AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Cheap and Cheerful HiFi => Topic started by: Lynxo on 18 Mar 2022, 07:55 pm
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Hi,
I would like your thoughts, impressions for bookshelf speakers with 4” woofers used as 2 channel music setup.
Jamo C91 II
Klipsch Synergy Black Label B-100
Polk ES10
Dali Spektor 1
Q Acoustics 3010i
Something not too bright/crispy, realistic natural vocals/soundstage, low end not an issue but not boomy or distorted.
No subwoofer.
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Why 4-inch?
I would try to have a balance of an adequate size and with decent quality.
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I don't know about a 4". But I can tell you, based on your description, you should consider a pair of the current version Blumenstein Orca's. They are 3" Fostex. I have a pair of early version, and fire them up occasionally because their midrange is very good.
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Why 4-inch?
I would try to have a balance of an adequate size and with decent quality.
While reading the recent Stereophile review of the Vivid Kaya S12 I was surprised that the woofer is only 4", high quality can come in small sizes too.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/vivid-kaya-s12-loudspeaker (https://www.stereophile.com/content/vivid-kaya-s12-loudspeaker)
(https://www.stereophile.com/images/styles/600_wide/public/322vivd.promo_.jpg)
And priced at $6500 a pair the Kaya is definitely not cheap and cheerful even if they do come in green.
I'm not familiar with speakers in the $350 or less range which is the price recommended in the Cheap and Cheerful guidelines.
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Have a look at Totem Acoustic Kin monitor.
totemacoustic.com/product/kin-monitor/ (http://totemacoustic.com/product/kin-monitor/)
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Have a look at Totem Acoustic Kin monitor.
totemacoustic.com/product/kin-monitor/ (http://totemacoustic.com/product/kin-monitor/)
That would be way, way, way over cheap and cheerful pricing guidelines. Please dear sirs and madames be mindful of the circle we're responding in. I checked the op's list and all are within guidelines.
There's also a thread here on the Elac BS41 with a 4" woofer and good reviews. It was going for $70, but had gone up to the $149 retail.
Regarding the 4" bass driver I'm wondering if this might be best for small rooms with or without a subwoofer. With modern design these are getting down to 60 hz or even 50 hz, good enough for music reproduction, and will integrate well with most subs. But 4" won't beam mercilessly at midrange frequencies like a 6 1/2" will. I always find the less expensive two ways with larger drivers a little lumpy and indistinct from midbass up, the smaller drivers do it better.
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Vanatoo Transparent Zero (for $380 includes the power amps too). Unique design allows for angled desktop or straight in-room use.
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If your amp can run 4Ω speakers there is this 3'' FR driver, no tweeter, no xover, range 90 to 20kHz.
https://www.lii-audio.com/product/complete-speakers-in-pair-3-inch-metal-full-range-warm-sound-and-deep-bass-raindrop-3/
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It is for apartment bedroom use, hence 4” woofer and no sub.
Best mid range vocals.
I will look at the those other ones suggested but by their name brand alone, them are pricey.
I did try the foxtex 3” years ago and sold them. Much too thin sounding.
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Look at the Elac BS41 speakers sold at Amazon ... they are really nice and have some good bass with good voices and instruments and can work nice for an apartment
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I don't know about a 4". But I can tell you, based on your description, you should consider a pair of the current version Blumenstein Orca's. They are 3" Fostex. I have a pair of early version, and fire them up occasionally because their midrange is very good.
I know that Clarke was playing with the FF85wk instead of the FE83 he was using. The FE83 cannot be taken that low without some sort of really poor alignment. For a 3” it is hard to do better than FF85wk or APlair 5.2/3.
4” Fostex (FF105wk or FE103SOL) are goodm but the MA Pluvia 7HD/Alpair 7ms are absolute standouts. And go lower.
In a bookshelf they do reasonably well at the bottom, but the moist is extracted with something like Frugel-Horn Mk3 or Pensil.
All of these are diy, if you are into that you can build something that smokes whatever you can get at the retail shop for anywhere near the same money.
This is none of the above, but what one of the boxes for the 4s goes into:
(https://www.planet10-hifi.com/boxpix/dMar-Ken73-protos.jpg)
dave
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At that size, a crossover-less speaker is great. I have CA Minx and they are a lot of fun.
