Best speakers for $200 to $275 Canadian (no sub)?

[KEW]

Apparently our northern neighbors get hit with some pretty high shipping exchange rates!
My normal recommendation of the AA's went from $195 before shipping to almost $400 after!

Do those of you familiar with what CA has to offer have any ideas?

He can get the Pioneer BS-22 for $130 which is not a bad markup, but without a sub, better bass would be nice and as well as better neutrality if possible!
Energy, Axiom, Mirage, Fluance are Canadian made.

https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/two-pioneer-sp-bs22-lr-marantz-nr1504-combo-opinion.104003/

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I think it's possible to purchase used Energy RC10 for around $300 CAD if one has enough patience

 

[rojo]

Looks like Fluance has upped their game with their Signature Series speakers ($260 / pr CAD).

I haven't heard them, but my AVBP2 bipoes sound great for what I paid for them. Both would require a sub, but at least they are reasonably neutral.

You might also check Canuck Audio Mart for some used bargains.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

Looks like Fluance has upped their game with their Signature Series speakers ($260 / pr CAD).

I haven't heard them, but my AVBP2 bipoes sound great for what I paid for them. Both would require a sub, but at least they are reasonably neutral.

You might also check Canuck Audio Mart for some used bargains.

Well, having worked with much more expensive Fluances that posted similar frequency response plots, I would get out the salt shaker.

 

[rojo]

Well, having worked with much more expensive Fluances that posted similar frequency response plots, I would get out the salt shaker.

As in, take the measurements with a grain of salt (for unrepresented off-axis and impulse response)? Or as in, throw salt over your shoulder to ward off bad luck (for out of spec components)? Or because they're bland?

My surrounds sound pretty good firing the occasional surround effects at the back of my head. I haven't listened critically to any Fluance speakers in front of me, though.

Edit: By the way, notice that the graph of the Signature bookshelfs is on a 60dB scale. Many of their other graphs are rendered on a deceptively wider scale. The XL7F floorstanders, for example, are on a 100dB scale with the same height, thereby making the 10dB slope from 4 - 8kHz appear more subtle than it measures. The XL5F1 towers' tweeter is 10dB louder than the woofer. The SXHTBFR, 10dB quieter.

I say all that to say I'm skeptical that the much more expensive Fluances with which you worked actually produce similar frequency response plots. I wouldn't dismiss the Signature series before giving them an audition. The HFF1 floorstanders graph with a reasonably neutral response similar to the bookshelfs, as does the HFC1 center. I also observe that the Signature series is crossed over at a much more reasonable frequency (2.3kHz) than their other series speakers (6kHz in one case, 8kHz in another), so I predict mid driver breakup will be better controlled.

What am I missing?

 

[Dennis Murphy]

As in, take the measurements with a grain of salt (for unrepresented off-axis and impulse response)? Or as in, throw salt over your shoulder to ward off bad luck (for out of spec components)? Or because they're bland?

My surrounds sound pretty good firing the occasional surround effects at the back of my head. I haven't listened critically to any Fluance speakers in front of me, though.

Edit: By the way, notice that the graph of the Signature bookshelfs is on a 60dB scale. Many of their other graphs are rendered on a deceptively wider scale. The XL7F floorstanders, for example, are on a 100dB scale with the same height, thereby making the 10dB slope from 4 - 8kHz appear more subtle than it measures. The XL5F1 towers' tweeter is 10dB louder than the woofer. The SXHTBFR, 10dB quieter.

I say all that to say I'm skeptical that the much more expensive Fluances with which you worked actually produce similar frequency response plots. I wouldn't dismiss the Signature series before giving them an audition. The HFF1 floorstanders graph with a reasonably neutral response similar to the bookshelfs, as does the HFC1 center. I also observe that the Signature series is crossed over at a much more reasonable frequency (2.3kHz) than their other series speakers (6kHz in one case, 8kHz in another), so I predict mid driver breakup will be better controlled.

What am I missing?

I worked with the Signature tower speaker. I'm not sure what other speaker you have in mind. As I posted on this forum, the actual frequency response of the Signature tower looked nothing like the published version. So I think I have reason to by skeptical about the reliability of their other plots. I haven't heard the less expensive models, however, and they may be perfectly good values.

 

[afterlife2]

Looks like Fluance has upped their game with their Signature Series speakers ($260 / pr CAD).

I haven't heard them, but my AVBP2 bipoes sound great for what I paid for them. Both would require a sub, but at least they are reasonably neutral.

You might also check Canuck Audio Mart for some used bargains.

They do look pretty. Maybe Z can try them out? Anyone else measured these?

 

[rojo]

I worked with the Signature tower speaker. I'm not sure what other speaker you have in mind. As I posted on this forum, the actual frequency response of the Signature tower looked nothing like the published version. So I think I have reason to by skeptical about the reliability of their other plots. I haven't heard the less expensive models, however, and they may be perfectly good values.

