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My grandfather needs some suggestions for speakers

Hi all,

My grandfather is an amateur audiophile, and is looking to upgrade or replace his current speakers, as he is unhappy with the way they sound. He has a pair of Infinity RS111B's that he loves, but those are in his private office, and don't match the decor of the room(also a little bulky).

Currently, his set up(for music only, not cinema) is:

Onkyo Grand Integra Pre Amp P-308
Onkyo Grand Integra Amp M-508
Onkyo Grand Integra Tuner T-4087
NAD C565BEE CD Player

Speakers: Polk Audio LSi25's

He is looking at purchasing new speakers, but is unsure of what to get, as many of today's up and coming brands he is unfamiliar with. I suggested he post on this site for some suggestions, and he asked if I would.

His budget for new speakers is approx. $2000-$2500 each.

I also suggested that maybe its his amp that needs upgraded/replaced...

Regardless, any suggestions would be appreciated. Currently he is looking on Crutchfield at some Thiel CS1.7's or MartinLogan Theos, or PSB Imagine T2's.

I don't have any experience with higher end audio, so I referred him here.

Thanks for any suggestions in advance. Thought I'd post on here before he traveled a couple hours to some showrooms to test.
tachyon42

Showing 3 responses by rlwainwright

rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
It would be helpful if we knew if we knew what it is about his current speakers that he does not like.

Nonetheless, many, if not most, folks on on these sites forget that the speaker/room interaction is probably the single biggest arbiter of overall sound quality. Far too often, folks throw money at replacing equipment when they would be FAR better served by "upgrading" the room.

Until he can state, unequivocally, that his room is as good as it can be for the reproduction of audio, he will be "chasing his tail" forever by making equipment substitutions.

In most cases, spending $500 - $1,000 or so on proper room treatments will result in *greatly* enhanced sound quality. I strongly recommend that you start perusing the various websites that sell such treatments. ATS, GIK, and such specialize in advising on and selling such treatments...

http://gikacoustics.com/
http://www.atsacoustics.com/

Good luck!

-RW-

PS: FWIW, Grand Integra is pretty darn good gear, I doubt that the fault lies there.
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
Good on ya, JohnnyB! It is soooo nice to find speakers that really, ummm, speak to you! I found the same when I got my Gallo Ref. 3.1s. And I, too, will never again put up with the coloration that comes from box speakers...

-RW-
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
Waxwaves wrote: " It helps to have a good reference to start from, and this gentleman wants a good set of loudspeakers first."

WW, the Polk speakers are actually pretty good. The point I was trying to make is that no matter how good the speakers, if the room is not "tamed", even the best speakers will not perform to their potential. If he concentrates his efforts there first, better speakers will shine even more brightly...

-RW-
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