Why can't I decide?!

[speakerman39]

Because, It's the journey not the destination that counts. Also , Most Audioholics tend to be a little bit fickled, picky and insatiable as they pursue the utlimate goal of absolute perfection

Amen there bro. Could not have said it any better myself!

Cheers,

Phil

 

[mazersteven]

.....

 

[Midcow2]

Amen there bro. Could not have said it any better myself!

Cheers,

Phil

Phil,

Thanks for your comments and more improtant hope your mom is better!

LOL, whatever, everyone have a great night!

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I am beginning to consider new speakers. There are three possible price levels: $1200, $1600, or $2000/pr (total, including tax and shipping.) Saving for these will require big sacrifices in other areas for 3, 4, or 5 months, respectively.

I don't need a lot of bass (if it were cleaner, the 49Hz -3dB provided by my Primuses would be plenty.) I do prefer small floorstanders to bookshelves, but this is not mandatory. Soundstage/imaging is my top priority.

Auditioning is not an option since I live in OKC.

Possibilities I have considered include Role Audio Sampans, Duevel Planets, Ohm Micro Walshes, Def Tech Mythos Ones, Totem Arros, and a few of the ID brand offerings such as Rockets or Salk Song Towers.

Let the suggestions begin!

 

[FeisalK]

I suppose JMLab Grande Utopia EMs are out of the question ;D

I'll second the Totem Arros

If there's any speakers I've fallen in love with its the Arros. Slim in body, yet full of voice, not shrill not bloated, with lots of warmth and clarity.

I'd also recommend putting Paradigms on your listening list. I've used Paradigms for ages all over the house

 

[bandphan]

I am beginning to consider new speakers. There are three possible price levels: $1200, $1600, or $2000/pr (total, including tax and shipping.) Saving for these will require big sacrifices in other areas for 3, 4, or 5 months, respectively.

I don't need a lot of bass (if it were cleaner, the 49Hz -3dB provided by my Primuses would be plenty.) I do prefer small floorstanders to bookshelves, but this is not mandatory. Soundstage/imaging is my top priority.

Auditioning is not an option since I live in OKC.

Possibilities I have considered include Role Audio Sampans, Duevel Planets, Ohm Micro Walshes, Def Tech Mythos Ones, Totem Arros, and a few of the ID brand offerings such as Rockets or Salk Song Towers.

Let the suggestions begin!

this should be a sticky for all the new members

 

[Davemcc]

Salk Song Towers.

Salk will take them back if you are not happy with them. But that's never, ever happened so it looks like a safe bet to me.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

After another extensive round of A/B/Cing between my Primus 250s, Cambridge S30s, and Def Tech BP8Bs last night, I have reached a counterintuitive conclusion: It may be that I simply don't like powerful bass! On the larger speakers, acoustic bass in a jazz setting (eg Norah Jones) has the kind of "slam" that I associate with rock, which seems quite unnatural. The same material on the minimonitors sounds more "right" to me.
The S30s also reproduce synth-bass (eg Goldfrapp) in a way that is clearly audible but does not overpower the other frequencies or cause objects in the room to rattle (as the bigger speakers often do.)

If I really don't like big-speaker bass, then this will save me some money since I can focus on good, small bookshelves. Frankly, though, I don't know if I can do better than the S30s in that size range. (Certainly the B&W 705s that I tried once did not sound better to me, and they are $1500/pr!)

 

[Davemcc]

Joe, if you haven't heard a pair of transmission line speakers, you are missing a huge treat for the ears. From the ones that I've heard, the bass is so smooth and natural it's uncanny. It's a much different animal than your normal forward firing driver.

I haven't heard the Songtowers, but I very much want to because the thought of a really good tweeter in a well-constructed cabinet with a transmission line design sounds like the ideal combination. I have a feeling it's exactly what you're looking for.

 

[Warpdrv]

Midcow hit it right on the head as I see it , "It's the journey not the destination that counts".

All of us are looking for different endpoints.

Mike- how many subs can fit into a room
Andrew- credible perceptual research
Chris- see above
Joe- no idea what I want
Warp- how many girls can I fit into my room without having to move a sub
StrongBad- I dont care about speakers, where can I find a Korean prostitute
Glocks- Man I love DTs
Steven- I like speakers, I wish I liked women
AccuDT- Look at the specs on this set of speakers
Greg- I just like making fun of things

HAHHAHAHA I nearly wet my pants when I read this...

Sums up the group fairly accurately... !!!!

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Joe, if you haven't heard a pair of transmission line speakers, you are missing a huge treat for the ears.

