[kooki9]

Hi All,

I've been reading the posts for the last week or so and found your comments great, so decided to ask a question to you all.  I've just moved country and I am looking to buy a pair of speakers for my system and came across a used pair of B&W - DM 330I and a pair of Mission 770S speakers and I would love to hear your thoughts on them and advice as to which might be the better buy. They will be matched with a Roksan Kandy amp.

I know music and listening is subjective so as a reference point, I thought I should mention that I used to own a pair of Spendor S6s and then downgraded to Kef iQ7 speakers (which I didn't love as much). I love clarity and precision in speakers. Not boom boxes. And I listen to pretty much everything, from classical to music with a beat. I regret selling my Spendor speakers, but I needed the money at the time unfortunately  . & I also got rid of the KEF's because I moved country and thought it was time to change them.

Anyway, both speakers are in different parts of the country and a little hard for me to go check them both out. - So hence the big Q and advice needed.

I have also found a pair of B&O BEOVOX S45-2 that seem to be in good shape, but couldn't figure out how to connect them up to my amp and read that there can be lots of issues on the rubber of these speakers.

Can't wait to read your responses!

[FullRangeMan]

Welcome Kooki9 again
In the 80/90s when I was charmed w/BW his products were all overpriced and low sensitivity demanding alot of watts.

Dismiss 3 ways speakers they have a awful xover(4 per speaker) favor floorstanding 2 way hi sensitivity (+98dB);

All these speakers you mention are monopole, they emit sound only to front, the sound drivers emit to inside the speakers also are important musical content to form a 3D sound stage.

In this case consider a 2 way OB panel.
Hope this help.

[kooki9]

Welcome Kooki9 again
In the 80/90s when I was charmed w/BW his products were all overpriced and low sensitivity demanding alot of watts.

Dismiss 3 ways speaker they have a awful xover(4 per speaker) favor floorstanding 2 way hi sensitivity (+98dB);

All these speakers you mention are monopole, they emit sound only to front, the sound drivers emit to inside the speakers also are important musical content to form a 3D sound stage.

In this case consider a2 way OB panel.
Hope this help.

Hi Fullrangeman,

Thanks for the reply.

 I have my eyes on the Kef LS50's or get another set of Spendors, but they are out of my price range for now. - So I am hoping to get something that can fill in the gap. They don't need to be killer speakers, but worth the buy lets say. I've also found a pair of B&W V201s. But wasn't sure of them being good or not.

Kooki9

[FullRangeMan]

What about this:
http://images.klipsch.com/RB81IIcutsheet_635042118979170000.pdf
Sens 97dB, 8 ohms, 12.5kg, need just afew tube watts.

[Phil A]

I owned Mission Argonauts many moons ago and still have my pair (for over 20 years) of B&W P6s in a spare home theater.  It depends on your goals and preferences.  Remember there are many vendors here who sell direct to customers and the deal one would get from such a company would be better than one would get going into a retail store.  I'd browse the Circles for offerings from vendors and look at sites like http://philharmonicaudio.com/ or http://www.axiomaudio.com/ besides the used market.  The later also has an outlet store or sites like - http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/spkbookshelf/speakers/bookshelf-speakers/1.html

[Phil A]

These were the Missions I owned - http://www.stereophile.com/content/mission-system-mission-780-argonaut-loudspeaker#PeSDzBGWAsClPZxC.97 and these are the B&Ws I noted I still have in a spare system - http://stereonomono.blogspot.com/2014/06/b-p6.html

[kooki9]

What about this:
http://images.klipsch.com/RB81IIcutsheet_635042118979170000.pdf
Sens 97dB, 8 ohms, 12.5kg, need just afew tube watts.

Just read up on them a little. They look good, maybe a little base heavy it seems and Amazon is selling them rather cheap at the moment. - Just got to find them here in Europe at roughly a good rate.

[kooki9]

What about this:
http://images.klipsch.com/RB81IIcutsheet_635042118979170000.pdf
Sens 97dB, 8 ohms, 12.5kg, need just afew tube watts.

I found a KEF C95 which needed the cone/tweeter replacing so I was considering that for a long while.

So after a lot of searching, I managed to find these speakers for about 180 dollars! New and all. - I tried to find somewhere to listen to them, but nowhere sells them in Switzerland. - As they are discontinued. - So I am taking a plunge and going for them it seems. But they will be bought in Spain, shipped to France by a friend and picked up and taken over to Switzerland. - Long way round to get to me and it's taken a bit of planning, but it still costs me only about 230 dollars at this point but I think it will be worth it.

