[b]Great[/b] speakers for large room at <$3000 used

zapper7 · « **on:** 11 Apr 2006, 06:47 pm »

I have a large 15' x 33' x 8' dedicated room. The room is live with wood flooring and drywall walls/ceiling

. I have an EAD DVD Master 8000 PRO w/ volume control and Bel Canto M300 and Carver pro ZR1600 amps. I will sell 1 set of amps when the speakers are chosen. I like more bass than the average person, and need the speaker to be on the warmer side of neutral. I do have a sub that can be integrated if needed. I have had Coincident Victory, VMPS RM40 (bright, not refined), and Mirage M3si (good bass, but not as refined either). Any suggestions appreciated. I am getting tired of trying to find speakers, they are a pain to buy and sell. I have listened in the Bay area to alot of different speakers, but none have really caught me ear.

zybar · « **Reply #1 on:** 11 Apr 2006, 06:51 pm »

Quote from: zapper7

I have a large 15' x 33' x 8' dedicated room. The room is live with wood flooring and drywall walls/ceiling . I have an EAD DVD Master 8000 PRO w/ volume control and Bel Canto M300 and Carver pro ZR1600 amps. I will sell 1 set of amps when the speakers are chosen. I like more bass than the average person, and need the speaker to be on the warmer side of neutral. I do have a sub that can be integrated if needed. I have had Coincident Victory (a little bright and needs sub), VMPS RM40 (also brig ...

Spend a little more and get a pair of Salk HT3's.

George

zapper7 · « **Reply #2 on:** 11 Apr 2006, 07:00 pm »

Any information here on them?

R_burke · « **Reply #3 on:** 11 Apr 2006, 07:02 pm »

Not knowing what the objective is, you could try something like Innersound EROS, or even ISIS. There small sweet spot compensates for a lot of room issues, but they tend to be "one person" for serious listening. They can fill a room with enough power, but outside of the sweet spot the sound is more geared towards casual listening.

I have a pair of ISIS bi-amped in a room of similar proportions, but with cathedral ceilings and full of "stuff". When I'm sitting in the sweet spot it doesn't matter and everything works wonderfully and I can play them loud enough to hear anywhere within the rest of the house for casual listening.

zybar · « **Reply #4 on:** 11 Apr 2006, 07:05 pm »

Quote from: zapper7

Any info here on them?

You can read about them in the Salk Sound Circle here at AudioCircle:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?board=82

George

JLM · « **Reply #5 on:** 11 Apr 2006, 07:18 pm »

If your room is really dedicated to audio why is it in one of the worst possible proportions for standing waves (1:2:4)? I'd skinny and shorten the room to improve the ratios. Cardias would say to go with 8 ft x 13 ft x 21 ft (ceiling height limited) and use a nearfield setup along one of the 13 ft walls. Then, while creating new walls you could build them "right" (isolated from the rest of the house and more absorbent).

At the prices you're at, it's a crime not to invest in a really good room, especially if your have a dedicated room already. Room treatments plus absorbent walls should more than take care of brightness.

Keep the VMPS, sell the extra stuff and more than pay for the room improvements. If the RM40's don't integrate sufficiently for nearfield listening, try a pair of Bob Brines FTA-2000 (single 8 inch driver) speakers for $1600 (new). They're rated in room flat to 29 Hz and beam enough to keep the hard walls from reinforcing any brightness.

fredgarvin · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 Apr 2006, 07:49 pm »

I would agree that room treatments would be the best approach. I don't think I have heard anyone describe the Salk's as a "warm" speaker but are hailed for the resolving, neutral sound. So that is interesting. I personally don't care for warm speakers and love VMPS, but they say Living Voice is a top notch speaker with that type of voicing. Good luck!

John Casler · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 Apr 2006, 09:31 pm »

Quote from: zapper7

I have a large 15' x 33' x 8' dedicated room. The room is live with wood flooring and drywall walls/ceiling . I have an EAD DVD Master 8000 PRO w/ volume control and Bel Canto M300 and Carver pro ZR1600 amps. I will sell 1 set of amps when the speakers are chosen. I like more bass than the average person, and need the speaker to be on the warmer side of neutral. I do have a sub that can be integrated if needed. I have had Coincident Victory (a little bright and needs sub), VMPS RM40 (also bright, but not as refined), and Mirage M3si (good base, but not as refined either)....

