Need super sounding bookshelf speakers help!!

[gus6464]

At his price range I recommend these 2:

Totem Dreamcatcher
Epos M5

Can't go wrong with either but I lean more toward the M5.

 

[sailfish]

thanks again....I might give up a few more fun tickets than 500.....one big problem I have is that there aren't many audio places where I live. I'll probably have to buy blind. I'm depending on you to be my ears. aesthetics is a big deal too. The wife and I were talking this am and we think we will probably want to add more surround sound speakers so I'll have to consider that in receiver choice. Thanks again, your help is immeasurable.

 

[sailfish]

gus....can you buy these speakers direct?

 

[mazersteven]

gus....can you buy these speakers direct?

I don't think most of these guys read your statement "there arent any good audio stores near me so I will order from some of these independent companies on the net".

 

[cbraver]

I don't think most of these guys read your statement "there arent any good audio stores near me so I will order from some of these independent companies on the net".

I think most of us read it, it's that these independent companies on the net aren't neccessarly the way to go, and it's a bad idea to order blind. Unless he is really in the boonies, there is probably some hifi stores within a drive, even if it's a sorta long one. If not, maybe ordering from a place that will let him demo first would be the best idea. Since he has a WAF too, it would be a good idea for her to see them in person rather than in a picture.

thanks again....I might give up a few more fun tickets than 500.....one big problem I have is that there aren't many audio places where I live. I'll probably have to buy blind. I'm depending on you to be my ears. aesthetics is a big deal too. The wife and I were talking this am and we think we will probably want to add more surround sound speakers so I'll have to consider that in receiver choice. Thanks again, your help is immeasurable.

I really don't recommend buying without listening first. Some direct sellers allow for in-home trials, which is great because it allows you to listen to the speakers where they will actually be, but I wouldn't buy blind. Most people who responded in here own different equipment, meaning we all have different tastes.

Speakers aren't like mp3 players, computers, pre-amps and other electronics that eventually die and/or become outdated. The speakers you buy now could very well be with you for years and years, so take some time to demo, even if it means taking some drives.

Please don't buy blind! You should demo many speakers before actually buying one. Have fun with it, audio retailers are used to people demoing stuff. Bring your own CDs, try speakers with different amps, and so on.

Best of luck!

 

[gus6464]

I don't think most of these guys read your statement "there arent any good audio stores near me so I will order from some of these independent companies on the net".

You can buy Epos all over the internet but Totem you cannot.

www.musicdirect.com
www.elusivedisc.com
www.digitalcraze.com
http://decibelchicago.stores.yahoo.net/index.html

Even ebay as well just search around for best price.

 

[mazersteven]

Please don't buy blind! You should demo many speakers before actually buying one. Have fun with it, audio retailers are used to people demoing stuff. Bring your own CDs, try speakers with different amps, and so on.

Best of luck!

Just keep in mind that speakers "Will" sound different once you get them home. Yes you can get a basic idea what they "May" sound like in your home by demoing in the store. Doesn't matter if you purchase in-store or internet direct you still will have the option to return the speakers if they are not to your satisfaction.

So either way you are purchasing "Blind".

 

[Davemcc]

I have auditioned the Epos M5 back to back with the Era D4. To me, the Era was the hands down winner. In this range, the Era are very much worth your time to audition. If finding a dealer is an issue, you can contact David Solomon @ davids@signalpathint.com to arrange for a 30 day in-home trial. Here's their site: http://www.signalpathint.com/index.php/Comparative/era-Speakers.html

If WAF is a factor and you need a beautiful furniture quality finish, that's another reason to have a look.

