Speaker upgrade

[aesposito]

Hi Guys, I currently have Yamaha NS 777 speaker package, looking to upgrade. What brands should I look into?

My following considerations:

- Focal
- SVS
- Canton

 

[Pogre]

Well those are all great considerations and I think you'd be happy with either, tho the Cantons have been tugging at my heart strings for a while. I own SVS Ultra speakers (towers and books) and they're both fantastic speakers, but the Ultra bookshelf is probably the star of the show. They're great books, can handle a lot of power, can hit some impressive spl and really maintain their composure. They retain pretty much all the goodness of the towers minus the low end.

@KEW has experience with all 3 brands tho and can give you some good impressions. I have a feeling it'll be between the Cantons and the Focals.

 

[snakeeyes]

The Cantons usually go on sale pretty low around Labor Day, but even lower in mid December at A4L.

 

[lovinthehd]

I'd look beyond just those three brands....maybe leaf thru the various speaker reviews here on AH for ideas. One nice thing about SVS is their in home trial offer....good way to see how they'll do in the environment that counts most....yours.

 

[KEW]

Hi Guys, I currently have Yamaha NS 777 speaker package, looking to upgrade. What brands should I look into?

My following considerations:

- Focal
- SVS
- Canton

We need some idea of your budget before we can do much to advise you.
There are some screaming deals which are easily recommended if they fit your objectives in the Infinity Reference series and the JBL Studio 5 Series. However, you have to wait for the sales (which seem to be about 5 times a year).

 

[aesposito]

Budget = 3k total

 

[mazersteven]

$3000 total I would stick with the SVS line. Also look at Ascend Acoustics

Ascend Acoustics

Ascend Acoustics- Award-winning audiophile loudspeakers and subwoofers for home theater and music, factory-direct. Rythmik subwoofers now available.

www.ascendacoustics.com

 

[vader540is]

Budget = 3k total

Check out Chane.

Their new 700 series will drop soon.

The New Chane 700 Series - Chane Music & Cinema

We know that Chane's A series models are successful alternatives to Big Brand speaker sound in the ~$300 market. Special tech and careful design give the A models that extra clarity, power, and musicality that sets them apart. Naturally we've been asked what a next-level series would look like...

forum.chanemusiccinema.com

 

[KEW]

Budget = 3k total

Is that for stereo speakers or 7 channels?
Do you have strong feelings of towers vs bookshelfs?
Are you wanting/expecting a sub?
Is this for music or home theater? If both, what percent music and what percent HT?
What type of music do you listen to - think of it as a strata from solo acoustic instruments to hip-hop and club music.
How big is your listening room and how far away are the speakers.

 

[aesposito]

Is that for stereo speakers or 7 channels?
Do you have strong feelings of towers vs bookshelfs?
Are you wanting/expecting a sub?
Is this for music or home theater? If both, what percent music and what percent HT?
What type of music do you listen to - think of it as a strata from solo acoustic instruments to hip-hop and club music.
How big is your listening room and how far away are the speakers.

Great questions:

- 7.1 speaker HTS
- I enjoy 2 towers the rest bookshelfs
- I just upgraded my sub to a SVS PC 2000
- This is for both HT and music (80/20)
- Type of music - Mostly hip hop spanish and some club

 

[aesposito]

Everyone how about these speakers:

702 S2 Tower Speakers | Bowers & Wilkins

The 702 S2 tower speakers feature three dedicated Aerofoil bass drivers, a Continuum cone, and a solid body tweeter for goosebump-inducing audio.

www.bowerswilkins.com

 

[KEW]

Great questions:

- 7.1 speaker HTS
- I enjoy 2 towers the rest bookshelfs
- I just upgraded my sub to a SVS PC 2000
- This is for both HT and music (80/20)
- Type of music - Mostly hip hop spanish and some club

So I assume the $3000 is for 7 speakers then.
If I were you, I would wait for the next sale on JBL Studio 5 series and buy 2 ea. JBL 590 towers (<$1000/pr), JBL 520 Center (<$300) for the front three. For surrounds, two pairs of JBL 530 (<$600 for 4 ea.). Like I said, you'll need to wait for the sale, but these have reliably been going on sale about 5 times a year at prices (as I listed in quotations) better than 50% off of MSRP. This only totals ~$1900, but I think it would be hard to find much better for under $3000 and I think you would be better off buying a second PC2000.
A second subwoofer helps greatly in smoothing out the response throughout the room and dual PC2000's will give you plenty of low frequency muscle for the Club and Hip Hop effects!

 

[aesposito]

So I assume the $3000 is for 7 speakers then.
If I were you, I would wait for the next sale on JBL Studio 5 series and buy 2 ea. JBL 590 towers (<$1000/pr), JBL 520 Center (<$300) for the front three. For surrounds, two pairs of JBL 520 (<$600 for 4 ea.). Like I said, you'll need to wait for the sale, but these have reliably been going on sale about 5 times a year at prices (as I listed in quotations) better than 50% off of MSRP. This only totals ~$1900, but I think it would be hard to find much better for under $3000 and I think you would be better off buying a second PC2000.
A second subwoofer helps greatly in smoothing out the response throughout the room and dual PC2000's will give you plenty of low frequency muscle for the Club and Hip Hop effects!

