Best used speakers under $3,500?

At $3,500 used, you might be able to get the Vandersteen 3A Signatures with two pairs of their 2wq subwoofers. The addition of the subwoofers would extend the frequency range a bit,improve the midrange clarity and dynamics of the main speaker, and allow your amp to better control the main speakers (the 2Wqs have built-in 300 Watt Amps to produce those power hungry low notes). Note, they are not artificially boosted in the midrange to create false presense. If you are used to hearing speakers that have boosted mid-hi's you may mistake this for a soft, "boring" sound - they are actually accurate.

I've been on a similar search. There are many great jazz speakers out there. The tough part of the equation, for me, is classic rock. Too many speakers are overly harsh for those classic recordings. Some sound a bit slow, lacking pace. Some have no real bass. Some have deep bass but no "kick" when the drummer kicks the bass drum. Some have pin-point imaging but lose that when you move a couple of feet from the "sweet spot".

I did audition the VR4 jr's but the audition didn't go well. I was not impressed at all with the imaging. After 20 minutes of the dealer telling me how awesome the speakers were, I noticed that the wires were disconneted from one of the lower units. Well, that certainly improved the imaging but still the bass wasn't right for rock. The bass drum was almost non-existent. I moved directly in front of one speaker and suddenly I could feel the kick of the drum. The dealer reluctantly agreed and blamed the room. Other than that, I liked the speakers a lot. What do audiogoners think? Is there enough bass punch for rock with these speakers?

The speakers I like the most, so far, are the Totem Winds. Too expensive but beautiful sound and plenty of bass punch.

I'm almost at the point of upgrading my small floorstanders and also upgrading my sub, but that's another discussion.

BTW, Opalchip is right on. All of these speakers sound different. The trick is finding a sound that works for you and also works in your room and with your components. Of course, you can also change your components but that's another discussion also.

Pmi_Guy,

I so pleased with VR-4JR’s bass response that I actually turn-off my Velodyne DD-12 in the 2-channel music mode. The bass was amazing when I auditioned VR-4JR’s with Rogue M150 mono blocks… Even my Oulaw 1050 receiver the VR-4JR’s are not bass shy.

Best regards,
Alex

Alxg - thanks for your detailed secription of your room. I too have a room I suspect will be a challenge to treat, with a 10-foot fire place and two windows along one of the long walls and a lot of reflective surfaces that need to be tamed.

Opalchip - I enjoyed your analysis of the trade-offs. I can't say I know enough about engineering or accoustics to either accept or reject your points but it certainly is a plausible argument and one that was well-presented. I'm also intrigued by the Joseph Audio speakers and hope to listen to them when I'm in NY or Toronto (not sure if they sell in Canada)