Recommendations...Opinions...

[Alaskankaijudude]

I'm looking for a good set of Floorstanding speakers for straight up 2 channel Stereo listening. Something with the low end thump of CVs but better mid and high range sound. I have a 95W Yamaha receiver. Not looking to spend more than about $800.00 to $1000.00 for the pair. Would the Polk Monitor 70s fit this bill? Can anybody who owns the Polk 70s or 60s advise on a Center Channel speaker other than the CS series? I have a 6'' height limitation on my Center Channel speaker. Looking to upgrade the Yamaha HTIB setup I have been using for the last few years. Appreciate any info on any of the above. Thanx.

[hagar852]

Originally Posted by Alaskankaijudude

I'm looking for a good set of Floorstanding speakers for straight up 2 channel Stereo listening. Something with the low end thump of CVs but better mid and high range sound. I have a 95W Yamaha receiver. Not looking to spend more than about $800.00 to $1000.00 for the pair. Would the Polk Monitor 70s fit this bill? Can anybody who owns the Polk 70s or 60s advise on a Center Channel speaker other than the CS series? I have a 6'' height limitation on my Center Channel speaker. Looking to upgrade the Yamaha HTIB setup I have been using for the last few years. Appreciate any info on any of the above. Thanx.

Take a look at these..

Aperion 5T Towers

[Beta Man]

You want a 2 channel setup, but want to know what Center channel will work with it??? Me no understand

I'd look on audiogon for some Maggies I've been 'told' they can be had for sub-$1k for a pair......

[mdabb]

Originally Posted by Alaskankaijudude

I'm looking for a good set of Floorstanding speakers for straight up 2 channel Stereo listening. Something with the low end thump of CVs but better mid and high range sound. I have a 95W Yamaha receiver. Not looking to spend more than about $800.00 to $1000.00 for the pair. Would the Polk Monitor 70s fit this bill? Can anybody who owns the Polk 70s or 60s advise on a Center Channel speaker other than the CS series? I have a 6'' height limitation on my Center Channel speaker. Looking to upgrade the Yamaha HTIB setup I have been using for the last few years. Appreciate any info on any of the above. Thanx.

I hear ya and I would like to be informed of something that can carry some low end for 2 channel listening and still would blend nicely into the home theater. I guess dual purposes. I need something with a 10,12, or even a 15" woofer. I just don't know what's out there. My budget is a little more 2-3k for a pair.

I have an older Carver amp I would like to put to work. I heard something about Cerwin Vega outsourcing their mids to Vifa and tweeters to ? or Vifa also. As I think the bad rap CV's get for the upper range is based on older versions. Someone here was talking about these speakers from Cerwin Vega recently http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/c...ega_cls215.htm and surprisingly they got a good review. So how do you know what to do as their seems to be a lot of "BRAND" loyal people out there and put their nose up to other possibilities. I want something a little more well made than what Cerwin Vega is currently offering. If only they stepped into the hi-end arena. I have only been able to find speakers with large woofers that are 15+ years old. I just don't know if I want to go that route.

Surely someone here can help with some suggestions. A nice speaker is a nice speaker regardless of what brand you do like or don't like. I think it would be a great idea to have larger woofers so can anyone help people like us?

[Alaskankaijudude]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

You want a 2 channel setup, but want to know what Center channel will work with it??? Me no understand

I'd look on audiogon for some Maggies I've been 'told' they can be had for sub-$1k for a pair......

I have a 5.1 setup that I want to upgrade. I'm looking for fronts that would do double duty. As part of the 5.1 for movies and on their own for 2 channel stereo listening.

[TENSE]

or you can go with the Klipsch Reference 62's or 82's. cant go wrong with these my friend.

http://www.klipsch.com/products/list...rstanding.aspx

[dobyblue]

Aperion Audio or Axiom Audio.
Try them in home, if you don't like them you get your money back.

www.aperionaudio.com
www.axiomaudio.com

[Beta Man]

I'd audition some Monitor Audio's also..... and Paradigm, or Def-Tech.... give them a listen, and you'd be suprised at the range of many bookshelf speakers.

[kingofgrills]

I would highly recommend auditioning Monitor Audio BR5 tower speakers. They are an outstanding "budget" speaker from Monitor, and they sound fantastic. Monitor Audio speakers are very well built, with silky smooth midrange and smooth extended treble. Plus, they have a nice weighty bass to them - not boomy but solid and well defined.

Check them out. They're a steal for what they deliver for the price.

http://www.monitoraudiousa.com/produ...e=8&product=57

[RUR]

Originally Posted by mdabb

I hear ya and I would like to be informed of something that can carry some low end for 2 channel listening and still would blend nicely into the home theater. I guess dual purposes. I need something with a 10,12, or even a 15" woofer. I just don't know what's out there. My budget is a little more 2-3k for a pair....

