Best Floorstanding Speakers < $1,000?

[Melee]

After you order the P363 for ~ $158/each, could you please let us know where you got that from since my brother would be interested in buying some for that price!

I definitely will. I will be ordering them Monday and I'll let you guys know. Sorry to be selfish but he told me stock was somewhat low so I have to protect a couple for myself! lol

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I definitely will. I will be ordering them Monday and I'll let you guys know. Sorry to be selfish but he told me stock was somewhat low so I have to protect a couple for myself! lol

I know exactly what you mean.

 

[GranteedEV]

I will be going with the Infinity P363's for Fronts. Thank You Guys for the Input. The price is simply too good to pass up especially with the unbelievable reviews that these receive.

nice as they are, there's yet some light mods that audioholics can do to take them to another level

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

nice as they are, there's yet some light mods that audioholics can do to take them to another level

They already have a great on-axis and off-axis response, I wonder how they actually measure AFTER the mod!

 

[Melee]

What mods are you guys referring to? lol I am extremely new to all of this so I don't want to break anything.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

What mods are you guys referring to? lol I am extremely new to all of this so I don't want to break anything.

I would not do any kind of aftermarket modifications.

They sound great the way they are right now. Some of these guys are nuts and they just have to try and improve on an already great loudspeaker!

 

[GranteedEV]

mods will definitely offer some improvements. but i dont reccomend it unless you are greedy and have lived with them for a while already

 

[Melee]

Yeah, I think modless is best for now. lol

I'm still having difficulty deciding on my Sub(s) and Receiver, though.

Considering the size of my room, it's irregular shape, my music priority, and that I live in an apartment, would it be better to go with one large sub or two smaller subs? I've read that two subs are basically always better than one as it creates a more "enveloping" feel of sound and placement is much less important as is a fear of mine since I honestly don't know where I should put them in here. lol

Basically, these are the options:

Single Emotiva Ultra 12 for $429

Dual Lava LSP12's for $500

Dual Outlaw M8's for $449

Dual Velodyne Impact 12's for $460

I'm not really sure what else? lol There's always the BIC PL-200 and BIC F-12 but I've read they're bad for music. I'm lost completely when it comes to Subs. Especially with my unique needs.

On the Receiver, what do you guys think? Are either the Pioneer or Yamaha my best option or should I look elsewhere? I know those have ample power, all the bells and whistles, and pre-outs which are definitely nice qualities. The 1120-K also has THX Certification. I just don't know if I need the extras it provides over the 1020-K? lol I'm all about saving money but I know that having a nice receiver is important so I want to make the right decision.

Also, is it necessary to have a Receiver that EQ's the Sub as well and do these do that? I know my Denon does, but I just really don't like it. lol

 

[GranteedEV]

Two subs are better, but even in a smaller room, 8" drivers will never suffice as subwoofers unless we're talking JL Audio 8W7s or something.

I recommend sealed 12s. I highly suggest you take another look at an Epik Legend. For that room I would steer well clear of ported subs as will not couple well at all.

 

[Melee]

Well my budget is what's causing the strain here. lol I only have $500 Tops to spend on Sub(s). My total budget for 2x Fronts, Sub, and Receiver is around $1,200.

For what I have selected right now, these would be the prices (including shipping).

2x Infinity Primus P363's - $350 Shipped
Pioneer or Yamaha Receiver - $400 Shipped
Sub - ~ $450 left

The only problem with the Legend is the price because you have to pay $70 Shipping for it and in most comparisons, it seems it and the Ultra 12 are quite similar in performance.

Epik Legend Total: $570 Shipped

Emotiva Ultra 12 Total: $429 Shipped

So, if I go with Dual Subs, they would have to be like $225-$250 apiece AT MOST.

Now you can see my dilemma. lol

 

[Alex2507]

Some of these guys are nuts

I resemble that remark.

Here's step 1 to making these sound better. Raise them up onto something that is resonance free.

The stuff on the roll is what they use in between sections of duct ... kind of like play dough.

When you get enough of that crap ...

... you make a cover for it and figure out a way to decouple the cover from the inside stuff.

Throw that under your speaker.

