It's Been Said That "Speakers are What Matters," and so...

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ifsixwasnin9

Audioholic
The first thing you have to ask yourself is: what type of music do you listen to? Do you listen to acoustic instruments or "electric" instruments? And do you listen to music mostly at moderate or high volumes? Classical or Rock? Because a lot of speakers can not do both well. Good Rock speakers are harder to come by, IMO.
 
caper26

caper26

Full Audioholic
my apologies, first ask if there is anything he can do to match the price, etc. But really, in the end he doesn't lose anything by you going in and "browsing around" even if you didn't plan your purchase there. But you are right.
 
P

PearlcorderS701

Banned
The first thing you have to ask yourself is: what type of music do you listen to? Do you listen to acoustic instruments or "electric" instruments? And do you listen to music mostly at moderate or high volumes? Classical or Rock? Because a lot of speakers can not do both well. Good Rock speakers are harder to come by, IMO.
Thanks for the relevant input here, 'ifsix...

My music preferences run the proverbial gamut from listening to jazz stations on my receiver's tuner to dance/electronica, pop, classic rock, soft rock...pretty much everything sans classical and maybe country...

As for volume, most of the time we're listening at a moderate level, sometimes cranking it a bit, but not REALLY cranking...I'd also prefer a more laid-back, warmish sound for this two channel room/system, so something like Klipsch is off the list...

So, in summary, I suppose I am looking for a good all-around speaker with no real bias toward any kind of music specifically -- what I would like is something that's a bit of a step in the audiophile direction from my Polk R20's but which would make a logical companion for my Onkyo 8555, electronic wise. Something not too esoteric or exotic, but something in the "audiophile direction" and they must be floorstanding...
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
The first thing you have to ask yourself is: what type of music do you listen to? Do you listen to acoustic instruments or "electric" instruments? And do you listen to music mostly at moderate or high volumes? Classical or Rock? Because a lot of speakers can not do both well. Good Rock speakers are harder to come by, IMO.
I disagree. A good speaker is a good speaker and will play all genre of music equally well. Actually classical music would be the most diffiult of all music play especially when the orchestra is under full boil with 40 to 50 instruments all contributing to the sound as opposed to rocks 4 to 10 instruments.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
I just have to say that Klispch get WAY to much negative feedback, and most do not have experience with them. I truly believe that if most spent time with non mass market versions of their speakers they could find many positive things to say. The term bright and Klipsch is misleading as many good speakers are revealing(bright) and when its Klispch, they are just called bright and ear bleeding.
I've listened to some Klispch towers, and I didn't think they sounded bad; I thought they were pretty good. But I guess I'm in the minority.:D
 
Pyrrho

Pyrrho

Audioholic Ninja
Regarding the Magnepan MMG speakers, evidently, Magnepan themselves use a modest NAD receiver to drive them in their reception area:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=746182&postcount=22

I seem to recall reading something about that before, but I have not visited the Magnepan factory to see for myself. They do mention a 50 watt NAD receiver in the FAQs:

http://www.magnepan.com/faq#receivers

and they say that receivers can be used to power Magnepan speakers, as long as they are good with 4 ohm speakers and are powerful enough for one's purposes (which, as tastes vary in how loud one wishes, there is no set answer to the question of how much power one needs).


My brother quite successfully drives a pair of Magnepan MMGs with a receiver, so I know absolutely that it can be done.
 
P

PearlcorderS701

Banned
Unfortunately, the sheer size and physical layout of the Magnepans simply won't work in my room; they need to be on the slender side of tower speakers, width-wise...
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
They carry ML at Futureshop?? :eek: The nearest futur shop to me carries the usual array of speakers but I've never seen MLs. Whne did they start carrying those?
They have been carrying them for quite some time now. Here you go:


http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/martin-logan-martin-logan-vista-xstat-floor-standing-speakers-black-vista-black/10133691.aspx?path=2deda03a789dfe9e6fc99bda95420425en02

I did some serious auditioning at the Dundas/Winston Churchill location in Ontario. I am not sure if all Future Shops have them in stock.

They are listed at $2499 each, $4998 a pair. Ihave never seen them on sale so far. I was thoroughly disappointed after comparing them side by side with thier big Polk RTiA9, Energy RC70 and the largest Klipsch. The RC70 sounded better by a wide margin, with the RTiA9 sounded better. The only problem is at at FS I could only listen to something like Michael Buble concert in BR using their Yamaha top model AVR. I doubt it was a fair comparison. A $5K ML product should do better.
 
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J

jostenmeat

Audioholic Spartan
It's Been Said That "Speakers are What Matters," and so...

I think that's about halfway there. I think the better version goes like so, It's Been Said That "Speakers And Their Interaction With The Room Are What Matters".

Or, I could change the statement a different way, It's Been Said That "Speakers are What Matters as far as Purchasing Decisions are Concerned". Still, the other HALF of the equation is still very important (and arguably free).