???? RM40 bright and not as refined????

Are you sure you have RM40's? Seems to me you posted about some 1992 SuperTower III's. Did you pick up some RM40's since then?

The Coincident Victory is supposed to be a very good speaker and when I heard it years ago, it was.

In any event, the advise to work on your room would seem most prudent.

zybar · « **Reply #8 on:** 11 Apr 2006, 09:47 pm »

Quote from: John Casler

???? RM40 bright and not as refined????

Compared to my Salk HT3's they certainly are...

We also all know that if not setup properly (in terms of pots, putty, etc...) the RM 40's can sound less than stellar.

George

zybar · « **Reply #9 on:** 11 Apr 2006, 09:51 pm »

Quote from: fredgarvin

I would agree that room treatments would be the best approach. I don't think I have heard anyone describe the Salk's as a "warm" speaker but are hailed for the resolving, neutral sound. So that is interesting. I personally don't care for warm speakers and love VMPS, but they say Living Voice is a top notch speaker with that type of voicing. Good luck!

You are correct that the HT3's aren't warm sounding.

I was more thinking that buying the Salk HT3's could get the original poster off the speaker merry-go-round.

If he really wants something that is a little more warm and full sounding, some speakers that come to mind are:

Silverline Sonata II and III
Meadowlark Blue Heron I and II
Vandersteen 3A Signatures + Vandy subs

george

John Casler · « **Reply #10 on:** 11 Apr 2006, 09:54 pm »

Quote from: zybar

Quote from: John Casler
???? RM40 bright and not as refined????

Compared to my Salk HT3's they certainly are...

We also all know that if not setup properly (in terms of pots, putty, etc...) the RM 40's can sound less than stellar.

George

Hi George,

I'm not going there

My question was to the original poster and whether he really had RM40s since he posted about Super Towers originally.

zapper7 · « **Reply #11 on:** 11 Apr 2006, 10:40 pm »

Actually, when I heard them over at Mr. Cheney's place, even with the complete foaming of the walls and ceiling at the speaker end, they were brighter and harsher than the Silverline Sonata, VSA 4jr, James S-103, and Revel Studios we had listened to before that, with the same disc, which is the best we could do.
In fact my brother said it was only his 3rd choice at that point, the Revels obviously being more expensive.
I have since sold the 40s as my room just would not allow them and held on to the Super Towers as they fit my system just a little better, and aren't catching as much$ these days.
I have the Super Towers for sale as well and was hoping to get a warmer sound from the next pair.
The room was designed with Rives help when constructed, the dimensions I gave are not to the exact inch, and the 8th Nerve stuff is quite nice. I have changed just about everything, except the Super Towers that remain, as they are the hardest to sell. I think that may be what is left to try.
The Coincident Victories I talked about earlier came to my door DOA, thank you very much UPS

. The magnet structures actually tore from the baskets on half of the drivers

I have not been able to hear them, or reconstruct as the claim from the seller is still pending.

Soundbitten · « **Reply #12 on:** 11 Apr 2006, 10:52 pm »

Dunlavys ... but you'll have to find them on the used market

jermmd · « **Reply #13 on:** 11 Apr 2006, 11:00 pm »

I heard a pair of Dynaudio speakers that were very nice and had a warm signature. Unfortunately, I don't recall the model number.

I agree with George about the HT3's. If you're looking for the last pair of speakers you'll ever own, spend some more money and get the Salk Veracity HT3's.

Parnelli777 · « **Reply #14 on:** 11 Apr 2006, 11:16 pm »

Magnepan 3.6. I would say you'll hear what you've been missing.

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrplan&1148663480

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrplan&1149798716

Dan Driscoll · « **Reply #15 on:** 12 Apr 2006, 01:47 pm »

I'll second the suggestion that you try listening to the Vandersteen Model 3A Signatures, with and without a sub(s).