Why can't I decide?!

[Joe Schmoe]

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

Mostly how interesting they look, the descriptions on the websites, and reviews (including here.) I won't try any that I can't return.

What we have here in OKC is Circuit City, Best Buy (without Magnolia), Ultimate Electronics, and a B&W dealer. That's it.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

If I truly do decide that I am satisfied with small bookshelves (time will tell), then it opens up a lot of options for me. There are a ton of bookshelves for under $1000/pr that look really nice.

 

[speakerman39]

Phil,

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

LOL, whatever, everyone have a great night!

Hey, sorry I missed this post. Been a rough couple of days. Anyways, thanks so much for asking. Right now my Mom is not doing too well. Beginning to think something is wrong. She has also been acting a bit strange. I am on top of it. Just hate to see her suffer and yet be so powerless to do much. It just kills me.

Cheers,

Phil

 

[3db]

Hey, sorry I missed this post. Been a rough couple of days. Anyways, thanks so much for asking. Right now my Mom is not doing too well. Beginning to think something is wrong. She has also been acting a bit strange. I am on top of it. Just hate to see her suffer and yet be so powerless to do much. It just kills me.

Cheers,

Phil

Hang in there. I'm going thru the same thing right now and I live 800 miles away from mine mother. I feel your pain.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Cambridge Audio solves my dilemma!

Cambridge has resolved my issue.
The S30s have always been tantalizingly, frustratingly close to "perfect". Their only limitations are bass and dynamics.
Now Cambridge has introduced the S70s, which are floorstanders with the same drivers and the same cabinet dimensions except for height.
If these sound exactly like the S30s except with better bass extension and dynamics, they could well prove to be the ultimate speakers.
I don't know what the pricing will be, since they won't be available until mid October. I have already started saving up for them!

 

[GlocksRock]

That's good news, hopefully you will be very happy with them once they finally arrive.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Hey, sorry I missed this post. Been a rough couple of days. Anyways, thanks so much for asking. Right now my Mom is not doing too well. Beginning to think something is wrong. She has also been acting a bit strange. I am on top of it. Just hate to see her suffer and yet be so powerless to do much. It just kills me.

Cheers,

Phil

Sorry to hear about your mother.

I feel your pain, man!

I wish no one would ever have to suffer or even be sick.

I went through a somewhat similar situation with my grandmother. I makes me feel 100% helpless and it sucks.

It just sucks. There's no other way to say it.

I think this audio hobby that we have helps to relieve some of our stress and depression in life. It's not much, but it's something. I guess that's why I don't mind spending some money on this hobby.

 

[jostenmeat]

Hey Joe,

Forgive me, because I haven't kept tabs on this thread. But, what is your budget?

Have you considered Ascend Acoustics? Does your budget reach into the Sierra-1 category?

I ask because I was very impressed with their cheapest speaker, and so I can only imagine what their best speaker must be like. IIRC, the Sierra's have a lot of bass response.

ok, just googled audioholic's review: the only con in the summary is perhaps too much bass?!

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/bookshelf/ascend-acoustics-sierra-1

if that is too much money, id be curious about the 340's . . . good luck . . .

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Hey Joe,

Forgive me, because I haven't kept tabs on this thread. But, what is your budget?

Have you considered Ascend Acoustics? Does your budget reach into the Sierra-1 category?

I ask because I was very impressed with their cheapest speaker, and so I can only imagine what their best speaker must be like. IIRC, the Sierra's have a lot of bass response.

ok, just googled audioholic's review: the only con in the summary is perhaps too much bass?!

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/bookshelf/ascend-acoustics-sierra-1

if that is too much money, id be curious about the 340's . . . good luck . . .

My budget is a function of time. The longer I wait, the more I can spend. The Sierras would be reachable within a couple of months if I save.
I am going to try the new Cambridge S70s before I try anything else, though. Hopefully, they will have the same clean bass as the S30s, just deeper. (If they turn out to be boomy like the other towers in my room, however, then I may just stick with the S30s and call it good.)

 

[maxlong]

Joe why did you give up on your B&W 705 that you used to rave about.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Joe why did you give up on your B&W 705 that you used to rave about.

That was so long ago that I had practically forgotten about them!
All I remember is that the initial thrill wore off. I eventually sold them, because I didn't think they were "special" enough to justify their extremely high price. I would probably consider them great $500/pr speakers.

(By the way, it says you only have 4 posts. How would you know about discussions from a couple of years ago?)

 

[jostenmeat]

Joe,

I still vote for Ascends. I'm pretty familiar with B&Ws, the 600s, 700s, 800s. Even the 170 SE, IMO, is more clear than the 700 series from the mids on up, better soundstage and imaging too IMO, and for only $350. Granted, I heard them in different rooms. The lengthiest audition I gave 700s was with Rotel electronics, and the dealer left me alone to swap out speakers for myself. Also auditioned Quad at the time. I was using a 6 cd auditioning array.

Regarding 170's, its the bass articulation that left me wanting, but in context of what you are getting for the money . . .

