Speaker recommendation under $2K - NYC/Brooklyn

RichGrim

New Member
I am open to bookshelf or floor standing. I listen to a wide variety of music almost exclusively on vinyl. Classic rock Zappa,Zep,Neil,Dylan etc etc, Jazz Swing-Fusion, early heavy rock Sabbath etc.

I would like to stay away from subwoofers. $2000 is my max budget for a pair. I live in Brooklyn and don’t know of any dealers that would allow home auditioning. Any dealer suggestions?

I am currently using a rebuilt Marantz 2250B 50WPC, Thorens TD147 with Grado G2. My room is ~20’ X 11’ with speakers against the long wall.

I plan to upgrade amplifiers next and want to build around the next speakers I purchase. In the mean time I would like to be able to use and enjoy my setup with the Marantz.

Speakers I have auditioned in show rooms so far. All of them with a Rega Brio R. I apologize in advance if I am using any terms incorrectly.

Dynaudio X14, DM 3/7, Focus 160
Opera Mezza

While auditioning the Dyn X14 and Opera the lack of low end turned me off immediately, spacial detail was good (I would def need a sub). The floor standing DM 3/7 had the low end but seemed too warm (bloomy?) Upright bass did not sound like an upright bass.
Without telling me the price the dealer pulled out the Focus 160s. They seemed to have a full enough range with enough clarity tightness in the lows. Eureka! Unfortunately they are $600 over my budget and that’s without stands.
Any suggestions on models I should check out in the NYC area would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

-Rich
 
If you have the room to place the speakers four feet out from the wall behind them, I'd try a pair of Magneplanar .7s...
 
Always wanted to try them. I have about 2-2.5' to work with from the wall + there are open doors to both sides.
 
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I have two words for you... Focal and Canton. For the money, these two would be hard to beat. I personally have a pair of Focal 806V bookshelf on Focal stands for my 11ft wide x 14ft long listening room. :music:
 
Your options are much wider if you're ok with a used set as well. $2k can get some pretty awesome gear.


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I am open to bookshelf or floor standing. I listen to a wide variety of music almost exclusively on vinyl. Classic rock Zappa,Zep,Neil,Dylan etc etc, Jazz Swing-Fusion, early heavy rock Sabbath etc.

I would like to stay away from subwoofers. $2000 is my max budget for a pair. I live in Brooklyn and don’t know of any dealers that would allow home auditioning. Any dealer suggestions?

I am currently using a rebuilt Marantz 2250B 50WPC, Thorens TD147 with Grado G2. My room is ~20’ X 11’ with speakers against the long wall.

I plan to upgrade amplifiers next and want to build around the next speakers I purchase. In the mean time I would like to be able to use and enjoy my setup with the Marantz.

Speakers I have auditioned in show rooms so far. All of them with a Rega Brio R. I apologize in advance if I am using any terms incorrectly.

Dynaudio X14, DM 3/7, Focus 160
Opera Mezza

While auditioning the Dyn X14 and Opera the lack of low end turned me off immediately, spacial detail was good (I would def need a sub). The floor standing DM 3/7 had the low end but seemed too warm (bloomy?) Upright bass did not sound like an upright bass.
Without telling me the price the dealer pulled out the Focus 160s. They seemed to have a full enough range with enough clarity tightness in the lows. Eureka! Unfortunately they are $600 over my budget and that’s without stands.
Any suggestions on models I should check out in the NYC area would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

-Rich

For that music, you should try and get a listen to a pair of vintage W90's. It just might end the search. W70's or W90's with a tube amp/receiver will still put you well-under budget, and it's a monster setup for classic-rock (Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Zeppelin, CSNY, solo Neil, the Doors, etc.), classic-funk/soul (James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, the Meters, Al Green, etc.), psychedelic-rock, art-rock (Yes), blues-rock (Mayall), and blues and jazz (Amazing with old blues stuff). A game-changer. I've seen it happen all over the NYC/NJ area. One person got a pair, then someone else heard them, and THEY bought a pair, and then their friend heard 'em, and HE got a pair, and on and on. And this was over the past two to three years. Timbre is their strong point (You'll have to search far and wide for a better classic-rock guitar sound). They have a very-open, "breath of life" tone to them. Very-musical and easy on the ears, but also very-alive. Very-natural, with mids to die for. Great bass too. Good PRAT.

I'm listening to Bill Withers through mine right now...
 
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I've got just the ticket, Polk LSiM 703's. They will check all the boxes for you. Most people recommend their favorite speakers (including me) but when I saw your range of musical tastes I knew I had to post. Some bookshelf speakers just can't do that stuff justice.

