2022, Current top 5 most competent full range speakers in budget/mid/high-end ranges?

[Pogre]

If you ask me, 'full-range' sounds to be about 30Hz rather than 20. I feel that you can start to get away without using a sub at a 30Hz extension. Towers with a 40Hz extension don't sound quite as weighty as those that dig down to 30. Below 30Hz, it's all gravy; music rarely digs that deep, and 30Hz manages to capture most movie effects, so I don't feel like a whole lot is lost without bass below that point. To be sure, some movies and some exotic music types do benefit from deeper extension than 30Hz.

I pretty much agree with you shady. When I said down to 20 Hz I didn't necessarily mean -3 dB. By that metric I agree that 30 Hz is going to cover most music needs.

I brought up the Ultra Towers in an earlier post, and I'll tell you what, for the price they really do dig very deep. They're an honest -3 dB at 28 Hz. They are also very good sounding speakers too. I really loved mine. It took a RAAL ribbon for me to want to upgrade.

 

[MalVeauX]

Just an FYI, the waiting list for BMR Towers may not be available till September.

In general, if you're getting something from Dennis Murphy, it's worth waiting for.

I have Philharmonics and it was a pleasure to talk to Dennis, assemble his speaker per his instruction and get a result that is super affordable for the excellent quality speaker you end up with.

Philharmonics in general is a total gem in audio at all budget brackets frankly.

Very best,

 

[ryanosaur]

I pretty much agree with you shady. When I said down to 20 Hz I didn't necessarily mean -3 dB. By that metric I agree that 30 Hz is going to cover most music needs.

I brought up the Ultra Towers in an earlier post, and I'll tell you what, for the price they really do dig very deep. They're an honest -3 dB at 28 Hz. They are also very good sounding speakers too. I really loved mine. It took a RAAL ribbon for me to want to upgrade.

I use the full 88 key piano as my metric. If it can't reproduce 29Hz...
I definitely do not expect even a full range Speaker to handle 16Hz.

 

[MalVeauX]

I use the full 88 key piano as my metric. If it can't reproduce 29Hz...
I definitely do not expect even a full range Speaker to handle 16Hz.

That sounds like a fair and common enough metric to me!

Very best,

 

[WookieGR]

In general, if you're getting something from Dennis Murphy, it's worth waiting for.

I have Philharmonics and it was a pleasure to talk to Dennis, assemble his speaker per his instruction and get a result that is super affordable for the excellent quality speaker you end up with.

Philharmonics in general is a total gem in audio at all budget brackets frankly.

Very best,

For the past few years I thought owning a pair of Klipsch RF7 III would be the last and best I'll ever have. Never in a million year did I think I would buy more speakers but if I did they would have to be something extraordinary to justify it. Now that I have a set of BMR Towers on the way I feel like a whole new person. I just wish I could have heard them first.

 

[ryanosaur]

For the past few years I thought owning a pair of Klipsch RF7 III would be the last and best I'll ever have. Never in a million year did I think I would buy more speakers but if I did they would have to be something extraordinary to justify it. Now that I have a set of BMR Towers on the way I feel like a whole new person.

Just wait til you get to actually LISTEN to them!

 

[Pogre]

For the past few years I thought owning a pair of Klipsch RF7 III would be the last and best I'll ever have. Never in a million year did I think I would buy more speakers but if I did they would have to be something extraordinary to justify it. Now that I have a set of BMR Towers on the way I feel like a whole new person. I just wish I could have heard them first.

If the BMR Towers were a thing when I got my Sierras I might have gone that direction too, but alas... there was no BMR Tower when I was in the market. Sigh.

 

[MaxInValrico]

Hey all,

It's 2022, what do you all think are the top 5 competent full range speakers in various budget ranges of budget to mid-tier to high-end? Basically the gems of stereo of 2022?

Emphasis on full range, ie, no subwoofer involved. Most likely these will be floor standing speakers or simply larger cabinet speakers (even if a bookshelf class). I would expect the speaker to be able to get close to 30hz or at least 40hz or so without too much struggle, setup well in a room (not trying to expect magic from something at 12~18 feet in a huge room with the speaker nearly flush to a wall, bad stuff) basically optimally placed for this (keeping first SBIR in mind; room treatment can be assumed). Not expecting subwoofer performance, but a mid-tier or high end one should be able to do better of course.

