AudioCircle
Other Stuff => Archived Circles => Hot off the Press => Topic started by: TONEPUB on 16 Feb 2007, 04:14 am
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Same here with speakers.
One of my all time favorite small speakers is the ACI Sapphire XL's, but
they are about 1500-1700 depending on finish.
Curious to see what are the favorites between about 500 and a thousand
bucks.
I've always been pretty excited about the Vandersteen 1C, and the small
Magnepan SMG. But there is so much in this range now, we are looking
at a few things for review and was wondering if there is a sleeper out there...
We also had the AV123 xl-s, which were incredible for 229 and the folks at
Skiing Ninja are sending us their modded pair, which I believe run about 5-600.
As always your input is noted and appreciated.
And sometimes argued with :)
thanks!
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Vandersteen 1-somethings and Hornshoppe Horns
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I've been an Ascend owner for a few years, so I'd have to put in a vote for their CMT-340se's at the lower end of your range ($570/pr).
One I'd be curious about is the VMPS 626 Jr (if they are still selling it) - it squeaks in at $975.
I'm keeping an eye on the next models in the X-series from AV123, particularly the X-MTM ex (similar to the GR Research OB-5).
Of course, one of the print mags just raved about the NHT Classic Three, so it would be interesting to hear how it compares to some of the direct sales options. ($800/pr IIRC)
I wish we'd see a bit more budget stuff at RMAF - I encouraged Al to pursue the $5k system idea this past year, but it looked like participation was very low.
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good suggestions....
I know Al and I had chatted about the 5k system too and now that we have our website
up, we will be pursuing a lot more gear in that price range. The magazine, which comes out
six times a year, only gives us the opportunity to review about 60 pieces per year. Now
that we have reviews on the web too (all different from what's in the magazine..)
we should be able to cover another 50-75 things per year on the site.
We will try our best to make most of that coverage gear in the 500-2500 dollar per box stuff.
We will have an occasional expensive review there, but for the most part we will have budget
to modestly priced stuff on TONE Audio Online. We will also have some setup and DIY there
as well as some iPOD things and even tape decks!!
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Just a suggestion but I like the "Tone" of tone so I hope you avoid reviewing the usual suspects-which could be great speakers= but id like to find out and get opinions on things that all the other mags have not written about. So I would skip the axiom, paradignm, aperion reviews and check out some other manufactuers.
just my 2 cents
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Well, we did the aperions last year.....
But that's why Im asking for opinions here. I have already blasted a note
to the Horn Shoppe, but I would like to find some other stuff than the ones
you mentioned!
Thanks for the help, and we'll do our best!
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How about the Totem Rainmaker? aa
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edit: doh!
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I' like to submit mine, which are wonderful litlle transmission lines form Holland. I guess this will fall thru the cracks because of shipping issues from abroad and the subsequent mark-up, but I assure you that the 500euros I paid is a joke for speakers of this quality. http://www.crafty.nl/
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Just a suggestion but I like the "Tone" of tone so I hope you avoid reviewing the usual suspects-which could be great speakers= but id like to find out and get opinions on things that all the other mags have not written about. So I would skip the axiom, paradignm, aperion reviews and check out some other manufactuers.
just my 2 cents
I agree with kbuzz3, but I would state it differently. An Ezine like ToneAudio capable of filling a niche that the mainstream paper magazines overlook. Some great under-$1K speakers are sold direct on the internet. Their small manufacturers are under the radar of the manistream magazines and their products are not reviewed by TAS and Stereophile.
Just a few examples: Selah Audio SA-2, GR Research AV-2, RAW Acoustics HT-2, Tyler Acoustics Freedom F-2. Some of these are also available as DIY kits, but the completely finished and ready-to-play versions all sell for just under $1K. These speakers have high quality drivers and crossover parts one would find in far more expensive mainstream speakers.
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Two/three suggestions:
Bob Brines' FT-1600 Mk II (a single driver transmission line design floorstander, 40 - 20,000, 8 ohms, 92 dB/w/m, your choice of veneers - as Bob builds them one pair at a time).
