Monitor Speaker Vote "Face Off"...

Please please please AUDITION whatever gets the most votes, and at least the second place vote getter, before you buy! It's much better to KNOW you love what your buying than to wonder if what your hearing is what you're supposed to be hearing. There is enough variation in speakers in any price range that you can buy something that over time (and not much of that) that you will come to absolutely hate the sound of, where even a half an hour spent just listening could save you from a miserable experience. You've got a good list of candidates, several of which I auditioned myself and a couple I would have liked to audition but couldn't. Perhaps to my loss, the ones I couldn't audition I couldn't buy, yet I dearly love the speakers I have. And you might just find the perfect monitor that we haven't even heard of yet - I never saw a single recommendation for the speakers I wound up buying. I did get a pair of one of the speakers on your list, but without knowing your musical preferences or anything about your gear, I can't recommend them to you. If you've been lingering for a while, you already know not all speakers play nicely with all gear, and some won't play with some gear at all; and some speakers can really rock, but merely croak when it comes to complex classical music. Not to mention the importance of your listening room. So, please, give us a little more info and let us give you some USEFUL feedback.

Regards:

chas

Prological:

Biggish room, weakish equipment (but it's good enough for now, given your plans). I know them solely by reputation, but people I know know what they're talking about highly recommend NewForm Research R630. Brand spankin' new they're at the top of your price range, used they're available at the bottom. Hybrid ribbons with ScanSpeak mid drivers, specs that compare well with all the monitors you mention, and (I'm told) very musical. Plus, they would obviate the need for(and additional expense of) stands. Plus, they should be up for whatever you get for your next upgrade (not that any of your selected monitors wouldn't, mind you!). Unless you specifically need monitors for a reason (and room size clearly isn't one) then this would be my recommendation.

If I still get a vote, and you are intent on buying by popular demand, then I go with the Silverlines (but then, I own 'em!)

Chas

Pro:

Here's a solution I saw recently to the "appearance problem" - the guy built a couple of small, thin legged tables that fit over the cabinet, but behind the ribbon. Actually used something like Vibrapods on the feet, in fact. The tables were shallow trays, waterproofed, on which he put plants! I thought it was ingenious - broke up the visual lines of the speaker without impacting the acoustics much, if at all. I guess theoretically we could do the same thing with our stand-based monitors, as well, but to get those ribbons, I can get creative!

Listened to a new Liz Story cd on the Silverlines last night. Might just as well have been sitting on the piano itself.

Regards:
chas