I would recommend giving the speakers @ least 300 hours of playing time before drawing any conclusions as to their sonic signature (the little $300 AE's take this amount of time (plus) to run in and afterward they evolve into great sounding budget speaker). The speakers should also play much louder, without straining (or closing in) after this period of time. In the meantime, do not push them too hard. If you do not care for the sound @ this point, then look elsewhere, but @ least give them a chance. It would also seem to me that a metal dome tweeter might be a decent match with and AR Complete integrated amp and CD player (if these are the components which you own) as the conbo is not at all "hot" in the HF's (I have owned the player myself and have listened to the amp).
best budget hi-fi speakers for my specific system
Hi. It looks like everyone's been pretty helpful to others so I hope to get some of your advice also. My issue:
Just started a "budget high-end" system with:
Audio Refinement Complete system (integrated amp and cdp) Oval Twelve speaker wire
Acoustic Energy Aegis Two floorstanding speakers
I know some people on this board seem to dislike the AR system but I really love the sound: great details in the medium and high ranges and provides very airy soundstage that provides for great separation.
The problem is that my Aegis Two speakers sound kind of "smallish," there's a distinct lack of bass, and guitar strings all sound metallic. I've tried some Whatmoughs (australian company) that give missing bass and lushness but they lack detail and also separation. I've also heard some lower end B&Ws but I wasn't impressed.
For ~$500-600, is it possible to find floorstanding speakers that provide the positive attributes of the Aegis Twos but also give better bass/warmth? Thanks for your help!
PS - I'm pretty set on keeping the AR Complete system.