the big one: how do you choose speakers? By what features, data?


I am curious how the experts choose speakers when upgrading? What are the priorities, what would make you stretch your budget?

Based on e.g....

  • brand/company’s reputation
  • price
  • sensitivity
  • crossover frequency
  • compatibility with existing amp, etc.?

I don’t have buyer’s remorse for my last pair but I sure made some stupid choices until I got there, that I could have avoided if I had known about this forum sooner.

 

grislybutter

Showing 1 response by richopp

YOU have to decide what YOU like IN YOUR ROOM.  When I had my shop, I spent some time with a customer finding out what they listen to, where, etc.  I then asked them what hardware they had and worked with them on that.  THEN, I let them listen to various speakers in the shop to see what they liked.  Listening in a shop has NO bearing on how they will sound IN YOUR ROOM, so we then would pick a pair and set them up in your room at home and see what was what.

This is not an easy process as there are many speakers out there today.  Also, what you like the first few tunes may not be what you like long term.  SO, evaluate your hardware--high end tube gear is one thing; mid-fi solid state gear is something else.  Listening to loud rock (mostly) vs listening to classical or opera may require a different set-up to make YOU happy IN YOUR ROOM.

Take your time.  Demo a couple of pair and then decide since speakers are fairly expensive and you have to live with them after you buy.

PERSONALLY speaking, if you have high-end tube gear, I would suggest demoing Magneplaners in your room.  They may not work for you, but they are about the most accurate speakers around. Whatever you decide upon, best of luck!

Cheers!