I have very eclectic musical tastes and these speakers can handle everything I throw at them. I hadn't listened to Sabbath in a long while but a few months ago I gave it a go. I gave the LSiM's a workout. I mean I was really cranking some Wizard, Sweet Leaf, Snowblind, you get the idea (good thing I was home alone, the family would have thought I'd lost my mind).

The LSiM's didn't even break a sweat. The sound was clear and dynamic, not a hint of strain or distortion, it sounded fantastic.

They're in a 20' x 12' room and I don't use a sub (you can also get close to the wall if needed). Regardless, the low end on these is convincing. The midrange is lifelike and the highs are not fatiguing with plenty of resolution and a great soundstage.

They can switch from Sabbath's barrage of energy to Hilary Hahn's delicate violin and reproduce that beautifully. Classical sounds great on these because they give you a sense of the low end on some classical tracks. When playing vocal tracks, you'll think the artist is in the room with you.

From Bach to Black Sabbath (and everything in between) these will not disappoint.

Don't even get me started on the fit and finish, it's superb-pure high-end. Unfortunately, auditioning will be tough. I think you'll have to order them but I think Polk has a return policy.

They will outperform most floor-standers in this price range. They're definitely the best bookshelf's I currently own. Don't let any dealer (that doesn't carry them) talk them down because of the brand. These are really a cut above. I've auditioned a lot of speakers in this price range.

Stereophile rates them Class "B" like the one's you auditioned and here's what TAS had to say about them.

http://media.theabsolutesound.com/buyers_guides/BG_Loudspeakers_2012.pdf

http://www.stereophile.com/content/2015-recommended-components-loudspeakers#aeOTPpGoaYO7uGQJ.97

Good luck in your search.

LSiM 703's are on the far left
 
Your options are much wider if you're ok with a used set as well. $2k can get some pretty awesome gear.

He's right about that -- and if you are willing to go used, there should be lots of options in the NYC area.

I have Vandersteen 2ces, which I like alot; you don't really need a sub with them, and you could get them used for way under 2k. In fact, you could probably get Vandersteen 3s for less than 2k used, although they might be too big for many rooms. But you obviously have to hear any speaker first yourself to decide if you can live with them over time.
 
I love old Sabbath too. The first 4 mostly. "Paranoid" was a step up in sound-quality. Tighter and more-balanced than the debut, and recorded well-before Tony Iommi started going all "studio" on the band.

Interesting driver-configuration on that Polk model. I bet it has nice, rounded, open-sounding mids (I like cone-type mids for the classics).
 
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Any of the classic AR's, KLH's, etc should fit the bill with some cash to spare, no sub's needed!
 
Speaker shopping sure is fun, about as fun as Paris Hilton on Rodeo Drive!:D

I have to ask the question, people who live in NYC how big of a yard do you have, as in how much space between houses does the average person get so that you can listen to music without someone getting upset about the noise next door? Or rather can a person actually enjoy a good system without disturbing the neighbors?
 
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I live in CT with close neighbors, but they ended up being the problem, not me. They just moved out this week, so I'm on a marathon run this weekend. :D
 
Speaker shopping sure is fun, about as fun as Paris Hilton on Rodeo Drive!:D

I have to ask the question, people who live in NYC how big of a yard do you have, as in how much space between houses does the average person get so that you can listen to music without someone getting upset about the noise next door? Or rather can a person actually enjoy a good system without disturbing the neighbors?

Ha! I'm in a building built by the Navy (housed Navy yard workers during WW2). Thick overbuilt plaster walls (not the greatest for audio). I occasionally get a neighbor knocking from below when I go overboard.For the most part I don't hear them and they don't hear me.
 
I would recommend OHM Walsh made in Brooklyn .
I thought about Ohms but from the little I have read about them they seem to be very room + placement sensitive. Of course I would like to buy US made-NY even better. Any thoughts on Heresy iii?
 
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I know it sounds lame but if I go used I am leaning towards recently used- not vintage. I have too much vintage stuff laying around (i love old sh!t) and don't want to deal with anymore repair projects in the near future. The Heresy3s look interesting at under $1800 new/pair with free shipping. I've never heard them though.
 
I know it sounds lame but if I go used I am leaning towards recently used- not vintage.

Nah, not lame at all. I get it, I own and use both as you can see from some of the pic's I posted on this thread. There's a lot of value in recently used speakers. You can get them at half price or better sometimes.

Good luck with the search.
 
OHM Walsh

I thought about Ohms but from the little I have read about them they seem to be very room + placement sensitive. Of course I would like to buy US made-NY even better. Any thoughts on Heresy iii?

if you want to hear mine PM me and we can get together .
 
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