[ruleof72]

We are moving to a new house in a couple of weeks that will have a fairly large listening room (about 24x19)with a 2-story vaulted ceiling. I want to upgrade the speakers to a good quality floorstanding capable of producing good sound in this room.  Budget is <$1,500

We listen mostly to Classic Rock, Jazz, Blues as well as some vocal and classical. Most listening is moderate volume. We currently have a Cambidge Audio Azur Integrated (60wpc)and some Altec bookshelves. The speakers will not be doing HT duty. Right now my list contains the Vandersteen 2Ce Signature, Revel Concerta F12's and Von Schweikert VR-2's.

I know I should probably upgrade the amp as well as speakers but the budget will only allow one for now. I want to get the most bang for my buck and I'm thinking that the speakers will make the biggest impact. What are some opinions on the speakers I'm considering, are there any better ones, used is fine.

[Bob Reynolds]

I think the Revel is an excellent choice.

[Soundbitten]

For a room that size I would choose speakers that could be bi-amped ( for down-the-road considerations ) and measured well . Don't know about the Revels but the Vandersteens would be a good choice . These also would be a great choice in your price range  ...

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1169151299

[ruleof72]

Those Dunlavy's are a bit too tall, I don't think they would pass the spouse approval process  .  They probably would sound great though.

I am leaning towards the Vandersteens.  I got a chance to listen to them yesterday and liked what I heard.  My only concern is that with the large amount of cloth on them they could be a "target" for our two cats.  I haven't been able to locate any Revels or Von Schweikerts to audition.  So, can anyone give me some idea of the sound of those two speakers compared to the Vandersteens?

Any other suggestions out there?

[lonewolfny42]

My only concern is that with the large amount of cloth on them they could be a "target" for our two cats.

Yes....they see it as a big scratching post.... and a mountain to climb...

[playntheblues]

Hi, I would highly recommend a pair of Hawthorne Duet's here is the link

http://www.hawthorneaudio.com/speakers.htm

They cost about $1,100.00 and disappear with easy, one of the biggest sound stages you can get, they do take a full month to break in but you patients will be rewarded in spades.  If you follow that link they also have a forum and you can read a lot about them.  Let me know what you think.

All the best, Guy

[Daygloworange]

Take a look around at some of the manufacturers here on AC. There's plenty of write ups of the recent RMAF show. There's a lot of stuff written about them on various threads. You'll have no problem finding killer speakers for your budget from some of the offerings around here.

Much better value for your dollar, than commercially available speakers with large mark ups.

Of course, that's just my two cents.

Cheers

[Bob Reynolds]

I am leaning towards the Vandersteens.  I got a chance to listen to them yesterday and liked what I heard.  My only concern is that with the large amount of cloth on them they could be a "target" for our two cats.  I haven't been able to locate any Revels or Von Schweikerts to audition.  So, can anyone give me some idea of the sound of those two speakers compared to the Vandersteens?

I have nothing against Vandersteen speakers (they still offer excellent value) and I have a lot of respect for Richard Vandersteen. Since the volume of your room is large, I suggest that you consider adding a subwoofer at some point to give you some additional weight. Due to Vandersteen's use of first order crossovers, Richard strongly suggests using two of his subs rather than just one. When I spoke to him several years ago, he suggested don;t even bother buying any until you can afford two.

When I auditioned the Vandy 2Ce I was using Meadowlark Kestrel Hot Rods (like Vandy also time/phase coherent). I found the Vandy's bass to be quite boomy and slow. I ended up buying a pair of Spendor S8e instead; yes, they cost 2X as much as either the 2Ce or the Kestrels.

I have not heard the Revel, but I would choose it over the Vandy for these reasons: 1) adding a single sub is acceptable, 2) Stereophile review and measurements http://stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/706revel/ and 3) Revel has two of the best speaker designers on the planet - Floyd Toole and Kevin Voecks plus research resources.

Here's how JA concludes his measurements -

Overall, the Revel Concerta F12's excellent measured performance gives no hint of the speaker's very affordable price. It raises the bar for what should be expected from a design in this very competitive price region.

Other speakers that come to mind are the Spendor S5e and Paradigm Studio 60.

-- Bob

[ruleof72]

Thanks all for the opinions so far.

I'd really like to be able to listen to the Revels as they seem like a potential good match.  Anyone in Atlanta area that has some I could audition?

Also, I came across another option, the Polk LSi 15.  I should be able to listen to them this weekend.  From the specs and other reviews they seem like a viable option, especially given my room size.  I would probably need to upgrade amps at some point but I was planning on that anyway.

Thoughts?

[Bob Reynolds]

I would probably need to upgrade amps at some point but I was planning on that anyway.

Thoughts?

I'll toss out my standard remark about integrateds -- to use a crossover when adding a subwoofer (not bass reinforcement) the integrated must have both preamp out and amp in jacks. Ones I'm aware of are: Bryston, NAD, Creek, Rega, Arcam.

If going solid state separates: Parasound Halo, Marsh Sound Design, Bryston, Rotel, NAD and ATI. ATI does not make a preamp, so I don't have a suggestion for a preamp to mate with them. If Don Morrison would make his ELAC with a stereo volume control, I could recommend it.

[Merle]

I'm using B&W 603 S3's in a room around that size and they fill it very well. Worth looking at.

[gooberdude]

If you don't have any acoustic treatments, the new house would be a great place to try some out.

My listening room is quite large too, over 600sf, and adding the Room Tunes kit made a world
of difference regarding how my Thiels interacted with the space.

[fredgarvin]

I'm with Dayglorange on this. Check out the Manuf. here on Audiocircle. Of the ones you list my preferance would be Revel. Although I haven't heard that model, I would expect more air, detail, bass response and soundstage than the Vandy. I like the sound of the Vandies, but warmer is not better to me.