Thanks for the suggestion. So you would think JBL are better than the Yamaha I have now? Also better than Canton? (link below)

Accessories4less: High End Audio at Low End Prices!

www.accessories4less.com

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

So you would think JBL are better than the Yamaha I have now? Also better than Canton?

I would take a look at your local stores and see if they have any speakers for you to listen to. Any brands.

Then let us know how they compare to your current Yamaha NS-777 speakers (MSRP $900/pair) in the midrange and treble since you can always use subwoofer for bass.

 

[KEW]

Thanks for the suggestion. So you would think JBL are better than the Yamaha I have now? Also better than Canton? (link below)

Accessories4less: High End Audio at Low End Prices!

www.accessories4less.com

I have never heard the NS-777, so cannot say. I would generally bet the JBL's were better because the NS-777 has been around for over a decade at an attractive price and has not generated much buzz among audio communities.

I would definitely consider the Canton Vento's better speakers, but they are $2600 for just the front two!
$400 won't get you the remaining 5 speakers.
But if you can afford the Vento's that is what I would do.
The Ventos are great speakers with fantastic build quality!
They are however (probably because they are European) more compact than you might think. I can't think of a better contrast than the JBL 490 which is massive! Just pull out a tape measure and get a sense of the size of the Vento before you buy. They sound great, but if you are looking for a visual domination of your room, the Ventos are not your speaker. Otherwise, Hell Yeah!

 

[snakeeyes]

I have never heard the NS-777, so cannot say. I would generally bet the JBL's were better because the NS-777 has been around for over a decade at an attractive price and has not generated much buzz among audio communities.

I would definitely consider the Canton Vento's better speakers, but they are $2600 for just the front two!
$400 won't get you the remaining 5 speakers.
But if you can afford the Vento's that is what I would do.
The Ventos are great speakers with fantastic build quality!
They are however (probably because they are European) more compact than you might think. I can't think of a better contrast than the JBL 490 which is massive! Just pull out a tape measure and get a sense of the size of the Vento before you buy. They sound great, but if you are looking for a visual domination of your room, the Ventos are not your speaker. Otherwise, Hell Yeah!

A month ago they were running a promo on the 896 towers to get a free 866.2 center. Looks like they aren’t doing that promo anymore.

(However they do have Chrono SL 596.2 towers with free center 556.2 for $2000)

 

[aesposito]

I have never heard the NS-777, so cannot say. I would generally bet the JBL's were better because the NS-777 has been around for over a decade at an attractive price and has not generated much buzz among audio communities.

I would definitely consider the Canton Vento's better speakers, but they are $2600 for just the front two!
$400 won't get you the remaining 5 speakers.
But if you can afford the Vento's that is what I would do.
The Ventos are great speakers with fantastic build quality!
They are however (probably because they are European) more compact than you might think. I can't think of a better contrast than the JBL 490 which is massive! Just pull out a tape measure and get a sense of the size of the Vento before you buy. They sound great, but if you are looking for a visual domination of your room, the Ventos are not your speaker. Otherwise, Hell Yeah!

Thanks again! I will prob lean towards the Canton, but will see what black Friday produces this year. I am not in a rush to buy everything at once. I can piecemeal it.

 

[lovinthehd]

So I assume the $3000 is for 7 speakers then.
If I were you, I would wait for the next sale on JBL Studio 5 series and buy 2 ea. JBL 590 towers (<$1000/pr), JBL 520 Center (<$300) for the front three. For surrounds, two pairs of JBL 520 (<$600 for 4 ea.). Like I said, you'll need to wait for the sale, but these have reliably been going on sale about 5 times a year at prices (as I listed in quotations) better than 50% off of MSRP. This only totals ~$1900, but I think it would be hard to find much better for under $3000 and I think you would be better off buying a second PC2000.
A second subwoofer helps greatly in smoothing out the response throughout the room and dual PC2000's will give you plenty of low frequency muscle for the Club and Hip Hop effects!

Assume you mean 530s for surrounds? 520s wouldn't be as good IMO.

FWIW I do have a set of 590/520 up front, 580s for surrounds, 530s for rear surrounds and got them all at good prices, nice stuff.

 

[KEW]

Assume you mean 530s for surrounds? 520s wouldn't be as good IMO.

Yep - that is a typo!
Thanks for catching it!
I corrected it in my post.

 

[KEW]

A month ago they were running a promo on the 896 towers to get a free 866.2 center. Looks like they aren’t doing that promo anymore.

(However they do have Chrono SL 596.2 towers with free center 556.2 for $2000)

@aesposito , I have listened to the bookshelf version of these Chrono SL (with ceramic tweeter) side by side with the Vento bookshelf, and it is my conclusion that there is no appreciable audible difference. I believe they essentially have the same drivers and I know that the crossovers are the same (I checked the boards and every part number matched). I honestly believe the only difference is the curved cabinet of the Vento vs the more conventional box of the Chrono SL. A floorstanding speaker is more likely to have resonance, but as well built as every speaker I have seen from Canton is, I doubt the tower has any significant resonance. I would give this Canton Chrono SL option careful consideration! If I had known they were still running the free center special on that model, I would have suggested it - it is no longer listed as a "Special", but once you go to the tower, it is noted!

Accessories4less: High End Audio at Low End Prices!

www.accessories4less.com

(Just make sure to check that the speakers you are buying have ceramic tweeters, because some of the older Chrono SL's do not!)