Speaker Search

[allen]

<font color='#000000'>Hi, I am very new to this forum. I am looking to purchase new speakers.
Budget - $2,250
Size - I could do floorstanding but my wife would prefer monitors
Use - All music, no home theatre
Speakers checked out so far - paradigm studio/100, definitive technology Power Monitor 900, B&amp;W CDM 7NT, and some other misc brands/models.

It is so hard to compare speakers when you go from place to place and the set-up is completely different at each and we really don't have too many good retailers around that carry the brands I am interested in.

I have heard nice things about these speakers as well as others like RBH. However, I have yet to listen to any RBH speakers. Actually one dealer who carries paradigm and definitive, among other brands, never even heard of them.

Anyway, any advise from out there. I know buying speakers is kind of like buying music, art or wine - let your own preference prevail. But, there must be some good thoughts and recommendations among this group.

By the way, why is it that all monitors are compared to &quot;Giant Towers&quot;. Are floor standing speakers better than &quot;bookshelfs&quot;? &nbsp;For whatever speaker I buy, they will be on the floor or on stands. But I have found monitors that can go head to head with a floor modle - such as the power monitor 900 with the paradigm studio/100.

I would love to get some feedback, thoughts and opinions.

Thank you,
Allen</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>I had auditioned &quot;book shelf&quot; speakers for several months, and finally settled on the Paradigm Studio 40s.

When I went to pick them up, my dealer had just received the Def Tech Powermonitor 900s, and asked if I would like to hear them.

I did, and to make a long story short, wound up buying the Powermonitors.

I've been happy ever since, and haven't looked back once.

</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>A little follow-up. Although I really didn't get much feedback from the readers I will share my experience. I took home a pair of Power Monitor 900's (with reservation) but found them to be a pleasure right away. I didn't do my homework before I bought them so I did some post purchase. I did an extensive search for reviews and came up with several reviews, best picks, and highly recemmondeds mostly through theabsolutesound.com. The PM700s were getting a lot of attention so I figured the 900s must be as good or better. But I could not leave well enough alone since the main coause for my initial reservation still haunted me: they just didn't have the precision and clarity in the mid to high that I was looking for. As far as low end - dynamite! But there was that mid, high, voice reproduction and soundstage that I thought was a little lacking. I called the dealer and he suggested I compare them against a pair of Paradigm Studio 100s. I picked them up, put them along side and then rested. Those big speakers suck to move around. However, it took no time at all to confirm what I thought I was lacking. Although very good, the PM900's could not compare to the overall presence of the Studio100s. Then I did a blind test with my wife and she too confirmed it. Then we had to wrestle with the concept of sporting such a huge speaker in our room. I took the PM900s back last night and ordered the Paradigms. Now I have no reservation that I will have the best sound that I want to afford but the size of these things takes a bit to get used to.

If DEF Tech could do a little refinement in the clarity and precision section, they would have a product second to none. I think if one was interested in home theatre, these could be awesome. My decision was for music listening only.</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>one more thing: I really was interested in checking out some RBH stuff but found it too difficult in my area. No dealers within a two hour drive and they were not willing to sell direct or make it easy to audition any of the speaker line.</font>

 

[ScofieldKid]

<font color='#000000'>That was an interesting story. &nbsp;I was really surprised
to hear that a DefTech would beat a Paradigm. &nbsp;My own
ears have never warmed up to the DefTech's that I have
checked out. &nbsp;So it was reassuring when you went to
the Studio stuff.

... reading your post made me think though... you know
what would be ideal???

If some guy had a van with a bunch of speakers in it.
You know, like the &quot;car doctor&quot;, but instead you are
the &quot;speaker doctor&quot;, and you drive to people's houses,
and you unload a bunch of speakers into their living room.

Hmmm. &nbsp;I'm not sure if I can make a million dollars off of
this idea, but I think I'll reserve patent/copyright/trademark
on it right now. &nbsp;You may now officially refer to me as:
&quot;The Speakers Doctor&quot;. &nbsp;Anyone got an old Chevy Van they
want to sell me???</font>