Yesterday, I listened to the 160m's btw, they were great for their size but lacked a bit of base I thought. When compared to the LS50's their soundstage wasn't as wide. So for now, it looks like the Klipsch seem to be a good choice.

[kooki9]

These were the Missions I owned - http://www.stereophile.com/content/mission-system-mission-780-argonaut-loudspeaker#PeSDzBGWAsClPZxC.97 and these are the B&Ws I noted I still have in a spare system - http://stereonomono.blogspot.com/2014/06/b-p6.html

Thanks Phil! Are you happy with them? I couldn't find any locally sold Missions like yours. I found some Infinity 31i's but they don't seem to be that impressive. I also noticed a lot people selling the B&W 330's so I figured that wasn't really a good sign. I also still love the look of the Mission 770S though.

[Phil A]

I've had the speakers for more than 20 years.  When I first got them, they were a replacement in the main system for Mission Argonauts.  The B&Ws (are fairly rare - I have the P6s and there are P5s and P4s I believe as well) I have are basically a scaled back version of the Matrix series (more or less in a lesser cabinet) and I heard them side by side vs. the $4k Matrix series with similar drivers 20+ years ago.  The system I have them in is more for home theater (yesterday I ordered a 4k Oppo UDP-203 to go with the 4kTV) but it would be considered by many as quite decent for music.  I have a Marantz SR5010 in there but I use a Sherbourn preamp with HT Bypass and an Emotiva XPA200 amp for the front channels.  There was no companion center channel for the P series so I have one of the CDM center channels and B&W Leisure Monitors as the side surrounds and in ceiling Sonance speakers for Atmos/DTS:X.

I'm not sure what your budget it but there are things like - http://www.axiomaudio.com/factoryoutlet

They won't ship B-Stock or Refurbs to anywhere but the US and Canada but will ship the factory outlet stuff or regular speakers.  I use their in-ceiling for Dolby Atmos/DTS:X in the main system to go with my Thiel Speakers (pic below) and I've recommended they to others and they are very happy with them.  As I noted, much depends on your goals.  If you are looking for music only, that is one thing.  If you are looking to do something as part of a home theater then buying used for something that is no longer made may make it difficult to get a center channel that blends as seamlessly as new stuff.

While these may may be local to you, they may also be good choices if you can find one locally in your area:
http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649316472-award-winning-legendary-kef-1042-reference-speakers/
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/full-range-kef-105-3-speakers-price-reduced-2016-11-15-speakers-30546-hiawassee-ga
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/full-range-kef-reference-107-speakers-in-walnut-finish-legendary-2016-11-22-speakers-03261-northwood-nh
http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649308394-vandersteen-2ci-with-stands/
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/full-range-vandersteen-model-3-2016-11-26-speakers-48073-royal-oak-mi

[charmerci]

Phil,


The dude lives in Switzerland and is looking for speakers around $2-300. Those you're linking to would cost close to that just to ship to Switzerland.


It would seem to me that there can be a lot of great used deals for you in (nearby?) Germany or France.

[kooki9]

Phil,


The dude lives in Switzerland and is looking for speakers around $2-300. Those you're linking to would cost close to that just to ship to Switzerland.


It would seem to me that there can be a lot of great used deals for you in (nearby?) Germany or France.

Hi Charmerci,

Yes you are right. That's about the budget I have. I have found some 2nd hand speakers but many of them I don't know much about. - Like these speakers mentioned above and there are a lot of retro speakers, which I am all for, but much of the time, there isn't enough info on them on the web.

I just found a pair of Infinity 400's for sale for $200s but they are rather ugly and like an elephant in the room. I think I will need to sit it out and wait a little bit.

[kooki9]

What about this:
http://images.klipsch.com/RB81IIcutsheet_635042118979170000.pdf
Sens 97dB, 8 ohms, 12.5kg, need just afew tube watts.

So these were a no go. The site I found was selling 1 speaker for 174 Dollars, not the both and they only had 1 speaker in stock! Grr to all of it.

[Phil A]

Phil,


The dude lives in Switzerland and is looking for speakers around $2-300. Those you're linking to would cost close to that just to ship to Switzerland.


It would seem to me that there can be a lot of great used deals for you in (nearby?) Germany or France.

That's why I said "While these may may be local to you, they may also be good choices if you can find one locally in your area"

[charmerci]

That's why I said "While these may may be local to you, they may also be good choices if you can find one locally in your area"

Oops, missed that.


You saying "may may" instead of "may not", plus listing ads confused me.

[Phil A]

Yes I can't type - realized he was not in the US so just wanted to give him some options that were not big dollar purchases.