Tower Speakers Under $750

[shadyJ]

Thanks for the Audiogon find, much to consider. Funny that the seller thinks they're too large for his room. I'd think they'd be fine for a modest bedroom.



I've been thinking about this a lot. It seems like bookshelves are fairly popular in two channel systems that have no subwoofer. I imagine because most two channel pre/pros and receivers don't accommodate subwoofers. I guess they'd have to find ones that you connect the L/R speakers to the subwoofer and manually adjust the crossover?

In the Absolute Sound Illustrated History loudspeaker book, Revel's Kevin Voecks said, "Multiple subwoofers, physically separated from the main speakers, are the best way to configure a purist two-channel audio system. Sadly, the audiophile world hasn't yet accepted this truth. But most serious audiophiles have never heard a system with proper subwoofer integration, so they really can't be blamed for having come to an incorrect conclusion about subwoofers in a serious system." He went on to talk about their multichannel listening lab which sounds fascinating.

That said, I don't need the lowest bass frequencies in the bedroom. Though a subwoofer is something I may have to consider in the future in my listening cave.

Heavier-duty bookshelf speakers can be made to hit 40 Hz or so, but they are expensive, and are of a different design than the CMT340. It looks to me like the CMT-340 would need more enclosure space per woofer to dig deep enough for that. To be honest, most music doesn't have very deep bass, and so 40 Hz is plenty. These audiophiles are not blasting bass-heavy electronic music, they are older dudes who like classic rock or jazz, and these is very seldom any deep bass in such recordings. Their systems may not have the flattest bass response, but they do have sufficient extension and output for the recordings they like.

Kevin is 100% correct about subwoofers, by the way.

 

[Fastnbulbous]

Some of my stoner doom and dub reggae goes low, but I'm not that picky for the bedroom.

This is a topic for a different thread that I have not found yet, but curious how people do integrate subwoofers in non-HTR 2 channel receivers.

 

[KEW]

Thanks for the Audiogon find, much to consider. Funny that the seller thinks they're too large for his room. I'd think they'd be fine for a modest bedroom.



I've been thinking about this a lot. It seems like bookshelves are fairly popular in two channel systems that have no subwoofer. I imagine because most two channel pre/pros and receivers don't accommodate subwoofers. I guess they'd have to find ones that you connect the L/R speakers to the subwoofer and manually adjust the crossover?

In the Absolute Sound Illustrated History loudspeaker book, Revel's Kevin Voecks said, "Multiple subwoofers, physically separated from the main speakers, are the best way to configure a purist two-channel audio system. Sadly, the audiophile world hasn't yet accepted this truth. But most serious audiophiles have never heard a system with proper subwoofer integration, so they really can't be blamed for having come to an incorrect conclusion about subwoofers in a serious system." He went on to talk about their multichannel listening lab which sounds fascinating.

That said, I don't need the lowest bass frequencies in the bedroom. Though a subwoofer is something I may have to consider in the future in my listening cave.

One comment I would add is that you are far better off without the sub if you are not willing to invest the time and effort to properly tune the subwoofer.

If you listen to traditional music (with the exception of a large pipe organ's lowest notes), a pair of speakers that gets into the 30's will do great!

When/if you get a subwoofer, look for lots of tuning options (such as Hsu and Rythmik offer) or be prepared to get a mini-dsp and setup REW to tune things.

IME, nothing can ruin music as much as a sub with great response down to or below 20Hz, but no way to throttle it back!

 

[KEW]

Some of my stoner doom and dub reggae goes low, but I'm not that picky for the bedroom.

This is a topic for a different thread that I have not found yet, but curious how people do integrate subwoofers in non-HTR 2 channel receivers.

In a normal bedroom, you can expect a fair amount of room gain, which will greatly increase your lowest bass (as compared to the anechoic frequency response typically specified by the manufacturer). Definitely try speakers only first to see how your in-room bass is.

Do you listen to mostly dub reggae, or only sometimes?

 

[Fastnbulbous]

I go through a dub phase it seems for a few weeks every summer. Sorry to confuse things, I 100% will not be using a subwoofer with the speakers in this thread for the bedroom. I was just thinking ahead to possibly adding one to my main listening room/DOOMcave someday. Maybe by then there will be more affordable options than something like the Parasound P5 2.1 preamp.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

newaudiovideo.com. Is it not legit?

Definitely not authorized. If you buy, must buy with Credit Card with awesome fraud protection. That way you can easily dispute the charges. Actually this is always a good way to buy anything.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Maybe by then there will be more affordable options than something like the Parasound P5 2.1 preamp.

I’ve heard enough problems about the P5 to recommend.

I think you’re better off getting an AVR or at least a Stereo Receiver if you somehow think that the SQ of AVR is any less than a preamp.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

As long as they are on sale, it'd almost seem a crime to buy a pair of Klipsch R-26f when you can get a pair of powered R-26PF's including amplification, BT, and R/C for $500!
https://www.adorama.com/kp1064478.html?emailprice=t&utm_source=rflaid912524

Price seems good, but I would be worried about the electronics inside the speakers malfunctioning in 5 years. Maybe it will last a lot longer.