This is why I often say that I would love to hear the Sierra's.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Joe,

I still vote for Ascends. I'm pretty familiar with B&Ws, the 600s, 700s, 800s. Even the 170 SE, IMO, is more clear than the 700 series from the mids on up, better soundstage and imaging too IMO, and for only $350. Granted, I heard them in different rooms. The lengthiest audition I gave 700s was with Rotel electronics, and the dealer left me alone to swap out speakers for myself. Also auditioned Quad at the time. I was using a 6 cd auditioning array.

Regarding 170's, its the bass articulation that left me wanting, but in context of what you are getting for the money . . .

This is why I often say that I would love to hear the Sierra's.

Something like what you are describing is what happened to me with the B&Ws. I was impressed enough with their 600 series bookshelves that I thought "I would love the 700s", so I traded up and was disappointed.
My $220/pr Cambridge S30s sound better that I remember the 705s sounding, but of course audio memory is notoriously unreliable. It would be interesting to A/B them.
I may eventually try something by Ascend. Certainly they get rave reviews.

 

[speakerman39]

Sorry to hear about your mother.

I feel your pain, man!

I wish no one would ever have to suffer or even be sick.

I went through a somewhat similar situation with my grandmother. I makes me feel 100% helpless and it sucks.

It just sucks. There's no other way to say it.

I think this audio hobby that we have helps to relieve some of our stress and depression in life. It's not much, but it's something. I guess that's why I don't mind spending some money on this hobby.

Hey, I really appreciate your kind words my friend. Really like how you summed it all up. I honestly could not agree with you more. At least, it is for me. The sad part is, al of the appointments are going to kill her faster than the chemo and the radiation combined. Heck, it is wearing me out taking her to all of them. Just can't even begin to imagine how she honestly feels. You are correct-it just sucks and I am powerless to do much about it.

Cheers,

Phil

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Hey, I really appreciate your kind words my friend. Really like how you summed it all up. I honestly could not agree with you more. At least, it is for me. The sad part is, al of the appointments are going to kill her faster than the chemo and the radiation combined. Heck, it is wearing me out taking her to all of them. Just can't even begin to imagine how she honestly feels. You are correct-it just sucks and I am powerless to do much about it.

Cheers,

Phil

Sounds like you are doing a good job holding it together.

I'm a total disaster (at least inside) when it comes to these personal tragedies.

Sometimes I wonder if the best thing we can do for the people we love is to just pretend that we are strong and brave. I think for them to feel that we can still be strong after they leave us is one good feeling for them to hold on to.

 

[mazersteven]

Joe,

I still vote for Ascends. I'm pretty familiar with B&Ws, the 600s, 700s, 800s. Even the 170 SE, IMO, is more clear than the 700 series from the mids on up, better soundstage and imaging too IMO, and for only $350. Granted, I heard them in different rooms. The lengthiest audition I gave 700s was with Rotel electronics, and the dealer left me alone to swap out speakers for myself. Also auditioned Quad at the time. I was using a 6 cd auditioning array.

Regarding 170's, its the bass articulation that left me wanting, but in context of what you are getting for the money . . .

This is why I often say that I would love to hear the Sierra's.

Jostenmeat,

If your familiar with the B&W 805's. You should some day give the Dana 630 a listen to.

http://www.theaudioinsider.com/product_info.php/p/dana-630/products_id/32

 

[speakerman39]

Sounds like you are doing a good job holding it together.

I'm a total disaster (at least inside) when it comes to these personal tragedies.

Sometimes I wonder if the best thing we can do for the people we love is to just pretend that we are strong and brave. I think for them to feel that we can still be strong after they leave us is one good feeling for them to hold on to.

Yeah, I am doing my best in holding it together. Guess, in a way I am pretending because to be candid here I am very scared. My Mom is my BEST friend and always has been. It is times like this I wish I wasn't single. Oh well, I will make it some way some how. Thanks once again for your kind words my friend. It really is much appreciated.

Cheers,

Phil

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I am really starting to lean more and more toward just keeping the S30s and enjoying them. The more time I spend with them, the better I like them.
When I catch myself thinking I want more bass, I just have to remember how boomy all the bigger speakers I have tried sounded in my room. (Besides, the S30s passed my "bass torture test" with flying colors. This included Radioaxiom by Bill Laswell, Mezzanine by Massive Attack, and Halloween by Manneheim Steamroller.)
This choice would certainly save me some money!

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Listened to the S30s all weekend. I am going to sell the Primuses. If I ever get bigger speakers, they will be the new Cambridge towers. (They are also bringing a matching sub to market, which is a third viable otion.)
Part of me wishes I could get a good price for the Def Techs in my HT, so that I could replace them with a Cambridge (or Mordaunt Short) setup as well. That is how great the S30s sound!

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Flip-flopping again! Part of me has started missing the Infinities. At first, I thought it was just a matter of bass (so that adding a sub might solve it.) I have come to realize, however, that I also miss the stronger vertical component of imaging, the more lifelike dynamic range, and what I can only describe as a "bigger" sound.
The tradeoff is that the more powerful bass can be too much with some material, making it boomy in my room. I wonder if it would work to take a cue from B&W and plug the ports with something semi-permeable (foam rubber, perhaps)?