2. speakers
  3. 1341843044

Best $1,500-ish New or Used Floorstander -

Hello,

After pouring through many posts over the last few weeks, I thought I would tap the collective Audiogon genius for advice on my quest to get back into the hobby. I have been a many year (decade?) fan of the community (lurker) but wanted to engage directly as I look for a good set of speakers for a 2 channel system I will be building.

What should my short list look like for speakers in the $1,500 range?

I am very open to used, but if there are any current production speakers that eclipse the used value equation I'll certainly give them deep consideration.

My room is "lively" and roughly 15 x 20.

Associated electronics: TBD - but budget commensurate with speaker pricing.

I'd like "well rounded" speakers in terms of music genre - not focusing on speakers that do well for "opera" and not rock, for example. If anything I'd like to make sure they "rock" though.

If you had $1,500 to spend on speakers that you hope last you many years - what would you get?

Thanks!
968firehawk

Showing 3 responses by johnnyb53

johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
For a long time, used speakers represented a particularly good value, and sometimes they still do, especially if you pick something that was ahead of the curve when new, such as Magnepan 3.6, ADS M12, Dynaudio from the past 10 years. However, there have been such advances lately in driver design--cone composites, diecast frames, stronger magnets--and enclosure design--non-parallel walls, better bracing, narrow, extra inert baffles--that some of the new speakers make for compelling values.

Two examples are the Monitor Audio Silver RX6 and RX8. RX6 list price is a little below your budget; RX8 a little above. I've seen lower prices online. RX8 received a glowing review from TAS; RX6 did the same thing very recently with Stereophile.

Things that set these speakers apart is an extraordinary resolution and low level detail for a dynamic speaker of this price. S'phile's test measurements show the RX6 to have a smooth, flat response curve, good bass extension, and is very free of cabinet resonances. The mid and low drivers are a sandwich of magnesium and ceramic, making them very light and resistant to cone breakup.

As for powering these speakers, you'd be hard-pressed to improve on the Marantz PM8004 integrated amp. I've heard this amp powering a $12,500 pair of Sonus Faber floorstanders and they left nothing to be desired.

Both the Monitor Audio floorstanders and Marantz amp are much easier to own and use than a 15-yr-old pair of full range ribbons plus the high current amps required to power them. Yes, they'd achieve very high quality sound for the money, but the Marantz/Monitor Audio setup is no-muss, no-fuss, and a better choice for someone getting into--or getting back into--quality home audio.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 

I agree the Monitor Audio RX series should be on your list, too, especially if they tamed the peaky treble from the RS series.
The TAS and Stereophile reviews indicate that they did. Because Robert Reina reviewed the RS6 a few years ago he did the review of the new RX6. An excerpt from his new review:

I was intrigued by Monitor's statement that in the Silver RX6 they'd eliminated the RS6's slight peak at 11kHz. Sure enough, as I switched back and forth between the RX6 and RS6, I noted that the RX6 had more natural and realistic highs. Sibilants were more prominent through the RS6, and could be a bit brash in highly modulated passages, but not through the RX6.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 

07-17-12: 968firehawk
...
Now off to researching a nice integrated to match.
Seriously, don't buy anything until you hear a properly set up Marantz PM8004. Read the TAS review from the ilnk I supplied above.
More to discover