Various 2.1 setups (monitors with powered sub). Transitions into HT down the road. Another vote for Ascend Acoustics. Package the very fine CBM-170's with something like a Hsu VTF-3 and stands and stay under a grand. Or maybe TBI Majestic Diamond (single driver transmission line design in a tiny cabinet) with a little more left over for the sub.
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I've always liked the Green Mountain Audio Europas...
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Paradigm Reference Studio 20
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Just a suggestion but I like the "Tone" of tone so I hope you avoid reviewing the usual suspects-which could be great speakers= but id like to find out and get opinions on things that all the other mags have not written about. So I would skip the axiom, paradignm, aperion reviews and check out some other manufactuers.
just my 2 cents
I agree with kbuzz3, but I would state it differently. An Ezine like ToneAudio capable of filling a niche that the mainstream paper magazines overlook. Some great under-$1K speakers are sold direct on the internet. Their small manufacturers are under the radar of the manistream magazines and their products are not reviewed by TAS and Stereophile.
Just a few examples: Selah Audio SA-2, GR Research AV-2, RAW Acoustics HT-2, Tyler Acoustics Freedom F-2. Some of these are also available as DIY kits, but the completely finished and ready-to-play versions all sell for just under $1K. These speakers have high quality drivers and crossover parts one would find in far more expensive mainstream speakers.
What he said- and he said it better then i did. But then again he probably did not have 5 year old twins crawling on him screaming to but high school musical on the main system whilst he wrote it. LOL
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[/quote]
I agree with kbuzz3, but I would state it differently. An Ezine like ToneAudio capable of filling a niche that the mainstream paper magazines overlook. Some great under-$1K speakers are sold direct on the internet. Their small manufacturers are under the radar of the manistream magazines and their products are not reviewed by TAS and Stereophile.
Just a few examples: Selah Audio SA-2, GR Research AV-2, RAW Acoustics HT-2, Tyler Acoustics Freedom F-2. Some of these are also available as DIY kits, but the completely finished and ready-to-play versions all sell for just under $1K. These speakers have high quality drivers and crossover parts one would find in far more expensive mainstream speakers.
[/quote]
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I know when I was at TAS, it was all about advertising and we rarely reviewed a product that wasn't an advertiser. It happened once in a blue moon but not often.
Their "logic" was that a product should have enough of a dealer base and have been around long enough to be a stable product for those who buy it. I had wanted to review the ModWright preamp three years ago and was informed that they were not enough of a name to bother with.
I reminded Wayne Garcia that about 25 years ago I bought an amplifier from this little known company named Krell that no one had ever heard of and had I not, (along with all the other people like me that took a leap of faith) they would not be around today.
So, yes, I am definitely interested in these speakers and will contact the mfrs to line up reviews. (If any of you guys are out here and read this, feel free to contact me too!) Even if some of these companies don't make it, they are guaranteed NOT to make it if they don't get any buzz.
We'll do our best to help.....
And for what it's worth, ModWright is finally getting reviewed in the Absolute Sound, so I am very happy about that. Dan is a great guy and he makes great stuff!!
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what about the $1500 onix ref. 1 speaker that because of all their package deals you can get for well under $1000?
also a couple of usher speakers... s-520 $400 and v-601 $700.
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Of the ones mentioned my favorites would be the VMPS 626jr. and the Green Mountain Europa. Don't know if they currently go for $1000...I wonder about the Eminent Technology 16 at $950. Haven't heard one though.
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In the spirit of this tread, I'd like to nominate the Hawthorne Audio Solo - $750. It is a open baffle speaker based on a 15" mid/woofer with a coaxially mounted compression driver tweeter. They produce a big sound, can play very loud, are close to 96dB efficient, and make satisfying bass. Worthy of a review :thumb:
Zak
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I would recommend the Omega HempTone XRS speakers. These are speakers that previously used the 4 1/2 " Fostex driver, but will now be manufactured using the Omega HempTone 4 1/2 " driver. The difference will be a magnitude better.
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Under a grand? That's easy....the Magnepan MMG! :D
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I say spend the extra money and get the Sapphire XLs. SOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it!! I really wasn't satisfied till I sprung the extra cash for those. They are REALLY ALL THAT....
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Of the ones mentioned my favorites would be the VMPS 626jr. and the Green Mountain Europa. Don't know if they currently go for $1000...I wonder about the Eminent Technology 16 at $950. Haven't heard one though.
We reviewed the ET 16 online. You can read it here:
http://www.tonepublications.com/TA-gear.htm
I was very impressed with these little speakers that are very reasonably priced for the sound
they offer...
AJAYRAV: I love the Sapphires and have a pair myself!! quite good...
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KRK V4 or V6 active near field monitors with Silver fuses. the V4 sell for approx US$400. You get a bi-amp speaker so there's no need to buy a power amp and it saves you buying speaker cables. The amps are matched to yhe drivers as well.
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I have been very happy with my GR-Research AV3's for around $300 in kit form
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I really dig the Rega R1s for around $599 a pair...
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Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 SE
Imperial
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My fave is the Reynaud Twin.
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My fave is the Reynaud Twin.
That was my favorite speaker under $1000 for years. I haven't heard one in a while, and I think they're no longer under $1000, which is a shame. When they were $785, they were real giant killers.
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smga is a sure winner for me.
check out magnestand for upgrading
http://www.indiespinzone.com:80/magnestand.html
too bad the price of used smga's is climbing, these are a find at the 80~100$ I purchased my two sets for.
Now you can expect to pay in the realm of 300$ for a used set.
Thank goodness there is a such a great resource for these out of production gems.
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Even at 300 they are a great speaker! I used to have a pair myself...
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Jeff, where are you located?
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The Pacific Northwest...
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I would like to read an audiophile oriented review of some professional studio monitors, like Dynaudio BM5's and/or Mackie HR824. It seems that an active speaker should have a design advantage, and a speaker priced for the professional market should have a price advantage over an audiophile speaker. Could be very interesting, and I very much doubt that any of the print magazines would review these speakers. The Dynaudio's fall into your range, but the Mackie's are a little more (even at a discount), but this would, of course, include amplifiers.
-Aaron.
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In the spirit of this tread, I'd like to nominate the Hawthorne Audio Solo - $750. It is a open baffle speaker based on a 15" mid/woofer with a coaxially mounted compression driver tweeter. They produce a big sound, can play very loud, are close to 96dB efficient, and make satisfying bass. Worthy of a review :thumb:
Zak
I also recommend these! I've got the Silver Iris drivers :D
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Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 at $349. Nothing even close.
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Monitor Audio RS6
NHT Classic 3
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QUAD 12L a truly fine stand mount from a company producing a many reference quality components
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I'm quite captivated by the new KEF IQ-3's. 6.5" uni-Q driver, in a beauty of a tapered box. Nice walnut veneer too. Sounds is excellent, as with most kefs, they image like champs, and have great coherance from top to bottom. best part, they seem to be available for 160.00 CAD each. (or at least thats what I payed) So i now have 6 of them for a theater room! :)
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Silverline Audio Minuet. $600
Heard it at CES this Jan, and what a great sound from a little speaker from his SET amp and the Pass he had there as well. :thumb:
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Just a suggestion but I like the "Tone" of tone so I hope you avoid reviewing the usual suspects-which could be great speakers= but id like to find out and get opinions on things that all the other mags have not written about. So I would skip the axiom, paradignm, aperion reviews and check out some other manufactuers.
just my 2 cents
I agree with kbuzz3, but I would state it differently. An Ezine like ToneAudio capable of filling a niche that the mainstream paper magazines overlook. Some great under-$1K speakers are sold direct on the internet. Their small manufacturers are under the radar of the manistream magazines and their products are not reviewed by TAS and Stereophile.
