Afraid to buy new speakers


I'm stuck with hideous acoustics that simply couldn't be worse, and I have to place speakers close to a concrete block wall. There's no getting around it. I have decent CD player and integrated amp recently bought new (NAD 365BEE) as well as a Parasound P3 and PS Audio HCA2. Given my sorry room configuration I fear any speaker I buy will be a mere shadow of itself in a different environment, and I cannot change this environment. I'm finding that a set of small monitors and a sub seems to work, but these speakers have their own limitations. I've got a max $3K budget for a pair of speakers, but read time and again how any speaker will sound like crap when their back panel is placed close to a wall. If true that kills anything and I might as well stick with my monitors or if I want to play really loud when the wife's out put my old Advent 2s on and launch the cones. Is there ANY speaker in the 2-3 thou range that is designed to function well close to a wall save an in-wall unit? I look at these long ribbons of 3-4" drivers and can't help but think they'll sound horrible, but who knows. I'm probably going to be here for some years, so I have to make the most of it.
rg500g

Showing 1 response by onhwy61

If your room acoustics are so horrible and you are also restricted in speaker placement, then why spend big bucks on a good speaker? It won't sound good and you'll be unhappy. In another thread you mention that you have a pair of old Celestions loudspeakers that sound decent and play loud enough. Keep them and accept them for what they are. For a more audiophile listening experience get a pair of good headphones ($500 to $1,500) and match it with a nice headphone amp, say $1,000. Headphones are headphones, but such a setup can match the detail and frequency response of $20,000+ loudspeakers.