Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!

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JDarby - Stereomojo.com

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Hello fellow audiophiles and music lovers,

In continuation of our popular blind shootouts of amps and speakers for a panel of judges, we are now organizing our next event which will be a blind shootout of approxiately 10 floorstanding speakers whose retail prices are $3,000 or LESS. As always, we let our readers and other audiophiles choose the speakers to participate in the shootout. We are asking AudioCircle members to submit their speaker recommendations to us via email - or you can post them here in this thread.

What we need is specific brand names and model numbers and prices. Example: "I'd like to see MojoSmasher model #RM10x for $2,499 and the Atomsmasher by Tinitus Audio for $2,999 in the shootout!".

We will contact the manufacturers of the most requested speakers to invite them to participate in the shootout. In addition to the shootout, each speaker will be fully measured and each will be individually reviewed by one of our staffers.

Obviously, we cannot force speakermakers to participate and sometimes there are legit reasons for not participating. Most often the reason is that the speaker requested is about to be updated or replaced altogether so it would not be beneficial to anyone. And sometimes, manufacturers are just chicken! We'll find out!

So please, think seriously about your candidates. You can recommend as many models as you like, just please ake sure they meet the criteria: floorstanding priced $3,000 or LESS. And please do not just say "Vandersteens and Magnepans". We have to have specific model numbers to be fair and accurate.

email is: publisher@stereomojo.com
Thanks!

Rick Craig

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Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #1 on: 26 Mar 2009, 03:34 pm »
Hello fellow audiophiles and music lovers,

In continuation of our popular blind shootouts of amps and speakers for a panel of judges, we are now organizing our next event which will be a blind shootout of approxiately 10 floorstanding speakers whose retail prices are $3,000 or LESS. As always, we let our readers and other audiophiles choose the speakers to participate in the shootout. We are asking AudioCircle members to submit their speaker recommendations to us via email - or you can post them here in this thread.

What we need is specific brand names and model numbers and prices. Example: "I'd like to see MojoSmasher model #RM10x for $2,499 and the Atomsmasher by Tinitus Audio for $2,999 in the shootout!".

We will contact the manufacturers of the most requested speakers to invite them to participate in the shootout. In addition to the shootout, each speaker will be fully measured and each will be individually reviewed by one of our staffers.

Obviously, we cannot force speakermakers to participate and sometimes there are legit reasons for not participating. Most often the reason is that the speaker requested is about to be updated or replaced altogether so it would not be beneficial to anyone. And sometimes, manufacturers are just chicken! We'll find out!

So please, think seriously about your candidates. You can recommend as many models as you like, just please ake sure they meet the criteria: floorstanding priced $3,000 or LESS. And please do not just say "Vandersteens and Magnepans". We have to have specific model numbers to be fair and accurate.

email is: publisher@stereomojo.com
Thanks!

Sounds like a good shootout. Can you describe how the measurements will be done and who will be doing them?

Christof

Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #2 on: 26 Mar 2009, 03:54 pm »
Are speakers which are offered in kits costing less than 3k fair game for this shootout?  I'd really like the hear unbiased opinions of Selah Symmetrica and GR LS6 or LS9.

BradJudy

Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #3 on: 26 Mar 2009, 04:25 pm »
Salk Sound SongTowers ($1800) or the SongTower RT version ($2500) - the SongTower was included in the new Audioholics blind comparison and received good feedback.  I'm not sure if that makes it more or less interesting to include in your own comparison.

Odyssey Lorelei's at $2500 might be a nice inclusion. 

VMPS RM2 at $2700 would add a planar/ribbon item to the mix.

A mix of direct-sales and more traditional brands would be neat.  Some options for traditional brands that offer differing takes at this price point:

Thiel CS1.6 ($2400)

Martin Logan Source ($2200)

Paradigm Reference Studio 100 ($2500)

BobM

Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #4 on: 26 Mar 2009, 04:30 pm »
I don't know if my suggestion should or shouldn't be a consideration, because you could get interesting input either way, but ...

(a) keep all the speakers the same type, i.e. all horn loaded, or all planer, or all monitors, or all high efficiency, all open baffle, etc.,
- OR -

(b) have one speaker of each type in the shootout and see what the overlal audience thinks comes closest to the absolute sound, regardless of the limitations of the individual design type.

Just a thought - could be interesting either way.

Bob

Rocket_Ronny

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Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #5 on: 26 Mar 2009, 04:36 pm »

Let's see Danny's new P audio ob speaker in there.

How about a pair of SP mini's in there.

Maggy 1.6.


Rocket_Ronny

JDarby - Stereomojo.com

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Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #6 on: 26 Mar 2009, 04:38 pm »
Salk Sound SongTowers ($1800) or the SongTower RT version ($2500) - the SongTower was included in the new Audioholics blind comparison and received good feedback. 


Speaking of conflicts of interest, Audioholics actually SELLS the stuff they review and others. I cannot imagine how anyone would give them any credibility. You should also ask Danny Richie about his experiences with them.

We're seeing what corruption has done to us and the world economy. The audio industry and the audio press has as many horror stories. We accept a very limited number of ads and unlike most other publications, you will never see any advertising on the same page as a review. Personally, I hate to have to read around advertisements when I' reading a review. Payola is alive and well in the audio press friends. Don't let anyone tell you it's not. The ones that talk the most about how ad revenue does not effect reviews are the biggest offenders. Just a little FYI.

That's no reflection on Jim Salk, btw. I know Jim and his wife and I don't think he would ever be involved in such stuff. You never know for sure, but I doubt it. He makes wonderful speakers, too.

