Speaker Recommendation Needed


Hi,

I just bought a Peachtree Nova 125se and am now looking for a good speaker match for me. I live in a small town so won't have an opportunity to audition anything. The speakers will go in my living room which is about mid-sized and opens up into the kitchen. I listen mostly to folk, soul and rock. I own a REL T5 sub which I can pair with a bookshelf to augment the bass but I also like the idea of small floorstanders. I usually turn up the treble a few notches but the Peachtree does not have tone controls so I would like to find a bright sounding speaker with a forward midrange as well. Here are some speakers i am considering:

1. Wharfedale Jade 3
2. KEF LS50
3. Dynaudio Excite X14
4. Monitor Audio Silver 6
5. Zu Audio Soul

What do you audio people think?

Thanks,

Brian


128x128brimel1974
What electronics and speakers were you using when you had to turn the treble up?  Without knowing that it's tough to make meaningful recommendations. 

I had some thiel 1.5's paired with a rel t3or5. Purportedly they could sound bright. I did not think so. I ran em with Solid state Odyssey Cyclops with a tubed pre. And that rig was sweet. I loved those speakers. 
with that sub it was perfect. My room not huge though. Coherent room enveloping Cheap speakers getting long in the tooth but they were image champs detailed enough. 
Brimel1974, you shouldn't overlook the Salk Song Tower. A small floor stander with glowing reviews. FWIW, an Absolute Sound Editor's Choice for 6 years running. In your price range and you can customize the finish. 

http://www.salksound.com/model.php?model=SongTower

Terry

I also found the LS50's to be a bit overly bright sounding, so maybe that's your ticket.  The only other speakers on the list I have heard are the Monitor Audios and other Zu Audio models.  I was pleasantly surprised by the Monitor Audios, and they were being run off a modest system.  The Zu's that I have heard do what they do very well, but what they do is not for everyone, and it's not for me.  I find the highs on the Zu's to be a bit bright, and peaky, and the midrage to be a congested sounding, if very fast and clean.  What you should be careful about is mistaking an uneven, peaky midrange and treble for an overall forward sound in these ranges.  A smooth tilt up in the power response as you go higher in frequency may be pleasing to you, but I would expect you would find a peaky frequency response to be fatiguing.


The best advice I can give you is to try to audition any speakers you're seriously considering in your own home, with your own gear and your own music.  A good Brick & Mortar dealer will make that possible for you.