The world's your oyster if you're willing to buy carefully used gear off A-gon. Here's a search for $2.5-3K.
http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/srch...full&submit=Go

You've got B&W, Gallo, Thiel, Martin Logan, Wilson, KEF, PSB, Dali, Von Schweikert and many others.

Dali Helicon's look sweet http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls....ull&1215909938 or http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls....ull&1218135437

[mdabb]

Originally Posted by RUR

The world's your oyster if you're willing to buy carefully used gear off A-gon. Here's a search for $2.5-3K.
http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/srch...full&submit=Go

You've got B&W, Gallo, Thiel, Martin Logan, Wilson, KEF, PSB, Dali, Von Schweikert and many others.

Dali Helicon's look sweet http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls....ull&1215909938 or http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls....ull&1218135437

Thank you sir and to everyone else if your recomendations were directed towards me. I'll have some research to do and will have to ask peoples opinions about my "finds" hope no one minds. I'll have to start my own thread and apoligize to the OP and hope he does't think I was trying to hijack his thread. We were thinking along similar lines.

There is just something about that "oldschool" sound if that's what you call it. Whatever it is, it is hard to describe. I have a Carver M4.0T that puts out 375w per channel. I know some people can't stand Carver especially what he did with the history of this amp and a few others ,but I love my amp. The way a speaker looks is important to me but the way it sounds outweighs looks x 1000. Big ugly boxes don't bother me. I am sure there are a lot of beautiful speakers out there but the ones I always find cost 10k and up.

I just get nervous when buying "used" speakers. Trust and the human nature to abuse ,but a great find is a great find and don't mind used if it's worth it. Suggestions are always welcome. I hate to ask anybody for all the names of speaker manufacturers who make speakers in the 2-3K area but if anyone knows some good ones that produce the sound I'm talking about fire away or can you direct me to a price guide of sorts. Most speaker companys direct a person to a dealer and leave the price out. so it's hard to know if a speaker is in my price range.

[sokrman14]

I auditioned those same speakers at my local store, and decided to go with something similarly priced, looks great, and in my opinion better sound. I found them to be a little more responsive and smoother. As far as your amp, why not keep it. If it still performs well then hold on to it. http://www.quad-hifi.co.uk/ranges.ph...=2&range_id=11

Just get out there and listen and get what you enjoy. As I said, I enjoyed the Quads that I purchased more than those exact same monitor audios, but it doesnt mean you will think the same.

[RUR]

mdabb,

"Old school sound" may be hard for you to describe, but if we're to help you, you'll need to try or to give us some examples of what you mean by this. My idea of old school sound is Bozaks or corner Klipschorns and, if I had the space for another system, I'd own a pair hooked up to some Fisher tube gear. Really.

Apologies re: my choice of wording on the Dali's. When I said they look sweet, I meant it's a sweet speaker. IIRC, the Helicon 400's were one of the major audiophile magazine's speaker of the year in 2006 and their sonic qualities are highly regarded by many. <$3K makes them a steal. To caveat this and as I've said many times, only you can decide what sounds good to you and auditioning at least several speakers in your price range is highly recommended. Ideally, it would be in your listening room using the same peripheral gear and at the same volume level. Difficult to do, but it will increase your knowledge and whet your appetite for the ultimate purchase.

In re: used, I'm in mixed mode. Some gear I buy new and some used. When I buy used, I take care to buy only from sellers with a decent amount of positive feedback, talk to the seller by phone and, where possible, buy locally where I can see and hear the gear before buying. One thing is certain: Buying used gear intelligently will get often get you many times the quality vs. buying new.

[sokrman14]

Originally Posted by TENSE

or you can go with the Klipsch Reference 62's or 82's. cant go wrong with these my friend.

http://www.klipsch.com/products/list...rstanding.aspx

These will sound harsh in comparison to everything else you have in front of you. Same with the Def Techs unless you are doing their mythos line, which are a very nice lineup from them

[mdabb]

I'll try to explain what I mean. Well I paid attention to my dad's system more than he did when I was younger and can't tell you the model years but it was a blend of Marantz tuner/preamp,amp. Pioneer RP, and I don't remember the speakers brand. They very well may have been Klipsch. He even had a reel to reel. I know the amp was a tube amp as he still has Tubes at my parents home. I'm an Army brat and I'm pretty sure he got his equipment from the PX's. I was born in 76. I don't know what year he even bought the equipment but can remember seeing his setup in the background in pictures.


Later on he bought me a Carver amp, preamp/tuner and a pair of Infinity's. Don't know what the model # is but it was when Infinity put 10 or12" woofers in floorspeakers. Anyways my preamp/tuner and speakers were stolen from our house but not the amp? (must of been in a hurry) there was always something to the way his setup sounded when you listened to the tuner. I'm pretty sure his had 15" woofers in the cabinet as they were big. then everything seems bigger when you're a kid.

