Dream Speakers Under $6,000 Retail

[PENG]

I was extremely happy with my BP7001SC & BP7000SC until I gave in to peer pressure on this forum.

I paid $2500 for my BP7001SC. I ended up paying $10,000 for my Orion system (XO + amp).

Sure, the Orion are better. But they are not $7500 better. And now that the Orion are $15,000 + amp, they are certainly not $13000 better.

And the Salon2 are not $18000 better.

Just like the Focal 1028 are not $6000 better than the Veritas that PENG has.

Totally agree but I will still have to do a side by side comparison yet. Picked them up late yesterday and intend to hook them up this evening. The Focal are not 6K more though. After adjusting for inflation over 7 years, the Focal would be a little more than double what I paid for the Veritas. Mind you back then Energy only allowed the Veritas line in "higher" end stores so they were typically found along side with the B&W 800 series, Linn, PMC, PSB flagship products. It was not until Klipsch took over that they became available in places like Future shop and online dealers.

I think that's where Paradigm could have done better with the Signatures if they had restricted them to higher end dealers. As it is now, someone (like me) could have walked into a dealer and ended up demo'ing the S8 with a 3D BDP. Funny the more affordable PSB products are still do it the old Energy way as you cannot find the Synchrony models along with their lower lines in dealerships, not in Ontario anyway.

 

[Nuance AH]

What about those Vienna Acoustics, B&W 800D, Klipsch Palladium, and all the Wilson Audio speakers?

Of Course, I wasn't talking about the likes of Salon2 or KEF 207/2.

Correction; I'll rephrase and say a good $20,000 speaker.

 

[PENG]

Correction; I'll rephrase and say a good $20,000 speaker.

Common guys, I am okay with the others but leave the 800D alone will you please...too many people thought they were top notch to be bashed like that..........

 

[PENG]

We'll see how long that lasts. Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.

We know we know ..........

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Common guys, I am okay with the others but leave the 800D alone will you please...too many people thought they were top notch to be bashed like that..........

Okay, okay, okay.

I will retract my statement.

I don't want to offend anyone.

I will hold any judgment until I hear them in my room.

 

[DenPureSound]

The Philharmonic Church of Audio.

View attachment 9751

Others spent your scratch to build you an Audio Church!

 

[GranteedEV]

Guys... the moral of this story is buying commercial speakers that aren't Philharmonics is INSANE if sound quality is the only driving factor!!!

I could build a pair of Orions with instructions for under the cost of the Def Techs or Electras O_O

Though I would rather build a Nao Note than an Orion!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Guys... the moral of this story is buying commercial speakers that aren't Philharmonics is INSANE in sound quality is the driving factor!!!

I could build a pair of Orions with instructions for under the cost of the Def Techs or Electras O_O

Though I would rather build a Nao Note than an Orion!

The Nao Note FRs look too flat to be true.

I mean it looks like +/- 0.0dB.

NaO Note Details

 

[Irvrobinson]

I've listened to Bose, Sony, Radio Shack, NHT, Pioneer, Klipsch, Polk, Paradigm, DefTech, B&W, Dali, Krell, Martin Logan, Magnepan, KEF, Revel, Linkwitz, Infinity, Yamaha, Cerwin Vega, PSB, RBH. Soon I can add Philharmonic.

And I still would love to audition 20 more.

Whatever you do, don't audition the Sound Lab U-1PX. Don't even think about it. You'll be tormented if you don't buy them. Take my advice.

 

[GranteedEV]

The Nao Note FRs look too flat to be true.

I mean it looks like +/- 0.0dB.

NaO Note Details

The 90db scale and 1/6th of an octave smoothing will do that. It does use some nice non resonant drivers though.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Whatever you do, don't audition the Sound Lab U-1PX. Don't even think about it. You'll be tormented if you don't buy them. Take my advice.

I'm sure they sound absolutely fantastic for $40K.

But that's not the first time I've the expression.

I've heard Peter Aczel and Glenn Strauss say that about the Linkwitz Orion.

I've heard Larry Greenhill, Brent Butterworth, Doug Schneider, and 4 other critics say that about The Revel Salon2.

I've heard Ken Pohlmann and John Atkinson say that about the KEF 207/2. Several weeks later John Atkinson said the same thing about the Salon2.

Peter Aczel also told us to trust him!

And I trusted all of them!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The moral of the story is that after we find our dream speakers, we need to kick back, relax, turn on the music, crank up the volume, and ENJOY.

I'm sitting here listening to The Last of The Mohican soundtrack. The Theme Title song and The Kiss sound really awesome. I can really feel the bass energy course through my bones. Just one out of many examples of enjoyments.

I know DenPureSound and his wife were enjoying Michael Jackson's "Thriller" CD via the DefTech BP7001SC.

Merry Christmas to all you great guys and gals!