Just a few examples: Selah Audio SA-2, GR Research AV-2, RAW Acoustics HT-2, Tyler Acoustics Freedom F-2. Some of these are also available as DIY kits, but the completely finished and ready-to-play versions all sell for just under $1K. These speakers have high quality drivers and crossover parts one would find in far more expensive mainstream speakers.
Fred definately said it better then I did. Here's an obivous suggestion OMEGA hemps
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Vandersteen 1C is the best under $1K speaker I've owned. For a small room they are hard to beat as monitors never satisfy me. My Vandersteens were replaced by a pair of Meadowlark Audio Kestrel Hot Rods that I got for under $500 a few years ago. Now that was a bargain.
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gma europa
my diy modula mtm
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The NHT Three is very interesting....the Paradigm Mini Monitor is outstanding clear and dynamic for the price (I heard the one with the metal dome tweeter - one of the precious few that don't sound metallic in all that bad way)
http://www.paradigm.com/Website/SiteParadigmProduct/PReviews/Paradigm/Audio/AudioMiniMonitor.pdf
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BRSE HR1 :thumb:
Blue Ridge sound
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I've owned the Vandersteens and Maggies and agree with both recommendations. But if you change the question slightly to, "Best speaker under $1,000 I could live with forever" then the answer has to be ACI Sapphire XL. Wait for a B-stock sale, calculate the difference between ACI's price and $1,000 and steal the difference from your kid's lunch money if you have to.
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Mine of course! http://www.crafty.nl/ (Azumi's) 700$ + shipping anywhere world-wide. Amazing little TL's
(this is a shameless plug :oops:)
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Ship me a pair (in lime green of course!) and Ill be happy to review them....
They sure do look nice!
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Fascinating, sensitivity is way too low for my amps though :(
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yeah, but remember...they are not large drivers, and presumably an easy load..
I use some small 82db speakers with 20w in my 'TV' system..actually my wife does..and I always ask her to turn it down :)
WEEZ!
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Bob Brines FT-1600 Mk II.
Jeff
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yeah, but remember...they are not large drivers, and presumably an easy load..
I use some small 82db speakers with 20w in my 'TV' system..actually my wife does..and I always ask her to turn it down :)
WEEZ!
I'm a dynamics junkie...and have 8W amps. Contradiction in terms maybe, but I need speakers that can hack it :D
I'm considering a pair of Vandy 1C's, but I'm not sold they'll do well enough with the tubes. 2C's are out of the question, but I hear the 1's are more sensitive...
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The 1c's are plenty sensitive - at least in my 12 x 15 x 8-12' room here.
I drove it with the little T-amp (6 watts) plenty loud enough.
I just couldn't stand the metal dome tweeter it had. Even well damped by Vandersteen, I disliked the ringing. Tubes might blunt that issue, tho.
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Well, I have a 15-band EQ, so worst case I could always EQ the nastiness out of it if needed.
I'm coming from a pair of Klipsch Forte II's, my main beef with those were how harsh and upfront the midrange was. Loved the volume, but they just weren't a well-balanced speaker at all. I've heard there are Xover mods to tame it, but I was kinda wanting something else anyway...
Thanks for the info :)
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Sound Dynamics 300ti. That was a classic! I shouldn't have ever sold them! :x
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This is an extremely challenging notion, if not thought provoking. At least, thats how things are on this side of the fence. There is no shortage of exceptional products in the $1000 (retail) and under range. The entry level market has great contendors that fill just about every void you can think of sans enormous fridge sized transducers. Full-range drivers are represented, as are compact two way monitors, three-way towers, horns, hybrids, dipoles, open baffle, the list goes on. Culminating together the experiences I've had and pretending for a moment that I have no choice but to splurt out a product I've considered to be the most significant given the criteria, my vote would be caste towards the Onix XLS monitors sold through www.av123.com
Now some of you may be thinking; "Yeah they are good, but there are plenty of products that can put the hurt on the affordable XLS as you creep closer towards the $1000 cap". I will not disagree with you. The XLS is does not incorperate anything new or exciting. It's a typical two-way monitor in a traditional box that has been thus far produced primarily in China. What is special about the XLS hides in its value; and just how far your green takes you. For the entry fee of just over two benji's; you get a product that is extremely well built, wrapped in an attractive veneer (white shadow maple), with great drivers complimented by a first rate cross-over design. It's been done before, but never for anywhere NEAR the price-point av123 has made it available for. Consider the excellent customer service av123 has to offer as an added bonus. Even die-hard and well seasoned audiophile's will cave in to the easy going sound and extreme value offered by these particular speakers. The best part is; the XLS offer strangers to our often pricey hobby a livable entry fee into the show. As time goes on, I feel this product will be responsible for turning many casual listeners into bona-fide audio enthusiasts.