I have the impression that I can take a pair of "ok" speakers and make them sound better than what most people are used to, if given utter freedom in placement of both speakers and listener. This is without even getting into discussion of treatments. I can also take top of the line speakers, and probably make them sound quite crappy if I was given utter freedom in speakers and listener placement (with the goal of crappy sound).

my 2 cents.


edit: Oh, I'd like to repeat the question that I don't think has yet been answered. What is the budget?
..and I'm simply not going to entertain the "corrections" certain folks made to the meaning or gist of my thread's title -- we all know what I meant, which was that most often, it's suggested that the speakers have a much greater effect on what you're experiencing rather than the amplification and in many instances the source deck. Sure, the room factors in there too at some point,
I suspect that you are being dense. The room doesn't just factor in at some point, it's where it starts, period.

Yes, we knew what you meant, and what you meant is simply incomplete by a long shot; incorrect.

Did you know OVER half what you hear is the room? Some experts say it's closer to 70% of the equation.

The NUTSHELL of audio (and is often described as so) is simply the speakers and their INTERACTION with the room.

I don't know why you so blithely ignore what I have to offer, when I have previously been so extremely patient and helpful to you, for example, here are some posts in ONE thread, ten of which are directed towards you, and click on any of them, and none of them are short posts.

Anyways, my previous single post in this thread was genuinely offered as help.

Feel free to put me on ignore as well.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/search.php?searchid=4710791
 
P

PearlcorderS701

Banned
I suspect that you are being dense. The room doesn't just factor in at some point, it's where it starts, period.
I see you're jumping on the proverbial virtual harassment bandwagon as well, as it appears to be quite addictive like a rabid virus 'round parts like these (just look at what most of the threads degrade into -- say, the debacle about power conditioners which spiraled downward into a pissing match between so-called "engineering specialists"...okay, right) but, no, you're wrong -- I'm not being dense. How can one "suspect" one of "being dense" anyway? What I was merely pointing out in that reply -- which you strategically clipped and quoted to match the original member's statement with regard to this, as you're obvious been zapped by the aforementioned harassment livewire dangling in the other thread, for no reason other than this -- was that my original title of the thread was meant as what it was. All I am saying, once again, is that I have heard countless times that when it comes to the electronics chain, it's the SPEAKERS that matter the most before amplification or anything else -- so why am I dense for choosing that for a title thread?

Yes, we knew what you meant, and what you meant is simply incomplete by a long shot; incorrect.
So, why wasn't this "expert rhetoric" you're spitting at me with such distain offered to the dozens of other so-called "resident experts" here alone that continue to demand an audience with the pope, for loss of a better term, to explain that THEY feel it's the SPEAKERS that matter in the electronics chain? Further, what I said may be "incomplete," but I wasn't getting into semantics about room factor -- I was beginning to shop for speakers thinking THEY were the next logical step up in the ELECTRONICS chain.

Did you know OVER half what you hear is the room? Some experts say it's closer to 70% of the equation.
Yes, I've heard that. Don't know if it's from the same self-appointed "experts" as you're suggesting here, but I have heard that theory -- still, my position stands: My thread was started to discuss the fact that in the ELECTRONICS CHAIN, the speakers, I have been told, are the more important element to consider...

The NUTSHELL of audio (and is often described as so) is simply the speakers and their INTERACTION with the room.
Good enough. But we're talking about MY situation in which really crap speakers need to be replaced taking the room OUT of the equation and I'd like to start THERE for an upgrade plan.

I don't know why you so blithely ignore what I have to offer, when I have previously been so extremely patient and helpful to you, for example, here are some posts in ONE thread, ten of which are directed towards you, and click on any of them, and none of them are short posts.
When did I what you call "blithely ignore" what you have to offer? Did I sleep through some kind of "ignore every jostenmeat comment that's made!" swearing in ceremony somewhere? That's just wrong.

Anyways, my previous single post in this thread was genuinely offered as help.
That's fine, and if it was meant with those intentions, even better -- but when did I ever ignore the advice you gave? Was it because I didn't DO exactly what you said I should? That's confusing suggestion with being a bit arrogant in someone's opinions -- something that's too often running rampant on boards such as these.

Feel free to put me on ignore as well.
Well, before I meet your immaturity level and deal with that, let's find out where I completely ignored your advice -- where? What part? I made a list of EVERY SINGLE SPEAKER that EVERY SINGLE MEMBER suggested in THIS THREAD alone.
 
Ares

Ares

Audioholic Samurai
I see your still on the hunt, have you narrowed down your choices yet?
 
caper26

caper26

Full Audioholic
RC-50s are now $299 each at wwstereo...I don't think you will a better deal than that.
 
GranteedEV

GranteedEV

Audioholic Ninja
I've just recently gotten some EMP e55ti's...

No, I haven't done any serious listening yet... haven't even set anything up properly.
No, I don't have a separate amp powering them, just my SR6003.
No, I'm not an expert at discerning between speakers I've never heard and the speakers I own and probably will develop a bias towards.
Yes... they are ****ing gorgeous to look at. I honestly think within the next two years, these speakers alone are getting me laid.
 
Seth=L

Seth=L

Audioholic Overlord
I've listened to some Klispch towers, and I didn't think they sounded bad; I thought they were pretty good. But I guess I'm in the minority.:D
I doubt you're in the minority, since Klipsch is a leader in sales of speakers. I think the only company that has them beat is Bose.
 

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