Recommendations for $2000 active audio/HT speakers

cujobob · « **Reply #20 on:** 31 Jan 2012, 11:55 am »

Out of your price range but mark Seaton makes nice active speakers, as well.

Doublej · « **Reply #21 on:** 31 Jan 2012, 12:30 pm »

If you want to RAISE the $$ threshold there's ATC.

JoshK · « **Reply #22 on:** 31 Jan 2012, 02:02 pm »

I think your best bet is to do subs + satellites studio monitors. You'll have more choices in your price range and likely result in the best you can get for your money.

JLM · « **Reply #23 on:** 31 Jan 2012, 03:41 pm »

JohnR, I auditioned Paradigm Studio 20 vs. Active 20 (same cabinet/drivers) and it was no (and I mean no) comparison. A true epiphany.

cujobob, yes I ran across Seaton, but too big/expensive.

Doublej, yes I lust for ATC.

JoshK, yes you're absolutely right but want to minimize the footprint and currently a sub just wouldn't work.

JohnR · « **Reply #24 on:** 1 Feb 2012, 12:02 am »

Quote from: JLM on 31 Jan 2012, 03:41 pm

JohnR, I auditioned Paradigm Studio 20 vs. Active 20 (same cabinet/drivers) and it was no (and I mean no) comparison. A true epiphany.

OK, but my comment was simply that "HT levels of bass" from a two-way is unrealistic, regardless of whether the crossover is active or passive.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #25 on:** 1 Feb 2012, 01:16 am »

Would a pair of subs work? They could be built as the stands for the monitors.

You could run a set of full range drivers in bookshelf style enclosures that stand on a sub for each side?

*Scotty* · « **Reply #26 on:** 1 Feb 2012, 01:17 am »

JLM,the 10,000cu.ft. number doesn't add up for a small room volume. How about floor measurements.
Could you give us cabinet dimensions that you could live with and an upper limit on how loud you expect your playback to be during movie watching? Do you expect to reach THX recommended SPL limits for Home Theater.
Scotty

JLM · « **Reply #27 on:** 1 Feb 2012, 07:55 am »

JohnR, the Paradigm Active 20 standmounts I heard years ago pretty much did "HT bass" by themselves. You just gotta hear a good pair of actives to believe it.

Mark, yes you're thinking just like AJ and JoshK, using subs as stands is a very good fall back option (with the flexibility to adapt from bigger to smaller spaces). Know of any good, skinny, cheap subs?

Scotty, sorry to confuse. My current use would be in an living room that is open to lots of space (that I designed), but down the road was thinking I'd have to down scale.

JohnR · « **Reply #28 on:** 1 Feb 2012, 08:03 am »

I guess the definition of "HT bass" varies wildly then...

mcgsxr · « **Reply #29 on:** 1 Feb 2012, 02:34 pm »

To JohnR's point, I guess it depends on what level you want your bass at, in a smaller visual package.

The slim affordable subs I would consider if it were me, are the Athena Technologies P series. Athena is the baby brother line of the Canadian speaker family that includes Mirage and Energy further up the line. I believe some US firm gobbled them up in the past couple of years (Klipsch perhaps?).

No matter. They are often seen around $300 used, and use a 10 inch woofer with a 300w amp. A pair of those used as speaker stands would certainly fill many rooms successfully for many people.

They vary in width, but all are under one foot wide. http://www.athenaspeakers.com/products/as-p-series-subwoofers/ is a link to their current products. Their older ones were mildly slimmer. They were designed by Athena to act as speaker stands for their bookshelf speakers and were sold in packages accordingly.

http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/athena_s2p2.htm

Personally, I would be DIY'ing a set of subs, cause that's how I roll. I have had much success in building simple subs and will again do so, as stands for my current Mirage speakers.