The idea is to get the tweeter up to ear level. Short of A/B-ing this you can still notice the difference if you pay attention to where it seems like the music is coming from ... a stage? ... or an orchestra pit?

The decoupling aspect is something you have to figure out on your own. I just used stuff I had laying around and measured the effectiveness with a knuckle rap test. The tweeters were to low in the stock cabinet.

Without going completely crazy ... yank the drivers.

Then use this stuff:

to silence the rattle in the cans for magnetic shielding.

It might help to cut this lip off first.

I would lightly stuff the mid woofer cup with regular fluffy pink fiber glass insulation and stick some Peel & Seal to the outside of the cup. One easily noticeable improvement and easy mod is stacking lets say 4" of OC703 on the floor of the cabinet. Cover those pieces with cloth that you can breathe through. There are more steps but they require yanking the cross over and figuring out how to re mount it over insulation and the results might be of limited benefit.

Keep snooping around and you'll find more info but realize that this is all a major PITA. I have a couple of threads with various links that you can find by snooping through my profile/statistics/threads. Read all that ... not my stuff but the stuff linked in my threads for info and then ask your own questions. Some of the recommended mod stuff changed. It was suggested that you should cut the cans off but that's way harder than anybody cared to mention. Super glue was recommended later but I found that the Phenoseal caulk pictured above worked best.

I would try to discourage anybody from trying to do this because I don't think most people have my super powers and even with my super powers sometimes when I take stuff apart it breaks or I can't put it back together but I don't talk about that much cause I feel it makes me look like an idiot.

 

[GranteedEV]

Wouldn't some added cross bracing be useful as well? I remember doing a knuckle rap test on a pair of these and they felt a lot more hollow than other speakers.

 

[Melee]

Alex thanks for taking the time to make that lengthy "how-to" guide, but that looks like I would be in way over my head. lol I have extremely limited experience with anything requiring tools so I will definitely just have to enjoy them "as-is" for now. haha I do like the stand that you made to set the Speakers on, though. That is definitely something I might try. What exactly did you use? I mean, obviously it's wood (lol) but is there a specific type and size to look for?

 

[Alex2507]

Wouldn't some added cross bracing be useful as well? I remember doing a knuckle rap test on a pair of these and they felt a lot more hollow than other speakers.

Oh yeah ... but you say that like it's nothing. Most people are like ADTG. They ain't pulling drivers. Not saying he can't but he won't. A good friend of mine won't because he can't. He says you have to know your limitations.

Doing anything inside the cabinet is tough because of restricted space. You would have to remove their damping material and get it back in but then you would want to upgrade that to fiberglass which you have to cover or you could rubber band a piece of grill cloth or their damping material over the port from the inside and where does it all end?

Having said all that I like the idea of 5/8" all-thread with nuts and washers on the ends used to create friction fit with liquid nails smeared over the connection. IMO that's a big step from wrapping a couple of pieces of insulation and applying some caulk.

I had two speakers spread out in three rooms and my g/f was sick of eating her meals standing up for four days. I like the way that sounds more than I care about the truth but you get the picture ... and I had my system torn up ... but yeah, they could use some bracing.

I'd really like another pair that I wasn't using to mess with.

is there a specific type and size to look for?

I just used whatever I had laying around. I think the top is birch and Mahogany but that doesn't matter and I don't know how much the decoupling matters. What does matter is actually raising the tweeters to ear level. Right off the bat I will suggest a few phone books. Some of my stuff was presswood and some was MDF on the inside.

Even the size is arbitrary. From what I had I cut stuff down as little as possible to make it uniform. You know how they say this isn't an exact science? With me there is no science. Do your homework on decoupling and resonance. Measure high your ear is off the floor or below the ceiling and make that tweeter the same. The type of wood is not that important ... to me. Some people look up the densities of different species of lumber and find their relative stiffness ... and that's fine. My take is that level of trying to make things just so makes it so that nothing happens ... ever.

 

[GranteedEV]

Oh yeah ... but you say that like it's nothing. Most people are like ADTG. They ain't pulling drivers. Not saying he can't but he won't. A good friend of mine won't because he can't. He says you have to know your limitations.

Point taken.