But I would rather pay a little more and get RF-82 II (titanium tweeter and dual 8” Woofers) for $400 each.

https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-RF-82-II-Floorstanding-Speaker/dp/B0041GEZDM/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1524408304&sr=8-8&keywords=klipsch+tower+speakers

Klipsch has a rumored reputation of sounding “bright”. But looking at this Sound and Vision measurement, I don’t see why they would sound bright.

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/klipsch-reference-rf-83-speaker-system-ht-labs-measures

 

[Fastnbulbous]

I have a brand new Crown 1502 amp in my listening room that I'm very happy with driving the Wharfedale Opus 3s so I'm not about to switch to an AVR or integrated!

So back on topic, I'm still shopping. I was really interested in the XTZ Spirit 11, but with its low sensitivity, I don't think my little 50W Sprout can drive it. Same issue with Canton GLE 496, but perhaps the cheaper GLE 476 would work. The Dali Spektor 6 recommended amp power starts at 30W, so that's what I'm leaning toward at the moment.

I've heard many Klipsch speakers. I wouldn't say they're bright either. They are decent, but along with Polk and Paradigm, none of those speakers in this price range really "spoke" to me.

 

[KEW]

Price seems good, but I would be worried about the electronics inside the speakers malfunctioning in 5 years. Maybe it will last a lot longer.

But I would rather pay a little more and get RF-82 II (titanium tweeter and dual 8” Woofers) for $400 each.

https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-RF-82-II-Floorstanding-Speaker/dp/B0041GEZDM/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1524408304&sr=8-8&keywords=klipsch+tower+speakers

Klipsch has a rumored reputation of sounding “bright”. But looking at this Sound and Vision measurement, I don’t see why they would sound bright.

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/klipsch-reference-rf-83-speaker-system-ht-labs-measures

Klipsch (at least the ones I could possibly afford) in the mid-late 70's were indeed harsh.
They have gone through many generations since then, which incrementally reduced the harshness to brightness to (in my opinion for the reference ii series and later) close to neutral.
I have RF-82ii's for my HT. I wouldn't be using them if I didn't like them. I love their dynamics and immediacy for HT; however, they have a "horn effect" (the way the horn "throws" the sound) that isn't quite right for music (don't get me wrong, they are not bad, but this effect keeps them from being a truly good music speaker, and they are fine speakers for most rock content, IMHO).
With the RP series, they changed the horn geometry which mostly resolved the "horn effect" issue. I was on-track to replace my RF-82ii's with the RP-280f when Klipsch announced that a second generation of the RP series would be released later this year. The second generation will also offer a (non-glossy, non-wood grain) satin black, which would be my preference for a medium-large tower speaker like the RP-280f.
I am not in a big rush, so it makes sense to wait and see if the second generation has significant improvements... or take advantage of close out pricing on the first generation RP speakers if they don't!

But getting to your question, the R-26PF shares the same new horn geometry as the new RP series. I have not heard the new Reference (R, not RP) series, but I asked @yepimonfire about them since he owns both and he said they sound very much alike, but the higher quality components of the RP allowed more volume before distortion became audible.

Based on that, I would rather have the R-26f than the RF-62ii.

PS-I know the OP is no longer interested in Klipsch, but wanted to answer ADTG's question and share my experience.
Also, If anyone is interested in Klipsch, they have fixed pricing contracts regarding advertised pricing, but if you call them, many of the distributors will offer a 20-25% discount off of the advertised price!

 

[KEW]

Price seems good, but I would be worried about the electronics inside the speakers malfunctioning in 5 years. Maybe it will last a lot longer.

That is a fair point; however, if you look at pro-audio monitors, they have pretty good reliability.
There are no guarantees, but since Klipsch knows exactly what speakers they are driving and exactly what their load characteristics are with one amp driving the dual mid-woofers and another driving the tweeter, the amps should never see loads which would stress them. Of course, that is not the only potential source of failure.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Klipsch (at least the ones I could possibly afford) in the mid-late 70's were indeed harsh.
They have gone through many generations since then, which incrementally reduced the harshness to brightness to (in my opinion for the reference ii series and later) close to neutral.

I haven't heard many Klipsch speakers. But I have listened to a pair of Klipsch towers years ago - something similar to the RF-82 or RF-83 or the likes. It was only for about 15 minutes of audition.

But they sounded pretty good to me when they played the music at the Ultimate Electronics store showroom.

 

[Fastnbulbous]

If others find this thread useful in being recommended Klipsch speakers I certainly won't object. There's some great values. I think their classic horn models are awesome. Check out their La Scala II. If I had a bigger room and budget, I'd consider them as worthy competition to other top models from Tannoy, JBL, JTR, PSB, B&W, Magico and Revel.

With so many options in speaker shopping, sometimes in order to pare down the choices you need to go outside of specs and logic and go with your gut.

