealers in Canada that carry them and the build quality looks to be very good.

The KEF Calindas are quite old but with the larger cabinet have a deeper bass response. They use a butyl surround on the woofer so they are not susceptable to foam rot. I have not heard the Calinda, but I have an old pair of KEF Reference 103.2 and I find the treble on those old KEFs to be very mellow (the opposite of being bright). They will lack some detail in the high frequencies for some people, but I find them very pleasing to the ear and because they are not bright I can listen to them for a long time and not experience ear fatigue.

 

[Gil111000]

@lovinthehd @lp85253 @Trebdp83
And anyone else that helped in my threads, I now have a functioning 3.1, on my way to 5.1 + turntable!
Will probably reposition the sub in a few days, it's a random location so don't mind it. Also the shelves the fronts are sitting on are to be replaced with better looking stands in the near future.

Fronts and Center: Monitor Audio Silver RX2
Subwoofer: SVS SB1000
Reciever: Yamaha RX-V373

For a starter, I'm happy with my setup!

 

[Pogre]

Hey, that looks pretty good! Nice job!

I'd scoot that center forward more and tilt it up a little bit tho.

 

[Trebdp83]

Joy!

 

[Gil111000]

Hey, that looks pretty good! Nice job!

I'd scoot that center forward more and tilt it up a little bit tho.

The TV sits just a few milimeters too low for the center to be under, and unscrewing the arm that holds it is a whole procedure I'm not sure is worth it

The speakers match the rest of the living room perfectly by chance actually which is awesome, since they're secondhand and I didn't choose the finish

 

[Pogre]

The TV sits just a few milimeters too low for the center to be under, and unscrewing the arm that holds it is a whole procedure I'm not sure is worth it

I'd venture a guess it would really be worth it. The best speakers in the world aren't going to sound right if you handicap them with poor placement. Cubbies like that are about the worst. It'll probably make a pretty big difference.

 

[lovinthehd]

Or just to avoid the reflection off the surface in front of the center....

 

[Cos]

You will be happy with those Monitor Audio Speakers, they are very nice

 

[Eppie]

Yes, the Silver line is a nice step up from the Bronze and well regarded. Should sound very nice.