The Def Techs are a transmission-line design.

 

[Davemcc]

The Def Techs are a transmission-line design.

Yes, no, maybe? According to DT's website:

"Definitive Technology's engineers have developed, with the aid of a supercomputer at a major Eastern university, a new bass tuning program which basically duplicates the loading of a transmission line (in terms of extended bass response and ideal transient behavior) in a much more elegant and cost-effective cabinet construction."

I can't speak to DT's cabinet construction but it appears that they are trying very hard to mimic a transmission line design without actually constructing one. If you like the DT's ersatz TL design, maybe you would absolutely love the real thing.

 

[mazersteven]

Whats with the girlie hearts?

 

[mazersteven]

Steven- I like speakers, I wish I liked women

HAHHAHAHA I nearly wet my pants when I read this...
Sums up the group fairly accurately... !!!!

I'll give you accurately.

 

[FeisalK]

Whats with the girlie hearts?

heh

Not everyone who's heard Totem Arros feels that way tho

 

[Joe Schmoe]

If you like the DT's ersatz TL design, maybe you would absolutely love the real thing.

It is not that I like the DT's bass (for music, it is fine for HT.) It is that their design is supposed to be indistinguishable from a TL, and yet I don't find it natural-sounding. This suggests that I might not like a "real" TL any better.
I lean more towards the conclusion I stated above, that perhaps I simply don't like the type of bass floorstanders produce, and that I am more of a bookshelf kind of guy.

 

[gus6464]

After another extensive round of A/B/Cing between my Primus 250s, Cambridge S30s, and Def Tech BP8Bs last night, I have reached a counterintuitive conclusion: It may be that I simply don't like powerful bass! On the larger speakers, acoustic bass in a jazz setting (eg Norah Jones) has the kind of "slam" that I associate with rock, which seems quite unnatural. The same material on the minimonitors sounds more "right" to me.
The S30s also reproduce synth-bass (eg Goldfrapp) in a way that is clearly audible but does not overpower the other frequencies or cause objects in the room to rattle (as the bigger speakers often do.)

If I really don't like big-speaker bass, then this will save me some money since I can focus on good, small bookshelves. Frankly, though, I don't know if I can do better than the S30s in that size range. (Certainly the B&W 705s that I tried once did not sound better to me, and they are $1500/pr!)

I bet that it's not the powerful bass that you dislike, but boomy bass which exists on a lot of the lower end speakers. The Cambridge are a British speaker after all, and from the review I read they said it was a forward speaker like most British designs. British speakers give out that sense of good bass when they actually don't go lower than the rest. I noticed this immediately when I was A/B'ing my Epos ELS-3 with my Dali Ikon2 and my friend's B&W 685.

I have heard a pair of the cheaper Spendor and they also exhibit this characteristic. I say just get a pair of somewhat neutral speakers like the B&W 805S and just EQ your way to your desired sound. Also EQ devices like the Behringer DCX2496 are as transparent as they come so they will not affect the signal whatsoever. It is a very popular unit used in active designs like the Emerald Physics CS2.

 

[gus6464]

It is not that I like the DT's bass (for music, it is fine for HT.) It is that their design is supposed to be indistinguishable from a TL, and yet I don't find it natural-sounding. This suggests that I might not like a "real" TL any better.
I lean more towards the conclusion I stated above, that perhaps I simply don't like the type of bass floorstanders produce, and that I am more of a bookshelf kind of guy.

The key word there is "supposed". I have heard mostly all DT's and their sound is anything but natural. I don't think there are any people out there that use DT's for a 2ch only system.

 

[Rickster71]

Whats with the girlie hearts?

Steven- I like speakers, I wish I liked women

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

[3db]

I am beginning to consider new speakers. There are three possible price levels: $1200, $1600, or $2000/pr (total, including tax and shipping.) Saving for these will require big sacrifices in other areas for 3, 4, or 5 months, respectively.

I don't need a lot of bass (if it were cleaner, the 49Hz -3dB provided by my Primuses would be plenty.) I do prefer small floorstanders to bookshelves, but this is not mandatory. Soundstage/imaging is my top priority.

Auditioning is not an option since I live in OKC.

Possibilities I have considered include Role Audio Sampans, Duevel Planets, Ohm Micro Walshes, Def Tech Mythos Ones, Totem Arros, and a few of the ID brand offerings such as Rockets or Salk Song Towers.

Let the suggestions begin!

If auditioning is not an option, what criteria are you using to judge the speakers by?