Recommended Modern Speakers

I've had my A25's for the last 26 of their 41 years, and 2 years ago, when I was thinking to replace them, I opted to replace the caps in them first. It has made all the difference in the world - these old speakers now reproduce with an authority that I hadn't heard in years!

I'll try that first. The woofer on one of them is slightly blown as well, so I'm waiting for a replacement to pop up on ebay.
 
I love my ProAc Response 3.8's. They are my main 2 channel speakers driven by a McIntosh MC252. No boominess in bass, and they go low, and the silk dome tweeter is smooth and non-fatiquing. For bookshelf, I decided to keep the Revel M20's after comparing them to the B&W 805 Nautilus. The 805s were not too dynamic in my setting. I always wanted a pair of the Revel M22, but when the M20 came up for sale locally, I settled for them. These speakers are not the current models but are modern classics in my book, and are very affordable when you find them.
 
Those are really nice sounding speakers. I've heard they really need a custom plinth though because they're a bit tippy with much of its 73 pound weight above knee height. Go one model up and you get the outboard casters with spikes rig.

At the price of those I'd be auditioning the Aerial 7T along with them. I'm lucky to have a dealer who stocks and sells both.
 
Im puzzled why I see people recommend the Pioneers next to $500+ speakers on these forums all the time, their good for their price that's about all, they are no giant killers not even close...
 
I think it's mainly because they outperform almost anything else in their price and size range. At least the Andrew Jones version does.
 
However the dark/warm sound is not my cup of tea. I wouldn't personal buy another pair of Andrew Jones speakers.
You mean the Pioneer speakers are dark and warm? I did not get that impression at all with the new ELAC line. Perhaps they are voiced differently? I heard the UB5 at AXPONA and they were anything but dark and warm. Bass was plentiful for such a small cabinet (Jones used a track from a group called Deadmau5 that physically blew the curtains around behind the speakers :D ), but mids and highs were quite clear. I'd even say these leaned towards the brighter side of things.

I love my ProAc Response 3.8's.
I have heard the Response D48R...I am normally a planar speaker type, but these I could quite easily live with. If only I could get over the $11k price tag. :D
 
Recommended speakers? Let's see. I'm currently listening to some Magnepan 1.7s that I like a lot. In another system I have some B&W 805 Nautilus speakers that I also like, and in my bedroom I have some KEF LS50s that also sound good.

That's it currently, but just this morning I was reading about some of the new Sonus Faber speakers that are made in China. I'm not sure where I'd put them and probably shouldn't even be thinking about new speakers at this point, because I'm getting ready to move in a few months and I'm not sure how much space I'll have in my new place, but, I'm a sucker for speakers, so by this time next week I might just have another pair.
 
I know Focal isn't everyone's cup of tea, as bewildering as that is to me ...
I feel that is because all of us hear differently, and we also have different likes and dislikes in our sound.

I tend to lean towards your line of thinking:
Great speakers should present music in a deeply emotional way and this pair of speakers has raised the hairs on my arms and neck and brought me to tears with the way they do what they do.
Or in other words, whichever speaker does it for me is what I feel is the best choice. That's how it should be for all of us--we don't need to be told what is best, or follow the fads. Our ears will tell us what sounds "right" or "natural." I have performed music, and have been in groups large and small, so I've heard real instruments up close. Any speaker that will make those instruments sound as "real" as possible are a winner for me. Then I get that "raised hairs" feeling... :)
 
Anyone looking for some good speakers would be well advised to audition some Magnepans. Even the smaller ones can sound great. Right now I've got a pair of 1.7's hooked up to some Bryston equipment, and the sound is heavenly. After I move, I may buy a pair of 3.7i Magnepans. More expensive, but probably still worth it. The only caveat is that they are big, and room placement can be somewhat critical.
 
Well, I just gave my new Pioneer BS-22s a workout and I thoroughly recommend then. To my ears, they sound great across all frequencies and I'm puzzled as to the voodoo involved in making them have such decent bass from such a small box. I can't think of a better way to spend $125, honestly.

I'll concur. These speakers regularly go on sale for under $100, but even at full price they are better than any competition I've seen. One thing that a big corporation has over the smaller guys is buying power and economies of scale. The cabinet on these is really nice, the bass is jaw dropping for a 4" driver(I've had some from Totem and Tannoy that don't reach as low) and the overall sound is quite balanced. a decent 4" driver does the midrange so well.
 
Monitor audio silver series. Unreal sound smooth bass. I run through a 2001 model year technics sa 1050 ex mosfett amp ...super sound. 3 years and still no desire to add anything. Just run the two for my theater. And blown away.
 