The tower versions will command a minimal hike in price and will be released sometime this year. For those of you that haven't seen the finishes Mark Schifter at av123 has up his sleeves from his new factory in Colombia... prepare yourself for some 'shock and awe'.
Again, there are plenty of exceptional products in this range - but when you consider value, market, and influence... my vote goes to the award winning XLS.
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I can't suggest the Skiing Ninja updates to the x-ls speakers enough.
The stock ones are really good, but the SN updates really take em
to the next level and you are still way under 1000...
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I am going to throw in the Soliloquy sm 2a3 minimonitors . When paired with the correct amp, they sound very good indeed. They were had with stands for 700. I think a great buy
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my faves are my proac tablette 8 reference signatures. but i cheated - i got these retail $1800 little gems for $1k even. :green: the ref 8 sigs are even better than the spendier proac 1sc's, imo. and, the 1sc's are damned nice in their own right...
doug s.
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Hi Doug...What amp are you using with the proacs?
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well... due to an embarrassment of riches in the speaker department, (i also have a pair of diapason adamantes lll's & a pair of coincident victory's), i am not presently using the proacs. it's not that they are in any way lacking, but i am just trying different things. but, w/the ref 8 sigs, i have successfully used a mesa baron, a manley stingray (the ~25wpc in triode mode was plenty, in a ~14x22x10 room), and a pair of 40w audio mirror 6c33c set monoblocks. i have used varied s/s gear, including vintage sansui au719, revox b251, & more modern thule (i forget the model). all were outstanding, but i am partial to tubed gear.
even tho the proacs aren't presently in use, i don't have any intention of letting them go any time soon. however, when the gr research ls9's come out, i may be tempted to part w/two of the three above-mentioned speakers to check out a pair of those. not sure which two would go... hmmm... aa
doug s.
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So you like the ref 8 better than sc's....I was just wondering because there is a pair for sale on audiogon right now for 750
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Vandy 1-C's w/ toobs.
NB
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Everything sounds better with t00bs :drool: :icon_twisted:
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So you like the ref 8 better than sc's....I was just wondering because there is a pair for sale on audiogon right now for 750
there's a pair of ref 8's f/s for $725 on agon, but this is a different speaker than the ref 8 sig - it has a different woofer. i am not saying that the ref 8 isn't good - i have never heard it. but the ref 8 sig is a different speaker. there's two ref 8 sig's f/s on agon right now, asking price is $1200..
the ref 8 & ref 8 sig have proac's newer tweet, this tweet is what makes the speaker a bit better than the 1sc, imo. i'd bet the standard ref 8 is still an excellent speaker, i have never heard any proac that isn't extremely nice.
another thing this thread has reminded me - speaker choice is extremely personal - you really need to listen for yourself; for example - vandy's have been recommended here a lot, i have never heard a vandy i have liked, at any price. tho i admit not having heard any vandy's for a few years.
i can also recommend the usher s520. i had a pair that now resides w/ny ex & my kids - it is a fantastic speaker - wery competitive w/the proacs. i know someone on this forum that sold his 1sc's, after auditioning the s520's. not that the s520 was actually better, but he felt they were so close that he was happy to keep the cheap s520 & pocket the cash from selling the 1sc... and, my s520 was the stock speaker; bill baker of response audio has a x-over mod that makes them even better...
doug s.
