If you can find them, I'd highly recommend a pair of Proac Studio 150's. They were $2300 new and should cost about half that used, though they're rare. Any of the Studio series will give you most of that wonderful Proac sound for less money than the more well-known, and more expensive, Response series. |
If you want to buy new speakers for $1000, and want a beautifully detailed speaker for listening to acoustic instruments, I strongly urge you to consider Richard Sequerra's Pyramid Met 7.7. I owned an earlier version of this speaker. They have superb resolution, accurate instrumental timbre, nearly holographic imaging, and do a terrific job of reproducing acoustic instruments. As mini-monitors, they lack the bottom octave, but I'm not sure you will miss it much. Sequerra sells his speakers directly, and the price is $990 plus shipping. The Pyramid 7.7 was reviewed by Sam Tellig in the July 2000 issue of Stereophile mag. |
Without a doubt the Meadowlark Kestrel is a PRIME choice in your price range. A used pair of the 'Hot Rod' (biwire with enhanced rigidity) should run about 1K (new $1500) They're floorstanders so they don't need stands, and have adequate bass response (due to transmission-line loading) for most average-sized listening rooms. Give them a listen! |
meadowlark hot-rod kestrals are musical speakers, but detailed, they're not. try proac, aerial, dynaudio, ae, meret, for starters. the linn speakers are also more detailed than the meadowlarks. |
Try the NHT 2.5i's (but I'd stay away from the older "non-i" versions). They're quite detailed, and have a pretty good reach into the bass as well. The NHT's are definately not for everyone -- they can easily sound a bit bright or scratchy or harsh or "too detailed", especially when driven by "very detailed" equipment. They also have a pretty small sweet spot. Nevertheless, I'd recommend listening to a pair. Can find them on Audiogon for $750 and up. |
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ACI Sapphire III, it can be purchased as DIY kit |
Try Apogee, for example the Slant 6, Centuar, or even better, the Stage. Astonishingly open (especially the Stage & Slant 6), requires a fair amount of fussing with cables & room position as well as a GOOD 100 watt amp but worth every penny. Good luck |
If you can stretch your budget just a little, you might find a pair of used Merlin TSM-SEs on Audiogon for around $1200. These are certainly "at the expense of bass", but what you get is certainly worth it! |
Read SoundStage! current issue testing norwex B-2 Nisse on their web site: www.soundstage.com. Click on Audio. Also visit our web site: http://norwex.homepage.com. These are $995 a pair new in black or white lacquer; $100 more in red oak, walnut or mahogany real wood veneer. Are these the easiest High-End speakers to live with? Should you have interest in norwex after this, contact Harald Aasland at our e-mail adress above. |
...yes i read the review, and ACI Sapphire "blew" them away in a/b test. Also, Epos 12...should be taken in consideration, probably THE most detailed in it's price range. |
Well, Eldragon, I guess it is how you read a review, when you say ACI Sapphire "blew them away". True, Mr. Potis preferred his reference Sapphire speaker to norwex B-2 Nisse in some areas, but he also said:"Treble performance from the B-2 was very good and a touch sweeter and smoother than ...Sapphire." And later he again comments about the treble performance compared to the Sapphire this way:"With the Sapphire III...the vocal sibilants were harder and more irritating." Personally I get very quickly tired when I hear too much treble energy. But, it is probably just a matter of personal taste. Also keep in mind that the B-2 Nisse was specifically designed to be placed close to a wall (bookshelf, wall unit, wall brackets, floor stands placed close to the front wall). Try that with Sapphire for comparison. Harald Aasland |
Yes, that is correct, however i believe "high-end" entusiasts and so called "audiophiles" are "strange" kind. They don't trust the new and untested, and especially if "loudly" advertised. I honestly don't doubt, that your speakers are very good product, and i have to admit, that i was surprised how your speaker "performed" (according to review in SoundStage) but "bookshelf" or "wall-bracket" speakers, in the minds of audio entusiast, aren't exactly the "synonym" for "high-end" product. I don't think it is taken seriously. YET! However, i wish you luck! |
How about Linn Tukans? Extremely accurate, and reasonably priced at $850. |
Ditto on the Merlin TSM-SE |
Among them Vienna Acoustics Haydn, EPOS ES11, used Totem 1 |
Coincident Triumph Signiture.Nothing is close. |
