Good large speakers with a metal grill?

[ChrisJam]

Hi,

I just read a review of the PSB Alpha B1 speakers, and was pleased to learn that some speakers are still being made with a metal grill.

Why? We have two cats. Though we love music and enjoy watching DVDs in 5.1, our cats mean more to us than the sound system. For example, though we probably won't buy new speakers for a couple years till we get a bigger house, I saw some Def Techs in an audio store a couple months ago. Yup, I like starting my homework early!

The big Def Tech towers looked and sounded great, but they had a fabric grill. The salesman said they couldn't be wall-mounted, but that the Mythos line could. I made a note--wall-mounted Def Tech Mythos secured above claw height.

Most floorstanders have fabric grills, and I know my cats would be so pleased that we got them such good looking scratching posts. (No, we won't get the cats declawed--not an option.) Oh, and when I chose my sub, I deliberately chose one that was down-firing, not front-firing.

So I pretty much resigned myself to getting higher-end bookshelves, unless I got the Mythos or something similar to them. I've accumulated a list of good bookshelf speakers, some costing over $5K/pair. It seems that good ones would be able to fill a fairly large room with good, loud sound in stereo mode (assuming a decent amp or receiver), as well as in 5.1 mode with the help of other good speakers. Still, it might be nice to have some floorstanders one day.

I saw a used Jamo center speaker in a store last summer with a metal grill, so I knew that someone had done it not long ago.

Still, in all the speaker research I've done the past few months, today's PSB review is the only one I remember that mentions a metal grill. (Yes, I'll look into other PSB models.)

Can you think of any good-quality floorstanders that have metal, not fabric, grills? If any of you audiophiles are cat owners, any speaker tips you might have would be appreciated.

TIA,
Chris

 

[pearsall001]

Check out the AAD 2000 series if it's metal grilles you want. They are incredible speakers. I have the 2001 monitors & I still can't believe how dynamic they are. They're not cheap, but then again you get what you pay for. Link provided below.

http://www.aadaudio.com/

 

[majorloser]

Canton!!!!!

Look no further than Canton!

Check out their Ergo line.

I too had cats when I bought my Cantons. The metal grills were a plus for that reason. But the sound will blow your socks off!

http://www.canton.de/en-home.htm
http://www.accessories4less.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=search&query=canton&searchfields=brand

 

[3db]

Just a thought

Hi,

I just read a review of the PSB Alpha B1 speakers, and was pleased to learn that some speakers are still being made with a metal grill.

Why? We have two cats. Though we love music and enjoy watching DVDs in 5.1, our cats mean more to us than the sound system. For example, though we probably won't buy new speakers for a couple years till we get a bigger house, I saw some Def Techs in an audio store a couple months ago. Yup, I like starting my homework early!

The big Def Tech towers looked and sounded great, but they had a fabric grill. The salesman said they couldn't be wall-mounted, but that the Mythos line could. I made a note--wall-mounted Def Tech Mythos secured above claw height.

Most floorstanders have fabric grills, and I know my cats would be so pleased that we got them such good looking scratching posts. (No, we won't get the cats declawed--not an option.) Oh, and when I chose my sub, I deliberately chose one that was down-firing, not front-firing.

So I pretty much resigned myself to getting higher-end bookshelves, unless I got the Mythos or something similar to them. I've accumulated a list of good bookshelf speakers, some costing over $5K/pair. It seems that good ones would be able to fill a fairly large room with good, loud sound in stereo mode (assuming a decent amp or receiver), as well as in 5.1 mode with the help of other good speakers. Still, it might be nice to have some floorstanders one day.

I saw a used Jamo center speaker in a store last summer with a metal grill, so I knew that someone had done it not long ago.

Still, in all the speaker research I've done the past few months, today's PSB review is the only one I remember that mentions a metal grill. (Yes, I'll look into other PSB models.)

Can you think of any good-quality floorstanders that have metal, not fabric, grills? If any of you audiophiles are cat owners, any speaker tips you might have would be appreciated.

TIA,
Chris

Why don't you buy the speakers you like the sound of and leave the grills off the speakers until the cats no longer are an issue. That way you get the sound you want and keep the cats at the same time.

 

[ChrisJam]

Check out the AAD 2000 series if it's metal grilles you want. They are incredible speakers. I have the 2001 monitors & I still can't believe how dynamic they are. They're not cheap, but then again you get what you pay for. Link provided below.

http://www.aadaudio.com/

Thanks, pearsall, those speakers are gorgeous, and from the specs and reviews, I bet the sound great. I highly doubt a store in my city would carry them--there are only two decent audio shops here, and I know one doesn't stock them--but I'll keep an eye out whenever I travel.

Wow, did you give me upgrade-itis!

Oh--I had a question for you. What do you use for a center speaker? Or is your set-up 2-channel only (or 2.1)? If yours is 2-channel, what would you recommend for a center with the 2000 series?

Chris

 

[ChrisJam]

Look no further than Canton!

Check out their Ergo line.

I too had cats when I bought my Cantons. The metal grills were a plus for that reason. But the sound will blow your socks off!

Majorloser, thanks, you gave me upgrade-itis, too. This looks like a super company. I d/led the speaker manual, but it didn't mention the metal grill. I'll keep my eye out for the Canton Ergos when I travel.

Sigh...so many speakers, so little time.

Chris

 

[ChrisJam]

Got the T-shirt

Why don't you buy the speakers you like the sound of and leave the grills off the speakers until the cats no longer are an issue. That way you get the sound you want and keep the cats at the same time.

Thanks for the idea, but I've been there and gotten the T-shirt.

True, without the fabric grill, the floorstander wouldn't look like a scratching post anymore. But the cats would still be curious, and they might stretch up and try to touch a woofer. If one of their claws happened to get stuck in it, the cat might start thinking that it's a good place to scratch.

Yes, we clip our cats' claws regularly, but still, you know Murphy's Law.

I have to say that my cats are not destructive. They're both adult cats, and they mind their manners. But if something offers good tactile response, it might be too good to pass up.

My T-shirt? Many years ago--long before these two cats were born--I had some cats that ripped the speaker cover of my small Advents, which were on supports...I forget...maybe 1-2 feet high. OK, the cloth cover was easy to replace. But one cat managed to find a woofer when the cover was off, and...

But as I said, I prefer cats to speakers, so it was my fault for having such an intriguing target within stretching distance.

Right now I have bookshelves with two tweeters and an 8" woofer. Each box is about 19" x 12" x 9". Both speakers are on shelves high enough that the cats can't get at them. I'm happy with this arrangement now, but for a bigger room? That's why I'm starting to look and plan.

Thx,
Chris

 

[pearsall001]

Thanks, pearsall, those speakers are gorgeous, and from the specs and reviews, I bet the sound great. I highly doubt a store in my city would carry them--there are only two decent audio shops here, and I know one doesn't stock them--but I'll keep an eye out whenever I travel.

Wow, did you give me upgrade-itis!

Oh--I had a question for you. What do you use for a center speaker? Or is your set-up 2-channel only (or 2.1)? If yours is 2-channel, what would you recommend for a center with the 2000 series?

Chris

I'm using the S-3C center from the AAD S-Series. It's a perfect match for the 2001 monitors. And yes your right, they are hard to come across. But let me tell you they do sound good, no let me rephrase that, they are incredible sounding speakers. If your interested here's the link to where I bought them. The owner Steve Monte is a super guy. I spent 3 weekends at his place listening to his unbelievable speaker selection. I just kept coming back to the AAD 2001 monitors, they just left me in awe. I know you're not ready to purchase yet but it's always fun to get there & give things a listen.

http://www.questforsound.com/