I trust your intuition over my own, so I daresay there are no miracles among the less expensive models. That's disappointing that you had that experience with the Signature towers. I thought of all their towers, the Signatures would've been the ones that would be respectable. Indeed, I was hoping the Signature center might even be a potential candidate to accompany your Affordable Accuracy monitors where a horizontal center is needed -- perhaps with some Philharmonic secret sauce applied to the crossover.

Have you considered adding a center channel to your Affordable Accuracy offerings? This MTX 6.5" MTM center might be another candidate if the Dayton center's sealed enclosure and diminutive drivers make it unsuitable. I know you traditionally recommend Salk centers for people shopping for your constructed (as opposed to modded) 2-channel offerings; but the AA market is in desperate need of a matching center.

Kurt, sorry to threadjack. This is good stuff, though.

 

[zieglj01]

They do look pretty. Maybe Z can try them out? Anyone else measured these?

I know that this Z is not interested - however, the other Z's can do as they wish.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

Energy, Axiom, Mirage, Fluance are Canadian made.

Paradigm?

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Dennis Murphy]

I trust your intuition over my own, so I daresay there are no miracles among the less expensive models. That's disappointing that you had that experience with the Signature towers. I thought of all their towers, the Signatures would've been the ones that would be respectable. Indeed, I was hoping the Signature center might even be a potential candidate to accompany your Affordable Accuracy monitors where a horizontal center is needed -- perhaps with some Philharmonic secret sauce applied to the crossover.

Have you considered adding a center channel to your Affordable Accuracy offerings? This MTX 6.5" MTM center might be another candidate if the Dayton center's sealed enclosure and diminutive drivers make it unsuitable. I know you traditionally recommend Salk centers for people shopping for your constructed (as opposed to modded) 2-channel offerings; but the AA market is in desperate need of a matching center.

Kurt, sorry to threadjack. This is good stuff, though.

There are long threads on this forum and AVS detailing the problems with the Signature towers. I think if you read those, you'll see that there are fundamental problems with the speaker that have forced Fluance to redesign the crossover and buy back current samples in the field (assuming the owners want to do that). I have an MTM center channel in the Affordable Accuracy line--it's a mod of the Andrew Jones Pioneer C22 center. I replace the tweeter and modify the crossover. It sells for $100.

 

[3db]

Apparently our northern neighbors get hit with some pretty high shipping exchange rates!
My normal recommendation of the AA's went from $195 before shipping to almost $400 after!

Do those of you familiar with what CA has to offer have any ideas?

He can get the Pioneer BS-22 for $130 which is not a bad markup, but without a sub, better bass would be nice and as well as better neutrality if possible!
Energy, Axiom, Mirage, Fluance are Canadian made.

https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/two-pioneer-sp-bs22-lr-marantz-nr1504-combo-opinion.104003/

Yeah It really sucks especially with our dollar so low. I would look at some used PSBs...in the last release of the Image series. That entire line were high performers and measured very well and received many accolades to boot. The T6 although out of his budget is very hard to find.

 

[Lolelife]

Thank you for all the great advices. I will be on the look out for good second hand gear mentioned above.
Fluance Signature speakers seem like a good deal - maybe too good, but I wasn't able to find any trustworthy reviews.

 

[KEW]

They do look pretty. Maybe Z can try them out? Anyone else measured these?

Gene measured them. Look for a thread titled Fluance Signature.

Dennis is being nice. He reworked the crossovers for a guy and had to make two different designs for the left and right speakers because the inconsistencies in the mid-drivers were so great!

 

[KEW]

Gene measured them. Look for a thread titled Fluance Signature.

Dennis is being nice. He reworked the crossovers for a guy and had to make two different designs for thee left and right speakers because the inconsistencies in the mid-drivers were so great!

I should make clear that it is the towers Dennis worked with not the bookshelfs...but the Signature series.

 

[herbu]

AA's went from $195 before shipping to almost $400 after!

I would approach this way.
"Are there any Energy, Axiom, Mirage, Fluance speakers for under $400 that can compare to the AAs?" If it's generally accepted in the US there is nothing comparable for $200, there's no reason to believe it's different in Canada. So maybe the AA comparison is moot.

If $200 is a hard ceiling, the question becomes simply, "What do you think are the best Energy, Axiom, Mirage, Fluance speakers for $200/pair?".

 

[KEW]

I would approach this way.
"Are there any Energy, Axiom, Mirage, Fluance speakers for under $400 that can compare to the AAs?" If it's generally accepted in the US there is nothing comparable for $200, there's no reason to believe it's different in Canada. So maybe the AA comparison is moot.

If $200 is a hard ceiling, the question becomes simply, "What do you think are the best Energy, Axiom, Mirage, Fluance speakers for $200/pair?".

The answer to that may be the Pioneers at $130!
(this is not an informed opinion, just a consideration)

 

[zieglj01]

This is my preference and I much prefer them over Pioneer

Sony Core bookshelf - and you can get them in Ca
http://www.shopgentec.ca/p/stereo-bookshelf-speakers