Peace, and God bless!

 

[agarwalro]

IMHO the bigger moral for me is, no point getting a 6k or 20k or 120k speaker if I cannot appreciate its reason for being worth the money.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I'm sure they sound absolutely fantastic for $40K.

But that's not the first time I've the expression.

I've heard Peter Aczel and Glenn Strauss say that about the Linkwitz Orion.

I've heard Larry Greenhill, Brent Butterworth, Doug Schneider, and 4 other critics say that about The Revel Salon2.

I've heard Ken Pohlmann and John Atkinson say that about the KEF 207/2. Several weeks later John Atkinson said the same thing about the Salon2.

Peter Aczel also told us to trust him!

And I trusted all of them!

The Sound Labs are $27-32K. My point was that they have some addictive strengths, but they are not good all-arounders like the Salon 2s. You have quite a stable... I figured you might fall for them, hence my recommendation. I *almost* did.

I've read Peter Aczel. Lately he's sounding mostly like SL's advertising arm. I cut him a lot of slack because his column about Zais-Atkinson was priceless. But he's worn thin.

 

[Nuance AH]

We know we know ..........

LOL - I didn't mean you buddy. Besides, I'm not one to talk; can't tell you how many speakers I've been through since I've been married. Heck, I might be changing it up again next year (Phil's are on the radar). God bless my wife for putting up with me - she's the best.

I'm sure they sound absolutely fantastic for $40K.

But that's not the first time I've the expression.

I've heard Peter Aczel and Glenn Strauss say that about the Linkwitz Orion.

I've heard Larry Greenhill, Brent Butterworth, Doug Schneider, and 4 other critics say that about The Revel Salon2.

I've heard Ken Pohlmann and John Atkinson say that about the KEF 207/2. Several weeks later John Atkinson said the same thing about the Salon2.

Peter Aczel also told us to trust him!

And I trusted all of them!

And now you're sittin' pretty. No, they may not be $15,000 better than your Def Tech's or whatever, but you sure do have a nice setup. I'll give you $5000 for your Revel and/or Orions when you're ready to sell.

IMHO the bigger moral for me is, no point getting a 6k or 20k or 120k speaker if I cannot appreciate its reason for being worth the money.

Word

The moral of the story is that after we find our dream speakers, we need to kick back, relax, turn on the music, crank up the volume, and ENJOY.

Merry Christmas to all you great guys and gals!

Peace, and God bless!

Indeed sir, indeed. Merry Christmas and God Bless everyone!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The Sound Labs are $27-32K. My point was that they have some addictive strengths, but they are not good all-arounders like the Salon 2s. You have quite a stable... I figured you might fall for them, hence my recommendation. I *almost* did.

I've read Peter Aczel. Lately he's sounding mostly like SL's advertising arm. I cut him a lot of slack because his column about Zais-Atkinson was priceless. But he's worn thin.

Oh yeah, the Great Debate about amp sound?

http://theaudiocritic.com/plog/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=23&blogId=1

http://theaudiocritic.com/plog/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=27&blogId=1

 

[deedubb]

There is only one speaker that I would ever buy without an audition and that's likely the way I would have to buy them as I can't find them anywhere close to me...the PSB Synchrony One. I'm still amazed by my Stratus Golds.

 

[walter duque]

There is only one speaker that I would ever buy without an audition and that's likely the way I would have to buy them as I can't find them anywhere close to me...the PSB Synchrony One. I'm still amazed by my Stratus Golds.

It's just amazing how speaker preference are. We all prefer a certain sound. I am not trying to trash any speaker, but to me the worst sounding speakers are Martin Logans and PSB Synch Ones. I guess we're all looking for that certain sound.

 

[cpp]

It's just amazing how speaker preference are. We all prefer a certain sound.

True and each listener has their own idea of a dream speaker that fits their budget and their ears...As they say "To each his own"

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

There is only one speaker that I would ever buy without an audition and that's likely the way I would have to buy them as I can't find them anywhere close to me...the PSB Synchrony One. I'm still amazed by my Stratus Golds.

It's just amazing how speaker preference are. We all prefer a certain sound. I am not trying to trash any speaker, but to me the worst sounding speakers are Martin Logans and PSB Synch Ones. I guess we're all looking for that certain sound.

Here I am at work today while millions of people are still sleeping off their party booze.

I have heard the PSB Imagine T & Martin Logan Vantage.

Although I do not think either one sound bad, I think the DefTech BP7001SC sound better than both of them - but the BP7001SC were in my room, and the PSB & ML were at the store, so the comparison is not quite fair.

So important to have those speakers in our rooms.

I think we all may slightly differ on our preferences. Some of these speakers are close enough that it could go either way on any given day. And that is where we "differ". But overall, I believe we all love the "same" sound.

Sooooooooo, anyone buying dream speakers in the next month?