I'm trying to find a balance. The Q Acoustics 3050 has been hovering in my top 4, but I'm not sure I love the look. What HiFi reviewers seem pretty confident that they outperform the Dali. I like that I can order directly from them via their site. Another consideration, the 3050i will be coming out any day now, at just $100 more. I wonder if the price of the older model will drop.

https://www.whathifi.com/q-acoustics/3050/review
https://www.whathifi.com/dali/spektor-6/review
https://www.whathifi.com/news/q-acoustics-launches-five-strong-q3000i-speaker-range

 

[yepimonfire]

Late to this thread but fwiw none of the R-xxm/f series are bright, in fact they are a bit more laid back than the Reference Premeire series IME. I happen to like the tweeters in them, their main flaws when compared to the Premeire are the woofers/port geometry, but it's not exactly a flaw, just not quite as good as the higher end models.

Sent from my LM-X210(G) using Tapatalk

 

[Fastnbulbous]

I learned that Mission, who have been slaying the competition in group tests in HiFi Choice mag in December and also bookshelves in the current issue, is INDEED available to be shipped to the U.S. from http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/mission-lx-5-speakers-pair ($960 total with shipping). It's also available through U.S. distributor, American Audio Video, but a pricier $1,500 before shipping. I know it's a higher price than I wanted, but I'm feeling it. Anyone have any experience with Audio Affair? Feedback on FB looks decent.

 

[Kvn_Walker]

I learned that Mission, who have been slaying the competition in group tests in HiFi Choice mag in December and also bookshelves in the current issue, is INDEED available to be shipped to the U.S. from http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/mission-lx-5-speakers-pair ($960 total with shipping). It's also available through U.S. distributor, American Audio Video, but a pricier $1,500 before shipping. I know it's a higher price than I wanted, but I'm feeling it. Anyone have any experience with Audio Affair? Feedback on FB looks decent.

Thanks for this! (Yeah I know, 2 month necro)... I'm liking the looks of those QX5 towers! I think I will at least contact them for a USD + shipping quote.

 

[speakerman39]

How about the Boston Acoustics A360's from Acc4Less? These are brand new and come w/a 5-year warranty for ONLY $440 a set! There is also a small shipping charge, but nothing too bad. The A360's are a 3-way design and use the Kortec tweeter which is very smooth and refined. The form factor is also rather easy to deal with. Here is a link:

https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/bosa360gba/boston-acoustics-a360-dual-6.5-3-way-floor-standing-speaker-black-each/1.html


Cheers,

Phil

 

[Fastnbulbous]

Thanks for this! (Yeah I know, 2 month necro)... I'm liking the looks of those QX5 towers! I think I will at least contact them for a USD + shipping quote.

Yeah, I skipped the 15% Father's Day sale on the Q Acoustics because I was irked to see the British company was charging me IL state sales tax. I guess they have shipping centers in the US. So I went back to look at the Mission, and learned all the LX series are gone! I do like the looks of that QX-5, so I put it in the cart and with a 5% discount code (they send when you first sign up at their site), and international shipping, it's $1,239 USD. QX-4 is $1,017. Probably a good deal with that nice 12" side-firing sub, but more than I was planning to spend. OTOH I've had an additional 2+ months to save for this. Hrm.

But when at that price point, they also have Tannoy Revolution XT 6F, Dali Opticon 5 and a couple others. Zu Audio Omen Dirty Weekend Mk. II is also available again.

 

[Kvn_Walker]

Yeah, I skipped the 15% Father's Day sale on the Q Acoustics because I was irked to see the British company was charging me IL state sales tax. I guess they have shipping centers in the US. So I went back to look at the Mission, and learned all the LX series are gone! I do like the looks of that QX-5, so I put it in the cart and with a 5% discount code (they send when you first sign up at their site), and international shipping, it's $1,239 USD. QX-4 is $1,017. Probably a good deal with that nice 12" side-firing sub, but more than I was planning to spend. OTOH I've had an additional 2+ months to save for this. Hrm.

But when at that price point, they also have Tannoy Revolution XT 6F, Dali Opticon 5 and a couple others. Zu Audio Omen Dirty Weekend Mk. II is also available again.

I registered and didn't get a coupon code. I'm this close to buying those QX-5's too. The QX-2 review has me drooling at the possibility of that kind of sound complemented with hard-hitting bass.

I'll probably sell everything but the Canton's and move them to the living room and just do 2.1 or 3.1 for movies. Never listen to music in there anyway.

 

[snakeeyes]

I registered and didn't get a coupon code. I'm this close to buying those QX-5's too. The QX-2 review has me drooling at the possibility of that kind of sound complemented with hard-hitting bass.

I'll probably sell everything but the Canton's and move them to the living room and just do 2.1 or 3.1 for movies. Never listen to music in there anyway.

There was a 15% off deal at Valentines Day when I got my 3020’s and 3090 center. I am pleased with them in my bedroom setup but I did end up buying a Rythmik L12 sealed 12in sub to get the bass heavy sound I like. Mostly I run 2.1 so this is 99% Music use. I probably didn’t need the center but I got it in case I move these out to another room later.