 

[Soundman]

Have you read the bookshelf speaker faceoff from this past August? It's an interesting read: http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/bookshelf/bookshelf-speaker-faceoff-2007

 

[sailfish]

You guys are really great! The wife is a rocker.....I'm the one that wants a nice looking unit. I live in a fairly small metropolitan area but I cant find many audio stores. We have all the large box stores but I've found it virtually impossible to listen in these. As soon as you start to audition something, some 15 year old kid cranks up something near by. Most of the independent dealers around here don't even have show rooms. They just go out and wire all the new big ticket houses who's owners probably don't know anything about audio. Back in the day I remember listening to many speakers. I much prefered JBL to Advent. After years without quality audio we finally decided to treat ourselves. The idea was to give each other audio for Christmas. Here it is at the end of January. I think the wife might believe that this was just a ruse the get out of buying her a Christmas present!!!! I am headed to the "bookshelf speaker face off" right now...thanks

 

[Davidt1]

I have auditioned the Epos M5 back to back with the Era D4. To me, the Era was the hands down winner. In this range, the Era are very much worth your time to audition. If finding a dealer is an issue, you can contact David Solomon @ davids@signalpathint.com to arrange for a 30 day in-home trial. Here's their site: http://www.signalpathint.com/index.php/Comparative/era-Speakers.html

If WAF is a factor and you need a beautiful furniture quality finish, that's another reason to have a look.

Magazine reviewers seem to be impressed by the Era D4. I wonder how they would have done in the Audioholics review. I like their look, small size and the fact that a matching center speaker is available. Too bad they don't come in silver.

 

[sailfish]

the Eras are really good looking. Has anyone else heard these speakers? I am beginning to realize that I'll probably have to start with a couple of fronts and a sub if I want the full sound.
then maybe I could add the center and the surrounds later. Does this sound like a feasible plan?

 

[mazersteven]

I would purchase the front 3 first. JMO Then surrounds, and then subwoofer. The sub could be the most costly purchase depending on room size.

 

[Guangui]

When sailfish said his wife was a rocker, don't know why, but I knew the brand JBL would pop somewhere.

 

[dronezero]

I have the eras as well and am very happy. I went with the D5 instead of the D4s because I am not running them with a sub. They are very good for the price. I A/B them with the B&W CM1's and I slightly preferred the eras. They had a more realistic sound to them in my ears. The CM1 seemed to have smoother vocals, but I felt it wasn't a natural smoothness. I noticed this in other aspects as well that for instance a note from a guitar might be missing a bit of the edge on the CM1 that was present on eras.

edit: And there is no question that the eras are beautiful. I went with the rosewood which is gorgeous.

 

[sailfish]

dronezero.........what do you have pushing them?....I was reading that they really need the power.

 

[cbraver]

I think starting off with the L & R s plus a subwoofer is a good idea. While they wait on the rest, the subwoofer will make movies and music more enjoyable. But, that depends largely on the room, as mazersteven said. If it's a big room and you want big bass, the subwoofer will be expensive and in that case maybe buying the L,C,R's first will be a good route. You said you had a smallish house, so, maybe a quality subwoofer for your application is already within budget.

What's your room size?

 

[mazersteven]

dronezero.........what do you have pushing them?....I was reading that they really need the power.

From the specs it looks like they do.

 

[dronezero]

dronezero.........what do you have pushing them?....I was reading that they really need the power.

Well I have the D5s which are 3db more sensitive than the D4s. But to drive the D5s I am using an Emotiva BPA-1 which delivers 50w/ch. I sit about 6 feet away from them and listen at levels below 85db. I tried another BPA-1 and bridged them both so that they were delivering 150w/ch and sitting that close and at the volume I didn't notice any difference. When I A/B'd the D4, D5, and B&W CM1 they were being driven by an Integra DTM 5.3 which is 100w/ch and they didn't seem to be struggling at all.

 

[Davemcc]

I ran my D5's without any problems with my Denon 2307. I like my music loud and they sounded good. Any decent mid-level receiver should be fine, say an Onkyo 805, etc. If your wife is a rocker, she might appreciate the D5 over the D4, although it's a bit more money. It's a little fuller sounding with a stronger bottom end, easy to integrate with a sub. I've said it before, I pound the living crap out of these speakers with everything from Metallica to Rage Against The Machine, Black Label Society, Rush, Black Sabbath, etc. and they take whatever I throw at them and keep sounding great the whole time.

I did have the chance to borrow a good external amp to test it out and did see some improvement at really high volume, but you don't need it especially if you're going to use a sub. Down the road, if you wanted to add an external amp, you can be confident that they will take the power you want to throw at them with no trouble.