Great Rock & Roll speakers?


I have a pair of Vandersteen 2 sigs with a DNA-1 & CJ PV10al. I have never been able to get the image proper with the speakers due to odd ball room placement. I really like the speakers but need something to image better in the same price class. I don't have a lot of room behind the speakers & don't want monitors. I really love the bass response of the speakers but had the idiot lights flash during a listening session once. Since then I have been paranoid to really crank them. I spoke with Richard & he explained how the lights work so it is obvious that I listen to alot of music that is heavy in the mid-bass region. So I need to find a speaker that is a good match to my DNA & CJ that will image well sitting close to the walls. The overall size of the speaker isn't much of a concern as long as they aren't much larger than the Vandy's. Speaker placement issues would pretty much rule out planar speakers & adding additional subs is not the direction I would like to take. Check my system here & let me know your thoughts.
fishwater

Showing 4 responses by phizzer

I was using Vandersteen 2ci's up until about a month ago.These were originally coupled with a 130w Rotel Rb981 amp and an Rc980 pre. Then I changed to a Parasound php-850. Got a little more bass response but my the vandys' always flash notoriously when I played any thing heavy like creed or metallica. They are just not made to crank although they were fab on Jazz and softer rock. Was using with a Paradigm pw-2200. Then tried the Studio 80's and really enjoy them now. Speakers are so subjective-it really depends on what you are looking for but give them a listen. You will like either the 100's or 80's. Given the fact that I did have the sub, I saved the bucks and got the 80's over the 100's. Note that the tweeter does take a long time to break in.
Tweakster,
like the choice in your music and we seem to listen to a lot of the same stuff. I agree with you on your assesment of the vandersteens. As far as the 100's go, they do need juice to crank them but they do a pretty good job on rock imho. You must like a speaker that is a bit more forward so that wailing guitar can stand out and really come at you the way you want it to. Let me know what you think of the gold's when you listen to them. To me, they are a little more laid back and smoother. I do not know if you will like it in that respect. NHT' require serious juice to crank em.
Hey guys,
I just came back from a checking out some speakers at this new audio place they opened up in NYC. I was actually down looking for a cd player but could not resist sampling some of the floor models. I checked out the AUDES O37, Snell E.5mk2, Studio 60's, and some JM Cobalt 816's. I loved the audes 037 as it was a little laid back but had that impact I love. The bass was really good. They were super easy on the ears. The snells were also pretty good and had a good presentation on rock but the only thing that worried me was that I might (only after prolonged periods of loud music) might give me some listener fatigue. They were a bit mid range forward at higher levels. The paradigms were def more forward on the highs as I am used to on the 80s. I also listened to some tannoy floor standers but was not impressed. They sounded a bit hollow.
If you guys can, check out the audes speakers or the snells. You will like them. Although it is up to individual tastes, you may like what you hear. As far as the Silvers, I would not really sleep on them. They are refined but do have good imaging and great dynamics. The JM were a bit bright but sounded pretty nice anyway. You might need to spend some time with critically listening to them. One thing I should mention is that I listened to these speakers on a creek integrated/NAD CD player. Not the very best stuff but overall really good. Imagine better electronics would do these speakers real justice. I used Oysterhead, Phish, Bela Fleck and the Flektones, as well as some Van Halen for sample cd's
The guy I dealt with was really nice and cranked em up to concert levels when needed. He showed me a pair of $4000 JM Lab Electra 926's and I got blown away. It was hooked up to a YBA Complete System. Damn! Might have to sell the motorcycle to finance those babies. He wants to cut me a good deal hehe.
oh, just one more thing based on what I experienced.
I listened the the studio 60's way back when I was looking for speakers. They were nice up top and all, but had no bass at my regular audio salon. I listened to the 80's in another room and they kicked out the bass. Now the 60's were hooked up in a lousy sound room to parasound halo stuff. That is why I went 80's.
Today I listened to the 60's at a completely different place and the bass was fantastic. The whole bottom end just filled in like it was supposed to. I guess it was room acoustics as well as different electronics. So do not be put off right away by one bad listening session. If you guys get the opportunity to listen to the same speakers at different locations, you might get a better idea of what the speakers really can do. just two more of my cents.....