There was something about the way they sounded. Not all extremely bassy but it was all there. Whatever I'm trying to get at it is something that's missing in the speakers you hear or the ones I hear today and I don't want an angry mob after me so I won't name brands or models I've heard in the last 5yrs or so.

I just ask myself whatever happened to that sound? How could you not want that sound today? I guess I should start by just looking everywhere. It's just a little sad when I see a speaker I really like and then find out- OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE! I need some sort of a "price guide/company guide". Some sort of reference. As always thanks!

[RUR]

mdabb,

If you're looking for vintage speakers, you're best off starting a thread @ audiokarma.org, where you'll find a large community who find, restore and enjoy all manner of vintage gear. They're friendly and helpful, and would be pleased to help you find that flavor of audio nirvana. Here's the speaker forum @ audiokarma: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=27

If you're trying to recreate that vintage sound using ca 2008 speakers, you're best course is to listen to many different models to find one which sounds right to you. If they're out of your budget as new, do consider used.

One last thought... If you're trying to recreate your father's gear's sound, consider a tube pre. The warmth of vintage tube gear is one of the biggest contributors to the sound of that era.

[mdabb]

I would say a mix. Really I should get two complete setups for what I want ,2-channel wise and home theater. I was just hoping I could incorporate it into one system for right now. I want new/er floorstanding for music and blend it in with home theater. Keep my new Onkyo TX-SR875, use my carver amp on the floorstanding L/R speakers and/or would need an older preamp/tuner in it somehow. If I need it to get the sound I'm after.

Right now I'm looking for "those speakers" not necessarily vintage but "vintage sounding" or maybe it's in the preamp, amp. Whatever it is I don't have it now. Thanks for the help and I'll surely use the info.

It's just the type of sound that should be a part of a homes "Home Theater". Maybe I'm the only one who would welcome it or desires it.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by mdabb

I'll try to explain what I mean. Well I paid attention to my dad's system more than he did when I was younger and can't tell you the model years but it was a blend of Marantz tuner/preamp,amp. Pioneer RP, and I don't remember the speakers brand. They very well may have been Klipsch. He even had a reel to reel. I know the amp was a tube amp as he still has Tubes at my parents home. I'm an Army brat and I'm pretty sure he got his equipment from the PX's. I was born in 76. I don't know what year he even bought the equipment but can remember seeing his setup in the background in pictures.


Later on he bought me a Carver amp, preamp/tuner and a pair of Infinity's. Don't know what the model # is but it was when Infinity put 10 or12" woofers in floorspeakers. Anyways my preamp/tuner and speakers were stolen from our house but not the amp? (must of been in a hurry) there was always something to the way his setup sounded when you listened to the tuner. I'm pretty sure his had 15" woofers in the cabinet as they were big. then everything seems bigger when you're a kid.

There was something about the way they sounded. Not all extremely bassy but it was all there. Whatever I'm trying to get at it is something that's missing in the speakers you hear or the ones I hear today and I don't want an angry mob after me so I won't name brands or models I've heard in the last 5yrs or so.

I just ask myself whatever happened to that sound? How could you not want that sound today? I guess I should start by just looking everywhere. It's just a little sad when I see a speaker I really like and then find out- OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE! I need some sort of a "price guide/company guide". Some sort of reference. As always thanks!

I love Carver gear and own a Sonic Hologram C-9 for "sentimental" reasons . I'm also a vintage fan Snell E-II's (last speaker designed by Peter Snell), vintage Yamaha, Vintage DBX, even some vintage Sony ES and all of this vintage gear is in my HT system (but it also sounds down right lovely in 2 channel also)!

[mdabb]

Originally Posted by prerich

I love Carver gear and own a Sonic Hologram C-9 for "sentimental" reasons . I'm also a vintage fan Snell E-II's (last speaker designed by Peter Snell), vintage Yamaha, Vintage DBX, even some vintage Sony ES and all of this vintage gear is in my HT system (but it also sounds down right lovely in 2 channel also)!

That is encouraging! Most peple will tell you to pick a side!

[RUR]

Originally Posted by prerich

I love Carver gear and own a Sonic Hologram C-9 for "sentimental" reasons . I'm also a vintage fan Snell E-II's (last speaker designed by Peter Snell), vintage Yamaha, Vintage DBX, even some vintage Sony ES and all of this vintage gear is in my HT system (but it also sounds down right lovely in 2 channel also)!

That's not vintage, this is vintage!



Perhaps I'm a bit older than you fellas.

FWIW, in the olden days, I owned a Preamp and Amp made by Phase Linear, the company owned by Bob Carver before he founded Carver Corp.