I think personally, I would buy them TO do the mods. Because they're so cheap, i'd feel like even if I F up anywhere, it's not the end of the world. I guess my perspective on them is that sure they're good for the price but all I'm seeing is that untapped potential :d

It does remind me of the time I took a soldering iron to mod-chip my playstation 2 back in high school though. Long story short, I ended up buying a used PS2

Not that I messed it up. But those soldering points were so tiny that I basically left the job half-done. It's still sitting there in a closet waiting to be finished.

 

[zumbo]

Thought I had replied to this thread.

I have used MB Quart QLS 830's in my HT for eight years now, and just assumed they would not be enough for a 2-channel rig. Due to my HT room being so large, the speakers need the sub to fill the room.

I just finished a 2-channel rig in a separate room about 16x12. I just happened-up on a pair on ebay for a ridiculous starting bid of $9.99. I ended-up winning them for $469.

They are now in my finished 2-channel rig consisting of a Quad99 pre, Yamaha cd, and Denon POA-2200(300w@4ohm). The speakers are more than adequate for a 2-channel system, and just sound fantastic. Build quality is first rate. Speakers were hand-made in Germany.

$999.99 sale price, and they are worth every penny.
http://www.yawaonline.com/mbquql63tosp.html

Was gonna link the used set on Audiogon, but they have sold. Few more detailed pics though.
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1301793562&/MB-Quart-QLS-830-Towers---Cher

 

[Melee]

*** HUGELY IMPORTANT QUESTION THAT I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT lol ***

How much room would the RC-50's and e55ti's need for the Rear Ports to Breathe?

I could only maybe give them 1.5-2 feet TOPS without them being in my lap. That was a huge worry for me from the start that I completely forgot about until now. The Infinity's are Front Ported so it's not an issue with them. However, the other two are not.

Now, After rebudgeting some things and finalizing it precisely, it looks like I'm gonna have around $1100 to spend right now.

What do you guys think of this idea since my Sub choices are extremely limited and I won't be able to use it much, anyways?

With this plan, I will be able to save up some money and buy a Sub or two when I move (which should be either this Summer or Next Summer).

Here are my options with everything I've been considering:


Infinity Primus P363's x2 - $376.45 Shipped
Infinity Primus PC351 - $192.49 Shipped
Infinity Primus P153's x2 - $142.48 Shipped
Total: $711.42

Amount left for Receiver: $388.58


Energy RC-50's x2 - $540 Shipped
Energy RC-R - $299 Shipped
Total: $839

Amount left for Receiver: $261


EMPtek e55ti's x2 - $795 Shipped

Amount left for Receiver: $305


*Are either of these the best option or is there something else lurking out there which would top them all that I haven't thought of yet?*


With no significant need for a Sub anytime soon, I have no need for MultEQ and I can definitely go cheaper on the Receiver for now to make more room in the budget so $250-$300 or so should be plenty enough to snag a nice Denon/Onkyo/Pioneer Receiver to handle things for a year or so.

Which do you guys think is the better option and will any of them sound terrible without a Sub? I know some Towers have strong bass while others are much weaker in that category.

Thanks for the help! ^_^

 

[Wolvy]

After rebudgeting some things and finalizing it precisely, it looks like I'm gonna have around $1100 to spend right now.

What do you guys think of this idea since my Sub choices are extremely limited and I won't be able to use it much, anyways?

With this plan, I will be able to save up some money and buy a Sub or two when I move (which should be either this Summer or Next Summer).

Here are my options with everything I've been considering:


Infinity Primus P363's x2 - $376.45 Shipped
Infinity Primus PC351 - $192.49 Shipped
Infinity Primus P153's x2 - $142.48 Shipped
Total: $711.42

Amount left for Receiver: $388.58


Energy RC-50's x2 - $540 Shipped
Energy RC-R - $299 Shipped
Total: $839

Amount left for Receiver: $261


EMPtek e55ti's x2 - $795 Shipped

Amount left for Receiver: $305


*Are either of these the best option or is there something else lurking out there which would top them all that I haven't thought of yet?*


With no significant need for a Sub anytime soon, I have no need for MultEQ and I can definitely go cheaper on the Receiver for now to make more room in the budget so $250-$300 or so should be plenty enough to snag a nice Denon/Onkyo/Pioneer Receiver to handle things for a year or so.

Which do you guys think is the better option and will any of them sound terrible without a Sub? I know some Towers have strong bass while others are much weaker in that category.

Thanks for the help! ^_^

As several posters on here have mentioned, place your importance (and $$) on your front stage first, and upgrade as possible in future pieces. Start with a quality front and the rest will fall into place. Have you considered Aperions? I have a pair of Forte Towers and have been very impressed.
$1K/pair; free delivery and 30-day trial period so no risk. You can always add surrounds/sub as you're able to.

Good luck.

 

[Melee]

As several posters on here have mentioned, place your importance (and $$) on your front stage first, and upgrade as possible in future pieces. Start with a quality front and the rest will fall into place. Have you considered Aperions? I have a pair of Forte Towers and have been very impressed.
$1K/pair; free delivery and 30-day trial period so no risk. You can always add surrounds/sub as you're able to.

Good luck.

Well, when you get into the upper tier of this price range, things get extremely complicated and confusing. lol There are so many options to choose from, many from brands I have never heard of.

From the reviews I've read, people say the Infinity's sound just as good if not better than other offerings at $1,000 per pair. I, like everyone else I'm sure, enjoy saving money and don't want to spend more than what is necessary.

Looking at my budget now, I only have around $800 to spend on the Towers. I have a hard time believing that the $300/Pair Infinity's can match up with speakers over twice their price, but I'm yet to find a SINGLE review that disagrees with that fact. If I can pay $300 for that high of quality sound (with disregard for aesthetics in comparison to more expensive speakers) then I would be crazy to go pay $800 for comparable sound. That is where everything gets complicated. lol

The biggest factor that is worrying me now is the rear ports on most of the more expensive towers. I have a small room and my chair/desk are in the middle of it which means it's only 5-6ft from the wall to the listening area. The RC-50's are 15" Deep and the e55ti's are 12" Deep which means if I have the rear of the speaker 2-3 feet from the wall, the front of the speaker is going to be 2-3 feet from my face. lol If I can get away with 1.5-2 feet, then it's not as much of an issue but it does worry me as I'm not sure what type of effect that will have on the speakers overall.

I have no problem WHATSOEVER with upgrading slowly as a lot of my use for my system is for 2-channel Music. With that in mind, I want the absolute BEST speakers I can afford in that regard. Then, I will add the Center + 2 Surrounds later and if I get a bigger "non-apartment" place, I will add a Sub or two and 2 more Surrounds for a 7.1 or 7.2 System. I would much rather upgrade slowly and have a nice system than have a cheap, disappointing 5.1 System now.

 

[KEW]

By the way, my neighbor above me is an @sshole. lol They stomp around and make ridiculous noise all day and night. I had a small set of Klipsch Promedia 2.1's for my computer and if I turned the Sub on even 1/6-1/4th of the way, dude would start banging on the floor and even came down here once at like 3 in the afternoon because he said he couldn't hear his tv for my music....One of my roommates and I were sitting here playing Call of Duty and TALKING while listening to music but in his apartment it was drowning out his tv....lol

This just reminded me of a similar situation I had. Everyone in the apartments were college students, with many stereos blasting during the day, but the guys above me were particularly disrespectful of calming things down for the early morning hours. As best I can figure they had already flunked out and were partying through the end of the semester when their parents would find out and pull the plug!
In any case, they aggravated me, but it wasn't until the hot babe across the hall complained that I decided to take action (hey, what would you expect to motivate a 20 year old?).
I went upstairs and asked them politely to turn it down - they did, and gave me about 5 minutes to get back downstairs then cranked it back up.
I went upstairs and politely asked them again explaining that I was being sincere. Of course, they did the same crank it back up in 5 minutes strategy.
When I was at their door, I made a note of where the turntable was (which was the music source). I asked my roommate if I could borrow his bowling ball, and took it and threw it (granny-style) into the ceiling under their turntable. Impressive thuds (both the ceiling and when it landed on our floor) I could clearly hear the gratifying (and horrible) sound as the stylus skated across the album.
Never had anymore problems with stereo being cranked at 2AM!

PS - excuse the digression!