Bookshelf Speaker Faceoff 2007

A

admin

Audioholics Robot
Staff member
The gloves come off as Audioholics takes on eight pairs of bookshelf speakers priced from $200 - $1800 a pair and tells you who leads the pack and who you should send packing. While there may not be consensus, the four reviewers who took these speakers to task have some common opinions where it counts. Even when they agree to disagree, the results are informative and eye-opening. We also took a suite of measurements on each speaker at 1 meter (on-axis only as our time was limited) and these graphs are included towards the end of the shootout.


Discuss "Bookshelf Speaker Faceoff 2007" here. Read the article.
 
avaserfi

avaserfi

Audioholic Ninja
Great read, I have been looking forward to this for a while. Sounds like that would have been a blast to do. I wish I had heard more speakers on that list just to get an idea of what you guys have heard though. It is hard to read a review especially an A/B comparision and get an idea of what is actually being heard no matter how well it is described. I guess I will add some speakers to my list to audition now!
 
F

fandango

Audioholic Intern
Great review, I really enjoyed reading it.

sounds as if the Sierra vs MC-6 was the closest of all the comparisons. i get the impression that choosing between them is really just a matter of taste.
 
stratman

stratman

Audioholic Ninja
Great article....Cousin Dupree! Couldn't have picked a better track! I'm trying to find the Dali dealer for my area.
 
Haoleb

Haoleb

Audioholic Field Marshall
Good article, I was a bit surprised to see there were no entries from axiom in there though considering that they are every bit as popular as the rest of those brand speakers in the shootout.
 
farscaper

farscaper

Audioholic
More please sir!
This is the type of reviews I like. More speakers, More Brands. Make it semi-annual. Quarterly even.
 
G

gus6464

Audioholic Samurai
Go Dali!!! I can't stop saying how I love the Mentor line but I am just a fan of ribbon tweeters. Even the Ikons at half the price are a great value as well.
 
tn001d

tn001d

Senior Audioholic
How do u have a bookshelf speaker review without paradigm speakers?? :confused:
 
avaserfi

avaserfi

Audioholic Ninja
How do u have a bookshelf speaker review without paradigm speakers?? :confused:
I am pretty sure I read AH doesn't do Paradigm reviews because Paradigm only sends out their speakers to people who they advertise with. :eek::confused:
 
gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
How do u have a bookshelf speaker review without paradigm speakers??
The same way we did it without other brands that couldn't deliver products by our deadline. Stay tuned for more faceoffs in the future.
 
mike c

mike c

Audioholic Warlord
Gene,

did you send emails to:
Monitor Audio
B&W
KEF
Polk Audio (Rti/Lsi series)
Yamaha EF/Soavo series
 
davidtwotrees

davidtwotrees

Audioholic General
Great Reviews! Just what I want in a A/V website.
And it didn't feel like there was a hidden agenda......exactly oppisite of what people mentioned re: a company that will only send product for review with paying advertisers.......perhaps good business sense.....but as a consumer a real turnoff.
As a Mordaunt Short owner I would like to see them in a shootout, as well.
Also, more in the Dali price range!
Thank you for continuing to reaffirm my patronage here. Spot On! Well Done!
 
corysmith01

corysmith01

Senior Audioholic
Awesome review...been waiting for this for a while. This is not to quibble, and of course it's not possible now, but with all the nice things said about the Dali Mentor, it would have been great to see how the ikon series stacked up. Since they're more in-line, cost-wise, yet still incorporate that tweeter/ribbon tweeter set up, it would have been cool to see how that series (ikon 1/ikon 2) stacked up with the others involved.

Thanks. Good read.
 
Davemcc

Davemcc

Audioholic Spartan
Thanks for the great review. I have questioned the Usher's based on their low sensitivity and low recommended power handling. Now, I get to see the tangible result of those specs in the easily bottomed out woofer.
 
gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
Gene,

did you send emails to:
Monitor Audio
B&W
KEF
Polk Audio (Rti/Lsi series)
Yamaha EF/Soavo series
I already conducted a prior face off with Monitor Audio Gold GR-10s. They did quite well and were one of my favorites in the review.

I didn't think of adding Yamaha but perhaps in the next face off we will.

Feel free to start a poll of speaker brands you would like to see in the next face off article and we will try to set it up.
 
jliedeka

jliedeka

Audioholic General
I hate to grouse since I value the job the editors do. Plus, I'm a noob. That said, I didn't get much out of this article because it bears no relation to how I would use bookshelf speakers.

I have a much smaller room and I would definitely use a sub or two. A review of small speakers without a sub is really not useful to me. I would prefer to know which set of speakers handles the highs and midranges above 80hz the best and gives the best sound stage.

I'm especially passionate about this subject because I'm planning to replace my AVR and speakers next year. If I have to, I'll spend 3600 on 3 pairs of Paradigms plus the center but if there's a less expensive alternative that meets my needs, I'd like to know about it.

I was really annoyed by the first two comparisons. X sounded like crap compared to Y but if you were going to use a sub, X would be the better choice. How do you know that since you apparently didn't use a sub?

Just my $0.02.

Jim
 
M

MDS

Audioholic Spartan
I think the intent of the face-off was to test the absolute capablities of each speaker. Sure, if you use a sub things would possibly change but then again, as the article states, you won't really know if you like any particular speaker until you try it yourself in your room.

Speaker auditioning is just plain hard. Reviews give you a decent idea of 'problems' to look for but you may or may not encounter those same problems in your room unless it is near identical to the reviewer's room (and what is the chance of that?)
 
J

johsti

Audioholic
I'm glad that this review pointed out a major fault with the Ushers. Maybe I'll finally be able to pick up another pair on audiogon for a discounted price now that they are known to bottom out easily. Good thing I have a sub!:p
 
M

mattburk

Audioholic Intern
Agreed, I would love to see a face off between these top lines:

1. aci-safire xl
2. B&W 805
3. Mordaunt short Mezzo 2
4. rbh 661 se
5. onix ref 1's and center
6.kef 201/2
7. Quads 12L
8. monitor audio GSLCR
9. paradigm signature S4

On a side note, is it alright or even better to use some comanies center as Left and right? In particular I am thinking of the quad L2 center and the onix ref 100 av123 center.
 
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