The Orca, by all accounts, is very nice.
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...CA Minx ...
(https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/sites/default/files/styles/paragraph_feature_images_desktop/public/paragraphs/feature/image/Minx_Range_FeatureBlock_04.jpg?itok=SgtxnwoP)
And here the original µFonken also next to iMac (24”), it carries on slightly tweaked for the current driver.
(http://p10hifi.net/tlinespeakers/FAL/images/microFonken.jpg)
The Orca...
(https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5189ec9ee4b0f73b54ffec99/1643237687047-EHNFJ2RPOEKX5SU93G07/5EAD1DE2-6101-4AA7-B1F2-DE6AE7C0340B_1_201_a.jpeg)
Looks likw he has switched to 12mm BB.
And the most advanced µFonkenSET we did. You’ll have to make your own (Bernie made these for Chris). But i confidently suggest it will smoke th eabove two.
(https://p10hifi.net/FAL/images/blackWalnut-uFonkenSET-comp.jpg)
dave
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I would not mind trying the MA Alpair 7ms. Unfortunately, there are no pre cut cabinets available. Price does jump up once you add everything up.
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Unfortunately, there are no pre cut cabinets available. Price does jump up once you add everything up.
Try Bob Berner at BigWoodStudio. https://www.bigwoodstudio.net/
dave
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The Kanspea 4" from Madisound
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/2-way-speaker-kits/fostex-p1000e-diy-kanspea-4-full-range-speaker-kit-pair/
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Get the FF105wk. The box is not at all great, but better than nothing.
dave
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Slightly smaller woofer but from a local AC vendor:
https://gr-research.com/product/lgk-2-0/
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Hi,
I would like your thoughts, impressions for bookshelf speakers with 4” woofers used as 2 channel music setup.
Jamo C91 II
Klipsch Synergy Black Label B-100
Polk ES10
Dali Spektor 1
Q Acoustics 3010i
Something not too bright/crispy, realistic natural vocals/soundstage, low end not an issue but not boomy or distorted.
No subwoofer.
I'm very happy with my Klipsch RP-150M. For a few $$ more I think you should consider them vs. the Black Label. Very smooth speaker with plenty of bottom end and nice imaging.
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If I was forced to use tiny woofers I would look at the IK Multimedia iLoud MTM. It's only 3.5" woofers but there are 2 of them per speaker. I think it's a mistake using tiny woofers though. When I lived in an apartment years ago, my speakers had 15" woofers or 12" woofers and nobody complained. You could look at limiting bass extension, not limiting woofer size. Your volume control used intelligently can prevent neighbour complaints.
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It's not a mistake to use small drivers as in the case of these 4 inch Mark Audio's in the Frugal Horns, a stunning combination.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=240213)
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It's not a mistake to use small drivers as in the case of these 3 inch Mark Audio's in the Frugal Horns, a stunning combination.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=240213)
"Bookshelf speakers"
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"Bookshelf speakers"
PG was responding to the post above his, not the op (he already made a suggestion re: bookshelf speakers).
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It's not a mistake to use small drivers as in the case of these 3 inch Mark Audios in the Frugel Horns, a stunning combination.
That driver in the Frugel-Horn Mk3 is typically a 4”, the A7.3(?) in yours has a 70mm cone, is nominally classified as a 4” but has a basket as wide as many 5”. A superb driver, and in something that works to extract max bass like FH3 or Pensil, has stunned many listeners, i can’t remember how many times i have heard “i don’t believe the bass coming from these 4””
dave
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Personally I love Klipsch RP-500M speakers, not too big, but I love the horns on them. If you needed something more powerful there are the larger RP-600M speakers, possibly even better quality too. Just my personal choice!
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Hi,
I would like your thoughts, impressions for bookshelf speakers with 4” woofers used as 2 channel music setup.
Jamo C91 II
Klipsch Synergy Black Label B-100
Polk ES10
Dali Spektor 1
Q Acoustics 3010i
Something not too bright/crispy, realistic natural vocals/soundstage, low end not an issue but not boomy or distorted.
No subwoofer.
I don't have much idea about 4" woofer, but Dynaudio Emit 20 is really good.