*Scotty* · « **Reply #30 on:** 1 Feb 2012, 05:31 pm »

It is possible that you could use a couple of Magneplaner MMGs and two small subs one behind each speaker against the wall and not take up too much space. You could come in under the $2K with a couple of home brew subs using Parts Express cabinets and their plate amps.
You need to decide on a maximum foot print for the loudspeaker, most floor standers take up the same floor space as a stand mounted loudspeaker. The speakers I am listening to have a 14in. wide by 18in. deep footprint which is not huge. The large part comes from their height which is 56in..
While this has been an interesting exercise in brainstorming about what can be done for $2000 when it comes to HT speakers, I think ultimately that the both the space alloted to the speakers and budget will have to go up some to achieve your goal of a speaker capable of being competent in both frequency extension and SPLs in the bass.
Movies frequently have a wide dynamic range soundtrack. The playback volume can be 70dB to 75dB for dialog and suddenly hit 105dB or more with the addition of gunfire or explosions with bass extension to well below 30Hz in many cases.
I am thinking a $2K ticket won't get you to your destination. Sorry for the pessimism

Scotty

JLM · « **Reply #31 on:** 2 Feb 2012, 10:42 am »

JohnR, not looking for house shaking bass (that's why I put "HT bass" in quotes).

Mark, the ported AudioKinesis Swarm passive subs are nearly perfect for what I'm looking for if 2-way active towers can't be made to work (22"h x 11" x 11", response to 20 Hz, more about quality than quantity, but I'd have to add the amp)

Scotty, sorry don't like dipoles, see reply to Mark just above, initial application will be huge space/very casual listening, later small space/all around/only system, audio is much more the priority, yes seems that it's always a matter of personal fit, quality, and price all being squeezed together.

Quiet Earth · « **Reply #32 on:** 2 Feb 2012, 02:40 pm »

... It's getting harder for me to understand exactly what you are trying to accomplish. Why not just wait until you move into the smaller room and focus on that when the time comes? You will have more money saved up to spend on a more specific goal.

Or is that a long way down the road?

*Scotty* · « **Reply #33 on:** 2 Feb 2012, 05:04 pm »

JLM, I think I have found a couple of speakers for you to look in to. The Golden Ear Triton Two and the the Golden Ear Triton Three. The Triton Three is $999 a piece and the Triton Two is $2500 a pair.
While they are not completely self powered they do have built in powered sub-woofers and a host of good reviews. Links to reviews of the Triton Two can be found on the mfgt. website. A web search will bring up reviews of the Triton Three.
See link http://www.goldenear.com/
Scotty

JLM · « **Reply #34 on:** 2 Feb 2012, 07:45 pm »

QE, sorry to confuse.

Currently -

Living (huge room - casual listening) speakers are old, aren't worth fixing, but will be replacement someday (probably sooner than later). Main rig is set, but speakers would be too big for living room (WAF). HT rig has passive standmounts (they need a sub and I have only two footprints available in living room).

Down the Road -

Expect to consolidate all systems into a smaller space. Like the size/design of current living room speakers (36"x12"x12"/2-way) but would like deeper bass for secondary HT use. Would really like the advantages of a fully active design.

JLM · « **Reply #35 on:** 2 Feb 2012, 07:53 pm »

Scotty,

The Golden Ear speakers, like several designs, have built-in active bass subs. But I was looking for fully active.

Like you stated above, they seem to be few and costly.

HT cOz · « **Reply #36 on:** 12 Feb 2012, 02:18 am »

What about speakers made by Turbo3fs here on the board? He makes some nice two ways, maybe he has some ideas?

JLM · « **Reply #37 on:** 12 Feb 2012, 08:28 pm »

Quote from: HT cOz on 12 Feb 2012, 02:18 am

What about speakers made by Turbo3fs here on the board? He makes some nice two ways, maybe he has some ideas?

Yes he does, its just fustrating that fully active floorstanders are so rare (and those that do exist, so expensive).

charmerci · « **Reply #38 on:** 12 Feb 2012, 08:46 pm »

For what it's worth -

http://www.definitivetech.com/products/products.aspx?path=Floor-Standing%20Speakers&productid=Mythos%20ST%20SuperTower

JLM · « **Reply #39 on:** 12 Feb 2012, 10:58 pm »

Quote from: charmerci on 12 Feb 2012, 08:46 pm

For what it's worth -

http://www.definitivetech.com/products/products.aspx?path=Floor-Standing%20Speakers&productid=Mythos%20ST%20SuperTower

Yep, those are also well respected, but are not a fully active design (only the subwoofer is powered) that I'm looking (maybe dreaming) for.