Not sure what we could even call the budget ranges of these, but if anyone has a good idea for that, feel free to help establish a range. I was thinking up to $500~600 or lower as a range for the absolute lowest budget limit for a pair on speakers. Anything over that and up to $2k could be mid-tier maybe as a pair but maybe some options at $1k and $2k? Over that is high-end perhaps? So maybe $2k to $5k as a pair. And anything over $5k per pair or more is pretty much summit-level or another arbitrary word to convey the idea? Not trying to go the range of upwards of those $50k~100k options, unicorn dust and all, trying to keep it fairly reasonable with things that people actually have a chance to audition in real life and not just read about and see pretty pictures and enormous price tags, if that makes sense. Let's assume it's new or available online or in a store as refurbished/used, not just a used market value that not everyone can even access.

Considerations?

Up for argument (pulling from replies):

Sierra Towers (higher end, > $3k)
SVS Ultra Towers (upper mid-tier into higher end, >$2.5k)
Philharmonic BMRs (mid-tier and into higher end, $1.7k from Dennis to 2.9k from Salk with finish)
BMR Towers (higher end, $3.7k+)
Polk Reserve R700's (mid-tier, $2.2k a pair)
Polk Legends L800's (high end, $6k a pair)
JBL Studio 590's (budget tier when on sale, $800 a pair)

Very best,

For $800 clams, the Magnepan LRS can't be beat and they are made in the US. I have 3.7i's which are a bit more costly but IMO worth every cent.

 

[MalVeauX]

For $800 clams, the Magnepan LRS can't be beat and they are made in the US. I have 3.7i's which are a bit more costly but IMO worth every cent.

Thanks, can you link the Magnepan LRS at $800?

Very best,

 

[MaxInValrico]

Thanks, can you link the Magnepan LRS at $800?

Very best,

Magnepan LRS Website - The LRS can be purchased directly from Magnepan whereas all other models have to be purchased thru a dealer.

John Darko Review LRS Review

 

[John Parks]

Just for reference and fun (and to make a few AH member's heads explode) here is Stereophile's latest list of recommended loudspeakers. They consider "full range" as reaching 20Hz and among their "A (Full Range)" ranking, the cheapest pair is the Golden Ear Triton Reference for $11K, the most expensive is the Wilson Chronosonic XVX at $335K.

Recommended Components 2022 Edition Loudspeaker Systems

Loudspeaker Systems

www.stereophile.com

Note that the Perlisten S7t ($18K) that was so favorably reviewed here on AH is considered class A, but is under the "Restricted Extreme LF" (i.e., not full range) category.

 

[MalVeauX]

Magnepan LRS Website - The LRS can be purchased directly from Magnepan whereas all other models have to be purchased thru a dealer.

John Darko Review LRS Review

Thanks; looks like they don't show the price on their website and you have to contact them to purchase. Is it $800 per speaker I imagine? Do they do 30hz in a room?

Very best,

 

[MalVeauX]

Just for reference and fun (and to make a few AH member's heads explode) here is Stereophile's latest list of recommended loudspeakers. They consider "full range" as reaching 20Hz and among their "A (Full Range)" ranking, the cheapest pair is the Golden Ear Triton Reference for $11K, the most expensive is the Wilson Chronosonic XVX at $335K.

Recommended Components 2022 Edition Loudspeaker Systems

Loudspeaker Systems

www.stereophile.com

Note that the Perlisten S7t ($18K) that was so favorably reviewed here on AH is considered class A, but is under the "Restricted Extreme LF" (i.e., not full range) category.

Yea see, if your minimum entry is $11k you exclude 99% of the audinece that was already a niche audience to begin with (eg, being sensible mature people and not just beats wearing trunk-thumper `junk but loud' types). For some that's not high end, that's the whole fuss about not making a bracket limit there because it can go from $11k to $300+k like that in example and that's just not comparable really.

Still fun to see what crazy unicorn glitter is out there as veblen speakers basically.

Very best,

 

[ryanosaur]

you exclude 99% of the audinece that was already a niche audience

So is that, like, 99% of 5%... 3%?
How niche are we?