JDarby - Stereomojo.com

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Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #7 on: 26 Mar 2009, 04:42 pm »

Let's see Danny's new P audio ob speaker in there.

How about a pair of SP mini's in there.

Maggy 1.6.


Rocket_Ronny


Rocket,

You reminded me that I left something out - thank you. Gr Research (Danny) will be hosting the event and doing the measurements. As such, we cannot accept his products or products such as AV123 or Usher with which he has an association. That is a conflict of interest. Hope that makes sense for you.

JDarby - Stereomojo.com

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Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #8 on: 26 Mar 2009, 05:03 pm »
I don't know if my suggestion should or shouldn't be a consideration, because you could get interesting input either way, but ...

(a) keep all the speakers the same type, i.e. all horn loaded, or all planer, or all monitors, or all high efficiency, all open baffle, etc.,
- OR -

(b) have one speaker of each type in the shootout and see what the overlal audience thinks comes closest to the absolute sound, regardless of the limitations of the individual design type.

Just a thought - could be interesting either way.

Bob


Bob,

Thanks man! Good ideas, but keeping them all the same won't work. You would not believe how difficult it is to arrange for a dozen different speakers or so of ANY kind to participate. The time involved in phone calls and emails and logistics is enormous. I fear if we limited it any further, we'd never get it done. Make sense?

JDarby - Stereomojo.com

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Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #9 on: 26 Mar 2009, 05:07 pm »

Sounds like a good shootout. Can you describe how the measurements will be done and who will be doing them?
[/quote]

Danny Richie of GR Research. You can see for yourself from the last one we did:

http://www.stereomojo.com/Small%20Speaker%20Shootout%202007/SmallSpeakerShootout2007Part1.htm


Does that help?

Cacophonix

Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #10 on: 26 Mar 2009, 05:47 pm »
Great!

Here are the ones i'd like to see -

1. Salk Songtower ($1800 or $2500 for RT version)
2. Exodus Audio Kepler ($999)
3. Magnepan 1.6QR ($1895)
4. SP Tech Mini ($2500)
5. Gedlee Summa ($3000)

If kits are allowed, then i'd love to get Selah Audio RC5 ($2700) and Gedlee's Abbey ($1200) into the mix.

Zero

Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #11 on: 26 Mar 2009, 06:28 pm »
Any manufacturer with a lick of common sense will keep far, far, far away from this 'contest'.

JDarby - Stereomojo.com

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Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #12 on: 26 Mar 2009, 06:59 pm »
Great!

Here are the ones i'd like to see -

1. Salk Songtower ($1800 or $2500 for RT version)
2. Exodus Audio Kepler ($999)
3. Magnepan 1.6QR ($1895)
4. SP Tech Mini ($2500)
5. Gedlee Summa ($3000)

If kits are allowed, then i'd love to get Selah Audio RC5 ($2700) and Gedlee's Abbey ($1200) into the mix.

Thanks so much. Are the SP's floorstanders?

We are not doing kits or DIY. We're using the KISS method.

Right now, and it's early, the leader is Salk Songtower from all over the net.

BTW, if anyone wants to post the info about the shootout anywhere else, please do so. Just make sure to tell them to submit their lists to us via email to: publisher@stereomojo because we can't monitor sites we dont know about.


rockadanny

Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #13 on: 26 Mar 2009, 07:00 pm »
:scratch: This thread is also in GR-Research. Which is legit?

Tonian Labs - TL-D1  $1750 (actually would prefer models closer to $3,000 but don't know which they are)
Decware - HDT MKII  $2295
Horn Shoppe - The Horn  $850
DeVore - Gibbon 8  $2850

And the requirements are for "floorstanders", not monitors. Correct?

JDarby - Stereomojo.com

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Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #14 on: 26 Mar 2009, 07:04 pm »
Excellent calls.


Added to the list!


Yes, floorstanders only.

Cacophonix

Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #15 on: 26 Mar 2009, 07:13 pm »
Maybe you should have just one thread about this here .. rather than two. Let all suggest names in a single thread ..

JDarby - Stereomojo.com

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Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #16 on: 26 Mar 2009, 07:20 pm »
Maybe you should have just one thread about this here .. rather than two. Let all suggest names in a single thread ..

Maybe, but not everyone reads danny's thread. It's posted there because we are hiring GR to do the measurements and facilitate the shootout.

cujobob

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Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #17 on: 26 Mar 2009, 08:04 pm »
Aren't measurements already taken for just about every speaker?

The Gedlee Summa is $3,000 for a SINGLE speaker.  The Abbey price is $3,400 I believe (non-kit, assembled/tested)...and those are not floorstanders.  I'd love to see how they compare, but unfortunately they do not meet the criteria and all require subs.  SP Tech Mini would also not fit the criteria unfortunately.

I have to agree with the Salk Songtowers being an obvious choice, there aren't a lot of great non-kit offerings under $3,000.00 that are floorstanders, though.  I'd suggest that if you want to cap the price limit at $3,000.00 that you do another monitor comparison (but with higher quality offerings than the last one) or raise the price to $4,500-5,000 or so.  Just my 2 cents, of course  :thumb:

marvda1

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Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #18 on: 27 Mar 2009, 12:38 am »
not all manufacturers measure the same way, therefore it makes more sense if there are measurements common to all.

Big Red Machine

Re: Stereomojo to do 2009 speaker shootout - suggestions wanted!
« Reply #19 on: 27 Mar 2009, 12:54 am »
Make it $15,000 and watch the HT3's shame the others! :icon_twisted: