Floorstanding speakers around 2000$

[AcuDefTechGuy]

If $10k towers were lacking for you, it's probably not the speakers' fault.

Well, MSRP isn't always the best indicator of overall sound quality or preference.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I can't recall, but did you ever try bookshelf + subwoofer combo?

Perhaps the subs can reproduce those drums better for you, while not messing up the midrange and treble since the bookshelf is in charge of that.

Perhaps the bass in the towers is messing up the midrange and treble for you. So completely separate the 2 -- bass separate from the treble/midrange.

 

[stonemarten]

Thanks to all for the valuable comments. Probably my ears are not trained like yours, that's why I'm asking here

What I would like is a speaker with the mid-high of the focal chorus 726 and the low from the Klipsch RF82 II.

I will follow your advice and next week I will try again the B&W, JBL and the focal chorus.

I wanted already try again the focal chorus, and the relative centre channel.

Moreover, don't expect the speakers to sound the same in the store as they will in your house.

I know: but if already I don't like in a made up room in the OEM shop, I don't think that in my house will sound any better...

Well, MSRP isn't always the best indicator of overall sound quality or preference.

Agree!!

I can't recall, but did you ever try bookshelf + subwoofer combo?

That's is what I have today and it is fine. I need to change due to the room renovation, where I can't fit in the new layout

Early next week I will do another round, and let you know

cheers

 

[rojo]

... Sounds more like you were standing in a room null in the bass range; and most certainly, the best position for the towers for stereo imaging and sound stage is not going to be the best position for bass response. Having a separate sub or two or three + some sort of bass management DSP will increase your placement flexibility greatly and let you even out the bass response in your room. Moreover, don't expect the speakers to sound the same in the store as they will in your house.

I know: but if already I don't like in a made up room in the OEM shop, I don't think that in my house will sound any better...

You glossed over the part where I was saying that they could indeed sound better in your house than in the shop. What I was trying to say was that the sales staff most likely positioned the towers to showcase their full range capabilities, rather than their low frequency extension -- not just the 10K towers, but the ones in your price range as well. It's not as though they would have performed the subwoofer crawl to find the best placement for any of the towers. And I'm not suggesting you do that at home, either. But the optimum placement for the towers for mids / highs, equidistant and 45 degrees from your primary listening position, might excite different bass frequency nodes in your house than in the showroom. They might not. You can't know until you audition a pair in your house. They might sound better.

But in any case, if you get a sub or two, you won't have to worry about the low end extension / room gain of any of the towers you choose. That frees you to devote more effort to finding speakers with revealing clarity and an accurate sound stage, which is much easier to do in a showroom; and trust that the bass will already have been taken care of at home.

 

[stonemarten]

Went to the shop today with all your recommendations in my pocket and tested the B&W and the Focal Chorus again, plus several other models (Dali, Dynaudio, JBL, etc.) for reference, from 1k to 12k.

I will buy the Focal Chorus: they are the best fit to my taste and my budget.
The bass are good now with my test CD. What they used before is a demo from JBL, maybe not the optimum.

The B&W are very good, but the cut is too sharp: the instruments are less blended together than the Focal Chorus.

I don't mean that the Focal are fuzzy, I just think they are more similar to real life than the B&W

Of course this is my personal opinion

Can you please just explain me one thing: with the Focal Chorus, I can ear perfect bass when I'm on the same speakers line (I and both speakers aligned) or slightly behind but less when I'm forming the 90deg angle with them. All the other frequencies are the same.
The speakers were perpendicular to the wall at around 2mt distance.

Rojo,
is what you meant when you said "and trust that the bass will already have been taken care of at home"?

Thanks!

 

[crossedover]

Off axis response should not be greatly affected with mid or low bass. Auditioning speakers in a room full of speakers will result in audible distortion at even low levels.

 

[rojo]

Rojo,
is what you meant when you said "and trust that the bass will already have been taken care of at home"?

Thanks!

Not really. I'm trying to say that adding a subwoofer can help you remove some reliance on the bass response of the speakers you hear in the store, which may or may not have the same bass performance in your house. Also, likely as not, the best location for bass response won't be the best placement for sound stage and imaging. I'm suggesting you consider a 2.1 setup instead of 2.0.

Besides, there aren't very many towers capable of plumbing the depths of pipe organ subsonics or window-flexing electronica, which are also consciously designed to combat room nodes and nulls and offer smooth bass response regardless of seating position. Gene's $50K Status Acoustics 8T floorstanders are one such exception. We whose pockets aren't as deep must rely on separate subwoofage and the subwoofer crawl.

But if you do add a subwoofer, then you will have one fewer thing to worry about when shopping for your towers. You can concentrate more on the sound stage, imaging, transparency, and all other such nuance without having to sacrifice any for better bass response, which may or may not be different at home anyhow.

 

[stonemarten]

Rojo,

I follow your recommendation and I focus on what you said: that's why I pick the Focal

I will use the instructions for the best subs position (I have 2 now)

thanks!

 

[zieglj01]

Can you please just explain me one thing: with the Focal Chorus, I can ear perfect bass when I'm on the same speakers line (I and both speakers aligned) or slightly behind but less when I'm forming the 90deg angle with them. All the other frequencies are the same.
The speakers were perpendicular to the wall at around 2mt distance.
Thanks!

The bass will sound better at home - room modes and bounce do effect the bass.