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Von Schweikert VR 1's.
Frank
They get my vote, as well.
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I had a little floorstander, the Totem Arro that was pretty darn good and can be had for ~700
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Meadowlark Audio Kestral Hot Rods. For @ $7-900.00 used nothing else comes close and I've own ALOT of speakers.
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i had the totem arro in my rig for a few days, & i also heard the kestrals quite a few times in a system i knew well. both are really nice, but i would take the proac 1sc or ref 8 sig over either one of them any day. the arro's pooped out when cranked, even when crossed over to subs at 80hz. the ref 8 sigs, on the other hand, would easily generate concert-level volume in a 26x38x8.5 room in the same system w/the subs. (so would proac tablette 2000 sigs i had in that rig for a few weeks.) the kestrals, in a different system, were certainly nice, but couldn't compete w/proac 1sc's in that system, in terms of resolution, air & soundstaging. and these three aspects are where the ref 8 sig surpasses the 1sc's; the 1sc's only adwantage over the ref 8 sigs is that last little bit of extra low end. but, even in a 14x22x10 room, i would choose the ref 8 sigs over the 1sc's, even w/o a subwoofer. now, i realize that the proacs really do not qualify as $1k speakers... in this case, i would check out the usher line, as the sound is closer to the proacs, imo, & the pricing is much more favorable...
doug s.
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Sorry doug but I have to disagree in my situation and from what I've heard in the last 30 years. The Kestrels in my room with my tube integrated and cdp/tt are my favorie speakers in a long long time. They don't do audiophile well but do music very very well and disappear. There's something just right with them to my ears. The guy that I bought mine from said that the only speaker he thought was better musically (and he could afford to buy pretty much anything he wanted) was the Spendor SP100 (which he owns) and he had a second pair of Kestrel HRs that he said he would never get rid of. An outstanding speaker especially for the price they are going for used.
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Sorry doug but I have to disagree in my situation and from what I've heard in the last 30 years. The Kestrels in my room with my tube integrated and cdp/tt are my favorie speakers in a long long time. They don't do audiophile well but do music very very well and disappear. There's something just right with them to my ears. The guy that I bought mine from said that the only speaker he thought was better musically (and he could afford to buy pretty much anything he wanted) was the Spendor SP100 (which he owns) and he had a second pair of Kestrel HRs that he said he would never get rid of. An outstanding speaker especially for the price they are going for used.
s'ok, eric. that's why there's different speakers - we don't all hear the same, or have the same tastes. :wink: and, don't get me wrong - i think the kestrel's are some fine speakers. and, to be fair, the kestrels i heard were the standard wersion, not the hot-rods.
best,
doug s.
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Sorry doug but I have to disagree in my situation and from what I've heard in the last 30 years. The Kestrels in my room with my tube integrated and cdp/tt are my favorie speakers in a long long time. They don't do audiophile well but do music very very well and disappear. There's something just right with them to my ears. The guy that I bought mine from said that the only speaker he thought was better musically (and he could afford to buy pretty much anything he wanted) was the Spendor SP100 (which he owns) and he had a second pair of Kestrel HRs that he said he would never get rid of. An outstanding speaker especially for the price they are going for used.
s'ok, eric. that's why there's different speakers - we don't all hear the same, or have the same tastes. :wink: and, don't get me wrong - i think the kestrel's are some fine speakers. and, to be fair, the kestrels i heard were the standard wersion, not the hot-rods.
best,
doug s.
The Hot Rod version of the Kestrels was definitely the one to own. I liked the Meadowlarks, too, but I found that they were lacking in midrange magic compared to speakers like Harbeth and Spendor. But man, they did the disappearing thing extremely well!
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I had a pair of Meadowlark Kestrel 2's and a pair of Meadowlark Swallow's. GREAT speakers when done right....
The audio world lost a little something when they went under. You just don't find craftsmanship like that at those price-points..