I'll concur. These speakers regularly go on sale for under $100, but even at full price they are better than any competition I've seen. One thing that a big corporation has over the smaller guys is buying power and economies of scale. The cabinet on these is really nice, the bass is jaw dropping for a 4" driver(I've had some from Totem and Tannoy that don't reach as low) and the overall sound is quite balanced. a decent 4" driver does the midrange so well.
I have a pair. Great for $125. Not in the same universe as revel and dynaudio of the same size...but at 1/10th the price, trust they're a good deal.

How do these compare to the elac and Dali?
 
I have a pair. Great for $125. Not in the same universe as revel and dynaudio of the same size...but at 1/10th the price, trust they're a good deal.

How do these compare to the elac and Dali?

Good question, I've read that some owners prefer the Elac B5, but they are twice the price. In my opinion, the Pioneers look better though. That curved cabinet is a looker.

Not sure about the Dali.
 
Anyone have any suggestions for speakers to audition for around US1500/pr? I've kind of started stopping in places and haven't taken a "speaker tester" cd yet so I haven't narrowed anything down much. The Internet only brands aren't going to do it for me because I want to hear them first. I want floorstanders, but they're replacing stand mounts with a sub. I don't mind having a sub, but I kind of want to get away from it, at least for awhile. I've looked at B&W 683 S2, which sound great but are just about the ugliest speakers B&W has ever made, Martin Logan Motion 20's, Monitor Audio Silver 6's and Golden Ear Triton 7's. My room is 17X13X9 with carpeting and furniture, and there's some openings that seem strategically placed that really prevent a lot of sound from bouncing back at me from behind or on the sides. I mostly listen to records, my receiver is a Yamaha 75 WPC, stereo (not AV). Any ideas of stuff to check out would be welcome!


I really like my pioneer esf-73's. I think they're 1400usd 1500cad.
They're floor standers, with very cohesive sound. The bass is very crisp and detailed, never boomy. Simple music like acoustic vocals chamber music and jazz sound great. Sometimes lifelike. (I don't prefer rock or overly complex music so I can't reliably comment) some chilly peppers sounded great...Mine image very well in my room. I plan to get a good sub one day like a rythmik or svs sealed just for depth. No 1500 speaker will probably do deep bass well. The ma s6 may be an exception... But may overpower your room...I don't know. I do know I could live without a sub Pretty much happily.. but who stays content in this hobby? :) I'm using a Yamaha as801 and its great.

You could also audition an arguably more refined bookshelves of a similar price. Aria 906? And plan on adding a good sub later. Also a good, cost effective high fidelity solution. Have fun.
 
Monitor audio silver series. Unreal sound smooth bass. I run through a 2001 model year technics sa 1050 ex mosfett amp ...super sound. 3 years and still no desire to add anything. Just run the two for my theater. And blown away.
I have the RX6, and I agree, they are really really nice. And they look very good, real veneer.
I'm running them with my Marantz PM8005 and different restored vintage amps.
No 1500 speaker will probably do deep bass well. The ma s6 may be an exception... But may overpower your room...I don't know
The RX6 do bass very well, very articulate, not boomy. I don't think they will overpower a smaller room, they are more about quality than quantity.
 
I suggested the Pioneers above for the under $150 price range, but in another price range Ascend Acoustics makes some true giant killers. The Sierra 1 and Sierra 2. One of the secrets of these two bookshelf speakers is the bamboo cabinet. They are superior to any bookshelf speaker under at least $2000. The reason is they have absolutely no resonance or vibration. Most people don't really understand what cabinet resonance does to the sound, and in ignorance think that their MDF cabinets are just fine. No they are not, it's a big compromise and adds to the sound.

The other secret to these speakers is the high quality drivers and crossover components that you just do not see in stand mount speakers at the price point of 750 and up. They are not off-the-shelf drivers either. Seas of Norway, a renowned manufacturer, works with Ascend to develop these drivers. The Sierra 1 can take an honest 200 watts rms and goes down to 41 Hz.(Paradigm Studio 20: 110 watts max continuous, 52 Hz and costs around 1400) The throw of this bass driver is crazy. The sound is so free of cabinet artifacts, you will not believe what you've been putting up with. This speaker is voiced to have detailed highs but somewhat laid back. They have the option for a higher end tweeter that adds more sizzle if you prefer that.

The Sierra 2 has a custom Raal ribbon tweeter which simply must be heard to be believed. A faster woofer coupled to this ribbon makes for a speaker that can run with retail brands costing double or more. Color options for these speakers is good as well. I have no affiliation with Ascend, I'm just a happy repeat customer. I just received another pair of Sierra 1 that I'm breaking in.
 
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