 

[Pogre]

It's not quite full range nor a tower, but Ascend's new LX for $1398/pr (temporary pre-order price, they will be going up after this first batch, iirc) does dig very deep for a bookshelf with -3 dB of 36 hz. High power handling too ~350 watts. I think it's also the first speaker on the market to be fully NFS optimized using a Klippel, and scores very high on the Harman speaker rating. The measurements alone are pretty astounding and this looks like an amazing, extremely accurate, unique speaker.

These links should take you straight to the correct posts:

Measurements.

Specs

Pre-order link.

 

[Swerd]

I brought up the Ultra Towers in an earlier post, and I'll tell you what, for the price they really do dig very deep. They're an honest -3 dB at 28 Hz. They are also very good sounding speakers too. I really loved mine. It took a RAAL ribbon for me to want to upgrade.

I've heard the Ultra Towers at an audio show, and I liked them well enough. I don't really know how well they compete with others in that price range, but I could live with them.

I'd pass on those Fluance Towers.

 

[shadyJ]

Thanks; looks like they don't show the price on their website and you have to contact them to purchase. Is it $800 per speaker I imagine? Do they do 30hz in a room?

Very best,

They wouldn't be able to do close to 30Hz in room. Maggies can often sound thin because of deficits in bass headroom.

 

[ryanosaur]

fully NSF optimized

Really? You can take this apart and run it through a high-temp chemical sanitizer?

 

[Pogre]

I've heard the Ultra Towers at an audio show, and I liked them well enough. I don't really know how well they compete with others in that price range, but I could live with them.

I'd pass on those Fluance Towers.

I do prefer my Sierra Towers, but yeah well put. I could still live with the Ultras. -3 dB at 28 hz anechoically but I was able to squeeze 20 hz flat out of them in-room with 85 dB sweeps so I consider them to be true full range speakers.

They just hiked up the price to $2600/pr, from $2k/pr. I paid $1700 for mine open box. It's hard to find true full range speakers in that price range.

 

[Swerd]

My picks for Top 5 Full Range Speakers in various price ranges. I've heard & recommend all of them. Prices keep going up, especially oceanic shipping.
Under $1,000

I yield to others who know more speakers in this price range.​

$1,700 to $3,700
Philharmonic Audio BMR Monitor

$1,700 36Hz – 20kHz (±2dB) Anechoic​

A big 3-way bookshelf speaker. Among the best sounding and best imaging speaker I've heard.​

Salk SongTower II

$2,795 in black or white satin, $2,995 in std veneers​

35Hz – 20kHz (±3 dB)​

Salk Song3

$3,495 in black or white satin, $3,695 in std veneers​

33Hz – 40kHz (±3 dB)​

​

If you’re still interested in a Big Center speaker, see the Salk Song3 Center (35Hz – 40kHz, ±3dB).

$3,700 to $5,200
Philharmonic Audio BMR Tower

$3,700 25 Hz-20kHz (+1.5/-3db) Anechoic (Very similar sounding to the BMR Monitor, with deeper bass in a mass-loaded transmission line cabinet. It's hard to beat this speaker at any price!)​

Salk Veracity ST

$4,695 in black or white satin, $4,995 in std veneers​

34Hz - 40kHz (±3 dB) (I own and love a pair of these. Same small footprint as SongTower II)​

Salk Song3-A

$4495 in black or white satin, $4,795 in std veneers​

33Hz - 40kHz (±3 dB) (more detailed mid-range than Song3)​

Salk Veracity HT2-TL

$4,895 in black or white satin, $5,195 in std veneers​

34Hz - 40kHz (±3 dB) (Larger & louder version of Salk Veracity ST)​

Over $5,200
Salk Song3 Encore

$6,295 in black or white satin, $6,595 in std veneers​

25Hz - 40kHz (±3 dB) (Larger woofer, bigger cabinet & different mid than Song3/3-A ST)​

No need to go to higher price, unless you’re looking for custom finishes. Manufacturers looking to make a big statement at audio shows produce one-off speakers that cost at least 5 figures. They don't really expect to sell more than one or two pairs.

Dennis Murphy designed all these speakers. If it isn't already obvious, I'm a fan boy.